Chapter 169: Convergence Of Royalty

Selene POV

After all the introductory performances wound down, the music kept playing long after people had retired to their tents. Sleep did not come quickly for anyone that night.

I was too eager, too restless, too curious about what this festival was going to unfold.

The young ones ... the teenagers ... had been behaving modestly all evening, keeping it composed in front of their parents. But the moment they found themselves alone, the masks came off entirely. Out came the drinks. Strong, burning alcoholic drinks that had no business being in their hands.

I watched them from the elevated position where I was seated, high enough to see everything without being obvious about it. I made sure not to make it apparent that I was watching. The last thing I wanted was to distract them or make them self-conscious. They deserved to be free.

They started kissing behind the tents. Rushing into each other like they had been holding back for far too long, because honestly? They probably had.

Some of them moved further out ... away from the tents entirely ... and kissed and romanced each other in the dark open spaces. I was not a voyeur by any stretch of the imagination. I simply enjoyed the view.

It escalated fast. Very fast.

These young wolves were fucking behind the tents, freaking mating in the dead of the night like the world was ending and their bodies were the only salvation available. Really something else.

Meanwhile, the Alphas and Lunas had retreated to our private lounge. Lucian and I hadn’t even greeted each other, and I hadn’t pushed for it. I was married to someone else now, and it wouldn’t have been morally right ... or smart ... to be reaching across the room for my ex in my husband’s presence. So I left it alone.

I went inside to find William.

But what I had just witnessed outside had done something to me. It had stirred up something youthful in my chest ... something I hadn’t expected. I wanted to feel that again. That reckless, consuming rush of being desired, of being wanted in the full, unfiltered way that youth allowed.

"William, a lot is happening outside," I said.

"As it should," he replied without missing a beat.

"We should go join them," I said.

"Are you for real?"

"No." I laughed at my own comment. "I’m just joking."

"We can have our own fun in here," William said, and the way he said it told me he meant every single word.

"Wait for me. I’m coming."

I slipped into the bathroom, stepped out of my dress, and stood there in nothing but what I had on underneath.

A sexy lingerie set he could never resist. And why would he ... not with someone as fine as me standing in it.

When I walked back out, the look on his face said everything before his mouth could.

He was pleased. Very pleased.

"I told you I had something in store for you," I said.

"Oh, that promise of yours," he murmured. "You keep your promises. That’s what you’re trying to say, right?"

I nodded slowly, posing at the bathroom doorframe like I owned the entire room ... because I did.

"Hope you’re ready for this cake and juice," I said, "because it’s real work."

"Hmm." He licked his lips.

There I was, doing my absolute best to prove to William ... and to myself ... that I was still that girl. Still a baddie. Still dangerous in all the right ways.

I did my best. And it was very, very good. Fuck.

I crawled up to him slowly as he lay stretched across the bed, taking my time, drawing it out.

"Relax while we mate on this night," I said.

I had prepared the ice and whiskey earlier. I knew they were going to come in useful.

I kissed him slowly and softly on that bed, because we owned the night. Every other person out there was a guest in our empire. This right here ... this bed, this man, this moment ... belonged to us.

It was both a duty and a desire. A way of reminding myself that even when your season had slightly shifted, the fire didn’t have to go out. Not if you refused to let it.

My body pressed fully against his as we found our rhythm. He grabbed my ass with both hands and caressed it until we were both floating somewhere far above coherent thought.

"Yes, do it," I told him when his fingers began moving lower.

He did. My pussy widened as he worked his fingers around it ... slow at first, deliberate, testing. Then he fastened his pace, and I couldn’t hold back.

"Ahh ... uhh ..."

He kissed me hard to swallow the sound before it escaped through the walls.

It didn’t take long before I was soaked, dripping like a fountain, squirting all over him and not even slightly sorry about it.

The dopamine was still surging through me though. I still needed more. I needed to feel all of it.

He proved how dirty he could be when he put his hand ... still wet with my cum ... into his mouth and licked it clean.

"You taste sweet, I can’t lie," he said.

I smiled, and we both went deeper into it together.

I pulled his dick out and wrapped my mouth around it with intent, sucking it with everything I had. I could see the veins standing out against his skin as I flipped him over my tongue again and again. I worked my hand alongside my mouth, massaging in slow, deliberate strokes until he hardened into something that made me want to weep.

When I decided he was ready, I stopped teasing and slid him inside me.

The fullness of it hit me like a wave. Hard and good at the exact same time ... I could feel him all the way up in my belly. I stayed still for just a second, adjusting, breathing him in.

Then I started riding.

I bounced on that dick like it was the only thing that had ever made sense to me, gasping with every drop, taking every inch of it over and over. The sounds filling the room were unhinged and I did not care.

I bent forward mid-ride and kissed his mouth, his tongue meeting mine while we were both moaning into each other. There was something completely unraveling about kissing someone while you were both already undone.

He flipped me over.

Bent my legs back and fucked me until I was somewhere between passing out and ascending. I held on. I was athletic enough to survive it, but only barely.

He reached for the whiskey then. Took a long sip and held it in his mouth. Then he leaned down and poured every drop of it directly from his lips into mine.

That ice-cold whiskey hit my bloodstream like a second life. I was so gone after that ... so completely gone ... that William fucked me until I genuinely could not feel my legs anymore.

Mating festival, indeed.

"Promise kept," I whispered into his ear when it was over.

---

Morning came faster than either of us deserved.

The festival resumed in full, and with it came the full aftermath of the night before. Those who had something to cry about had already started shedding tears. Those who had been with someone for the first time were now quietly reckoning with what being deflowered actually felt like the morning after.

Fucking wonderful.

We all gathered at the executive dining table ... reserved for Alphas and Lunas only. The betas remained outside, observing from a respectful distance. The spread in front of us was elaborate, fit for the royalty seated around it.

Across the table, Lucian and his newly acquired Luna looked bright-faced and rested. Whatever their night had been, it had clearly agreed with them.

"I think we should do a proper round of introductions," Roran said. "There are many faces here that are still new to each other."

Three territories. Three dynasties. Sitting in front of a shared meal, becoming something unified. I loved it more than I expected to.

We went around the table exchanging handshakes and names.

"Hi, I’m Selene."

"Nice to meet you, Selene. I’m Celeste."

"What a beautiful name ... welcome."

She was warm. Open. Receptive. She was nothing like Tessa, and I preferred her for it immediately.

The introductions continued around the table without incident ... until Lucian reached me.

"Hello, Luna," he said.

"Hello, Alpha Lucian." I kept my voice perfectly composed. "Nice to meet you. Welcome to Icefang."

"My pleasure."

He took my hand ... and then, in front of everyone seated at that table, he held it just a beat too long and pressed his lips to the back of my palm.

The entire table went still.

William moved before I could process what was happening. He crossed the distance between himself and Lucian and hit him square in the chest.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?"

Lucian’s jaw tightened and he looked ready to retaliate ... and then it all happened at once. Celeste grabbed Lucian’s arm. I grabbed William’s. Everyone was still on their feet, the tension crackling like something about to catch fire.

This was shaping up to be the worst breakfast in the history of Alpha diplomacy.