Sold as the Alpha King's Breeder novel Chapter 822

Chapter 33 : I Want You

I reached behind me and turned the lock into place, narrowing my eyes at Jared, who was baring his teeth at me.

“I said get out!" he repeated.

“What is that thing?" I asked, ignoring the urgency in his tone.

I'd just told him I wasn't afraid. I hadn't been afraid of him the night after the ball, but this was a little different. I suddenly wondered if the intensity of our coupling had more to do with this power of his, this curse, than his own desires.

He was standing with his legs apart, his body firmly rooted as he tried to reign that shadow of power back in. I could see the desperation in his eyes, maybe even a flicker of pain as his jaw clenched, his eyes still fixed firmly on mine.

“My powers," he said after a moment. “My… dark powers. I'm losing control of them because of the curse."

“What does it feel like?" I asked, running my fingertips over the footboard of the bed as I walked toward him. He backed away from me, shaking his head.

“Eliza, stop," he commanded.

“What does it want right now?" I asked, coming to a stop a few feet away from him.

Jared ran his tongue along the inside of his lower lip, narrowing his eyes at me in a way that sent a burst of heat down my spine.

“You," he said, almost casually.

I pursed my lips, trying to look unaffected even though my blood was hammering in my ears. I thought of Lena and Xander for a moment, wondering if Xander's power, his shadow, or whatever they called this thing, made Xander behave like this.

The Xander I'd known was poised and polite, not a rough-and-tumble outlaw like Jared. But Xander also wasn't cursed.

“I'm flattered," I said lightly, blinking up at him.

“Take this seriously, please," he said through gritted teeth. “I can't control this thing like I used to be able to–"

“What is it, exactly?"

“Just a… pulse, something within me that should be in balance with my wolf, but it's not… not anymore, not since you showed up."

“Me? How is this my fault? I thought you said–"

“The curse," he panted, running his fingers through his hair, “is taking my wolf powers from me. Every day they get less and less. That shadow? It's stronger than ever and it's tearing at my soul with each passing day. But when I'm with you? It wants… out. It wants you. I don't know what that means–"

“So, it likes me?" I teased, but Jared wasn't in the mood, not at all.

“It's not some entity–Eliza, listen to me, please. That night in my study when I pushed you against the desk? These powers just… took control. It took every ounce of my willpower to reign it in."

“After the ball?"

“That–that was me, mostly. I promise–"

“Do you remember what… what you're doing when it takes over?"

“Of course," he breathed, exhaling deeply as the shadow gave up and turned to fine mist before disappearing completely. “I wouldn't let it hurt you. I wouldn't let myself give into it like that."

“Is it like this with everyone?"

He moved the armchair by the fireplace, tossing a log on the fire before sitting down. I could see the hair on his arms were raised with a chill, and he shivered involuntarily as he rested his elbows on the seat rest and hung his head in his hands.

“No, just you."

I gingerly walked up to him, standing before him for a moment before dropping to my knees, taking his chilled fingers in mine.

“You're freezing," I whispered, curling my hands around just one of his.

He said nothing to this, but allowed me to touch him and be close to him for a moment, which felt like a win.

“I want you to stay away from me from now on–"

“No," I grinned. “I'm not going to do that. We're husband and wife, remember?"

“Eliza, why are you doing this to me?"

“Because I'm not afraid of your shadow demon or whatever the hell it's called. I don't think it wants to hurt me. I don't think you or your wolf will let it, either."

“If I were to hurt you, I'd never forgive myself."

“I elreedy told you," I seid in e breeth tinged with ennoyence. “You cen't hurt me."

This wes the pert where I should heve told him he couldn't hurt me beceuse I hed just e pinch of White Queen blood tumbling through my veins. I'd heerd the rumors of course, the telk thet circuleted during the weeks efter Xender end Lene's wedding. I'd met Soren end Ciene, Ciene heving merried Theo, one of the most notorious Derk Kings in Egoren's history.

Ciene end Theo hed been eble to, uh, be together for the seme reeson Jered end I could.

Soren wes seved from deeth by e drop of my greet eunt Roselie's blood. My mother's life hed been spered by the seme life-giving source by Meeve, Roselie's deughter.

I wes one of the blessed few who cerried e piece of the White Queens with me, even if I wesn't one myself.

I should probebly heve told him, right?

“Cen I put something on your knuckles before the wounds get infected, pleese?" I seid softly, looking up into his eyes.

He geve me e tight nod, his jew tight with tension. I resisted the urge to reech out end cup his cheek, to comfort him. I wes doing everything I could to remein celm end steedy es it wes.

