Chapter 12
S hannon
I hadn’t seen Stoney-boy all day, and I was unsettled. My wolf was pining as much as I was, which just irritated me more. I’d grown used to the grumpy bastard's presence at my side, and I hated that he had something to do that took his attention from me. Selfish bitch that I was.
Despite my ridiculous pining, the day had still been nice, and I’d enjoyed my time with Blue. There’d been no pressure to be a badass SBI agent, no expectations or responsibility of a mission, no visits from my father’s ghost, no more shakes, and for the first time in years, I felt like I could relax and just enjoy…being.
I’d walked with Blue until my legs shook, and then we’d retired to the palace library, where I’d picked a handful of books to bring back to my room. Blue sat on my bed and chuckled, fanning her face as she turned one of the books in her hands, examining the hot guy on the front. “Oh my gods, Shan, I didn’t know you read cliterature!”
I grinned. “I don’t usually, but if Stoney’s guarding me and I can’t drink or fuck, then life’s going to get hella boring.”
She giggled. “Well, you can thank Ember for these. She left them behind. She said I needed something to read when I was out of sleeping beauty mode.”
I didn’t miss the flash of bleakness on her face, but she pushed through it. It was hard to imagine what it was like for her, being asleep for most of the month. We hadn’t really talked about her curse, but I’d made sure she knew I was there for her should she want to. Sighing, Blue put the book back on top of two other hot romance books. I’d piled them on my bedside table next to the Legends and Tales of Faery: volumes one and two. She speared me with an assessing look.
“What?”
“You’re missing him. No matter how much you love my company, you haven’t seen him all day, and you can’t keep fucking still.”
“I can.” I scowled at my friend, embarrassed that she’d noticed my pathetic pining for a Fae I shouldn’t be pining for. I glanced at her face, only just now noticing that she looked really pale with dark shadows under her eyes. I glanced at the black of night outside the windows. My heart ached for my friend. The Fae moons were breaking apart, which meant the demon curse would take her into its embrace again soon.
“Oh, no, you don’t. Don’t look at me like that.” Blue pushed up from the bed and gestured between us. “Or you and me, we’re gonna have a problem.”
“I’m not looking at you like anything.” But I was, and we both knew it. I couldn’t help it. Blue deserved so much better than to sleep her life away in the Fae version of a sleeping beauty fairy tale. “Besides, I don’t feel sorry for you. You have the hottest, most powerful Fae in this damned world looking at you like he wants to devour you. You're living your own damned fairy tale.”
She laughed, but it was forced. “Hardly. He might be a good-looking bastard, who has the sexiest damn body I’ve ever seen, but he’s still my captor. It’s not like I can run away when I’m awake, now is it?”
I cocked a brow. “Me, either. Seems we have that in common.”
Still grinning, Blue sat down, leaning back on her hands on the soft mattress. “I guess we do. Except you want to fuck your captor, I don’t.”
“Yeah, I do, but don’t you lie to me. There’s so much sexual tension between you two that if you ever do fuck, I’m not sure this world will survive it.”
“Ha, I’m not sure I would either. Ventry’s bound to fuck with as much freaking intensity as he does everything else.”
We both fell into peels of laughter.
A series of low growls from the doorway made us both jump. I had no idea why; it wasn’t like I was some innocent virgin. But my face heated like a damn inferno when I saw Stone standing in the doorway, his face inscrutable, his arms crossed over his chest, biceps straining against his coat, and studying me with the kind of look that made me squirm and feel like my skin might melt. B’nar stood behind Stone, his irises burning as he fixed a predatory stare on Blue.
Silence settled thick and heavy, and even Blue looked hot and bothered as her gaze landed on B’nar.
“Oh shit, I think I insulted the most powerful Fae in Faery,” she muttered from the corner of her mouth.
“You think I am insulted by your crass words, human? I am not. I would never sink so low as to take a liar, drug dealer, and murderess to my bed. And you do not have permission to use my name. That is for friends and family only. Shannon may use it. You may not. Come. Your time with your friend is done.”
“It’s done when I say it is,” Blue snapped, her eyes flashing and her flush deepening until it stained her pale face.
