Chapter 12
Maggie hands me a towel to wrap around my body. Helping me out of the basin, she provides me a lotion that pairs well with the scent of the rose petals. After, she holds up a bag. “This is for you to wear,” she says.
I eye the bag curiously, then take it from her. Inside there is a pink satin cami romper that reminds me of a ballerina costume, but way more revealing. I put it on, and slide the spaghetti straps up my bare shoulders. The fabric clings to my skin, and my nipples harden as the fuzzy trim tickles the insides of my thighs. I clear my throat with a flushed face. “Is this another request from Ansel?”
“Actually, I picked this one out based on his response from your dress earlier. Something tells me that this is right up the Second Prince’s alley.” Reaching for a glass of liquid from the bathroom counter, she extends it to me. “One more thing. You need to drink this.”
“What is it?” I ask as I look at the clouded solution.
“Herbs mixed with a light extract of Sir Ansel’s pheromones to increase your wolf’s libido. This is a peek time for conception, but we also need to make sure we’re doing everything that we can to give it a little push so that your wolves will link.”
I take the drink from her and down it. Ada’s growls become sultry and desperate inside of me.
“Mate…I want…our mate.”
Her desire almost knocks me over. I grip the bathroom sink and exhale. “I think I’m ready,” I say to Maggie, and she nods. Exiting through the other door, she leaves me to face Ansel.
Here goes nothing.
My heart hammers in my ears. Ada’s desire mixes more with mine, leaving me in a state of almost suspended euphoria. I exit the bathroom and see Ansel sitting on the bed. His pheromones waft in my nose, and I stumble.
“Sorry for taking so long. I thought you probably would have left,” I say shyly, but he just continues to stare at me. His nose twitches, and his eyes tint yellow as they roam over my body.
“Come here,” he says roughly. The closer I draw, the more his eyes illuminate against the moon. The lust in them is as clear as his attempt to ward off his wolf. This wasn’t going to be like the night we made love years ago. Ansel isn’t going to be sweet and gentle. The primal look in his eyes tells me that he is going to ravish me. It sparks my own carnal desire, and I relax under his gaze. I’m ready to admit the truth to myself. As much as I loved the slow, careful lovemaking we shared that night, my body aches for him to lose control.
He runs his hands up my legs, causing me to shiver.
“I want our mate!” Ada rages inside of me. I can’t take the torture.
Tugging at him, I rip off his tie, and the action seems to remove the last bit of his restraint. He removes his shirt, clashes our lips together, and I groan in his mouth. Picking me up, we crashed onto the bed. He crawls on top of me and pins my hands above my head with one hand. With the other, he gripped my thigh hard. I shouldn’t be excited, but I can’t help it. The feel of his hands on my skin sends me and Ada into an inhibited frenzy.
It seems to affect Ansel as well. He releases my hands and practically shreds the thin fabric of my pajamas, leaving me completely naked. I wrap my hands around his neck and bring him back to me. He bites into my neck, and I stifle a cry of pleasure. My wetness grows, and I grind my hips against him.
“Please…” I say in a voice that doesn’t sound like my own. Ansel groans into my neck and spreads my legs wider, causing his erect member to pulsate against the inner fold of my right thigh. I closed my eyes and prepared to finally feel him again but instead I felt him stiffen. I open my eyes, and he leans up and looks at me. “What’s wrong?” He pulls away, and my heart drops. “D-did I do something wrong?” He can hardly look at me anymore.
Don’t cry.
I will myself. I look down at the comforter. “I know what I said about my time with the dealers, and what you saw so I understand if you’re disg—”
He finally looks at me. “It has nothing to do with you,” he says, frowning. He gets out of bed and puts a quilt over me. It’s a small gesture, but it makes me think of a memory shared between us.
“Little Blonde Angel,” I whisper, but he hears me.
“What?”
“The name that the doctors and nurses used to call you. They adored you.” As soon as I say it, I wish that I hadn’t. His eyes return to their normal hue, and he distances himself more.
He stands and reaches into his suit jacket. Pulling out a cigar, he made his way over to the French windows. He peered out into the night as if he were a million miles away.
I watch him light the cigar and bring it to his lips. The wall is put up again. He doesn’t say it, but I can feel that he’s shut down. Was I too open with my sexuality? Did I turn him off by how crass I was? I thought that was what he wanted, but now I feel absolutely mortified by my behavior.
He tilts his head upward for a moment. “I need to go. My father is looking for me,” he says.
I pull my legs to my chest. “Okay.” Replacing his clothes, he left me in the room alone.
ANSEL POV
“How are you feeling, father? Is there anything I can get you?”
“Don’t dote on me. I’m fine,” King David said as he fluffed his pillow. The small amount of activity leaves his breathing strained. Prince Edwin reached out and their father swatted his hand. “Leave it be. I’m fine. There are more important things to discuss. I won’t sugarcoat things. With my new prognosis, I have even less time than we thought. So I want to make sure that I delegate what your new responsibilities will be.”
He turns to Ansel. “I know that we never officially set anything in stone, but all Blue Moon knows that you’re stepping in as Alpha. I have every confidence in your ability to rule. You have led the gammas in successful efforts to clean up the streets. Now I want you to shift your gears to sorting out the underground casinos.”
“Consider it done father.”
Edwin scoffed under his breath. “The golden child to the rescue.”
Ansel leered at him. “And the black sheep causing trouble.”
“Knock it off you two,” King David said, cutting them off. “Edwin, you have your own tasks, which we discussed prior to Ansel’s arrival. Concern yourself with those affairs and not those of someone else.” Though he remained quiet, Ansel could feel the heat coming from Ansel's body as he seethed at their father’s words. “Edwin, you may go. There is something I want to speak to your brother about.”
“Yes father.” Edwin left the room, and Ansel folded his arms over his chest. “You wished to speak to me?”
“Yes. How is that beauty of yours doing?” He smiled. “I’ve said it before, but Cherry is going to es, make an excellent Luna. She’s intelligent, stunning, and worthy of being by your side. Not to mention, as the princess of Moon Shadow Pack, your union will be the start of unifying the werewolf world again.” He raised his eyebrow at his son. “You two have been engaged forever. Have you any plans to finally marry her and produce an heir soon?”
Ansel exhaled sharply. “Father, I already explained to you that Cherry and I are not suited for one another. You pushed the narrative of us getting engaged, and I accepted until I got to know her, which is why we broke up. You see a beautiful face, but I know what’s behind the mask, and I promise you if you knew her like I did, you wouldn’t want her near the role of Luna.”
King David’s face turned almost purple. “How dare you?! Do you really think that you can do this on your own? We agreed that the best course of action was for you to have an heir, and that is what you’re going to do.”
“I haven’t deserted my obligations. An heir will be conceived, but it will not be with Cherry.'
King David’s lips tightened to a thin line and foam formed in the corners of his mouth. “So what? You plan to produce a bastard with that prostitute that you brought back from the underground auction house?!”
