Chapter Thirty-Three

Celina

I wake up screaming in agony. There is a hard throbbing between my legs that I cannot control. My first heat and it sucks. There is a reason they call it heat. I’m sweating and feeling like I’m stuck in the middle of the Sahara. I need relief and fast.

I look around and Chris is nowhere to be found. I think I’m in his room, since it smells heavily of him. He has red and white sheets. His top sheet is made of silk, but the actual sheets are satin. There is a fire pit close to a double-wide balcony, with a flat-screen mounted to the wall above it. His walk-in closet is open, and I see he’s already added my clothes to it. Right when my eyes land on the joint bathroom I’m off the bed and sprinting to it.

Quickly, I turn on the cold water to its lowest setting and stop the plug in his massive white marble jet tub. I strip off what, I’m assuming is, Chris’s button-up shirt and sit in the water, breathing in relief as my body immediately begins to cool.

This tub is massive and it’s up to my neck sitting. My feet don’t even come close to touching the other end. Considering how tall the owner is, I can understand the need for its size. I pull my hair up over my head and lean back to relax.

While I relax I look around. He has a large vanity mirror and his and her sinks. Only his products are on the counter, but I’m assuming the need for the ‘her’ portion of the sink was for his ex. I roll my eyes at that and glance a little further, noticing a black steam shower that is roughly big enough to be a small studio. The water jets out from the walls and a bench is in there for the person to sit down to take a steam.

“Bitch,” Mara pants, startling me, “Where the hell have you been?”

“Me?” I demand, my fingers curling, “Where were you? Our stupid wannabe mate nearly bit me. I couldn’t shift. I couldn’t feel you. I couldn’t even fight. I was on my own. Where the hell were you?”

“You accepted Christopher as your mate. We’re temporarily disconnected while I am turning into a beast. Once I’m finished, then it’s your turn.”

“Turning into a beast?”

“Think of it being like a vampire biting a human. It’s a little hard to explain. Either way, it’s exceptionally painful and it’s going to hurt more than when you first shifted into a wolf.”

“That’s just perfect,” I groan, still unable to shift my hand. I hate that Ruben is going to be right. “I take it I won’t be able to shift again until you’ve fully gone beast mode.”

“Nope, because I can’t even shift.”

“I really should have waited until we killed Sephtis and his nutbag partner. Did you know we nearly killed him once? And, get this, his mate is dead so I’m pretty sure that’s why he’s clinically insane.”

“Did he kill his mate?”

“No idea, but I wouldn’t put it past him.” I groan as I squeeze my legs tighter. “Stupid heat,” I mutter as I sink further into the frigid water.

“Did you actually see the human or just his beast?” Mara asks, annoyed that I can’t recall meeting him before, even though we apparently battled.

I picture him for her and feel her slowly pace; her body clearly in pain. “His eyes are familiar, and they remind me of Danny’s, but he’s not Danny. We felt him die when I snapped his neck.”

Mara paces as she mulls that over. “He does seem familiar in some way, but he has to be a rogue. I would have remembered if we had met his human self before.”

“That’s what I’m thinking. That’s nearly a hundred lycan rogues we’ve killed since we were eighteen.”

“What about the ones that got away?”

“I don’t think any ever did. Not with that wound. Then again, it’s clear he’s survived that move; so what do I know?”

Mara falters in her pace and stumbles. Unwillingly she lies down while breathing hard. A small smile touches my lips as I shake my head. “Sleep little wolfie. I’ll scream if I need you.” She growls at the word wolfie, but she retreats enough to rest.

Putting my hand between my legs and squeezing tightly, I sink into the water just below my nose. I didn’t know this much pain could be produced from a heat, and I’m desperate to dull it. Nothing short of a male’s touch will fix it. I can smell my heat, which means the others can. This so isn’t fair. It will be like this for three days unless I have sex. Since I’m not getting pregnant, I get to experience it again next month. And they said ovulation pain doesn’t exist.

“Celina,” Chris calls out, entering the bedroom with obvious fear in his voice.

Instead of calling for him, I splash. I don’t want to come out of this water, since it’s the only thing helping me. Amusement replaces his worry when he sees me in the water. He bites his lower lip so not to laugh, but it instantly charges my hormones. Seriously? The fact that he’s wearing a suit isn’t helping. He must have come from a meeting.

He sits next to me and watches me as he starts to stroke my hair. His eyes are dilated; smelling my arousal and heat. “Why didn’t you call me?”

I glower at him and just sink further into the water.

This time he does chuckle, “Would you like some help with your heat, or do you want to finish your bath?”

