Page 29 of Brutal Reign (Shadowed Heirs #5)

29

I ’ve never had trouble with women. I was blessed with great genes, so it takes little more than a grin to have them eating out of the palm of my hand, willing to do just about anything to hold my attention. If I run my mouth or piss one off, then there’s always another waiting in the wings to take her place. It’s all just surface-level bullshit; something to scratch the itch because until recently, I couldn’t have what I truly wanted. I never cared enough to put forth a real effort with anyone who wasn’t her .

Except now that I’ve got a chance to actually be with River, all I’ve been doing is fucking it up. Just when I think I’m starting to win her over, I inadvertently do or say something that puts us right back at square one. Given my track record, it feels like it’s only a matter of time before the bottom drops out and I do that one thing; that one big fuck-up I’ll never be able to come back from.

It’s so much easier for Ace. He’s good with people; good with words. Even now, as the rest of the recruits hustle out of the barracks to get to the practice field before training begins, he and River are huddled together on his bottom bunk, sharing his earbuds while listening to a song playing from his phone. She looks so comfortable with him, so at ease. She’s never like that with me.

They’re going to be late for practice if they don’t get moving, but neither seems to care. It’s like they’re in their own little world and I’m an outsider looking in, lingering by the exit of the barracks and waiting for them to emerge from it. Right as the last of our fellow recruits slips past me to head for the field, Ace grabs River by the chin, guiding her lips to his. She opens for him, mouths fusing as they share a filthy hot kiss.

Part of me is jealous as fuck, but the other… well, it’s getting hard just watching them . I can practically taste her strawberry chapstick on my own tongue as I reach down to adjust myself in my athletic shorts, stepping out into the hall with a grunt of frustration.

I don’t proceed to follow the other trainees out to the field, though. I linger outside the barracks for a few minutes while my best friend and my girl take their sweet ass time with each other before stumbling out with puffy lips and flushed faces.

Ace doesn’t look surprised to see me standing there, but River blinks her hazel eyes at me, brows pinching together. “Why aren’t you out on the field?” she questions.

“Was waiting for you assholes,” I grumble, my gaze unwittingly dropping to those plump, swollen lips of hers. I step closer and reach out for her face, bringing mine down right in front of hers and tracing the curve of her lower lip with the tip of my thumb. “Do I get a kiss before practice, too?” I growl, walking her back a step and crowding her in against the wall.

Her breath catches, her heated gaze locking with mine. She might’ve just had Ace’s tongue down her throat, but as far as I’m concerned, that was only a warmup.

I lean in closer until we’re breathing the same air, cocking a brow as I await her response. Deviance flickers in her eyes as she whispers, “Dare you.”

Fuck. Yes.

I slam my mouth down onto hers, forcing my tongue past the seam of her lips and kissing her hard. River’s lithe body melts against mine, her head tilting, tongue teasing my own. My dick thickens against her hip, wanting a lot more from her than a quick kiss in the hallway before practice, but shit, I’ll take what I can get. I draw it out as long as I can, then lip her lower lip as I reluctantly draw back, unable to contain my smug grin of satisfaction.

Copper shimmers swirl in her irises as she blinks up at me breathlessly. “We’re gonna be late for practice,” she pants.

“We’re already late,” I murmur.

“Yeah, well since it’s a lap for every minute, we should get out there sooner rather than later,” Ace points out, stepping right into our little bubble and bursting it. “C’mon, you two can suck face later.”

River’s cheeks redden as her wide-eyed gaze bounces between us.

“Fine, let’s go,” I grumble begrudgingly, slinging an arm over her shoulders. Starting forward, I guide her toward the double-doors at the end of the hall, Ace taking up his post on her opposite side.

Archer and Tristan are leading this morning’s session, the rest of our fellow recruits gathered around them as they go over the plan for training. The moment the three of us push through the doors and step out onto the practice field, both squad leaders turn to look our way, aiming disapproving frowns in our direction.

