Page 148 of Ascendant King

He looked up at me, then reached up, his hand grabbing tight around the leather collar, pressing it into my skin. “I told you tofuckme.”

My hips jerked out and in, and then I couldn’t stop myself. I drove into him hard, the sound of our slapping skin making it almost impossible for me not to come. I whined, desperate.

Cade’s fingers dug harder, grinding the collar in my neck, and I felt the golden clasp press against my airway, almost cutting it off.

“Not until I finish,” Cade chided.

He worked himself, and I felt the scrape of his knuckles against my stomach, and then he shuddered, trembling and twitching, hot liquid spilling between us. Gently, he released his hand from my neck. “Come.”

I barely waited until he finished the word, my back arching, everything going white, the pleasure so immense.

Collapsing down on top of him, I focused on breathing, focused on coming back to myself. I was floating, and I would have stayed there forever if Cade hadn’t shifted uncomfortably.

Gently, I disentangled us, straightening his legs, going to get a washcloth to clean us both up. When that was done, Cade reached up, brushing fingers against the leather. The expression on his face was fond and longing.

He unbuckled the collar, putting it in the drawer before lying back on the bed, head pillowed on his hand.

“So, you like the idea of House Castillo?”

When I tackled him, kissing him until he was gasping for breath, he laughed, and I found myself laughing too.

Chapter

Forty-Nine

“Anyone opposed?” Mayra’s voice carried over the clearing, her tone neutral.

A soft grumble moved over the crowd, and one alpha—a younger one from LA started to straighten, but I glanced at him, and he met my eyes. After a second, he dropped my gaze.

No one spoke or stood. No one was going to challenge the decision.

Even though it was over a year in the making, I felt myself tense at the possibility that I’d lost one of the packs, that one of them would disagree at the last minute.

“Miles Castillo, alpha of the Los Santos Pack, the Council of California Alphas recognize you as Emperor Wolf.” Mayra’s voice carried, and the cheers from my allies almost overwhelmed it.

I grinned, letting my back be slapped. As I was jostled from one side of the clearing to the other, I found myself laughing with joy.

Part of me still ached. I would always be the Castillo that had survived, and Miriam being out there somewhere was aghost of an injury I couldn’t shake, but as more people came to my side, she had fewer hiding places. Most of Ghost Pack had disappeared quietly. She was without allies, without friends, and without territory.

“You did it.” Lincoln, the Pineridge Springs alpha, grabbed my shoulder tight, squeezing before releasing me. “You did it!”

“I couldn’t have done it without you.” I grinned. “After all, you challenged me last time, and so they already saw what a badass I am.”

Lincoln crowed a laugh. “More like they already heard you drone on in a speech and didn’t want to hear your politician’s nonsense again.”

I let the smile drop from my face. “I’m serious, Lincoln. I couldn’t have done it without your support. The Southern California alphas had no reason to trust me.”

“Yeah, well, now you only have to convince the rest of the country,” Lincoln said. He jerked his chin. “Pineridge stands with you when you’re ready.”

I had no words. There was something clogging my throat, so I let myself be dragged away, the celebration turning into a forest run when I shifted, the other alphas joining me as we lost ourselves to our wolves.

“So, these are the newest members?” I asked, looking over the dossiers on the table. “Ex-house mages or unaffiliated?”

“House mages,” Cade said. He looked up from an open folder. “These are all mages who left their houses.”

“And you’re worried about letting a snake in the henhouse.” I nodded. “No offense, Basil.”

I would eat every single poultry bird and all their offspring.Basil slithered off my arm, becoming three-dimensional and settling in the center of the table.In this case, I think Cade is worried about a poisoned apple collected with the harvest.