claimd and

Elise blushing crimson red. She recalled that Rygan had crawled up the bed, peeling away her silk nightdress; his heated hands climbed to her waist as he flipped her over, feeling his heated breath on her aching sex before he kicked his lips. One lick alone had set her inside on fire, as Rygan licked her sex with his hot and heavy tongue.

How his eye had then darkened, causing her body to clench tighter. She watched as he climbed on top of her, kneeling before her in all his glory. She’d dreamt her lips sucking and licking down the expanse of his battle scars; his grace neared her nape.

Her body anticipated more, but until Rygan whispered into her ear, “I know you want this; you want me to f**k you… But to have the real me…you need to wake up,” he whispered, and that was when Elise’s eyes shot open.

She couldn’t fall back to sleep after that; she scolded herself repeatedly that she wouldn’t act like a touch-depraved wolf. There was no denying Rygan was her fate; her wolf could stay without thinking about him. “No more thoughts about that huge brute!” She warned herself. Her warnings didn’t last long.

Why was she staring at Rygan so intently at breakfast? She watched as honey poured into his hands as he dug into the pancakes at the breakfast table, which he was invited to. And now she was regretting this torture.

Elise watched, swallowing hard as Rygan’s tongue worked on each honey-glazed finger. How his tongue moved on it did things to her. She couldn’t help but sit more upright and clench on her inner thigh to stop herself.

“….mom? Mom!” Ethan’s voice rang through the second time, finally breaking through Elise’s thoughts as Rygan’s gaze locked with her, causing the knife in her hands to

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clatter down in shock.

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“I’m sorry, what did you say, son?” She muttered with heated cheeks. She looked up to Rygan, whose brows were raised in question about her behavior.

*You alright, El?*

“I’m fine. Sorry, honey, what did you want?” She called, turning her attention to Ethan instead to calm her flaming cheeks.

“I was talking with Uncle Rygan, and I begged if he could play catchball with me, but I have to ask your permission first.”

Elise blinked in surprise, elated that Ethan was out of his shell to ask an adult to play with him. Elise nodded happily to his request. Ethan’s smile.widened before he came down and hugged Elise before he ran out excitedly to go get changed.

Now they were both alone. Elise tried hard to focus on her plate as she cut through her bacon, even though she felt Rygan’s hard gaze on her head.

she

“Did you enjoy your night, Alpha Rygan? Any symptoms from the antidote? And the food?” She asked with a formal, rigid tone, which caused Rygan’s brows to raise as reached for a cup.

“Indeed, this is a splendid good breakfast, especially the honey since you couldn’t stop staring,” he muttered as her girl crashed to the plate. Rygan caught her in surprise, making Elise almost sputter out the water in her mouth.

“Y-you.” She stuttered out, her cheeks flamed as she watched his amused smile, his pearly white teeth showing as his lips stretched into a genuine one.

“There’s that face I’ve been wanting to see all morning.”

“You’ve been trying to get under my skin, is that it?” Elise said with a scoff, but Rygan stretched in a smile as he stood up; the dining room echoed with each step as he marched to her.

“No, I’ve just been dying to see you for hours; I could barely sleep with the thought of having you just a door away from me… What I wanted to do with you-” Elise quickly raised a pointed hand to stop those words from leaving his lips.

“Has the poison gone to your brain? When did you get so shameless?” she muttered in a hushed whisper. But Rygan had taken her hands into his, sheltering them like a treasure

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before he laid a peck on her inner wrist. He had become so shameless.

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“I don’t know. Maybe because I’ve faced death so much and now the only thing I want is you; that’s the only thing that can kill me… But I will go at your own pace..and if you want me, say the word, How if you’d excuse me, you had a playdate with our son,” he said with dark eyes before walking out of the room.

Elise clutched at her chest; she could still feel the warmth of his lips on her skin from his touch as she swallowed a breath. How can someone tempt her so much? Moons, this male was going to be the end of her.

