Chapter Ten
TOO MANY DAMN MEN. This had been Lysander's first thought when Fae informants came to report about Domenico being on the move - and with three dozen men accompanying him.
And not just men, but Lyccans. It meant that these men most likely knew his wife long before he did.
Might even know things about her that Lysander didn't, and both man and beast violently disliked this.
If they were foolish enough to even try taking Estrella away for whatever reason, they'd soon learn firsthand why legends often described Ammon as the most bloodthirsty beast to have walked the face of the earth.
The twins had tried to convince him to approach the matter at hand in a civilized manner, the way Faes were known to do.
But Lysander's answer was to simply shift.
They must learn to remember that he was no longer like them.
He was a beast, and even worse, he was an extremely territorial beast that was on edge because he had yet to lay a claim on his mate's womanhood.
And it was getting worse by the second.
The uneasy standoff between Estrella's packmates and Lysander's men had been going on for sometime now, and he could only prowl impatiently as he waited for just one wolf to make the stupid mistake of attacking first.
A part of him knew that he was being unreasonably antagonistic, but it was not something he could change even if he wanted to.
For as long as Estrella remained innocent, he might as well be a ticking bomb and any red-blooded male who so much as smiled at his wife's direction could be enough of a trigger.
When his mate suddenly came rushing out of the building, not even the anxious look she showed him was enough to dispel the aggression inside him, and he snarled and growled at her in frustration.
She should've stayed inside, dammit. If she had just stayed fucking inside, then he would have no reason to worry about any man looking at her the wrong way and giving him ten thousand reasons to commit murder.
His breathing hissing out harshly, Lysander struggled to maintain control over his beast, which was now chomping at the bits in its crude desire to hear Lyccan bones break and shatter into pieces under its paws. And he had almost succeeded...until he saw Estrella walking towards the other side.
FUCK!
His beast nearly tore out of his control as Lysander found leaping into action, his territorial instincts taking over.
It didn't matter that Domenico was her brother; at this point, the beast inside him no longer saw reason, and Lysander's old and complicated feelings of resentment against the older guy only made the beast feel more violent towards the Lyccan prince.
In a blink of an eye, Lysander had Estrella tucked safely behind him while all the other Lyccans had drawn their weapons out.
Everyone that is...except Misty.
All at once, he realized that she was the key to keeping him from losing control, and he deliberately focused his gaze on Estrella's sister-in-law.
Because his beast didn't trust anyone with a dick, Misty alone was capable of keeping him from going on a rampage and start snapping necks and biting people's heads off.
So focused was he at keeping himself in check that it was only when they were walking back to the apartment building that Lysander belatedly became aware of his wife's growing distress. He was instantly agitated, and he growled for her attention inside her mind.
WHAT'S WRONG?
Estrella only shook her head, not trusting herself to speak. The moment she opened her mouth, she had a feeling she'd end up crying instead. It hurt. It just hurt.
Lysander's agitation grew. WHO...HURT...YOU?
Estrella bit back a sob. Oh God. She had forgotten he could read her thoughts. Again. And she couldn't afford to do that. Not now. Not about this.
WHAT ABOUT...NOW? WHAT...IS THIS?
But when Estrella didn't even turn to meet his eyes, Lysander didn't even think twice. He shifted out of his form in the next second, unwilling to accidentally hurt his wife with his claws.
A blast of icy wind was only her warning, and as her head jerked up in shock, she saw the elevator doors closing on the two of them just as Lysander shifted out of his current form.
In the next moment, he had her trapped between the wall and his naked body while his hands cupped her face. "What's...wrong?"
She shook her head even as her eyes started smarting.
"Tell...me." His voice came out in a roar. "Who...hurt...you!"
The irony of it wasn't lost on her, and she started to cry. It hurt. It hurt. It hurt.
His snarl of frustration could've frightened away grown men and sent them scurrying, but his lips were tender and gentle as he kissed her cheeks and licked her tears away. "Tell...me. Can't...stand. Seeing...you...hurt."
But this only made his mate cry harder, and he swept her up in his arms as the elevator doors opened. Alain and Aluin were already waiting at the hallway, and their faces turned expressionless the moment they saw their prince walk out of the elevator naked and with a sobbing princess in his arms.
This probably meant the rest of the today's meetings would have to be rescheduled, Aluin thought as they took their usual positions. But if making up would also make Lysander a little less moody and unpredictable...
The twins exchanged glances as Alain opened the door for the royal couple, and Aluin waited for his brother to pull the door shut before asking, "You're thinking what I'm thinking?"
"Of course." Come hell or high water, they would do whatever it took to ensure that their prince's marriage was consummated before the day was over.
****
ESTRELLA STARTED STRUGGLING the moment Lysander tried undressing her. "No!" How dare he? Anguish rose inside of her at the sheer gall of his actions, and she worked harder to free herself even as her tears fell faster. It hurt. It hurt. It hurt.