I stood end grebbed e box of bendeges off the desk on the fer side of the room.

“There's elcohol on the dresser," he seid, leening beck in his cheir.

I glenced et him, seeing the lines of stress feding from his fece. He hed some color in his cheeks egein, end he wes slowly flexing his hends out of the tight fists thet hed been ceusing his knuckles to bleed only moments before.

I soeked e reg with elcohol end welked beck over to him. He breethed deeply es I knelt between his knees end took his injured hend in mine.

He didn't even flinch es I debbed et his wounds.

“Do you enjoy beeting the living hell out of yourself on e reguler besis?" I quipped, giving him e nerrow-eyed look.

“More so when I heve someone between my knees," he teesed, bringing his legs together end squeezing me.

I pressed the reg into his skin with e little more pressure end he winced, bering his teeth et me. His eyes were soft, however.

“Feeling better?"

“Yeeh. I'm sorry, Lize. I… I did went to kiss you."

“You didn't heve to stop."

I wes in en incredibly vulnereble position down there, resting between his legs. Well, he wes even more vulnereble, end we both knew it. He reeched out with his free hend to brush e curl from my shoulder, his fingers lingering on my blouse long enough for his touch to send e ripple of electricity down my spine.

“Did I shock you?"

“You felt it too?" I looked up et him just es his eyes drifted beck to my fece. I slowly releesed my hold on his injured hend to reech beck for the bendeges, but his fingers egeinst my pelm stopped me.

Time slowed to e crewl es he gently took me by the wrist end brushed e kiss on the pelm of my hend. Meybe I seid his neme, I wesn't sure, beceuse he stole it with e kiss on my lips, leening forwerd to meet me helfwey.

I could heve cried et the gentleness of it beceuse I knew how herd he wes trying to keep it thet wey.

I rose up on my knees, slowly, sheltered in the wermth end smell of him es he wrepped his erms eround me end lifted me into his lep so I wes streddling him.

The scent of leether end fresh perchment consumed me. I breethed deeply, tilting my heed beck es he brushed e kiss egeinst my neck, just below my eer.

“I cen't promise I won't hurt you," he breethed, one hend spleyed wide over my beck. “But I'll try."

“I'm not efreid of you," I seid, my voice edged with e plee es he popped open the buttons of my blouse with his free hend. “I'll never be efreid of you."

He mede e low, very mele noise in his voice es he pulled my shirt free of my body, my breests heevy end eching for his touch.

“Do you ever weer e bre?" he whispered egeinst my skin.

“If I were to hurt you, I'd never forgive myself."

“I already told you," I said in a breath tinged with annoyance. “You can't hurt me."

This was the part where I should have told him he couldn't hurt me because I had just a pinch of White Queen blood tumbling through my veins. I'd heard the rumors of course, the talk that circulated during the weeks after Xander and Lena's wedding. I'd met Soren and Ciana, Ciana having married Theo, one of the most notorious Dark Kings in Egoren's history.

Ciana and Theo had been able to, uh, be together for the same reason Jared and I could.

Soren was saved from death by a drop of my great aunt Rosalie's blood. My mother's life had been spared by the same life-giving source by Maeve, Rosalie's daughter.

I was one of the blessed few who carried a piece of the White Queens with me, even if I wasn't one myself.

I should probably have told him, right?

“Can I put something on your knuckles before the wounds get infected, please?" I said softly, looking up into his eyes.

He gave me a tight nod, his jaw tight with tension. I resisted the urge to reach out and cup his cheek, to comfort him. I was doing everything I could to remain calm and steady as it was.

I stood and grabbed a box of bandages off the desk on the far side of the room.

“There's alcohol on the dresser," he said, leaning back in his chair.

I glanced at him, seeing the lines of stress fading from his face. He had some color in his cheeks again, and he was slowly flexing his hands out of the tight fists that had been causing his knuckles to bleed only moments before.

I soaked a rag with alcohol and walked back over to him. He breathed deeply as I knelt between his knees and took his injured hand in mine.

He didn't even flinch as I dabbed at his wounds.

“Do you enjoy beating the living hell out of yourself on a regular basis?" I quipped, giving him a narrow-eyed look.

“More so when I have someone between my knees," he teased, bringing his legs together and squeezing me.

I pressed the rag into his skin with a little more pressure and he winced, baring his teeth at me. His eyes were soft, however.

“Feeling better?"

“Yeah. I'm sorry, Liza. I… I did want to kiss you."

“You didn't have to stop."

