Breath, Deven , breath.

I constantly needed to remind myself of this as I mingled with the crowd. It was the night is my introductory ball and I was more than eager to get it over with.

Everyone still seemed shocked that their Alpha had matted with a non wolf. I could see them wondering if it was even possible. Thankfully though, in their shock they had been polite. Even Juneau and her two cohorts. Their presence here did cause me some unrest and I had to focus hard on maintaining the tight smile on my face.

" Let me talk to you girl." The Dowager luna pulled me away from the two Alpha chiefs I had been making pointless conversation with. I could see it on their faces that they were offended by this but she was their Queen mother. They couldn't do shit.

" You didn't fulfill your part of our agreement." She accused and I sighed inwardly. I wished she hadn't brought it up though. I was nervous enough to throw up already. She had been busy the last two days, planning the ball and so I had been to avoid her.. and unfortunately so had my mate.

Rhydian.. my eyes flitted across the room in search of him just as my mind flew back to the night of the founding festival. My eyes found him at the other end of the room and as though he could sense my gaze -which he definitely could- his eyes met mine and a slow grin spread over his face.

" I am speaking to you, Devenity!" The sternness in the Dowager lunas voice snapped my attention right back and my face paled at her obvious irritation. " Because of your lack of strategy, a war will happen sooner rather than later and we don't have the advantage of a barrier."

How was that my fault?

" Speak to Rhydian on the issue of releasing the other prisoners. Then work on them. We will need their help in the war." And with that, she walked off. I watched as Juneau, Quinn and Niylah rushed to her and curtseyed perfectly.

" Your majesty." I heard Juneau say.

" Lovely as always." The Dowager luna took her hands. " It's a sad shame that my son had mated with a moon witch. You would have made a lovely Luna."

I took great restraint to keep from rolling my eyes. Juneau and her cohorts flounced over to me.

" Seems like someone has lost the Dowager luna's approval." Juneau said with a pleased smile.

" Devenity, it's so.. good to see you again." Quinn said with a tight smile on her face.

" I can't say the same." I said just as I felt someones hand on the small of my back. Judging from the way my body tingled in response at that touch even though it was through my clothes told me it's was Rhydian. Ever since that night, my body has become even most attuned to him. Just the sight of him was enough to leave me aching for some kind of friction from him. The damned, impending war, had kept him occupied these last two days and I was certain I couldn't stand it anymore.

All three she-wolves curtseyed deeply. Too deeply for my liking. They bent so low their cleavage was almost spilling from their bodice. I pursed my lips, unwilling to comment.

" It's a lovely evening, isn't it?.." Quinn asked, hey voice so obviously seductively low, I almost laughed. Hey next words to wiped every trace of amusement from my face. " Master." She said. Although, purred would have been a better description.

" Your will address my mate as his royal highness, the Alpha prince or not at all." I whispered heatedly. Quinn's face dropped in surprise at my tone.

" Lady bellefluer, do calm down." Juneau said, pleased at my reaction.

I pulled back my curls, exposing the raised, red mark on my neck. " Do u see that? I'm marked, bitch. So find yourself another master."

I was certain half the people in the room heard me and I groaned inwardly. I plastered a fake smile on my face. " If you'll excuse me, ladies."

I turned away and walkd to a secluded part of the room to catch my breath. I couldn't believe I'd exploded like that. I couldn't believe I'd exploded like that.. in a room filled with werewolves with really good hearing. I sighed again and heard Rhydian chuckle beside me.

" You know," he said, tucking my hair back in place. " I would never consider either of them as a concubine."

I looked at him, all the incredulity in the world written on my face. " You will consider no human, wolf or fae as a concubine unless you want a sword dipped in wolfsbane sticking out of your skull."

He raised his hand in mock defeat and laughed but I was in no mood to laugh back. I felt edgy. My vulva throbbed nonstop, aching for his friction. Sex was all I could think of. I didn't care to know why. I just wanted it.

" I know how you're feeling." Rhydian whispered and I could see in the darkness of his eyes that he did he did know I felt. " It's your mark. It makes you want your mate more."

" Maybe we should excuse ourselves." I whispered.