Purple flashed over Stone’s gaze, and he slowly prowled forward until he stood over me. It was a show of dominance, which he rarely did, especially not with me. But I was too tired and too relieved he was here to push back. Besides, B’nar, or I guess I could call him Ventry now, may not have said so, but I knew he could see the shadows under Blue’s eyes, maybe even sense her exhaustion. He’d never admit he cared about my friend, but the fire in his eyes lessened as he studied her.
Stone leaned down until he could look directly into my eyes, his breath skating over my lips, scrambling my brain even more. “Say goodnight to Blue, Shannon.”
The command in his tone should have made me want to kick him in the balls, but it didn’t. Instead, my arousal fired up a notch, and I found myself wanting more of those deep, growly words. My wolf whimpered, and I felt her urge to do exactly as he demanded. My body heated all the way to the sensitive skin between my legs, which ached at his closeness. The intensity flickering in those beautiful eyes just made the situation worse. Crap, it looked like I was totally on board with bossy Stone. I eyed Blue apologetically, and she rolled her eyes.
“Fine!” She pushed off the bed with a huff.
I grabbed her wrist, knowing I was unlikely to see her again for a long time. “Wait.” Standing so that Stone had to straighten as well, I turned and pulled Blue into a hug. “I’m sorry you have to go, but the moons….”
She followed my gaze to the window and to the separated moons. A heavy sigh left her lips, her shoulders slumping. “I know. He’s right. I do have to go. It’s time for my sleeping beauty impression.”
We squeezed each other tightly. When I pulled back, she forced a smile and winked. “Still, maybe I’ll get a kiss from a handsome prince and it’ll wake me up before the moons meet again.”
Ventry grumbled, but we both ignored him, and I returned her smile, even if mine was just as forced. “Sure you will. You’re worth all the kisses.”
“We both are.”
Suddenly overwhelmed with sadness for her, I pulled her into another hug. “Bye.”
She squeezed me back. “Bye, honey.” Her attention slid sideways, resting on Stone, who studied us so closely that there’d be no private words. Blue shrugged and smirked when he didn’t take the hint and move back. “He so wants you in his bed and on his cock, my friend. Make him work for it.”
I still wasn’t as sure as Blue. Stone said he was here for me, but he was also following orders. Maybe having a potential mate attraction while we were forced together just confused and complicated things. “Blue!”
Her eyes rolled at Ventry’s barked command. “I’m coming! Damn, for an ice prince with no freaking emotion, you sure lose your temper quick.”
“Only with you, human.”
Halfway across the room, Blue swayed, leaning a hand on the four-poster bed to check her stumble. Ventry was already across the room when her knees buckled, and she fell. He caught her, the look on his face one of anguish. It was gone in a flash; his expression indifferent when he faced us with Blue cradled against his chest. “She will sleep until the new moons meet. Do not fear for her. I'll take her back to her room and ensure she is protected and cared for while she sleeps.” He met Stone’s gaze. “Let me know when you’re ready to leave.”
Stone looked down at me with a soft look that melted my insides. I swallowed hard. That shit was more dangerous than this new need of mine to be with him, not to mention how easily I submitted to his demands. Briefly, he flicked a glance at Ventry. “It will be tomorrow if that works? Shannon is tired and needs to sleep. Besides, Finchley needs time to prepare. She’ll have everything I asked for in place by sunrise.”
“Finchley? Who the fuck is Finchley?” I snapped, unable to bite back a sudden wave of jealousy. Had he been with another female today while I’d sat around pining for him?
Stone’s lips kicked up at the corners.
“Jealous, Shan?”
I huffed, crossed my arms over my chest, looking anywhere but at him. “No.” It just felt like this unknown woman's hand was squeezing my heart while she laughed in my face. A firm hand caught my chin.
“Look at me.”
I did. Shit, that fucking tone…
The smirk was still there, but that caring expression was back, too. It left me even more unsettled than the longing I’d felt while he’d been missing from my side.
“She’s a…friend. You have nothing to be jealous about. Do you believe me?”
I tried to jerk my head from his grip, but he was having none of it. He just waited, raising his brows. His touch branded my skin, and for some stupid reason, tears pricked my eyes.
