"Weren't you just saying I needed a bath?" I exhale, catching my lower lip in my teeth as I look up at him. Was this really something that was right? I had been a victim to my own intoxication before, a piece of me wondered if it was really fair to take any sort of hinting from a man who was drunk beyond recognition. He was spiraling, I knew him to well to think he wasn't attempting to cope, that he wasn't seeking assurance that I found value in him despite what his younger self revealed.
Above all else, he loved me. He didn't want to lose me, and he had feared since the moment he realized he couldn't live without me that I would choose someone else if I calculated the wrongdoings of his past with the reality of his present self. Just as I needed him to help me find my worth and meaning, he needed me to guide him through the delicate path of self-forgiveness.
"Maybe I've decided I like you dirty?" He questions, taking my hand and placing it on his ass as I'm yanked from my musings. The coarse nature of the gesture causes my cheeks to flush and I swallow hard, bringing a chuckle from him as he kisses my nose. "Is this too graphic for you?" He feels overly warm under my fingers, I stretch up on my toes, pressing my lips to his once more in an attempt to sedate the wolf in me that wished to ravish him.
This part of the relationship was foreign to me, I didn't know how to proceed, I'd felt so confident before and now it was as if I was fresh to the scene all over again. Taking my free hand in his, he brings my palm up to his lips, kissing my wrist as he watches me intently. The intoxicated overlord gazed upon me with the sultry glance of an experienced man, even with his permission I was at his mercy.
But, in truth, it was the knowledge that he was not in his right mind that brought me to pause. The color in his cheeks, his vulgar language, and his near incapacity to keep his hands off of me rendered me to fall back on my own past. I couldn't do as he suggested, not with my knowledge of him.
My wolf fights to get free, wanting to demonstrate for him exactly how masculine I could be despite my reservations. But, my human side keeps a tight hold on the reins. He mattered more to me than any temptation, I did not want to take advantage of his vulnerability.
This was not my forte, unprepared to step into the space it would take to conquer such a being and command he recants this implied consent. He was the picture of an Alpha, a dominant in every sense. Even here, he was guiding me, giving me a green light for something I'd been hinting towards for months. I had to steer this conversation in a different direction.
"I feel like you have no idea what you are doing, in what world do you wish for me to grope you?" I tell him with a sigh, enjoying the feeling of his firm behind in my hand. It wasn't often I got to marvel at him in this way. Digging my fingers in with a firm grip, I knead the taut muscles and admire the beauty of this divine creature. He was mine, entirely mine, appreciating his form from such close range felt like a luxury given how often he was pursuing me.
A glitch in my own hardwiring, perhaps he was more so feeling under desired. How often was it that I courted him beyond leaping into his bed at every opportunity?
But.
This wasn't him, this was his fear of losing me, this was his drunken insecurities. Pressing my cheek to his chest, the height difference is almost comical and I feel myself simmering down into a more clear headspace. "I've never been in this position before. You're also ridiculously drunk. You're practically giggling, which while I find you incredibly charming, I'm not quite ready to take hold of you as you suggest."
Rolling his eyes, in a quick movement he tosses me onto the bed as he jerks my pants off, my bewildered body at his mercy in his haste. Inhuman in his urgency, my new body responded with animalistic vigor. As he reappears, his teeth graze the inside of my knee, resting my thighs against his shoulders as he caresses the smooth, olive skin with his warm hand. With a slow pass, he drags his tongue over the bite mark.
"I give you the opportunity to fuck me and you're making excuses?"
Wide-eyed, I nearly choke. I'd forgotten what an insatiable creature he was when he was intoxicated. How could I prepare myself if he were going to talk to me like that? How could I defend him from me when I did, desperately, desire him even if I had no earthly clue on how to fulfill that request. There was no filter, no holding back, and I was beyond tempted into committing such an act. "That's entirely unfair and you know it. You're ridiculously drunk."
"Do I look drunk?" Verando growls, his light eyes capturing my own as he kisses down my thigh. I'm impossibly hard, his ability to torment me unmatched. He knew me so well, my body bowed willingly to his touch.
Nodding, I refuse to entertain him. "Undeniably." I retort firmly. His lips feel so good on my skin as he trails closer to my boxer briefs, brushing his nose over my arousal. It feels electric, the gentle touch through the thin material. I feel the heat of his breath, "You're freaking out, I know you better than you appear to think."
