7. Raine
7
Raine
My heart pounds in my chest.
What is he doing here? Why is he here?
“How are you feeling?” he asks, his eyes darting over my face while a concerned frown settles on his mouth.
“You’re seriously asking me that right now?” The words come out before I can stop them, shooting out like lava and burning us both in the process.
He winces and shifts his weight on his hands. His large body practically crowds me against the wall.
He’s so close that I can smell him. My lungs gleefully drag in more of his spicy, earthy scent. I want to bury my face in his neck, his chest, his hair: anywhere I can drown in that fragrance.
“About earlier…” His eyes dart away from mine. “It’s not what it seemed like.”
My sadness is slowly being overtaken by the anger from earlier. If he thinks I’m that stupid to pretend like him flirting with other females and kissing their hands was a simple and friendly gesture of a soon-to-be alpha king greeting his subjects, then he’s dead fucking wrong.
“Then explain it to me.”
“I’m sure you have heard the rumors about my ascension.”
My brows knit together.
There have been many rumors, most of which I’ve mainly chalked up to being just that. Rumors. We may be within Aiden’s territory, but we’re far away from everyone else.
Far enough that we’re typically left to our own devices.
He glances back at me when I remain quiet.
“It’s…about my Luna,” he admits.
“What about it?”
“In order to take the alphaship, I must find a Luna. That’s why my advisors are throwing this weekend-long ball.”
I blink.
Daniel had told us all as much—or rather, he’d hinted at it. Heavily.
Besides, it’s not so much of a rumor as it is a heavy speculation. Obviously the king-to-be would need a Luna by his side. And obviously the coincidence of a ball being held right after it was announced he’d be taking the throne would get people speculating, especially when young females had been requested to attend.
“What does that have to do with you flirting at breakfast?” The question comes out harsher than I meant it to. My anger is taking hold of me and not giving me any slack while I try to sort through my conflicting emotions.
He sighs. “I know. I’m sorry. It’s…my advisors want me to meet as many of you as I can while you’re all here. I know it doesn’t make any sense, given our…ah, predicament . But this was all put together well before I met you, Raine. Or even knew you existed. I swear this isn’t a slight against you.”
For some reason, his words seem to settle me a bit. Sure, I’m still pissed, but it’s not the rage I was feeling only moments ago.
The explanation makes sense, even if it has me wanting to shift and go claw those other girls’ eyes out. But what good would it do to go rabid and attack a bunch of people who never asked to be in my way?
Aiden is right—how could he have planned for any of this when neither of us knew of each other’s existence and our bond?
I sigh to myself. “Right…”
He surprises me by leaning back in order to lift a hand. His fingers lightly brush along my cheek and trace down my jaw. “I’m sorry, Raine. Please tell me you haven’t been cooped up here since breakfast. Did you even eat?”
My stomach clenches at the care in his tone. Does he care? I mean, I am his mate after all. He should care, right?
All of this is such a foreign concept to me. No one, besides my dad and Delilah, has ever cared for my well-being. No one.
And here is this gorgeous alpha with tousled honey-colored hair, deep golden eyes, and a face and body that look like they’ve been chiseled straight out of a marble statue by a sixteenth-century sculptor, asking about how I’m doing when he’s got an entire harem running around his estate.
“I ate a few bites,” I admit.
He sighs, sitting back. “I’ll send food up to you.”
“Wait!” I jackhammer upright and grab at his arm before he can slip off the bed. “Where are you going?”
He blinks at me with slightly widened eyes that soon soften. His fingers come up to drag along my skin, this time my bare arm and up to my shoulder. It seems he’s more of a touchy-feely alpha, liking that physical connection rather than having a long, drawn-out conversation.
“I have to attend to some things with my pack. I will be at the ball tonight. You’ll come too, right?”
I hesitate.
In reality, I really should be telling him absolutely fucking not . Especially if it means watching over 100 females throw themselves at his feet. But then again…being away from my mate has felt like complete torture.
“We can meet after the ball,” he says, catching my uneasiness. “Just you and me.”
I swallow thickly. “Really?”
It feels like a trap. I know it shouldn’t be, but I’m so used to things kind of going my way, only for them to be snatched right out from under me at the last moment. It’s always been Daniel’s favorite game to play.
“Yes.” He cups my face. “I want to see you, Raine.”
My body practically melts into his touch.
Damn, he’s got me good. If this is all a game to him, then I’m fucking screwed. Because there’s nothing I, or my wolf, can do to stop him.
“Okay. I’ll be there.”
He grins. “Excellent.”
***
Music fills the ballroom, drowning out most of the chatter from the girls nearby. I’ve stuck myself in a corner again, though this time it has a good view of the entire hall, so I can keep an eye on everyone moving together as they dance. My eyes catch Delilah a few times while she’s twirled around on the dance floor by a couple of suitors, her smile infectious.
A part of me wishes I could be out there with her, enjoying the festivities. Coming here was supposed to be my chance to forget my troubles back with Andromeda and let myself experience true freedom for the first time.
Except now I’m too self-conscious to do any of that, and too wrapped up in my own head about Aiden, who’s been doing nothing but flirting with a couple of the females from a pack close to Andromeda while others linger around the outskirts of the group, just waiting to get a piece of him.
It’s so frustrating to watch, but I just have to keep reminding myself about what he told me. He seemed so eager to meet with me after this, so…shouldn’t I be too?
Maybe I’m taking all of this to heart too much.
Obviously he has to play nice and socialize—if he chose to ditch the party again, it would look incredibly suspicious.
My stomach squeezes when Aiden takes the hand of one of the females and spins her out onto the dance floor, a whole section of it clearing immediately just for him to dance privately with his date.
Ugh, I can’t do this.
