Ava
“Where are we going? I thought we were going back to my room,” I say to Samuel and Nick as we walk away from
the pack house and down a solar-lit path through the woods. A warrior patrols the area further down, reminding me
that in a pack this size, the land must be massive and the borders vast.
There must be many warriors patrolling at night.
“We are taking you back to your room—a new one.” Nick smiles, his eyebrows wiggling with mischief.
“What are you talking about? All my stuff is back there,” I whine, my finger pointing back over my shoulder. I
didn’t have much, but what I had was important to me, especially my drawings.
“Everything has already been moved,” Samuel answers, laughing when I gasp in shock. I left my old room about an
hour and a half ago. How was all my stuff already packed up and moved?
“It’s not far,” Samuel assures me as we walk, mostly in silence.
I was still processing what had happened at the table while Samuel and Nick seemed to be mind-linking, likely with
the pack—and maybe even with Braiden, given that Samuel is the pack beta. I could tell by their slightly glazed
expressions, as if they were lost in a daydream. I wondered what it felt like. Nick told me yesterday how intense
and overwhelming the sensation was when Braiden initiated the pack link with him. We weren’t used to that kind
of bond, and Nick told me he was still struggling to
control linking and blocking out all the noise. Your wolf works with you as they are more accustomed to a
nonverbal connection than we are. That is fine, I suppose, for those who are in control of their wolves.
After a couple more minutes of walking, we arrive at the most exquisite wood cabin I have ever seen. Not that I had
seen many physically to compare. But as far as wood cabins went, this one was gorgeous. And massive. The
cladding on the outside was a light brown, like smooth peanut butter spread on bread. Decking surrounded the
entire building, with a balcony on the second floor overlooking the forest, probably taking up half of the top story.
“This is as far as we go, Ava. The King has ordered us back. He will be here in an hour or so. This is your new
home, so treat it as such. Nowhere is off limits. And don’t be scared. Guards patrol this area regularly, and two of
the King's personal guards are already stationed nearby, so if anything happens, shout, and they will appear.”
Samuel smiles and pats my back, my mouth open in shock at his words.
“Wait. This is the King's house, isn’t it?” I spit out, panic rising at the thought of us living here together. Alone. I
was having a hard enough time not throwing myself at him in the pack house where other people, or the thought of
them at least, could buffer the sexual tension. Now, this? This was like fucking torture.
He doesn’t answer, just gives me a reassuring pat on my back, while Nick hugs me and wishes me a sarcastic good
luck.
“Try not to fuck each other's brains out in the first five minutes,” he says as he walks off, laughing when I flip him
off.
By the time they are out of earshot, I remember the rumor that Selene stayed with the King in his cabin, in the
woods, along with a horde of other willing she-wolves. With no one to ask if that was true, I take the few st eps up
to the front door. Bracing myself for the onslaught of scents, I hold my breath and then inhale de eply as I open the
door. Nothing. Nothing but Braiden’s gingerbread Christmas scent. Relief washes over me, irritating me that it is
even there. Why should I care who he was with? Traitorously, the thought alone has my wolf prickling with
indignation.
The interior is as I thought it would be. Richly furnished and suitable for a King. While no expense has been
spared, I am surprised by the simplicity
of the furnishings. Everything is functional and practical, for lack of another word.
The bottom floor consists of a large kitchen, the fridge packed to the brim with everything one could desire, a large
lounge area with the biggest television I have ever seen, and a dining area with a table big enough to seat twelve.
Large double doors lead out to the wooded area at the back, where a barbeque and fire pit are located. This floor
also has, to my surprise, a heated indoor pool. I haven’t swum in years. This was a real treat.
Pulling myself away from the pool, I head upstairs, where I find four huge guest rooms, one filled with all my
belongings. I also have an ensuite bathroom and a walk-in closet. Next door to my room is Braiden's room. I don’t
look inside. I just stand at the doorway and inhale his scent like some pervert. Realizing how foolish that is and
blushing, I move along. The next door leads to his office, which I only briefly enter before leaving. Being there
feels like an invasion of his privacy.
At the end of a corridor is an extensive library, nearly the same size as the one at the pack house and with a range of
books even more diverse. I would definitely be frequenting this room. Leaving that, I approach a door on the left of
the corridor, its handle not giving when I try opening it. Locked.
Samuel's words from earlier about nothing being off limits come back to me, feeding my curiosity. After one more
try, I sigh in frustration, spinning on my heel like a child who has been denied candy.
Having explored all the areas, I head back downstairs. I have only killed about half an hour, and having eaten so
much pizza, I am not hungry. With nothing to do, I head to one of my favorite rooms—the indoor pool. I don’t have
a swimsuit, but figuring panties and a bra are close enough, I strip down, dropping my sundress on one of the
chaise lounges.
I run and dive in, the water engulfing me like a comforting blanket. Nick and I often disappeared to the river for
hours when we were young. It gave us peace from the constant bullying and torture our pack so diligently dished
out. Like running, it became an es cape for me. Helped me to clear my mind.
After completing a couple of laps, I pull my legs up to float on my back.
After a few minutes, I become acutely aware that I am not alone and that the scent permeating this whole house is
suddenly very intense.
My eyes fly open, and I drop my body under the water as my eyes lock with black ones. Braiden stands at the pool's
edge close to me, his hands in his pocket.
His expression is unreadable, leaving me unsure whether what happened after I left ended well or poorly. The
tension in his shoulders and the twitch of his jaw tell me it is the latter.
“I hope you don’t mind me using the pool?” I ask him, thinking I should start with something easy and then move
to what happened.
“Everything here is yours, Ava. Including me. You can use them all however you want.” I shiver, and it's not
because of the water. The innuendo behind his words causes a delicious throbbing between my legs.
For once, I am glad my scent cannot give my desire away.
“Your house is lovely,” I say, looking away so that he cannot see the blush on my cheeks.
“Our house.” His correction makes me roll my eyes, and I forget his previous threat about that act.
“You rolled your eyes, Ava. Do you remember the punishment for that?”
His words make my head snap back to him, thinking he cannot be serious about spanking my ass.
“Yes. But you’re not serious?” I ask him, almost laughing at the absurdity of being spanked like a child for doing
something wrong.
“Deadly,” is all he says, the word spoken gruffly. He wasn’t joking.
While the thought of him spanking me should evoke a feeling of degradation, it doesn’t. And when pictures of me
lying over his lap while he spanks my ass red flash through my mind, the furthest thing I feel is r epulsion—instead,
liquid heat pools in my panties.
Without meaning to, a moan slips from my d epths, the treacherous sound so needy and wanton that I blush. My
reaction, however, pales in comparison to Braiden’s. His eyes turn to slits, the lust in their d epths turning me on
further. As casually as he stands, every muscle in his body is taut, ready to pounce on the prey I have just made
myself into. The little voice of reason telling me to get the hell out of the pool is drowned out by the thundering
sound of my heart as Braiden grabs the hem of his T-shirt and pulls it over his head. Fuck, I was in trouble. And
fuck, it would be a lie if I said I wasn’t looking forward to it.