Pendulum (Kingdom of Night Book 1)

by L. C. Davis

  It worked. I darted past him and stopped to turn around, grinning at my poor, bewildered wolf. He watched me in confusion as I stepped backwards down the slope of the hill the Lodge rested upon. I crooked my finger and gave him a playful look.

  He shook his head in bewilderment, but smiled as he jogged after me. He reached out and I dodged swiftly.

  “Hey, be careful. That's steep.”

  When he grabbed for me again, I turned and sprinted down the hill. My limbs were unbound by the fear of falling as I picked up speed. As the wind tore through my hair and splayed fingers, it felt like flying.

  “Remus, slow down!”

  He was barreling behind me. I knew his momentum would overtake me soon, so I threw myself down and rolled down the hill, laughing the whole way down. We were far enough know that I wouldn't die. Breaking something was another matter entirely.

  I came to to a stop at the bottom of the hill relatively unscathed. I had sustained a few scrapes from small rocks and twigs on the way down, and I was probably going to wake up to a few purple spots in the morning, but nothing too bad. My clothes were the worst for the wear. I knew I would never get the grass stains out of my jeans or my light blue sweatshirt.

  Soon enough, Sebastian was towering over me with a look of concern that seemed designed to drain my elation.

  “What the fuck were you thinking?” He knelt down beside me, examining my body for mortal wounds.

  I was panting too hard to answer him for a second. He took it as defiance.

  “You could have split your fucking head open. Again.” He reached out to touch the non-existent wound on my head.

  “I'm fine. That serum your Alpha gave me healed it.”

  “Serum?” He frowned. “What serum?”

  “I don't know, they wouldn't tell me,” I said, getting to my feet before Sebastian could stop me. I made a half-hearted attempt to brush the grass and dirt from my jeans. “Clara's been injecting it ever since you locked Victor up. Helps me not feel the side effects from Jeff screwing with my head.”

  “Why does Clara need to do it?” he asked, watching me like I was a dog off a leash.

  I shrugged. “Ulric said it has to go into the jugular.” I gave him a look. “No offense, but I don't want those hands sticking a two-inch needle into any major arteries.”

  He opened his mouth to say something, and it was the first time I'd ever seen him hesitate before he spoke. “Remus, what does this serum look like?” he asked, slowly and deliberately.

  “It's dark red, comes in a big creepy metal gun,” I said, making the universal “bang” gesture. “The first batch was kind of blah but the second batch,” I moaned, throwing my head back to bask in the ways that were now shining down on us unimpeded. “It smelled so good I wanted to eat it.”

  He stared at me like I'd grown a tail. “You could smell it?”

  “Well, yeah. Hard not to. It smelled like...” I paused to consider and wandered a bit closer to the woods. “Wine. Red wine. The good stuff, like your friend Jason gave me the night of the contest.”

  I decided that telling him what I'd found out about who entered me in the contest wasn't a good idea, but it almost slipped out of my mouth. It would only confirm his theory about Victor's regard for my consent, or lack thereof.

  Sebastian stomped after me like a faithful puppy.

  “We shouldn't go in here. Aren't you afraid of the woods now?”

  I looked back over my shoulder, giving him a look. “Why would I be scared of the woods when I've got the scariest thing in the forest with me?”

  I couldn't tell if he was hurt or just confused, but he finally sighed and followed me under the cover of the trees.

  “I still can't believe that stunt you pulled back there.”

  “Relax,” I said, grabbing his arm to lean on him. “Look at her up there,” I said, pointing through the trees. “In less than a week, she's gonna decide if I'm a goner or the worst fear I didn't even know I had. I think a little hill is the least of my problems.”

  “I'm not going to let you die.” He gave me a strange look. “Her? I guess you met Foster.”

  I shrugged. “The kid has some interesting ideas.”

  “Don't tell me you're turning into a true believer.”

  He took my hand as we wandered deeper into the trees. It was like I was being pulled by something.

