“Riannon!” Gideon brought her closer to him as she kicked and screamed. Confused at first, he soon realized something had happened to her. When she started crying, calling his name, he simply pressed her against him, holding her hands in place so she wouldn’t hurt herself.
“Mars,” he called his wolf, “Try reaching Onyx.”
His wolf growled in agreement, and he lost him for a few moments. Then Riannon opened her eyes, which were full of tears as she looked at him in disbelief. It was as if she was trying to recognise him, and for a second, he was worried she couldn’t.
“Gideon,” her lips trembled as she uttered his name, trying to catch her ragged breath and focused her gaze on him. She was shivering. When he let go of her hands, she reached for his face with shaky fingers. She carefully traced every strong line with her fingers.
“It’s me, Riannon,” his voice was practically a whisper because he was afraid to scare her, “It’s me. It was just a dream.”
“Gideon!” she threw herself into his arms, lacing her own around him so there wasn’t any air left between the two of them. She felt his warmth and breathed in his scent, tears burning her eyes. It was him. He was alive.
What she saw,it didn’t happen yet.
“Ria,” he murmured somewhere in her hair, “It’s all right. You are here, and so am I. We are fine. It was just a dream.”
“It wasn’t a dream!” Ria finally managed to distance herself from him. “Gideon, Onyx showed me the past. It was so horrible”
“We already knew it was horrible,” his voice was calm as he shifted away a strand of hair that stuck to her tear-stained face. His tranquility helped her find some inner peace as well.
“It’s different to know than to see.” She looked him in the eyes with a newfound determination. “We can’t let any of this happen. It was so bad-Gideon, me and Maya weren’t the only ones to die. I saw you holding Reid- dead-And then you-“
She stopped talking as tears suffocated her once more.
“I don’t want anything like that to ever happen to you.” She sniffed. He pulled her into a hug and let her cry as much as she needed. “This- future-It cannot- happen.” Her words were punctuated with sobs as she indulged herself in his warmness.
“Ria,” he sounded tense and his whole body was rigid. “Did you by any chance see Savvy there?”
“No.” She took a deep breath and sat up. “I didn’t see her. But-what I saw couldn’t mean anything good for her either. You lost the war. And you were betrayed too. Wolves were fighting wolves.”
“Tell me everything you saw,” he encouraged, placing his palms on her shoulders, “Every single detail.”
Beginning with her own murder and finishing with the last moment she saw him alive, Ria told him everything.
“I am so sorry you had to go through this.” He k!ssed her temple as he held her in his arms. She leaned over his chest, and he brushed circles with his fingers on her bare skin.
“l am fine now,” she said. It was the truth. The past faded and the close proximity to her mate definitely helped. Their bond gave her the confidence and strength she needed. Besides, her brain began ticking. Yes, it was terrible to see her own death, again. It was disgusting to see her enemies win, and it was heart-breaking to see her mate die. But in all those events she found crucial pieces of information.
“The Northern King,” she began, looking at Gideon,
“They were so afraid you would form an alliance with him. This is exactly what we need to do.”
“Yeah, about that,” the Lycan King stated, rubbing his forehead, “They worried for nothing. There is no way that as*hole and I would ever form an alliance.”
“I am sensing there is a story there,” Riannon commented, quirking her brow. Whatever their story was, she was sure she could persuade them both. Diplomacy was what she was born for.
“There is,” he admitted, “But, it’s not for today.
You’ve been through too much and you need rest. Let’s go to sleep.”
“No,” she stated, shaking her head and brushing her palm over his stubble covered cheek, “I don’t want to sleep. I want to be with you. I want you-“
“Riannon, you have no idea what those words do to me.” He let out a soft snarl, “what you do to me-“
“I don’t want to waste any of the time we have together,” she whispered, straddling him and leaning forward to touch his hot lips with hers. “If today proved anything, it is that every moment is precious. We didn’t meet each other in our past lives. Our possibility was wasted because of that. I don’t want to ever be separated from you. I don’t want to live a minute of my life without you. I want to have your mark on my neck and I want it now.”
