Chapter 49
Viviane
After Monday Caspian made an arrangement with the Headmaster of Asterion High, allowing me to enter and exit through the teacher’s private parking lot rather than having to parade out the front door in front of all the media.
Of course, in a city as big as Asterion it’s impossible to keep anything secret for long, and by this afternoon I walked out of the teachers lounge to find a very grumpy Alpha, and a rabid sea of reporters. The only saving grace was my bond with Caspian, because the moment he felt me draw near he sent me a warning message, Brace yourself kitten, we have an audience.
I froze just inside the door, trying to remember how to breathe and squaring my shoulders before pushing outside. I don’t know how I managed, but I was able to keep my head held high, never taking my gaze from Caspian. In the papers they printed that we were so in love we couldn’t take our eyes off each other, but in truth I was just trying to pretend the reporters didn’t exist.
Ever the Alpha, Caspian didn’t let onlookers or embarrassment dictate his behavior, he acted the same way he would have if we were alone, dragging me into his arms and plundering my mouth with a fierce kiss until I was weak in the knees. I could hear clicking and see flashes out of the corner of my eye, but I quickly forgot about the cameras as my mate’s talented tongue went to work.
Afterwards Caspian tucked me under his arm and snarled at the crowd, guiding me to his motorcycle and helping me don my helmet before whisking me away. The sleek black bike zipped in and out of traffic, slipping through tight spaces no car could navigate and ditching any paparazzi foolish enough to try following us.
I assumed he would take me back to the Pack House, but instead he pulled up outside a small ice cream shop in the theater district. All the shops around the store were absolutely bustling with shifters, but for some reason the Wolf’s Paw Creamery was deserted except for the staff.
When we step inside I quickly realize Caspian has bought out the small parlor so we can have it to ourselves, but the big glass windows made me feel fairly certain our privacy will be short-lived.
I don’t know how Caspian can take all this in stride. He pulls me into his lap and feeds me the frozen treat by hand, ignoring the crowd gathering outside. The attention is clearly provoking his protective instincts, but I don’t think he would care if it weren’t for me. He’s so used to being in the spotlight he just goes about his business like everything is normal.
“Is it always going to be this way?” I inquire softly, intercepting his hand as he raises a spoonful of chocolate gelato to my lips.
“Between us?” He questions, giving me a heated look.
Rolling my eyes and tilting my head towards the windows, I clarify, “With the pack.”
Caspian doesn’t bother looking outside, he keeps his attention on me. “It won’t always be this extreme.” He assures me. “It can be this way with big events – markings, weddings, pups… deaths. But soon enough some actor or musician will have an affair and they’ll follow the scandal.”
“It scares me.” I whisper, trusting him to understand, “all these people digging into my past. What if they find out what I am?”
“This is my city, Viviane.” Caspian replies, exuding so much raw power I shiver, “No one is going to dare cross me by printing something that could endanger my mate, nor would they dare disrespect my Luna. I don’t believe in ruling by fear, but I won’t hesitate to use it when it comes to your safety.”
Feeling somewhat calmer, I finally accept the gelato. “I don’t know how you can stand it.”
“Because I have you.” Caspian answers, as if it’s the most obvious thing in the world.
Flushing deeply, I drop my head. I don’t think I’ll ever get used to his praise. “You know your reputation would be ruined if they ever heard the way you talk to me.”
Caspian chuckles deeply, “Naive little mermaid, don’t you know the fiercer the wolf, the more passionate the mate?” At the last second, he pulls the spoonful of ice cream he was about to feed me away, intercepting my mouth with his own and extracting a lingering kiss. When we part his eyes are glittering with amusement. “And speaking of mates, you’ll never guess what happened this morning.”
I listen in awe as he relates Kiera’s near miss with the truck and his Beta’s heroics, as well as Chase finally realizing my friend is his mate.
“Oh thank goodness she’s alright!” I exclaim, “I was worried when she didn’t turn up at school today but she didn’t reply to any of my texts.”
