Chapter 29
TWENTY-NINE
Z
“ I want to free the humans.”
I glanced up from the map I was poring over, unsurprised to see Lupe standing in the doorway of the tent.
It had been three days since Devlin completed his trial. Three days of extensive meetings. Three days of planning and waiting.
So far, Aaliyah hadn’t made any more moves, but who was to say this serenity would last? She was a ticking time bomb, and I had lit the fuse when I freed the goblins from her dark influence. Fortunately, the wards Bash had enacted kept Aaliyah out of my head, but who knew how long that would last?
Lupe ran an agitated hand through his short brown hair and stepped farther inside, the tent flaps falling shut behind him.
I blinked, moderately alarmed by the abrupt announcement, and set the map aside, shifting on the cot. “I want to free the humans too?—”
“No, Z.” Another step closer. “I want to free them now . I’m tired of waiting, tired of sitting around wondering when Lilith will give me my trial. Every day we wait, the humans suffer. I can’t…” He squeezed his eyelids shut. “I can’t allow that to happen, not when I could do something to stop it.”
A cold chill skated down my spine, but I kept my gaze on him. “What do you want to do?”
“With the genies, mages, incubi, and vampires backing us, we have more than enough forces to take down the work camps once and for all.” With every word he spoke, he became more animated, his eyes aglow with some suppressed emotion I couldn’t name.
“You’ve given this a lot of thought, haven’t you?” Even as I said that, I knew it to be true.
I had practically seen the weight on his shoulders over the past few weeks. It had been pressing down on him with no hope of relenting. He needed to do this. He needed to atone for his father’s malicious actions—despite the fact he hadn’t been involved.
Was it selfish that I wanted to tell him no? That I wanted to beg him to remain here with me and my other mates?
I watched him in silence, taking stock of every minuscule detail. His broad shoulders. The scruff dusting his jawline. His brown hair, disheveled from stress. The brown shirt that hugged his frame.
“Z, say something.” Lupe’s voice was nothing but a whisper.
“What is there to say?” I flashed him a wobbly smile. “I know you need to do this. But I just…” I curled my hand into a fist, allowing my nails to dig into the fleshy part of my palm. The pain grounded me. Centered me. Calmed the tempest raging in my mind. “You know I can’t go with you, right?”
His expression softened. “You’re needed here.”
He finally breached the remaining distance between us. One of his huge hands cupped the back of my head, his fingers tangling in my blonde curls. I had always been much smaller than him, but with him standing and me sitting, I’d never felt so…dainty before. So fragile and vulnerable and petite. My pulse thumped as I took in his hulking form.
“You’re the one thing keeping this entire resistance together.”
I blinked at him in surprise. “That’s not true.”
“No?” He arched an eyebrow. “Everybody here… They follow you. Listen to you. Believe in you. You say jump, they respond with how high. You may not have set out to become a queen, Z, but there’s no denying that you are one.” He sucked in a sharp breath and slowly lowered himself until he knelt before me. His fingers splayed across my thighs, providing the slightest bit of pressure. “And I’m honored to follow you.”
“Lupe…” I felt a little embarrassed at seeing such a powerful, domineering male kneel before me, but more than that, I felt aroused. There was something about his subservient posture that made my stomach muscles tighten.
“With your permission, I would like to leave this afternoon and head to the Shifter Kingdom. Bash and Killian agreed to go with me.”
Three of my mates were leaving.
Three.
The pounding of my heart increased in tempo, and sweat slicked my hands.
But at the same time, I trusted my mates to handle themselves…and each other. They would watch each other’s backs and protect each other when shit hit the fan.
Even knowing all of that, why did fear rake down my throat like a razor blade?
“I want to tell you guys no, but I can’t,” I whispered. “You never stopped me from doing what I needed to do.”
Swallowing, I turned my head towards the tent wall, where a tiny rip tore through the side. Through it, I could see the setting sun, an orange ball amidst a darkening gray sky.
Lupe leaned forward abruptly and kissed the top of my cheek—where a teardrop hung suspended. Fuck. Was I crying?
