Black as the Forest (All the Hounds of Hell #1)

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repairman, and helping to organize things in the meantime. No events I've ever seen as ever gone without a hitch. That being said, if this was all that wa

ael. They were all seriously busy, and could do without the worry.

things like that kept me

lly when my interlocutor would realize I held no position, no title, I had n

ions are sometimes the best teacher. Nonetheless, I learned more gossip than useful skills. Which for someone in my position can be pretty useless for any

I'd been pretty Zen about this one. I didn't even feel the need to forc

ore mature or something, until the real cause hit

en catching my attention, subconsciously—as I was too focuse

hat sidestepped my neurones

and I couldn't stop myse

ught wind o

first until it intensified—that was generally when coming from someone you've long known and been

that I'd never felt even the slightest

ef moment

Excitement. Worry. Fear. Wonder. Joy. I

g able to reach one's own true potential without one. Though, this could have been just stories told to kids for them t

just for you. And the natural bond made a lot of things stronger, more intense. It wasn't

p very complicated. The fact that the bond is seen as sacred culturally and blasphemous to reject, and that the rejection is physically and psychologically harmful, and leaves you pe

ated fairly quickly, which made it a littl

could have a lot

to move, you need to start over, new job, and everything—far from your family, and friends, and support system. If I'd

hter of an Alpha, maybe she expected to land a title—which I can't give. Or, if her fat

nd is a freaking strong thing, I might not even be able to back off. She could be a massive bitch, the type I'd never go for otherwise, but I might go for it now because of the freaking bond. I'm not really sure how much agency on

e worst. Or maybe I'd stay pretty much where I am, only no

that weighed the worst on me was p

h is

ot ha

t fulf

en stalling

here. My life is here. It's hard to find, choose, and join a pack without

ere in this regard, it could feel like a let down. Which is probably a lot of we

g to pinpoint who it comes from—and the fact that

It could easily become a bit of a spectacle, and going right or wrong, might not do me any good either way, whilst

faster, but I took

I foun

pinpointed the smell clearly. But it was hard to look away from her,

t of time under the sun. She was talking to Alpha Jenkins or Jansen, I don't really remembe

she was. I'd never seen her, in person o

mple, yet the fabric didn't look cheap and the fit was perfect enough to suspect professional intervention ratter than o

e was saying amongst the constant buzzing of conversations around me, but I s

f out of my reverie, and wond

was not comfortable with—but if I approached her, she would automatically k

udes a lot of staring. I've seen once a pair jump one another in public, and barely stoppi

ident by my present behaviour, but that could a

sed at me for this. I've heard stories of situations

torial challenge with some Alpha or somethin

sharpened, focusing on nothing in particular, moving slowly

ght my

and moved out of the room, hea

s probably not my

like a complete idiot,

standing near the fire pits or sitting on th

to stand around like an idiot,

people, quiet, where I could sit and think about the next s

tted me. I just smiled in what I'd like to believe was a suav

miled

" I

as soft, a little

like the sun just rose. We

the chairs, and she

when she reached me, nervou

eet you. I

she extended her hand. "

ur skin touched and there was a tingling feeling, reminiscent of the sensual caress on an erogenous zone during sex, where the contact lingered. I guess I know now why mates have so much difficulty keep

nd saw her do the same kind of shivering

unsure of my self-control if I didn't—of which

ty questions was probably the most anticlimactic thing I could initiate, but otherwise, what the

on her legs, smoothing the in

napped to mine and I saw her hesitations—I think

e a little bit about yours

ht get the wrong idea, and think she was becoming Luna here or something. "I'm working on finishing my degree, and doing an internshi

casual worked.

study, so, in the meantime, I work for my brother. Mostly I'm a glorified secretary and occasional ambassador. I'm not sure if I'm gonna

the words when she could do so mu

s Da

me a know

rted. My thoughts had now bypassed my brain a

d, and it short-circuited wh

essed my lips

rprise which I used as my way in. Moving my tongue against hers, which she answered with equal enthusiasm, and soon her hands were knotted in my hair while mine were roaming from her hair, and neck, and shoulders, to her waist, travelling up and down along her body. Whenever

dizzy, and I could not form any coherent thoughts

t me—or how her body moved in slow sinuous mo

eath me, and start ripping her clothes off to bury myself inside her.

p things PG-13,

air, our breathing was laboured, our skin feverish, and our lips tingling from the prolonged activity.

gling like t

h, her nose, and cheeks, and jawline. And she did the same. I moved slowly

ody, only I decided that hands were not enough, and mouth was

vel

onable girl would do, at the workplace, amongst the mos

like, well, anything or anyone else. And the stories always felt

. It's only after the triplets were born, and I was a little older, than I realize how chaotic things could get at home without it. Dad has had a health scare and had become super laid back with us. Or maybe it was a gender thing, or a responsibility thing. From what I learned, he's always been really

n, and saw a bit of what actually happen

some are even worse. On top of that, he trains and workouts whenever he can, and he's been doing it since he was a teen. Studying while working, and expending the bus

do something more useful than shopping, or partying, or gossiping, or indulgi

It made most of my conversations, and activities,

saw him bark orders all day and get angry at stupid mistakes at others. But he told me, "make the effort,

think it plays to my strengths. I've put in the efforts, learn the faces and names, polished my a

harder for me to imagi

Champagne, in a nice hall, surrounded by

I smell

senses to give me a headache—like a strong perfume would—instead it drew me in like a freaking Axe body spray commercial. Like pheromones, and hypn

e out of the way. I made a quick and polite excuse when someone tried to stop me

ost his

ventilate when a breeze

shed

right there, i

same height. Dark brown hair, brown eyes. His hair looked artfully tussled

. I tried to recall everything people told me about mates, bu

ng ridiculous or stupid that would make him recoil. He was a few years older, I gue

entioned k

followed… Whatever grace, and dignity, and maturity I was wrapping myself in tonight

shoulders, his lips right above my breasts. As if he could read my th

a little big

?" he asked,

I said

ced how this looked from Mads perspective. And I was still straddling Darren, my dress hiked up on my thighs. Nothing screamed respectable dignitary about me ri

n and tried to put my hair in place. Darren getting that

m you that Alpha Devon is pulling in right now and would like t

muttered. "I'l

in, but I knew he was staying clo

turned to

rything

es

is

odygu

an eyebr

o travel on my own, especiall

t the door. He looked a little sad to cut th

think he'd be

atch. "It's pret

ips, which made my stomach do a backflip. But I couldn't

e asked c

. I did quite a

back while giggling, which got him smiling again. He didn't look to

g my facial muscles in the be

felt his fingers lace through

arr

an, but I guess ruining her career was not the best way to ease a woman into a relati

nk in terms of

u

pped around and I checked

was wal

early blue, dark eyes, and a don't-mess-with-me expression on his face that seemed

around people, they just parted for him. And then I heard someone

ellho

, fu