Chapter Three
Chapter Three
Lucius
He could barely hold on as they entered his manor. Because of the festivities, all the servants had been dismissed for the night until late dawn, which meant he and his bride had the place to themselves. So as soon as the front door closed, Lucius was on her, pressing her up against the door.
The knot on her wedding dress was in his hands as fast as his fingers could undo it, and the satin fell to the floor. Already she was squirming with want, and her scent was driving him to ultimate madness.
Standing their naked, her tits begging to be touched, he obliged, cupping them in both hands as he took her mouth, consuming her. Their breaths filled the foyer, echoing all around them. With a growl, he undid the belt at his waist, slipped off the tunic, and threw both onto the floor with a thump. He pinched her nipples hard, pulling them, tugging them with a twist that had her gasping.
“Lucius, oh gods.”
His name on her airy moan went straight to his cock, and he quickly undid his breeches, freeing his harder-than steel length. He placed his hands under her knees, lifting her legs off the floor, and rammed himself home into her wet, tight heat.
“Fuck!” His eyes rolled back at the pleasure his taking her brought him. Never had a woman felt so good. Never had a woman strangled his control, tossing it aside like a careless thought. She was owning him, flaying him open. He reveled in it.
Her legs wrapped around him, her moans growing. He took her wrists and pinned them above her head with his hands, thrusting into her silken goodness like a starved man. A mad man. Which he was. Mad with lust, with want for her. Always wanting her.
He feared—and hoped—it would never stop.
“Lucius… Yes. Yes, right… there… ah!” She tightened around his cock and tossed her head side to side, riding out the wave of pleasure he’d given her.
He was close. So close. But he didn’t want to finish here.
With her legs still wrapped around his waist, he walked through the foyer and to the parlor, where he carried her to the divan.
“On your hands and knees, right here.” He set her down and she did as he demanded, while he took off his boots and breeches. With her ass facing out at the side of the divan, he took her hips and rammed back inside her. Fuck, she felt good. He reached out and wrapped his hand around her nape, his other hand flat on the small of her back as he fucked her hard.
Her moans deepened, lengthened, and it was his undoing. With a roar he came inside her, filling her with everything he had.
He stilled inside her, his knot expanding, ready to lock-in her tight heat. “Beautiful, dove. So sweet. Drive me mad. So fucking insane” He rubbed his palms up and down her soft, plump ass, her sides, releasing a purr so deep she shuddered. He reached around and rubbed that tight little pearl between her legs.
“Lucius… I’m… I’m…”
“Yes, baby. Come for me.” Gods, this woman. His woman. He still couldn’t believe only hours ago he’d made her his for the rest of their lives.
Her peak was long, and from the sound alone, intense. Once she was done, he carefully pulled her up against him, cradling her knees into her chest, one arm under her arms. With his cock tightly lodged inside her, he carefully sat down. Her hands went to his splayed thighs as she leaned slightly forward. The position made it so he could see where they were joined, and the sight had him rearing to go another round. But until his knot had settled, he’d just have to wait it out.
Instead, he swept the wayward strands of her hair aside from her sweaty neck and eyed the osnat there, the chain that marked her as his. He had no idea how evocative seeing an osnat could be, had never imagined ever giving a woman one. An Ongahri osnat was more than a token, it was a claim. A collar of ownership, and just knowing that his was on her made him want to go outside and howl, to pronounce to every fucking Ongahri male that she belonged only to him, no one else.
Now, he pulled her gently to his chest and wrapped his arms around her. She sighed in contentment.
“Why the tuberoses?” he whispered against the shell of her ear. The flower her scent reminded him of. The flower of his childhood. Sierra had no idea how much her gift meant to him.
Her scent changed just a bit. He could smell apprehension. Curious, he turned her face to his and looked at her. “What is it?”
“I—I went into the room next to the bedroom, the one you store your things in. I was trying to get decorating ideas. And I found a scrap of paper of the design. The whole room smelled like them, so I figured they meant something to you.”
He was thoughtful for a minute before answering. “They do. The village where I was born and raised grew tuberoses in abundance. My mother’s family sold them at fairs and festivals.”
It was what his mother, Maya, had been selling that day when Alpha King Gregoras came riding through with his parade of riders on his way to visit the Ongahri’s Consortium.
She leaned her head back against him. “I had a feeling they had something to do with your mother,” she said gently. “I couldn’t think of anything to get you, so I hope you’re not mad.”
“I’m not mad at all. It’s the most thoughtful gift anyone has ever given me.”