  “Maybe,” I said, twirling away from him as far as our outstretched arms would allow without breaking our clasped hands. “You're not?”

  He shrugged and got a guarded look in his eyes. “I am, I guess. I'm not as into it as Foster. Everybody laughs in your face if you bring Her up around here.”

  “I wouldn't laugh,” I said sincerely, clutching his hand to my chest. He eyed me warily. “You don't strike me as the type to believe in anything you can't explain.”

  I dropped his hand and walked forward. There was a shaded area I wanted to explore. It looked promising.

  “Everything is something you can't explain until you can.”

  “Guess so. What are you looking for, exactly?”

  I paused to consider. “No idea,” I said finally. “But I'll know when I find it.”

  He shook his head again. “Did you get into the bar while I was at work or something?”

  I made a face at him. “You know I don't drink. Much.”

  He looked doubtful, but kept following me. “Any signs of what we're looking for but have no clue even exists.”

  “No, but you'll be the first one to know,” I said, picking at another blade of grass clinging to my shirt. I gave an exasperated sigh and peeled my shirt off, tossing it behind me. I stopped walking long enough to start unbuttoning my jeans.

  “Whoa, what are you doing?” He knelt to pick up my discarded shirt.

  “These are ruined,” I explained, shimmying out of my jeans until they made it past my hips and dropped to the ground. I stepped out of them and left my sandals, too. The feeling of the evening grass underneath my bare feet was sheer heaven.

  Why had I never done this before?

  “That might be true, but you still need them to wear back,” he stammered, gathering my shoes and pants as well. He was starting to look like a clothing rack.

  I laughed. “Put on some clothes, said the wolf.”

  He rolled his eyes. “I wasn't complaining. Just never pegged you for the type to go on a nature walk in your underwear. You sure you're not drunk?”

  “So sure it's heartbreaking. We should have thought to bring a bottle of something. That'd be so relaxing.”

  “Remus, we didn't know we were coming out here at all. You kind of just dove off a mountain, remember?”

  “No, I dove off a mountain,” I corrected him. “Mountains are steeper than hills.”

  “Right. You dove off a hill.”

  “Yeah, and wasn't it fun?”

  “I wouldn't call chasing you so you don't get hurt fun.”

  I grinned mischievously. “What about chasing me for fun?”

  “That's not a good idea,” he said with a wary look.

  He stepped towards me and I stepped back. “I have a proposition for you, Vargr en Herse.”

  He blinked. “Who told you I was called that?”

  “Victor. Was he lying?”

  He hesitated. “Not exactly. I'm up for the title, but so is he. Ulric hasn't made a decision yet. Guess it'll be easier now.”

  I sensed his mood growing sour again and knew I had to distract him. Kneeling down, I stripped off my last layer of clothing and cast it aside.

  “Now, about that proposition.”

  He couldn't help but stare. He was still Sebastian, after all. I rested a hand on my hip and let him look his fill. Distraction successful.

  “I'm not going to chase you, Remus,” he said once he picked his jaw up off the floor. “Not a good idea.”

  “Why?”

  “Because I'm a predator. We react to prey.”

  “I'm prey?”

  He looked
me up and down. “For now.”

  “Hm. Kinky.”

  “I'm serious, Remus. I wouldn't hurt you, but werewolves get... aggressive around full moons, this one especially. In all the ways.”

  Sounded promising. I held my hands up in surrender and walked backwards slowly. “Fine, no chasing. On one condition.

  He arched an eyebrow. “Condition?”

  “Mhm. I'll come back if you strip.”

  He rolled his eyes. “I'm serious.”

  “So am I.”

  He hesitated. I could tell he was thinking about it, before he changed his mind. “No. Now – ugh, I can't believe I'm saying this – get over here and put your clothes back on.”

  “Wrong answer,” I called, running deeper into the forest.

  I laughed as I heard him calling me, hot in pursuit. I knew he would catch me eventually, but there was something I had to find first. The forest was dark and desolate with only the sleepiest of creatures tucked away in its depths. There didn't seem to be much life willing to stay this close to the Lodge.

