Civilized.
Nothing like this.
He was ready to embrace being fully wolven.
And right now, he was nothing but beast. Thrusting inside her, loving every little moan and cry. The way she let herself lose control. How brave she was to do this. She hadn’t been the only one who’d worried it might not work. That he might not fit. He would have been devastated, and he wasn’t sure what he would’ve done had he been denied the chance to claim his bride. Again.
It felt so good to be inside her.
His cock swelled and his climax was coming closer. This was the only part that still scared him. But even in his dreams, when he was human and proper, he always knotted her.
He let out a howl as his hips bucked forward. All reason left his brain as his knot swelled, stretching her even further.
Phillipa’s eyes flew open, and she gasped.
“Knot you,” he said, but he knew she wouldn’t understand. This wasn’t something humans did. But he couldn’t explain it right now.
She nodded. “I feel it, wolven.”
“How does it feel?”
“Full.” She could barely speak. “We are one.”
He leaned forward, kissing her. His cock swelled, locking itself inside her. She moaned against his lips, and the knot pulsed. He was blinded by desire. All reason left his body. He was pure animal. And soon, he would burst.
“Wesley,” she cried softly. Her breath quickened, and her muscles went slack. “I don’t know what’s happening.”
He’d never been with a woman as a wolven, and nothing could have prepared him for the feeling of her climax against his knot. All beast, he couldn’t speak. He wanted to tell her what was happening, and he would. Soon. But his body was doing things he’d never experienced before too, and he wanted to relish every single sensation instead of trying to do something mundane like put words to it.
Power pulsed through his veins. He felt like he would explode.
“Breed,” he said.
“Yes.” The word was barely a breath against his lips. This woman had been worth waiting for. Worth bringing chaos to the forest. Worth taking a bullet for.
She was everything. His everything.
His body bucked, all beast, surprising them both, and his seed sprayed inside her. His release had alleviated the knot, and instinctively he began thrusting inside her. She cried out, saying his name and things that defied language.
Once he was totally spent, he slid his cock out of her. But he wasn’t ready to let her go. He wanted nothing more than to stay with his beautiful bride, admiring the way the morning sun kissed her bare skin as she caught her breath.
She ran her fingers through his fur, catching in spots, smoothing it in others. Like she was trying to memorize every inch of him.
They both knew this could be the only time they would be together, if the Queen found them guilty of treason, of whatever charges she could bring against them for the altercation at the carriage. Never being able to hold this woman again would be nothing short of torture.
He would spend every moment with her. Make up for all the time he missed, and all the time he might never have.
“Thank you,” he said. Being with Phillipa was even better than every one of his dreams.
She laughed. “Wolven, what are you thanking me for? You just gave me your seed, and brought my body more pleasure than I could have ever imagined possible. Not to mention you saved my life tonight.”
“For wanting me. Like this.” He kissed her forehead and lifted her from the bench. “So beautiful.”
Her topknot had come totally undone, and her coppery hair almost covered her bare breasts. Her green eyes glowed in the early morning light. And her skin was still pinked all over.
“Wesley, what about our clothes?” she exclaimed as he headed to the Hall.
“Ruined.”
She laughed. “Yes, they are, but I suppose we should attempt some modicum of decency inside the Hall. Countess Stalbridge asked us to be discreet, and we were anything but. It’s a miracle that no one caught us in the act.”
The thought made his cock throb. There was no way he would be ready to go again. They both needed to rest, recharge themselves. Soon the gravity of the night would set in, and they needed to have a plan to deal with what happened next. With the Queen’s blessing, they would be starting their new lives together.
He would not let Phillipa be punished on his account. It was his fault that her mother tried to force her into annulling their marriage, so she could send her to a second Season. If he had just revealed himself, he would have saved his beloved so much heartache.
But there was no fixing his past errors. He could only be a better wolven from now on.
“What if they hear us?” he asked.
“We’ll probably be thrown out of the Hall and the countess will rethink any kind words she would share about us with the Queen.” She pressed himself against his body. “We’re inside the Hall.”
The wolven had no complaints.
All was quiet. The party had finally come to an end as the sun rose. Baking smells wafted from the kitchen as the staff worked to prepare breakfast for the guests, and his stomach rumbled. He headed up the stairs and brought her to the door in front of her room.
“Want to sleep with you.”
“Wesley,” she said as she slid against his body, her feet on the floor. “I want nothing more than that. What we just did was scandalous. I fear we will anger the countess.”
“Married,” he countered. “Want the whole world to know it.”
“Yes, and soon they will.” A noise came from the staircase, and Phillipa’s eyes widened with panic.
“Come to my room.” He readied himself for her to say no. “Want to wake up with you in my arms. Might not have another chance.”
She lowered her gaze, but only for a moment before she met his. “Let me get my things.”
With that, she disappeared behind the door. He waited, for what felt like forever. A few servants appeared in the hallway, quickly turning away when they saw him.
Phillipa appeared in her dressing gown, covered with a robe. Her coppery braid lay over her shoulder.
“I thought the little fae might have talked you out of coming with me.”
“She would have.” Phillipa laughed. “But she was sound asleep. I left her a note so she didn’t panic when she woke up and I wasn’t there.”
“You’re always thinking of everyone else.” He put his hand on her back and led her to his room.
“It doesn’t always feel that way,” she said softly as he closed the door behind him. “It felt quite selfish refusing the Season, and even defying my mother to come to this Ball.”
“You did that for me, and for Ainslee. And we both appreciate it greatly.” He kissed her forehead, letting his lips melt against her skin. He could have stayed like that with her until the end of time. He had no idea how he’d stayed away so long. Watching. Waiting.
Her hands were on his shoulders, coming through his fur. “You’re so soft. Yet, you can be quite ferocious.”
“Which one do you like, my love?”
“I like them both. Very much.” She bit her lip and met his gaze. “Which do you want to be?”
He sighed. “I could hardly believe my transformation as it began. Refused to accept it. I told myself I could never come back to you like this.”