His voice softened. “It’s okay. I know you don’t, not yet, but you will.” He let go, his fingers gently brushing my jaw.
Trying to distract myself from words that felt far too like a promise, I watched Ventry leave with my friend cradled in his arms. The Prince’s words suddenly registered, and my heart rate ticked up. “What does he mean? Leave? Are we going home?” It was too hard to hide the hope and even harder to hide the apprehension in my voice. I wasn’t sure about returning to the compound in Scotland. Stone and Rawson were right; I’d let everyone down. My pack had tried helping me repeatedly, but I’d thrown all their attempts back in their faces. No, I was too ashamed to go home. I’d have to eventually, but not yet. I couldn’t. Not only would I have to face everyone, it would mean giving up Stone, and I didn’t want to. Yet, I badly wanted to see my sister. My stomach tightened. She could already be a mother and me an aunt. That thought only made my eyes burn again. I was sure my sister would forgive me for my monumental fuck up. She always did. Or rather, she had always forgiven me; maybe she wouldn’t this time.
I couldn’t remember much from when she’d been rescued. I’d been too sick. I shuddered, remembering my father’s leer and his words, and my focus turned inwards to all the self-doubt I carried. Stone’s face softened further as though he could see my thoughts. I could even convince myself there was regret in his eyes when he answered and shot down my hopes. “No, you are nowhere near ready to leave Faery yet. We are going to be staying for a while.”
In a split second, disappointment morphed into anger. “I am ready. I’m dry now and strong enough to go home and see Ava, even if I-I can’t go back to…to work yet.” No way was I telling him how scared I was to face my friends and Connor.
He dipped his chin in agreement. “You are sober. I totally agree. And if I take you home now, you’ll fall right back into your usual habits.”
I grabbed his forearm. “I won’t. I won’t drink or fuck anyone. I’ll be good, I promise.”
His lips twitched, and purple flashed through his irises before they heated. I shuffled under that blazing stare, my face burning again. His smile widened, predatory enough that I stepped away, but my calves hit the bed, halting my escape. His canines, which were normally hidden away, were now sharp and very, very Fae-like.
“No, you won’t fuck anyone. No one but me. And you absolutely will be good.” He stepped close enough that his chest brushed against mine. My nipples instantly hardened under that delicious, light contact. “Because there will be rules where we’re going, Shan, and if you break my rules, there will be punishments.”
Goosebumps skittered over my skin, and I squeezed my thighs together, trying to alleviate the sudden ache that bloomed at their apex. Had he just said we were going to fuck? That I would only fuck him? Damn, I didn’t know if my brain, and definitely not my body, could process that. I flushed, unsure why I liked the thought of Stone’s punishments so much. His sexy smirk stretched until his perfect teeth were fully on display, the purple in his eyes becoming more intense.
“Interesting,” he murmured. “Is it the idea of us fucking that you like so much or the idea of being punished?”
I sank onto the mattress just to put some space between us. The emotion and need he stirred inside me were more overwhelming than ever. My wolf stirred, his presence waking her enough that I had to force her not to push through. My emotions were getting more out of control the longer I spent with him. It was confusing when, along with the tsunami of desire that hit me when he simply looked my way, there was a feeling of safety, which was dangerous. The last man who should have been my safety net, my home, had broken me so badly that I’d lost my ability to trust anyone. He’d spent years gaslighting and abusing the hell out of me…I scrambled for a distraction from my lust and mixed-up memories. “So you’re not taking me to see Ava?” It didn’t work. His gaze scorched my skin, yet I felt compelled to rub my bare arms where goosebumps had erupted. I was a little bit proud that I had at least managed to inject some snark into my tone.
“That’s where you want to go with this conversation?”
I bit my bottom lip, nodding. Yes, because if I acknowledged what he’d said about me only fucking him, about punishing me, I’d combust on the spot.