“Don’t cry, baby.” His voice grew hoarse. Raspy. “Because if you start crying, you can bet your ass I’ll forget all about this mission and remain here forever.” He kissed another teardrop, then another. “But I need to do this, Z. I need to. You understand, don’t you?”
I understood a lot of things.
It didn’t mean I had to like it.
With an almost blistering speed, I grabbed fistfuls of his shirt, yanked him towards me, and stopped when his lips were a mere inch from my own. “You better come back to me. You all better come back to me.”
“We will,” he vowed solemnly, his hooded eyes lowering to my lips and sticking there.
I wetted them with a sound of regret. “Because if you don’t…”
“You’ll kill me?”
“I’ll castrate you,” I told him seriously.
At that, his gaze flicked to my eyes, his lips parting in surprise.
I smirked. “I know how to.”
“How many men have you castrated?”
I didn’t know if he sounded horrified or amused. Maybe a mixture of both?
I shrugged a single shoulder. “Lost count after ten.”
“You castrated ten guys?”
“At least ten. Definitely more.” I flexed my fingers in his shirt. “Now, can we stop talking about dismembered penises? I want to kiss you.”
A sinful smirk unfurled on the shifter’s lips. “Just kiss?”
I allowed my hands to trail down his sculpted torso and stopped when they reached the hem of his shirt.
“Maybe a little more than kiss…” As I spoke, I tugged at the fabric, easily pulling it over his head.
My breath hitched as I studied Lupe’s half-naked body.
He truly was a beautiful man, exuding raw masculinity and strength and power. Every muscle was clearly defined, cut from granite, and rippled when he moved. I’d never found overly muscular guys attractive before, but Lupe was a different story. How could I not find him sex personified?
With surprising tenderness, Lupe cupped my cheek, his eyes searching my face. “I love you, Z. You know that, right? You’re my entire world.”
Emotion clogged my throat, and I twisted my head to kiss the inside of his wrist. “I love you too.”
I didn’t know if he moved first or if I did. All I knew was that we were kissing, our tongues tangling, his body hovering over mine on the uncomfortably small cot. He held himself up on his forearms to avoid crushing me, and I took the opportunity to run my fingers over the chiseled planes of his chest and stomach, his corded biceps, the length of his arms. Basically, anywhere I could reach.
In less than five seconds, he removed my shirt, and Lupe’s lips hovered over my aching nipple. His warmth breath wafted over the tight bud.
“Lupe…” I squirmed, attempting to gyrate my hips against his thigh, but he stopped me with a single hand to my neck.
He applied a tiny bit of pressure—not enough to cut off my air supply, but enough to send lust careening through my bloodstream.
“Stay still,” he warned, his voice a low growl that traveled through me.
I whimpered.
He kept his hand around my throat as he brought his lips to my aching nipple and sucked it into his mouth. His tongue flicked the sensitive nub, and I arched instinctively, a gasp catching in my throat.
His fingers flexed on my skin.
Slowly, he lifted his head from my breast until he could see my expression.
“Is this okay?” He looked pointedly at the hand around my throat.
I felt wanton and needy and hot all over. A flush spread across my chest.
“Tighter,” I whispered, momentarily stunned by my own declaration.
His eyes widened. “Are you sure?”
I remained limp and pliant on the cot, never taking my eyes off of his. “Yes, Lupe. I trust you.”
And I did—with my mind, body, and soul.
The love emanating from his eyes nearly undid me. He stared at me like I was some foreign or exotic specimen, like a zebra in a flock of sheep. I felt beautiful under his gaze. Desirable.
His fingers tightened around my throat, cutting off my air supply, as he captured my lips once more. This kiss was hungry and possessive. Messy, almost. It wasn’t a slow, sensual dance like the other ones we’d shared. It was chaotic and all-consuming and laced with unfettered passion.
Dark specks danced across my eyelids, and I grew lightheaded. I had no idea if it was because of his bruising kisses or the hand around my throat.
Lupe stopped kissing me at the same moment his hand released me. I gasped in lungfuls of air, my vision going spotty.
