Chapter 29

Elroy's fingers traced the curve of my spine, sending shivers through my body as he undressed me. I closed my eyes, determined to enjoy this. Think of it as giving yourself a reward for your victory today, I thought to myself.

Sex didn’t have to mean anything.

"You're incredible, Olivia," Elroy murmured, his breath warm against my ear as he palmed my breast.

It didn’t mean anything.

“So beautiful, so intelligent. I chose the right Luna."

My heart fluttered traitorously. The thing was, I wanted to believe him, to imagine a world where his words weren't just pretty lies. Where we could build something real together.

"You don’t have to flatter me,” I purred, hoping to change the mood. Elroy groaned when I gripped his cock, giving it a loose pump to help it hurry to full hardness. I wasn’t going to lie to myself, I was drooling to have it in me.

He was just really good in bed, okay?

Elroy thrust into my hand a few times, face going lax as he enjoyed the sensation.

“Flattery implies exaggeration,” he murmured, looking down at me hotly as he caged me in with his arms. “I mean every word.”

I kissed him then, desperate to silence the hope blooming in my chest.

He took to it like a fish to water, though, instantly devouring my mouth like he owned it, and the whine I let out was embarrassing. My cunt pulsed. He was just…so good with his mouth!

That thought caught in my brain, and before I could second-guess myself I had one hand on top of Elroy’s head pushing him down my body. He couldn’t sing my praises if his tongue was occupied, now could he? By the time I’d pushed him past my breasts he’d gotten the message, and the dark heat in his eyes as he looked up my own stomach at me had me tensing in anticipation.

“Making demands, are we?” he teased, a devilish smirk crossing his face, but he crawled down my body on his own accord now. My heart thumped. Oh god, he was really going to do it.

“Well, I did so very well today,” I said, placing my thighs over his shoulders. “Wouldn’t you say I deserve a reward?”

Elroy’s answering smirk made me wish I hadn’t goaded him. Then his mouth made me very glad I did.

It was good. I knew it would be, but Elroy licked into my pussy like it was a meal, and he hadn’t eaten in days.

I gasped, immediately gripping his hair as sensation wracked through me. His eyes glinted at me as I looked down, and I knew I wasn’t going to last long. I knew he didn’t want me to.

“Good, good, suck—yes!” I muttered, more to myself than to him. Elroy latched his lips over my clit and shook his head like a dog, and I squealed. He alternated between long, wide licks and pinpoint sensation, and I was thrashing under him before I even knew it.

He hiked my legs further over his shoulders, pressing my soaking pussy even harder against his face, and I moaned as I fell apart. He growled into my pussy like drinking me down was a gift.

I didn’t wait to recover before pulling him up and hooking my leg around his waist.

“Come on,” I panted, reaching one hand down to spread myself. “Fill me up, Alpha.”

He entered me slowly, either out of deference to my still-trembling walls or for the safety of the baby. It didn’t matter which when my eyes were rolling into the back of my head.

I’d never had sex immediately on the heels of an orgasm before; it made everything so much more intense.

He kept his pace moderate, each drag of his cock shaking my foundations further, and before I even noticed it my whole world narrowed to the sensations of my body. Elroy was murmuring into my ear, the very same praises I’d tried to avoid, but this time I just let him.

He grunted eventually, his pace stuttering, and when his fingers found my clit I was gone.

Later, as moonlight spilled through the window and I lay awake, Elroy's arm draped across my waist, I cursed myself. First of all, his cum was slipping out of me, and even though I knew it wasn’t going to hurt the baby it still felt…wrong to have it in there. I could see why Elroy pulled out last time.

More important was the question: What had I done? I'd let my guard down, let him into my private space, and now I was trapped here until morning. We’d always had sex in the Ruby Room, where I could retreat to my own space whenever I wanted—now he was in my space, and that kept me on edge.

My body was tired enough to demand sleep, though, so at least I wasn’t laying awake all night.

Still, I woke up early and extricated myself from Elroy's embrace. I couldn’t stand the mess anymore, and what the shower didn’t wash away the bidet would.

Sadly, by the time I was done Elroy was awake. I busied myself at my dresser, not wanting to look at him.

"Good morning," Elroy said, voice rough with sleep.

I grunted noncommittally, shame and anger warring inside me. How could I have been so weak? Now I had to figure out how to kick him out!

"Is everything alright?" Elroy asked, padding across the room.

I flinched as his hand touched my shoulder. "Fine. I have a lot of work to do today."

That came out much sharper than I’d planned. The silence stretched between us, taut and uncomfortable. My fingers shook as I shuffled through my pants, hyper-aware of Elroy's presence behind me.

"I should go," he said finally.

I nodded stiffly, not trusting myself to speak. He stood there silently for another moment, as if he was waiting for me to tell him he could stay, but I didn’t. As the door clicked shut behind him, I slumped forward, burying my face in my hands.

I’d been a fool to let him in, to imagine even for a moment that his honeyed words were sincere. I couldn't make that mistake again.

Elroy returned an hour later, his face a mask of barely concealed irritation. Behind him loomed a tall, broad-shouldered man with piercing green eyes that immediately locked onto me.

"Olivia," Elroy said, his voice strained, "I'd like you to meet my brother, Astor. He'll be... assisting with your trial preparations."

Astor's lip curled as he looked her up and down. "So this is the Luna you chose, brother? Interesting."

I bristled at his tone but forced a polite smile. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Astor."

"I'm sure," he replied coldly.

Elroy cleared his throat. "Astor will be overseeing your investigation into the incident. He has experience in these matters."

The tension in the room was palpable, and my skin prickled with unease I she glanced between the brothers. There was clearly no love lost between them.

"The council didn’t mention a babysitter," I said, unable to keep the edge from my voice.

Astor's eyes narrowed. "Did you think you were going to handle this without any oversight? We can't have any... improprieties during such an important trial, can we?"

Elroy's jaw clenched. "That's enough, Astor. Just do your job."

"Oh, I intend to," Astor replied, his gaze never leaving me. I glared right back. Fucking council!

“It’s a…new decision made by the council,” Elroy told me, clearly just as unhappy about it as I was, but neither one of us was stupid enough to fight them on this. Not when they’d finally given me a duty, and especially not when that duty was to find missing pack members. “He won’t cause trouble.”

That last bit was a threat aimed at his brother, and I could tell Astor knew it. He just smirked.

“Of course not,” he said. “I would never get in the way of our Luna finally doing her job.”

I wished looks could kill. I knew mine was venomous, and Elroy’s looked about as feral as mine felt.

“I’m sure there won’t be a problem,” I assured, a silent promise not to let this Astor guy get under my skin. Elroy shot Astor one more dangerous look before leaving us to our investigation, but unfortunately the dark cloud in the room didn't follow him out. I could feel my new brother-in-law's eyes boring into the side of my face.

I turned away from Astor's piercing gaze, pretending to busy myself with the stack of documents on the desk. The silence stretched between us, thick and uncomfortable.

"So," I started, desperate to break the tension, "we’re heading to the library first. I took some baseline notes yesterday but I need more information. I take it the council will let me look over the actual files as long as you’re there?”

Astor's glare didn't waver, but after a moment, he gave a curt nod. "Fine. Let's get to work then."

Well, this was going to be a wonderful working relationship.