Chapter 29
Aurora’s POV
What is it with assholes thinking they can corner me and touch me without my consent?
Clutching at my chest, I take several deep breaths. I stare at the door Jackson just walked out of, wondering if anyone noticed he was in the women’s bathroom.
“Next time a man touches you or tries to touch you without your consent, tell me. I won’t allow it.”
Thorne’s words echo in my mind as I begin to come down from the fear induced adrenaline rush. I promised I would tell Thorne if someone bothered me, but should I tell him now or wait until we’re in private? If I tell him now, will he do something about it?
With the intention of telling Thorne what Jackson had done, I make my way down the corridor and to the dining hall. Most people are sitting and eating, but a few are standing around talking. I search the room, immediately spotting Jackson who stands not far from me.
A chill runs over me, but he doesn’t notice me. His eyes are focused across the room on Thorne and the woman who invited me to this party. Emma. I glance from Emma to Jackson, searching for any sign of a connection between the two of them.
Had she invited me so Jackson could corner me?
I didn’t get the sense of deception in her invite, but maybe she’s good at hiding her intentions. Like Jackson is.
Turning my eyes back to Emma, I watch as she flirts with Thorne. She touches his arm, laughs, and talks animatedly. He talks with Emma, but he isn’t as telling as she is. With the way she holds herself, I think she likes Thorne, but he isn’t giving any signals. He’s not touching her back.
There isn’t even a smile on his face as he talks to her.
It’s nothing new, I realize. All night, he’s been approached by women who have tried to flirt with him. He spoke politely with them, not flirting back. They didn’t interact with me, which I was fine with.
The rumors I’ve heard say that Thorne is a ladies man, but again, I don’t know what to think about that. I haven’t seen him be intimate or even interested in another woman. It kind of bothers me that he lets them swarm around him, and I have to remind myself that I have no claim over the man. We’re not actually dating or together.
The only binding us together is a contract that could end at any moment.
Even so, I find myself moving toward Thorne while thinking of ways to get Emma to leave him alone. I would like to tell him about Jackson, but not with her or anyone else listening. Everyone here already thinks I’m weak, so I don’t need them to confirm that fact.
I’m thinking of something to say to Emma when I reach Thorne’s side, but before I get even five feet away from him, he looks right at me.
He says something to Emma when he sees me, and then he walks away from her. A little spark of happiness hits me square in the chest as he comes to me, leaving the other woman behind, and I try to squash the rogue emotion.
“Are you alright?”
Can he tell that I’m still shaken up from being cornered by Jackson? Is that a werewolf thing, being able to read someone’s emotions without them saying anything?
“I’m fine, now,” I tell him, glancing at the people around us. My eyes briefly meet Jackson’s, and I jerk my head around. “I think I’m going to go home.”
Before I can make up an excuse, Thorne nods and says, “I’ll come with you.”
I didn’t expect his response, and I can’t stop my mind from wondering if he’s leaving so he can spend time with me. Then I remember our contract and the fact that we haven’t slept together in several days.
That must be it. He must want to sleep with me tonight since it’s been a while.
However, I can’t help the sliver of hope that sprouts in my chest when he smiles down at me and guides me out of the room with a light hand on my back.
We make it back to my temporary house quickly. I didn’t say anything the entire ride because my mind kept going back and forth on whether to tell him about Jackson. I want to, but I also don’t want him to get upset.
“Are you going to tell me why you looked like you saw a ghost after coming back from the bathroom?” Thorne asks as he closes the door behind us. “Or why you smell like Jackson?”
I look down, cringing at his question. He noticed.
Of course he did.
“The truth, little human.”
“I-I was going to tell you; I swear, Thorne.”
“Tell me what?” He growls, backing me up against the door. I don’t feel threatened like I did with Jackson, and that makes me feel better.
“I promise I’ve been trying to stay away from him like you asked, but Jackson followed me into the bathroom and—”
Thorne takes my chin between his fingers and lifts my eyes to his, “Did he touch you?” His gravelly voice makes me shiver. I nod in his hold. “Where?”
“H-He grabbed my chin, like you do, to make me look at him…”
Thorne’s grip tenses and falls away from my chin, and honestly, I miss his touch. I don’t want anyone else touching me, but I like when Thorne does.
“Don’t compare me to that mutt,” Thorne growls, then he surprises me by leaning in and kissing me. This kiss is softer than the others, sending a wave of comfort through me. Even as he wraps his arms around my body and lifts me, I feel safe.
He says nothing, just kisses me, trailing them down my neck as he carries me to my room and drops me on the bed. He has us undressed in seconds before his mouth and fingers are on me.
“Th-Thorne,” I gasp, arching into his touch.
“I’ll deal with him, Aurora. Right now, think of nothing else,” he growls, notching himself at my entrance. I couldn’t think of anything else even if I wanted to because the moment he enters me, my mind is only on him and the heat that sparks through my body.
His lips find my neck again, and I grip his shoulders, lifting my hips to meet his. Every movement takes me higher, clearing and muddling my mind all at the same time. I can’t focus on anything but his touch and the pleasure he brings.
“I-I…”
Thorne silences me with his lips on mine and his thumb flicking my clit. I cry out, stars dancing in my vision as I tumble over the edge of an orgasm.
The resounding growl that follows sends a shiver through my body, and I chase the high.
“More, Thorne,” I beg, trying to quicken our pace. Thorne has other ideas because he turns me over, lifting my ass in the air as he growls again. His hands grip my hips, pulling me back into his thrusts and making me moan at the new sensation.
“Good girl,” he whispers in my ear, sending shockwaves of lightning through me. “For obeying and telling me about that mutt. Accept your reward.”
I do. I take everything he gives me, forgetting all about Jackson and the fear from earlier.
