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A God Amongst Wolves

Word Count: 2494

~Onyx

I sift through my cards, cursing under my breath.

I'm winning this game of cards against Sienna, but barely. She lounges in the hay, waving her hand in front of her face.

I'm surprised I'm capable of concentrating right now, let alone winning.

Sienna wears tiny, impractical shorts that show off her smooth legs. Her shirt is bunched up a touch, revealing a sliver of her stomach that has me going almost feral.

"You alright?" I ask her tightly as she takes her time flicking through her cards.

"It's unseasonably hot. I don't understand how I'm supposed to function," she groans, huffing out a sigh.

His heat wave is uncharacteristic, and it won't last. We're used to cool weather here, so baking in this warmth is borderline insufferable.

"You're not. Just play your turn," I encourage.

"My brain can't process strategy right now."

I smile gently, placing the card I intend to play next at the top of my pile. "Are you just saying that because I'm winning right now?"

She narrows her eyes before she sets her hand down with a huff, blowing a stray hair off her face.

"Let's go for a swim."

"A swim?"

"In the lake." She sits up, straightening her shirt. It gives me a chance to finally breathe. "We never get to because it's usually so cold."

"The lake will still be freezing," I mumble.

I've been trying my hardest to keep everything strictly platonic between Sienna and I. It's the easiest option, considering I cannot marry her. Yet, she tempts me every day.

Going to the lake at night feels intimate. Dangerous.

"That only makes it more tempting," she says, the glint in her eyes absolutely devious. "Come on, we'll finish this game when my head is clearer."

She gets up, beckoning me to follow her. There's no chance I can deny her now.

"Alright then."

The night air is thick and soupy as we head off across the lawn to the edge of the woods. I feel less like an Alpha and more like a man sneaking away with his forbidden lover.

"How does your face feel now?" I ask, turning to survey the side of it. The bruise has started to fade, and the inflammation is now completely gone.

"Better. It's my dignity that's hurt the most," she says, continuing to fan herself, even as we step into the woods, which are already a touch cooler. "I put up with that for so long. I'm not sure what is wrong with me."

A muscle in my jaw ticks. "Everything seems clearer in hindsight. You were the victim, not him. Do not allow him to control you a moment longer."

She sighs but nods. "Thanks Onyx."

"You can rest easy knowing he won't hurt you anymore."

She glances at me, her smile faltering.

"I'm afraid to ask what happened to him."

I sling my arm over her shoulder, tugging her to my side as we walk. She fake pushes me away, but I keep her close, leaning down to talk in her ear.

"Forget him. It's easiest," I whisper.

His death was as unpleasant as everything he did to women in his life. I hate that I enjoyed watching him bleed out on the floorboards while I collected all traces of Sienna from around the house to bring back to her.

"How can you be so sweet to me, and so horrible to everyone else?" She asks, shoving me off her while muttering about how sticky she is from the heat.

"Only to those who hurt you, or anyone else I care about," I tell her, lifting a low hanging branch for her to step under.

She stays silent as she walks in front of me, hopping over mossy logs, her feet sinking into fallen leaves.

"Are you scared of me?" I ask quietly.

"No." She glances up at me as I fall back into step with her. "No, I'm not."

I rub her head, messing her hair all about. "Good, because you don't need to be."

She grumbles irritably, patting down her hair. At least she doesn't fear me. Even the thought of hurting her causes me physical discomfort, squeezing my lungs until they ache.

"So, is Violet pregnant yet?" She asks suddenly.

I clear my throat. "Sienna..."

"No seriously. It has to happen eventually right?" She raises her brows at me. Amusement dances in her eyes, but she can't hide her apprehension at hearing my reply.

"I'm considering alternative methods of achieving my goal," I admit, wondering how much I should divulge.

Something must be done, and soon. People talk, and I don't have answers. If we cannot produce an heir, then no one will take my place as Alpha without having to challenge me first.

The last thing I need is Zion challenging me for my own Pack.

"What does that mean?" Sienna asks apprehensively, fingertips brushing against the rough bark of the trees as we walk.

"Violet isn't sexually attracted to me, or males for that matter," I tell her. "Anything we would do together would be something neither of us wants, and I will never force myself on her."

"She knew what she was getting into though, right? You too," Sienna says uneasily. "Unless she was forced to do it."

I shrug. Violet hasn't told me the exact covenants of her agreement with her father, although I suspect she didn't exactly take this position willingly.

"We've always agreed to try to find a way around this," I muse, wondering if I'm starting to sweat from this conversation or from the heat. "Like perhaps bringing in an infant from the outside."

Sienna physically flinches, her mouth parting in shock.

"What?"

"There is nothing in the rules that specifically states a child cannot be adopted." Even as I say it, I know it is ridiculous.

It's my desperation. I'm starting to make poor decisions.

"Just because your ancestors never thought of that one specific exception doesn't mean it doesn't apply! The point of marrying a woman of Noble birth is to provide a child of Noble birth!" Sienna exclaims, throwing her hands about wildly.

We've made it to the lake now, having emerged from the lush forest. The water is dark, almost black, aside from the strip of moonlight that shifts and undulates against the surface from the softest waves.

"No one would know," I say sheepishly, seating my hands in my pockets.

"Trust me, no secret can be kept forever," she notes, giving me a hard look. "People would know."

"Violet doesn't want to get impregnated, so it's my job to figure it out."

I shoulder the burden of this exception alone. Violet doesn't deserve the pressure of bearing an entire child. It's not a decision that should be taken lightly.

"So what, you're going to get some other poor soul pregnant and hide Violet away for nine months?" Sienna asks as she steps onto the rocky shoreline.

The soupy air is cut through by the gentlest of breezes. It brushes at Sienna's waves, scattering strands across her face.

