Chapter 8 Stars
Stars
Emerging into his room, I let out a small gasp. The far wall was made up entirely of windows, something I had missed when we entered. The room was dark, allowing full visibility of the gloomy forest beyond. Dark trees swayed, but it was the sky above that shocked me.
The navy sky was dotted with a million pinpricks of light, more than I ever imagined.
“What?” Luca asked, his voice against my wet hair.
“Stars,” I managed to say.
A beat passed as he let me take in the sight.
“Do you want to stay here with me?”
There was so much meaning in those words, and I wasn’t sure if I fully grasped his intentions. Stomach clenching, I cleared my throat. “I’d better go back to my room. Cade didn’t seem thrilled I was here.”
A low growl rumbled from Luca’s chest, vibrating through my arm.
Would he go against Cade for me? Did I even want him to?
I tensed, and his grip tightened as he turned away from the window and took me back through the hallway to my assigned room.
The two small windows in this room seemed insufficient after seeing Luca’s room and that amazing view of the forest and stars above.
Luca settled me in the bed and disappeared briefly, and I took that opportunity to change into a clean set of stretchy pants and a loose t-shirt.
He returned with the second half of my dinner, gently reheated. As I ate, he ran a brush through my hair. The tines of the hairbrush on my scalp sent shivers down my spine.
“Cade is…” he began, finally answering my earlier complaint. “I think he was surprised, that’s all.”
“Really,” I said, unable to hide my sarcasm.
With a rough exhale, Luca tried again. “He is slow to trust, but once he realizes you are a safe person, he is loyal to a fault.”
An image of Cade, the muscles of his bare chest straining as he did filthy things to me, flashed in my mind. Why did I dream of him? Sure, Luca was there, but it was Cade’s starring role that surprised me.
“What are you thinking about?” Luca interrupted my ruminations on my dream. He leaned forward, speaking into my ear. “You smell really good.” His suggestive tone made my toes curl.
“Yeah, you washed my hair. Shampoo and stuff,” I mumbled, refusing to acknowledge my arousal. My cheeks flamed.
His eyebrow arched slyly. “That’s not it.”
“Well, Cade is kinda a jerk,” I managed to say, trying to change the subject. Luca ignored me.
The hairbrush clinked as he set it aside. Tension coiled in every one of my muscles as I wondered what he would do next. His fingers wove into my hair, now damp, and fluffed it out to help it dry.
I barely caught my moan in time at the feeling. Instead, I clenched my jaw, ignoring the throbbing in my core at his nearness.
“Summer, you’re really on edge, aren’t you?” he whispered.
“Yeah, you’re kinda…” I swallowed, forcing myself to continue. No use in ignoring it. He knew. “Hot.”
Luca let out a laugh, jolting me forward. I twisted to look over my shoulder at him. He grinned, those full lips spread wide, lip ring glinting, emphasized by the dark tattoos under his jaw. His bright eyes twinkled as black hair tumbled over his brow.
“Warm. Your hands are really warm,” I amended, narrowing my eyes at him.
“Maybe I think you need to be heated up after being stuck with those cold vamps for so long,” he whispered, running his hands over my arms. I resisted the urge to melt back into him.
“I don’t know…” I managed to say. I barely knew this man, but he carried me when I was weak and washed my hair. Moreover, I wasn’t lying when I said I felt safe with him. Something in my soul responded to him.
I'd never felt that way with Evrin, I realized in the back of my mind. It took venom to make me relax with my patron. Luca could do it with a touch or a few words.
His request for me to stay echoed in my thoughts. He couldn’t be serious.
“Here, lie down,” the werewolf said, his velvet words as soft as his touch. I was so damn tired, and curling up in that feeling of safety was so tempting.
His hands ran up my arms, stopping on my shoulders. Despite my better judgement, I allowed him to guide me down.
My heart raced, the pulse drumming under my skin. He stood, unraveling the blanket from the foot of the bed and tucking it over my shoulders.
He lay down, arranging me against his chest. One of his arms curled under his head, while the other rested on my waist.
“Are you staying here with me?” I asked, trying to hide how eager I felt. I should be kicking him out, but I was starving for his touch. The last couple of hours were not enough.
It was like a need within me had been unlocked, and I had nineteen years to make up for.
“Cade tasked me with taking care of you,” he said simply, nestling his face into my damp hair.
I exhaled a dry laugh. “You mean watching me, keeping me from causing trouble? I don’t think he meant snuggling.”
“Maybe, but he will come around,” Luca murmured.
