25: Ada’s POV

I could hear the whispers of everyone around me as everyone practically gawked at Phoenix and I. It didn’t take long for me to piece together that Phoenix wasn’t normally one to participate in festivities, particularly in dancing— which was surprising because he was rather good at it. He whisked me around the room effortlessly, whispering flirtatious quips in my ear.

His dancing wasn’t what impressed me most about him, though. It was that he seemed to have the ability to tune out every single set of eyes on him. He acted as if it was just me and him in the room and somehow made me feel that same way. It was the reason I’d said yes to his invitation to spend the night with him. There was something safe about this fire-haired wolf.

That didn’t stop my heart from racing when he grabbed my hand as the dance floor started to get crowded and began whisking me away. Rather than leading me to a standard door or back up the staircase, he navigated around a group of people and strode straight for the wall on the east side of the ballroom. As he reached the wall, he glanced around the room. I saw his eyes slow down as they whisked past the table where his brothers and father sat, as if he was counting those present.

And then he pushed on a wall panel and ushered me inside. I skittered into a dark hallway, only taking steps forward when I felt his hand in the small of my back. He led me to an opening that forked off in three directions. Phoenix grabbed my hand and dragged me to the right. We seemed to walk for quite awhile before we reached another open area— this one branched into five directions.

Four of the branches were smaller, shorter passages. The fifth seemed to go on a ways and I guessed it was probably a continuation of the overall secret passage. Who knew how many of these passages existed in this castle. I blinked against the dusty dark, trying to recall the exact steps I made so I could return here if needed.

Phoenix interrupted my focus, “Please don’t get the wrong idea. This passage was just the fastest way to my room,” he chatted as he pressed a door open, “I didn’t want you to have to navigate the entire castle in that beautiful gown.”

His room. That was quite different from what his brothers had done— taking me in my own room. It seemed Phoenix had his own ideas about how to stand out.

“Quite thoughtful,” I followed him through the doorway, eyes widening as I took in his room.

While Phoenix wasn’t the sharpest looking of the Alpha Princes (that title definitely went to Nik), he was very clean and nice. Admittedly, I hadn’t spent a lot of time imagining what one of their rooms would look like— but it definitely wasn’t this. Piles of clothes and trash rested on nearly ever surface. The bed was unmade and had nothing more than two pillows and a thin sheet atop it. It didn’t stink, but it also didn’t smell half as decent as the man in front of me did.

Phoenix scrambled. He started picking up piles of clothes and tossing them into the corner by the door, muttering, “I didn’t think this was going to happen tonight,” there was a deep flush present on his cheeks as he threw trash into the trashcan, “I would have cleaned before *this* obviously had I known.”

I remained silent and simply shut the wall panel behind me, admiring its seamless appearance. He continued picking up the room, lighting candles along the way. His windows had curtains drawn and had it not been for my wolf eyesight, I wouldn’t have been able to see anything in the room prior to the candles. About the only thing that was incredibly clear from this space was that Phoenix didn’t spend a lot of time here. There were no photos, no books or memorabilia. Just mess.

As if all he did was come to this room to sleep— and even that was interrupted so frequently that he could only leave things in piles.

As he hung up a jacket in a large wardrobe, he asked sheepishly, “Do you still want to spend the night with me?” He slid his suit jacket off and laid it over a nearby wooden chair, “I would understand if you didn’t want to.”

My lips tugged up at the corners as I looked at him. He watched as I reached behind me and tugged on my corset tie. His eyes met mine briefly before returning to my chest. I cocked my head to the side and he nodded, stepping over to me. He skillfully undid my corset fully and tossed it in the corner of the room. Without prompting, he undid the fasteners on my skirt and let it fall around my ankles. He admired my gold satin slip as he quickly undressed himself.

There was a giddiness about him that made me want to giggle and I realized that this may have been what most girls first times felt like. I wasn’t sure what he had to be nervous about as Darius had made it very clear that the three Princes had shared women before. Perhaps the slight shake to his hands and his schoolboy behavior was out of excitement.

Either way, it made me want to reach for him. I stepped out of my shoes and gripped his arms, smiling up at him. He brought his hands to the edge of my slip and I lifted my arms so he could remove it from my body. His eyes scoured my body as I undid my own bra and slid out of my panties. We stood in front of each other, looking at each others bodies.

He was rather slender— far less bulky than his brothers— but quite muscular. His jaw was not as angular as I’d initially thought, though his face resembled that of the High Fae over a usual wolf. He was a beautiful man, well-sculpted with beautiful hair and skin. His cock was already at attention, practically begging to be touched.

Which is exactly what I did. I wrapped my hand around his shaft and stepped up close to him, pressing my body against his. He groaned and wrapped his arms around me, pulling me into the bed with him. I adjusted myself so that my head was resting on one of his pillows, wrapping my legs around his waist as he positioned himself between my legs.

He slid into me and I gasped, arching my back. He lowered his head to my breast, capturing my hard nipple between his lips. I raked my fingernails down his back as he pumped into me, a thin sheen of sweat forming on my body. His lips roamed from my breasts to my neck to my earlobe and back again. His hands roamed over my entire body as he thrusted.

His cheeks were flush, his breath ragged. Phoenix moved his hand to where our bodies were joining, his fingers starting to circle my clitoris. I clenched, gasping at the instant heat that shot through my body. He started to pump into my faster, our flesh meeting with resounding smacks through the room. I reached up and touched his face, locking eyes with him.

It was if I had commanded him to find his release. His eyes rolled back as a loud moan echoed through the room. As his hot liquid spurted into me, my body found a release I hadn’t known was anywhere near. I cried out as the organs ripped through my body, my pussy pulsating against his cock.

As Phoenix collapsed on top of my in completed pleasure, I ran my fingers up and down his back. I couldn’t help but think of the differences between the three Princes now that I’d laid with all of them. Darius had been so sweet, a perfect first mate. He was considerate and knew precisely what he was doing with my body. Nik was… wild. He brought out a side of me I didn’t know existed, a part of me that hungered for carnal passion. I ached when I thought of what he offered me. And now there was Phoenix. He was quite different. As I laid with him on top of me, I couldn’t help the think about how I felt like I was a queen with him. Like someone he worshiped so fully that he couldn’t contain himself. I enjoyed this time with him because I felt powerful.

Like I *was* a queen, simply making love to her little pet.