I turn and march out the doors, feeling my own shame wash over me. I won’t ever be the person he’ll pull out onto the dance floor like that. I’m just a nobody with a scarlet letter branded to my forehead from the misdeeds of my father.
I gather the ends of my dress and head up the stairs to my suite. Alone time to settle my thoughts will do me some good. After all, I’ve got probably another few hours before I can sneak off to find Aiden.
Which…where am I even going to meet with him? We never did get around to discussing that.
Fuck, I’m so stupid. Why did I ever think this would work?
Stripping out of my dress the second I shut the door behind me, I sigh into the empty room. Delilah won’t be back for a few hours, so I’ve got the place to myself.
My eyes glance over at the slightly parted door to the bathroom. Actually, a bath sounds nice.
There’s a sharp knock on my door that has me spinning around and clapping a hand to my chest. Breathing out quickly, I grab a spare robe hanging just inside the bathroom door and throw it on before heading over to the door.
Did Delilah leave the party early?
Opening the door, I’m met with the last person I expect to see—giving me déjà vu all over again.
Aiden is panting as he stares at me, leaning against the doorframe. “Raine.”
He left the party?
He came after me.
He grabs me by the jaw, pushing me through the doorway and turning me in order to press me up against the wall. His lips crash into mine, kissing me in a heated frenzy that immediately sets my body on fire and has my thighs clenching together.
There’s a soft growl that emits from his chest, a rumble that tells me his wolf is right at the surface, barely being contained while his tongue thrusts into my mouth and tastes every single inch of me.
I don’t get any time to react before he rips his mouth away from mine, a wild look in his eyes as he asks, “Have you been waiting for me?”
“Yes,” comes my instant answer.
He lifts me up off my feet the next second, bringing me over to the bed.
I’m laid out onto my mattress, the tie around my robe ripped apart and parted for him.
A soft gasp escapes me when he runs his hands along my body, touching me everywhere he can, with hunger brewing in his eyes.
“I want you,” he tells me, licking his lips. “So I’m going to have you.”
My stomach churns in a pleasant way. Being taken like this—practically like I’m owned—feels incredible. It feels right.
“Then have me.” My words come as a whisper.
Instantly, I’m flipped onto my stomach and my robe is pulled the rest of the way off me and tossed somewhere onto the floor behind me. I hear the distinct sounds of Aiden ripping his own clothes off, his skin hot against mine when he climbs back onto the bed and mounts me.
His hands grab at my hips to pull me back and prop my ass up, holding me there while he grinds against me. His hard length rubs along my core, teasing me with each thrust and promising me the same mind-blowing pleasure we shared only a night ago.
“Please,” I beg, pressing my face down into the mattress in submission. It feels natural to be like this, my wolf crooning for her mate to take my body and do exactly as mates do.
He growls at the display, both he and his wolf clearly turned on by it. “You’ll be ready for me every time I come for you. You’ll be waiting for me naked and ready for me to claim you. Do you understand?”
I feel the head of his cock pressing up against my entrance, and then with a swift shift of his hips, he slides right into me. My wet heat is greedy as it takes him inside, squeezing him each time he pulls out and quickly shoves himself back inside—not wanting to be outside of me for long.
I moan into the mattress and grab onto the sheets. “Yes.”
Oh, Goddess…
“Mine.” Aiden leans over me, both of his arms coming down to trap me. His face is buried in my hair, deep breaths coming in and out of him in soft growls. “Your body, your pleasure. They belong to me, Raine.”
“Yes, alpha,” I plead back.
My entire body is lit on fire, colors dancing wildly on the insides of my eyelids. His thrusting is relentless, his hips pounding into me hard and fast, making it a challenge for me to keep my ass arched up into him.
I do it though—I want to be perfect for my alpha to enjoy. I never thought I’d be taken like this—like Aiden’s been biting at the bit to finally be inside of me, as if he’s been waiting all night to do this.
Maybe he has. Maybe I’m all he’d been thinking about the entire night at the ball and he left early because he couldn’t stand being separated anymore.
Goddess, I hope so. I’ll do anything to keep him.
That’s what a good mate does, after all.
My orgasm takes me by surprise, choking me until I can hardly breathe. I hold on for dear life as he rides me through it, not letting up at all until I’m collapsing down onto the bed as my body shakes.
He holds me there, his knee digging between my legs to part them farther in order to drive deeper into me. I feel myself splitting in two, the pain mixing with the pleasure so sweetly that it brings tears to my eyes.
They stream down my face as I’m rocked into another orgasm. He’s relentless, not stopping for a single second to let me catch my breath.
“Who am I, Raine?” he demands, getting a good grip on my hair. He yanks my head back with a quick snap, forcing my head up from the mattress. Tears stream down my face and tickle my jaw and neck—the pleasure all-encompassing.
Overwhelming.
I love it.
It’s too much.
I need more.
A sob leaves me. I never want this to end; it feels like heaven.
“Who. Am. I?” he asks again, yanking hard enough to hurt.
“My alpha…”
“Louder.”
“My alpha!”
“Good girl.” He lets go of my head, letting me flop back down onto the mattress, and slams his hips home, filling me with heat that leaks out of me with his shallow thrusts.
“Fuck,” he mutters.
My body shakes as I pull in a lungful of air, my skin wet from sweat.
Aiden’s hands come down to rest on either side of me, his body hovering over mine while he pants against the back of my head. He doesn’t lower himself to kiss me, or nuzzle me, but that’s okay.
All of this is so new for both of us. These overwhelming feelings are a jumbled mess that seems to crash and ebb with no sign of mellowing any time soon.
But honestly, that’s fine with me. I want to live in these chaotic moments with him for as long as I can. With our separation very close on the horizon. I’m worried about how we’ll handle being apart. So for now, I’ll take whatever I can get with him.
I hope this lasts forever.