His eyes glinted knowingly, his smirk firmly back in place. “Then no, we aren’t going to see Ava yet. We still have many things we need to work through before we go back.” He closed the distance between us until his warm breath fanned my face again. This time, I hopped onto the bed to put space between us, inching backwards until my spine hit the enormous headboard. His closeness had me tied in knots, yet there was nowhere else to go when his hand came out and tucked a bit of hair behind my ear. I couldn’t help the soft shiver his touch elicited. His widening smirk bared his teeth, and the gleam in his eyes let me know he was enjoying our little game of cat and mouse.
And shit, did I feel like a little mouse under the weight of his attention.
“And we will be working through them. We’ve been dancing around each other for too long. I meant it when I said you are mine, that you will not touch anyone but me, nor will anyone lay a finger on you. Ever again. But I understand you need time to accept that.”
He paused as if waiting for me to speak. I couldn’t. I’d always felt unworthy of Stone, and he’d made it crystal clear that he had never wanted to be more than frenemies. He’d been right when he said there was no term for what we were. Hope unfurled in my chest. A dangerous emotion that could create a whole new future for me or completely rip me apart. And that’s exactly what would happen if I let myself hope and believe I could be good enough for a male as powerful and beautiful as Stone and then have him change his mind and reject me.
His warm hand cupped my face, and, Mother Wolf, forgive my weakness, I leaned into that touch, taking it for what it was, support, and a promise of more.
“I will prove I am yours as much as you are mine. And you will soon believe that you are more than good enough for me.”
Tears blurred my vision. No one had ever said anything like that to me, that I was good enough or, more importantly, made me feel it.
“These are mine,” he whispered and leaned in, his lips brushing the corners of my eyes one at a time.
Well, shit. He was playing dirty. My fingers clutched the sheets as I tried not to grab him and haul him in so I could press my lips to his.
His gaze speared mine. “Whatever it takes, Shannon. I’ll prove it.”
There wasn’t any part of me that wanted to fight him on it. Not even my wolf, who went utterly compliant at his nearness. She’d always snapped and been defensive with other shifter spirits, including Stone’s. But it was as though, once he’d brought us here and unleashed his dominant Alpha nature, she’d started to trust him. The strange thing was, so did I. No matter that Connor had given him permission to hold me against my will, I had no desire to run from him. I caught my top lip between my teeth, my breath catching as another thought smacked me in the face. Had she felt his wolf? The kind of connection only soul mates felt? Was that why she had started to trust him? Either way, he was right; it was time to stop running, and if submitting to his commands meant getting my life back and having a chance to explore why we felt so drawn to each other, I was ready. I would do whatever it took. That didn’t mean I’d be compliant in everything. I smiled a little, a pulse of desire making me clench my internal muscles as dampness pooled between my thighs and fire lit my soul.
Stone inhaled deeply, and his eyes narrowed. Tension charged the air between us. His luscious mouth was only inches from mine, and I licked my bottom lip, wishing it was his. A low growl mixed with that tension, and purple stained his irises. Mother Wolf, he was stunning. I had no idea how I’d resisted him for so many years.
I leant forward, my need to kiss him stronger than my will to protect my heart. He caught my shoulders and, gently but firmly, eased me back against the pillows. Face flaming from that small rejection, I didn’t resist. It hurt, but the confusion was worse. Had I simply heard what I’d wanted to hear?
“Hey.” He tilted my chin up. “Look at me.” It was a gentle demand but not one I wanted to follow. If he saw how easily he could hurt me…. I hated that I was so vulnerable with him. He’d always had the power to destroy me, and now it was worse.
“Stop overthinking. You aren’t ready for us yet.”
I released a frustrated growl. “Mother Wolf, could you be any more confusing?”
“I’m not trying to confuse you.” He brushed my lips with the tip of his finger. “But once I kiss you, I won’t be able to stop. I’ll want to taste every inch of you.” Using his nail, he drew a path from my chin down my neck to the hollow between my breasts. My breathing kicked up as that touch scorched my skin. He trailed that wicked finger across to my right nipple that had hardened under my silk pyjama top, pushing against the fabric until it ached. He traced his fingernail around that puckered flesh, and I couldn’t suppress a groan.
“I’ll want these delectable tits in my mouth.”
