Page 15 of Snow’s Charming (Hope Runs Deep #7)

Screw the Plan

H e’d been so tentative once he came into the living room.

We first watched a movie. He actually sat through my sparkling vampires—something even my father didn’t do—and commented on the parts that the movie got right about the paranormal.

I honestly had no idea how much the big screen got wrong about werewolves, but apparently, it was a lot.

The movie was over, and Sylus faced me.

“Did you want to watch the other two, or do you want to go to bed?”

A yawn escaped my lips before I could respond .

“Well, I guess that answers my question. Which room did you want?”

“Whichever room you are sleeping in is the room I’d like to sleep in.”

“All right. I’ll take one of the guest rooms, then.”

“Sylus, I want to sleep with you.”

His eyes darkened the minute the sentence left my mouth, and my cheeks, ears, and neck heated all at once.

“I mean, I—um? Well, what I’m trying to say is I’d like to cuddle.”

He chuckled.

“I’d like nothing more than to sleep next to you. It doesn’t have to go any further than that.”

I didn’t think it was possible, but my cheeks heated even more. He chuckled again as he kissed my temple.

“But you want to go further, right?”

I didn’t mean to ask it, but somehow my insecurities formed into actual words.

He liked me. Deep down I knew that, but I still wasn’t sure how much.

The whole fated-mate thing eluded me. I still thought it was lust dressed in a pretty disguise.

I lowered my gaze, too embarrassed by my question, and too frightened to hear his answer.

“Baby,” his voice was sweet and silky, like the center of a chocolate truffle.

He raised my chin with his thumb and forefinger so I’d meet his gaze.

The dark pool seemed to undress my soul again.

I swear, his gaze alone gets my heart racing.

“I want you more than anything in this world. But I want you to be my Luna when I make love to you.”

My eyes widened.

“Wait. Didn’t you tell me that being your Luna is like me being married to you?”

“Yes. It is equivalent to a human marriage ceremony. And if you want to get married with bridesmaids, a dress, and all the other works, we can do that, too. But again, princess—you have to want this. I won’t force you into being the pack’s Luna.

Though I’m pretty confident that you’ll say yes.

Okay, perhaps I’m more like confidently hopeful.

” He said with a half-smile as he broke the gaze to reach for my hand.

He drew it to his lips and kissed each knuckle as he returned his gaze to me.

“I want you, princess. So, so much. You are driving me nuts being so close to me, but I promise to behave all night.”

His hot breath on my skin left goosebumps in its wake, and I almost mewled from the heat alone. Almost. I bit it back because there was no way I wanted him to see the look on my face at just how much he affected me.

“But whichever you prefer—being my Luna, or being my Luna and wife—make no mistake, I will rock your world on the night of our honeymoon, princess. I want you screaming my name as a prayer on your lips and a mantra in your mind because I plan to worship you as the goddess you are, Sesi.”

I sucked in a breath to contain myself, but it was no use. Sylus had me melting. What woman wouldn’t feel like her world was rocked by just those words alone? Okay, sure, I was barely a woman, but damn it—he made me feel like I’d been one all of my life. Maybe I shouldn’t jinx things.

There’s still a possibility that Sylus is wrong and all this between us is lust rather than lo—nope!

Can’t use the L-word yet—I won’t go there with him.

I had to keep my wits about me. It wasn’t about trusting him.

Because, damn—I think I’d trust him with my life.

Every fiber of my core had me believing I could trust Sylus with my entire being. Mind. Body. Soul.

There was just one problem with this mind-blowing and rocking world evening. Sylus was gone! I woke up in the middle of the night after another one of my nightmares of Jackie, and I tried reaching for him. Only Sylus wasn’t in the bed, in the bathroom, or the rest of the penthouse. He’d vanished.

I wasn’t stupid. It wasn’t hard to figure out where he was. He was going after Jackie himself. I’d hoped I’d solved that problem. It was the main reason I’d asked to sleep with him. I didn’t want him storming the castle without the rest of the brigade.

Sadly, I’d spent most of the evening convincing him the brigade was right.

It wasn’t a good idea to go in half-cocked.

They wanted a friend, a Rom Borro Romani witch named Raine Jacoby Thaler, to accompany them when they attacked Jackie.

The plan made sense because the only way werewolves would have half a chance against a coven was by having the first male witch by their side .

