Seeking Eternity Ch. 08

What favour could Ambercrest's congress of elders have asked of Nicholas that ended up damaging his relationship with Aryanna? As far as Amélie knew, Aryanna Jade Bradbury and Nicholas James Collbreed grew up very close. Then again...

A sudden realization hit her, and the thought left her feeling cold. "This favour you asked Nicholas..."

Before she could finish the sentence, Amélie shook her head. How could she even think it? Ambercrest's congress of elders could not have asked him to do that. It was too cruel.

However, Catherine's words proved her wrong. "We asked Nicholas to kill Aryanna's husband, Andrew Everett of Silvergloom."

*****

Cassandra stared at the letter on her desk, wondering what prompted her not to show it to Nicholas earlier. She had it in her purse and she had meant to hand it to the man, but she held back at the very last moment. She could tell that Nicholas had been upset by this morning's incident, so she decided that the young man needed a break before he faced another problem.

Now, as she sat behind the desk in her private study well after midnight, Cassandra thought that that was a bad idea. She should have just given the damn letter to Nicholas and let him deal with it himself. The man was the leader of their pack, for heaven's sake.

"Oh, Cassandra, what the hell have you done?" she asked herself as she leaned back on her seat.

Jenna had handed her the letter that afternoon, even though it was addressed to Nicholas. After all, the recipient label read 'Mr. N. J. Collbreed, Owner of Titan-Argentum' - and Nicholas had asked Cassandra long ago to take care of all letters addressed to him as long as it was not personal. The recipient label was as impersonal as it could get, but the return address suggested otherwise: after all, the letter came from Aryanna Everett, Nicholas's older sister.

With a sigh, she realized that there was really no point in sweating over this. What was the worst that could happen, anyway? She would end up handing it to Nicholas a day later, but so what? She doubted that the young man would kill her for it.

Putting the letter back into her purse, she stood up to get ready for bed. The content of the letter was a puzzle, but she knew that she could not spend the whole night thinking about it. Was it an official correspondence from the Council of the Wolves, or was it a personal letter from Aryanna? The fact that Aryanna used a black envelope with the Council's crest on it suggested that it was the former, but the Council had yet to contact Ambercrest through Aryanna because of what happened three years ago. The nature of its contents was important: if this was an official correspondence, then, it could not mean good news, but Cassandra wondered what would prompt Aryanna to write to her brother at this time. The young woman had been studiously ignoring Nicholas's presence for the last three years.

The answers to her questions would have to wait, Cassandra knew. Nicholas must open the damn letter first thing in the morning, and then they could plan their next course of action.

*****

The sounds of the household slowly drifted to Raine's ears, announcing the advent of morning. In the kitchen, the cook was berating her assistant over the quality of the bacon, while one of the maids was humming a tune as she went around the living room, most likely dusting some furniture. Two maids were silently gossiping somewhere nearby, wondering if the woman staying in the master's bedroom was the new girl that Nicholas was dating: one of them was sure that the relationship would last for less than a month, while the other reminded her that 'Lord Nicholas' had never really allowed any of his past flings to stay the night in his house.

Raine could not help but smile as she pressed her body closer to Nicholas's. The past few days, he was always gone by the time she woke up, and it felt good to find him beside her this time. Without opening her eyes, she draped an arm over his chest and inhaled deeply, reveling in the feel of his skin against hers and in the scent that was so uniquely his.

She could spend all of her days just like this, snuggling against him to her heart's content. Nicholas always made her feel safe, and, with him by her side, Raine believed that she could do anything. It had always been so even back when she did not know that he was a wolf. If only he did not have a tendency for pushing her away...

Sighing, Raine wondered how much time she had before Nicholas started putting some distance between them. It was bound to happen sooner or later; she could feel it. Call it instinct or premonition, but the knot in her stomach was starting to coil tighter every day, just like it did four years ago. She knew she would lose him, and her whole being was screaming for her to do something to prevent that.

