Chapter 25 Olivia
TWENTY-FIVE
Olivia
Iblinked back tears, a terrified hand pressed over my mouth as I watched Lucien do the honorable thing and help save Flantian’s life. My tears started pouring when Flantiera arrived, clocked Lucien’s scar, and then looked toward the nearby camera as if she were looking into my soul.
The circle is complete.
I felt the weight of those words in my bones. She’d helped me protect my mate, and my mate had, in turn, protected her son.
Our lives were a Goddess-blessed circle, one we all participated in every day without knowing. Flantiera hadn’t known why the mágissa magic skipped her any more than I knew why it chose me, yet here we were. Connected.
It was a potent reminder that none of us were alone and that our actions impacted other magical races. In winning back the shard of the omega stone, we were one step closer to shaking the foundations of our modern, magical world. For everyone.
I wouldn’t lose sight of that ever again. Not after today.
By the time Lucien was led onto the viewing platform, I was sure I was a mess from crying, but the second I saw him, I didn’t care.
Not about how I looked, not that he was covered in gore, not that we had an audience of hundreds.
I forced myself through the crowd as quickly as I could, dodging and darting between the large centaurs’ bodies, narrowly missing getting my foot smashed by a hoof multiple times in the process.
But as soon as I broke free, I threw myself into his arms. His lips met mine in a bruising kiss, and before I realized what was happening, my hands were in his hair, and his hands were on my ass, lifting me off my feet.
I wrapped my legs around his powerful waist, and a rowdy cheer startled us out of the kiss.
“Get it, girl!” Leigh’s encouragement could be heard over the crowd, ever the troublemaker.
Lucien laughed, dropping his forehead to mine a little breathlessly. “I take it you’re happy to see me again?”
“So fucking happy,” I whispered. My cheeks blushed at the language I didn’t usually use, but I didn’t regret it. I hid my burning cheeks by burying my face against his neck, where his scent was strongest, and sucking it in as if I might never get another chance to embed it in my memory.
Our high alpha cleared his throat at Lucien’s side, and finally, a tinge of embarrassment hit me. But Lucien wouldn’t put me down when I squirmed, shushing me lightly and keeping me clutched tight even as we turned toward Kane.
“I’m sure you two would like some alone time, but it would be considered rude if all members of our pack didn’t attend the welcome feast this evening.
If you leave early, well, no one would blame you.
” He winked jovially, then strolled away toward the rest of the pack, where Brielle waited for him with open arms.
“Hot damn, I think our alpha just told us to duck out early and get naked.” Lucien’s voice was colored with repressed laughter, and I couldn’t help it, I burst into giggles right along with him. It was absolutely, utterly absurd, but it was also exactly what we were going to do.
The feast was actually lovely, held in the largest of the open-air buildings where tables had been set up, each covered in a variety of food. They’d even made one table just for us carnivores, with nothing but roasted meat and fresh cheeses of every kind.
I only picked at the food, even though it was delicious. I couldn’t bring myself to settle in, calm down after the long, treacherous day.
Lucien was safe at my side every single minute, but still, there was some part of me that needed reassurance that the blood drying on his bare chest wasn’t his. I needed… more. I couldn’t put my finger on what, but the restless urge rattled around under my skin just the same.
Within an hour, it seemed every centaur on the island had come by to slap Lucien’s back or shake his hand. They were a blur of new faces and brightly colored coats, and honestly, I mostly tuned it out, focusing instead on the feel of Lucien’s hand, warm and comforting in mine.
But when he stiffened at my side, hand gripping mine tightly before catching himself and loosening his grip, I turned to see who had walked up.
“Councilman Fortier,” Lucien said, every part of him from his toes to his tone stiff as a rail.
“Councilman Vasilescu.” The centaur—who I vaguely recognized now that Lucien had identified him as a member of the IGC—nodded in greeting, studying Lucien grimly as he towered over us, standing out from the rest because instead of Grecian-inspired clothing, he wore a pinstriped suit.
No, I corrected myself—he was studying Lucien’s scar grimly.
I was nearly overcome by the urge to insert myself between them, to block him from staring.