“Ria,” an internal growl escaped his chest as it heaved up and down, “You know I want this more than anything. Bu- You deserve a beautiful ceremony. I want to give only the best to my queen-“
“Then give it to me,” she insisted, rising slightly, her body brushing over his, “But it’s not the ceremony that I want. Trust me, they are overrated. I had a beautiful marking ceremony once, and look how that ended. It means nothing to me. You, Gideon, mean everything to me. Give me your mark. Please.
“You don’t have to ask me twice,” he growled and in one swift move placed her back on the bed, towering over he, “When my Queen wants something, she doesn’t have to repeat herself.”
She wàs wearing a thin white silk slip, and he car3ssed her body through it, teasing her and making her arch her back in desire. Their breathing rose, becoming faster. When he pulled the fabric down to expose her br3asts, a sound of approval emerged from the depth of his body at the sight of her firm n!pples. He lowered himself and inhaled one while tugging the other in between his fingers as he took a handful of her.
A m0an escaped her, and then another. Riannon’s delicate fingers entwined in his dark hair as she encouraged him to go on. He tore off her and moved all the way up toward her face to crash his lips onto hers, to taste her. Their tongues tangled as they shared one breath, the k!ss overwhelming all their senses. At the same time, his hand rolled the silk up her waist to expose more of her to him. She laced her th!ghs around his torso and made him p*nt in instant need. His hardness was already evident against her stomach.
“Mark me,” she commanded when he finally broke free from her hold and took in her beautiful body.
“Not yet.” A menacing chuckle escaped him as his fingers found the fabric of her lacy underwear. He pulled it down and off, relieving her of it. Then he yanked her to the edge of the bed, kneeled in front and spread her wider for him. She felt his hot breath on her sensitive core and m0aned when his tongue finally reached it. He made one slow sensual stroke and watched her reaction as her body shuddered in his hands. Gideon liked what he saw, he liked the control he had over her pleasure.
Especially when he knew he would lose his own in a matter of mere minutes with thanks to his woman. He loved her too much, he wanted her too much.
“Gideon, please!” she almost whined, desperate for him to do more. He was happy to oblige, tasting her essence on his lips as his tongue probed her. Mars wanted to take over him, but it wasn’t time yet. Grasping the bare flesh of her bottom, the Lycan K ing placed her th!ghs onto his shoulders, going deeper and faster.
“Look at me,” he growled. She obeyed him, their eyes locking as her br3asts bounced slightly from his movements. He swore under his breath and moved his tongue to her sensitive bundle of nerves, while simultaneously inserting two fingers into her.
A loud m0an left her as he pumped his fingers in and out, curling them inside in search of her erogenous zone. He knew where it was and found it with ease, picking up speed. Riannon shuddered from all the pleasure that overtook her, but he held her in place with his free hand as he went on, and on, and on. Rel*ase exploded through her, making her forget her own name. Though not his. His name was on her lips the whole time as he kept car3ssing her and bringing her to her next cl!max.
“Gideon!” Her call became desperate in her need for him. As she approached her peak once again, he stopped, pulling his fingers out of her. She tried to catch her breath as she watched him questioningly. There was no way she was ready to stop now.
When he unbuckled his pants and discarded them, her lips curved into a little smile. She found the strength to stand right next to him and traced her palm all the way from his chest to his hardness. The lycan hooked the straps of her slip and made them fall to her feet.
She lowered herself slowly, still looking into his eyes, and stroked him gently a few times before bringing his hard flesh to her lips. Slowly, she wrapped her lips around him and took him in. As much of him as she could because there was no way to take of his length.
A growl escaped him. He entwined his fingers into her hair as if she was hís anchor. She drove him crazy in the best sense of the word and he threw hís head back, closing his eyes.
“What are you doing to me?” he muttered, “I –
Ria”
He stopped her before she realised his actions and scooped her into his arms, placing her back onto the bed and moving on top of her.
“I love you so much, do you know that?” he grunted as he rubbed his tip at her entrance.
“I know.” She smiled, because she loved seeing him like this; bedazzled with passion, consumed by his emotions. He was like this with her alone, and she loved the power she held over him.
“Good.” He nodded and pinned both her hands above her head. Lifting one th!gh, he entered her roughly.
