Chapter Fourteen
It felt like hours since Melinda had helped her undress and get into bed. Elise was staring up at the ceiling trying to sleep, but her mind wouldn’t quiet down.
Also, that damned clock in the corner ticked so loudly, it might as well have been stuck to her eardrum, each tick reminding her of the coming day, of what was to come.
Tick.
Tick.
Tick.
Tick.
With a frustrated cry, she threw the covers off and ran to the mantle, reaching for the tiny pendulum in the back to make it stop. She wept with relief at the silence, but as the tears fell down her cheeks, she crumpled to the floor as the hopelessness of her situation washed over her.
If only there was a way to save him without changing the past.
If only she could stop time itself.
If only …
Steely determination swept through her, and she got to her feet. Wiping her cheeks with the back of her hand, she headed for the door, opening it slowly in case anyone was around or awake.
She padded down the hallway, out of the guest wing, and headed for the main wing. Although Hunter House was large, it wasn’t as gigantic as Huntington Park, and thus it was easy to guess which area the rest of the family was staying since the servants had already retired downstairs. Using her Lycan hearing, she tuned in to the sounds of people. The first room she passed by must have been William’s, as she could hear the even sounds of his small heartbeat and breathing. The room next to his was his parents’, and it was obvious Eleanor and Jeremy were still awake, talking softly. Then there was the room across from theirs, and she heard the sounds of pages turning, and she recalled the dowager duchess saying that she read in bed every night to help her sleep.
Heart banging in her chest like a drum, she soldiered on passing a few more rooms, all empty, until she came to the last door in the main hallway. Touching her palm to the wood, she closed her eyes, her hearing tuning in to the strong heartbeat inside. Her hand slid down to the knob and pushed it open.
The room wasn’t dark, as the fireplace provided both heat and light. She had expected Reed to be in bed, so she was surprised to find he was by the fireplace. Wearing only his dressing robe, he leaned one elbow on the mantle as he held a glass of wine in the other. The light cast shadows on the angular lines of his face making them look harsher than usual. Yet, she could see past the ruthless, cold surface and just see Reed.
In a split second, his head snapped toward her. Those midnight eyes glittered when they landed on her, and shock registered on his face.
“Elise?”
She closed the door behind her and walked toward him. He seemed frozen, his face still.
“What are you doing here? You can’t—”
She held up a hand to silence him, then took the glass from his hand and placed it on the mantle. Her mind whirled, trying to find the words. Wanting to tell him how sorry she was for trying to push him away and that she understood why he acted the way he did. And that she loved him, and if they only had tonight, then she would rather have that than have nothing at all.
Tick.
Tick.
Tick.
Tick.
Without saying a word, she stopped his clock too, then took a step closer until she was a hair’s breadth away from him. Heat from his body radiated toward her, and she reached up and placed a hand on his firm jaw.
“Elise,” he rasped as he snaked a hand around her waist and pulled her to him, his lips pressing firmly against hers in a move that was more caress than kiss. His scent threatened to overwhelm her, and he held her tighter.
She trembled in his arms, her body thrumming with a desire she had never felt before him or ever. That she would give her body for the first time to the man she loved seemed fitting, and if he were the only man she ever knew, that was fine.
Her feet lifted off the ground, and she realized he was carrying her to his bed. He lay her down gently on top of the covers, then positioned himself at her feet. Reaching for the hem of her nightgown, he lifted it up and over her head. Onyx eyes blazed his desire as his gaze feasted on her naked body.
He growled and then swooped down again to take her lips, his mouth devouring hers. He tasted like sweet wine and she found herself getting drunk and heady from his kisses.
A hand cupped her breast teasing the nipple to hardness. A gasp left her lips when he pulled away and lowered his head to tease her other breast, leaving kisses around the soft flesh before sucking the nipple deep into his warm, wet mouth.
