Page 65 of Hawke

I picked up the bag she had yet to open and stuffed the bear inside. Her work pants were ruined, so I gently slid them down her legs, doing my best not to stare at the wet spot on her bright pink panties.

Damn it, don’t look.

Fuck it.

I looked and gazed in awe at how much I’d turned her on. I could replace her underwear, but with my wolf breathing heavily in my mind to take another quick lick of that glorious pussy, it would be far too tempting.

Then I realized my fingers were coated with her slick. I greedily sucked on them, groaning at her taste. Like fucking sunshine. She tasted like sunshine.

Once my fingers were licked cleaned, I threw out her pants. I knew damn well that she wouldn’t be able to sew them back together. As optimistic and talented as she was in everything she did, she couldn’t fix a hole to save her life.

Then I rifled through her bag, pulling out a pair of black joggers and slipped them up her legs. I took one long look at her underwear, so devilishly tempted to pull them down and lick her clean.

“I know you want to,” my wolf sang. “You haven’t tasted the glory of those pink lips from the source. Aren‘t you jealous?”

I groaned, palming my dick through my jeans. I was going to have major blue balls for a while. But it was well worth it after the two years of teasing.

I chuckled, throwing her bag over my back, and picked up her limp body. Her head rested against me, one hand resting on my chest while the other laid limp as I carried her like a child.

Before we could go, I needed to collect my things from my room. I trailed back up the stairs with a limp body in my arms, and no one seemed to care. I watched as humans passed by and never got a second glance.

Humans could be so cruel to their own kind.

I shuffled Delilah in my arms, moving her head to rest on my shoulder and her ass in the crook of my arm. She was light as a feather, but I had to awkwardly hold her while searching for the stupid key in my pocket.

As I pushed the door open, I froze, seeing the bare mattress where I had ripped the blankets in haste to make a bed in Delilah’s room. A red-colored cloth laid on top of the sheets. It was the red bandana I used to wipe off dirt and mud from my boots. I stared at it longer than I should have, but hell, it made me see things I shouldn’t. Like the moment that changed my life forever…

My excitement was palpable as I rushed up the cobble stone stairs, taking two or even three at a time. I’d prepared for this. I had excelled in every category to become the perfect guard for the Royal Council.

The years spent with the werewolf royal family had been plentiful, fruitful even. They helped me grow while I watched over their family, their children. They trusted in me more than any other. I was swift; I was lethal; and hell, my nose could track anything. Even the king himself said my nose surpassed his.

I was in good favor, and with the king’s good recommendation, I would move on to the Royal Counsel’s table as the head guard. I’d be their guard, their assassin, and their tracker. It was what my father had dreamed of for me ever since I was a pup, and I was happy that I could fulfill his dreams.

But another event happened that would surpass it all. I had found my mate after many years of waiting. I was older, thirty-five years old in fact, but the wait was worth it because I was to be mated to the king’s youngest princess, who had just turned eighteen.

Ruby, being the ever thoughtful one, wanted to wait until after the interview, which was scheduled a few weeks away. Plus, it was common for royalty to hold off on their mating. Duties got in the way, parties needed to be held, but Ruby knew that our nesting, our bonding, would disrupt the interview process.

The parties that would ensue after our announcement would be great. Shifters from all the realms would want to be in attendance for the youngest daughter’s congratulatory parties. It would be a royal affair, but she knew how important this interview was to me.

“Let’s wait to tell my father. I want you to prove you got this position because of your own hard work and not because of my status,”she told me.

Ruby had known all her life how much this position meant to me. I remembered smiling at her with such admiration that she would wait for me a little longer, no matter how hard it was to keep our hands off each other.

Our life was going to be fruitful, special, and we would build a family together. We would also hold noble titles, give our pups the best schooling and training—a prosperous life. All of which could be scarce in the realm.

We would both be recognized as part of The Council’s inner circle. I would provide her a home nearly as beautiful as the Shifter Palace, along with all the material things she was accustomed to. Everything was perfect and going just to plan.

And to make things better, I got my interview a whole week early. A great surprise.

I went through the process of straightening my military uniform, ensuring that it was neat and presentable. The buttons shined, the black tailored suit hugging my body tightly. I straightened my collar again, ready to surprise my mate that we wouldn’t have to wait a week longer. We could be together now. I could take her away to my den, and we would solidify our bond.

As I reached the overly decorated wooden door, my wolf shuddered, letting out a pitiful howl. A chill ran down my spine as I grasped the door handle, and my soul felt like it was slipping away.

Fear for my mate increased, I staggered and used the momentum to forcefully push the heavy door open. I fell to the floor, my face hitting the expensive, thick carpet. It broke my fall, but my mind was not ready to see what was before me.

My mate and another male laid tangled in the sheets. Her shoulder displayed a bite mark, blood spilling onto the pristine silk sheets.

Her eyes widened in shock, her fingers digging into the shoulders of the male that hovered over her. My eyes narrowed. I felt the rage building inside me as my wolf prowled to the surface. All I could see was the blood dripping from her shoulder, her marking spot. Who the male was did not matter.

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