Beast of Mine Read online

  Strange little princess, Lysander thought broodingly. Just as he predicted, she had bloomed like the perfect hothouse flower now that she had come into her own. Her emerald green eyes added an exotic slant to her elegant beauty, and her body was the perfect blend of sleek Lyccan strength and soft curves.

  She could have any man she wanted now, and men certainly wanted her back, and it was all he could do not to claw their eyes out. The beast in him was not the type to share, and Lysander's tension only eased when he the van door automatically sliding open.

  Lysander gently lowered Estrella to her feet and waited until she was safely enconsced inside before crouching down to all fours and following her. With his tremendous height, it was the only way he could get in, and even then, he had to break the armrests off before he could take one of the captain's seats.

  We'll need to customize---ah! Estrella squeaked in surprise when Lysander scooped her off her seat and placed her on his lap instead. Twisting around, she gazed up at him, confused. Lysander?

  Violet eyes glittered down at her. The beast in me...needs you...near...constantly.

  Estrella's lips parted in silent surprise. No one had ever been this possessive towards her before, and for it to be Lysander...

  The feel and sound of movement underneath them was a welcome distraction, and Estrella quickly looked away as the van started moving. Her cheeks felt a little too hot, and she resolutely pinned her gaze to the window, where she could see the crowd of humans lurching into movement as soon as their van rolled down the road.

  Lysander's attention was also drawn to the stampede. The moment their van sped away, the humans had seemed to turn into a zombie horde, running with their arms stretched out, pushing and shoving at each other for the sake of...a photo?

  Estrella saw Lysander's gaze snap back to hers after watching the humans nearly kill each other for a chance to get one clear shot of them. His puzzlement was obvious, and she remembered too late that all of this must still be new to him. Before he left, their existence had been a secret. Now, the whole world didn't just know them. Now, humans either feared or worshipped their kind...and neither was a good thing in the long run.

  "Your Highness." Alain's gaze drew their attention, and Estrella noticed the way Lysander's gaze had narrowed sharply at the twins. The two men were seated on the row opposite them, their handsome faces calm but unreadable.

  Estrella touched his paw, a tiny part of her worried that Lysander might have forgotten the decades-long friendship he shared with the two. You remember they're on our side, right?

  I...remember.

  Her brows furrowed. But?

  Instead of answering, he spoke of a different topic. Since when have humans known?

  Not long after you left. Estrella accepted the change of subject without question. Perhaps it was because she had always been the most quiet and overlooked of all the Moretti children, she had grown adept at reading the undercurrents of a situation. Instead of prying, she had learned to watch and wait, patiently biding her time until she knew it was the optimum moment to speak or act.

  And right now, what Lysander clearly needed most from her was to step back. Whatever issues he had with the twins, he intended to be the one to personally resolve it, and that was good enough for her.

  Lysander... She waited until his violet gaze found hers before making an attempt to show him her thoughts instead of merely speaking them in her mind. She wanted to see if she could use her own memories and have him see and relive them so that he would understand the events that had transpired and forced Domenico to reveal the truth about their existence.

  A vampire-led attack at a detention camp, with Danilo Moretti hoping to turn all the stateless immigrants and have them join his army. It would have been a complete massacre if not for Domenico being nearby and making the split-second decision to come to their rescue, even if it meant exposing the truth about his nature.

  At that time, it had just been Domenico and his brothers, but as soon as news of the fight reached the Moretti pack, the rest of his men rushed to join him in battle...along with all other Lyccan packs and Domenico's numerous allies from other races.

  From being outnumbered and standing at death's door, the tables had instantly turned and fortunes reversed, and the vampires had been forced to retreat. Lives had been lost, but more - so many more - had been saved, and it was in light of Domenico's selfless heroics that L'Alliance had come to pass.

  A moment later, she saw Lysander nodding---

  Oh thank God, it had worked!

  Such a thing could be incredibly advantageous, especially now that they were in war, and Estrella was about to exclaim (mentally) how happy this new shared talent of theirs made her when she felt Lysander suddenly stiffen just as the van rolled to a stop.

  They had finally reached her apartment building, and a huge platoon of Fae soldiers was waiting outside it, all of them eager to welcome their prince come back from life.

  "Lysander---"

  A snarl, one she heard not just in her mind but out loud, too, and feral enough to have the twins right away placing their hands on their sword handles.

  Tell everyone to...get out, Lysander gritted out. I need...to be...alone. With you. NOW.

  5

  Both beast and man struggled to regain control as the silence inside the van grew agonizingly taut. Lysander knew that Estrella could only have a lot of questions in her mind, but not once did she betray her confusion or fears. She remained on his lap, serenely still, her gaze somber, her heartbeat steady.

  I trust you.

  Everything about her whispered this, and bit by bit, the rampaging, churning emotions inside of him eased.

  Outside the van, the twins stood next to the platoon of soldiers, in position to formally welcome their prince.

  Or at least that was the plan.

  But whether that were to come true or not...

