29. Lily
Lily
I decide to walk in the garden before my Heat turns me into a writhing mess of need.
The morning sun warms my skin as I wander through the lush paths, breathing in the sweet perfume of roses and honeysuckle. Laughter drifts through the air—other residents enjoying the peace of this sanctuary.
My feet carry me to the secluded spot where Mari betrayed me.
Despite what happened here, there’s something about this spot that soothes my soul. From here, the mountains stretch across the horizon like sleeping giants, their peaks still dusted with early spring snow. The view takes my breath away.
I settle on an old stone bench nearby, letting the serenity of the place wash over me. The breeze plays with my hair, carrying hints of wild thyme and mountain sage.
Then I catch his scent. Raph. My body responds before my mind can catch up, heat flickering low in my belly.
“Thought I might find you here,” he says, his voice gentle. “How’s it going?”
“As well as can be expected, given what’s coming.” I try for a light tone, but the lust in his eyes makes me shiver.
He moves closer, and I have to grip the bench to keep from swaying toward him. “We’re installing security cameras here and in the other blind spots,” he says. “No more surprises.”
“No,” I say with conviction. “Leave everything as it is. Sometimes we need somewhere that’s just… free. Even if that means it’s a little dangerous.” I meet his gaze. “There can’t be real freedom without some risk. Besides, I won’t let anyone sneak up on me again.”
I laugh, but Raph looks away, his broad shoulders tensing. The change in his scent makes my chest tight.
“When you were gone…” His voice is rough. “I felt so powerless.”
Pain radiates from him in waves.
“But I made it back,” I say softly, reaching for his hand.
“You did.” His fingers interlace with mine, his scent settling back to its usual, intoxicating fragrance.
“We were going crazy trying to find you. Probably needed more help than you did.” His laugh is self-deprecating.
“You’re so strong, Lily. I feel foolish now for being so scared. I should have known you’d be fine.”
“I wouldn’t have made it alone…” I pause, letting the truth of it sink in.
“When I was trapped with that monster… it was thoughts of you that kept me going. You, Leo, Alaric, this place. Before I came here, I would have just… given up. Let him use me. Like before…” I swallow hard.
“But now I had something worth fighting for.”
“Lily…” His voice breaks on my name.
Then his arms are around me, and oh god.
His body is solid against mine. His scent surrounds me completely, filling my lungs until I can barely think of anything else.
The pull between us intensifies, electric and inevitable. My omega brain catalogs every point of contact: the subtle shift of his muscular chest as he breathes, the way his arms cage me in, protective and possessive all at once.
His lips inch toward my neck.
A soft, testing graze, barely there.
My breath hitches.
His mouth lingers, his breath warm against my skin. Then he does it again—this time, with teeth.
A sharp nip, followed by the slow, teasing sweep of his tongue trailing up to the delicate curve behind my earlobe.
I whimper, my knees nearly giving out.
“You like it sweetheart?” Raph murmurs.
I don’t answer. I can’t. I’m too busy pressing closer, my body arching into his, seeking the friction I so desperately need.
His hands slide lower, over the curve of my hips, gripping firm.
I’m trembling, overwhelmed by his presence, by the way he makes me feel safe and wild all at once. My body is desperate for more.
And then—
I feel it.
Thick. Hard. Straining against his pants.
A rush of slick floods me.
I barely realize I’m touching him until my fingers wrap around the thick outline of his cock through his jeans, feeling the heat and impossible size of him.
He groans, low and wrecked, as his forehead drops to my shoulder.
“Lily…”
Just my name. But the way he says it…
I stroke him through the fabric, and he shudders, his hands flexing against my hips like he’s barely holding himself together.
“Fuck, you’re gonna kill me,” he rasps.
Then, his hand slips under my waistband.
A gasp catches in my throat as his fingers find my clit, circling, pressing.
“You’re so wet for me already,” he murmurs against my throat. “You need this, don’t you, princess?”
I nod frantically, my hips rolling into his touch.
His fingers dip lower, spreading the slick pooling there, teasing me open.
“Raph—”
He presses a kiss just below my ear, then another.
Then his whole aura shifts. The heat rolling off him intensifies.
Without warning, he drops to his knees.
Dark hunger burns in his eyes as he grips my waistband and tugs my pants down my thighs.
A rush of cool air kisses my overheated skin.
And then—
His mouth is on my pussy.
A strangled cry rips from my throat.
His tongue licks through my folds, thoroughly, savoring every drop.
I clutch at his hair, my thighs trembling, but he growls, pressing his hands firmly against my hips to keep me still.
“Let me eat, baby,” he mutters, voice gritty with need.
Then he flicks my clit before sucking it deep into his mouth.
My vision goes white.
I buck against him, and he groans against me, his hips pumping against nothing.
Every stroke of his tongue winds me tighter, higher, my body trembling on the edge.
Then he adds his fingers.
Deep. Curling. Perfect.
I cry out, my whole body tensing as the pressure crests.
He hums against me, the vibration searing through my core.
I break.
A sharp, breathless sob tears from my lips as pleasure crashes over me, relentless and all-consuming.
Slick gushes over his lips, his chin, drenching him.
And then—
A deep, guttural groan rips from his throat.
His hips jerk once—twice—before a shudder wracks through him, his breath coming in ragged gasps.
He came.
Just from pleasuring me.
A rough chuckle rumbles from his chest, still pressed against my stomach.
“Well, sweetheart,” he pants, wiping his mouth on the back of his wrist, “good thing we left this spot camera-free.”
I let out a shaky laugh, my chest heaving. “You and ruining your pants – it’s becoming our thing, isn’t it?”
He grins against my hip, unashamed. “Always worth it,” he murmurs. Then, with a low chuckle, “Especially when I see the way Leo and Alaric glare at me after.”
Need flares at the mention of their names. I feel suddenly ravenous.
“I want Leo and Alaric. All of you. Now.”