Etienne clenched his hands into fists, breathing deeply through his nose before responding. “If you had any idea what it means to love, you would know that’s impossible.”
“Don’t you dare tell me I don’t know what it means to love!”
Like a stick of dynamite exploding in the side of a mountain, Arabelle’s calm façade crumbled. She fixed Etienne with a glare that should have set him ablaze where he sat.
Etienne pushed harder. “What do you know of love? If you had any idea what true love was, you wouldn’t be sitting here with me, on your way to be married.”
There. He saw it, as clear as the sun on a cloudless day. The flicker in Arabelle’s eyes when he said “married.” He’d seen that look before in the eyes of women who’d married for position or power instead of love. A flash of a love that might have been.
“It is not my name you want to see next to yours on a marriage certificate, is it?” he asked quietly. He forced the tension from his shoulders, trying to make himself as unimposing as possible.
For a moment, he thought she’d spit at him, or just turn away. Instead, her throat worked as she swallowed.
“No,” she whispered. “It is not your name I want for myself.”
“Why are you not sitting in a carriage with him, then?”
Arabelle looked away. “My mother chose you to be my husband. However temporarily,” she added, though somewhat half-heartedly.
Etienne remembered the startled look on Arabelle’s face during her mother’s announcement of her plan. “Surely if you would just tell her that you love another, she would have sent your sister?”
Arabelle laughed, a harsh, humorless sound that spoke volumes. “I did tell her and that is precisely why she chose me to marry you. Mother believes she is killing two birds with one stone.”
Etienne fought the urge to crow. He’d found gold. Arabelle was in love with another man and she was angry with her mother for disapproving of it. “Then your mother does not approve of this young man,” he clarified, trying to twist the knife a little deeper.
She shook her head.
“Surely her opinion does not matter more than yours?”
“Apparently it does.”
Etienne smiled, certain he’d found the key to his freedom. “Well, fortunately for us both, it does not matter more than mine,” he said briskly.
Arabelle turned to look at him, a frown pulling down the corners of her mouth. “I’m sorry?”
Etienne stood and turned to the seat he’d been sitting on. He raised the cushion to reveal a compartment underneath. After picking through several envelopes, he pulled one out, along with a pen.
“What is that?” Arabelle demanded.
“A marriage contract.”
Her jaw dropped. “You carry them with you?”
Etienne gave her a sheepish look. “You will find that most young men of noble rank carry them. A ready marriage contract has saved the name of more than one family in the history of this kingdom.”
“Why didn’t you tell us that earlier?” she demanded. “We wouldn’t have had to travel to the palace tonight at all!”
Etienne stared at her, raising an eyebrow. “And I would wish to make things easier on my blackmailers because…?”
Arabelle had the good grace to blush. “Point taken.” She frowned again. “Well, what are you doing now then?”
Etienne sat down and pulled the contract out of the envelope. “Your full name please?”
Arabelle raised her eyebrows. “Arabelle Lynn Tessier.”
He filled in her name. Then he signed his name at the bottom, leaving the space for “husband” empty. He held up the contract.
“Arabelle, you are now in possession of a marriage contract signed by the prince. All you have to do is have your young man sign his name in this spot,” he gestured, “and have a witness sign their name beside mine at the bottom.” He offered her a rueful smile. “Not that I think you would ever force a man to marry you, but having a witness is traditional.”
Arabelle stared at him, apparently too shocked to appreciate his attempt at humor. “I don’t understand.”
Etienne paused. This was it, the moment that had to count. Loupe was waiting for him, frightened and hurt back at her stepmother’s home. If he couldn’t convince his captor to let him go, then he would only get farther and farther away from Loupe. He sighed, deciding to be completely forthright.
“Arabelle, we are both in love with someone else. Now, we both have the means to marry our loves instead of going along with your mother’s cruel plan. It is time for you to decide what you want your future to look like—and who you want in it.”
Arabelle’s mouth opened and closed several times. She stared down at the contract and then up at him. After what felt like an eternity, she took the paper.
“Done,” she whispered.
Etienne gave her a sincere, brilliant smile. He leaned out the window of the carriage. “Maurice, stop here!”
Maurice obligingly pulled off the road, close to the trees. Etienne smiled at Arabelle and held out a hand to help her from the coach. Lifting her chin, Arabelle fisted her skirts and descended without his aid.
“You can dispense with the smile, Your Highness. There is no sense pretending we are friends. I got what I wanted and you got what you wanted. Let us leave it at that and hope my mother never makes us regret our choice.”
Etienne bowed slightly and leaped back into the carriage. Pulling up the same seat, he retrieved a crossbow and a sling of arrows. Maurice knew better than to question him when he sprang from the carriage and plunged into the woods.
Etienne stalked toward Loupe’s house. He would approach from the woods and see if he couldn’t lure the stepsister outside. Unlike her besotted sister, the other maid had seemed as bloodthirsty as her mother. Perhaps if he could tempt her with prey.
