Chapter 129 A War Within
Althea was completely lost in the way Gavriel kissed her—rough, demanding, and utterly consuming. He hovered over her, his body pressing her down as he positioned himself between her thighs.
She gasped against his mouth when she suddenly felt his solid thrusts, his lips still claiming hers as if he couldn’t bear to let her breathe.
He wasn’t answering her question, maybe because she didn’t answer him as well. She wanted to tell him that she wouldn’t go, even if it was her father. She didn’t want to support her father’s cause.
She knew that being with him would only mean another kind of prison—one where she’d have no freedom at all, forced to obey his every command or face his anger.
Even as his favorite, she knew she was never free from his wrath. One mistake, one refusal, and she would pay for it.
All Althea had ever wanted was freedom. Yet, a part of her couldn’t stop wondering what the Alpha King truly wanted from her. Surely, he wouldn’t let her escape, not until her father was in his hands. But what then? What would Gavriel do once he finally had her father captured?
Would he want her to stay by his side, or would he cast her aside once he got what he wanted? Maybe he’d still keep her, just as his bedwarmer, because, after all, she was his mate.
It was probably difficult for a lycan like him to even understand his own emotions, especially when his instincts toward a fated mate were so strong and uncontrollable.
Althea’s toes curled from the pleasure of the friction between them as he continued to rock her body, pounding in and out of her entrance while claiming her lips.
She was panting when he finally let go of her mouth, only to lick and kiss her earlobe.
“You are mine,” he possessively growled. “I’ll rip your father apart—or anyone who tries to take you away from me. Do you understand that, Althea?”
He drew his head back to stare at her as he suddenly moved faster inside her. The bed creaked beneath them with each hard thrust, her breasts bouncing and her body shaking from the intensity.
“You can’t escape me. Even if you do, I’ll find you in every corner of the world—even in the deepest hell,” he grunted, basking in her cries of pleasure.
“Why?” she managed to ask between gasps. “Because of the matebond?!”
“Why? Because YOU. ARE. MINE,” he declared firmly. She opened her mouth to retort, but Gavriel slammed his lips against hers and slid his tongue deep inside while continuing his pleasurable assault—thrusting faster, harder, and deeper, driving them both toward the edge.
Her nails dug into his back when she felt herself nearing another orgasm, but just as she was about to explode, Gavriel suddenly pulled out of her. Then he turned her around, positioning her on all fours, her ass lifted before him. She bit her lower lip when she felt him enter her again from behind.
Was he trying to kill her with pleasure—pulling away only to bring her back to the brink again? She just hoped he wouldn’t stop this time.
“Do you want me to stop again?” he grunted against her ear, pounding deep inside her while rubbing her swollen clit. She was completely wrecked from the overwhelming stimulation.
“No!” she quickly answered. “Please…” she begged, not even sure what she was begging for.
“Ask for it, Althea. Ask me to make you come,” he demanded, his movements slowing, almost pulling all of his length out before pushing it back in torturously slow. The motion made her body tremble—she wanted him deeper and faster inside her.
“Seriously,” she complained. “I already said please…” Then, breathless, she added, “Please, my king… I want you…” she begged, and only then did his pace quicken. He continued rubbing her clit, making her grip the sheets tight as her body tensed, ready to explode again.
When it came to intimacy, Althea knew well how she was losing. She was like putty against his advances, with no intention of fighting him at all.
“Ahhh… Gavriel, please don’t stop!” she cried, followed by a loud moan. She was completely lost, her mind hazy as her body surrendered to the overwhelming sensations Gavriel was giving her. He didn’t stop—his fingers still worked her clit while his relentless thrusts drove her over the edge until her body convulsed, her cheek pressing into the sheets.
Her body was still trembling as he hit deep one last time, and she could feel his warm essence pouring inside her. Then she felt Gavriel’s body against her back, his arm wrapping around her as he pulled her to his side, his length still buried inside her.
Her back rested against his heaving chest, feeling the rise and fall of his uneven breathing. His arms were wrapped possessively around her, holding her close as if to keep her from slipping away.
“Sleep more,” he murmured. “Tomorrow you’ll go with me. Wherever I am, you’ll stay by my side. I have to make sure no one takes you from me. Your father will make a move soon, and you will remain my bait—so you shall not leave my sight at any cost.”
Althea bit her lower lip. Hearing that hurt more than she expected, though she didn’t know why. She had always known she was nothing more than a pawn—a bait. But somehow, the truth still stung. Maybe because, despite everything, she had begun to feel something for the Alpha King without meaning to.
‘I need to learn how to open a proper portal to places soon,’ Althea thought. She had to escape before these growing feelings trapped her more than any cage could.
‘Freedom… freedom,’ she kept reminding herself. It was all she had ever wanted in her life.
Unbeknownst to Althea, Gavriel was fighting a war within himself. He had once called her a bait, but deep down he knew that wasn’t true anymore. He wanted her to stay—not because she served a purpose, but because he could no longer imagine a world without her by his side.