“Practice started six minutes ago,” Archer barks out, throwing a thumb over his shoulder. “You know what to do.”

Riv throws her head back dramatically, groaning in protest, but she knows as well as the rest of us that there’s no getting out of punishment laps. Accepting our fate, we head for the track, Ace and I matching our pace to hers as she starts off in a light jog… if you can even call it that.

Seriously, I can walk faster than this.

“You guys go ahead,” River mumbles, already panting when we’re barely half a lap in. She waves us off, and since past experience has proven there’s no point in arguing with her about it, Ace and I up our pace, breaking away to run ahead.

“What’s wrong?” he asks once we’ve built enough distance from River that we’re safely out of earshot.

“Nothing,” I lie.

“Seb,” he presses, turning his head to give me a hard look. Ace always knows when I’m out of sorts. He’s the one person I can’t hide from, which is a real pain in the ass sometimes.

I heave a sigh, the soles of my gym shoes pounding against the track as I maintain my pace. “I just don’t know how the fuck to be with her, man,” I admit, hating how fucking lame that sounds. “When I see how she is with you, I can’t help but get in my head about it.”

“I’ve told you before, you’ve just gotta talk to her,” he sighs.

“I’ve tried that,” I mutter wryly. “Every time we talk, it turns into a fight.”

Ace glances over at me, shaking his head. “It doesn’t have to. Just be honest with her like you are with me.”

“It’s not that easy,” I bite out, clenching my fists tightly as I pump my arms harder, upping my pace. “I’m always saying or doing the wrong fucking thing. She tells me to stay out of her shit, let her fight her own battles, and what do I do? Go get her stupid contact lenses back from Chandler.”

“I thought she thanked you for that,” Ace pants, picking up his own pace to match mine.

“She did, but I saw the look on her face. She wasn’t happy about it.”

“You sure you’re not just reading into things?”

“No,” I reply flatly. “But it wasn’t me she was cuddled up with this morning.”

He huffs out a breath as if I’m being unreasonable– or maybe he’s just getting winded now that we’re running faster. Either way, I let it drop, going right back to silently stewing about how the only girl impervious to my charms also happens to be the only one I’ve ever truly wanted. How’s that for irony?

I’ve never cared enough to question myself like this, and now I guess I know why. Caring sucks . I’ve never felt so goddamn insecure in my life.

“You guys fight because there’s too much tension built up between the two of you,” Ace murmurs contemplatively. “Maybe you just need to fuck so you can get it out of your systems, clear some of the tension so you can have an actual conversation without trying to kill each other.”

“She won’t let me fuck her while she still hates me,” I growl, shooting him a side-eyed glance. “Bet she’d let you, though.”

He chews on his lower lip, giving a little shake of his head. “The time isn’t right for us yet.”

“Seriously?” I scoff, looking at my best friend like he’s lost his damn mind. “What are you waiting for, bro?”

“The right time,” he answers cryptically.

I roll my eyes, turning my gaze back to the track ahead of me.

But then it hits me.

Whatever Ace is doing is fucking working , and if I don’t figure my own shit out with River soon, the two of them are gonna go skipping off into the sunset, leaving me feeling like I did while watching them this morning, every day for the rest of my miserable goddamn life. If I want to win her over, then maybe I need to take a page out of his book. Stop trying so hard to get in her pants and try to get in her head, instead.

Hopefully my balls don’t shrivel up and fall off in the meantime.

“I was able to get ahold of those concert tickets I told you about,” Ace says casually, pulling me back out of my own head. “You could give them to her, earn some points.”

“Nah, you got ‘em, so you should be the one to give them to her,” I sigh, though I do appreciate him trying to do me a solid by offering. “What’s the name of the band, again? I should probably listen to some of their music beforehand, so I don’t look like a total tool at the show.”

“Audio Whiplash,” he responds.

