Chapter 18 Ch 18

I made sure to strip each bit of clothing slowly off my body. Basileus growled throughout the process. He was eager, I knew, but I felt my old self shining through. This was my chance to establish dominance with him. Outside this bedroom in the rest of the world, he was in control. He had to be. I sure as hell didn't want to control legions of packs.

But here, alone, his power was mine.

As I lay back, rolling my panties down my legs, he snarled and leaned forward. I stopped to look at him. His eyes seemed to glow brighter.

"Don't rush me," I said with quiet firmness. "I will let you ravage my body when I'm ready. When you're ready. Which is not until I say."

His hackles rose on his shoulders as he crouched. The thought of him pouncing on me nearly undid my last strand of self-control. I held onto it, however, and continued to roll my panties down. Finally, they slipped over my toes. I dropped them to the floor.

My eyes lifted to Basileus. He looked me over, hardly breathing now. I nimbly sat up on the bed and extended a hand. My index finger beckoned him. His lip peeled back as he closed the distance between us. I placed a hand on his chest once he reached me. From this proximity, I tilted my head back to see his burning gaze.

While we stared at one another, I felt my heart unfold in my chest. I took his clawed hand and brought it to my bare, supple breast. His finger brushed against my skin. I would have moaned had he not snatched his hand away with a startled look.

"What?" I asked.

"My claws," he whispered. "I do not want to hurt you."

Frowning, I reached for both of his hands and succeeded in bringing them to my chest as closed fists. His fur scratched sensually against my skin. I wanted to feel it all around me, between my legs and around my arms.

"You won't," I said.

He leaned down to press his head to mine. A throaty croon vibrated through his body. It sounded sad.

"I cannot kiss you." Whining, he freed one hand to wrap around my back and pull me into his chest. "This body is not physically compatible with yours."

"We can make it work," I insisted, begging almost. "Basileus, I want you. We can do it."

He tenderly licked my cheek. "Close your eyes."

"No."

"Yes. For me, please. Close them, Flower."

I felt my control dwindling as he sucked it back up. Shaking my head, I grabbed his shoulders. "No, I don't want to. I don't want this moment to change."

"Trust me," he said more softly. He moved my hands to my sides. "Close them."

By instinct, I wanted to keep them open in defiance. But I didn't want to keep fighting him. That was what this was all about. So I closed my eyes with a deep breath.

There was complete silence. I could hear only my heart throbbing and my steady breaths. My stomach knotted anxiously. I wanted to know why I had to close my eyes.

Something touched my breast. A shiver rippled down my body as my eyes opened. I gasped. The beast of midnight fur and daggered claws had vanished. In his place stood a man.

His blonde hair was long, brushing his shoulders, and a thick beard matching in color clung to his sharp jaw. Lean muscle ridged the entirety of his wiry, naked body. His dick was long and hard, curving up to greet me. The only thing that kept me from screaming was his eyes. They glowed electric blue. Basileus was still here, still with me.

"Matt?" I breathed. I felt self-conscious all of the sudden and moved to cover myself.

"Don't!" He reached forward to grab my arms but then forced his hands to drop. "Don't hide from me. Please, Anna."

My throat struggled to swallow down the emotions overwhelming me.

His hand moved to my cheek and I didn't flinch away. "You are so beautiful."

The words were in American English. Long gone was the French accent and vocabulary my brain had been magicked into understanding.

"Is he in there?" I asked softly. My fingers wrapped around his wrist. "Can he feel what you feel?"

"Yes."

My body began to relax. As unfamiliar as this form was to me, the person was no stranger. I knew Basileus and, somehow, I knew Matt. We were all linked together.

"So, he can feel this?" I turned my head to kiss the soft flesh inside his arm.

He nodded, staring helplessly at my lips.

"And this?" I brought my other hand to his mouth and smoothed my finger pads over the plump pink lips.

"Yes," he rasped.

"How about . . ." Leaning in, I stroked my tongue along the shell of his ear. "This?"

Matt groaned.

Smiling, I nestled my face into his hair and ran a hand down his front. My body felt so peaceful yet wired. It couldn't wait to be touched. I had never wanted to be with someone so much. Every pulse of my heart pumped a fresh load of desire through me.

My hands gripped his cock and began to stroke it. His own hands came to rest on my hips. Turning my face, I brought my lips to his. He kissed me back, careful not to rush me. He knew I needed this, that I needed to have this power. My chest twisted with fierce emotion. I wanted to cry and slip his girthy meat into me all at once.

"Let me make love to you, Flower."

I pulled back, eyes fluttering open. Matt was smiling at me but it was Basileus who spoke. My strokes ceased as I lay back on the bed. I wanted to fuck him. It was my nature to take control in bed because it was often the only thing I could control. But this wasn't about control—this wasn't fucking. I wanted everything from Basileus, and that included love.

