Free Web NovelChapter 69: High & Dry
River’s hands are reverent as he washes me, his fingers trailing soap across my shoulders and down my spine with such tenderness. The stone bath’s enormous, steam rising from the water in lazy curls that catch the candlelight flickering around the edges of the room.
He’s been at this for what feels like hours, washing my hair, massaging my scalp, working knots from muscles I didn’t know were tense, and every touch feels like worship. His chest presses against my back as he reaches around to cup water in his palms and pour it over my collarbones, watching the rivulets stream down between my breasts with an expression equal parts meditative and hungry.
The spiritual connection we forged in the forest hasn’t faded; if anything, it’s grown stronger, more tangible, invisible threads binding us together even when we’re not touching. But right now we are touching, and every point of contact feels electric.
"You’re thinking too loudly again," he murmurs against my ear, his breath warm and sending shivers down my neck despite the heat of the water surrounding us.
His hands slide lower, skimming over my ribs, my stomach, the curve of my hips, and I can feel the restraint in every movement. The careful control. He’s holding himself back, and the knowledge of what that something might be makes heat pool low in my belly that has nothing to do with the temperature of the bath. ƒrēewebnovel.com
I lean back against him, forcing the hard length of his cock to press against my lower back, and the sound he makes is between a groan and a growl. His hands tighten on my hips for just a moment before he forces them to relax, to continue their gentle exploration of my body like he has all the time in the world and isn’t seconds away from losing control entirely.
"Can’t help it," I manage, my voice coming out breathier than I intended. "You keep touching me like that and expecting my brain to function normally."
His laugh is low and dark, vibrating through his chest and into my back, my thighs clench together involuntarily, chasing friction. One of his hands slides up to cup my breast, his thumb brushing over my nipple with just enough pressure to make me gasp, and when he speaks again his voice has dropped into a register that makes my wolf sit up and pay very close attention.
"Who said anything about wanting your brain to function normally? Maybe I like you like this. Pliant. Responsive. So sensitive that the smallest touch makes you tremble."
To prove his point, his other hand slides between my thighs, fingers ghosting over my clit with the barest whisper of contact, and I arch against him with a sound that’s embarrassingly desperate.
He doesn’t give me more, doesn’t press harder or slide his fingers where I’m aching for them. Just maintains that feather-light touch that’s more maddening than if he’d shoved his fingers inside me and made me come right here in the bath. My hands grip the edges of the tub, knuckles white, and I can feel my pulse pounding everywhere, throat, wrists, between my legs where his fingers are barely touching me.
"River," I gasp, and it comes out as a plea. "Please."
"Please what, beautiful? Use your words. Tell me what you want."
Before I can answer, before I can beg him properly, he withdraws his hands entirely and stands, water streaming down his body that I follow with my eyes like I’m starving. He’s magnificent, all lean muscle and golden skin and that cock that’s standing proud and hard and making my mouth water with want.
He reaches down and offers me his hand, pulling me to standing with an ease that reminds me just how strong he is despite his deceptively calm demeanour. Water sluices off my body as he wraps me in a towel, his hands brisk and efficient now, all business, like he wasn’t just seconds away from fucking me in the bath.
The shift is disorienting and frustrating and makes me want to grab him and demand he finish what he started. freёwebnovel.com
"Bed," he says simply. "Go dry off and get comfortable. I’ll be there in a minute."
I want to argue, want to demand answers, want to know why he’s suddenly acting like we weren’t just seconds away from something explosive. But the look in his eyes stops me. There’s a promise there, dark and delicious, and my wolf recognises it even if my human brain is still catching up.
So I go, padding naked through the hallway toward my bedroom, water dripping from my hair and leaving a trail behind me that I can’t bring myself to care about. My skin feels too tight, my body thrumming with unfulfilled arousal, and by the time I reach the bedroom I’m wound so tight
I might actually combust if someone doesn’t touch me soon.
The bed’s massive, it has to be to fit all six of us, and I flop onto it face-first with zero grace, burying my face in the pillows that smell like all of them.
Cedar and smoke from Corrian. Something wild and dark from Ezra. Clean cotton and sunshine from Jax. Leather and earth from Leo. And underneath it all, River’s scent, calming and arousing in equal measure.
My body’s a live wire, every nerve ending screaming for touch, for friction, for anything that might relieve this ache that’s been building since River’s hands first touched me in the bath. I’m naked and needy and so goddamn frustrated I could scream, and the worst part is I know they can probably all sense it. Can probably feel my arousal through whatever bond connects us, can probably smell how wet I am, how desperate.
Which, honestly, is exactly what I need right now. Because in however many hours, I’m going to be standing in front of the Council going over how I’m some rare half-breed Omega-Alpha hybrid who’s fated to five alphas simultaneously. Answering questions about my destiny, my purpose, my abilities, none of which I fully understand yet. I’m probably going to feel small and powerless and terrified in a room full of ancient, powerful werewolves who hold my fate in their hands.
But right now? Right now I can be naked and wanting and completely overwhelmed by five men who can’t get enough of me. Right now I can forget about everything complicated waiting for me outside this bed. Right now, the only thing that matters is this ache between my legs and the fact that my alphas are about to fix it.
Alpha dick really is the perfect antidote to existential dread and impending Council hearings. I’ll have to remember that.
"This is bullshit," I mutter into the pillow, my voice muffled but no less annoyed. "Absolute fucking bullshit. Get me all worked up and then just—what? Leave me here to suffer? That’s just cruel. That’s—"
The door bangs open with enough force to make me jump, and I barely have time to lift my head before I hear Jax’s voice, bright and amused and entirely too cheerful for someone who’s about to witness me in the throes of sexual frustration.
"Holy shit, is that—? Oh man, this is even better than I thought. Guys! GUYS! You have got to see this! Frankie’s so fucking horny."