A sharp, delicious prick of pain hit me as he pinched that bud firmly and then gave the same teasing attention to my other nipple. His gaze burned with purple fire, his voice deep and guttural. “Then I want this….” His finger traced down over my abdomen, and I whimpered as he dipped his fingers under the waistband of my silk bottoms, edging down. His fingers stroked over my mound, his middle finger sliding easily between my slick folds.
“Shit, you’re already so damn wet.”
“Tell me what else you want.” My demand was breathy, almost desperate. “What were you going to say?” Damn, he was good at dirty talk. He’d barely said anything, and I was already about to explode from his deep, rumbling voice alone.
He slipped his finger deeper. “I want to taste you, Shannon. Fuck, I want to drink every fucking drop of you down. I want to hear your moans.” He brought his finger back up to my aching clit, making circles with just enough pressure to make me groan.
“Stone, please.”
“That’s it, just like that. I want to bring you to the edge, again and again, until you’re begging me to come….” He moved his finger faster, his gaze bouncing between my face and his hand as it moved under my silky bottoms. I could hear the wet noises his movement made, the scent of my arousal filling the room along with that sharp winter breeze scent that was all Stone.
“Oh, gods.” My head fell back against the pillow, but I kept my eyes on his face as tension coiled in my lower abdomen.
“No, not the gods, or even the fucking devil himself. Me. And it had better be my fucking name that you scream when you come. But not yet.”
With a wicked grin, he pulled his hand away.
“You’ve got to be kidding me!”
“Oh, no, I’m not.” He yanked me lower and my bottoms were off before I could blink.
“What are you…?”
“I’m tasting you, just like I said. I wanted to be a gentleman and wait, but you’re just too fucking tempting. Now, lie back and enjoy.”
He cupped my buttocks and lay on his stomach, inhaling deeply. His face filled with lust as he waited, his stormy eyes locking onto my face. My pussy spasmed at his closeness, and I had to fight the temptation to raise myself towards his mouth. He didn’t move either, and I knew he was asking my permission. Stone was an arrogant, powerful Alpha, but there was no way he’d take anything that wasn’t freely given, especially not sex. Except, he wasn't taking, he was giving. And something told me this wouldn't be the mediocre orgasm I’d either do myself or that I might remember the day after a hookup if I was unlucky enough to retain any memory. No, the intense look in Stone’s eyes told me this would be soul-shattering. And we were way past him or me resisting this.
I nodded, and the way he groaned only made me hotter.
“I’m going to make you come hard, but I’m not going to fuck you, not until we have time for me to play and drive you mad enough that you’re begging me over and over. Because once I get my cock inside this beautiful pussy, I’m going to want it again and again.” His warm breath blew gently over my sensitive skin.
“Jesus, fuck, Stone…” I gripped the bedcover, more turned on than I’d ever been in my whole life. My hips tilted towards him, and I didn’t care one bit that it made me look as desperate as I actually was. “Please,” I whispered hoarsely, no idea how to deal with the feelings he’d awoken in me.
He groaned and swiped his tongue once from bottom to top, gently circling my clit before pulling away.
I mewled in frustration.
“This…” He swirled his tongue around my burning bundle of nerves once more before retreating again, holding me still with a firm grip when I tried to follow him. “...is mine. Your orgasms are mine. You don’t come until I say.”
“Shit, Stone, I can’t….”
“Yeah, you can. Hold back for me. It’ll be worth it, I promise.”
Not caring what he thought of me anymore, a sob escaped me. I’d never been more desperate for someone in my whole life. I was burning with a need that scared me.
“Do I make myself clear, Shannon? Come before I give you permission, and there’ll be consequences.”
“Yes, yes. Punishment. But, please, Stone, just let me come.”
I was begging, and he’d hardly touched me. The cry that broke free from my tight throat was wild as the warmth and softness of his tongue met my sizzling nerves. Somewhere in the distance, a door slammed shut, and energy fizzled over my skin, caressing me. Magic. His magic. And he’d closed out the rest of the palace. It was only us.
A long, tortured noise escaped him as he devoured me. One of his hands left my hip, trailing over my skin and between my legs. A thick finger slid inside me, pumping slowly.