I repeat the stupid fucking name a few times in my mind, committing it to memory, then go right back to my spiral of self-destruction.

“How is this even gonna work?” I grumble, thinking aloud. “She can’t be Luna to our pack if she’s Alpha to her own.”

“Well, she shouldn’t have to give up her pack just because she has us,” Ace reasons.

“Fuck no she shouldn’t,” I growl, my inner wolf revolting at the thought of River being deposed from her rightful rank. “She’ll win that challenge and claim her title. She already wiped the floor with Jake once, so she shouldn’t have any problem doing it again.”

“Except the challenge is in wolf form,” he mumbles.

“Yeah, so?”

Ace slides me a glance, and I can practically see the wheels in his head turning as he asks, “Do you think there’s something up with her wolf?”

“What do you mean?” I scoff, furrowing my brow.

He drops his voice low, not chancing anyone overhearing our conversation. “I think something’s off with her shifter healing. Remember when we were kids and she had those issues integrating her wolf?”

“Well yeah, but that was years ago,” I reply, lowering my voice to match his. “Her dad wouldn’t have put her in line to be Alpha if her wolf was still feral.”

“Yeah, I guess you’re right,” Ace agrees, nodding. I can still see those wheels of his spinning when I turn to look at him, though. “I don’t know, I just feel like there’s something she’s not telling us,” he grumbles.

“Dude, we saw her wolf. The night of the full moon, remember? She looked perfectly normal to me.”

A smile curves his lips. “How could I forget?”

We exchange glances, and I know we’re both replaying that night in our heads; the night that changed everything. I’ll never forget the way her wolf’s white fur glowed beneath the moonlight or the surge of euphoria I felt when she shifted and our bond snapped in.

The two of us fall silent for the next lap while I retreat back into my own mind, the soles of our shoes pounding the track at a steady beat.

“Maybe the three of us could go out to the woods and shift, help her practice scrimmaging,” I mumble, thinking aloud again. “Make sure she’s prepared for the challenge.”

Ace snorts a laugh, shooting me a side-eyed glance. “You really think she’ll let us help? Last I checked, she wanted us to stay out of her drama with Jake.”

“Oh, she’ll let us help,” I reply smugly. “Because you’re gonna be the one who suggests it.”

Ace opens his mouth to respond, but I take off at a sprint before he can, chuckling to myself as I rapidly gain distance on my best friend.

Let him be the one to piss off our girl for a change. I’ve got enough making up to do already.

I’ve got a plan. No idea if it’ll actually work or not, but it’s a plan, nonetheless.

The overhead lights flicker in a final warning for recruits to get tucked up in their bunks while I stride between the rows, ignoring the dumbass rules in favor of shooting my shot with River.

Just talk to her, right?

Well, that’s what I’m gonna try to do, but first, I need to get her away from our twenty-four roommates.

The rule-abiding recruits stare curiously from their beds as I pass by, but I don’t pay them any mind, focused solely on the hot brunette sprawled out on her top bunk at the back of the barracks. River eyes me suspiciously from behind the lenses of her glasses as I approach, propping herself up on her elbows when I draw closer and arching a brow in question.

I wrap my hands around the metal rail of her bunk, leaning in and dropping my voice low. “Meet me up in the lounge after lights-out,” I say, winking.

“What?” she whispers back, squinting at me in confusion. “Why?”

“I just wanna talk,” I murmur.

Riv purses her lips, chewing on the inside of her cheek as she considers my proposition. Her breath catches as the lights flicker off overhead, and I take that as my cue to push off from her bunk and head upstairs, hoping like hell she’s still tempted to break the rules with me like when we were kids.

Of course, she lets me sit up there and think she’s not gonna show for a whole ten minutes before she actually does. I’m just contemplating whether I should settle in and fall asleep on this couch when I hear River tiptoeing up the stairs, her silhouette appearing in the doorway at the top. Kicking the doorstop out of the way, she closes it quietly behind her before turning to start in my direction, my pulse picking up speed as she crosses the shadowy lounge.

