30. Teddy
CHAPTER 30
Teddy
I put the picnic basket down beside Piper.
“Sorry I was late,” I whispered, greedily taking in the sight of her long limbs in that loose boho sundress. “I wanted to make sure you had those little petit fours you liked.”
“You missed the first two songs,” she said disapprovingly, but I saw her hand move toward the basket, and my heart did flip-flops thinking that she was going to eat any of the food we had packed for her.
There was something unbelievably erotic about the idea of Piper putting anything in her mouth that I had touched.
I was so desperate for any contact with her.
“Sorry, baby girl,” I said. “I’m ready to listen now.”
My heart pounded as she put one of the petit fours in her mouth, the tongue piercing a metallic glint for a second before she filled her mouth with cream.
We were lying on a quilt out on the Capitol park lawns, the best outdoor music venue in the city, and all I could think about was what her tongue piercing would feel like on my cock.
But I tried to forget my fucking horned-up feral state and focus on listening to the concert with Piper and my Pack.
Now were Cesar, Mario and Rafi good?
They weren't exactly good . Were they loud? Yes, they were definitely loud.
I’d had no idea the accordion could be played that loudly.
Or that Polish polka/punk fusion was a musical genre.
But I didn’t care. It was enough for me just to sit next to my Omega in the grass.
Mario was the lead singer and clearly considered himself to be the star of the show, as he grabbed the microphone passionately and launched into his solo of his song,
She’s got a Pierogi-loving pussy
And she’ll get it from me
As his ear-splitting yowls settled over the stunned crowd, Piper bit into a fresh apple with a crunch.
“Wouldn't you rather be anywhere else than here?” she asked, leaning back, her hair falling long and thick down her back.
“Hell no,” I said quickly.
Rook took a platter from the picnic basket.
“Pearl lobster?” he asked, holding up the bright delicacy.
Meanwhile, Erain grabbed the crystal goblets he had packed in the picnic basket and held one up for Piper, filling it high with expensive sparkling champagne.
“I'm too tired and sticky and hot to eat that lobster,” Piper said, although it might be crazy, but I could have sworn I was starting to taste her emotions.
Or maybe I was just desperate for any sign she was relenting, any sign of increased temperature in her.
“That's no problem,” said Rook, and I watched as our Head Alpha, once the brightest young politician in the Capitol, and now an unemployed man, cracked open the lobster and began to feed Piper tiny bits.
She only lolled her head to the side and opened her mouth, accepting our devotion as her absolute fucking due.
The flash of her tongue piercing sent heat pounding down to my cock, and I leaned back next to Piper as close as I dared, and I watched as Rook tore off tiny pieces of lobster and hand-fed Piper.
Erain filled her goblet, and Piper took a sip, the clink of her piercing sending a shiver down my spine.
Her dress pooled at her hips, and I wanted to flip it higher and bury my head between her thighs.
“You cannot possibly tell me you're enjoying this,” Piper said crisply, and to me, even her salty voice sounded beautiful.
“Yes, we are,” I said.
“Piper, I would go to the opening of a septic tank with you,” Erain grinned.
He was so close, only inches from her on the other side, and I could feel him waited like a coiled panther. Waiting for the second she’d reverse her rejection.
“I would watch someone literally eat dirt,” I added. “And as long as I was with you, I wouldn't care.”
“Truly. I have never seen such a remarkable mixture of traditional Polish music and punk rock,” Rook said.
I watched the champagne go down Piper's long, elegant throat.
Oh, my God , I wanted her.
“Forgive us,” Rook said, as always, laser-focused on getting her back.
“You boys aren't gonna let that go?” Piper asked. “I keep telling you it was a mistake. After all that's what you said, wasn't it? It must be a mistake?”
I massaged the bridge of her foot gently, loving any contact with her, even though I have to grit my teeth to stop shifting. I can see the flash and sheen of fur on my arm.
It’s getting harder to control myself.
“That was a mistake,” Erain said. “Piper, that was the dumbest thing I ever said.”
“Please forgive us,” I added. “Please, Piper.”
I felt my stomach turn inside out as desperation seized me again. What if she didn't ever forgive me? What if she didn't forgive us? What if she forgave everyone besides me?
I’d never felt like this before.
“I'm so damn sorry Piper, please forgive us.”
“Maybe I forgive,” Piper said, “but I don't know if I can forget.”
I held my breath, each reject always searing across my skin.
“I just don't know if I can ever forget the sight of you all with your arses up on our wedding night. And how can I trust you won't do it again? I get that you're sorry. I can see you're sorry. I just don't know if I can get past it.”
She’s not taunting us this time, she’s looking each of us in the eyes.
I swallowed hard.
I could see from the looks on Rook and Erain's faces that they felt the same way, her words causing a deep, clawing despair.
I could feel tears prickling at the corner of my eyes, and I bent down to embrace her legs tightly.
Life without her opened up in front of me, cold and barren.
She had been honest with us.
Maybe she would never get past it enough to love us.
I looked down to where my arms were wrapped around Piper's legs, her knee digging into my face, and I saw the telltale silver of an incipient shift on my arms. It was getting harder and harder to stop shifting, to stay in my human state.
Due to my own mistakes, my wolf had been denied. My mate had rejected me, and I could feel every day the pulls of the wolf bursting to get out. He was getting strong, that feral wolf inside me.
I closed my eyes, feeling tears gather at the corner of them. I couldn't control myself, my tears leaking out and spilling onto Piper's dress.
I just wanted to stay here holding her.
I said nothing for a moment, trying to gather my thoughts before I choked on my tears.
“Do your worst,” I said, gulping on the lump in my throat. “Because I love you. I’m not going anywhere. No accordion solo is going to chase us away. We are still going to be right here beside you, hoping and begging for another chance.”