  I could imagine why.

  There it was. Up ahead there was a clearing underneath a canopy of oak trees that bowed towards the moon and let Her rays shine brightly through a breach in the leaves.

  I had barely noticed that the cursing and thunderous footsteps that had been following me up until that point had disappeared entirely. Maybe he had given up.

  “Sebastian?” I no sooner turned around to look than I saw him flying towards me with all the force and agility of his beast form. He tackled me to the ground and pinned me on the grass, somehow without hurting me.

  His teeth were bared and his perfect face distorted into a snarl as he looked down at me. I briefly wondered if I had gone too far, but the realization that it was desire, not anger in his eyes laid that fear to rest.

  “Found it.” I smiled, enjoying the feeling of the vice grip he had around my wrists. His hands were even more inescapable than Victor's restraints.

  “I warned you,” he growled. As he lowered himself onto me, I could feel that his primal side wasn't the only thing that had been aroused.

  “Maybe I like it rough.”

  He groaned. “You have no idea what you're doing. It's hard enough not to react to you when you're fully clothed.”

  I arched into him invitingly. “So stop trying so hard.”

  He needed no further invitation. With a monstrous growl that made me shiver, his teeth claimed his neck. I gasped at the unexpected bite and felt sure he was going to break skin, but he didn't. Instead, his tongue bathed the aching flesh in consolation.

  I moaned as he worked his way down to my chest, leaving bite marks the entire way down. The way he used the tip of his tongue to tease the rosy buds of flesh on my chest into tender agony was enough to make me squirm in anticipation of what it would do when he made his way lower.

  As luck would have it, my loyal guardian's patience was worn thin that night and I didn't have to wonder for long. I could tell he was punishing me as he lingered on the smooth area above my groin. Whenever I groaned in complaint, he gave a mocking laugh.

  My fingers alternated between stroking his hair in an effort to encourage him and scratching him out of frustration. Neither seemed to have much of an affect.

  Once I wasn't sure I couldn't handle anymore, he took me into his mouth and all was forgotten. He grabbed me at the base and his tongue explored every inch of my shaft. He paid particular attention to the shaft once he realized that made me writhe the most.

  “Sebastian,” I gasped. “I don't know if-”

  He looked up long enough to snarl at me. “I'll decide when you've had enough.”

  I shuddered as he took me in his mouth again. The pause had been just long enough to reignite the spark of first touch without losing momentum. I tried desperately not to come as he tortured me with exquisite precision. He forced me to the brink and pulled me back so many times I lost count.

  By the time he released me, I was sobbing with a mixture of frustration and bliss. My arms fell to my sides and I struggled to catch my breath as I stared up to the moon. My chest seemed to rise and fall to the oscillation of her glow in my hazy eyes. Sebastian was a blurry spectacle beside me, until he took off his shirt. Then he came into crystal clear focus.

  I sat up to get a better look and he pushed me down. He was already struggling with his belt.

  When I sat up again and reached for the buckle, he didn't try to stop me. I made quick work of the buckle considering my trembling hands and unzipped his snug jeans. A huge bulge was visible underneath his gray shorts and I wasted no time freeing it.

  He was every bit as huge as I'd imagined. If anything, I had severely underestimated his girth. Even in my current state, doubt began to set in as to whether I could handle him or not. It had been a long time since I'd been with a man and certainly never one of his stature – not in any way.

  Sebastian gave the doubt no time to set in. He pushed me back onto the grass and roughly pushed my legs open. I thought he was going to ram into me then and there, but I was grateful and relieved when his finger pressed against my tight entrance instead.

  My relief didn't last long. He thrust his finger inside of me without even waiting for me to relax. I cried sharply at the sudden invasion, but another part of me desperately welcomed penetration of any kind. He had only just brushed my spot when he slid another finger inside of me. The second one went in easier, but my body was aware enough to resist without bidding.

  I whimpered as my aching muscles clenched around him. He was enough himself to nuzzle me, but it was little consolation. Especially when I thought of the much greater invasion to come.

