CHAPTER FOUR - A Dangerous Awakening

LIORA'S POV

"Be more careful," he said instead, and his voice was gruff. "The crowds can be dangerous."

I could only nod, as his eyes raked over me one last time, slower now  as if committing me to memory. 

Then he turned his horse and drove away, disappearing into the throng of celebrating pack members.

I stood there, rooted to the spot, my whole body thrumming with an energy I didn't understand. 

My skin felt too hot and between my legs, an ache had settled that made me want to press my thighs together and never let go.

"Liora!" One of the other maids appeared at my elbow, her eyes wide. "Was that… did the alpha just…"

"I need to get back to work," I managed to say, my voice shaky.

She stared at me like I had grown a second head, but I was already moving, forcing my trembling legs to carry me back toward the kitchens. 

I retrieved another tray and started serving the crowd, but I wasn't really there. My mind was miles away, replaying every second of that encounter.

The rest of the day passed in a blur. I worked and smiled when appropriate, responding when spoken to, but inside I was chaos. 

Every time I caught a glimpse of him across the courtyard, that pull intensified, twisting into something almost painful.

This wasn't new. I had felt drawn to him before, years ago when I was younger, but this was much more heated in a way I couldn't ignore. 

By the time we were loaded back onto the carts to return to Lord Cassius's estate, exhaustion had settled into my bones. 

But it was the kind of exhaustion that wouldn't lead to sleep. I knew that instinctively.

Back in the lower chambers, I lay on my narrow bed and stared at the ceiling, and listened to the soft snores of the other maids. 

Sleep refused to come because every time I closed my eyes, I saw him and felt the weight of his hands at my waist. 

Deep inside me, my wolf stirred and it was uncomfortable in a way that I didn't understand.

I shifted, my thighs pressing together, but the friction only worsened the building pressure. 

My nipples tightened against the thin fabric of my nightshirt and I couldn't ignore it anymore. I looked around, confirming that everyone was asleep.

When I was certain, my hand drifted down, slipping under the hem, and my fingers brushed the soft curls at the top of my center.

I was already wet, slickness coating my folds as I parted them, tracing the swollen lips of my pussy.

A soft gasp escaped me as I circled my clit, the sensitive nub pulsing under my touch. Images of him flooded my thoughts and I imagined his strong hands gripping my arms, his body pinning me down, and demanding my surrender. 

My wolf growled in approval, the sound vibrating through me, heightening every sensation. 

I dipped two fingers inside myself, feeling my walls clench around them, hot and needy. I pumped them slowly at first, mimicking the thrust I imagined from him, my thumb pressing firm circles over my clit.

My free hand pushed up my shirt, cupping one breast, pinching the hard nipple until I arched off the bed with a whimper.

I moved faster now, my fingers plunged deeper, curling to stroke that spot inside that made stars burst behind my eyelids. Sweat beaded on my skin, my hips bucking up to meet my hand, the wet sounds of my arousal filling the room that was now filled with snores.

I could see him there in my mind, his voice rough as he commanded me to come for him, his cock hard and ready to claim what was his.

The tension coiled tighter, my wolf's energy surging like a storm, pushing me toward the edge.

“Alpha.” I moaned, the name slipping from my lips unbidden. 

My body tensed, thighs quivering as the orgasm crashed over me, waves of pleasure ripping through my core. My pussy spasmed around my fingers, juices soaking my hand as I whimpered his name again, biting my lips to contain the sound.

I collapsed back, my chest heaving and aftershocks trembling through me. My wolf settled, sated for now, but the ache lingered.

I pressed my hands to my chest, feeling my heart race beneath my palms. This was dangerous, foolish even. 

He was the alpha, and so far above my station that even thinking of him this way was laughable.

But I couldn't stop.

******

I woke up the next morning with barely two hours of sleep behind me, and my mind was still tangled in dreams of ice blue eyes. 

The other maids were already stirring around me, but I lay there for a moment longer, trying to hold onto the phantom warmth of strong arms and the memory of a voice that had rumbled through my chest like thunder.

Reality crashed back down when Anna appeared in the doorway.

"Liora," she called out. “You're needed upstairs. Now."

I scrambled out of bed, my heart already beginning to race. Something in her tone set my nerves on edge. 

I dressed quickly and followed her up the stairs, my feet heavy with dread.

"You'll be serving Lord Cassius directly this morning," Anna announced as we reached the main floor. "His breakfast in his private study."

I stopped dead in my tracks. "What? Anna, I've never done that and you know I'm not permitted to.”

She turned to face me, and she raised a brow. “You are now. The master specifically requested someone... trustworthy and I told Lady Becca you would be perfect for the task." 

Her eyes glittered with something dark and knowing. "Unless, of course, you'd prefer I share what I saw the other night? About your little midnight rendezvous?"

The threat hung in the air between us and my mouth went dry. "No, please. I'm sorry.”

"Then you'll have no problem serving the master, will you?" She thrust a tray into my hands, already prepared with breakfast and a pot of tea. "Don't keep him waiting. You know how he hates tardiness."

I wanted to refuse. Every instinct I had screamed that something was wrong, but Anna had me cornered, and we both knew it. 

One word from her about seeing me return after midnight, regardless of the truth, and I would be cast out at best, publicly punished at worst.

So I took the tray, my hands trembling, and made my way to Lord Cassius's private study.