“That’s probably because her phone was smashed to bits in the road.” Caspian reasons.
I can’t contain my smile, “She must be so happy, she’s been waiting for him to wake up for so long.”
An odd expression falls over the Alpha’s face, like he wants to grin but can’t decide if it’s appropriate for what he’s about to say. “Actually she was pretty angry when I saw her.” He explains about her “I think Chase might have his work cut out for him.”
A few Hours Earlier
Chase
Kiera is dangerously close to being put over my knee – in fact I’m already fantasizing about punishing my naughty little mate. She’s challenging me at every turn, refusing to obey my orders or cooperate, lashing out at me every time I try to help her. If she wasn’t injured she would already be face down and ass up in my lap
My own wounds are beginning to twinge with true pain, but I can’t tend to them until my mate is taken care of, and I’ll be damned if I’m going to let another man anywhere near her – even if he is a doctor. Suddenly I understand Caspian’s rabid possessiveness of Viviane; the way his temper seemed to go off with a hair trigger if anyone so much as looked at her, especially when they first got together.
I haven’t even kissed my little lynx yet, and I already feel like hoarding her away in my rooms so no one else can admire my new treasure. She doesn’t realize it, but I’ve already scent marked her.
She was so busy trying to wriggle free when I carried her into the house that she actually did most of the work for me, rubbing her small body over mine and covering herself in my aroma. Though she was still clothed and covered in blood. I’m looking forward to repeating the process skin-on-skin once she’s clean.
Kiera is currently pouting, glowering at me with her arms crossed over her chest after I forcibly stripped her dress off. She’s wearing a pretty red bra and panty set, and the only reason I’m not currently admiring her considerable charms is that her left side is covered in black and blue bruises.
I know they must be hurting her, but you’d never know it from her behavior. She’s a shifter, with a high pain tolerance and heightened healing abilities, but the first 24 hours after an injury are usually miserable regardless. Either she’s smothering her pain, or she’s in shock. Unfortunately there’s only one way to find out.
Pinning Kiera’s shoulder against the mirror so she doesn’t move, I gently press my fingers into her swollen side, feeling around for any breaks or dislocated ribs. Kiera whimpers, then looks furious at herself for showing weakness. Her arms uncross and she tries to push me off, but I’m so much larger and stronger than she is that it does nothing.
“Kiera,” I growl in warning. “Behave.”
Her beautiful eyes flash, and she turns her face toward my caging arm and promptly sinks her little fangs into my wrist.
I’m just barely able to contain my wolf, hissing as her jaw locks down and she throws me a triumphant glare. However the moment she sees my expression, eyes aglow and wolf clawing at the surface, the color drains from her face.
“That was a mistake.” I snarl, fisting my free hand into her hair and pulling her sharp canines out of my skin. “What did I tell you would happen if you bit me, mate?”
The acrid scent of fear seeps into her bewitching perfume as she licks my blood from her lips, but she doesn’t answer.
“Don’t make me ask again, Kiera.” I growl
“You said you would bite me back.” She replies shakily. Her trepidation is clear, but it’s not just fear muddling her scent now, but arousal. She wants to be bitten. She wants to be claimed, even if she can’t bring herself to submit.
A cunning thought filters through the red haze of anger and desire, and I offer the little feline a lethal grin. “Maybe I should have been more flexible with my words.” I muse, “I should have said you’d be punished. Because if I’m going to bite you, it’s going to be a mating bite. And I’ve just decided not to give you that until you are positively begging me for it.”
Burying my face in her neck, I drag my sharp teeth over the juncture of her neck and shoulder, sending quivers of need through Kiera. “And you will beg, little lynx.” I declare huskily, jerking her head back and letting her see the full extent of my ire.
I can practically see the confused emotions roiling in her veins: fear, lust, anticipation, and most of all – defiance.“That is never going to happen.” She insists.
Chuckling darkly, I reply, “Think again, Kiera. I’d say you’ve got lots of begging in your future – and not just for my mark.”