His mind zipped back to the wolf that used to stand guard over the pups in Loupe’s absence. If he could lure that wolf out with him, get it to distract the stepsister enough for him to get a clear shot… But he had to hurry. Madame Tessier would return soon.
The site of the clearing where he and Loupe had met tightened Etienne’s chest. He could hear Loupe’s laughter, see her beautiful smile as she watched the pups cavorting in the water.
A weight plowed into Etienne and the breath whooshed from his body. He rolled over in shock to find himself under the weight of a sleek brown wolf. He struggled to sit up and winced as the wolf’s claws dragged down his arms as it scrabbled to keep hold of him. Its claws left a burning pain in their wake and Etienne hissed. Before he could gather his wits to throw the beast off of him, the rush of adrenaline increased exponentially.
Etienne tensed at the heart-pounding surge of energy that consumed him. The powerful force swirled inside of him, touching every crevice of his soul as it rose up his throat and escaped from his mouth as he dropped his head back and howled.
As the last note faded from the air, he dropped his head, staring in wonder at the beast in front of him. His own wolf stood vibrant and tangible inside him. He felt as he had before the blessing—better even. He knew with an unerring certainty that he could change form if he wanted to, become a wolf even without the aid of the full moon above him.
“Loupe,” he gasped, his skin buzzing with the return of his beast to full power. He laughed and grabbed the wolf by the head. He concentrated on looking beyond the beast’s face, inside to where he knew Loupe lay hidden. Just as his father had taught him when he was young, he “reached” inside her and took her hand, pulling her free from her beast’s body.
It was the first time Etienne had ever pulled the beast from a cursed werewolf. His skin tightened as Loupe seemed to get “caught” on her own bones as he pulled her out. He slowed down, easing her out more gently. It hurt him to think of the pain Loupe must feel during the change, how she must struggle against the beast. He would teach her to make a smoother transition.
As her human visage finall
y parted the beast’s face, and the flesh in his arms was human once more, Etienne breathed a loud sigh of relief.
“Loupe—”
“Etienne!” Loupe gasped.
Etienne laughed, startled when she grabbed his face. She peered at him as though trying to see into his mind, then looked over his entire body.
“Are you hurt? Are you all right?” she demanded. The scent of saltwater tickled Etienne’s nose, telling him his full senses were his once again. The joy of the thought was short-lived. She was crying.
“Loupe,” he said softly, brushing a strand of hair from her eyes. “Why are you crying?”
Loupe sniffled, blinking rapidly as if trying to hold the tears back. “I’m so sorry,” she whispered. “I’m so sorry I didn’t tell you. You could have been killed, they could have—”
“Shh,” Etienne hushed her, pulling her into his arms. “I am the prince here, remember? It is my duty to look after you, not the other way around.” He laid his cheek on top of her head. “It is my fault you were injured, my fault you were terrified into the change, into running from the palace. Loupe, I never meant to scare you.”
She huddled into his body, clinging to him as if he were the only solid thing in the world. “I don’t care, I don’t care about any of it,” she whispered fiercely. “That is all behind us now and I will never let anyone threaten you with me again. I will never let my monstrous stepfamily take what is mine.”
Etienne smiled, filled with pride at the vehemence in Loupe’s voice. Just as his great-great-grandmother had before her, Loupe had found her strength and drawn her line in the sand. She would make a strong queen.
Queen. The thought drew Etienne’s mind to the future. He wanted Loupe, wanted her as his mate, his wife. A wedding was all well and good, but after coming so close to losing her he wanted, needed, a connection now.
It’s your beast talking, Etienne told himself firmly. It has been growing weak for so long that you have forgotten how to mediate your baser instincts. This is not the time nor the place to cement your bond with Loupe.
He understood what he was telling himself. He agreed. And yet, Etienne could not smother the rush of arousal that flooded him at the feel of Loupe’s naked body pressing against his. His beast, strong and vital for the first time in months, rolled like a leviathan beneath his skin, its appetites fresh, sharp, and demanding. His senses were a thousand times sharper and every detail of the world etched itself into his brain. The crisp scent of earth and fresh green leaves, the lapping of the lake water at its banks, and the heat of Loupe’s body all made his head swim. He buried his face in her hair, inhaling deeply and relishing the musky scent of her wolf beneath her skin.
He tightened his arms around her, the comfort he’d been offering turning into something more. The blood in his veins grew hotter, flowing south until he was painfully hard. He tried to fight it, tried to pull away and offer her his cloak like a gentleman. But he’d nearly lost her. The pain of walking away from her was still fresh in his memory. He had to claim her, establish their connection that would last forever.
Now.
Chapter 13
Loupe pressed her ear to Etienne’s chest, concentrating on his heartbeat. He was alive, she was alive, and they were together and unharmed. What’s more, she could feel the beast still inside her, but instead of a scary hulking shadow, it seemed…familiar. She felt in control and powerful enough to do anything. She could have anything she wanted right now.
Still very much naked, and wrapped in his arms as she was, Loupe couldn’t help but remember the feelings he’d stirred in her body when he’d kissed her at the ball. He’d been so passionate, so hungry. She’d been frightened by the intensity of his attentions. She shifted in his arms. She wasn’t frightened anymore. And she wanted that intensity again.