The words that kept echoing in her mind was driving both man and beast crazy. Neither could stand the pain and despair that Estrella was drowning in, and because she stubbornly refused to explain why she was hurting, there was only one thing left to do.
"Nooooooooo!"
But her cries of protest and struggles proved futile as the ripping sound of fabric filled the room. One by one, torn pieces of her clothes fell to the floor. Her dress. The lace cups of her bra. And finally, the scrap of silk that protected her femininity.
"No, no, no!" She clawed and struck his chest with her fists, trying to get away, but he was just too powerful, and another sob tore out of her throat as he succeeded in having her flat on her back on the bed.
She tried kicking him away, but not a single kick landed, and soon he was parting her legs wide open—-
Panic consumed her.
For him to take her virginity, knowing that he still wanted another woman—-
Pain devoured her.
NO, NO, NO, NOOOOOOO!
She screamed and screamed and screamed. She was hurting so much that it took her long, long moments to realize that he had gone completely still, and when her red and swollen eyes slowly drifted open—-
Why?
Just one word, but it was filled with so much pain as well.
Why...do you...think...I...want...someone else?
Oh God. Her hands flew to cover her face as she could no longer stop herself from crying. How can I not? You were looking at her ALL THE TIME!
Understanding dawned, and Lysander's chest clenched with harsh remorse. Ma...belle...etoile.
She sobbed harder. How dare he? How dare he call her that after—-
You...misunderstand. And because the most eloquent words were still beyond him, Lysander could only grab her hands and press his lips to them as he showed her his thoughts from earlier.
Berserk. He had nearly gone berserk, the moment news reached him about Domenico coming to visit, along with his pack's finest soldiers.
Insanely jealous. It was what he had felt, being surrounded by men who had known her scent long before he did.
Control. He had known he had to stay in control of his urges, had known the smallest mistake could cost his race everything.
Misty. And so he had stared at the one person who hadn't possessed a dick to make him snarl with jealousy.
Lysander ran his lips over her knuckles. Do you...understand...now?
But tears still kept falling down her cheeks. You loved her once.
Maybe.
Don't lie. I know what I saw. I know how much you loved her.
Not...lying. Maybe...I was...almost...in love. Maybe. I just...cared. Either way...she is...unimportant now.
He let go of her hand as he spoke.
Only you...matter. And it will...always...only...be...you.
He took hold of her knees, and this time when he gently pried her legs apart, she no longer resisted.
Open...your eyes. Please.
And she did. Her gaze was still bright with tears, but there was no longer despair, and the tightness in his chest eased.
Never...doubt...yourself...again.
A sob escaped her.
Because...when you...hurt...I...also...hurt.
And the words that she had tried to contain for so many years could no longer remain hidden in her heart.
"I love you," she whispered brokenly.
And in answer, his full weight pressed down as his cock slowly and steadily pushed in.
Deeper and deeper.
Until the soft membrane of her virginity broke.
And she became his.
With this, he became her first, and he would also be last because she was his. Always his. HIS.
Both man and beast tried to be slow and gentle even as the primal urge to possess every inch of her grew stronger.
Slow and gentle. Muscles bulged and strained, sweat glistening over bronze skin, as the prince struggled not to ravage her.
But it soon turned into a losing battle, the moment his own mate made it clear she wouldn't stand for it.
Her arms went around his neck, tightening just as her inner muscles clenched around his oversized cock. "Please," she choked out. "Take me as only you can—-"
His control snapped, and from there on, nothing...nothing existed except his need to claim every inch of her. He pounded into her, just like what she demanded, pounded into her the way only he could—-
InOutInOutInOutInOutInOut
And when she suddenly arched, and he saw her eyes rolling back as she started coming, he didn't stop thrusting into her—-
InOutInOutInOutInOutInOut
Not even when he himself felt his balls tightening, and he started cumming inside of her—-
InOutInOutInOutInOutInOut
Not even when hours turned into days.
Not for fucking anything did he stop.
InOutInOutInOutInOutInOut
While making a call to the twins and instructing them about having food regularly delivered, he had her on fours, his cock plunging in and out of her from behind.
InOutInOutInOutInOutInOut
When he had to grab the deliveries the twins left in the kitchen, he would carry her out of the room, with Estrella bouncing on his cock as he walked.
InOutInOutInOutInOutInOut
It was only when she had passed out for the sixth time on the fourth day did lust ever so slightly loosen its grip on his senses, and he was able to force himself to pull away so her well-fucked body could rest.
I love you. She had said it over and over in the past few days. Cried it. Whispered it. Had her heart sing it. So much so that he could hear still hear the words caressing his mind as he looked down at her.
It made no sense, this devotion of hers. But it was there, and as he watched his beautiful Star sleep, Lysander swore to himself that she must never ever learn she was not his first choice for mate.