“Reed!” She cried out as pleasure unfurled from her belly spreading out like licking flames all over her body. A small cry left her lips when he pushed her body up, and his breath tickled the soft mound of curls between her legs. When his mouth pressed up against her core, she bucked up against him. Large hands held her hips down, and he used his shoulder to nudge her thighs apart baring even more of her to his feasting tongue. When his mouth found her clit, she moaned aloud, moving her hips up at him eagerly. That only made him suck on her nub harder, and when he slipped one finger inside her, she thought she was going to expire from the sensations of pure pleasure.
She fisted her fingers in his thick hair, but he didn’t mind or notice. He was relentless, licking and sucking at her with his tongue while his finger teased her tight passage. The pressure building inside her was too much, and she exploded in an orgasm, her body shaking as tremors of pleasure passed through her.
As she recovered, he got on his knees and reached for the belt of his robe. Pulling at the knot, he shrugged the garment off his shoulders. This time, she was the one feasting on him. Her eyes devoured his broad, muscled shoulders, the well-formed chest and the soft mat of hair sprinkling it leading to a delicious trail down his abs and lower still to his fully-erect cock. Though the low light of the room kept most of him in shadows, her own desire and want made her boldly reach out for him. He didn’t move but allowed her to wrap her fingers around his shaft. She held her breath, feeling his warm, male hardness. Like steel covered in velvet.
“Elise,” he whispered as he gently took her hand away. He moved between her legs, spreading them apart until his hips were at level with hers. “I’m sorry.” He kissed her forehead, then her cheeks, then claimed her mouth again. “I have to hurt you.”
His words were like a knife, gutting her. “You can’t hurt me. Please, Reed. I need you.”
She braced herself as he nudged the tip of his cock against her entrance. His face was twisted in concentration as he filled her, inch by inch. When he stopped, she knew it was going to happen. Arms went around her, and she clung to him, desperate and wanting him. He pushed his hips forward one more time until she felt pain. It was brief, but as her mouth cried out, he smothered it with his, desperately kissing her pain away. Her body relaxed as the throbbing subsided.
He pulled away from her and stared down into her eyes. “You’re beautiful.” He kissed her gently now, reverently caressing her mouth with his. Her power hummed inside her, but instead of unleashing a torrent of uncontrolled electricity, it stayed contained. There was no more fear inside her. She didn’t even question it, why her power remained stable around him. She only knew it to be the truth.
“Reed, please.” She arched her hips up at him, wanting him so bad.
He grunted, then braced himself on an elbow. A hand moved down, cupping the back of her knee as he pulled her up. The motion buried him deeper in her, and she gasped at the sensation, her leg wrapping around him automatically.
Lips crushed against hers as he began to move. Short, shallow strokes, allowing her body to adjust to him. He slipped his arm around her and pulled her so tightly to him she couldn’t breathe. He drove into her, his movements now hard and fast, driving himself to the hilt each time. Her body seemed to have a mind of its own, arching into him, seeking his body as she enjoyed the feel of him inside her, on top of her. His chest pressing against her so she could hear his hammering heart and his powerfu
l thighs driving his hips into her. Pleasure built inside her in a frenzy sending streaks of ecstasy through her like lightning.
Reed’s body moved erratically, his back spasming and shuddering as she clasped around him. With one last thrust, he drove into her, jerking violently as he cried out in pleasure. She felt him pulse inside her, filling her with his warm, hot seed as her body clamored for more.
When he finally slowed, she let out a satisfied sigh. He rolled to his side, taking her with him so she lay tucked against his side. An arm came over her possessively, and she felt his lips press a kiss to her temple. She relaxed against him, forgetting everything that was beyond this bed and room. This was what she wanted. This was the only thing she could have, really, and so she would keep this moment and treasure it forever.
Chapter Fifteen
The knock at the door came at around dawn. Reed was so in tune with his body’s inner clock that he knew the sun was just rising as he opened his eyes. The scent of citrus and strawberries hit his nose and he came instantly awake.
