Chapter 52 052

Chapter 52 052
Natasha

The festival was in full swing by the time the sun set. Bonfires lit the clearing, casting dancing shadows across laughing faces.

Someone had brought out instruments. A fiddle, a drum, something that might have been a lute and music filled the air along with the smell of roasting meat and honey wine.

It had been too long since we had a reason to celebrate, but three successful supply raids in a row on the enemy pack and no casualties meant tonight we could let ourselves lose.

I stood near one of the fires, watching people dance. Seraphina was dragging Dimitri into the circle despite his protests, and I smiled at how she laughed when he stepped on her feet.

They looked happy. They were in love and it made my chest ache with something I didn't want to examine too closely.

"You're not dancing."

I turned to find Mikhail beside me with two cups of wine in his hands. He offered me one and I took it gratefully.

"Neither are you." I pointed out.

"I was waiting for the right partner," His eyes held mine over the rim of his cup. "Dance with me."

"People will talk."

"Let them. We're family, aren't we?" The word came out slightly mocking. "It's perfectly acceptable for a brother and sister to dance together at a celebration."

He was right, of course. No one would think twice about it, but I knew what would happen the moment our bodies touched, and from the heat in his eyes, so did he.

"One dance." I said.

He set down both cups and took my hand, leading me toward where others were dancing. The music was lively, spirited, and he pulled me close as we began to move.

"I've been watching you all night," He murmured, his breath warm against my ear. "That dress should be illegal."

"It's just a dress." I said but I had chosen it carefully.

It was a dark blue fabric that hugged my curves before flowing out at the hips. The neckline was modest by celebration standards, but the way it cinched at my waist emphasized my figure.

"Just a dress," He repeated, his hand sliding lower on my back. "That's why every man here has been staring at you?"

"You're exaggerating."

"I'm not," He spun me out and pulled me back, and this time I ended up even closer to him. "Sam can't keep his eyes off you. He nearly walked into a fire because he was too busy watching you laugh."

"Now you're being ridiculous."

But I felt his cock, already hard, pressing against my hip and my breath caught. We were surrounded by people, dancing among dozens of others, and he was aroused enough that I could feel every inch of him through our clothes.

"Feel what you do to me?" He said quietly, his lips brushing my ear. "Just watching you stand by that fire, smiling at Seraphina's jokes made me hard."

"Mikhail." I breathed, trying to sound a warning but it came out breathy instead.

"I've been thinking about fucking you all day," His hand tightened on my waist as we moved together. "Thinking about your mouth, your pussy, the sounds you make when you come."

"Stop." I whispered, but my body pressed closer to his.

The music shifted to something slower and he pulled me flush against him. To anyone watching, we were just two people dancing, but between us, there was nothing innocent about the way our bodies moved together.

"I can't stop," He said. "Every time I see you, I want you. Every time you look at me, I remember what you taste like."

My thighs clenched and I was grateful for the darkness hiding my flushed face. "We're in public."

"I know," His hand slid up my back, fingers tangling briefly in my hair before returning to my waist. "Which is why we need to leave, now."

"We can't just leave."

"Meet me at the north edge of the clearing in five minutes," His voice was low and commanding. "Tell Seraphina you need air. Tell her anything, but meet me."

He spun me out one final time and released me as the song ended. I stood there breathless as he bowed slightly, a perfect gentleman, and then he walked away toward where Dimitri stood with some other soldiers.

I needed to stay at the celebration and maintain appearances, but my body was already aching for him, and the thought of going back to my room alone was unbearable.

I found Seraphina near one of the food tables, laughing with some other women.

"I'm going to get some air," I told her, fanning myself. "Too much wine and dancing."

"Do you want company?" She asked, immediately concerned.

"No, no, I'll be fine. I just need to clear my head for a moment."

She squeezed my hand. "Don't wander too far, and grab Mikhail if you see him. He can walk you back if you're feeling unsteady."

If only she knew.

I made my way through the crowd, trying to look casual, and slipped into the darkness at the edge of the clearing. The music faded behind me as I walked north, my heart pounding.

I found Mikhail waiting in the shadows, leaning against a tree. The moment he saw me, he pushed off and closed the distance between us.

"I wasn't sure you would come." He said, his eyes taking in my body slowly.

"I shouldn't have."

"But you did," He took my hand and led me deeper into the forest, away from the celebration. "Because you want this as badly as I do."

We walked until the music was distant and the only light came from the moon filtering through the trees. He found what he was looking for. A small clearing where moonlight streamed down in silver shafts.

"Here." He said, backing me against a large tree.

"Someone could find us." I protested weakly.

"Then we better be quiet." His mouth crashed against mine and I forgot every reason this was a bad idea.

His hands were everywhere. In my hair, on my waist, sliding up my thighs. I gasped when he grabbed my ass and lifted me slightly, pinning me between him and the tree.

"I need to be inside you," He growled against my mouth. "Right fucking now."

"Yes." I breathed, already working at his belt.

He hiked my dress up, bunching it around my waist, and made an approving sound when he found I was wearing nothing underneath.

"Did you plan this?" he asked, his fingers sliding through my wetness.

