Page 171 of Ensnared by the Pack: The Complete Series (Destined Realms #3)
AUDREY
I sat through dinner smiling and nodding and letting Bishop answer any direct comments to me from anyone who used a translator for fear of speaking in a language I wasn’t supposed to know. Again.
God, I couldn’t believe I’d done that, but it made sense. My brain thought everyone was speaking English regardless of what language they were really speaking.
I also couldn’t believe I’d forgotten I was in a room full of people and kissed Bishop like I wanted to have sex with him… which I did, but now wasn’t the place or time.
It was like I’d lost my mind or something. I’d experienced a little bit of power, and I’d forgotten everything that had been beaten and scolded into me.
Except it wasn’t my alpha power and killing those grimalkins that made me more confident. It was everyone else. Bishop and Knox’s love, the uncomfortable praise I’d gotten from the people in the hospital, and even Finn recognizing I just wanted to belong with the pack.
Sure, there were still lots of people who look down on me, but now I knew their opinion, just like Merrick’s, Sterling’s, and Royce’s, didn’t matter. That and it was almost impossible to keep my hands to myself.
Bishop and I were newly mated, and the urge to drag him out of the ballroom and lock ourselves in my suite was almost overwhelming. We’d had sex to seal our bond and again the next morning after we’d saved him, and that had been it since our time at the healing pools. Over a week with my mate and only a few teasing touches and kisses because I really didn’t want to embarrass myself in front of Deacon, Whil, and…
A shiver of desire rushed through me along with a flashback of me and Cyrus in the shower room.
Yeah, I wanted Cyrus to watch me having sex with Bishop and Knox, wanted to see a possessive heat burn in his eyes.
Except I had a feeling that was never going to happen. He’d said we needed to talk and that was never a good sign.
I’d thought we were building something. I’d felt the way he’d looked at me during our march back to Stonehaven from the healing pools. Even more telling, he’d made an effort to be nice to me, encouraging me and asking instead of commanding.
But he had serious responsibilities being the primary alpha of the pack, and I had no doubt he couldn’t take a mate just because he wanted to.
The thought turned the wine in my mouth sour, and I swallowed it down against the lump forming in my throat.
Damn it. I was used to disappointment. It shouldn’t bother me that Cyrus might desire me, might want to have sex with me, but didn’t want to mate with me.
Except my soul was certain he was my mate and it hurt thinking that he was going to reject me.
“Wow,” Bishop said as he leaned close. “That was one hell of a mood swing. Don’t worry, the dinner is almost done.”
His warm breath caressed my cheek and teased down my neck. Desire blossomed within me and I struggled to think of chilling thoughts before I blasted the room with my arousal and a third of everyone in attendance knew I wanted to jump Bishop.
He hummed, the sound a low rumbled, and smiled. “That’s better.”
For him, maybe, but not for me. Now I couldn’t stop thinking about dragging Bishop back to my room and having my way with him.
The dessert dishes were cleared away and then the speeches began. Cyrus welcomed the delegates and their aides to Stonehaven and spoke the grief everyone felt, since every delegation had lost someone. The other leaders each stood and thanked Cyrus for the welcome as well as acknowledging our pack’s grief.
After King Gower, who was a charismatic speaker, I tuned out the other leaders and let my gaze wander, trying to not stare at the merchants for too long. One of the merchants had the strange, flat expression that I’d seen just before the grimalkins had attacked, making me think he was trying to hide his reaction, the other two looked serious.
Except, even with the serious expressions, it felt like they were anticipating something. Which made sense. After this morning’s tragedy as well as the evidence of the effectiveness of their weapons, they had to feel certain the alliance would agree to buy their lightning guns.
The whole situation was a very convenient coincidence for the merchants, and while I doubted they were responsible for bringing the grimalkins to Stonehaven, something still felt off about them.
After the speeches, Eloise and Kira set up evening sweets and drinks on a long table at the side of the room, and the musicians — the group who’d been playing at the summer festival — started playing dance music. These dances were still choregraphed numbers where everyone knew the movement, but they were slower, more stately, than the ones at the festival.
Bishop grabbed my hands and I stiffened. I didn’t want to embarrass him or Cyrus in front of everything, and I would if I stepped onto the dance floor.
