41. Maya

41

Maya

As soon as he touched me, the game was over. I could lie when my back was turned, when I could avoid looking him in the eyes. But once he touched me, I just wanted to fall apart.

He pulled me up against his body until my back was plastered against him. "It's not fine until you're no longer worried about what your father will do to you. It's not fine until you can talk to someone about what happened. It's not fine until I can touch every inch of your body without you flinching. You weren't fine then. You're not fine now, but you'll damn well be more than fine in the future. I'm going to make sure of it."

"I'm not your mate, Rhyson. I'm never going to be your mate. I'm just the whore you knocked up, remember?"

"You don't get to call yourself a whore, and I'll be removing the tongue of every wolf who has ever called you that."

Pushing away from him, I whirled around. "Will you be removing your own tongue, then?"

"If that's what it takes for your forgiveness, then I'll let you cut it out of my mouth right now."

My heart skipped a beat. He meant it. I saw that in his eyes without question. He'd hand me the blade and stand there while I cut out his own tongue, even though he was this close to finding out who killed his brother.

"I have better things for you to do to with your tongue than remove it," I growled as I grabbed his face and pulled it down. I kissed him with all the desperation I'd been feeling. All the urgency I did feel.

All the lies I'd said about how he hadn't hurt me nearly as much as anything else broke me inside. No matter how much I kept him at arm's length, he was getting to me. All of his heroics. A fucking king among men.

I couldn't fall in love with him. I couldn't. There was no room for him next to me. He talked a good game, but when we got off this mountain, we wouldn't be in this bubble anymore. He'd have real duties. He'd have to answer to the packs.

And if he murdered my father, there would be a war. My father was too well-liked, and Rhyson was so new. The alphas would never let him stay in power. There would be challenges. Rhyson would slaughter them all, and then the challenges would stop and the assassination attempts would start. Eventually, someone would get to him. Six months. A year. He'd be dead, and it would be because he sided with me.

I couldn't let that happen. If the packs were ever going to change, if the alphas were ever going to be held accountable, then it would only start with Rhyson.

But tonight, I had him. For tonight, I could pretend that he was mine. Pretend that I could keep him.

"Maya," he growled heavily and then turned, slamming me into the wall. Pain ricocheted through me, but it was dull against the pleasure of his body against mine and the anticipation of what the night would bring. He ripped my shirt over my head, murmuring his appreciation as he filled his hands with my breasts.

"I never get to fucking take my time with you. We're always in a hurry."

"It's been a busy few days," I muttered. "You took your time that first night. About our third go-round."

"Think of that night often?"

I did, but I wasn't going to admit that to him. "I imagine everyone's first time is memorable."

His eyes darkened, and I realized that was not the right thing to say. "You were nothing that I couldn't handle."

"That's true," he said huskily. "You take me like a fucking dream, Maya. It really fucks with a man's head."

"That was my plan all along. Bring you to your knees, and then put you to work once you're down there."

Grinning, he sank into a kneeling position. "I understand when I've been given an assignment."

He made short work of my pants and lifted one leg to hook over his shoulder. I tensed my body in anticipation, but he was shockingly gentle. I squirmed, but his hands around my waist were anchors, and I slowly dropped my head back, closed my eyes, and enjoyed the gentle pleasure of his mouth.

When he increased the pressure, I moaned, but his movements were slow. Torturously slow. "Rhyson, please. Please!"

His fingers just dug in tighter, and when I struggled harder, he stopped altogether and rose. Effortlessly, he picked me up and tossed me onto the bed. I bounced and cried out when he leaped on top of me and straddled me. "Since you can't behave, we're going to do this my way," he said ominously. "I found these this afternoon, and it's all that I've been thinking about all day."

I had no idea what he was talking about, but I doubted there was much that could take his mind off his mission. Then I felt the touch of fabric on my wrists, and I jerked away.

Rhyson froze and closed his eyes. I looked over to see the thin strip of fabric in his hand that was tied to the bedpost. "I'm sorry," he muttered. "I'm an idiot. You're probably not comfortable being restrained, are you?"

I was not, at least, not with anyone else. But with him? I slowly put my arm back. "I want to try it," I whispered.

Opening his eyes, he stared at me. "Are you sure? I don't want to push you into anything that you aren't comfortable with." I nodded, but he still hesitated. "The moment you feel uncomfortable, you tell me. Swear it."

"I swear."

Leaning over, he kissed the top of my head and picked up my wrist. The soft fabric wrapped around my wrist and knotted. He spoke to me the whole time. "These are quick-release knots. It'll only take me a second to release you, okay?"

"All right."

Eyes on me, as if he was watching my every movement, he tied my other wrist. "Still comfortable?"

I pulled on my arms experimentally, and my heartbeat rose when I realized I couldn't get free. I waited for my wolf to rise, to see if she was going to panic, but I didn't even feel her stir. It wasn't fear that I was feeling. It was anticipation.

I licked my lips. "I'm good," I whispered.

"Then I have some unfinished business to attend to."

Sliding one finger inside my wet heat, he settled back on his stomach, and his tongue was just as torturously gentle as before. Only this time, there was no trying to drive him. I pulled on the restraints, but they were surprisingly strong. When I tried bucking my hips, he kept me flat against the mattress.

Fuck, the man was driving me insane. Writhing under him, I cried out as I slowly started to peak. "Rhyson, please. Please, let me come," I panted. "Please!"

"Yes," he hissed. "That's exactly what I wanted to hear." Raking his teeth over my clit, he plunged another finger into me, and I broke open, bowing upward from the bed. He licked me through my orgasm until the sensations became too overwhelming and I jerked back. Only then did he lift his head and crawl up my body. "Do you have any idea how much you drive me crazy?"

"I'm the one tied to the bed," I muttered.

"I should keep you tied here for the rest of my fucking life," he growled. "You won't have to worry about anyone or anything. You'll be safe right here."

He captured my mouth hungrily before I could object and then trailed his kisses down to my neck. "This body will just belong to me, and I'll keep you nice and wet for me, and make you scream with pleasure over and over again."

Caught up in the afterglow of my orgasm, it was nice to believe the fantasy for a moment. "Then you better get to work. I've only come once tonight," I told him.

With a feral growl, he sank his cock into me, and I knew it was going to be a long night.