9. Little Fox

RIVEN'S POV

I stopped, thanking the goddess that Valoric came in time to interrupt what I was about to do.

I had been filled with the desire to satiate her need, her pleading tipped me over the edge when I had tried my best to restrain my own desires. The way she'd begged, the way her body had responded to mine - it had nearly broken every wall I'd built around my control.

It wouldn't be wise to do this here and right now. My wolf wanted to ignore and continue…wanted to claim her completely, mark her as mine in every way possible, but I knew better. The ceremony was still happening, people could come looking, and she deserved better than a rushed claiming in a guest room.

I gently took her off me, and headed to the door across the dimly lit room. I noticed she had started to regain herself but it took longer than the others. Usually after I stop feeding they go back to normal, but with her it wasn't so and it was a lot more intense.

"Took you long enough," I heard Valoric say as I unlocked the heavy door.

He came in with a girl from the ceremony, but noting I looked better, he raised a brow and said, "Here I thought you were dying but I see you've been busy."

As I was about to reply the girl he brought curtsied. She looked naive, "My Prince I heard you needed some help relaxing before the big ceremony and I came here to ease that."

I was about to send her out when I felt a death glare being burned behind me.

I couldn't help but smirk, my mate was feisty.

"Thank you but I've gotten what I need," I say watching how disappointment shone in her eyes.

As she turned to leave, I willed her to stay then I bound her to my will, using compulsion a gift-like curse from my shadow side, "Go now and forget you ever came here."

She leaves quietly and Valoric stood before me giving me a stare as if to say.

Handle her too.

But I couldn't…more like I didn't want to.

"What are you waiting for, compel her to forget so she can leave," he mind linked me.

The thought of wiping her memory, of erasing what had just happened between us, made something violent twist in my chest. I didn't want her to forget. I wanted her to remember every second, every touch, every moment she'd looked at me like I wasn't a monster.

"I can't," I said back in his head.

"What do you mean you can't, I just saw you do it." He said unconvinced.

Before I could give a reply I heard her say from behind us near the bed.

"Are you both plotting to kill me because I discovered the Lycan Prince's secret?"

She stood up looking more firm than the person who had been writhing under me not too long ago, her dress slightly wrinkled but her posture defiant.

"We're not going to kill you, just make sure you don't remember any of this encounter," Valoric replied gruffly.

"I'm not going to do that, I just need to make sure you won't say anything to anyone after you leave this room," I said trying to be diplomatic.

"Wait what, she's not to be trusted, what if she slips and tells someone in the pack?" Valoric argues.

"He's right you know, you can't just trust me." She said, her eyes looked calculating.

And I felt a twinge of disappointment, but I quickly brushed it off as I growled lowly, "You really want to reveal this? Use it to your gain?"

"No…yes," she said slowly.

"Which is it?"

"Forget wiping her brain, I'll kill her right here," Valoric said taking a step before I stopped him and he saw I wasn't going to allow that.

"Listen to my explanation first before you decide to kill me." She said watching our reaction carefully but I could tell she was bring extremely cautious. She knew what she was doing was a big risk but gambling on our private interaction.

That was one hell of a gamble and that immediately told me what I needed to know about her. The decision I've made already, she doesn't know it yet, but it would be better this way.

"I want to use you that much I admit but not by running to tell anyone from the pack about what just happened," I see her face heat knowing she must have recalled her reaction to me.

"I didn't plan on being here, I was kidnapped against my will, a sick and twisted thing that must have been done by either Gretchen or Caden or even both as they both love tormenting me," she said and I felt the urge to hunt them down and show them what true torment looked like. But soon I had a feeling they would learn soon, they are about to get the shock of their lives tonight. I questioned the boy to see if he could be exempted but he needs to go because that's the only way he would learn.

"I had planned on leaving the pack tonight and I fear I have been discovered, but I really can't leave here. But if Prince Riven can order me back with him even as a slave then I'd be able to escape and you'd have me with you knowing I wouldn't speak a word of it," she said finally.

Valoric looked angry, impressed and surprised at the same time.

She was smart and cunning as hell and my wolf purred in pride but I knew there's an extra plan. As a strategist myself, I could tell there's something else she wasn't saying. She was playing this perfectly - giving us just enough honesty to seem trustworthy while holding back her real motivations.

The way she'd shifted from the desperate, needy woman under my touch to this calculating negotiator was fascinating. It told me she had layers I'd barely begun to discover. And I was about to make the right choice for her, she has been running all her life but she could be so much more.

But she need to understand one thing, if she wants to plan to use someone then she should always make sure she they do not know her well enough to see through her faux claims.

So I took a step towards her across the ornate carpet, and saw her stop breathing, "Tell me Little Fox, how would you accept being a slave when you just tried your best to escape it? It's like a caged bird agreeing to change cages after it had a taste of what freedom would look like. Be honest, what exactly do you want, I can tolerate everything else but do not lie to me."