This makes him pause, considering my words. "You don't know the half of it, love." Exhaling, he passes his tongue over my clothed erection before kissing the tip.
Stifling a whimper, I refuse to surrender to him. "Why did you ask Stefan to erase your memory?" I manage, attempting to regain control of this situation.
Sliding one of his hands up, he gropes me through my shorts, rolling me in his palm as he kisses down the other side of my length. With a careful shove, he slides me up the bed, pushing me towards the pillows. I note the sway of his hips, despite his clothed state, my mind wanders to the comment Rhea made about his desperation for Opium in his youth.
The sinful man was always capable of getting what he wanted, perhaps the practice was more truthful than I'd like to imagine. A trail of heartbroken women, children from multiple different mothers, diplomats daughters, and with the addition of me, a prince. It would seem seeing his former self had rekindled his nature to assure his place by using his body.
It stinks me, my eyes open as I watch the ceiling.
Just like me.
"Is that really what you want to talk about?" He asks, popping my erection out of the veil of my undershorts to kiss the base. His stubble makes me groan, my hands find his hair and he practically purrs in response. "Why don't you practice? Tell me what to do."
"Taste me," I command him, as he obediently takes me into his mouth and his sinful tongue does my bidding. I moan, low in my throat, tightening my grip on his hair. It was easy to think of falling back into old habits, giving him his coping mechanism, assuring him in the easiest way that he was still loved. "You're avoiding my question."
The wolf nods his head eagerly.
Humming appreciatively, he rolls his tongue against me. Taking me out of his mouth, he slowly works my length with his hand. "You're talking way too much. I don't want to talk. I want to fuck or be fucked, it's your decision."
The harsh language brings the red back to my cheeks, climbing my body he captures my lips with his own as I grip his hair and claim his mouth. "Gods you'll be my undoing if you keep speaking to me like that." Taking a page out of his book, I pull his hair sharply to tilt his head back, giving me access to his neck.
A low moan curls from his lips, relishing in the discomfort of my grip on his tangle of locks. Sinking my teeth into his neck, I feel the rigidity in his body as he struggles to do my bidding. This wasn't easy for him, he was fighting to be my submissive, fighting to wait for me.
"Do something or I will." He manages, his voice hard yet breathless.
A firm knock on the door startles us both. I quietly sing the praises of whatever entity was looking out for me, swallowing as my gaze meets his and he practically pleads with me to stay with a gaze that fractures my resolve.
My poor, broken warlord.
Pressing his lips to mine once more, he deepens the kiss, and the knock sounds again. I press my forehead to his, panting as I attempt to catch my breath. "Coming," I announce, earning an exhale of frustration as he flops back onto his back. "One of us is being summoned and it would seem I'm the more viable option." Sending him in this state was not ideal for anyone. Not with so many hungry eyes skirting around.
"It's fine." He huffs, irritated. It isn't often that it's him pleading for me, that it's him begging me to join his bed, I'm conflicted as I brush my thumb over his lower lip, dragging the backs of my fingers over his cheek.
"We're going to figure this out. I'm not judging you, I'm not leaving you."
Verando flinches, not expecting my response. "You are leaving." He points out.
With a snort, I poke the end of his nose with my finger and he clicks his teeth in a half hearted threat. "I love you." I remind him, earning a grumble in response as I pull my pants back on and head out of the room to spot Caspian waiting for me with an unamused expression. "Yes? Can I help you?"
"We need to talk." He keeps his voice low, I'm admittedly reluctant to go anywhere with him but the alternative was dealing with my lustful husband. I must be sick in the head to retreat from such a generous offer, but my desire to have him to myself in a more sober state pushed me to follow the Spanish man down the hall, descending the stairs and exiting the front door to get to the porch.
"I hope you realize you're interupting-" Stopping myself, I shut my eyes only for a brief moment to scold myself.
Pulling his lips into a thin line, Caspian crosses his arms over his chest as he watches the front yard. The slow patrol of Leo casually strolling as he crosses the yard, the reclusive nature of our home, he considers his words carefully. "You don't like me."
I shrug one shoulder. "I don't know you."
"But you know Randy." He swallows back the discomfort. "I-... How?" His voice is small and then he stops, perhaps considering going back into the house. But, instead, he changes his question. "What did I do to make you hate me?"
