Chapter 43
Gabriel
It took a lot of convincing to get the guards to stop milling around outside my rooms, but eventually they did.
Sophia and I were supposed to be married today.
Instead, the day had been passed in interrogating every single member of Morgan’s small pack of traitors. Most of them had something to say, whether it was an apology or a rant against me and my mother. But it was enough to condemn them, and the Blue Pack princess.
Her parents—the alphas of their territory—were already on their way and would be here tomorrow. My mother had sent a short letter ahead to them, warning that if they did anything less than comply, the entire Kingdom would be set against them.
Surprisingly, Sophia had handled everything beautifully so far.
She helped set things right, clearing out any furniture or drapery that had been wrecked in our section of the palace.
She met briefly with the families of those whose lives had been taken and gave her condolences.
She stood by my side as we announced a delay in the ceremony, but despite her presence, the gulf between us felt complete now.
I respected her and admired her unflinching grace in the midst of this mess, but I knew without a doubt she was not who I wanted as a mate.
The doorknob jiggled and I spun, finding myself subconsciously looking for a weapon.
That kind of post-traumatic stress would probably go on for a while. Since the day before, every little sound had me on edge.
But then the door opened and everything inside me went still.
Valarie slipped in, closing the door behind her quietly and looking up wide-eyed to where I stood waiting.
“Is everything okay…?” she asked. “They told me you wanted to see me. But there was no one outside your door. Shouldn’t you have guards—”
“I feel safe enough with you here,” I said quietly, with a smirk. “I’ve seen you spar, remember? I’ve even seen you run.”
I pulled her close carefully and felt a shiver run up her spine at the reminder that we’d spent a night together as wolves.
We were far enough away from the moon now that my wolf wasn’t distracted by her. But she still smelled amazing, despite having spent a night in the cells, and I felt a different kind of hunger rising to the surface.
“What are these?” I murmured, picking at the grey clothing she wore. Somewhat shapeless but soft and comfortable.
“Oh. Sophia had them bring these down for me. I don’t know where she got them. But there was blood on my other clothes, and they were torn.”
I frowned, stepping back to look her over quickly.
“You’re okay, though?”
“Yes. They cleaned me up after you left, gave me something for the cut on my leg. The bruises will heal by themselves.”
At the mention of bruises, she looked up at my throat. Her brow was furrowed as she ran two fingers over the marks there.
“I’m sorry they got to you.”
I shrugged.
“It wasn’t your fault. You did what you could to stop them.”
She sighed, walking further into the room and dropping down into a chair.
“Not really. I could’ve done more. Apparently, I wasn’t convincing enough as a jealous lover.” The sarcasm in her voice made me smile as I joined her.
“That stings. And all this time I thought you were jealous.”
Charles had lit a fire in the grate earlier, and in the play of light across her face I could see a blush start to rise. I loved making her blush. It drew my gaze down her throat, to the collar of the shirt she wore. I wanted it off her.
“I mean, I was. But that didn’t mean I wished you any harm.”
“Well, that’s good to know.” I leaned back in the opposite chair to take more of her in.
“Valarie, we need to talk. There are going to be some changes to the Kingdom and how the packs are run.”
“Okay,” she answered slowly, frowning.
“I can’t tell you everything now, but you need to trust me. What I need from you is to tell me more about the splinter packs that joined Morgan—anyone from Hickory or whatever other packs were involved.”
Val drew her knees up to her chest and began to tell me, slowly and in a tired voice, about everything that happened since she’d left. The training, the movements, the planning, the other groups that had joined Morgan.
Surprisingly, she’d caught a lot of information for a person they didn’t entirely trust.
“The good thing about Morgan is she’s too proud,” she told me, twisting a lock of hair between her fingers. “She likes to talk about her plans too much—how brilliant they are. How many people she was able to draw away from their packs.”
I nodded.
“The alphas have already been notified. Actually, Daniele is already here dealing with her group. She’s very... exacting.”
“But fair,” Valarie offered, eyebrows raised.
I conceded.