The realization brought a hot flush across my skin. Matt leaned down over me and kissed my cheek.

"You're even more beautiful when you blush," he whispered. "Hold on to me, Anna."

I let his hands guide my legs to his waist so I could anchor myself to him. He pressed his lips to mine and slid his fingers into my folds. Moaning, I wrapped my arms around his neck. While his tongue pushed against my lips, he rubbed at my swollen nub.

"So wet," he groaned into my mouth, fingers probing deeper.

Our kiss broke as he traveled down my body. His mouth sucked gently at my neck, collarbone, and then each breast. I ran my fingers through his long, soft hair. Once he was positioned between my legs, his tongue plunged mercilessly between my lips. I tilted my head back and mewled. I never mewled. It had always seemed so submissive and weak to me, but the sound flowed out now. I'd also never been on the receiving end of a blow job. After all, I liked to be the one who took charge.

Maybe I could see the pros to losing control every now and then.

"Ohhh." My body shuddered violently with the orgasm and I clenched the sheets in my sweaty hands. Matt's face was instantly wet with my juices.

"Please, Matt," I begged. "I need to feel you inside me. Please."

He licked his face while moving back up to my face. A smirk curled at his mouth. "This isn't about you and me, honey. This is you and him. Trust me—you'll know when I am the one pleasuring you."

My mouth parted in shock as a fresh wave of erotic ecstasy washed over me. I grabbed onto his shoulders again.

"Then show me," I dared, pushing the words out of gritted teeth. I would become a mess if he didn't save me now.

"As you wish." He smirked again.

His hand pumped at his cock a few times before he rubbed the plump head around my soaking hole. He eased it into me. I hissed at the initial stretch and then sunk into the bed as my body adjusted. Matt sucked on my neck, nipping to help disjoint the pain. Once he was a few inches in, he pulled back. I gasped at the sucking I felt deep in my pussy. He bit me harder, right over Basileus' marking, and thrust back in.

Our bodies pushed and pulled with every stroke. Heat poured through my body like molten lead. I was burning up yet freely tied to Matt's body. Each thrust pushed him deeper into me, our bodies drawing closer. My moans and his grunts rose with the noise of our working bodies. The sensual cadence of balls slapping and thighs rubbing. At last, his control broke and his face turned into furious, loud humping. I cried in delirious bliss and felt my hips rise to meet his.

We came together, rather violently. His cum filled my socket to the brink and then spilled over. Matt stretched out beside me, leaving himself buried in my cunt. His fingers brushed over my sensitive skin.

"I've never felt anything like that," he told me softly. "You set me on fire."

I smiled, even though he couldn't see it. "I've never been this close to anyone I had sex with." My heart clawed at my throat, the words scratching to be released. I sealed them out, though. "Thank you, Matt. And Basileus."

He nuzzled his face into my neck. "Any time, Flower."

We spooned for half an hour or so before I moved to sit up. Matt's flaccid dick slid out with all our juices. I turned over to face him, finding those glowing sapphire eyes locked on me.

"We should go," I told him. "Now that you're here, Matt, they'll want to see you. Lee has been waiting for Basileus to hand you over."

He rolled his eyes and leaned forward, kissing the center of my chest. "Can't they wait? I'm not through with you."

"No." I blushed again and looked away. "I mean, I'm not done either. But we can continue later." When I looked back, he pouted his lips. "Look, Lee has done so much for me. I've never had a friend like her. I don't want to take this opportunity from her. And don't you want to see her anyway?"

Sighing, Matt pushed himself up onto his elbow. "I don't know what I want. It's been months since I had control of my body. And I've met you . . . that changes how I feel. Especially for Lee."

"What do you mean?" I asked, heart stammering.

"Well. I was kinda in love with her. Then the beast came and changed everything. I didn't understand what she had with Tandan until we met you. Then I knew. Whatever feelings I had for Lee vanished. They don't even compare to what I have—what we have—with you."

I bit my lip. Lee said they were friends. Never that he was in love. Maybe because she never felt about him that way? Lifting my palm to his face, I caressed his coarse beard.

"I'm glad I have you," I said. "I know you're confused. I'll help as much as I can. But Lee still needs you, Matt, as her friend. You should go see her. Talk things out."

"Ugh. Fine." He flopped onto his back with a dramatic sigh. "And then can we come back to bed? I haven't had my way with you yet, young lady."

I stuck my tongue out and laughed. "Yes. And then I can have my way with you."

"Oooo, I like the sound of that!"

Laughing, I pinched his pec. "Then go! Or I'll have to bring out my kinky side."

"Maybe I like kinky."

"Oh my God."

He laughed and kissed me before getting out of bed. "I'll go. We'll talk. And then sex. Okay?"

"Okay."

"Okay," he agreed and walked out. Naked, of course.