Chapter 65- (Some spicy content)

Irvin:
I wear her mark with pride, I don’t care that some of the coven council members have openly showed their disapproval. I don’t care what anyone thinks I am forever connected to the woman I love and already feeling more like myself again. It will probably take a few weeks to be back to full strength, but I am no longer in danger of losing myself to my wolf. I have been impressed with Rowen as well, he has walked the hard road of having a shifter for a mate, reconnecting people who have had a tumultuous past and now openly sharing his mate with two other men. Even with all the prejudice he has against him, he has forged ahead and stood tall in the midst of their disapproval. He may not have been my favorite person before, but I can say now that I respect him.
Saying goodbye to family and my pack is always hard but at least we won’t have to wait another full year before we see each other again. Oriel insisted that I ride in the carriage along with Ayla because she worries I am still weak, and she’s right I am still recovering. I am filled with jealousy when I see Oriel sitting on Luna with Darius behind her, holding her close. My possessiveness has only grown now that she wears my mark but sharing that bond, I know how much joy she feels when Darius is near. I’m pulled from my inner battle when I hear Ayla sniffle, I see her quickly wipe a tear away and I move next to her wrapping her up in a hug. “What’s going on little one?” “I’m sorry, it’s nothing.” “You can tell me, you have a little army of people who love you, so if someone has hurt you, just tell me and I’ll deal with it.” I lift her chin up and flash her my most charming smile. I spent our first months together at the castle hating her for sharing the blood of the woman who tried to kill my Luna and the woman who has been my true mother. When I got to know her truly and see what a kind, compassionate person she is, my hatred turned to brotherly love. Ayla thinks of others first always, she is shy and skittish but when given the chance she shines as the tenderhearted person she is. I only hope that one day she can gain the confidence to break free of her shell. “Now tell me, what has you so upset?”
Ayla:
I can’t tell Irvin what happened with his brother, the last thing I ever want to do is cause any more trouble with the pack that my mother betrayed. I just worry about when he comes to the coronation, will he try to find me? To ensure that I am behaving like he demanded of me. My heart still races when I think about his strong hands on me, his hands around my throat.
It’s my own fault for being where I shouldn’t have been, I had felt his anger and the wrath in his gaze, but I put myself in his path. When I left Oriel and Irvin in the tent, Darius told me that Luna Ember had been looking for me. She had wanted to discuss some details of the coronation with me, and I jumped at the idea of being helpful not only to the Luna but also to my dearest friend. Oriel has been like a sister to me, she has taken me under her wing and made me feel loved. In her and Rowen’s care I have become a person of importance, a niece to the coven king and companion to the daughter of a great pack, a future queen. Growing up I was despised and beaten at every opportunity by my cruel father and my mother had been so broken she wasn’t able to love me as I desperately wished she would. Even when I saw how twisted with hatred, she had become I still loved her, although she is dead, I love her still.
I did not find the Luna in her tent when I entered and like and idiot, I lingered thinking she would return soon. As always fate was not kind to me, and it wasn’t the Luna that found me lurking but the young man whose dark eyes have been following me. My heart wont stop racing as he stalks towards me backing me into a corner. “What are you doing here? Maybe plotting to finish what your mother started, are you here to stab my mother in the back? Or maybe spying on us while pretending to be the great friend of my sister.” Tears flow from my eyes and my tongue feels heavy as his rough hand grabs my face and squeezes my skin. “No answer? Just know that I am watching you, and I don’t care if Rowen is your uncle or if you have convinced my sister to be your friend, if you step out of line, I will kill you with my own two hands.” I let out a sob when he moves his hand from my face and squeezes my neck. Apollo leans in close and runs his nose along where his hand sits on my skin. “Now get out of here and make sure you’re a good girl. I’ll be watching so you better behave.” I don’t respond to his threat I only run back to the safety of Rowen’s tent. My heart hasn’t stopped racing since.
I look at Irvin and force a smile to my face, I will do the only thing I can think of with his threat. I will hide myself away from Apollo when he comes to the coronation and dedicate myself further to the people who have shown me love and acceptance. “I’m sorry to have worried you. I am just tired from all this travel and am ready to go home.” “Alright little one, but know I am on your side if you ever need me.” I smile at my half brother and then rest my head against the window, yes things will be fine as soon as we are far from here.