Yet, if there was something that Raine realized after the breakup with Nicholas all those years ago, it was that she could do nothing to prevent something that he wanted to happen. They were alike in that sense: they would not let anyone deter them from their purpose. So, as difficult as it was, Raine tried to ignore the gloom that seemed to inch closer each day, focusing instead on the time that she had with Nicholas. Every second had to count - be they in the fields trying to coax her wolf out or in bed making passionate love.

As she opened her eyes, Raine wondered what was in store for her today. Nicholas had been very hard on her for several days as he tried to help her transform into a wolf, but, so far, their attempts were unsuccessful. Yesterday was the first day off he gave her, and although Raine truly appreciated the chance to rest, she was not happy about the boredom that followed. She would rather have Nicholas acting like a blasted drill sergeant than deal with a day of no activity at all.

Only when Nicholas's hand closed over hers did Raine realize that she had been tracing lazy patterns across his well-packed abdomen. Tilting her head up, she met his gaze and smiled.

"Good morning," she whispered.

Nicholas returned the smile and gave her lips a quick kiss. "Good morning, sweetheart."

Raine knew that she had to somehow trap the guy into staying in the room if she wanted to make this day count, so, she asked, "Do you have plans for today?"

"Yes, I do. My day's fully booked."

One of Raine's eyebrows shot up. Nicholas answered the damned question way too quickly. Did it mean he knew what she was up to? Most likely. Would the knowledge that he knew what she was up to deter her from her plans? Of course not.

"I was hoping I can keep you with me today," she said as she snuggled closer. Raine even pressed a lingering kiss on his neck as she ran her hand over his chest and abdomen, stopping just above his erect manhood. "I will make it worth your while."

Nicholas chuckled and caught her straying hand. Raine prepared herself for the gentle but firm refusal that he was bound to give. But hell would freeze over before she let him get away with that, so she started quickly formulating some convincing arguments to -

"What do you have in mind?"

His question startled her. Nicholas was giving her a chance to change his mind - which meant that he was on the cusp of making a very big decision, and Raine pretty much knew what that decision would entail. Her breath caught in her throat.

This soon?

By the gods, why did she have to know Nicholas James Collbreed so damn well? No amount of time away from the man could sever the undeniable connection she had with him, thus making her instincts dead-on when it came to him. And this time, as it was four years ago, her instincts were driving her to panic - panic that she could only try to mask as she stared into Nicholas's deep blue eyes.

He frowned. "What's wrong, sweetheart?"

Raine sucked in a breath. Of course. The blasted ass needed to be quite perceptive as hell. "You tell me."

Nicholas stared at her without betraying his emotions. Raine's guts twisted with worry. She could only hope that this time, unlike four years ago, he would be honest with her, however brutal the truth was. She knew that she would lose it if she heard another don't-worry-it's-nothing-I-will-take-care-of-it response from his lips.

After what felt like an eternity, Nicholas finally said, "You know what's wrong."

All of the sudden, the tight coil that had been building inside her seemed to snap as a tide of relief engulfed Raine's whole being. She took a deep, slow breath. Only in that moment did she realize how much she needed Nicholas to tell her the truth: now, she was certain that everything would turn out to be all right.

She twined her fingers with his. "I know."

The look in Nicholas's eyes softened as he pulled her closer. "Do you understand what I have to do?"

"I do," Raine whispered. She closed her eyes and buried her face on the crook of his neck, the better for her to inhale that familiar, comforting scent that emanated from him. "I'm not looking forward to it."

"You and I both," he confessed.

With a sigh, Raine looked at his face intently. "Then, don't do it. Don't let me go."

Nicholas smiled, and when he spoke, he spoke with the kind of patience that Raine found so delightfully adorable all those years ago. "The problem, sweetheart, is that I want to keep you alive, and there's a better chance of that if I let you go."

Raine rolled her eyes and lightly pushed against his shoulder. He was holding back details about what was transpiring right now. "Spill the beans, Collbreed, before my patience runs out."

His smile widened, but he did as she asked. "I needed to ask the congress of elders for assistance in helping you transform. They are willing to do so if I promise to give you back to the vampires once you have successfully turned."

"And this is the group of people that my grandmother is supposed to be head of?" Raine asked. The amused expression on Nicholas's face was answer enough. She groaned. "No wonder the woman's quite a bitch."