I know I’m not supposed to be thinking with my dick right now, but I swear the damn thing has a mind of its own whenever she’s around. It doesn’t help that her long tan legs are on full display in her little black sleep shorts and she’s definitely not wearing a bra underneath her baggy white t-shirt. Her hard nipples brush against the fabric with every step she takes, pointing right the fuck at me like a taunt. I shift my weight on the couch, subtly adjusting myself in my sweatpants as she draws closer.

“If we get in trouble for this, I’m going to claim you held me here against my will,” she remarks, coming to a stop in front of the couch I’m seated on and folding her arms over her chest. The pale moonlight streaming in from the window highlighting her stunning features, her full lips tipped in a playful smirk.

“Better make it worthwhile then,” I drawl, licking my lips and lifting my chin. “Pop that top off, babygirl.”

“Ugh, don’t call me that,” she grumbles disapprovingly.

“Why not?” I chuckle. “It works for Acey boy.”

“Only because he’s been calling me that forever.”

“So he just gets the monopoly on nicknames?”

Riv shrugs a shoulder, pushing her glasses up the bridge of her nose. “I’m sure you can come up with your own.”

I tilt my head, swiping a hand over my chin in contemplation. “How ‘bout Alpha?”

She rolls her eyes. “That’s a title, not a nickname.”

“Luna?”

“Another title,” she quips. “Wow, you’re bad at this.”

“Can’t be the best at everything, babe,” I sigh, throwing my arms over the backs of the couch cushions and grinning up at her.

She frowns, clearly not amused by my arrogance. “Is that why you asked me to meet you here? To brag about your many accomplishments?”

My grin fades, arms dropping from the cushions as I curl forward to sit up. “No, I did it because I wanted to apologize,” I grumble, stabbing my fingers through my hair.

River narrows her hazel eyes on me. “For what?”

“The Chandler thing,” I mutter.

“You’re going to have to be more specific.”

I furrow my brow, lips turning down in a frown. “Seriously, you’re gonna make me spell it out for you like we’re in fuckin’ kindergarten?”

She huffs out an annoyed breath, turning away like she’s going to leave, so I do the only logical thing I can think of. I lean forward and reach out to snatch her arm, yanking her down onto my lap before she can run.

“What are you doing?” she shrieks when her ass hits my thighs, squirming as I grab her hips and reposition her body until she’s straddling my waist.

“Just listen, alright?” I snarl, gripping her thighs to anchor her against me. “Don’t run away, just listen .”

Drawing a deep breath, I try to recall all the things I wanted to say, piecing them together and forcing the words out while I’ve got her held captive. “I know you said you didn’t want us getting involved in your shit, but I can’t help it, alright?” I grit out. “I fucking care about you, River, so I’m not just gonna stand by and watch some bitch like Chandler mess with you and not do anything about it.”

“But it was okay when you were the one messing with me?” she scoffs, pressing her palms against my chest and pushing back.

“No, it wasn’t,” I growl, my frustration mounting as she tries to wrestle my hands off her thighs and wriggle out of my hold. “If I could go back and change things, you know I would.”

She seemingly gives up the fight, muscles slackening as she crosses her arms and blows a strand of hair out of her face. “Why’d you let me think you fucked her?”

“I didn’t,” I snap.

“Yes you did. You let her hang all over you, knowing that’s what I’d think,” Riv scowls.

“No, I mean I didn’t fuck her.”

“Well I know that now .”

I squint at her, brows drawing together in confusion. “Wait, are you mad about that, or me getting your contacts?”

She heaves an irritated sigh, trying in vain to shove off my lap again. Of course, I don’t let her. This could be my last shot, so she’s going to hear me out, whatever it takes.

“Will you fucking quit it?” I snarl. “I’m trying to talk here, but I can’t even think straight with you rubbing against my dick like that.”

