Chapter 147: 147. The Hunt I
Maisie
It was a full moon tonight.
My fingers rested on the windowsill as I squinted over the edge, shivering as the night wind lifted my hair.
I could hear the drumming in the distance, the same kind that had thrummed in my soul on the night of the Blood Moon.
The castle was quiet, nearly empty, and I knew the Lycans were on that hill surrounded by the woods. I could feel the heightened bloodlust in the air and there was a string tied to my gut that pulled me toward those hills, commanding me to go, to hear the frantic drums and... Hunt.
"Don’t even think about it."
I gasped, finding myself a second away from climbing over the ledge. I let go without thinking and fell in an undignified manner, landing on my ass.
Soren scowled down at me. And I glanced up at him.
And it felt like magic... what? No. Eew. I shook my head aggressively before opening my eyes again.
He still looked... mouthwatering.
Soren was shirtless, but that wasn’t it. He looked bulkier than usual, his hair tousled roughly. There was a bit of color on his skin—paint. It ran down his biceps, his pectorals, stopping shy of a straw looking linen around his waist. His feet were bare and his breathing was slightly elevated.
"Add a garland of leaves around your head and you’ll ace the primitive look," I tried to joke, but my voice was breathy.
His eyes were a darker shade of blue tonight. "Get off the floor, Adams. Go up to my bedroom and lock the door behind you."
I didn’t get off the floor. My fingers curled against marble. "Why your bedroom?"
His eyes lowered to my bare legs and the bunched up night gown teasing my thighs. "It has the strongest lock here. It’ll keep you safe tonight."
My chest rose and fell. "Safe from what?"
His tongue ran over his fangs. "Us. All of us."
My lips were suddenly dry. I licked them and Soren growled slightly in his chest as he tracked the movement. "And if I... if I wanted to come along?"
My heart echoed the drums outside, building into a wilder beat.
His eyes snapped up. "No."
My face fell. I didn’t want to stay locked in again all night. I knew no one wanted me around here, neither did they like me, but for someone who had never truly belonged anywhere, had never gotten a chance to run with her former pack, I didn’t want to stay isolated.
I could hear the laughter on the wind. I wanted to be a part of it. Of something.
"I want to..." It took some struggle, but I pushed the words out anyway. "I want to run with you."
He seemed to consider it. And I thought he might agree. Then he ran an eye over my body and repeated with another growl, "No. Not tonight."
My nostrils flared and I rose, clutching the blue silken robe tighter around my body. "Why do you get to attend and I can’t? Everyone else is going. Even the humans and wolves in the castle are attending. Why should I stay locked in?"
He peered me down his nose. "Because I say so."
"That’s a bullshit answer."
"Go up to your bedroom, Adams. I won’t repeat myself."
"Is this another form of the Red Moon rite? Will there be women? Mating? Is that why you won’t let me come? If that is the case then I’ll stay out of your way—"
He grabbed me so fast, I didn’t see anything until he had me pinned against the wall. "You wouldn’t care if you saw me with someone else?"
"Why should I? It wouldn’t be the first time," I said as evenly as I could, but his claws punched out, imbedding in the stone beside my arm.
"You really don’t give a shit, do you?" he breathed, his chest rising and falling so close to mine.
"When I did, you called me a slut. Don’t touch me, Adams. Not now, Adams. What do you want from me, Adams. You’re just the help, remember. I’ll tear out your limbs, Adams. You disgust me, Adams. Get the fuck out of my sight, Adams." I lifted my chin. "You’re right. I don’t give a shit. Maybe I’ll start when you apologize and admit you were a dick and treated me like I was garbage. Maybe.
"But I know you, Soren. You could never lower yourself to the level of begging. So, why don’t we call this quits and you let me go on my way and you can get to wherever the fuck it is you’re going?"
The moonlight caught on the sharp point of his teeth. "You’re not too far off, you know. There are certain atmospheres that bring out the beasts in us. The Hunt tonight is one of them."
He found ran a finger down my neck, letting it slide down the center of my chest. "There’s nothing quite like fucking when you’re high on bloodlust." Sensual lips curved. "Tessa offered herself to me tonight."
His pointer finger was right above my left breast, waiting to detect the change in my heartbeat as he asked, "What do you think, Adams? Should I fuck her?"
My heartbeat jumped. His smiled widened, but I said, "I don’t care where you stick your dick. So long as it isn’t inside me."
His smile didn’t falter and as soon as he began speaking, I knew he was toying with me. "It would happen in the wilds. Maybe against a tree. Or the ground might be better, just the way you like it."
My heart was thundering. I remembered the damp, cold earth. I remembered the weight of his body against mine as he touched me the first time in a way I had never been.
"It would be dirty," he continued. "Rough. Hard."
I swallowed, breathing shallow. I let my head drop back against the wall, peering at him from under my lashes. "Keep going," I pushed the anger out of my voice and made my tone husky. "Keep giving me ideas. I’m sure I’ll find them useful when the year is over and I’m free from you, and can have some other man in my bed. Or in the wilds. Just the way I like it."
His smile fell and he was suddenly pissed off.