My body ached, and I wanted so badly to turn around and kiss him. To run my tongue over that lip ring.
But a vague memory stopped me. Blazing sunlight, and a blurry Luca kissing a golden figure - Cade. And then Cade referred to Luca’s room as ours.
“Luca?” I whispered. He grunted, settling himself closer until all of him pressed against me. I tried to ignore the feel of his leg against my ass, knowing that if I wiggled, I would likely feel something else. Rolling my lip through my teeth, I focused on what I needed to ask him.
“When you first rescued me, I thought I saw you and Cade... I don’t know.” My courage failed and I trailed off.
“What?” he gently prompted.
“You guys were talking, and I think I saw you kiss? I was delirious. Never mind.”
“You saw right.” He sounded so matter of fact.
“Well, if you’re involved with him, maybe you shouldn’t be in bed with me.” The statement felt raw.
His fingers traced circles on my skin absently as I waited for his answer. He seemed to be choosing his words carefully. “Cade is my chosen mate. I would never be with another male. But we both occasionally entertain females.”
“Oh.” My mouth went dry.
“It’s common in this situation. Once our pack makes this new territory safe, he’ll be expected to breed.”
“And you?” I ask, my voice husky. Internally, I berated myself for sounding so turned on, even if it was true. Even if he could smell it.
Damn werewolves and their heightened senses.
Luca pretended my heart wasn’t pounding like a hummingbird and my skin wasn’t flushed under his touch.
“Maybe someday. Who knows?”
The words turned over in my mind. Making their territory safe… breeding.
“And you’re both okay if the other one does stuff with someone else?” I had to confirm because the scenario didn’t seem real.
“Yeah,” he purred. “Sometimes we even like to watch each other.” My breath hitched.
“You like the sound of that, don’t you?” His hand flattened over my stomach, sending my heart rate skittering like a frightened animal. “You need to chill or you’ll never be able to sleep.”
My stomach clenched, and his thumb stroked over my ribs, feeling the muscles contracting.
“I can help,” he offered, his smooth voice stoking my desire. I’d give anything for his fingers to slide under my waistband and touch me at the center of my need. But I couldn’t let him.
Drawing up every ounce of self-control I possessed, I shook my head.
“Luca, I thought I was becoming Evrin’s mate until a few days ago. I don’t consider being physical with someone to be casual.”
His voice held a note of amusement. “Don’t worry, wildcat. I won’t touch you like that unless you ask me to. Maybe I’ll even make you beg for it first.”
“We should talk about something else,” I choked out, “or just be quiet.”
“You really think you can sleep when you’ve been thinking about me and Cade?” Luca whispered.
Huffing, I nestled into my pillow. He was right, and I hated that he was so smug about that fact.
“I recommend letting off some steam. You’re wound way too tight.” His whisper was so quiet, I strained to listen. He followed it up by nuzzling against my neck. My thoughts went blank.
“I know you don’t want me touching you. But if you wanted to, I don’t know, handle things yourself, I’d be happy to keep an eye on you. Maybe offer some advice.”
This man was out of his mind.
“Have you ever done that before?” he asked, reading my silence correctly. I couldn’t keep anything from him. It was infuriating.
Silently, I shook my head.
“Slide your hand under here,” he whispered, gently guiding my wrist until my hand replaced his. His light tap on the back of my hand had my fingers sliding under my waistband.
What the fuck was I doing?
Luca had me under some sort of spell. It was the only explanation for following his instructions.
The waistband slid over the back of my hand, pressing my fingers into the soft skin of my lower abdomen.
My breath quickened, and behind me, I could feel Luca’s chest move faster too. His excitement made me bolder. It dared me to do something I never would normally.
“I can smell how wet you are. Touch between your legs and feel it.” I could have perished from the growl in those words.
Shaking, I slid my fingers lower, through the soft hair and over the most sensitive part of me before they met the absolute mess of slick arousal between my folds.
I gasped at the feel, and Luca groaned. He rolled his hips against my ass, like he couldn’t quite help himself. The idea that I had this male so heated was intoxicating. I wanted to push him further.
His words were a heated mumble as he pressed his face against the nape of my neck. “Take your time, see what feels good.”
Biting my lip hard, I let out a whimper. His voice and the feel of my fingers against my sensitive vulva had me trembling. Experimentally, I dipped my finger inside myself, causing my hips to twitch.
“That’s it, good girl,” Luca murmured, vividly reminding me of my dream. But this time, it was only Luca holding me tight, speaking filth into my ear.
Rubbing my fingers together, I tested the wetness. It was glossy and slippery.