Chapter 29: That’s Not The Rea…
Riannon needed time to process what was happening. Why was he holding her
in his arms in the middle of the night and why did he barely have any clothes on?
And now that her mind went there, there was no going back. Werewolves were a
gorgeous race, but having her arms on a Lycan’s chest, the heat was spreading
fast all over her bloodstream. Gideon looked as if his body was carved out of
stone by a true master. With love and not sparing any effort to sculpture
perfection. His chest was so hard and all his body lines were so perfect that she
couldn’t form a proper word for a while.
“Are you alright?” He asked her as his fingers were pressing harder into her
flesh. She realised that she herself was wearing next to nothing. Just a flimsy silk
slip was all that separated their two very hot bodies.
“My king,” she said and immediately heard a growl, not being able to decipher
where it was one of pleasure of anger. However, her heart started beating faster
and her chest started going up and down... Gideon couldn’t ignore that as it was
creating some friction between them and he was barely managing it as it was.
“Riannon,” he said in a much lower voice than usual, “Call me by my name.
Please.” She sucked in a breath because he still did not let her go. And also she
still did not push him away.
“Gideon,” was all she said, again catching herself on the thought that she did not
ask him to leave. She should have done it and yet she hadn’t.
He was looking at her as if he was expecting this but at the same time, the look
in his eyes was strange and feral. As if he was about to devour her any second.
And she doubted if she would even mind that. Just what was going on between
them?
“You were screaming,” he told her, trying to clear his throat, “I was afraid that
something happened. And that’s why...”
“How did you hear me?” she asked and bit her lip, which made him let out a
heavy sigh. “Our rooms are adjacent,” he clarified the situation, “Goddess, Ria, I
thought someone attacked you.”
“No, no, sorry,” she shook her head, “I am fine. It was just a bad dream.”
Suddenly, he placed his palm on her chin and made her look at him, caressing
her gently with his thumb.
“What kind of dream make a person scream like that?” he looked her in the eye
in hope that she would open up to him. consequences, he pulled her into a hug.
Strong and warm. And just what she needed for a while. She relaxed into his
arms and he wrapped them tighter around her, inhaling her wonderful scent
deeply as long as he had the opportunity.
“You can tell me,” he whispered and she flinched at his words, knowing very well
that she couldn’t.
Gideon was a good man, she could tell. Even though he made the worst first
expression, he was earning points back very quickly. He seemed reliable. And
most importantly, he was generally interested in her and her wellbeing. She did
not have it with Brayden for a while.
But it was one thing to ask him for help with her divorce. It was perfectly normal
and understandable in her case. However, it was completely another thing to tell
him that she already lived her life, died and came back to fix her mistakes..
Who would believe in something like that? What if he thought that she was crazy
and refused to help her after all?
No, she couldn’t risk that much. He didn’t have to know. It didn’t make any
difference in the long run.
“It’s okay,” he said, distancing himself from her slightly to give her space, “You
don’t have to tell me. It’s fine.”
She found herself nodding. And also feeling guilty for some reason. As if she
owed him the explanation.
However, all that was gone as soon as she saw him lying down comfortably on
one side of her bed. She stared at him for a while, startled and confused. In the
meantime, the lycan king folded his hands under his head and closed his eyes.
“What are you waiting for?” he asked without any hint of embarrassment, “Go to
sleep.”
Riannon’s lips parted in shock. Just what did he think he was doing here?
“Excuse me,” she tapped his firm stomach. And yes, she could have gone for his
arm, yet somehow ended up feeling his washboard abs instead. Which he, in
turn, was flexing while pretending to sleep.
He did not respond and she coughed loudly.
“Excuse me!” she repeated herself, “What is the meaning of this?”
“The meaning of what?” he now looked at her curiously.
“Why are you lying on my bed?” It took all her inner strength to raise her chin and
look smile.
“Isn’t it obvious?” he said calmly.
“Not really,” the Luna in front of him folded her arms on her chest to his
disappointment. Only that he didn’t move a single muscle.
“I am staying here to keep you company,” he informed her.
“In bed?!” Riannon practically yelled at him but he remained reserved.
“Why not?” he asked her bluntly, “Since I am already here and you are having
nightmares that sound as if someone was killing you.”
Blood drained from her face as she heard his words. He had no idea how right he
was about everything.
And yet she couldn’t let him stay.
“You need to leave,” she sighed, exhausted.
“Give me one good reason why,” their eyes locked and Riannon realized that she
didn’t have any. So, she came up with the usual.