“Don’t worry,” he murmured against my cheek, sending a shiver racing down my spine. “I’ve got something better planned than dancing.”
“Something more private?” I breathed, as his desire swelled through our mating bond and enflamed mine.
We slipped out the door to the kitchen to avoid notice, hurried past Eloise and Kira and the dozens of other people who were helping with the party, and raced out into the herb garden.
Bishop’s grip on my hand tightened. “This way.”
We rushed around the back of the Residence then headed deeper into the garden, away from the building. The second I saw the hedgerow in the distance, I knew where we were going.
The summer garden.
We’d had our first date there and instead of eating the picnic we’d made love. It seemed every time we went to the summer garden, we forgot why we’d gone there and ended up having sex.
And from the anticipation and need rushing through our bond, we were going to make love again.
Feeling freer than I’d ever felt in my life, I ran with Bishop through the winter garden and stepped through the wrought iron arch between the gardens into magic.
The summer garden had been transformed into a nighttime wonderland. Night-blooming flowers that had secretly been hidden among all the glorious daytime blooms shimmered pale white, blue, and pink in patches through the whole area, and a night-blooming vine twisted among the clematises, honeysuckle, and wisteria, climbing up and over the top of the pergola in the garden’s center.
Soft light emanated from trays of little white stones inside the pergola, and in the center were dozens of pillows all white with gold trim and a soft-looking dark blue blanket.
“It’s beautiful,” I breathed.
I couldn’t believe Bishop had done this for me or where he might have found the time to set it up with everything he’d had to do in the aftermath of the grimalkin attack.
“ You’re beautiful,” he said as he stepped close behind me and teased his lips along my jaw.
With a sigh, I tipped my head back, resting it against his chest, and sank into the warmth, love, and desire rolling through our mating bond.
“Just because we’re mated now doesn’t mean I’m going to stop courting you,” he murmured in my ear, his hot breath sending need racing straight to my core. “I promise to show you every day how beautiful you are and how much I love you.”
His fingers brushed down my bare arms, drawing another blast of need, adding to the heat building between my thighs. I ached for him like I always ached for him.
He was my first love, my first real kiss, the first man to be kind to me, my first… my first everything, and I knew I wasn’t in love with him because he was kind to me when everyone else had been cruel. I was in love with him because he filled my soul with certainty and comfort. He was my confidence and passion.
He was home.
He’d always been my home. I’d just needed to run through a rip in the realms to find him.
A large black wolf strode out of the shadows to stand in the middle of the blanket and pillows in the pergola. White light shimmered in his thick coat while lust and pride swelled in my mating bonds.
Knox.
My ferocious, wild mate. He was my courage and fierceness. When we made love, I felt powerful. Despite his need for submission, now that he’d fully committed to our bonding, I never felt lesser or weaker with him. I felt like an equal.
A hint of alpha power swirled around me, but I couldn’t tell if it came from Knox or Bishop or even myself. It just filled the air like fog rising from the ground, getting thicker and thicker until my skin buzzed with it.
Come here, Knox commanded in my head.
A snap of power crackled across my skin, but instead of making me go to him, it made my own strange power rise up in challenge as if this were a dream and not real life.
“Make me, alpha,” I challenged.
His power snapped stronger, zinging along my nerves.
I gasped, the sensation sending heat rushing through my veins, and Knox’s desire crushed through our bond.
Behind me, Bishop groaned, the sound a low, sexy rumbled that vibrated in his chest and against my back.
“Audrey,” he purred. “He promised he’d be gentle with you because of your injuries. You might not want to tease him.”
He skimmed his fingers up my sides, brushing the swell of my breasts and setting off my already sensitive nerves.
My breath caught on a moan and Bishop’s need crashed over me, swirling with Knox’s into a heady drug that had me instantly wet and aching.
“Teasing him teases you and me, and I’m not sure you’re ready to handle both of our wolves when we’re awake.”
That thought sent more heat rushing to my core and my moan escaped.
“Not tonight,” Bishop groaned, his voice strained. “I know you’re sore and you’re going to feel worse in the morning.”
“Not if both of you fuck me,” I breathed, feeling bold and confident. These were my mates and they wanted me. I could feel it whirling and teasing inside me, building my own need into an achy fire just waiting to explode into an inferno.