“So you are pleased?” she asked, her sweet voice full of relief..
More than pleased, Lucius thought. So much so, he was tempted to get on his knees and bare his whole soul to her. The feelings she brought out in him were mind-boggling; sometimes overwhelming, sometimes frightening, in that he was constantly on the edge of losing control.
“Very pleased,” he whispered, kissing her cheek. He had no experience with romance or intimacy, and he hoped that she would be okay with that. What he did have, however, was an insatiable ability to show her his feelings.
His knot had retreated, and Sierra adjusted her seat on him. He groaned. “So we have two options, wife. Either I take you again, here in this room with the paintings I know you love so much as witness,” he grinned even though she couldn’t see it, “or I take you upstairs to my bed. Which one do you prefer?”
“I prefer the kitchens. I’m starving.”
He laughed and kissed her head. “Well, I can’t deny my dove food. Let’s go, then.” He smacked her thigh and she giggled.
In the kitchen, both of them naked, they ate honey and bread standing up on either side of the wooden counter. A pitcher of cold milk sat between them next to two full glasses.
Lucius watched as Sierra’s eyes kept traveling to his neck, where the chain she’d given him sat warm against his throat. As he chewed, his lazy gaze swept over her. With her tousled hair and her hooded eyes, she looked like a seductress from some storybook.
“See something you like, wife?” he drawled.
Her lovely turquoise eyes lifted to his, and her cheeks reddened. “The, uh… necklace looks really good on you.” She licked her fingers of honey, and a tiny crumb from the biscuit clung to the corner of her mouth.
“Oh, yeah? How about you show me?”
Though the wooden counter was between them, it would be so easy for him to grab her, press her down onto her stomach and fuck her right here. But the look in her eyes arrested him; it was mischief looking back at him. And before he knew what she was about, she was running.
His breath caught. Cock hardened.
Did she have any idea what not to do when it came to an alpha?
Grinning, he tossed the rest of his biscuit down and ran after her. His heart pounded in excitement as something primal took over his thinking brain. The chase was on, and his alpha blood was enraptured.
He could hear her steps above, on the second floor, and his strides widened as he pumped his arms and legs, no longer thinking this was a game.
Up the stairs he ran, coming to the landing, then straight to the right, where he turned down the hall and tore open the bedroom door. She wasn’t there. He checked under the bed, in the closet. He checked the wardrobes. No Sierra. With a growl, he left the room, opening doors as he hurried to find her.
When he came to her old room, he saw light coming from under the door. He barged in. There she was, standing on the bed, a huge smile on her face, cheeks flushed, chest rising. That smile was naughty, and it heated Lucius’ blood even more than the chase had.
In five seconds flat, he was on her, pinning her down with his hands on her forearms. “Bad Omega.”
Her smile widened, as well as her legs. She lifted her face to his and took his mouth. He needed no further invitation as he sheathed himself inside her dripping sex. They both moaned. He held her tight as his thrusts took on a rhythm that had him grunting like a rutting animal. He raised himself up so he could look down at her, and as he rode her, the pendant on his chain tapped against her chin in tandem with his thrusts.
Apparently, this drove her wild, and her sounds of pleasure amplified.
Lucius chuckled, mesmerized and amused. “You like that, don’t you, little dove? My chain hitting you as I fuck you hard.”
“Yes. Gods, yes, I do.”
She looked downright feral. Usually when he took her she was all liquid wantonness. But now she was pure animal. His wild cat.
His wife.
No, he would never get enough of her.
“How are our food supplies?” Lucius asked those seated around him in his study. His servants had brought in a table and more chairs for this meeting, knowing Lucius and his advisors would be here for the better part of the day. There was too much to discuss, the main issue being this dastardly weather.
“Supplies are more than adequate, Chieftain,” Daedilus answered.
“Livestock?” Lucius looked to Gauner, who knew Ordelpho’s ins and outs better than anyone in this room.
“We’ll need to build some more structures or at least ask the citizens to pitch in with housing either livestock or the extra hands we’ll need.”
Tapping his fingers on the table, Lucius nodded. “Get on that, see what’s needed. We can designate the commons hall if need be as well. Also, let’s organize a committee that can reach out to the families, designate two per community. I don’t want anyone starving and freezing.”
“Should we do a check-in a few times a week?” Neil asked, sipping from a steaming cup of tea.
“Let’s see how the committee works out first.” Lucius rubbed his jaw, thinking.