“It’s inappropriate,” she stated plainly, and he chuckled softly. He liked that she
was like that. She-wolves that weren’t even his mates were always happy to
share his bed. He didn’t even have to say anything. Just one look was enough,
and any woman was his.
But not Ria. She respected herself. Or maybe there was another reason?
“Do you love your soon to be ex-husband?” he hated even saying that out loud.
“No,” the Luna replied and covered her mouth, realising that she answered way
too quickly.
“Then again, what is the problem? I will just guard you at night and that’s it,” he
smirked, “I will not touch you... If you don’t ask me to.”
“As I have already said,” Riannin exhaled through her nostrils loudly, “This is
improper forus to stay like this. I mean... I wearing next to nothing.”
“No worries, it does not offend me,” he grinned at her and she let out an
exasperated sigh.
“But you could practically see..” she started saying when he interrupted her.
“I have already seen more,” the lycan king confessed and now her cheeks were
flushing not from embarrassment but from anger
“I have no doubts that you have seen women of all shapes and sizes, but that
doesn’tSo, please, go and find one of those...” She almost cursed, which she
never did.
“Oh, no,” he rolled to his side and rested his head on his hand, watching her
blush again,“ That wasn’t what I meant. I mean I saw you... as in all of you.”
She swallowed hard, meeting his stubborn and challenging gaze.
“What do you mean? I never...”
“...swim naked in the lake close to the border?” he smiled softly, watching her
realizing where he saw her the first time.
“That large wolf last time!” she gasped, “It was you!”
She remembered the majestic creature that couldn’t take his eyes off her and
swallowed hard.
“Yes, Riannon, it was,” he nodded, “I saw you enjoying yourself in the water
under the moonlight and let me tell you that it was impossible to forget you ever
since.”
“Oh, my Goddess!” she closed her face with her hands, feeling the heat of her
cheeks, but then looked at him quickly again, “Is that why you want me?”
Now everything suddenly started to make sense to her. Wolves were
predators.He saw a prey that he wanted and was ready to do whatever it took to
get her. But it wouldn’t last if that was the case.
“No, Riannon,” he cupped her face and leaned lower, so that their lips almost
touched,“ That’s not the reason. But it’s a part of it too. I am not going to hide the
fact that I want youmore than anyone and anything in this world!”
They were looking at each other, a million thoughts circling through their heads.
Riannon hesitated. This was so wrong. They barely knew each other. And she
was still married. Not that she owed anything to Brayden at this point. She didn’t.
And Gideon was... He was too tempting It felt as if he was able to fill the void in
her heart that formed after everything that she experienced. Somehow with him,
she felt... safe. That was why she couldn’t help but part her lips and this was all
the invitation that he needed.
He didn’t slam his lips into hers like she expected him to. He lowered and nibbled
them gently first, making her give him better access. And when their two hot
breaths mixed, he covered her mouth with his, deepening the kiss. Slowly. At
first. But the more he tasted her, the more he realized that the control he was so
famous for was slipping away. Bit by bit. Irrevocably. Until a wave of feral desire
overwhelmed him and he couldn’t tear himself off her anymore, towering over her
and kissing her madly, hectically. He waited for her for so many years without
even knowing. She was his, even if she didn’t know it yet.
But the best part was that she was responding to him. Her soft hands were now
sliding up his back, creating so many tingles that he thought he would explode.
He growled into her soft lips and she moaned, their breathing ragged. He was
only breaking away from her for a mere second here and there to gulp some air
greedily and then he was returning to her, devouring her and making her almost
whimper in his arms.
Riannon forgot about everything. What was clearly so wrong, felt so right.But her
whole body shuddered when she heard Onyx howling loudly in her mind. “What
happened?” Gideon reacted at once, worried to death that he did something
wrong.
“My wolf” Ria looked at him, shocked, “She was just here... I felt her.”
“That’s amazing,” he smiled, “Happy to help.”
He leaned lower to kiss her again but this time she placed her palm onto his
chest.
“What do you mean?” Riannon quirked her brow up. “She surfaces when you are
close to me,” he smirked, “Haven’t you noticed?”
She hadn’t. She didn’t even have time to think of it because she was dealing with
too much. But now that he said that out loud, he was right. The three times she
felt her wolf alive all happened to be when they were together. What could be the
reason for that? Was Onyx reacting to the lycan king’s power? Or was there
something else?
Her phone rang and she tried to ignore it. But it kept and kept ringing. Until it was
clear