Callie's Guardian: White Tigers of Brigantia (Book 1) by Lisa Daniels (61)

Chapter Four

Luelle flopped out with Evo on the bed, arm propping her up as she examined him. The television flickered in the background with their excuse to hang out together, displaying an episode of Fringe.  Evo had just gotten out of the kitchen after serving a pantheon of food to the guests in the hotel, injured and travelers alike.  They now hosted around eight injured werewolves, including a Spirova – Elinor's seven year old grand-niece, Hana Spirova.  She had tumbled down the Rila mountain face to escape her would-be murderers.

Despite the stress of the situation and not knowing when another wounded body would dump itself through the door, or if an attack would try and push past the sentries and staff on duty, Luelle found time to seek positive thoughts.  Her “beloved” husband might be among the numbers, and she honestly hoped he'd die a brutal and miserable death, as compensation for all the misery he put her through.

Evo stared listlessly at the curtained window, rather than keeping his focus on the show.  He ran a hand over Luelle's palm, sending little shivers of warmth through her blood.  What was it about Evo she liked?

At first glance, he seemed gentle, jovial, kind.  She suspected people might underestimate that, or assume him gullible to the whims of his elder sister.

However, being with his sister amounted to choice.  He forged his own destiny, setting a new line of expectations and living.  He loved his freedom.  It glowed in his face.

Such genuine happiness hit a chord inside.  Then there were the brief hints of an alpha personality under his charming façade – with the way he dived after Ricten and overpowered him, with the protective rage over his sister and Luelle when Ricten had spat and drooled and sneered.

If he wanted, he could quite easily become alpha and lead a pack – except he chose a nomadic path.  A stray path.

Admiration bubbled into arousal.  Those heart-wrenching blue eyes of his, like glittering jewels contrasted against his rich-toned skin made all sorts of interesting chemicals float in her blood.  The pheromones didn't help, either.

It was wrong of her, on a level, to do this.  She might be off to America in a week, she might be captured by the Kasanovs again.  The chains of her future hovered uncertain, with an ominous whisper telling her that her days were numbered.  That she would die before truly tasting the fresh happiness of freedom, and run wild without fear of vengeance or hatred.

To wrench herself out of the negative spiral, Luelle shifted her thoughts to Evo.  “How do you feel about your sister's pregnancy?” Luelle asked, directing a gentle smile his way.  His gaze shifted from the black spots on the curtains to Luelle's emerald eyes.

“Happy.  Worried.  Unsure.”

“Why unsure?”  Luelle turned her body toward him, so that her shirt dipped to the side, revealing more than an appropriate amount of cleavage.  His eyes darted there and back.  He licked his lips nervously.

“I don't know what it might mean.  I don't have a problem, of course, being an uncle.  And I think Frey will be an awesome mother.  I just... I didn't see it coming.”

“I get what you mean.  Life doesn't always plan itself out so perfectly, does it?”  Luelle drawled the last of her sentence, batting her eyelashes.

“Sure doesn't.”  He raised a finger to trace over her chin.  “Another thing to add to that list... can I give you some truth?”

“Always,” Luelle breathed, heart-rate increasing.  An intensity gleamed in his eyes, and dug down into the nerve center of her body.  He had been the one to watch over her when healing along with her brother, and cheered her up with jokes and smiles and hugs.  He had been the one to grow oddly protective of her, even when he had no reason to – though he cited it was because he saw something of himself and Frey in Luelle and Yanus.  He saw the bonds of affection and love in them.  He saw their positions reversed, and his sister being carted off to some unknown, lonely place, with no one caring about her except him.

He saw a survivor, not a victim.  And she felt kinship with him, warm and at home.

“I confess that I'm finding it harder and harder to control myself.  The more I look at you, smell you, touch you – the more I want.  The only thing holding me back is whether it's a good idea or not.”

A dark smile plastered itself on Luelle's lips.  “Same.”  Her hand began sliding along his arm, burrowing into his shirt and feeling the taut muscles there.  “I'm so tired, Evo.  You could be the best thing that's ever happened and although I keep telling myself I shouldn't do this – I want it.”

Evo's eyes dilated in lust, and a tremor went through his spine.  A low growl rumbled in his throat.  “Is that so...?”

Excitement flaring her nostrils, hand shaking, she ran her hand down over his stomach and to his crotch, feeling for his hardness.

This unraveled the last of the mental restraints placed on Evo.  Without further prompting, he dived onto Luelle, forcing her to bounce onto her back as he pinned one arm and kissed her hard on the lips.  Shivers of amazement infected Luelle.  She had never been taken in a way she enjoyed – never anticipated it this much.

She also never felt so much love pressed against her lips, or to so eagerly accept another man's warmth and contact.  They groped at one another, kiss and explored mouths, their bodies tangling together.  Her skin burned, flushing crimson, and her cheeks heated up, making her think for a moment that she needed to open the windows, in case they combusted on the spot.

The last time she had been taken, it filled her heart with dread, and she simply iced over like a doll, unwilling to bring herself to stay in the present, not when she hated her husband with all her heart.

With Evo, she wanted him, desired him, and it surprised her.  It scared her.  Happiness had always been a far off dream, an illusion that kept her going on the dark and lonely nights.

Evo seemed quite intent on making her explode in happiness, as he rubbed against her body, and whispered his affection into her ear.

He sensed a little hesitation in her, even despite her eagerness – because her body remembered the bad times.  He turned his passion into something that simmered, focusing on gentle treatment, love and patience.

He took off her clothes as if unwrapping a Goddess, and kissed every inch of her skin exposed, paying homage to everything that made her the person she was today.

When he kissed, he touched the deepest areas of her soul and made them light, burned away the corruption and darkness that ate away at her happiness and ability to love.

It made her special, to be worshipped this way.  Naked under Evo at last, she didn't feel awkward or shy.  She closed her eyes and kept herself in the moment, tracking every single thing he did to her, and the way he cherished every cell. 

He only went inside her after her body had acclimatized to his touch, and she no longer flinched and trembled.  His hardness brushed inside her, and soothed rather than stabbed.  Her body relaxed and welcomed him, and he cradled her, kissed her lips and neck, their huffs and gasps intermingling. 

He came before her.  Her body had never come before, in her entire relationship with her husband – and Evo worked at her with total dedication, determined to make the night something more.

She told him it didn't matter if she didn't orgasm.  All that mattered was the way he treated her, and she loved it.

She did, however, attain climax after a hard hour of work from Evo.  Something about the way his tongue flicked at her down there, triggering long forgotten nerves of excitement and tension – encouraging her to brace her legs, to relax and stay in the moment with him – it brought to life the thing she once thought herself incapable of getting.  Her husband had accused her often enough of being frigid.

So that was nice.

Evo certainly knew how to please a lady.  Post-coital cuddling seemed to be a thing as well, all fresh new experiences in the short life of Luelle Armanev.  All these feelings made her mull on just how much she had missed out, because of her family selling her.

This was what had been missing from her life.

Love.

Evo spotted the tears prickling behind her eyelids.  Instead of asking what the tears were about, he hugged her tight to his bare chest, nourishing the affection there.  He understood, even if she didn't.