Page 43

Xander

“HERE,” I SAY, patting the spot near me on the soft leather bench of the upgraded limo we just climbed into instead of the suggested town car. Billie doesn’t say anything, just gently floats down on the seat next to me. Sliding off her jacket, I unzip the side zipper of her dress. “Please raise the divider and give us some privacy,” I call to the driver without looking at him, my eyes glowing again with my wolf’s presence, preparing us for what’s next.

“Yes, sir,” he replies with a husky chuckle. The whirring of the divider sounds, and some sort of Celtic music begins to play. Billie sits unresponsive and relaxed while I work her out of the top of her dress. My wolf’s marking saliva holds a higher concentration of our scent, which has my tongue tingling and prickling like when you eat too much ice cream. Having never done this before, not at this level, I’m learning as I go, but it seems to have a relaxing effect on my mate. I lay out her coat and slowly guide her down on her back, then throw my coat and suit jacket onto the other seat.

“Xander,” she murmurs, her eyes nothing but pupils, her face flushed.

“Yes,” I reply, my fingers carefully pulling her dress down to her waist, her lower arms still encased in the lace. Goosebumps shimmer over her heated skin, and her nipples harden to diamond points. “Fuck,” I groan, one hand hastily working on unbuckling my belt while my other is braced on the seat near her head. Not able to resist, I bring my lips to hers, my saliva making our kisses sloppy and messy, then I trail my mouth over the hills and valleys of her body.

“Xander,” she softly cries out. “We don’t have... It’s a short ride.”

Popping the button of my pants and tugging my zipper down, I slide my shaking hand inside my steamy too-tight trunks, and my hard dick escapes like a convict when the guard’s back is turned. “Believe me, I’ll be quick,” I grunt, repositioning so I’ve got one knee wedged between her and the back of the seat, and my other leg is outstretched, foot propped on the bottom of the other bench.

“What are you doing?” Billie gawps, her wide eyes falling to my hand stroking my cock over her bare torso. She jerkily cranes her head around like she just realized we’re in the back of a limo. Her rapid, shallow breathing adds a jiggle to the undulating of her breasts from the bumpy ride.

“Oh my Divine,” I grind out, my hand working my length with a fire-starting intensity, seeing the blur of the cityscape outside the tinted windows making my tip drip precum on her belly. “I’m not risking you.” I pant, feeling sweat begin to bead along my hairline. “I’m doing whatever I can to protect you, to ensure you’re not more of a target than you already are.”

“Are you gonna jerk off on me?” she accuses, and the fire in her eyes has my balls pulling up and my shaft swelling even more.

“I’d gladly fuck you, but your stockings would surely rip, and I’d have to deny you an orgasm,” I explain, gasping as I rub my tip between her breasts. “Can’t do that, but...” My hips buck and thrust, painting my precum on her flushed skin. “I can give you mine,” I groan in a choppy voice, as my orgasm hits, spurting rope after rope of cum between her breasts, then hitting her belly as I move down.

“Are you feckin’—” she objects, and I stuff cum-coated fingers into her mouth while my other hand works my seed into her skin, trying to keep to the areas hidden by the bodice. Objections aside, her tongue still licks, and her mouth still sucks all it can from fingers.

Bending over her, I sweep my other hand, now completely coated in my cum, under her nape and up through her hair, trying to keep it close to her scalp. I draw my fingers from her mouth and wipe them under her chin, holding her jaw. “I’m not feckin’ kidding you, mate,” I snarl, licking her lips while holding her spinning gaze with my steady one. “Scent matters, and”—I rock my cock along her stomach and take a long-drawn inhale— “it’s not like you’re not wet and needy right now—a need I will fill later. And then you can scent mark me .”

“So you’re just doing this for my safety,” she challenges with a demanding chin lift. Her words become slightly slurred as her body absorbs my scented seed. Again, it seemed thicker and stronger than normal. “No enjoyment at all... for you. Could... could be doing your taxes.”

“Oh, mate,” I say on a dark chuckle, taking my hand that was in her hair down to my cock, milking any reserves and coating my fingers in them. Bringing my fingers to her pursed lips, I paint them with my orgasm, and I smile wider, feeling her agitated breath puff out and her lips quiver with her unwillingness to open up. “There was no hiding how fucking turned on I got lapping my scent all over your backside, and you know all too well how I love you filled with my seed or covered in it.” Trailing my hand down over her chest, I scoop up any deposits not dried up and return to her mouth. “Now open and suck off what is left so we can redress and show up looking professional.”

Her nose scrunches up, and her chin tips higher. Leaning over her, I suck the top of her ear into my mouth, my teeth biting down while a low growl thunders from my chest. Her body shakes, and her mouth parts. “Good, mate,” I praise, licking her ear and rubbing my cheek against hers. The tender affection sends a lance of worry through my chest, my emotions, my concerns causing my voice to warble. “And I love you. I love you so very much. I want you safe, with me, il mio cuore .”

“ Ti amo anch'io, cuore mio ,” she whispers, kissing the tips of my fingers, and although all I want to do is lie down on her, wrap her up in my embrace, and never let go, I slowly push myself up and work on getting my dick back in without dirtying up my clothes. Then I lovingly take care of my mate, and by the time we arrive, it doesn’t look like we just had a tumble in the back of a limo. But when I take a deep inhale, all I smell is me all over her, and damn straight my lips are tilted in a smug-as-fuck smirk right before we enter the lobby.

Alessandro

La mia stella, I whisper through my link with Wilhelmina. The earrings, have you tried turning them on?