It was hard seeing any pack members punished, but Valarie was right.
A lesson needed to be learned. And while Daniele wasn’t maiming anyone, she’d brought down enough of her pack to make it clear that when the next moon came, the rebels from Hickory would be run down.
Demoted, and never trusted again, although they wouldn’t be allowed to leave the pack. It was too risky.
The room was warm now from the fire and Valarie looked content.
I wanted to stare at her all night, reassure myself that she was actually here.
She looked up at me through her lashes and a blush began again.
“What?”
“Nothing. I’m just happy you’re here.”
***
Valarie
Gabriel rose from his chair and walked toward me, the fire turning his hair a blazing red and orange. His eyes were dark.
“Do you trust me?” he asked quietly, crouching at the foot of the chair, and splaying a hand over my thigh.
My body reacted immediately despite the layer of cloth between our skin. I looked down at his hand, feeling a fluttering start low in my stomach.
“We’ve already been over that,” I answered quietly. “I trust you with my life.”
He grinned, but without saying anything else, he stood and then lifted me up without warning. I gasped and clutched his shoulders and back, trying to find my balance in his arms as he laughed and stumbled toward the bedroom.
It was dark enough now that stars were clearly visible through the skylights.
“I didn’t notice those last time I was here,” I said.
“Well, that’s probably because we were a little preoccupied.”
His voice was dark when he said it and my skin felt hot. He placed me on the edge of the bed carefully and then backed up.
“Are you going to make love to me?” I asked boldly, tipping my chin up to look him more fully in the face.
Gabriel smirked that dangerous smirk and shook his head.
“No. You might have proven you only joined the rebels to spy, but you still need to be... punished.”
The way he said the last word made my stomach knot with anticipation.
My eyes dropped to his hands as he flexed his fingers.
“Punished? What kind—”
Without warning, he grabbed me and spun me, making sure my feet were beneath me. Palms splayed on the bed, I tried to look over my shoulder at him, but he jerked me back by the hips.
I could feel his hard length against my thighs and whimpered.
“I want you to obey me tonight,” he said quietly, more of a demand than a request.
I nodded, realizing I could see our shadows, due to the firelight coming into the room. His loomed over mine, bent at the waist over the edge of the bed.
Gabriel pulled me up by gripping a handful of my hair and guiding me. Then his hands, gentle despite his words, lifted the long-sleeved shirt off.
I wasn’t wearing a bra underneath and my nipples immediately tightened despite the warm air. I couldn’t stop myself from rubbing my thighs together with anticipation.
With a hand on the small of my back, Gabriel bent me forward again before pulling down the waist of my pants until they reached my knees.
No underwear, either.
Exposed to him now, I waited, frozen, as one of his hands smoothed over my bare ass. He hummed in appreciation.
His fingers started at my knee and traveled up my inner thigh, barely grazing my sex. I whimpered again and fought the urge to rock back into him. I wanted to feel him hard against me again—without anything between us.
“Is this making you wet?” he asked quietly.
I nodded.
His fingers probed higher until he was exploring my folds, which only made me more wet. I bit my bottom lip as he slipped one, and then another, finger inside of me.
“Hold still.”
It was hard. He was pumping shallowly at a pace that already had me worked up and all I wanted to do was ride his hand. The other gripped my hip tightly.
“Listen to me,” he said, taking his fingers away. The air on my bare skin was cool now that I was heating up. “You’re not going to cum tonight until I tell you to. Do you understand?”
I nodded, hair falling forward to obscure my view. But I could see enough of our shadows to realize he was stripping his clothes off.
Then his cock was at my entrance, pressing in a teasing way, and I groaned.
“Please,” I asked, wriggling a little.
His hand on my lower back stopped me. He continued to tease, coating himself with my slick, pressing forward just enough to drive both of us crazy.
I could hear him breathing deep, trying to control himself. Then one hand came down on the bed next to me and he pushed forward with one thrust, filling me.
A noise of surprise and satisfaction left me as he gripped my hip tightly. He stayed entirely inside me for a moment before drawing back and pounding into me again.
