Claimed By My Husband's Enemy novel Chapter 29

Chapter 29

Chapter 29

(Eli)

“How did you do that, Vicious?” Creed whispered in my ear as he positioned himself behind me, like he was blocking the guests from seeing me as we stood at the balcony to watch the fireworks display.

“Do what?”

“Charm them with your madness. How come you never use that trick on me?”

“I didn’t do anything, Black. I just noticed how some of them reacted upon talking to you, like they were intimidated by you. Maybe all they needed was to be reminded of the good things about them from time to time to feel good about themselves. It’s what I do. When I’m feeling down myself, I’d remind myself that I’m too damn beautiful to give up,” I answered playfully.

It was easier to breathe now that the dinner was over, and we were out of the suffocating hall since the attention was no longer on me. “If I die, mom won’t get to see my beautiful face anymore.”

“For all your eccentricities and bullshit, that’s one thing I can’t object to, Vicious.”

“Are you finally admitting that I’m beautiful?” I clicked my tongue. “That’s no good, Black. Don’t get all soft on me now.”

He chuckled and dropped a wet kiss on my exposed shoulder before biting. Hard, I felt the intensity right between my legs. “When you went to the ladies’ room with Lizbeth, Terrence told me how you dealt with Lord Rune’s daughter.”

“Respect is mutual, Black. Rudeness? Also mutual,” I replied, trying hard not to sound like I was panicking. “Did I break our agreement? Should I have kept quiet?”

“No. You did well, Vicious. Never let anyone belittle you in or out of this realm. Do whatever is necessary to protect yourself including using my name, my pack, and me.”

I hated how my heart raced all of a sudden. “Why?”

“Because no mate of mine should ever be mistreated. Anyone who will try will be dealt with immediately.”

Creed was crazy. And that craziness was contagious. Because I must have gone crazy as well. That was the only explanation why I liked how that sounded. Dark but promising. For many years, I was my own protector. Nobody was truly there to protect me. It was tiring to be strong, of holding things together on my own.!

There was literally no reason for me to trust another man again after being terrorized and disappointed by them for so long, but maybe I could trust those words. Just for tonight.

“That sounds nice. Even if it’s only for a few weeks. Thank-” I paused, shook my head, and grimaced. “Wait. Why would I thank you? You brought me here, Black. It’s your responsibility to take care of me while I’m here.”

Creed didn’t comment on that. He just wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me to his front tighter. We watched the fireworks together, something I’d seen numerous times with Landon although the view tonight seemed more beautiful for some reason. More colorful. More… peaceful.

After the fireworks and everyone moved back to the function room for some music, Creed stopped walking after seeing me take a deep breath.

“What’s the problem?”

“Nothing. Just my social battery.”

“What about it?”

15:45 Fri, Jan 9

Chapter 29

“I think it’s about to hit ten percent.”

“Then we should go.”

My eyes widened. “Just like that? You’re not going to force me to keep acting?”

He frowned. “I am a shifter, Vicious. Not a fucking demon.”

I blinked in faux innocence. “You’re not?”

It was his turn to sigh as he grabbed my hand.

90

I… honestly didn’t think he would care at all. I knew from experience that most men wouldn’t. In fact, they would just laugh at it and think that women were being dramatic. They would push us to our limits, disregarding whether their companion’s mental and social battery hit close to zero. They would take and take until we were drained and even then, we still had to smile and act like we weren’t dying inside.

To my surprise, Creed gently led me to His Majesty’s throne. He lowered his head. “As much as we want to stay until the closing ceremony, I’m afraid I could no longer do that, your majesty. The recent project must have taken quite a toll on me. My apologies.”

Again, I was stunned. Creed still had the strength to go to a battle and win. I was a hundred percent sure of that. Yet, he didn’t use me as an excuse. It was like he didn’t mind if admitting such a thing was making him weak in front of all these alphas.

“Alright. Get some rest. Report back to me once you feel better,” the King said. “Both of you may go.”

“Thank you for your grace, your majesty,” Creed and I answered at the same time.

“Elianna.”

The King’s sudden call made a couple of heads turn in our direction.