Telling him could risk the future, more so than we've already done. But, he had already seen his older self, he knew that he was being imprisoned, he'd heard Marcella question why were choosing to keep him alive. "Caspian.. Sometimes people do things-"
"Cut the shit." He snaps, shaking his head. "Tell me, damn it."
"There is concern that if you know anything about this time that you will change the past, as you can imagine, I'm quite comfortable with where I am sitting. I'm, admittedly, reluctant to give you any information that might alter the present. But." I think back to Verando, was it selfish to wish this path on him? We had both suffered, but I think of the thin man locked in a bedroom, who could have used a better friend that an enabler.
"Am I not deserving of a chance at redemption? I've seen your comfort level, I must admit, I'm disgustingly jealous. This is..." He takes in the scene once more, wrapping his arms a little tighter around himself. It would seem that we were both lost for words, unsure of how to deal with each other. I had what he had always wanted. "I did something terrible, didn't I?"
Slowly, I nod.
"My father always said I was destined for greatness, I suppose that was true. Unfortunately, it would appear I've followed in his footsteps."
"I know the story. Shadowcast is your father, you're the embodiment of darkness." I retort, stiff.
"Sometimes the hat fits better than we'd like." He muses, the golden gaze locking on Leo. "The future surely is something, ticks working with lycans, mortals aiding in the betterment of your lives, slaves amoung the common wealth, two men fornicating in public and you're practically met with applause. Not a chance I could stay here, I'd imagine?" Now I spot what had caused the divet in history, what had caused Verando to 'fade' as Darrius had called it.
"You'll kill him. Is that what you want? He needs you, much as I'm disgusted by it. If you attempt to stay in this time-"
He raises his hand, rolling his eyes, "Calm down princess. It was a casual thought, I love him too, you know?"
My blood begins to boil, I clench my fists tightly. "No, you're obsessed with him. You force yourself on him, you crushed his confidence down knowing he didn't have it in him to hurt you, knowing he was supposed to be good and you did everything you could to force it out of him!" The words spill forward, I couldn't stop myself. "You nearly killed him then and you nearly killed him now, you almost took him from me and if you think for a single moment that I want anything to do with you, you're sadly mistaken.
You're a sleeper cell, a serial killer in the making, and if it wouldn't effect my timeline I'd slaughter you where you stand like the dog you are. I love him. I love him with every inch of my soul, every piece of who I am, you are the one who violated him and it takes the entirety of my control and the will of the damned gods to stop me from wiping you off this earth.
So, you can promptly fuck off, Caspian, because I have zero patience left for you."
Turning on my heel, he grips my wrist and I ball up my fist, wheeling around to connect my fist to his jaw and sending him sailing across the porch. My hands come up to cover my mouth as my temper simmers, I'd completely forgotten the man was not a lycan but a werewolf.
"Shit!" I curse, quickly going over to him.
Caspian spotters, slowly climbing out of the potted plants as he flexes his jaw. "For the love-" He winces, holding up his hand to stop me from touching him. "I get it, I submit, you know for a tiny thing you can really pack a punch."
"Serves you right." I scowl.
Spitting out a mouthful of blood, he settles down onto his hip. "I want to help. I want to fix this, I want to do something to atone for all that my future self as done. I wasn't trying to rile you up."
He could have fooled me. "You aren't changing the past, Caspian."
Frowning, he shrugs, pressing his palm to stop the bleeding from his lower lip. "I want to help keep this future."
I've had enough for one evening. "Clean yourself up and if you say a thing about me hitting you, I'll just have to hit you again. I have a temper I'm attempting to control, I won't have you soiling that record. If you want to help, figure out a way to kill your future self without releasing Fenrir." With that, I storm back into the house, resisting the urge to slam the door. Leo could have laid witness to the assault on the man, but I doubted he would oust me.
Few people knew how Caspian had made my husband suffer, Leo was one of them. Surely he would have liked to have hit the man himself if he could have gotten away with it.
Climbing the stairs, I right myself as I step into the bedroom, collecting my thoughts only to sigh in relief when I spot that Verando is out cold. Curled into a ball around the furry dog, Badger had climbed up onto the bed to press into him. The dogs head rested on the man's hip, watching me with a curious expression but not daring to move from where Verando clutched him. I was more grateful to the dog than I'd ever been to an animal.
Patting the collie on the head, I retreat to the bathroom to shower.