His cock swelled against her leg and heat rushed down her body to pool between her thighs. She bit her lip, her newfound confidence warring with nervousness over the foreignness of the sensations. Her body wanted something, that was certain. She just wasn’t quite sure how to get it. Loupe started to pull away, trying to figure out what she was going to say. Etienne’s hands closed around her arms and she gasped. Her gaze met his.
His mouth covered hers, stealing her breath. Sparks crackled over her nerves and the liquid heat between her thighs burned like molten lava. She moaned, pressing against him. The sound seemed to spur Etienne on and he quickly released her arms to grasp her hips and jerk her into his lap. This was exactly what she’d wanted, needed. Loupe’s desire took on a sharper edge and she raised her arms around his neck, desperate to press her body closer, hold him tighter.
She nibbled at his mouth as if she would devour him, a passion that she’d never felt before seizing control of her body. He ran his hands up and down her naked flesh, and her breath hitched in her throat and she dropped her head back.
“Loupe,” he whispered hoarsely, dropping his mouth to feed on the delicate column of her throat. His hands closed over her breasts and Loupe cried out as his thumbs flicked the stiffened buds of her nipples. The sound seemed to snap something inside him and she cried out again as he surged forward and pressed her down into the soft earth.
Helpless to do anything but stare up at him through eyes gone hazy with desire, Loupe watched, fascinated. Etienne pulled away just long enough to quickly divest himself of his clothing. He laid his body over top of her, careful to hold the brunt of his weight on his forearms. Loupe couldn’t help but run her hands over his chest, tangling her fingers in the dusting of hair she found there. She experimentally dragged her fingernails over his nipples.
A strangled sound came from Etienne’s throat. He dove toward her neck, sinking his teeth into her flesh. Instead of pain, the bite sent a wave of pleasure over her that was so erotic, her thighs parted and her hips thrust up of their own accord. The beast inside her moved with her, encouraging her to give herself over to him. It was a strange sensation, but it felt right all the same. Etienne jerked his lower body forward, the hot length of his cock sliding through her wet folds.
“Etienne!” Loupe whimpered, the thrusting of her hips becoming more erratic. She threw her head from side to side, overwhelmed by the urgent need gripping her body. Something large moved under her skin and for a split second Loupe thought the wolf was going to break free from her body.
Her arousal took on an edge of fear. What if she lost control? What if she hurt Etienne? She grabbed his face, needing to look into his eyes, needing to tell him of the danger. Etienne seemed to sense the change in her immediately and he looked up into her eyes.
“I’m sorry,” he rasped. He closed his eyes and sucked in a deep, shuddering breath. “I forgot myself, I’m sorry—”
“Etienne, the wolf is trying to get out,” Loupe whispered, keeping her voice down as if the beast in question would hear her. The tentative peace she’d thought she found with the wolf faded now that her body had grown hot and desperate. She raised her hands and gripped Etienne’s forearms. He was a werewolf, he had know what to do. “Etienne, I don’t want to hurt you. What if I change?”
“Shh, Loupe, it’s all right,” Etienne soothed her. He laid a heated kiss on her neck, nuzzling her skin in an affectionate gesture. “I won’t let anything bad happen to you. I swear it. Relax and trust me.”
He stroked her body in long soothing motions. Loupe didn’t know how he could be so calm, but she wanted to trust him. She sucked in a deep breath and concentrated on the feel of his lips caressing her cheek, his fingers trailing in long, lazy strokes up and down her body. After a moment she realized the beast no longer felt as if it were directly under her skin. She could still sense it, but it was more like a warm fuzzy weight inside her.
The tension slowly leaked out of Loupe’s body until she was once again writhing against him. Something thick and hard pressed between her legs and Loupe gasped and arched toward him.
“Loupe,” Etienne breathed. He shook his head then pressed his forehead to he
rs. “Loupe, I don’t want to hurt you. I’ll try to—”
Loupe’s head swam with heat and desire, muddling her thoughts until she couldn’t even understand what Etienne was saying. Her body trembled with need and ached with an emptiness so intense she feared she would shatter into a thousand pieces. With a cry that sounded more animal than human, she shoved Etienne’s chest, rearing up off the ground, and following his momentum until she’d knocked him over backward and straddled him.
Etienne’s eyes burned into her face, his arousal making his face rougher, more primal. A rush of power erupted like a geyser inside her as she wrapped her fingers around his cock and pressed it against her entrance. She held her eyes open, looking into Etienne’s gaze as she sank down on his shaft.
A sharp bite of pain preceded a flood of pleasure so intense, Loupe screamed. Her body took on a life of its own, possessed by the need to chase the prize shining at the end of the tunnel. She jerked her hips back and forth, riding him hard and fast. Etienne bellowed her name into the forest, his hands closing with bruising force on her hips. He thrust inside her, adding his own force so that each stroke went deeper, harder.
Before Midnight (Book 1) (Blood Prince Series) Page 14