River stills, as if it’s just occurred to her that she’s been grinding all over my junk. A little puff of air leaves her lips, hazel eyes rounding as they collide with mine.

“Yeah,” I grunt, squeezing my eyes closed and willing some of the blood to flow back up to my brain. “You know I’m not good at this stuff as it is, but it’s ten times harder with you on top of me.”

“Then let me go,” she huffs.

I open my eyes, meeting hers again. “Never gonna happen,” I murmur, flexing my grip on her thighs. “You’re mine , Riv, and I’m not letting you go. Not again. I fucked up when we were kids, I keep on fucking up, but that doesn’t change how I feel about you. I never should’ve made that pact with Ace, but when I did it, I was too stupid to see what was right in front of me.”

I blow out a shaky breath, rubbing my thumbs against her bare thighs and dropping my gaze to track the movement. “Can’t you see how right this feels?” I rasp, lifting my chin to lock eyes with her again. “It was always supposed to be this way. You and me. And Ace too, whatever, but the only thing that matters right now is this right here. You’re the only girl I’ve ever wanted, or gotten on my knees for, or fucking apologized to. You’re the best thing in my life. So will you stop fighting this and just be mine ?”

The silence that falls between us is deafening. My heart slams against my ribs as I hold my breath, suddenly fucking terrified that she’s going to say no. That she’s going to reject our bond– reject me – and there’s nothing I can do or say that’ll undo the damage that’s been done; no way to right the wrongs of the past.

River stares back at me, wetting her lips with her tongue before parting them and whispering, “Yes.”

I flinch, doing a double-take, sure I must’ve misheard her. “What?” I rasp.

She smirks as she reaches out to loop her arms around my neck, leaning in and bringing her face right in front of mine. “You gonna make me spell it out for you like we’re in fuckin’ kindergarten?”

A growl rumbles in my chest as I lunge forward, claiming that smart ass mouth of hers in a fierce kiss that’s sure to bruise our lips. Sparks ignite, singeing our skin as she returns it with equal fervor, matching my urgency. Her tongue slides against mine and I wrap an arm around her waist, sinking my other hand into the back of her hair to draw her in even closer. The bond between us hums in my chest as I own every inch of her mouth, giving all I have and taking everything she’s got.

Riv rocks her hips over my lap, the heat of her center riding the ridge of my cock while I groan against her lips, fighting the urge to rip her clothes off. It takes every shred of self-control left within me to break the kiss, chest heaving as I pull back to look into her eyes.

Mine, mine, mine…

She blinks at me expectantly and I clench my jaw, fighting back my baser urges. “Don’t worry, I’m not gonna ask,” I grit out, knowing full well I’m gonna be in pain all night from the blue balls. If this helps bring us closer, it’ll be worth it, though. And when I do finally get inside her, I’m never gonna fucking leave.

“Really?” River asks, arching a brow. She walks her fingers up my chest tauntingly, cupping my jaw in a palm. “Fine, then I will,” she breathes, a teasing smile creasing her lips as she leans in, the tips our noses brushing. “You gonna let me fuck you now?”

Blood rushes to my dick, my mouth falling open in shock– but for once, I don’t ruin the moment by saying something stupid. I don’t say anything at all. Diving back in, I capture her lips again, writing promises against her tongue while our frantic hands tear at each other’s clothes. Our shirts are the first to go, her hard nipples scraping against my bare chest as I shift my attention to getting her shorts off. River lifts up on her knees so I can drag them down her thighs, and the moment those gorgeous tits are at eye level, I start licking and sucking them, biting her nipples until she’s moaning. When I finally manage to wrestle her shorts off her legs, I lift her by the waist and toss her onto the couch beside me, her glasses tumbling to the floor as I yank my sweatpants down and kick them away.

It’s messy and urgent, tinged with years of pent-up frustration and longing. Sparks tingle between our naked bodies as I crawl over her, bracketing her head with my forearms, my hips resting in the cradle of her thighs.