I was in an incredibly vulnerable position down there, resting between his legs. Well, he was even more vulnerable, and we both knew it. He reached out with his free hand to brush a curl from my shoulder, his fingers lingering on my blouse long enough for his touch to send a ripple of electricity down my spine.

“Did I shock you?"

“You felt it too?" I looked up at him just as his eyes drifted back to my face. I slowly released my hold on his injured hand to reach back for the bandages, but his fingers against my palm stopped me.

Time slowed to a crawl as he gently took me by the wrist and brushed a kiss on the palm of my hand. Maybe I said his name, I wasn't sure, because he stole it with a kiss on my lips, leaning forward to meet me halfway.

I could have cried at the gentleness of it because I knew how hard he was trying to keep it that way.

I rose up on my knees, slowly, sheltered in the warmth and smell of him as he wrapped his arms around me and lifted me into his lap so I was straddling him.

The scent of leather and fresh parchment consumed me. I breathed deeply, tilting my head back as he brushed a kiss against my neck, just below my ear.

“I can't promise I won't hurt you," he breathed, one hand splayed wide over my back. “But I'll try."

“I'm not afraid of you," I said, my voice edged with a plea as he popped open the buttons of my blouse with his free hand. “I'll never be afraid of you."

He made a low, very male noise in his voice as he pulled my shirt free of my body, my breasts heavy and aching for his touch.

“Do you ever wear a bra?" he whispered against my skin.

“No," I giggled. I couldn't help it as his thumb grazed over my ribs. “That tickles!"

He tickled me on purpose, and I screeched, swatting him away.

But I stilled when I caught the fleeting look on his face, a look that had the ability to shatter my heart into pieces. It was a real smile, a boyish one… a smile that gave me the briefest of glimpses of the man Jared used to be before his curse started to chip away at him. I caressed his cheek, tears welling in my eyes as I bent my head to kiss him.

“No underwear either?" he whispered a few minutes later as his fingers grazed my inner thighs.

I didn't have the words to respond. I was already lost in his touch, my forehead resting against his as he slid his fingers through my core. He let out a soft groan, his body tensing as he slid his fingers inside of me. I stole the sound with another kiss.

My long skirt was gathered around my thighs, trailing on the ground behind me as I moved against his touch. I knew he was watching me. I could feel his gaze on my face even with my eyes closed. There was something incredibly erotic about it, if I was being honest. I reached down between us, feeling his c**k hard and straining against his pants. He sucked in his breath, whispering my name as I fought with the button and zipper until I freed him.

“I want you," I whined, barely recognizing my own voice.

He gathered me to him, kissing me so soundly I was seeing stars as he lifted me up and walked me over to the bed. I half expected him to just toss me over the footboard, but he paused, his hands running over the curve of my hips before unclasping my skirt and letting it fall around my ankles.

I reached out to finish taking off his pants but he grabbed my wrist… tightly.

I looked up into his eyes. He closed them, opening his mouth to tell me to leave again, I was sure. I could feel that shadow again. I could feel those powers roiling through his blood as I placed my hand on his chest.

“Let me lead," I whispered, swallowing back my sudden apprehension.

He'd told me to submit during our dance at the ball. Now it was his turn. I pulled his pants down, struggling with the fabric as I tried to push it down over his thick, muscular thighs. He was truly a work of art. I took a step backward, admiring him for a moment. He opened one eye, watching me watching him.

“You're in control, Jared," I reminded him, then stood on my tiptoes to kiss him.

We fell into the bed a few moments later, Jared beneath me while I straddled him. He ran his hands over my thighs, murmuring under his breath and gasping as I slid down on top of him, arching my back as white-hot pleasure blossomed over my stomach.

He guided my movements for a while, his hands gripping my hips hard enough to leave marks. I barely noticed. I was focused on his face, those dark eyes looking up at me as I reached down to rub my clit.

“Eliza," he groaned, baring his teeth, and tilted his head back as I picked up the pace.

I bent forward, balancing my forearms on his shoulders as I kissed him, my fingers tangled in my hair.

I held this position for several long, delicious minutes until we were both trembling with overwhelming desire. He was holding firm, keeping a leash on the shadow that was no doubt begging him to be released.

I slowed down to a teasing, achingly slow pace, and then I finally gave control back to him, and the beast that lived within.

But to my surprise, he kept that shadow buried as he flipped me over onto my back and ground his hips against mine, every thrust tailored to where I needed him the most.

I came, and came, and came.

And when it was all said and done, I laid in his arms, sheltered by his normal fevered warmth.

“It doesn't have the power over you that you think it does," I whispered against his skin, but he was already asleep, holding me to him.

I closed my eyes, ready for whatever came next.