"They know what they're doing, believe me," Nicholas said with a chuckle. "I'm not saying that we can't protect you if push comes to shove, but letting the vampires take care of you for the time being is the most prudent thing to do. At the most practical level, it will save Ambercrest the trouble of explaining to the Council of the Wolves why we're harbouring someone who's basically a fugitive."

"And the pack comes first?" Raine asked.

"For the congress of elders, yes, it does."

"For the alpha as well?"

There was still the hint of a smile in Nicholas's lips when he shrugged. "It should be."

It should be. He said it in such a neutral tone that she was left wondering what he could mean. Was he telling her that the pack should be the alpha's number one priority but that it was not his, or was he confirming that the pack was his number one priority because that was how things should be? She might know Nicholas quite well, but he could still surprise her with moments like this - moments when he confounded the hell out of her and she was left wondering whether she truly knew him at all.

"In any case, the Council holds great power over wolves," Nicholas continued, as if unaware of the confusion that he had thrown her into. "An order from the Council is considered sacred by many wolves, and disobedience is seen as a declaration of war against the Council. In the unfortunate event that such a thing happens, the Council will not even bat an eyelid as it calls for the annihilation of every member of a rebelling wolf pack.

"However, the Council holds no such sway over vampires," he added. "As much as wolves and vampires hate each other, they are bound by a peace pact that forces them to respect each other's authority. That's why the Council will try its hardest not to break the fragile peace that took untold centuries to create. It will be more prudent for the Council to compromise with vampires, as long as we can establish that you are not a threat to our race."

I'm not a threat to the wolves, Raine wanted to insist. She truly believed it, too. However, she understood the concerns of the Council enough to let this go - for now.

"What if I don't want to go?" she asked instead.

There was a hint of teasing in Nicholas's tone when he answered, and he absentmindedly began stroking her bare back, sending delicious shivers along her spine. "I'm supposed to try my very best to convince you to return to the care of the vampires."

Raine could not help the grin that curved her lips. The man knew that no amount of logic could get her to change her mind when she was dead-set on something, so Nicholas trying his very best to convince her to consider his more logical prepositions almost always involved mind-blowing sex.

"And here I was thinking you're a busy man," she teased. She rolled on top of him and winked as she felt his raging hard-on against her thighs. "I thought you said your day is fully booked."

"It is," Nicholas agreed. He grabbed her thighs just above the knees and spread them apart so that she ended up straddling him. Then, pressing his lips against her ear, he whispered, "I know I need a whole day to fuck the stubbornness out of that pretty head of yours."

"Is that right?" she asked in a moan. "Then, what on earth are you waiting for?"

Nicholas chuckled. "You enjoy making it hard for me, don't you?"

"Oh, I do," Raine purred. She moved her hips in order to rub her aching, weeping centre against his manhood - a clear sign to let him know that she needed no foreplay at the moment. "I enjoy making this hard for me."

"Minx," Nicholas remarked with a grin.

Cupping the back of her head, he captured her lips in a searing kiss. His tongue engaged hers in a passionate duel that left both of them gasping for breath afterwards, while he gently rolled her over so that she lay beneath him. Raine planted her feet firmly on the bed and opened her thighs to cradle Nicholas's hips as he slowly sank his manhood into her heated flesh. Waves of pleasure assailed her from the spot where their bodies joined, causing a groan to escape her lips.

No, Nicholas did not need a whole day to fuck all coherent thoughts out of her head, but heavens knew how hard she would fight to prolong her eventual surrender. Let the man work hard for his victory: all that she needed to do was to thoroughly enjoy every single minute of it.

*****

"Maybe you should take that."

Upon hearing Raine's suggestion, Nicholas groaned and ran his fingers through his hair. His phone had been vibrating incessantly for the last five minutes to alert him of an incoming call. It was his fervent hope that the caller would give up after the first two or three failed attempts to get him to pick up, but it seemed that whoever wanted to reach him was as headstrong as a bull.

"All I wanted was one goddamn day off," he said with an exasperated sigh.

Beside him, Raine pulled the sheet up to cover her chest and snuggled closer to his body. "You're alpha of a pack. Obviously, you can't take one. Nice try, though."