“Say you’re mine, Riv,” I murmur, shifting my hips to drag the head of my cock through her wetness.

Her back arches, a breathy moan leaving her lips as the broad head bumps her clit.

“Say it,” I grit out, notching my tip at her entrance and trembling under the restraint it takes to hold back from shoving in and claiming her. She’s been fighting this for too long. I need her to say it.

River grabs me by the chin, pulling my face close to hers. Fire blazes in her hazel eyes, our lips brushing as she whispers, “I’m yours.”

My wolf roars with satisfaction as I punch my hips forward, plunging inside her tight heat with a possessive growl. River cries out as I shove all the way in, burying myself to the hilt while her inner walls strangle my dick, her fingernails sinking into my shoulders. It takes every ounce of control I have left to pause so she can adjust to my size, my lips seeking hers as she pulses around me. Her pussy feels way too fucking good. I groan at the sensation of her warmth enveloping me, swallowing her own moan as I drag out halfway and thrust back in, bottoming out.

“You’re so fucking tight, Riv,” I grit out as I start pulsing my hips, pressing my forehead against hers as I up my pace until I’m hammering into her with wild abandon. “So. Fucking. Good .”

She drags her fingernails down my back, circling her legs around my waist so I can fuck her deeper. Her heels press into the base of my spine, thighs gripping my waist as I rut into her, driven by feral lust and primal need, our flesh slapping together with each slam of my hips.

I’ve fucked around with my fair share of women, but I never knew it could be like this . Time ceases to exist while I’m inside her, losing track of where my body ends and hers begins. I bruise her lips with kisses and suck marks into her skin, memorizing and claiming every inch of her perfect body. She leaves scratches down my chest and the prettiest cries slip from her throat, searing themselves into my memory. I go from giving it to her hard and fast to a languid grind, then I’m right back to rutting into her like a savage beast, unhinged and insatiable.

“Seb,” she gasps breathlessly, and I swear my own name has never sounded so sweet. I kiss it right off her lips before rocking back on my heels, spreading her wide and dropping my gaze to where our bodies are joined.

Fuck , just the sight of her pussy swallowing my cock almost makes me come on the spot. I groan as I slide out and thrust back inside, watching the way her tight channel squeezes my shaft, her thighs trembling in my grip.

“Need you to fuckin’ come, baby,” I rasp as I drop a hand between her legs, pressing the pad of my thumb against her clit. “It’s too good, I’m not gonna last.”

She bites her lip to stifle a whimper, her hands gripping her tits as I pound into her. “Fuck, right there, right there,” she babbles, lifting her hips to meet my thrusts as I rub her clit harder.

“Now, Riv,” I growl, clenching my jaw, my balls tightening with my impending climax.

Her body answers my command, my name on her lips as she tumbles over the edge of bliss. The sight of her coming undone beneath me is my own undoing, her inner walls spasming around my cock as I bury myself deep, release ripping through me like a tidal wave. Fireworks explode behind my eyes as I come harder than I ever have, choking on air as I empty inside her tight cunt.

Our sweaty skin slaps together as I collapse on top of her, covering her body with mine, fighting to catch my breath.

“Seb,” she whimpers.

“Yeah baby?” I pant, lips curving into a sated smile as I push up on my elbows to gaze down at her.

Rivers expression twists, hands pressing against my chest. “You’re crushing me.”

“Oh shit,” I bite out, scooping an arm around her waist and swiftly rolling us over. “Sorry.”

She giggles as she lands on top, lifting her head and brushing espresso strands of hair away from her face with her fingers. Then she lays her head back down, pressing her cheek against my heaving chest as her own labored breaths saw from her lungs.

“You were right,” she murmurs, idly trailing her fingertips over my bicep.

“Hm?” I hum through my blissed-out haze.

“It was always supposed to be this way.”