Chapter 011

With his hand grazing my inner thigh, I froze, every nerve in my body alight, trembling beneath the weight of his touch. His palm was warm, deliberate, sliding slowly upward as though he had all the time in the world to claim me.

A sharp breath escaped me, my lips parting as my knees threatened to give way.

“Draven—” I whispered, but his name came out broken, caught between a plea and a warning.

His eyes darkened, burning down into mine like he could devour every thought I tried to hide. “Say my name again.”

The command in his tone sent a shiver racing down my spine. My chest rose and fell too fast, my pulse hammering in my throat.

“Draven…” softer this time, but heavy with the ache building inside me.

His lips hovered dangerously close, not quite touching, but his breath ghosted over my skin, feeding the fire pooling low in my stomach. His thumb traced along my hip, then pressed firmer against the curve of my waist, holding me in place as though I belonged there, trapped between him and the cold wall.

“You drive me insane, little wolf,” he muttered, voice roughened with restraint. “Do you have any idea what you’re doing to me?”

I swallowed hard, shaking my head though my body betrayed me, arching subtly into his touch. His hand moved higher, skimming the sensitive skin of my inner thigh, dragging my skirt with it. My breath hitched as the cool air hit bare flesh.

“Tell me to stop,” he growled softly, his lips brushing my jaw. “Just one word, and I’ll walk away.”

But I didn’t. I couldn’t. My hands fisted in his shirt, pulling him closer even as every rational part of me screamed to push him back.

Instead, what slipped past my lips was a broken whisper. “Don’t stop. Please……..don’t stop”

His low, guttural sound of approval vibrated through me, and in the next heartbeat his mouth was on mine, hard, claiming, relentless. The kiss stole the air from my lungs, sent sparks coursing through every inch of me.

His tongue slid against mine, demanding, coaxing, and I gave in without thought, drowning in the way he tasted, dark and intoxicating.

His hand pressed higher, fingers brushing dangerously close to the very ache that had been tormenting me since I met him.

My legs trembled, a helpless whimper slipping from me as heat shot straight through my core.

“Draven…” I gasped against his mouth, and he caught the sound, swallowing it like a man starved.

Draven’s kiss deepened, his mouth moving over mine with a hunger that stripped me bare. His hand gripped my thigh, lifting it until it hooked around his waist, his body pressing flush against mine. The hard lines of him left no doubt of his arousal, and the friction sent a violent shudder tearing through me.

“Gods, Rain,” he groaned against my lips, “you have no idea how badly I want to taste every inch of you.”

My fingers tangled in his hair, desperate, tugging him closer even as shame warred with desire inside me. But my body didn’t care. My body only knew need.

His mouth trailed down my neck, hot and open, teeth scraping lightly over the place where his mark would someday sit. I gasped, hips rolling instinctively against him, seeking relief.

He hissed in approval, voice rough, ragged. “That’s it, little wolf. Show me what you need.”

His hand slid beneath the thin fabric of my dress, fingers brushing against my soaked center. I cried out softly, the sound muffled by his shoulder as I bit down, trying to contain the waves crashing through me.

“Fuck,” he growled, his lips dragging back to mine, kissing me hard as his fingers stroked once, twice, in maddeningly slow circles. “You’re dripping for me already. Sweet goddess, you’re perfect.”

The world blurred, all sound gone except the pounding of my pulse and his dark, hungry whispers.

“Draven… please…” I begged, not even sure what I was asking for, only knowing I needed more.

His thumb pressed harder, his fingers dipping just enough to make my legs tremble violently around him. Pleasure ripped through me in hot sparks, building fast, unstoppable.

I was so close, so impossibly close—

And then—

A throat cleared.

The sound snapped through the haze like a blade.

Draven froze, his lips still brushing mine, his hand still pressed intimately between my thighs, but his body went rigid.

“Amelia,” he said darkly, without turning.

I startled, pushing at his chest weakly as my face burned, shame and fury crashing through me in equal measure.

The Luna stood at the edge of the garden path, arms crossed, eyes cool.

“Enjoying your… tour?” she asked smoothly, though the faint curl of her lips betrayed her satisfaction at catching us.

Draven’s body was still taut with tension, his chest rising and falling against mine as if he was one second away from ignoring her entirely. But slowly, he pulled back, though his hand lingered at my waist longer than it should have.

Amelia’s smile was soft, practiced, the kind that made her look welcoming even when her eyes gleamed with something darker. “I must apologize,” she said, stepping further into the garden. “I didn’t mean to intrude.”

The way she said it, light and airy, told me she meant every word of the opposite.

My face burned. I tugged the hem of my dress down, desperate to hide the evidence of what had just nearly happened.

Draven didn’t bother hiding his scowl. “Amelia, I didn’t hear you coming”

Amelia tilted her head, feigning innocence. “And spoil the… moment?” Her gaze flicked briefly to me, lingering just long enough to make my stomach twist. “No, I wouldn’t dream of it.”

Her tone was sweet as honey, but her eyes were steel.

I swallowed hard, my pulse still racing from Draven’s touch, my body screaming in frustration while my mind scrambled to mask my embarrassment.

“I was simply wondering if your guest would prefer to rest before the feast tonight,” Amelia continued, her words directed at Draven but her focus fixed on me. “She must be so… overwhelmed. This place, this company, it can be a lot to take in.”

Something in the way she said this company made me shiver, though the smile on her face never faltered.

Draven’s jaw tightened. “She’ll be fine.”

“I’m sure she will,” Amelia replied smoothly, her gaze dropping pointedly to where Draven’s hand still hovered near my waist before finally pulling back. “But sometimes it’s the little courtesies that matter.”

The silence stretched, thick and uncomfortable, before Amelia gave a small, graceful nod, turning on her heel as if she hadn’t just caught us in the middle of something that could have burned the entire packhouse down.

“I’ll leave you to it,” she said lightly over her shoulder. “Don’t keep her out too long, Alpha. She’ll need her strength and will for tonight. You know how this wolves can be”

And with that, she vanished down the path, her perfume lingering like poison in the air.