“Hannah, are you okay?” he asks, quickly standing and knocking back the chair he sat on.
“Yes, now leave,” I order, backing away further from Julian and shivering. I need him to go, as my heat just came on so suddenly. I can’t have Julian here, or else it will force him into a rut, and Goddess knows I can’t handle my ex right now.
“Hannah—”
“Leave, please, Julian,” I whimper, clenching my hands into fists and feeling my nails dig into my palm.
He hesitates but ultimately backs away. I close my eyes, taking a deep breath of his mango scent and shivering, the flames inside my body growing hotter as they course through me. The door to the cottage closes, and I take another deep breath, confirming Julian has left. Sighing with relief, I hobble toward the bathroom, stumbling into the large bathtub.
Jiya,I whimper out into the link, calling for my friend.
My heat just came.Silence follows my declaration before I feel the link stir.
I will be there with bags of ice,Jiya calls back. The link shuts off, and with trembling hands, I reach for the handle to the cold water. The shower above comes on instantly, and ice-cold water washes over me, cooling the heat long enough for me to breathe.
Probing the link between Aidan and me, I find that he is still awake and open the link.
Aidan, keep Julian away from me for a few days,I order my theta, feeling his confusion in my mind.
Why? What did he do?Aidan asks back quickly, and I chuckle at his fatherly worry toward me.
Nothing. I just started my heat, and I do not want him near me until it’s done,I answer. The link is silent but hums, letting me know that Aidan is still there. When his reply comes, I can’t help but relax under the spray of ice-cold water and let my worries fade away.
I told Fabian about your predicament to help keep King Julian away from you. You’ll be fine for the next few days, so please just endure your heat for now,Aidan quickly replies. Thanking him, I close the link between us and take deep, even breaths. Jiya will be here soon, and the ice will help relieve my burning skin.
38
Julian
The blaring alarm wakes me from my slumber, and I jolt upright in bed, my heart hammering in my chest. I was dreaming of Hannah in my arms; her soft moans of pleasure while I made love to her felt so real that even now, I can hear them ringing in my ears. Groaning, I grab my phone off the bedside table and quickly turn off the alarm, falling back onto the bed and slowly moving my hand down my body to my rock-hard cock as my mind wanders back to Hannah.
Something was wrong with her last night when she demanded that I leave her cottage. She sounded desperate, as if trying to hide something. Not only that, but her scent had changed, becoming sweeter to the point that my body was twitching with need by the time I returned to my room in the guest house. Even now, my body still desires Hannah, to have her under me in bed, writhing in pleasure, but I know that is not going to happen.
Closing my eyes, I bring up the images of my dream and groan, my hand stroking my cock while my mind imagines Hannah riding me. My hips buck as I stroke my cock faster, my groans becoming louder and louder until finally, my release comes, my seed spurting onto my hand and lap in quick bursts. Sinking into the mattress, I gasp for breath and close my eyes. Goddess, it’s been five long years since I last had sex, and now, after only two days since meeting Hannah again, I am craving her warm flesh.
Deciding to get my mind off Hannah for the time being, I climb out of bed and make my way to the bathroom, taking a much-needed cold shower. The cold water rushing over my body helps to calm my thoughts, and I sigh. Something feels off today. Something involving Hannah.
Sighing, I quickly finish my shower and dry off, pulling a pair of jeans and a T-shirt from my suitcase and getting dressed. I spent the last two days putting off my duties; today I need to speak with the Haven Trail wolves.
“Julian, are you up?” Fabian’s voice calls from the other side of the wooden door.
“Yeah, you can come in,” I call back.
The door opens, and Fabian and Mikos walk in, both grinning.
“Theta Aidan wants you to help with the interrogation,” Mikos announces as soon as he steps into my room, an easygoing smile on his face. But his left eye twitches slightly before he looks away. Strange; it seems my men are hiding something from me.
“What about Hannah?” I ask, pulling on a pair of sneakers and motioning for my friends to leave my room. We enter the guest house hall and make our way downstairs to the smell of food.
“She is staying at her cottage to take care of Saben,” Fabian answers, scratching his cheek, a habit he has when he’s trying to lie. Hannah isn’t taking care of Saben, even though our pup is her whole world. So what is going on?
“I’m fine with interrogating the hunters we kept alive,” I state, deciding that I will find out what is happening to Hannah once I’m done dealing with the humans who captured my son with the intent to sell or even harm him.
“Great. After that, we can talk to the Haven Trail wolves. I bet their opinion of you has changed since you saved Saben,” Fabian adds, relief tinting his voice.
Trying not to scoff, I join my wolves in the small dining room of the guest house and grin to see that many have prepared a large breakfast.
“Good morning, King Julian,” a she-wolf says, bowing her head as I walk past her.