Rhydian sighed and said. " There's a lot more than your introduction going on here. It wouldn't do for my chiefs to know I'm more interested in sex than the war at the moment."

" But you are?" I asked hopefully. He shrugged, unwilling to give me a straight answer but it was answer enough. I leaned close to him and whispered. " I'm going to leave through that hallway. Follow in there minutes."

Rhydian have me a look. " Our absence will be noticed." He said and I shrugged and made my way out of the ballroom.

I continued to walk, until I was a good distance from the party I didn't bother about him being able to find me. I knew he could easily. And he did.

" Devenity." He whispered, startling me. I hadn't heard him come up. " This is ridiculous."

" Your came so quickly. Someone's impatient." I threw my hands around his shoulder. " That makes two of us." His lips engulfed mine in a second with more urgency than ever before. The last two days had felt like decades not just for me but also for him. I could tell by the way he kissed me. His kisses were hasty, undecided. Like he didn't know where to start or stop. Like he wanted to kiss my whole being in a second.

I wrapped my legs around his waist just as he slammed me against the wall. I heard him breath in deeply.

" Fuck, Deven." He groaned, lapping my neck with his hot tongue. I grinded my pelvis against him and he pushed back. I could feel every inch of him, swollen and throbbing with need. He growled in my ear, frustrated my the fastenings of my dress.

Then I remembered we still had to go back to the ball. " Whoa, Rhydian!" I pulled away from his kiss. " No tearing. The ball isn't over yet." I cautioned.

He growled but seemed to understand and pushed up the skirts of my dress while almost simultaneously puling down his pants. In one swift movement, he was in me and I cried out at the pleasurable jolt his thrust brought. I'd missed this. He stayed still for a moment, his breath heavy against my ear.

" You're so warm." He whispered. " And wet. Who are you wet?" He demanded, pulling on the lobe of my ear with his teeth.

I squeezed him and whispered back. " You."

" Fuck." He groaned as I confirm to squeeze and release. "Do you have any idea what you're doing to me." He whispered, his breath against my neck was getting more ragged by the second.

" Bite me." I whispered and he leaned back to look at me. " I want you to bite me." I whispered again and he smiled.

" Your wish is my command." He said and sank his fangs into my mark just as he slammed into me.

My scream was caught in my throat. It came out in short little gasps as pain and pleasure exploded in me. I grabbed his hair and pushed his face down, causing his fangs to sink deeper. Why having him bite me was so erotic, I couldn't tell. I just knew I didn't want him to stop.

And he didn't. His thrusts never stopped as well. His assault on me , spurred by our urgency, was mind numbing. I could feel my orgasm rising with every thrust. His thrusts increased drastically and I was certain I would have bruises on my laps but I didn't care.

I moaned out his name as my orgasms washed over me, a violent stream of pleasure that I hoped would never end. As I came down from my high, I felt a burst of heat in me and gasped in surprise as something hot and moist settled in me. It took me a few seconds to realize that he'd come in me.

" You were right." He said with a smile. " We fucking needed that."

" Do you think anyone heard?" I asked and he laughed.

" Deven, everyone heard." He straightened his clothes. " I need to get back and so should you."

I sluggishly got to my feet and tried my best to tame his stray locks with my hands. I looked back at my handwork. " No one's going to know." I said.

He kissed my forehead and narrowed his oh-so-gorgeous eyes at me. " Who would know. Don't take long."

I straightened my dress as I waited to go back to the ball. As much as I would have loved to skip it entirely, there still remained some alpha chiefs I was yet to meet.

I glanced at my hair in a mirror in the hallway. It needed some combing. I rushed in the direction of the living quarters to get a brush.

As I neared the rooms, muted voices reached me. They were coming from willows room which was left wide open. I frowned. We had given strict instruction to willows maids to keep her in her room. She had huge taken a turn for the worse and had more nightmares spawned from her abuse. Her healer was worried that she would hurt herself or someone else and so we had limited her outside time so she wouldn't come in contact with dangerous materials. Right now, I could see several things in the hallway that willow could use to do some damage and her maids had just left the doors open for her to stroll out and get them.

I marched angrily into her room, eager to give the maids a piece of my mind when I saw her, willow.. hanging by her neck from a rope tied to a chandelier.