Not that it would work when I was shorter than Lucien by a good bit, and they’d be able to see it over my head.
Still, I knew how much that scar bothered him, and I didn’t want him ogled like a zoo animal.
I sidestepped closer, protectively wrapping my arm around Lucien’s waist.
He hugged me back, and some of the building tension loosened just a smidge in my chest at his warmth.
“I didn’t know you were here when we arrived.” Lucien kept his tone light, even though his grip on my hip told me he wasn’t entirely pleased to see a member of the IGC here.
“I wasn’t. When Asithius called and told me of your pack’s unusual request, well, I made it my business to be here.”
I could feel the tension in Lucien’s stance, but you’d never know it from his smooth-as-butter response. “Ah, well, I’m sorry you troubled yourself. This was pack business, not IGC business.”
“So, it would seem. However, when a member of the council is abducted in broad daylight from the streets, the whole council takes that seriously. I’m here to get a report on what happened and find out if the target was you personally, your pack, or the council itself.”
Shoot. It made sense, actually, that other council members would be concerned about the abduction, but I hadn’t thought of that before with everything else going on. It was obvious to us why he’d been abducted, but they probably all thought they could be in danger too.
“We should speak privately, then, if you’d like the details. It does affect the rest of the council.”
Councilman Fortier hesitated only a moment. “I’ll leave you to your mate tonight, as you’ve had a trying evening. But before you leave in the morning, gather any members of your pack you’d like to join us, and we’ll borrow one of Asithius’s private rooms. And remember—officially? I never saw you.”
Lucien nodded, turning and pulling me away from him without another word.
“You think it’s not safe to talk here? Surely…” I was about to say Petró’s name, then thought better of it. “Surely they don’t have this much reach? It’s so remote here.”
Lucien spoke quietly as we weaved through the crowd, just enough for me to hear, but not the raucous celebrants around us.
“His father had fingers in many pies, and his son is surely taking those connections over as quickly as possible. We don’t know who is friend or foe in any supernatural circle on the planet. ”
Wow.
I’d been on the fringes of the pack’s drama so far, and getting sucked straight into the middle of it was eye-opening. My birth pack had been small, Podunk, many would have said. This level of political drama and intrigue didn’t make its way out to our part of backwater Arizona pretty much ever.
Granted, we also weren’t getting kidnapped, hunted, or any of the rest back then either. There were benefits to small towns.
Lucien sidled up to Reed, whispered something to him, and Reed nodded, casting a glance around and spotting Kane and Gael.
“I’ll let them both know. We’ll handle it in the morning, whatever comes of it.
” Reed slapped Lucien on the shoulder with a companionable grin.
“You two sneaking out? I was thinking the same thing, personally.” The look he gave Fiona was scorching, and in the past, it would have made me jealous.
But tonight? Tonight, I had my mate’s hand in mine and a scorching fire of my own burning in my belly and demanding more. There was no room for jealousy. Just excitement and a new need that I was ready to explore.
“Yes, we’re sneaking out. Cover us?” I directed the question to Fiona, who shot me a wink and a nod in response.
Lucien looked down at me with surprise, but when his nostrils flared, I knew he was scenting me, which just amped me up even more.
“Yeah, we’re out. See you tomorrow.” Lucien said to Reed, never breaking eye contact with me.
The look in his eyes had morphed to delicious heat, and I knew he had picked up on what I was thinking.
And while I wasn’t experienced with men, the speed with which he moved us through the crowd to the exit told me he was fully on board.
Heck yes.
I followed him happily, his larger size acting as a buffer between my smaller frame and the huge centaurs. And when we broke out of the crowd into the empty courtyard, he didn’t drop my hand. He turned back to look at me, wearing a panty-melting grin that promised trouble.
“You up for something a little bit wild tonight? I need to shake it all off.”
Wild sounded intimidating in a way. But also… thrilling. My heart pounded as fast as a hummingbird’s wings with exhilaration just at the suggestion. Being with Lucien made me feel like I was flying, and all we’d done was hold hands and kiss a little. What would sex with him be like?
I was ready to find out.
“Yes. Anything.”
