Braiden
“My King, Sir Ravensborough has left.” Samuel's words do nothing to take the edge off my anger. Anger that has
remained since Nicki approached me in the hall and told me Ava was in trouble.
Then, seeing him with his hand on her and the look on her face, I had to use all the restraint I had not to rip him
apart. My wolf even relished in eating parts of him, that was how infuriating the scene was.
Ava was unsettled. Her wolf was riled up. Her eyes had remained white, and the state of her wolf could be felt even
when I left our suite minutes ago in the hopes of addressing the situation with Sir Ravensborough.
He heard me tell him not to go far and chose to leave anyway. An impertinence that was unusual considering his
title and standing in society.
Even as a human, respect was shown to the King of Wolves. It would not go unpunished.
“Have him tailed and run a full background check. I want to know everything.”
As an honored guest for the evening, I remained for another excruciating thirty minutes before finally bidding my
farewells and leaving the gathering. Once again, my title has both helped and hindered me: it has k ept me from
murdering someone but also prevented me from being with Ava sooner. Royal responsibilities were downright
frustrating at times like these.
Luckily, Nicki had remained with her. I could tell they had hit it off.
Which was great, considering Oliver was one of my closest friends.
He was also an ally in our issue with The Underground. His mother was mated to a wolf after his father passed
when he was just five. His st epfather raised him like his own pup. They had spent a lot of time amongst the packs
in the South, where his mother still lived.
It was as personal for him as it was for me.
“She is fine. Rattled but fine. She is having a bath,” Nicki informs me when I enter the suite.
She walks past me to the door and then stops, her smile from moments ago gone.
“Sir Ravensborough. He is not a nice man. When he takes an interest in someone, it never ends well. How he
looked at Ava tonight... well, she is on his radar. Just... be careful. He has connections.” Before I can pry for
details, Nicki leaves. I would have to ask her to elaborate when I see her again. For now, I want to see Ava and
make sure she is okay.
When I saw those tears rolling down her cheeks earlier and the confused, scared expression in her eyes, it fucking
tore me apart. These feelings were so intense that I wondered how people survived being in love. And with a mate
bond.
I would tear my heart out and give it to her if she wanted. That’s fucking insane.
Shaking my head at the thought, I reach the bathroom door, the quiet on the other side disturbing. Worried
something might be wrong, I enter. Ava, who has been staring at herself in the mirror, jumps in fright, clutching the
towel wrapped around her body tightly to her chest.
“Geezus, Braiden, you gave me a fright.” Her face, which was pale earlier, has regained some color. And as my
eyes rake her half-naked body, a blush suffuses her cheeks, making them an even rosier red.
“You’re back early. Won’t that be seen as improper? For the King to leave an event at this time?” Ava’s voice has
risen a notch under my scrutiny as she approaches me, stopping a short distance in front of me.
She stands her ground as I st ep forward, within reaching distance.
“The only thing improper is how you look in that towel.” It’s true. Her wet hair is sticking to her face in places and
to the curve of her breasts as they peek out of the towel.
Slowly, I peel one of these hairs away from the curve of her breast, her breathing increasing and goosebumps
erupting even though the bathroom is steamed from the warmth. I love seeing those little bumps on her skin, and
the thought of counting each one sits alongside that of ripping my heart out and giving it to her. It’s utter madness,
but these are the thoughts I have when I am around her.
“Um. I should get dressed,” she says nervously as I start lifting another wet hair clinging to her body, like I would
if I were in the same position.
Short, shallow breaths give her turmoil away, while the bulge in my pants gives me away. As I pull on the last wet
hair clinging to the silky skin just above the edge of her towel, the smell of her arousal hits me in full force. A low
growl acknowledges it and seems to increase her arousal as she closes her eyes with restrained desire. I don’t know
why she is holding back.
This thing between us is so explosive it is bound to erupt sooner or later. I didn’t want to waste any time. Why did
she?
I grasp her chin between my fingers and then run the thumb pad over her lip, remembering how sweet she tasted in
the elevator. How soft. How wet.
Her eyes open, lust reflected in their d epths. She wants me. I give my Queen what she wants.
Our lips meet, and it's fucking exquisite. Every time I kiss Ava, it is like the first time. Every sense in me is
awakened. The way she smells like sweet apples and pine cones. The way she tastes, sweet like candyfloss. The
silky texture of her neck as my hand cups it, pulling her closer. The moan that es capes her throat as I de epen the
kiss. It swirls together, forming a moment seared into my life for an eternity. If this moment spanned my entire life,
I would be happy.
We pull apart, breath rushing into my lungs as we stare at each other.
“I should get dressed.” She breathes out, her voice almost a whisper.
“I like what you are wearing.”
She immediately regrets her response, the roll of her eyes ending as I abruptly pick her up and put her over my
shoulder.
Her hand flies out, trying to ke ep her towel covering her rear as she shrieks my name.
“That’s seven, Ava. I have been warning you. I think it’s time you settle up.”
I reach the back of the sofa, drop her down on her feet, and then spin her around so her body faces the couch.
St epping behind her, I lean forward, forcing her over the sofa's edge as I whisper in her ear.
“Are you ready for your punishment, Ava?” I move slightly to the side, my hand smoothing its way up the back of
her thigh, my thumb grazing the curve of her rear before moving back down.
As I wait for her answer, my hand moves higher and higher, grazing her ass cheek and then her center, like a
whisper, making her moan out.
She is so delicious that my dick feels like it might burst at the seams from being so stiff.
“Are you ready, My Queen?” She hesitates and then nods, closing her eyes with embarrassment. If only she knew.
That was not an emotion that belonged between us.
I slowly raise the towel, exposing her delicious rear, the skin a canvas of goosebumps. At this angle, everything is
exposed, even her glistening pussy. I clench my teeth so hard I am surprised I don’t break one. I am certainly
testing the limits of my restraint today. Looking at her like this, I want to just sink my cock into her. Hear our
bodies slapping together as I pummel her from behind.
It’s the most erotic scene I have experienced, and the thought of marking her beautiful ass with my handprint is so
primal, my beast pushes my willpower hard, almost breaking it. He wants to mark her, but she needs time. Instead,
we will mark her ass, which is what I do.
The first slap is mild. Tame. The second one is a little harder, a little louder, as is the moan it pulls from Ava as her
hands grasp the sofa for support. The third and fourth slaps are done quickly, Ava now loudly moaning out as she
bucks her hips, looking for release. The fifth and sixth slaps have her crying out my name. The seventh slap has her
dripping, her juices running down her inner thigh.
“Braiden, please. I need... more.” I smile. An ‘I told you so moment’ that I would remind her about later. I told her
she would ask me, and thank fuck she has, as I don’t know how much longer I could hold out.
I drop to my knees behind her and lap up the juices running down her thigh before I dive into the main course.
Fucking divine. Ava gasps out in shock when my mouth meets her pussy.
“Braiden, w-what are you doing?” She pants out, wriggling in my grasp.
“Having dessert.” I don’t give her time for more questions as my tongue meets her clit, and I work the little nub,
her moans of enjoyment guiding me as I map out her erogenous zones.
I work them, adding a finger to the mix as I curl it inside her. That’s all it takes as she falls apart, her scream
making me smile as I take everything she gives. It’s ecstasy. She is a drug. One I am proud to say I am addicted to.