She released a loud m0an as she curved her back for him. “I love you too. So much-“
“So good,” he snarled and began pounding into her as if there was no tomorrow. She was his perfect woman, his queen, his perfect Luna, and he couldn’t get enough of her.
She screamed in ecstasy every time he brought her to release, digging her nails into his flesh. This was the first time they were together since she had her wolf back, and every sense was heightened. For her and for him as well. With each thrust, with each mad k!ss their bond was getting stronger, and he didn’t think he could stop anymore.
Chanting her name, he took her again and again.
Then, when he felt they were ready, he lifted her up and placed her on his lap, letting her straddle him. Her silky skin was covered with beads of sweat and her wonderful scent filled his nostrils, making Mars go feral inside of him.
“From this day forward,” he vowed, moving her hair away from her neck to make sure nothing would get into their way, “You will belong to me alone, Riannon.”
He looked into her eyes, searching for approval.
“I have been yours for a while.” She smiled through tears which formed in her eyes.
“I wouldn’t have it any other way,” he confessed, thrusting into her again, her body bouncing on his as he held her while plunging into her again and again. She leaned over his firm chest and felt his canines grazing over her skin, where her ex-husband’s mark once was.
Now her neck was clear and ready for him. It was always his. Gideon’s.
“Forever!” A growl, which shook the walls around them, emerged from his chest as his sharp teeth sunk into her. She expected pain, much like the first time, but instead, Riannon experienced the most intense outburst of pleasure she had ever felt in her entire life. She couldn’t determine if she was m0aning or screaming for she was completely lost in the sensation.
She knew only one thing. Gideon needed to feel that too. So, she gathered the remnants of her strength and found his neck, k!ssing it at first to make sure she had the right spot. When she felt him pulsating under her and his gr0ans getting louder, she pierced him with her canines.
“Ria!” His voice did not sound human at all as he let his wolf take control with him. Pressing her tighter, their rel*ase reached them at the same time and his seed spilt inside of her. Riannon screamed and then hung limply in his arms, exhausted and panting. He fell back onto the bed, but he refused to let her go, choosing instead to remain holding her in his arms.
They could feel their marks healing; the tingling sensation was pleasant and soft.
“Finally,” he whispered, looking into her eyes and car3ssing her cheek. She couldn’t stop her lips from tugging into a smile. She was so happy with him, but this now seemed so múch more. It was all-consuming.
“Finally,” she repeated, fighting with her own eyes, which wanted to close.
“Sleep, my love,” he whispered and k!ssed her nose gently, “You need this. I will protect you. Nothing bad will ever happen to you again. That’s a promise.”
The one promise she knew he would do his best to keep.
Slowly, the world around her darkened as she allowed herself to drift off to sleep.
It was around the middle of the following day when she woke up and found him still there, next to her. He was sleeping but his hands held tightly to her, which made her grin from ear to ear.
She did not want to wake him up, so she placed a little k!ss where she could reach and wriggled out of his grasp in the hope to take a shower and brush her teeth before he woke up. A lot had to be done, but all she could think about was making him take her again. The night they shared was too good to just get back to business.
However, Ria also knew that they both had responsibilities and had already spent more time than they were allowed to. She had to think about what could be done when she passed a mirror.
In her reflection, she saw something incredibly beautiful, something she did not expect to see at all. Her mark was different from what she had seen on others.
Normally mated marks usually formed into an intricate tattoo-like pattern. However, she was now staring at two golden crescents facing each other. Golden! No one had ever had golden marks before!
“I told you the Moon Goddess blessed you,” Onyx chuckled in her mind.
Riannon túrned to look at what Gideon’s mark looked like, something she had forgotten to check on earlier and found him sitting on the edge of the bed watching her. He had two golden crescents too.
“Beautiful, isn’t it?” she bit her lip, trying to contain the excitement.
“Very,” he smirked, but his eyes were all over her n*ked body.
He was about to say something when her phone rang, disrupting their moment. Ria went to check, knowing that an Alpha couldn’t ignore any phone calls and was surprised to see her ex-husband’s name on the caller ID.