After breakfast, Elise had a meeting with the elders, who suggested a more deserving punishment for what Holden had done. She watched as they brought Holden in; it was just a day in the dungeons, and he looked haggard and crazy.

He tried to beg and plead, lying that he’s been crazy all this while and he should be forgiven, but Elise was having none of it, not when Hayden was dead because of him and Rygan was hurt.

But death was far too easy of a punishment for him to have; she wanted him to spend his whole life paying for his sins, so they agreed to chop both of his hands off and lock him up in the dark ancient shadow dungeons of the pack.

A place so daunting and horrid that it crawled with ancient witch curses that would make a sane man mad, a befitting punishment for him to never see the light of day in those dark prisons.

Elise needed a breather after that meeting, needed something to keep her sane, and she needed the comfort of her family as she searched for her son’s whereabouts. The maids immediately told her that he was in the courtyard with Rygan surprising her.

Elise watched as her son Ethan smiled so widely as he played with Ethan in the inner garden, his eyes brightening with each pass Rygan made to the ball.

Elise’s heart flipped by the smile on both their faces, the uncanny resemblance they both shared; she then joined Jenna, who sat across them under a gazebo and watched them, also in awe and shock on her face of how much they looked alike.

“It’s still shocking that the Blackmoon alpha is Ethan’s father,” she muttered to Luna, her eyes careful, but Elise’s gaze softened.

“I’m sorry for not telling you any of this, but I begged Hayden and Abby not to say

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anything; I thought it would be best to keep it a tight-knit secret. Amongst us, I wasn’t too sure how this pack would handle it. I’m sorry,” she calmed with a squeeze to Jenna’s hand.

“It’s alright, Luna, you were brave for it, and I couldn’t even fathom how much it must have been eating at you; the history between you both must have been unimaginable, and the way he did not hesitate to take that blade for you..but I see he cares for you..how he looks at you.”

“Jen..” Elise muttered.

“I know you loved our alpha Hayden, but were you ‘in’ love with him?… I’m sorry, Luna; it’s not my place to say all these things.”

“No, Jen..it’s just all complicated.”

“I understand Luna; you are so brave and strong doing that by yourself; you deserve happiness, you do,and everyone knows that Blackmoon alpha is courting you, especially when he announced to the whole court his undying loyalty to you, now one bit you, Luna” she squeezed Elise hands back with a smile.

Elise didn’t know why it felt like Jenna was giving her assurance that she could be happy with any other person and that she didn’t need to be swallowed by the burdens of pack rules any longer.

“Mom! Mom! I won!” Ethan said as he climbed the steps to the rest-shaded, tarped patio, Elise pulled her son onto her lap, kissing him on the cheeks as he giggled.

“Now come on, you sweaty mouse,” Jenna muttered, and Et in giggled as he passed into her awaiting hold. “Let’s get you cleaned up,” she called with a pinch to his nose.

“Bye…,” he waved shyly to Rygan before Jenna took him in to get cleaned up. Leaving the two wolves alone.

“Looks like you seem to be having fun,” Elise muttered with a deadpan look. The mother’s eye caught a glimpse of his sweat running down his abs.

“I’m glad to know that you were watching us,” he teases, and Elise knows she was guilty of looking at that perfectly toned torso.

“-When are you going to head to your pack?” She cuts off. “Holden has been taken care of, and I mean, how will you rule your people and pack as Alpha if you are here?” She mutters, turning around to take a jar and fill a cup to give Rygan.

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But she felt his heated chest close to her back as Rygan leaned forward, his dark voice breathing soft words into her ear.

“Maybe I haven’t gone back because a king needs a queen to rule by his side,” he mutters. She turns, slamming a towel on his chest, but he grabs her hands instead and lays it on his chest, making sure she feels his heartbeat while his other hand locks around her waist till they were joined at the hip and their eyes met.

The tension immediately became heated, Anyone could smell the instant arousal in the air as his gaze darkened as he inched closer. Breathy promise to his words…

“And I intend to make the queen mine.”