  “Easy,” he whispered gruffly in my ear. “Push against me.”

  I followed his instructions and it helped, but only a little. He started to wriggle his fingers inside of me and the burning pain eased somewhat, making room for a bit of pleasure. At least, until he started thrusting.

  His fingers were huge and rough no matter how gentle I could tell he was trying to be. When a third began prodding for entrance, I cried out in protest, but it was too late.

  “I'm sorry.” His words were more of a growl than a statement. “You're tight as hell. It's the only way you'll be able to take me without getting hurt.”

  I shuddered hard as all three fingers moved inside me. It seemed that whenever I was about to give into the pain and plead for him to stop, he changed what he was doing and pleasure took over. I wasn't clear headed enough to think that it might be anything but a coincidence.

  When he pulled his fingers out, my relief was short lived. I knew what was coming and, as much as I wanted it, I was scared. The fear was becoming part of the thrill, as much as I normally would have hated to admit it.

  I barely had a chance to catch my breath before Sebastian rolled me over and propped my knees underneath me. He tossed his discarded shirt in front of me and pushed my head down onto it. I knew it was all the comfort I was going to get.

  I felt him position himself behind me and realized his precum was the only lubrication I was going to get. I braced myself as he pressed against my entrance, hard and hot. A low rumble began in his throat and built as he put more pressure on my tight hole. My entrance screamed in protest as he broke through the first barrier of clenched muscle and the rumble turned into a triumphant growl.

  I cried out in pain and dug my nails into the earth.

  He gave the nape of my neck an apologetic nip and reminded me that the worst was over. His words were little comfort, but the feeling of his solid body against mine as he settled on top of me helped ease the pain.

  His nails dug into my flesh as he gripped my hips to keep me still as he began to thrust. With each one came a fresh wave of agony, but the pain started to grow less over time. In its place came a strange, almost foreign sensation.

  He wasn't just hitting the pleasurable spot inside of me, he was grinding against it with his considerable girth. I was filled completely,
and what had started out as pain turned into pleasure I had never even imagined. My soft whimpers turned to moans and my nails were digging at the earth for a completely different reason.

  His thrusts had fallen into a steady rhythm outpaced only by my thundering heart. He showed no signs of stopping anytime soon, which was fine with me.

  “Oh, Sebastian, that feels...” My words dissolved into moans as he found an entirely new angle to hit my spot from.

  He was panting aggressively in my ear, but he managed an acknowledging grunt. He reached underneath me and warmth surged between my legs when he took me in his hand without missing a single thrust.

  The dual stimulation was enough to send me over the edge, but I held off. Partly of my own volition and partly because Sebastian would stop whenever I got to close. It was a strategy both maddening and effective.

  “H-harder,” I begged. I could tell he was being gentle, even in his primal state, and it was driving me mad. I wanted him to take me as hard and fast as possible. “Please.”

  “Are you sure?” He struggled to speak between ragged breaths.

  I was at a loss to form any. A desperate whine not unlike a wolf's was all the reply I could muster.

  It did the job. His thrusts became faster, more deliberate. So did the way he stroked my length. I was average in that regard, but he seemed to enjoy the fact that we weren't fighting in the same weight class.

  As pleasurable as his thrusts were, it became clear that he was capable of going on indefinitely. “Please, Sebastian,” I gasped. “I-I don't think I can hold off.”

  He nuzzled me and his grip on my member grew tighter. As if waiting for permission, all it took was a few more strokes for my orgasm to surface. My blissful cry echoed through the trees farther than I would have liked, but I was too spent to care much. Little aftershocks of pleasure were coursing through my body, aided by Sebastian's every thrust.

  Before long he joined me in bliss with a triumphant snarl. His warmth filled me even more than I thought possible, eliciting another gasp.

  He collapsed on top of me unceremoniously and wrapped his bear-like arms around me tightly. With a satisfied grumble he held me close and muttered, “I love your.”