ARTEMISIA
My body is already buzzing in pleasure as he nibbles at my skin, sending my brain into complete overdrive.
I stretch beneath him as he starts turning my hardened nipples between his fingers, pressing a kiss onto my neck. “We should stop. They will be back any minute.”
Nodding, I bite my bottom lip, still enjoying his hands and lips on me as he doesn’t stop as well.
Unfortunately, he is right, as always, and we get interrupted in the most stupid moment ever.
Mirella and Hendrick walk into my quarters as Cayden has already moved my t-shirt up to suck at my breasts, and while Mirella turns around quickly before I can pull down my t-shirt with a gasp, Hendrick just stands there grinning.
“Oh, my Goddess,” she stutters, blushing. “I- I’m so, so sorry. We should have knocked.”
“I’m not,” Hendrick says before he leans down to Mirella, winking. “Just be glad he has his dick still in his pants. That would have been shocking to see.”
Cayden cracks up while I would like a black hole to open up and swallow me whole.
“What did you bring us?” Cayden asks, and Hendrick walks towards us, showing us the brown bags filled with delicious food.
“Italian food in all shapes and forms.” My mouth waters as he puts it down on the bed. “I have sent someone to call for Finnegan and Matthew, so we can all eat together.”
“That’s actually very nice. Thank you very much, Hendrick,” I say, slapping Cayden playfully as he snickers mockingly.
We are already digging in happily, everything spread around me on the bed, as Fynn and Matthew burst into the room. Cayden is munching while sitting next to me as Hendrick is watching us while leaning against the wall again, and Mirella is sitting at the end of the bed, humming happily.
“I heard you flashed Hendrick and was hoping for the same,” Fynn says with laughter as he gets onto the bed, making me flash him a sarcastic expression.
“Such a pervert,” I shake my head with a giggle.
Matthew gets on the bed, sitting next to me. “How are you feeling?”
“Argh, I don’t know. I feel alright, I guess. A bit weak, sad, but alright,” I answer as he grabs my chin to move my head and inspect my mark.
He sighs, looking at me with a sad expression. “I’m so sorry that we underestimated him and didn’t catch on to how he was treating you. What a poor excuse of a Gamma I am.”
A round of ‘aaws’ resounds, but just as I’m about to shoot Fynn an angry glare, Cayden growls, “At least he is concerned for her health instead of seeing her boobs, Finnegan.”
I cross my arms, pressing a kiss on Matthew’s cheek. “You don’t have to feel bad. There is nothing you could have done to prevent that.”
“We will have to find out what was wrong with him until the trial, or we will have a problem,” Hendrick says with a disgusted expression as he watches us eat. “I’m not sure who saw the actual attack going down but I guess that we will be ready to face an interrogation because of it if things get out.”
As if they rehearsed it, they look at Mirella all at the same time, who jerks up startled. “Oh, I- I won’t say anything about this. I already promised Missy!”
“She isn’t a snitch, guys,” I murmur, stabbing my pasta absentmindedly.
“Well,” Cayden sighs, observing me. “We will prepare for the interrogation anyway. Hendrick and I will lead you through anything and prepare you for the trial as best as we can.”
“What if we can’t convince them?” I ask, without lifting my gaze.
“You will be held in the cells of the courthouse until your mark is removed, and then you will be brought to your home pack by Alpha Giorgio,”
Hendrick explains in a cold tone, making me shudder.
Turning my head towards Cayden, I find him looking at me already. My eyes well up with tears as I feel my heart squeeze in pain.
“It was already so terrible to lose Logan’s mark. I won’t survive them ripping off yours,” I whisper, making him squeeze my leg soothingly.
“That won’t happen. I promised you, remember?” he whispers back, and Fynn chuckles.
“As if they would be able to keep me out of those cells.”
“Finnegan,” Hendrick warns, making him look at him angrily.
“What?!”
“We don’t need a war. We will get her in and out of there by presenting our case and winning it by fair means. There is no need to prepare ourselves for the worst-case scenario and scaring her.”
Fynn chews, and flashes Hendrick a smug grin. “I was just saying.”
After we finish eating in a more or less depressed mood, the men return to the dungeons. Only Matthew, who is still concerned about me the most, stays with me.
Mirella changes the bedsheets of my bed as he carries me into the bathroom.
He was against it at first as he said that it wouldn’t do my stomach any good, but I was adamant about wanting to take a bath.
I let my feet dangle freely as I watch him prepare my bath while I’m sitting on the counter made out of marble.
As the bathtub is full, he helps me undress and carries me to immerse me in the hot water.
I moan as the water hugs my body soothingly, making my muscles relax.
“Thank you so much, my love,” I say, caressing his curls out of his smiling face with my wet fingertips.
“Don’t even mention it,” he sighs, sitting down next to the bathtub.
He puts his arms onto the edge of the tub, leaning his head on his hands. “Does it feel good?”
“It feels perfect,” I close my eyes, breathing in the scents of lilac floating in the air.
Letting his fingers dip through the surface of the water, he hums satisfied. “I’m glad.”
I’m just about dozing off under his attentive gaze as a commotion makes us jerk up.
“She doesn’t feel well,” Mirella shouts as the door gets ripped open. “Leave her alone!”
I sit up, covering my breasts with my arms as Matthew straightens up in alert.
Lisa stands in the door, looking horrible as her eyes are red and swollen, making her look as if she has been crying.
Goosebumps rise on my skin, and not only because of the cold air streaming into the room filled with warm air. “Lisa!”
“I’m sorry,” she sobs, her voice breaking. “Can I talk with you for a second?”
“What is wrong with you?” Matthew growls, turning towards her. “Can’t you see that she is taking a bath?”
Lisa takes a step back while playing with her fingers as her breath hitches. “It will just take a second. I beg you.”
“No!” Matthew shouts, balling his hands into fists, making me grab his wrist, wanting him to calm down.
I’m just about to give in as Cassy turns in my head, growling in the same attitude as her mate, ‘Send the bitch hiking.’
“I’m sorry, Lisa. But I don’t think that I have the energy for anything now.”
Lisa blinks at me, her eyes glassy with tears. Her gaze moves to my mark, and I feel like she stabbed it with a silver knife as something strange flashes through her eyes before she catches herself and whispers, “Okay.”
She turns around, hurrying out the door and closing it behind her.
“I can’t believe her,” Matthew growls, making me smile up at him as I tug at his hand to make him sit back down. “Did you see how she looked at your mark?”
I nod, my eyes feeling heavy as I sink back into the hot water. “Thank you, Matt. You really saved me.”