“Are you okay?” Lupe stared down at me anxiously.
In answer, I dragged a hand down his stomach and stopped when I reached the waistband of his pants. I fiddled with the button there before tugging at the zipper.
“Fuck me, Lupe. Now.” The last word was practically a growl.
I’d never felt so…animalistic before. I wondered if this was how Lupe felt constantly.
It took no time at all for Lupe to stand and remove his shoes, pants, and boxers. He grabbed at his hard, weeping cock, stroking it from base to tip.
He stood over me momentarily, his heated eyes devouring my flushed, naked body. I squirmed slightly.
“Lupe…” I begged.
He grinned, slow and sinful. “Yes, my love?”
“Are you going to fuck me or just watch?” I brought my hands to my breasts and began to pluck at my nipples.
They were already so sensitive from Lupe’s mouth.
Lupe watched me for a few seconds in silence, his gaze intent on my fingers. Then he growled, moved towards the foot of the cot, grabbed my legs, and hefted me forward. I bounced slightly on the mattress, a giggle catching in my throat.
“You can be such a smartass sometimes,” Lupe said, pulling my leggings down my legs.
“Only sometimes?” I quipped.
“All the time.” Lupe pounced on me, forcing me flat to the bed.
I dug my fingers into his brown hair as I matched his intensity, sucking his lower lip into my mouth. His rough palm inched up my waist to cup my breast, his fingers tightening around my nipple. The tip of his huge cock brushed my panties, no doubt leaving a wet spot behind.
One of his hands crept beneath our bodies and tugged at my underwear, pulling it to the side. Then he began to inch inside of me, sweat dotting on his forehead.
“Oh my god, Lupe.” I dug my fingernails into his shoulders.
He was the largest of my mates in both width and girth. It sometimes felt like he was splitting me apart from the inside out.
He began to strum my clit, lowering his gaze to where our bodies met.
“You need to be wetter, baby, in order to fit me.” He pushed another inch inside of me, and a cry caught in my throat, tears pricking my eyes. “Fuck, you feel so good. Your pussy was made for me, Z. You’re practically squeezing my cock.”
I buried my face in his chest as he eased himself in even more. But it wasn’t enough.
“Lupe…”
“I know, baby. I know.” He grabbed a fistful of my hair and tilted my head back to claim my lips in a possessive kiss. His tongue tangled with my own, and I moaned. “Almost there. Just a little farther…”
Lupe thrust his hips forward.
He held himself over me for a long moment, allowing me to adjust to the intrusion, before he began to move. At first, his thrusts were shallow, his hips jerky with unencumbered lust.
But then I grabbed his hand, brought it to my throat, and applied the slightest bit of pressure, letting him know exactly what I wanted. What I needed.
Lupe growled, and any and all restraint vanquished in a blazing inferno of heat.
He fucked me ruthlessly, each slap of his hips echoing throughout the spacious tent, molten pleasure arcing through me. I wouldn’t be surprised if the entire fucking camp could hear us.
His grip tightened on my throat in tandem with his rapid thrusts, and those familiar dark spots danced across my vision once more, amplifying my pleasure. I felt weightless and grounded all at once—the contradicting sensations sending me hurling towards the edge.
My orgasm blasted through me in a wave so powerful, I swore I blacked out. Or maybe that was just the lack of oxygen. Either way, I felt myself floating, the tips of my fingers tingling, my lungs burning. Then I crashed back down to earth when Lupe roared his release, the hand on my throat tightening one final time before letting go.
He collapsed on top of me, his head in the crook of my neck, and I brushed a hand through his sweaty brown hair. I could feel his lashes fluttering against my skin and the curve of his lips as he smiled. He smelled like pine trees and home, and I never wanted to let him go.
“You’re going to come back to me, right?” I whispered, my eyelids beginning to droop, the magnetic pull of sleep impossible to ignore.
“Always,” Lupe vowed.
“Wake me up before you leave,” I murmured, but I was already drifting, drifting, drifting…
Then I was out.