  Frustration clawed at his chest. He knew, more than anyone else, how much Faes were predisposed to detest anything animalistic, and so how fucking ironic it was, that Lysander, with the blood of Ammon coursing through his veins, might as well be the Prince of Beasts?

  He had to change. Now.

  But for that to happen---

  Estrella.

  Green eyes filled with concern readily flew up to his. What is it?

  I must...change...now. But...if I do...the beast in me...

  Estrella could sense Lysander's growing tension. "Whatever it is, it's okay. I promise you---"

  I must...take...you...first..

  "I can handle - what?" Estrella could feel her cheeks burning up as she tried to make sense of what she heard. Or what she thought she heard. Because maybe---

  You did...NOT...hear wrong.

  Estrella swallowed hard. Oh.

  You must...understand. Two years...thoughts of you... the only thing...kept me...alive. So the beast...I...we hunger. We crave.

  Her cheeks were now on fire, his words making her think of all sorts of erotically forbidden things.

  And when...I turn, I'm not...sure...I am...able to...control...myself.

  Estrella's heart slammed against her chest. Dear God. What did he mean he wouldn't be able to control himself? That the moment he turned back into a man, he would take one look at her, and he would...

  She cleared her throat. "You, um, said..." Oh dear God, this was so hard. "You would, um, take me...in some way?" Like, there was more than one way?

  The innocent thought, albeit unspoken, was something Lysander heard just fine, and it was just too fucking much. A growl of arousal escaped him as he sought to capture her gaze with his, just so she could fucking see in his eyes...

  Estrella's lips parted in shock at the amount of lust staring back at her. Ooooooh...myyyy.

  YES, Lysander snarled at her. There's more than...one...way!

  And this time, it was his turn to use her thoughts to show her---

  His throbbing, monstrously oversized cock thrusting into the folds
of her vagina...

  OR

  His cock deep-throating her...

  OR

  His cock devouring her virginal ass...

  Estrella's body instantly limp the moment the visions ended. Oh. My. God. What had she just seen? The future? Heaven? Both?

  Large, strong paws gave her shoulders a firm shake in a silent command to make her look up, and when their eyes met---

  Choose, Lysander snarled.

  She could barely think, could barely breathe, and he wanted her to choose?

  CHOOSE NOW, WOMAN!

  Panic struck.

  BEFORE I---

  The words were out before she realized what she was saying. "M-mouth! I choose mou---aaaah!"

  One moment she was on his lap, another moment she was on her knees on the van's carpeted floor, and a blaze of ice-cold wind had just slapped her on the face. When she opened her eyes again, a beautiful man was seated in front of her...naked.

  Lysander!

  Long black hair that still turned violet under the light. Eyes that played all the shades between lavender and violet. And the most beautiful face in the world---

  He wordlessly reached for her chin, cupping it and applying pressure until she had no choice to open her mouth---

  His cock filled her vision a moment later.

  Oh God.

  And it was exactly the way his visions had shown her.

  Longer than it should be. Thicker than what could ever be normal. And when it finally slipped between her lips...

  Her eyes flew open.

  She realized that it could also move so much faster than what one could expect.

  InOutInOutInOutInOutInOut

  So, so fast. There wasn't even time to breathe. But it was also...oh God, it was also...exquisitely, painfully good.

  InOutInOutInOutInOutInOut

  His fingers came to grip her hair, his hands holding her head still...and then his cock was pushing all the waaaaaaaaaaay....doooooooooooown...

  STAR.

  Her name was not just a roar in her mind but also a hoarse growl of release in the real world.

  And then he was coming. And coming. And coming.

  And she drank it all in.

  Oh, if only...

  If only this moment could last forever.

  But of course, it didn't, and ten minutes later, with Lysander having put on the change of clothes Aluin had discreetly slipped inside the van, Estrella had no choice but to accept this the moment Lysander pulled the door open.

  The soldiers began to cheer, clapping, whistling, and yelling bawdy words of encouragement as Lysander helped a now red-faced Estrella out of the vehicle. While the warmth in which they were being welcomed pleased the Fae in him, the other half...it still wasn't used to having this many men surround his mate. The beast in him craved to make a mark for everyone to see, and it was not to be ignored.

  Beside him, Estrella wasn't feeling too comfortable either. It had just occurred to her that there was a good possibility Lysander's soldiers were cheering simply because they knew exactly what had happened in the van? Like maybe, they had guessed that she had gone down on her knees---

  No, stop that, Estrella.

  She squared her shoulders. Whether they knew or not, it didn't matter. Shouldn't matter. Right? She and Lysander were married, and if it just so happened that her first kiss had happened between her mouth and his thing---

  Lysander, having listened to his mate's thoughts the whole time, could no longer help it. In the middle of talking to his generals, he took hold of her wife's shoulders to spin her around to face him, and as soon as their gazes met---

  We should...remedy...your first kiss.

  She was confused at first, but when she saw his lips folding into a smirk, she realized he had heard her mentally freaking out about the nature of their first kiss - and intended to do something about it.

  Never mind if they had his very best soldiers surrounding them.

  Oh dear.