The grin stretched across his face, highlighting a dimple in his cheek that I wanted to kiss. “Excellent. Come on.”
He picked up the pace to an easy jog, never letting go of my hand. To my surprise, we ran all the way back to our rooms. I wasn’t sure what he had in mind, but I didn’t think we’d just go back to our room.
When he slanted around and past the building, I knew I’d been correct. What I didn’t expect was for him to run straight to the edge of the surf and start to peel off his pants.
My mouth went dry as he reached for the waistband, my eyes riveted to his strong hands. He paused midmotion, but I didn’t dare look away. “Olivia?”
I snapped my gaze up to his, cheeks heating at being caught staring so blatantly. “Yes?”
“Have you ever been skinny-dipping before?”
“Umm, no. Definitely not.” I snagged my bottom lip between my teeth, and he stepped forward, closing the small space between us in record time, his thumb gently tugging my lip free.
“Don’t be embarrassed. Never with me.” The words were hot against the side of my neck, and when he pressed an open-mouthed kiss to my skin as punctuation, the heat I’d been feeling in my belly all night sank lower, flooding me with a new, delicious kind of longing.
I wrapped myself around him, melting as he wrapped his fingers into my hair, tilting my head back so he had full access to my neck.
It was vulnerable and erotic, and I couldn’t hold back a needy whine as he nipped at my collarbone. My wolf wanted more than a nip; she wanted his bite and wasn’t ashamed to whine if that was what it took to get it.
But he froze, bowing over me to rest his forehead against my shoulder. He shook under my hands, and when he finally lifted his head, his eyes were glowing and his fangs had dropped once again.
His wolf liked the whine. He wants to bite me.
It made me feel… powerful. It was new and exciting, and suddenly, I wanted him to finish what he’d started. I wanted to see him completely bare in the moonlight. I wanted to trace every line of his muscles, wanted him to see me too.
Riding the wave of confidence, I stepped back out of his arms and held eye contact as I reached down, grabbing the hem of my shirt.
He was riveted as I slooowly peeled it up and over my head.
I shook my hair free and tossed the shirt a few feet away up the beach before letting myself look back at him.
His expression was everything. Amazed, enthralled… worshipping. Just like that, all the anxiety I’d felt about our first time evaporated up to the clouds. I felt bold, I felt excited, but more, I felt desirable. And I never wanted him to stop looking at me exactly as he was right now.
Lucien hadn’t moved, as if he were afraid that a single twitch would stop me. I reached down for the button of my pants, flicking it open with a satisfying pop.
He watched reverently as I kicked off my pants. But when I reached behind me for the clasp of my bra, he stepped forward.
“Let me.”
His bare chest was warm against mine as he reached behind me, taking only a second to undo the hooks, then reached up to slide the straps down my arms.
He paused there, watching me intently as he slowly lowered the straps, sliding the thin fabric away, leaving us pressed together, and I finally closed my eyes, the sensations of our bare skin together for the first time absolutely blowing me away.
Lucien was strong and muscular—but his skin was soft, the light dusting of blonde hair scattered over his chest not detracting from the warmth of him, the way I craved to press myself tighter against him. I shuddered, tucking my nose to his shoulder as I wrapped myself tighter.
“You’re so fucking beautiful,” he said hoarsely, hugging me back. “And I’m the luckiest devil on the planet to get to experience all of this with you.”
Warmth coiled inside me at his words, the subtle encouragement mixed with his awe. The bold person who’d taken me over had me lifting my head, grinning up at him. “You’re not so bad yourself. Are you ready to go swimming?”
He chuckled darkly, the change in tone sending a new thrill through me, and I found myself backing away as he stalked me, hunting me. But there was nowhere to hide.
I got a few steps away, and he paused as I turned my back and slowly peeled down my panties, looking back over my shoulder as I stood fully bare before him for the first time.
His eyes glowed, his erection tenting his pants very distractingly. But I had a plan, and I couldn’t get sidetracked.
I tossed the balled-up undies toward him, grinning as he jumped to catch them before they could blow away, and then bolted at full speed for the surf.
If he wanted to hunt, I wasn’t going to make it easy on him.