Greymoor Academy: I Accidentally Bonded With Four Lycan Royals!

Chapter 205: 205. Samhain II

Maisie

My ankles locked behind him as I began tugging at his buckle haphazardly. His mouth moved from mine, kissing my chin, sucking my neck, nipping my pulse. ”Your scent--it’s changed--it’s driving me bug-fuck insane,” he rasped.

I pushed my hand down his pants and growled when I found yet another layer of clothing. ”I need--”

”Really, Jer?” Soren drawled from the door. ”You had one job.”

”Fuck off,” Jericho growled against my neck, not pausing at all as he hiked my dress higher until his fingers teased my panties and he began rolling them down over my ass. ”We’ll be down in five.”

I glanced over Jericho’s shoulder as he dipped his head to bite my collarbone and my gaze landed briefly on Soren—who was in all black to match me—before my eyes crossed at the push of Jericho’s hand between my legs.

”Put your dick back in your pants, Ivanov,” Soren muttered in an annoying drawl that made me want to scratch out his eyes and kiss him in the same breath. ”We have to go. Right now. And we all know five minutes won’t do it for you.”

”Shut up,” Jericho growled and my head fell back against the mirror as he abandoned finding my zipper and began kissing my cleavage through my dress. ”Join in or get the fuck out.”

I nodded enthusiastically, a hum of pleasure escaping me as I rocked hard against Jericho, though my gaze was heated on Soren.

He dragged his thumb across his bottom lip, and for a moment, I thought he would take off his fancy watch, roll up his sleeves, and walk over. He wanted to. I could tell from the way his eyes darkened on me. On my face. My hair. My body in the dress. And my bare legs wrapped around Jericho.

He did walk over, but only to grab my chin and place a soft kiss onto my mouth. ”Later, I promise.” Without looking away from me, he said to Jericho, ”Tonight is important. We can’t have you distracted, and you know that.”

Jericho cursed what I was sure was Russian profanities under his breath before he drew away, but not before pressing a kiss to my cheek.

Disappointment and sadness weighed heavy in my heart. There wouldn’t be a later.

But I forced it all down. ”Why? What’s happening tonight?”

There was a soft, genuine happiness in Soren’s eyes as he finally took note of the ring on my finger. His touch sent a zap of heat down my spine as he ran his thumb over the band with a growing smile. ”Change.”

***

The Night Shade pack was filled with guests, the night sparkling brightly with celebration. Laughter filled the air, champagne glasses clinked against steel and the light from the chandeliers above flooded the hall in a warm glow.

But I felt none of it.

I was keenly aware of the fact that it was four hours to midnight. And everything in me was on edge. My eyes kept scanning every wall, every corner, like I expected rogues to be hiding there with weapons, waiting for the moment the Queen arrived.

”Relax, cherie,” Quinlan said into my ear, squeezing my fingers where they were entwined with his reassuringly. ”We’re here with you.”

He mistook my trembling for nerves. It was true that this was the first time I was back at the Night Shade pack Lana’s engagement when I got banished and named rogue within these very hall. And not much had changed since then.

Reid and Tucker still manned the doors and deferred back to Alpha Dante. Claire was still shoving her tongue down some Alpha heir’s throat. Cole was still glaring at everything--including me--like we were all beneath him. You would think he would even try to pretend he was happy about this wedding.

Luna Kaida still flounced about, screaming and terrorizing the maids about the littlest things in one second, while smiling sweetly at the guests in the next second.

Mrs. Braxton still followed Luna Kaida everywhere, agreeing to everything she said even if it was all shit. And Beta Braxton was still too busy glaring at Regina and Jenny as they drank all of the booze straight from the bottle, snarling at Regina to go entice an Alpha heir... or rather, her new prospect who she was painstakingly avoiding.

Even the Head Cook barely spared me a glance as she yelled for more glasses of champagne to brought over. Because there could never be too much alcohol at these things.

I swallowed, watching them go about their normal lives, oblivious to what was coming. And I envied them for it. For getting to live however they wanted, while only I was forced to bear this terrifying weight on my shoulders.

Alpha Dante lowered his head in a bow, though, his jaw was locked tightly. ”Prince Soren.”

Soren had a lazy smirk playing on his mouth. ”Dante. Surely, we can put behind all of this unpleasantness behind us for this joyful occasion.”

Cole looked like he had swallowed stone at Soren’s emphasis on ’joyful’.

Alpha Dante’s ears turned red. ”Unpleasantness? You tried to kill my son. On several occasions.”

Mercer’s grin was dark and malicious. ”We still haven’t forgotten what he did, Dante. Harming one of ours, our mate and the prince, no less, is an unforgivable crime. Be grateful we aren’t here to collect in kind. In blood and in death.”

Silence fell over the hall at the threat and Alpha Dante bristled, his dark eyes flicking to Cole, whose gaze remained defiant and hateful on me. But when Jericho took a step forward, he balked and cringed away, possibly remembering what it was like to get punched in the face by him.

The tension rose as every wolf in the hall huddled closer, as if preparing for a fight. But a different, more powerful presence, cut through the air, and my mates stiffened around me as the reverent whispers reached our ears.

The Lycan Queen had arrived.

***

Soren pressed his mouth to the Queen’s knuckles in a public show of affection that had the crowd staring on in awe. The Lycan Queen patted his head gently with a loving smile in place.

Not one person would’ve suspected the tension or dislike that welled between them.

Mercer repeated the same and got a kiss to his cheek. Jericho went next. And then, Quinlan. And then I was standing a few feet away from her, counting how many steps it would take to cross the distance and tell her that her life was in danger in this place, even if I still hadn’t noticed anything out of the ordinary.

Goddess.

I felt sick to my stomach as she watched me with iridescent eyes that looked greener tonight, fearsome in her perfection, utterly still and calm and radiating that infuriating grace.

And when I didn’t move first, she smiled, blood red lips parting to reveal a perfectly white smile. ”Come, daughter.”

My mates tensed around me.

My feet moved of their own volition and the ruby on the crown pulsed erratically as I closed the distance between us, even when

The Lycan Queen wrapped her arms around me and pulled me into her embrace. She still smelled intoxicating. Like the sweetest poison. And though, she wasn’t much taller than I was, she felt vast and large against me.

Her mouth moved against my ear. ”Odd, isn’t it?” she crooned. ”Whenever you’re near, I hear the voices even louder. Do you know what they tell me?”

I blinked. I had no idea what she was talking about, but she continued anyway. ”They tell me you will kill me. With a knife to my heart.”

My legs weakened as her grasp around me grew tighter. I couldn’t speak. She was suffocating me without even touching me.

Her hands ran up and down my back with a gentle, motherly caress. ”I realized today that I never gave you a wedding present. Would you like one now?”

It was a trick question, considering no one could refuse the Queen. ”I-I would appreciate it.”

I felt her smile against my ear. ”Good. Because I have prepared something for you tonight. And I promise it is something you’ll never forget.”