Without wasting a second of his offer, I grab his arm and pull him into the water; making water pool out on the floor while he yelps in surprise. I kick the plug out with my foot as I shift us so I’m on top swiftly.

I start tearing at his pants while he grabs my thighs. “You’re a little eager.”

Ignoring his comment, I sit on him and start grinding against him, encouraging him to harden while the water sloshes over his chest. He moves so he’s sitting up and starts circling my breasts with his tongue. I moan while my entire body begins to ache for him. To soothe the need, I slip him inside of me, making him growl in his arousal while I cry out in relief.

As I ride him, I move his lips to mine, pushing into him as I wrap my fingers around his wet hair. His fingers dig into my ass while an intense pressure quickens my speed, searching for a release.

My back arches as I throw my head back while pure ecstasy ravages my body. “Chris,” I cry with an orgasmic release.

He growls as he grabs my back and twists so he’s on top. He pushes in deeper as he leans toward me. He hooks my legs and pushes them straight up while I cry out his name once more; begging him to go faster.

Eagerly, he fulfills my request and leans in closer. “Breathe,” he reminds me in a sensual whisper. A sharp gasp comes from me, forcing air into my lungs in a quick release. I hadn’t even realized that I’d been holding my breath.

“There you go,” he chuckles before thrusting harder into me. His hand skims my raised leg before hooking it behind him. He pushes into me, putting his lips on mine while I try to remember how to breathe. My fingers twist in his hair while I refuse to let him move even an inch away from me.

I can feel my back arching into him, trying to find some way to cope with the sheer amount of euphoric pleasure coursing through me. Each pump he brings me is bringing me to my release, and my entire body is squirming heavily in its anticipation.

My body quakes as my legs tremble when my release finally does come. I bite into Chris’s mark and wrap my arms around his back to hold him in place.

“Celina,” he breathes as a shiver runs down his spine, right before his body tenses and fills me.

Panting, we lay there in silence, while he’s locked into me. I rub the back of his head while his hips still slightly tremble. I’m enjoying this moment, and feeling like my normal self. Eventually, he lifts his top half and kisses me. A small giggle escapes while I look at his completely ruined suit.

He looks down to see why I’m laughing then shakes his head. “Man, I liked this suit. It was my lucky one.”

I smirk while his eyes sparkle with mischief. “Why did you need luck today?”

He gives a hard sigh. “Because I was hoping I could talk my father into postponing your coronation.”

I choke. “Wait, what? When was this decided?”

“At the airport on the way here.” He looks me over. “Besides your heat, how are you feeling?”

I stretch as I think about it. “A lot better than before.” I give him a tired look. “Why am I having a coronation? It’s not exactly a good time, and your father hasn’t even stepped down. We’re not even legally married, so technically I have no claim to the throne whatsoever.”

He raises his eyebrow. “I’ve marked you. In the beast kingdom, that is better than marriage and it’s more permanent than any piece of paper. I agree with you that it’s bad timing, but he won’t listen.”

“Does he know that giving me an official title is only going to encourage my idiot stalker?”

“Yes, and it’s not phasing him.”

I give him a hard look, “Is your Dad trying to kill me?”

Chris bursts out laughing. “Not even close. He’s trying to make our mateship, and your title official; before that creep can kill you.”

I give a hard sigh. “Did you find anything out about him?”

Chris shakes his head. “I haven’t heard from him since last night. The last I saw of him, he was dragging himself out of the dumpster. I managed to get him to retreat, and that’s thanks to the strength your bite has given me.”

I grimace when I notice fading slash marks on his face. A half inch over and he would have blinded Chris. “Thank you for intervening. He was toying with me by the time you arrived. We both learned I can’t shift at the same time, and he took full advantage of that.”

Chris growls, “I hate this man. I haven’t even seen his human form, so there is no way I can put the guards on the lookout for him.”

I take a deep breath. “ I have,” I admit sheepishly. “When he first came into the bathroom, he was in his human form. He wouldn’t give me his name, but his eyes reminded me so much of your brother’s. I also had slashed his neck once, and he said it nearly killed him and he had to force a mate just to survive. His mate is dead.”

His lips purse as he glowers. “I don’t like the sound of that. Losing a mate is enough to drive anyone to madness. Add to that, that he’s a rogue…I’m not liking those odds.”

“Losing his mate, yes, but he’s strong enough to be an alpha,” I point out.

“Meaning?”

“Meaning he is probably the one that is leading those rogues, and is likely the one that ordered the attacks on the packs.”