Selene
Drake’s grim face stares up at me from my tablet, his last words slowly sinking into my brain.
This doesn’t make any sense.
Maybe we misunderstood. Luna suggests with a whine.
We didn’t misunderstand. Drake’s words were completely clear, and I can tell from his expression that this isn’t some sort of joke. He seems every bit as confused as I am, only his first instinct is clearly to assume the worst, while I’m wallowing in denial.
Just then Bastien walks in, and Lila races across the room to greet him, “Daddy, Daddy, Daddy!”
He snatches her up and tosses her into the air, causing the pup to shriek with laughter. “Lila, Lila, Lila!” He mimics, throwing her over his head a few more times before settling her against his broad chest and kissing her hello.
“Daddy, we went to da woods! She exclaims, launching into her account of the day. “The trees were so big dey touch the sky!” Lila has seen forests before – but never one like this. The pup had been so taken with the ancient sequoias dominating the Novan forest that she decided to name them. By the time she was done, the list was so long I had to promise to write down all the names when we got home, so she wouldn’t forget.
Lila is rattling off her favorite ones as Bastien carries her into the living room, his wide smile disappearing when he sees the look on my face. I rise from the sofa before he can reach me, still holding the tablet.
Bastien’s eyes dart between Drake’s face and my own, “Baby?”
Glancing at Lila, I hedge, “You remember when you arrived in Asphodel, and I took Lila to stay at that house in the hills?”
“Yes.” He agrees, sounding like he doesn’t appreciate the reminder.
“Well,” I begin, licking my lips nervously. “I thought it was Drake’s house. I thought he sent us there for our… vacation.” I censor, still eyeing my pup. “But it wasn’t him.”
Bastien’s brow knits together. “What do you mean
“When I got back to the apartment that day, I got a text from an unknown number, with all the information we needed to find the house and everything.” I explain, wincing when I see his expression.
Lila, who has realized her father’s attention is no longer on her, huffs. “Daddy are you lisning?”
“I’ll tell you what little one.” Bastien suggests, “If you give Daddy a few minutes to talk with Mommy, you can have extra dessert at the banquet tonight.”
She readily agrees, toddling off to play in her room while I throw my mate an exasperated look, “Really? Bribery?”
“She’s got to sit through a formal dinner surrounded by adults, I figured we’d be rewarding her anyway.” Bastien replies, changing course and closing the distance between us. “You followed directions from an unknown number?” I can see the anger simmering up inside him, “You drove out into the remote wilderness and blindly walked into a house based on the word of some mysterious stranger?”
“I assumed the message was from Drake!” I counter defensively, “I thought he was using a burner phone or something to contact me so you couldn’t trace the text. I mean who else would have known what was going on in that moment?” I inquire, “Who else would have been trying to help me?”
“It was a fair assumption, Bastien.” Drake pipes up from the tablet.
A low growl rumbles in Bastien’s chest, and he looks down at the other Alpha. “You really knew nothing about this?”
“I thought she’d found her own hiding place. I didn’t press to find out where, because I figured if I didn’t know you couldn’t beat the information out of me.” Drake admits, rubbing the back of his neck.
We’re in our own apartment, guarded by the Pack House’s elite security force, but Bastien starts looking around like he expects monsters to pop out of the walls at any moment. I sidle closer, sliding my arm around his middle to anchor him.
It seems to do the trick. Bastien’s arm locks down on my waist, holding me tight to his side as he returns his attention to Drake. “Can you get a team out there?”
“Of course, I’ll go myself as soon as you send the address.” Drake confirms, “But Selene is right, the real question here, is who knew what was going on between you two? Who had the access to not only know Selene was alive and that you’d found her, but that she needed a get away?”
“It had to be one of your men.” Bastien asserts coldly, “The only people who were in your office with us were our Betas and your guards.” Bastien grumbles. “And I know it wasn’t my Betas.”
“I don’t think we can assume anything right now.” Drake combats, “assumptions are what got us into this mess in the first place.”
“The bigger question is why,” I breathe, pulling the mens’ attention. “If it was someone in Drake’s camp it was probably done to help me, but if it was someone in yours…” I look to my mate, unable to continue.
Bastien finished the thought for me, looking grave. “It was a betrayal.”
“It’s a betrayal either way,” Drake corrects, “whether they wanted to help you or not, they went behind my back and hid this information. That doesn’t portend good intentions.”
My mind races to process all this new information. I hate to think someone could have betrayed Bastien or Drake, but I don’t see any other explanation. Whoever sent me that message had to be from within our inner circle.
Still, I don’t understand what could have motivated anyone else to send me to that house. “I’m so confused.” I confess, “whether they had good intentions or bad, why this? Why help me hide? How could that possibly benefit them?”
“I should think that’s obvious enough,” Bastien rumbles darkly, “they did it to keep us apart.”
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Bastien
“We need to get ready for the banquet.” Selene’s sweet scent wafts over me a few moments before her arms slide around my neck from behind, and her cheek comes to rest against mine. Her skin is still dotted with drops of water from her shower, and I’m sure if I look over my shoulder I’ll find her completely nude.
I’m seated on the edge of our bed, trying to work through the unexpected revelations that came to light during Selene’s facetime call with Drake. The Eros Alpha agreed to send investigators out to the house this very evening, but I can’t get over the fact that someone has clearly betrayed us.
Is that why I’ve never been able to pin down the person responsible for all the trouble caused in Elysium since Dad died? Is it possible one of my own men betrayed me?
“We have to be over at the hall in an hour,” Selene’s tongue traces the shell of my ear, and her sharp little canines nibble my earlobe. I have a feeling the mischievous she-wolf is trying to distract me. “Though I suppose that’s actually quite a bit of time when you think about it.”
I can’t contain my chuckle, “Come here, you naughty thing.” Hitching my arm behind me and snagging my mate’s waist, I drag her around and into my lap. “Hmm,” I purr, raking my eyes over her bare curves, “You look awfully underdressed for a banquet, little mate.”
“Oh,” Selene looks down at her naked body like she’s only just noticing, “maybe you’re right.” She agrees, trailing kisses up my neck. Her dripping wet hair sticks to my shoulder as her round bottom undulates over my quickly hardening arousal.
“We’re going to have to do something about that.” I tease, clamping my hands down on her hips to cease her movement. “I won’t have every wolf in the city drooling over my mate because she can’t decide on an outfit.”
“Are you sure it won’t do?” She asks, undoing my shirt buttons one by one. “After all, you’ll have to dress to match. Maybe you just need to see it on both of us. You know, get the full effect?”
I arch my brow, shrugging out of my long sleeves. “If I didn’t know any better I’d think you were trying to get me naked.”
Selene flashes me a devious grin, “Is it that obvious?”
The next thing I know she’s sliding out of my lap, kneeling between my legs and tackling my belt buckle. Before I know it she’s pulled the leather implement free and slipped her small hand into my trousers, palming my engorged member. “Oh my,” Selene murmurs with faux concern. “Well you certainly can’t go to the banquet like this.”
I can only groan, cupping her cheek in my hand as she looks up at me from beneath her long, dark lashes, “would you like me to care of this for you, Alpha?”
A growl of primal lust vibrates in my chest, her words instantly triggering my dominant instincts. “I think you’d better,” I remark sternly, tangling my fist in her hair. “Since it’s your fault I’m in this state.”
Selene’s two-tone eyes glitter in the dim line as she pulls my cock free, her pink lips hovering just inches from its swollen head. “Your wish is my command.”
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