"I...I don't know, okay." I rub my forehead, hoping the tension between my temples doesn't develop into a headache.

"If you're going to break the rules, be overt about it. Make serious change and don't apologise for it," she says. "People will accept it in time."

She looks ethereal in the night. The shadows compliment her features, shading the natural cut of her cheekbones and jaw.

"You're right," I breathe, letting my limbs relax.

I know what she is eluding to. Stripping away the expectation of who I can marry would allow us to be together. However, the consequences are far too dire. If the members of my Pack, the largest in the region, do not accept my heir as legitimate, devastation will follow. The child's life will be marred with horrors I couldn't shield them from, and at every turn, they would be challenged for their rulership.

"Come on, I'm not cooling down standing here. I need to get into the water," Sienna says, her voice a blade, cutting through my thoughts.

I watch her as she grabs the hem of her shirt, peeling it off before tossing it onto the stones. Next, she reaches for the band of her pants, tugging them down the smooth expanse of her legs.

My breath remains stuck in my throat as I take in her body under the moonlight.

It's like she was made for me. Every curve and slope, every freckle and blemish seems to fit my exact preference. Although perhaps I wasn't aware of my preference until I saw Sienna for the first time.

I saw her entirely naked the night she returned to me. I bathed her, but I did not admire her. I was wrought with anger and exhaustion, and the bruise on her face pulled most of my attention.

Now, I take my time to graze my attention over every inch of her skin.

That is, until she reaches behind herself, ready to unclip her bra.

"Sienna!" I hiss, making her pause.

Suddenly the thought of seeing her entirely naked scares me. I don't trust myself around her. I lose my mind, my rational thought. We are trying to maintain a platonic relationship, and I can't let anything compromise that.

Although admittedly, I'm a realistic man. If she kisses me, it's not like I'm not going to kiss her back.

She frowns. "What? You've seen me naked before."

"There could be anyone in these woods," I remind her, gesturing out into the darkness. I don't feel like ruining this moment by having to rip the eyes out of the head of someone watching her.

"Not if your guards are any good." She grins, unclipping her bra before letting it fall onto the stones. "Are you coming?"

I drop my gaze, my skin heating. Fuck. Is she trying to torture me?

She slides off her underwear, twirling it around her finger with a giggle before she drops it onto her bra. Then, she dashes off toward the water.

Her loose waves ripple over her back as she runs, not turning back to see if I'm following.

I rub my jaw, my mouth dry from watching her beautiful figure under the moonlight. The water sloshes around her ankles, and once the surface is up to her thighs, she dives gracefully under the water.

Well, I'm not just going to stand here and watch the love of my life — even if she doesn't yet know it, doing one the of sexiest things I've ever seen and not do something about it.

Her head emerges above the surface as I begin shedding off my clothing. I take my time, enjoying the way she bites down on her lower lip as she watches.

Once I'm completely naked, I start off toward the edge of the lake, smirking at the heat in Sienna's stare.

"Wow. I figured you were incredibly well-endowed, but I never knew it would be like...that," she mumbles, her eyes trained between my legs.

I laugh roughly. Seeing her naked has made me hard as fuck. So much so it almost hurts.

"I never knew you had such a dirty mouth." I follow her into the water. It's blissfully cool, soothing the suffocating heat clinging to my skin.

Sienna floats across the surface of the water, staring up at the stairs that glisten overhead. Nothing could take my eyes off that smile on her sensuous mouth.

"It's the heat. It does something to me."

I raise my brow, trying not to look too hard at the water as it laps against her breasts. "Clearly."

She leans up, the water smoothing down her hair, trickling across her smooth skin. I feel the physical urge to wade closer, to draw her into my arms. I need to get my hands on her body, to feel her warmth against me in contrast to the cool water.

"Just friends though, right?" She tilts her head, her loose smile mocking.

She's taunting me. Daring me to take back the promise I made to keep things platonic.

In my defence, it's also her idea.

"Right."

Suddenly she splashes me, a wave of water raining across my face. I turn my head, shaking my hair so the water flicks back at her.

She giggles, shrieking as she backs away.

"You asked for it." I launch toward her, drawing her into my arms before pulling her under the water with me.

We mess around for a while. We splash each other, shove each other's head beneath the surface and wade in circles. It's nice to relax, to spend some time with Sienna without anyone around.

Now we tread water closely. The cool of the water hasn't staved off the heat pumping through my veins. Having Sienna closer is only making my temperature rise.

"Doesn't this remind you of when we were teenagers? When you would practically drown me with your splashes?"

I study my friend. Her hair is dark, soaking wet and plastered against her head. Droplets of water sit on her lashes, tempting me to lean closer to brush them away.

"It feels a lot different this time," I murmur, drawing nearer until I can feel the vortex of water swirling from where she keeps herself afloat.

"Probably because we're naked." She grins.

"Probably because I want to fuck you." I tilt my head to the side, rethinking my words. "Actually, never mind. Nothing has changed."

She splashes me again. "Onyx!"

I laugh, wiping the excess water from around my eyes. It feels good to admit. If Sienna thinks my feelings toward her have only developed recently, she's crazy.

"I figure if you get to do something crazy, I can at least say something crazy," I note, watching as she retreats towards shore backwards.

"Tease," she purrs, although as she reaches the stones, standing from the water to reveal her body to me, we both know it's her who is teasing.

She knows we can't touch. She knows it is crossing a boundary, and yet...I'm not certain I can see the lines in the sand anymore. I want her so desperately, my entire body calling for her.

I'm not sure I have it in me to resist her much longer.

I really don't think we will be finishing that game of cards tonight.

💜••💜

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~Midika 💜🐼