“Yes, your majesty?”

“You have my eternal gratitude for saving my granddaughter.”

It was like someone was pointing an invisible gun at his neck. Aramides’ gratitude looked and sounded that forced. I knew he only let out those words because of his love for Emma. Still, I found myself smiling genuinely. What could I do? I was easy to please, especially when it involved a grandpa I never had since mom was an orphan and the grandparents on my stepfather’s side acknowledged Easton as their one and only grandchild.

“It was an honor, your majesty.”

During the drive back home, while Creed was on his phone, I finally allowed myself to rest and sleep. I’d spent the past two days stressing out about the party while reviewing all the information I gathered regarding the king and his council through my friends. Some intel I found through the books and news. I figured that if Creed was paying a lot, he had to get his money’s worth somehow.

When I woke up, my head was leaning onto Creed’s shoulder.

“If you’re awake, let’s head out of the car.”

“You should have woken me up if you didn’t like me leaning onto you. It’s not like I wanted this too,” I snapped.

Creed sounded like he was in a rush. Why couldn’t he just be like any normal man for one more hour?

“You think I didn’t try? Your stubborn head just wouldn’t budge.”

15:45 Fri, Jan 9

Chapter 29

“I hate you again today, Black.”

63

The jerk had the audacity to just smirk. After reaching his house, I ignored him and was about to head upstairs when Creed grabbed my hand and led me to the dining area. My lips parted in awe when I saw a copy of the dishes from the party on the table, dishes I didn’t get to eat and enjoy. They were still hot, I could see smoke coming off them.

“I rushed you for this. I had the chefs prepare these. Austin and Maggy worked as the royal family’s chefs for years before they settled in my pack. As a matter of fact, many of the dishes in the castle were their recipe,” Creed said as he pulled a seat for me. “I knew you were disappointed that you didn’t get to eat to your heart’s content back there.” He grinned. “Now is your chance to devour whatever you want, Vicious.”

I swallowed as I slid down on my seat. “You had all these prepared for me? Really?”

Creed shrugged. “I didn’t want your temper to get worse if you were food deprived. You already look like a wolf that’s about to go feral.”

“God, I hate you,” I whispered, unsure what else to say as I stared at the food. That line just seemed the safest right now. There were so many beef dishes, lamb chops, and chicken. My favorite mood boosters. There were veggies and sliced fruits as well. For a food lover, this was heaven. I’ve always had a big appetite that’s why it was absolute torture not being able to eat as much as I wanted for years.

The corner of his mouth twitched. “The feeling is mutual, Vicious.”

And then Creed sat in front of me and started putting a little bit of everything on my plate when I had a hard time deciding what to devour first. My mood instantly brightened after a couple of bites of the beef. When I looked up, I caught the alpha staring at me with a smile on his lips, a smile that he hid instantly.

I giggled.

“What diabolical ideas are you thinking this time, Vicious?”

“I just didn’t expect this. I mean look at us. Eating like two civilized monsters. Whold have thought this would be possible?”

“You know what’s truly impossible? It’s teaching you how to behave.”

I emptied my plate faster than he did. It was like he was only sitting here not for the food, but just to be with me as I had my fill. After seeing the flash of approval in his eyes, I couldn’t get embarrassed anymore. “That’s because you’re a bad teacher,

Black.”

I gently pushed my plate away and promised myself that I would come back for the rest of the dishes tomorrow. Tonight, I wanted to indulge myself in something else. Creed finished his wine and watched me.

“Now that I’m full, I’m in the mood to try something. If you know any monster, tell him I’m inviting him out to play. Right here. Right now.”

I didn’t need to invite him twice. Creed was gone in his seat in a blink of an eye. Before I knew it, he was standing next to me. He pulled me up in one swift motion. I stared at his mouth and realized we had done quite a lot of things for the past days except for one thing.

Kissing.

My voice was hoarse when I asked, “Aren’t you going to ask me which part of me I’ll let you put your mouth and hands on tonight?”

“No need, Vicious. I could take a wild guess.”

And then Creed grabbed the back of my neck as his lips slammed into mine.

15:45 Fri, Jan 9