"Maybe," I had left them off after that morning's encounter, too sensitive and swollen to put anything on. "Or maybe I just knew you would find a way to fuck me tonight."

"Smart girl," He freed his cock and positioned himself. "Hold on to me."

I wrapped my arms around his neck just as he thrust inside, and I had to bite down on his shoulder to muffle my cry. The bark of the tree dug into my back but I didn't care, too focused on the feeling of him filling me completely.

"Fuck, you feel good," He groaned, pulling out and slamming back in. "So wet for me."

He set a brutal pace, using the tree for leverage as he fucked me hard. Each thrust made small sounds escape my throat despite my best efforts to stay quiet.

"They're right there," He said, nodding toward where the celebration continued. "Just through those trees. Anyone could walk this way and see you getting fucked."

The thought sent a thrill through me and I clenched around him. He felt it and laughed darkly.

"You like that. The danger."

"Yes." I admitted, my nails digging into his shoulders.

Moonlight painted us in silver and shadow, and there was something primal about this. Fucking in the forest, the sounds of celebration in the distance, the risk of discovery making every sensation sharper.

His hand slid between us to rub my clit and I gasped, my head falling back against the tree.

"Come for me," He commanded. "Want to feel you come on my cock under the moonlight."

I was close, so close, every nerve ending on fire. His fingers circled my clit in just the right way and I shattered, my body going rigid as pleasure crashed through me.

I buried my face in his neck to muffle my cries and he fucked me through it, prolonging my orgasm until I was shaking.

"That's it," He breathed. "So beautiful when you come."

His rhythm grew erratic and I knew he was close. I pulled his face to mine and kissed him deeply as he thrust hard one final time and came inside me with a muffled groan.

We stayed like that for a long moment, both breathing hard, his forehead resting against mine. The sounds of the festival drifted through the trees.

"I know." But he didn't move yet, just held me against the tree. "Give me a minute to memorize this. You, the moonlight and those sounds you made."

My chest tightened with something dangerous. Something that I really didn't want to name.

He pulled out carefully and set me back on my feet. We straightened our clothes in silence, trying to make ourselves presentable. My legs were weak and I could feel his cum starting to leak down my thigh.

"You go first," He said, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. "I'll follow in a few minutes."

I nodded and started back toward the celebration. My body still hummed with pleasure and I knew I looked thoroughly fucked, but maybe in the darkness and chaos of the festival, no one would notice.

I barely made it back to the bonfires when Seraphina appeared at my elbow.

"There you are!" She said cheerfully. "Feeling better?"

"Much better," I said, hoping my voice sounded normal. "The fresh air helped."

"Good. I was getting worried," She linked her arm through mine and we walked toward one of the food tables. "Have you eaten? You must try the honey cakes. They're amazing."

I accepted a small cake, grateful for something to do with my hands. Seraphina chatted about the celebration, about how well it was going, and I tried to focus on her words instead of the feeling of Mikhail's cum slowly dripping down my thigh.

"I've noticed something lately." Seraphina said, and there was something different in her tone that made my stomach drop.

"Oh?" I tried to keep my voice casual.

"You and Mikhail. You've gotten closer," She smiled at me, and it seemed genuine. "I'm glad. You two have been so distant with each other, but lately, I see you laughing together and talking. It's nice. The family should be close."

My mouth went dry. "We just... we found out we have more in common than we initially realized."

"Really? Like what?"

"Well, we both love reading, actually," I grasped at the first thing that came to mind. "He mentioned he used to read a lot and we got talking about books. Turns out we have similar taste."

It wasn't entirely a lie. We had talked about books once, briefly, between bouts of sex.

"That's wonderful," Seraphina said warmly. "I think it's important for you two to have a good relationship. You're both important to Dimitri, and to this pack."

"I think so too." I managed.

"And Mikhail seems happier lately," she continued. "More I don't know, settled? He smiles more. Dimitri's noticed it too."

Because he's getting laid regularly, I thought but didn't say. "I'm glad he's happy."

"We all deserve some happiness, even in times like these," She squeezed my arm. "Oh, there's Mikhail now. Mikhail! Come try these honey cakes!"

He appeared through the crowd, looking completely composed. If I hadn't just been fucked against a tree by him ten minutes ago, I never would have guessed.

"Honey cakes?" He said, raising an eyebrow.

"They're delicious," Seraphina insisted, handing him one. "Where did you disappear to?"

"Checking the perimeter," He said smoothly. "Force of habit. Can't fully relax even at a celebration."

"Always the soldier," She said affectionately. "Well, now that you're back, you should dance with Natasha again. You two looked wonderful together earlier."

"Maybe later," I said quickly. "I think I've had enough wine for one night."

Mikhail's eyes met mine and I saw the flash of heat there, the memory of what we had just done.

"Another time then." He said.

Seraphina was pulled away by someone asking about food arrangements, and I was left standing with Mikhail. We couldn't speak freely here, not with so many people around, but the tension between us was palpable.

"You have a leaf in your hair." I said quietly, reaching up to remove it.

"Do I?" His hand caught mine briefly. "Thank you."

"We should be more careful."

"Probably," But he didn't sound convinced. "Worth it though."

It was. God help me, it absolutely was.