A warm, soft body pressed against his, and he knew last night hadn’t been a dream or hallucination. Elise did come to his room, and they spent the night together. After the first time, he woke her up twice more to make love to her, giving her endless pleasure until she begged him to stop. A smile made his lips curl up. She was magnificent, even in her innocence. So eager to please him, and he had never wanted anything more in his life than to watch her body burn with desire and explode into orgasm.
As the knocking became more insistent, his smile turned into a frown. What the devil could that be about?
He moved swiftly so as not to disturb Elise—she looked so beautiful as she slept that he could watch her for hours. Grabbing his dressing robe, he yanked it on and headed for the door. “What the bloody hell is it?”
Neville stood on the other side, already impeccably dressed. “Your Grace, I’m sorry to disturb your sleep, but the Alpha of Caelkirk is here.”
Hell’s bells.
He raked his hand through his hair. “I’ll be down in five minutes. Please show Lord MacDonald to my office.”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
Closing the door gently, he let out another curse. His gaze strayed to Elise’s sleeping form. He was loath to leave her now, but he didn’t want to wake her up either. I’ll just go down and greet Uncle Alec, he told himself. He’ll probably be exhausted himself, as he and his men traveled for five days straight to get here. Then he could come back here and maybe wake up Elise with another round of lovemaking.
Not wanting to call his valet, he dressed himself in a shirt, breeches, and boots. Uncle Alec was family, after all, and Scots didn’t care much for formalities. He made his way to his office, whistling some long-forgotten tune.
“Reed, my boy,” Alec MacDonald, Earl of Caelkirk and Alpha of his clan greeted as he entered the office. He was just as big and tall as Reed remembered, though the shock of red hair and most of his beard had turned silver. Strong arms wrapped around him and brought him in for a hug.
“Uncle Alec,” he greeted back. “Thank you for coming on such short notice.”
“Ach, no need for thanks, boy,” he said, slapping him on the back. “We’re family, and when family needs ye, ye come.” He motioned to the others around him. “I have my best men with me. Plus I’ve also picked up some help along the way.” He nodded to the tallest and burliest of them all—a great mountain of a man with long, dark reddish hair, a thick beard and bright green eyes. “This here’s Connor MacDougal. Second son to the Alpha of Glenmore.”
“’Tis an honor to meet you, Alpha.” Connor MacDougal bowed his head reverently. “Thank you for allowing me into your territory.”
“I’ve been meaning tae meet with his father for the last few years now,” Alec began. “But he’s just so far away from us. So, I thought I would pay my respects as we had tae pass through his territory anyway bein’ that it was the fastest way. When I explained tae Laird MacDougal why I was comin’ through, he insisted sending a few more of his Lycans to help.”
“Thank you for coming to our aid,” Reed said to Connor. “I’m sorry to trouble you.”
The other man grinned. “No trouble at all.” His brogue was even thicker than Alec’s. “We’ve been looking for an excuse tae kick some Sassenach arse—er, warlock arse.”
“Well, there’s only one we know of,” Reed said. “And he’s not a warlock. He’s a mage.” He quickly explained the difference to his new guests. Seeing as Elise was quite passionate that the two be differentiated, he wanted to make sure they knew. Speaking of Elise … “Uncle, you look exhausted. You should get some food and then rest.”
“I’ve got the strength of a man twenty years younger than me, boy,” he protested.
“Still, you’ve been riding hard for five days,” Reed said. “And we’ll need you at full strength tonight.”
“I suppose yer right, boy,” he conceded. “A warm bed would do me good. It would do all of us good.” There was a murmur of agreement among all the other men. “All right boy, we’ll get rested up for tonight.”
Reed called in Neville and instructed him to get their guests settled in. He spoke for another few minutes with Uncle Alec before he finally bid them goodbye. Eager to get back to his room, he practically sprinted back upstairs.
“Elise?” He called as he approached his bed. But it was empty. Had it not been for her lingering scent mixed in with the smell of sex, he would have thought he’d dreamt it all. A foreboding thought entered his head, but he brushed it aside. It was already eight o’clock and the servants were up and about and soon so would his grandmother and sister. She probably woke up and realized that she had to get back to her own room before anyone found her.