She doesn’t answer right away, and if I couldn’t feel the slow roll of her thoughts, I’d wonder about our link, our connection. It’s as if her mind is moving through a simmering pot of molasses and suddenly it hits that critical temperature and begins to break down, allowing her to reply, blurting out, Oh fart nuts!

My lips curl into an easy smile as laughter bubbles in my chest. Mi dispiace, la mia stella , I wheeze, my eyes brimming with tears. Fart nuts?

Gahhh , she lowly groans just as an image appears on the screen. Yeah, fart nuts, and give me a little leeway here. I may have some skill with breaking and entering, perhaps some small-time theft, but espionage is new. The only gadgets I had were crowbars and bolt cutters.

Una duchessa delinquent , I tease. You are just full of surprises.

She huffs a soft laugh and then a second image appears on the screen. Though I love knowing you’re here, connected, please keep communication limited. I’m already a little off with the effects of the um... She falters and mutters, Scent marking. I can’t add too much more. Like walking and chewing gum at the same time, I’m at risk of tripping or biting my tongue. Also, remember I told you about the format, Biscotti.

My smile widens while my brows furrow in confusion. Chewing gum and walking—is this truly difficult? I shake my head and sigh. Of course, la mia stella, I’ll keep communication limited. Biscotti over but not out.

Fragolina over, and stand by , she replies.

“We’ve got both audio and visual!” Asher cheers from his position on the couch next to Naomi, both bent over the laptop perched on her crossed legs.

“Can you link it up to the TV?” Heydar questions from his position standing behind them, his furrowed brows going from the small laptop screen to the flat screen on the wall in front of us.

“Sure can. Just give me a second. I want to get the recording going first,” Naomi assures in her unique husky voice, her tongue peeking through her lips to play with one of her lip piercings as she focuses on what she’s doing. I grin. So similar, but of course Little Fox would choose gentry like her since we all know how she feels about herself.

“You were able to link up with her then?” Asher questions, craning his head back to track me as I move to stand next to Heydar.

“ Si .” I nod.

“The distance is pretty far isn’t it?” he probes.

“Not as...” I falter, and my brows knit. “How is it said? As the crow flies?”

“Ah.” He bobs his head. “Yeah, that’s true. Do you know the limit of your reach?”

I shake my head. “Not exactly, not with Wilhelmina. We’d need to test it. I’d assume at least thirty kilometers or more. We were able to connect with both of you from her place to pack lands, and that’s more than fifteen kilometers, I believe.”

He lets out a low whistle, and then the TV is filled with a screen share of Naomi’s laptop. “There,” she says on an exhale. She hovers her mouse over an icon. “Looks like Ethan just logged in as well.”

“So we’re all accessing the same transmission, the same shared screen?” Heydar probes.

“Yeah,” she slowly replies. “If given more time, I could set it up with multiple transmissions. That way, if one is shut down, the others could still be live.”

“What you’ve done thus far is highly impressive,” Annabelle comments, stepping into the main room from one of the two masters, already dressed for the evening in a slinky red satin gown with an asymmetrical neckline and rouching extenuating her ample curves and small waist.

“ Non , Bella,” Assad grunts from the sitting area where he’s steaming his and Heydar’s dress shirts. “ Non , that will not do.”

“She looks fabulous!” Asher contends, motioning a hand up and down her body. Anabelle offers him a little wink while taking a few steps to perch on the armrest, which opens the very high split of her dress, exposing her muscular thigh.

“And we have too much to keep track of to be distracted by the vision of her or those who will undoubtedly be enraptured by her beauty,” Assad argues.

“Shh!” Naomi chides. “Please, if you want to argue over clothes, do it in the bedroom. My duchessa and alpha have put themselves at risk.”

“Shit, sorry,” Annabelle says and gestures her arm toward the TV. “Can you turn the volume up.”

Naomi nods and does as asked.

“Ah, Xander,” a man in a light-gray suit greets from a door to the side of Wilhelmina, striding toward them. Wilhelmina turns to him, and our visual moves.

“Shit,” Naomi grouses and hangs her head low. “I didn’t think about angles or position with the cameras.”

I quickly link up with la mia stella and apprise her of the situation. She takes a moment, and the visual returns, while her reply has me muffling a laugh with my hand.

Asher quirks a brow at me, and I raise a hand. “ Mi dispiace . Just... la mia stella . She said she’d try to be aware of the camera angle, but was worried about giving something away should she start looking like a chicken, side-eyeing everyone.”

“The visual is still good to have,” Heydar says. “You’ll know better for next time, always learning, Little Omi. Nothing to worry about.”

My hand covers my mouth again, trying to hide the smile at hearing Heydar be so understanding and supportive— almost fatherly. And Little Omi?

A pet name?

“Years, yet,” Assad warns, tossing a knowing look over his shoulder at his brother. “Many years ahead, brother. We are not there... not for a while.”

“Exactly,” Annabelle adds, her brown eyes, full of gratitude, alight on Assad before they both turn their focus to Heydar. She arches a sculpted brow. “We have much to do, much to accomplish, and much to learn of one another.”

“But someday,” Heydar contests, standing taller and crossing his arms over his chest.

“Someday.” Annabelle smiles. “Not today or tomorrow, many years from now. But, yes, someday, baby.”

“Someday, baby,” he repeats with a quirk of his lips, his eyes trailing down to his mate’s flat, taut belly. “Someday, baby.” And I can’t help but wonder, When will I think of my someday with the same surety as them?