It was rougher than he’d been before but it felt good. I felt full again, complete, and I threw my head back as he kept up a steady pace, my toes curling each time the friction was almost too much.
“You like that?” he asked, and I moaned in response.
“Don’t forget what I told you—you cum when I tell you to cum.”
Just those words alone brought me closer to the edge and I bit my lip, fighting back the urge to let go completely.
Gabriel bent forward until I was pressed into the mattress.
His legs knocked mine together and he readjusted himself, slamming in once again, this new position making me tighter and making him feel so much better.
“Please,” I begged again, the fabric of the duvet rough against my bare chest. It was sensory overload.
Gabriel didn’t reply, but slapped my ass instead, eliciting a yelp from me. I jerked under him and heard him grunt, his pace staggering for a moment.
Then he was gone.
I half-turned, squinting to see him better in the shadows.
He was standing fully erect, dick glistening, hair mussed.
“Get up,” he commanded.
I obeyed and he pushed me forward a little roughly, signifying he wanted me on the bed. Crawling up a few feet, I rose on my knees, waiting for further instruction.
Gabriel came around the side and stared openly at my breasts. I licked my lips, watching him reach out and palm one, unable to stop from leaning into him. He groaned and palmed the other, hefting them, rolling my nipples between his fingers.
I snuck a hand down between my legs and worked slowly at my clit, head tipped back. But he noticed and pulled my hand away.
“No. I didn’t say you could touch yourself.”
I wanted to give him an attitude, but nodded instead, moving back as he got on the bed beside me.
He looked amazing stretched out, taking up most of the bed, propped up against the headboard. With one hand, he worked at himself, staring me down. My fingers twitched with the desire to touch myself again as I watched him.
He reached out and grabbed the back of my thigh, drawing me closer.
“You’re going to ride me until I tell you to cum.”
When I was near enough, he grabbed the other thigh and dragged me over his hips, positioning me as I braced myself on his chest.
Despite being on top, it was clear who was in charge.
With one hand on his dick and the other on my waist, Gabriel drew me down until the head of his cock was pressing against my entrance again. I moaned and rubbed at him, feeling him slip easily against me with how slick I was.
With a firm hand, he pulled me down until he was absolutely filling me.
The feeling made me whimper again and then I was moving, unable to stop myself, grinding down on him.
He used both hands to slow me down. It was a fight—I wanted it faster. But I gave into him anyway, begging “please, please,” under my breath the whole time, he thrust his hips upward, giving me that extra shock of pleasure and then taking it away.
Eventually, he sat up and the new angle made my clit drag against him in a way that sent shockwaves up my spine. He pulled me close, my breasts rubbing against his chest, his hand tangled in my hair at the back of my head.
“Now,” he said into my neck where he had his face pressed. “I want you to cum right now.”
I picked up the pace immediately and came within seconds, the rhythm stuttering as I was unable to control my body.
Gabriel was breathing hard against my chest. He tweaked a nipple and the orgasm crested again. The wet sound of our skin slapping together was loud in the room.
With a grunt, he surged forward until I was on my back. Still between my legs, he thrust hard and fast, hair damp with sweat from the warmth of the room and our activities.
He cried out once, loudly, when he came, and his arms shook as his weight came down on me. I wrapped both arms around his back and held him close, our skin sticking together.
Gabriel stayed inside me until he softened almost completely, and then he rolled to the side, finding a towel somewhere and handing it to me. I pressed it between my legs and turned to snuggle in under his arm, inhaling the spiced citrus smell of him.
We were both drowsy now.
But Gabriel fought back sleep, widening his eyes.
“Val. I need you to go back,” he said, turning his head toward me.
I looked at him with heavy-lidded eyes.
“You need to go back down to the cells tonight. I don’t want you to. But I need you to trust me—you do trust me?”
I smiled, too tired to answer with words, too satisfied to bother worrying about or questioning anything.
We dosed for a while longer before he gathered me close, kissed me deeply, and helped me dress.