"I'm not getting paid enough for this shit," he complained, nevertheless reaching for the annoying device lying on top of the nightstand. He checked the caller ID. Cassandra. Of course. He let out a chuckle but still refused to pick up, letting the call go to voicemail instead and replacing the phone on the nightstand. "Your grandmother never ceases to amaze me. Anybody else would have taken the hint and left me alone."

Raine chuckled softly as she planted a soft kiss on his cheek. "Somebody's got to keep you in line, Collbreed."

"I just wanted one day with you," he said, turning to face her so that he could plant a quick kiss on her lips. "Apparently, that's too much to ask for."

"It's..." Raine lifted her head up to look at the alarm clock on the nightstand. "Three o'clock. I got to keep you to myself the whole morning and halfway through the afternoon..."

"That's not enough time to get my fill of you," Nicholas murmured as he buried his face on the crook of her neck, planting tiny kisses on her skin. Her scent was so exquisitely feminine, and he could not get enough of it. "Not nearly enough."

A soft sigh escaped Raine's lips as she threw her head back to give him better access. "No, it's not."

In a single fluid motion, he guided Raine to lie underneath him and began kissing her collarbone, moving down to her breasts. Her scent was driving him crazy, and Nicholas knew that he had to take her again - and probably again and again and again - to keep his wolf under control. He had never wanted anything or anyone as much as he wanted this woman, and nothing would deter him from his purpose.

He had just captured a nipple in his mouth when his phone started vibrating again. Nicholas was about to grab it and fling it away when, cursing under her breath, Raine reached for it and answered the call.

"Grandma," she hissed between gritted teeth. Her tone was sharp enough to reveal her annoyance.

Nicholas grinned, slowly swirling his tongue around the nipple as he looked up to watch Raine's face. She had propped herself up on an elbow and was currently glaring at him.

The sound coming from the phone was loud and clear enough for Nicholas to hear the confusion on Cassandra's voice - not only because she was calling his phone, but also because Raine referred to her as 'Grandma.' "Raine?"

Raine rolled her eyes. "Unless you have another grandchild hidden somewhere..."

"Where the hell is Nicholas?" Cassandra asked.

"He's indisposed," Raine replied, just as Nicholas took the nipple in his mouth and sucked on it. Biting her lower lip, Raine continued, "He'll call you back later."

Still grinning, Nicholas winked at Raine and rolled the tip of her nipple between his lips. Moving his right hand in between her thighs, he was not surprised to find that she was already wet. She might still be aroused from their earlier sessions, so it took so little effort on his part to make her squirm for more. When he slipped two fingers inside her, Raine's back arched in response, and she broke their eye contact to let her head fall back on the pillows.

"What is he doing anyway?" Cassandra asked, sounding annoyed.

When she answered, Raine's voice came out husky and a little too breathy. "You don't really want to know."

Then, as if the sound of her voice did not provide enough information about what they were up to, a groan escaped from Raine's lips when Nicholas used his thumb to press against her nub of pleasure, prompting her to mutter a quick "I'm sorry" before hanging up. Nicholas could not help the grin that touched his lips.

"Now that that's taken care of..." he said in a teasing tone.

"Damn you, Nicholas," Raine hissed as he kissed his way down her stomach towards her dripping core. "You are such a bastard."

In stark contrast to the words conveying her annoyance, the movements of her body indicated that she was melting under his touch. It made Nicholas chuckle just as he closed his mouth around her nub and sucked on it. The throaty whimpering sounds that Raine made in response to that only highlighted his observation.

Slowly, carefully, he used his mouth to give her pleasure. Every kiss of his lips and every stroke of his tongue was deliberate, intended to bring her closer to the peak. He had never known a body as well as he knew Raine's, and he used the knowledge to coax soft mewling sounds that were music to his ears. It was not long before he had her writhing in pleasure beneath him as she reached her climax, and the words that tumbled forth from her lips turned to that of adoration and gratitude.

"I knew it takes only ten minutes to change your opinion of me," he teased Raine as he made a show of licking her juices from his lips.