Within five minutes I was dressed, out the door, and in search of Sylus.

Sure, I probably should have told the brigade what I was doing, but I didn’t want to waste time.

I needed to get to Sylus before he got to Jackie.

If the brigade was right, Sylus couldn’t kill Jackie because that would be an act of war against the witches, and none of the werewolves wanted to start a war.

Not after the recent Civil Were War that almost killed off all shifters.

War wasn’t good for any of them. It was the main reason Raine agreed to help.

I wasn’t sure how I was going to track Sylus.

However, now that I was a werewolf, I figured I’d have a keen tracking sense, just like any normal wolf.

As I set foot outside, Sylus’s bergamot and earthy scent assaulted my nose.

It wasn’t as strong as if he were standing next to me, but its intensity meant Sylus wasn’t far from the packhouse.

I kept my distance because I didn’t want to spook him.

If he’d found out I was following him? Well, I don’t know what he’d do.

Hundreds of scenarios ran through my head as I walked through the forest, which seemed to come to life the deeper I hiked through it.

Never did I notice the pure essence of nature emanating from every branch, bloom, or blade of grass.

I guess humans really were oblivious to all the magic surrounding them.

The snap of a branch rang out in the darkness.

Shit! I didn’t mean to step on it, but I got distracted.

I rested a palm against a nearby tree to still myself, hoping and praying Sylus didn’t hear me or sense me .

“I know it’s you, princess. Your faded body wash gave you away the moment you left the inn.”

Fuck.

I let out a sigh and a groan in protest.

“We don’t have all night. Catch up with me, princess.”

“I thought you were gonna send me back,” I called out to him. He was 20 meters ahead of me with his arms crossed in front of his chest.

“What’s the point of sending you back? You’d just warn the brigade, and then we wouldn’t have the element of surprise.”

“Don’t kill her, Sylus. She’s?—”

Sylus raised a palm, silencing me.

“I would never do such a thing out of respect for you. If she weren’t your stepmother, I wouldn’t think twice about killing her. Fuck the act of war it might cause. No witch should have allowed Jackie to garner that much power over humans.”

His fists were clenching and unclenching with each word he spat.

His aura, which for the first time I was seeing thanks to my own powers, changed from a bright blue to a reddish-purple.

Something radiated through me that Sylus’s wolf was coming to the forefront, and I couldn’t have that.

Not when we were so close to the Snow estate.

I reached out and covered his hand with both of mine.

His aura instantly cooled to a deep royal blue.

He took a long, steady breath and placed his other hand over mine.

“You have no idea how well you can calm me, princess.”

“I think I’m starting to. Sylus, we can’t let Jackie get the best of us. She doesn’t know that I’m a werewolf. If she did, she’d harness my power for herself.”

“Fuck,” Sylus said as he gazed deep into the forest. “Yeah, we will wait for y’all to catch up before we storm the castle.”

I knitted my brows.

“Bear just sent me a telepathic text. The rest of the brigade is here in the forest with Raine. Turns out his wife Skye saw that I’d say screw the plan, so Raine took the first flight here.”

“Well, I’m glad I’m not the only one that thought you should wait.”

“Sylus, my man,” a gentleman with dark hair and a five-o’clock shadow began while palming Sylus’s shoulder. “Learn this nugget about your woman now. Happy wife, happy life.”

“She hasn’t decided whether she’s my Luna yet, Raine.”

“Doesn’t matter. Save yourself the trouble and realize that no matter what she says, she’s right. Now, let’s make a plan before you wind up pulling a Princess Partner. We don’t have Hugo the Humongous on our side. Sound fair to you?”

Sylus let out a grumble deep within his belly, but Raine stopped him with a raised palm.

“Cut the crap, Charming. We can do this the easy way or the hard way—your choice! But remember, I’ve spared with and fought against the first werewolf made. So, you? You don’t frighten me in the slightest.”

“Fine, Raine. Let’s come up with a plan, but just know that every minute that ticks away means we lose the element of surprise. That gives Jackie the upper hand.”

A bolt of fiery blue light screeched between Raine and Sylus before setting a tall white oak ablaze.

“Too late! Jackie has the upper hand.” Said a shrill and unmistakable voice.

My stomach dropped. I knew it would be hard to see this woman again, but no fiber of my core was ready. My knees buckled, my legs grew weak, and everything closed in around me as voices became a mere whisper.