Page 39 of The Hidden Falling
I jolt and lean back away from him, moving my eyes away from his as I drop my hands from around his neck and loosen my legs from his waist. He removes his hand from my chest and around my ass and drops me slowly to the floor, saying nothing, but making me feel every inch of his body on the way down. I feel his eyes still on me, but I continue to look away as I move past him to the river, wading through the cool water and dipping low until it’s up to my neck. His stare caresses my back, but I don’t speak and neither does he, my mind whirling with what I just did. The shame of it.
I just got off on dry humping Darius, the Alpha of the Elites, the man who can tear my world apart as soon as he gets back to the Highers, while he pinned me against a fucking tree.
What. The. Actual. Fuck.
When I feel the cold of the water settle into my bones, I stand and walk back over to Darius where he hasn’t moved. I stop a few feet from him, shivering, and not in the way he just made my body feel. I stare at the ground, my hands moving to my hips wondering what in the Gods I’m supposed to say.
My mind is a mess of confusion and disbelief. Even though we didn’t even get naked and have sex, I still held on to him like I never wanted to let go, and he definitely kept me there, gripping me just as tightly. I put myself in a position of vulnerability, and I never do that. I let it get too far, even if I encouraged it, even if he started it by running. I shouldn’t have even let him kiss me. I should have kicked him in the balls and told him to fuck off. But I didn’t. I’ve given myself orgasms before, that’s nothing new. I’ve only had one other person be intimate with me sexually, and it was a one-time thing. Fuck, I’ve never kissed anyone before until him, never been that close to another person like that. How he made me feel, how I relented to him and pulled him closer, needing him closer. I’ve never felt that way before, never felt that need.
I shake my head. Insanity.
I’m still running through the whole situation in my mind when he speaks. “What’s wrong, Rhea?” he says mockingly, and I stiffen at the cruel sound of his voice. “Never come before?”
“I’m not some naive, virgin girl,” I snap, bringing my head up just in time to see his eyes flash black. “But what the fuck just happened?”
“If you’re not a virgin, then you know you ground your pussy on my cock until you came. How you make these little whimpering sounds when I pulled you close–”
“Stop being an asshole!” I cut him off, glaring at him. This is serious and he couldn’t give a fuck. He shrugs and crosses his arms, my eyes following how the wet material stretches across his body, and I can’t help as my eyes lower to see the outline of his abs. I flick my eyes back up to him quickly, but the smirk on the mouth that just devoured mine tells me I was caught checking him out.
“You ran from me. I was already angry and then you had to go and run,” he tilts his head, his wet hair sticking to his face. “I’ve been in The Deadlands for months, I haven’t fucked since before then. The hunt excites me, excites my wolf.” His gaze trails my body as I stand there, wet and flushed. “You were there, and your body begged for release, so I gave you one. You’re lucky I restrained myself enough that I didn’t bend you over and fuck you until you had to crawl back home. Remember that the next time you try to run from me.”
“Lucky?” I scoff, trying to ignore how coldly he is recalling what just happened. “What makes you think I would let you fuck me?” He runs his tongue over his lips, and I’ll be damned if I lower my eyes and watch.
“I would fuck you, Rhea, and you would welcome me into your tight little body, begging me for more like a greedy slut.” I flinch at his words before I can stop myself, and his smirk is slow, vicious. “However, it depends if I want my cock in a hole that has probably had so many, because I don’t just put it in anyone. Your body may be tight, but your pussy?” He tilts his head. “That’s questionable.”
With those last words, he turns and walks off without a care in the world while I struggle to keep the prickle of tears from my eyes.
That hurt. His assumption about who’s been inside my body, of how many people I would just let that close to me without care. That’s not me, I don’t let anyone touch me like that.”
Yet here I am, pissed and slightly confused at being aroused by the thought that he could have fucked me against that tree, and I would have let him in that moment. I don’t even know him. He’s the enemy.
I scrub my hands down my face and sit in the dirt, cold and wet, wondering if I need to go to Anna for a checkup. It’s just the stress of these last few weeks, finding the Elites while searching The Deadlands, Kade being distant and now having strangers in my home.
The reason I’m acting strange is because of that.
That’s all it was, and that’s all it needs to be.
Ghostly fingers start stroking along my shoulder to my neck, and I reach a hand up absentmindedly, putting my palm against it. Unexpected warmth touches me, and I close my eyes, feeling reassurance wash over me while a tingling sensation starts in my chest. When it crawls upward and reaches my cheeks, I open my eyes and will the feeling to stay. Runa whines inside me, and I mentally scratch behind her ears, letting her know I’m here. The tingling feeling finally goes, and I lean back on my hands and open the link. Determined to ignore what just happened.
“Everyone at dinner?”I ask Josh, hoping my voice sounds normal.
“Yeah, they’re just waiting on you. Kade is there too,”Josh replies.
My brows rise in surprise. I didn’t expect him to be there. Kade’s been pretty much keeping to himself unless he’s with Sam, and he should still be resting and taking it easy.“I’ll be there soon.”
I jump to my feet, my eyes lifting to the glow of the wisps as they play in the trees and head home for a change of clothes and a shower. I can’t exactly walk into the gathering with the smell of Darius on me, feeling the results of my orgasm in my panties with each step I take. That would definitely cause some questions I’m not sure how to answer and more problems I do not need.
And I don’t need to keep thinking about the asshole who just left me after he gave me something I never knew was possible for me.
Twenty One
Rhea
Isneakthroughtheback door of my cabin, closing it behind me slowly while I listen for any sounds inside. Hearing nothing, I rush down the hallway and around the banister to head for my bedroom. I get three steps up the stairs before I halt at the amused voice aimed my way.
“I didn’t think you would have to sneak into your own home,” Josh says suddenly, and I turn slowly toward him.
Shit.