  She tried to take a step back, but he was too fast for her, and he had already cupped her face, his head bending down---

  Lysander, everyone will see---

  A gruff chuckle played in her mind.

  I'm sure...they'll enjoy...the show.

  Her eyes widened. What kind of answer was tha---mmph! His mouth covered her without warning, his tongue thrusting in between lips that had parted in surprise, and Estrella was so stunned she couldn't even think of resisting. There was no foreplay at all...and somehow, that just made the kiss so, so much hotter.

  His tongue pushed deeper, and her arms went around his neck as his lips moved with the most sinful kind of mastery. So, so good. This kiss...it was just so good. Too good. And when she heard his voice in her mind---

  Mine.

  The savagely possessive note in it made her forget everything, every bone inside her body melting at the sound of it.

  Ma belle...etoile.

  Her eyes smarted with tears. Oh, those words. She was no longer a little girl. She knew exactly what they meant now - what it meant for him to speak in that language, and her body began to tremble and ache in the most unbearably exquisite way.

  Say it. Say...you're mine.

  This time, there was an almost brutally pagan quality to his command, and the sound of it made Estrella's head whirl even as she found herself helplessly submitting to it.

  I'm yours, husband.

  His hand in her hair tightened as soon as she whispered the words, and heat curled in her stomach as his kiss changed. She didn't think he could kiss her any harder, but he could, and he did, and oh, how her er mouth felt bruised and swollen in the loveliest way possible now.

  Same...for me.

  A moan escaped her when she realized what he was saying, and even as her eyes stung at the beauty of it, she couldn't help but whisper in her mind, Yes. You're mine, too.

  6

  Estrella's apartment had been a wedding gift from Domenico, even though at that time, he had made it public that the Moretti pack did not approve of her marriage. I've never lived here, though, she took pains to let Lysander know as the elevator whizzed them up to the penthouse floor. And the only reason we're here now is because it's the closest place we own, and I don't want to risk traveling at night.

  Beside her, Lysander simply nodded. His thoughts were completely masked, his silence unnerving. It wasn't that Lysander was the talkative sort in the past, but in those days, he had a more easygoing manner about him, and he didn't choose his words as carefully as he did now.

  When they reached her floor, the twins stepped out first, along with the half-dozen soldiers that accompanied them. Lysander and Estrella were the last ones out, and although his hand immediately took hold of hers as they walked down the hallway, he remained quiet otherwise.

  Is everything alright? she finally couldn't help asking.

  But he only nodded.

  You're sure?

  Another nod, but Estrella still felt something was wrong, and as soon as they were inside his apartment, and he was closing the door behind them, she couldn't help confronting him, hands planted unconsciously on her hips as she said his name. "If there's something wrong---" Her words ended with a gasp as the next thing she knew, Lysander already had her up against the wall, with one hand curving under his bottom while another imprisoned her wrists over her head.

  Need you...again.

  So that was what was wrong---

  The rest of her thoughts disappeared under the hard press of his mouth, and not once did it even occur to her to resist. This was Lysander. Her first love. Her husband. Her mate. Of course, she'd give him her all.

  And as these thoughts ran through Estrella's head, Lysander was listening, his hunger for her growing with every word. Her complete surrender to him blew him away, and it ate at his control. He was hoping he could be gentler with her this time. But it was impossible. Fucking impossible, when she was this hothouse flower he had been dreaming about for years.

  Estrell
a could only whimper as the rugged sensuality of Lysander's kiss had every part of her melting. His kiss was just the right touch of brutal that the punishingly deep dive of his tongue only made her buckle and writhe under his passionate onslaught.

  Please, she begged him in her mind. She wanted to get closer. Feel more. Ache harder.

  But he resisted and responded by tormenting her even more. Her nipples, now pebble-hard with need, constantly scraped against his chest, but no matter how much she rubbed herself against him, no matter how much she pleaded---

  Husband...oh God, please!

  He just wouldn't touch her breasts, and the pressure just kept building---

  His tongue pushed deep.

  And building and building---

  So, so deep that it reached the most secret parts of her mouth.

  And then it just suddenly happened, her orgasm coming like a stealthy, overwhelming wave of pleasure that she had no hopes of escaping. She could only sob his name as it took her completely by surprise, over and over she sobbed his name as she willingly drowned in the agonizing, scorching bliss of it---

  Lysander. My Lysander. Mine.

  Lips brushed against hers as the last waves of pleasure shook Estrella's body.

  Yes...

  Yours.

  Always.

  The twins came to their feet as soon as their prince stepped out, and the first thing they sensed was the change in him. The raw energy pulsing within Lysander's body still possessed a dangerously primeval quality to it, but his power no longer felt as volatile or violent. His presence was more Fae than beast...or at least it was for now.

  When their questioning gazes met Lysander's, the prince simply nodded at their unspoken question.

  Yes.

  The two brothers exchanged glances. Since the princess' gasps a few minutes ago were more than enough clue to what the couple had been doing, and then there was also the way they had made the van shake like there was a tornado locked inside it...wasn't Lysander basically saying...he constantly needed to fuck his bride in order to remain, well...calm?