Darius:
I see my chance to steal a little of Oriels affection that I have longed for the past few days when I see her on her mare next to Rowen as we get ready to depart. Normally her and Irvin enjoy riding together but since he is resting in the carriage, I take advantage of his absence, I jump up behind her and grab onto her soft, full waist. I love that despite the sideways glances of others she turns her head and kisses me. “Both of you are making me jealous over here.” I laugh at Rowen’s scowl and Oriel responds by leading the charge and taking off with me pressed up against her back. I let my greedy hands roam her body as I once did much more subtly before I knew she would be mine. When I dreamed of belonging to her in some way. Although a piece of me will always belong to my deceased mate, my heart lives for Oriel and Rowen. The fact that she accepts me, and I get to be free to be whoever I want without repercussion is more than I could have ever hoped for. I will treasure Oriel for as long as I live. I kiss her neck and move my hand under her gown, I slowly caress her as she pulls on Luna’s reigns making her trot off of the main road. We stop next to a slow-moving stream that is shadowed by large apple trees, Oriel leads Luna to a small patch of grass and slowly strips off her gown never breaking eye contact with me. Her mismatched eyes have me transfixed. “You are stunning beyond words my love.” I can’t tear my eyes from her naked form as she lowers herself into the clear water and summons me with her finger, I quickly strip down and jump into the water making her screech as it splashes her bare skin. I pull her into my arms and am overcome with urgency to claim her. When she matches my need with her own my fangs elongate and itch to taste her. I lift her into my arms moving deeper into the water, putting all my feelings of longing into my kiss. “I need to be inside of you, my love. But I need to know how much of me you want.” “What do you mean how much?” I kiss her plump mouth again fearing her answer but needing it before we move further, I have lost so many people close to me. I have had the rug pulled from under me too many times to believe that I can have this beautiful woman in the way I want. I will be whatever she wants, if that only is a friend or defender. If she wants a playmate for the bedroom for her and Rowen, I will be that too, but I hope for so much more. “Darius, don’t you already know? I want all of you. You are in every space of my heart and soul just as Rowen, and Irvin reside there. You are my dear friend, my teacher, my protector. You have helped me grow and I want to keep growing with you. I don’t only love you because Rowen does or because I want your body. You are everything. I know I shouldn’t even ask; I know I am not your fated mate, but you are my choice, a choice I want to make forever. I want to be tied to you in every way. Let me mark you and lay claim to you, mark me in return, choose me even though you claimed another before me. I don’t want to erase her from your heart but let me belong to you as she did.”
I push inside of her and groan at how tight she clamps down on me. She feels like heaven, I never want to leave her body. “I love you Oriel, my queen, my love. Mark me I am yours now and forever.” She digs her fingers into my skin as she rides my cock, she screams each time I slam her down onto me. I have been with others, but it has never felt like this, like if the world was burning down, I wouldn’t be able to move from inside of her. This connection is pure bliss, I want to be one with her every day for as long as I live. She kisses me deep our eyes locking, our mouths sharing the same breath. I turn my head and offer her my neck, when her teeth piece me I feel her in every part of my body. I feel her pleasure and happiness, her fierce possessiveness and love. I fall over the edge releasing my seed into her as her venom spreads through my body binding me to her. I walk us to the grassy shore laying her down beneath me, I place my mouth just above her breast and clamp my fangs down. Oriel’s blood like every part of her is divine, her sweet lifeblood blooms through my body. My venom invades her just as hers has infected me. We are one now and forever, my life is hers as long as I have breath.
…..
Maddie:
When I see her emerge from his room flaunting his mating mark while whoring around the castle, I want to kill her now. Fuck waiting for him to get here, I have been feeding him information for months now. Doesn’t he have enough to come and finish her? When she’s gone, I will show Rowen how a true queen acts, I would never take another lover and shame him as she has done. I would be devoted to him alone. I will rule alongside him and be the queen this coven deserves, but first she needs to go.