Lucius had been living in Ordelpho for decades, and never had there been such a devastating winter here. It had been weeks since regular deliveries had been able to make it to their shores, and eleven days of silence from the post, which usually came in three times a week in the slower seasons. Even the carrier birds had been hampered by the winter storms that had been sporadically striking.
He looked at the clock on the wall, noting the time. Outside in the hall, waiting, was that witch woman, the Sapera, who’d wanted an audience with Lucius—which she’d been wanting since that afternoon Sierra had returned from those women’s clutches. She’d just have to wait, he thought now as he searched through the various papers and scrolls in front of him.
He found what he was looking for—a map of the western side of Titus and the southern part of Ordelpho, specifically.
“As some of you know,” Lucius began, not taking his eyes off the map, “I recently acquired Odessia’s lands. I will be leaving here in two days to make sure everything is running smoothly there. It will coincide with my meeting in Ghypsom City.” Now he looked up, meeting everyone’s eyes slowly. “Which means I’ll be absent for quite a while.”
There were no gasps or surprised expressions, not even a frown. His men knew Lucius, knew his ambitious nature wasn’t just folly, that his absences weren’t mere whims. Every move he made was for the people whom he led.
Lucius raised an eyebrow. “Neil, I trust you will fill in for me while I’m gone?”
His advisor set down his cup and looked at Lucius solemnly. “Of course, Chieftain.”
“Excellent. This brings me to my next point. I want all able men to report to Acheron. Once this winter committee goes into effect—and add this part in there, Gauner…” He waited until the Ongahri male sat poised with his quill raised over his notes. “Every capable male over the age of seventeen years must be ready to take up arms to defend Ordelpho in the event of enemy infiltration.”
As Lucius had known, that bit had gotten everyone’s attention, except for Acheron, who already knew where Lucius was going with this proclamation.
“There is unrest all over Titus right now,” Lucius said, tapping the map. “A group calling themselves the Variantia have joined up with some of the big dogs, the major political figures, whose wealth have provided the group with arms and more. The Owl and the Constants, the Tributary, are set to retaliate. And since the Owl have deemed themselves to be enemies of the Ongahri right now, we must take precautions.”
“Do you think this Variantia will come here, Chieftain?” Pateus asked.
Lucius shook his head. “It wouldn’t serve any purpose, no. But the other side? The Owl? Absolutely.”
Neil straightened in his seat. “What about House Trajan? Have you heard from Alpha Queen Mari?”
Years of schooling his expression whenever he heard his half-sister’s name had him merely nodding. “I have word that Captain Trajan was on his way to Goth Mor Helle, with their Servant prisoner. As you know, due to the weather, all correspondence I rely on has been paused. But,” Lucius tapped the table, “knowing House Trajan, a reckoning will be coming. Their armies will ready themselves for battle, no doubt about it. Another reason to be vigilant.”
Here, his lead House Security Advisor took the floor. Acheron was an older alpha, his short, dark brown hair showing gray now, but his age didn’t betray the strength he still possessed, nor the brilliant mind of a retired assassin.
Lucius listened with one ear as he leaned back in his seat. Every so often throughout the morning, he’d been internally touching the bond, seeking that ribbon that bound him to his mate. His wife. He could feel Sierra now, feel her happiness. Wherever she was, she was enjoying herself.
With a soft sigh, Lucius withdrew from the bond and focused on the map in front of him.
He relished the fact that Sierra had come to love Ordelpho, as he knew she would. The place suited her. Untamed, wild, without man’s influence. Now, though, knowing he’d be taking her away to an unsettled jungle land, he had his doubts. Ordelpho was fully guarded, unsullied, organized. There was no need to worry about food or shelter. But where they were going, survival had to be earned.
There was no question whatsoever about leaving her here, however. No matter how much he wanted to ensure her safety.
Lucius knew himself as well as most men could, so he knew he’d never be able to part from her, not even for a day. Ongar, barely even six hours. He looked once more at the clock. It would be hours yet until he could see her.
He looked back at the map in front of him.
With his finger, he idly traced the route they would be taking. They would go by ship for the first week or so, then onto land, docking at Utilla. From there, a days’ travel to Ghypsom City, where they’d stay for pleasure more than necessity, not to mention the clan meeting he had arranged months ago.
As he listened in, now giving his men their full attention, he realized he was actually excited to show Sierra more of Titus. But mostly, he wanted to be with her without all these interruptions. Soon he’d have her to himself.
But first, he’d have to once again get that witch Sapera to back off. Whatever it was she wanted to discuss with him he wasn’t interested. But he would speak with her, if only to tell her to leave Sierra the fuck alone.