It was unnerving to say the least that she would creep out of his bed. But it didn’t matter. As soon as this whole mage affair was done, he would offer for her hand in marriage. He would need a special license which he could easily procure as he would not wait a second longer than he had to. Cross might object, but he was not waiting another three months or so to obtain her father’s permission. Not if she could be carrying his heir.
Not if, he realized. She was already carrying his pup. Elise was his True Mate.
The thought elated his wolf, and, hell’s bells, he was damned happy too.
“Er, Your Grace?”
He turned his head toward the door where Morgan was standing, his mouth open. “Good morning, Morgan,” he greeted.
“Uh, good morning, Your Grace. Are you, er, quite all right?”
“Hmm?” he said absentmindedly. “I’m fine, what is it?”
“Er, I thought maybe there was someone else in here … the maid or something, as I heard whistling.”
“Whistling?” He chuckled. “Yes, that was me. I just had an … urge to whistle.”
The valet stared at him as if he said he wanted to go on a murder spree across London. “Er, so would you like the navy or the tan jacket today, sir?”
He shrugged. “Whatever you pick is fine.” His mind drifted off to Elise as his valet went about his business. Once he was dressed and ready, he thanked Morgan and headed downstairs to breakfast. He wondered how Elise would react to him this morning. He had an urge to sneak into her room, but seeing as her guardian and her cousin was in the same wing, he couldn’t risk it. Not that it would matter, seeing as they would be married soon enough. Still, he didn’t want to risk any scandal to the future duchess of Huntington.
When he came to the dining room, he was disappointed that only Jeremy, William, Cross, and Signori Rossi were there. “Where is El—I mean, the ladies?”
“Grandmama whisked them away to Madame Marie’s,” Jeremy explained. “She said that they had to have new gowns fitted for tonight, and”—he lowered his voice—“she mentioned something about not being too fond of our new guests.”
He let out a laugh. Grandmama and Uncle Alec got along like oil and water. No wonder his grandmother chose to leave
for the morning.
“Er, are you all right, Hunter?” Jeremy asked.
“Me?” As he came up to the head of the table, he ruffled William’s hair affectionately. “I’m fine. Why?”
“I’ve never seen you this cheerful early in the morning,” Jeremy remarked. “Or, uh, anytime.”
“I’m just … having a good start,” he said as he sat down. He even managed a smile at Cross and Signori Rossi. “How is your painting going, Signori?”
“Eccelente, Your Grace, it is almost finished,” the Italian declared. “I do hope Her Grace likes it enough that she will allow me to do your portrait.”
“I’m sure it will be amazing.”
Jeremy looked at him strangely again, but he ignored it. They resumed their normal conversation, and as soon as breakfast finished, he, Jeremy, and Cross went to his office to continue their planning for the evening. Sometime before noon, their Scottish guests joined them so they could be updated on their strategy.
“We want the mage to think that he has a chance to hurt Reed,” Jeremy said. “Otherwise, if he thinks we are too protected, he might not take the risk.”
“That’s why, except for Uncle Alec and one or two of his men, we’ll be asking most of you to stay hidden around the house,” Reed continued. “Once the mage reveals himself, then we can contain him. The males will attack, while the females have been instructed to get the humans and other vulnerable people out of the room and keep them safe.”
“What powers does he have?” Alec asked.
“As far as we know, he can create fire with his hands,” Cross said. “There are mages who have the ability to take the power of other blessed witches and warlocks, so we must be prepared for any eventuality.”
They continued their discussion, with Connor adding a few smart suggestions that they incorporated into their strategy. It was two o’clock when they finished, and they left for the dining room where Neville had set up a late lunch. As they went past the main foyer, he saw Julianna and Elise walking up the stairs. His heart stopped when he saw her in profile looking magnificent in a violet morning gown. He urged the others to go ahead without him as he headed toward the stairs. Much to his surprise, both women were gone. Strange. It didn’t take him more than a few seconds.
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