I was going to die of pleasure. My head thrashed side to side, my fingers finding their way to his long silver hair. I twisted my fingers into it, holding him to me, unable to move my hips despite my desperate attempts. I knew he was using magic to keep me still when his other hand came up, and there was a sharp tweak on my nipple. I groaned, totally lost in sensation.
“Stone…” I cried as my internal muscles tightened.
“No,” he growled, removing his touch.
“No, please,” I sobbed.
“Shh, it’s okay, baby. Trust me. This will end up being the best orgasm of your life….” His fingers caressed my breasts, my stomach, my legs, his mouth showering kisses over my exposed skin until my body had settled enough that he could start again. Gently, he teased me with his talented tongue and fingers until I was crying and begging once again before he pulled away, caressing and kissing me while his magic kept my pelvis still. He edged me another two times before I was mindless.
“Please, I can’t take it, please Stone, I need to come.”
His tongue swiped and fluttered over my clit, his intense stare meeting mine. “Scream my name when you fall, baby. I’ll catch you.”
My gut tightened, and I was almost frightened of my impending explosion. His mouth met my over-sensitive skin, and he sucked the flesh between his teeth, using his tongue to flick the tiny bundle of nerves at the same time. Sensation burned deep inside me, spreading and growing until there was no way to control it. It ballooned until my muscles spasmed so hard around his fingers that my back bowed off the bed. I gripped Stone’s hair, pulling hard as I lost all sense, needing him to anchor myself.
“Stone!” I screamed. Pleasure detonated through my body and kept coming in wave after wave. I’d never experienced anything like it. I was floating, my wolf howling her satisfaction at my pleasure. “Stone, Stone, Stone,” I chanted, my voice shaking with each breathless whisper of his name and swipe of his tongue. He slowed his movements, gradually bringing me down from the best high of my life. My body was a trembling wreck and utterly boneless. My fingers released his hair, and my jelly arms fell to my sides. I stared down at him, breathing hard and not knowing what to say.
He pulled away and sat back, kneeling between my spread legs.
A wave of vulnerability overcame me, even as he sucked every drop of me from his fingers and licked his lips like I was the best meal he’d ever had. His eyes were as grey as a storm, with purple lightning sparking in their depths. I eyed the impressive erection that was trying to break through his trousers.
“Fuck, don’t look at me like that. I’m hanging on by a thread, Shan. And I’m not giving you my body until we have more time together to enjoy it. And you’re ready to admit this is more than just fucking.”
I blinked. “Are you serious?” My question was whispered and uncertain. No one had ever put my pleasure before their own. No one. He stepped off the bed, and I drew my legs together, not sure how to feel. He’d just given me the best climax of my life, yet didn’t want to fuck me? That’s all I’d been before; someone for men to fuck. Stone had given me pleasure with no demands of his own. His hands landed on either side of my head, and he lowered himself until his face was only inches away.
“Deadly serious, Butterfly.”
I raised my brows. “Butterfly?”
His smile was devastating. “That’s right. You have more thoughts taking flight in this mind,” as he tapped my temple, “than butterflies in a poppy field. Your mind is here, there, and everywhere, trying to overthink everything.” He gently touched his lips to mine, the smell of my arousal thick on his skin. “There is nothing to overthink. I want you badly. But you need to sleep, and there’s no way you would get any rest if I got in this bed with you. You also need time to come to terms with the fact that we are soul mates, and I’m never fucking letting you go.”
My mouth dropped open, all words and thoughts completely scrambled in my head. Stone just smiled, stood, and covered me with the sheet. Then he walked across the room and lowered the lights. I watched him prowl to the armchair that had become his position for his nightly vigil. He sat and faced me. My mouth watered as my attention snagged on the bulge between his legs.
“Go to sleep, Butterfly.” He pushed a palm against his erection, his gaze dark. “This will wait until it’s the right time for us.”
I turned on my side to face him, the flesh between my legs tingling and damp. Tension simmered between us as I held his heated gaze, but no matter how much I wanted to stay awake and persuade him that we didn’t need to wait, my body had other ideas. My eyes drifted shut. I was sure I felt soft lips brush my temple just before I fell into the deepest, most dreamless sleep I’d had in…forever.