Chapter 35

My head swam. I couldn’t see clearly or truly hear my own thoughts. Everything seemed to pulse around me, like one giant heartbeat that I could feel in the depths of my soul. My body vibrated with a feeling I had never felt.

I was lost, and then he was there. The only clarity in a sea of fog. Lorenzo.

He rushed towards me with a look in his eyes I could only describe as wanting. I knew my eyes mirrored his and I finally placed what I was feeling: lust. I needed Lorenzo, it was a desire so pure and true.

“Lorenzo,” I breathed, reaching for him as he crashed into me. We clung to each other, and all I wanted to do was feel him closer. I tugged at him, keening.

“Eleanor, what’s going on?” I heard Lorenzo say distantly, but all I could focus on were his lips. I was drawn to him and needed to feel him. I pulled him into me by the nape of his neck, our lips colliding in a mess of teeth, tongue and passion. He nipped at my lip and I opened my mouth, surrendering to him as I bared my neck to him as well.

“Please,” I whimpered as Lorenzo’s arms wrapped around my waist, picking me up and carrying me across the room. Our lips still locked together as he lowered us down, my weight resting on top of him. I moved to straddle him, hiking my dress up feeling my skin shiver at the sudden contact with the cold air. Lorenzo’s hands immediately moved to grip my ass, and I felt his palms envelope my back side with ease as he massaged his hands in slow, tantalizing circles.

I tugged at Lorenzo’s hair, pulling his head back to kiss him deeper and I heard him sigh into the kiss. I felt him pull my body closer to his, until I was sitting directly on top of the bulge in his pants. I let out a sigh at the contact, grinding down in a slow circle just to see how he would react. My wolf whined deep inside me as if trying to call my attention to what was going on but I ignored it. I needed this.

“Eleanor, are you sure? Is this truly what you want?” Lorenzo said, his voice laced with slight concern that was almost entirely drowned out by desire. I pulled back only an inch to nod desperately, unable to speak more before diving back in to kiss him again.

My hands left his hair and traveled down to his waist, lifting his shirt above his head and yanking it off, tossing it uncaringly across the room. He slid the rest of my dress above my head too, and there I sat, completely exposed on top of him.

He growled and cupped my breasts, licking and kissing down my neck as we turned and he laid me down fully on the lounge. I let my head fall back as he kissed his way down my body, surrendering myself to him completely.

Cate’s POV

After seeing Eleanor run out, Cate was overjoyed that her plan had worked. That was until Lorenzo ran after her instead of the Grand Prince. Cate was furious at first, but then realized this may work in her favor after all.

As the meal came to an end, the guests were mingling quietly as the table was cleared and the waiters laid out desserts on small tables around the dining hall. The Lycan Luna was chatting with a few of her advisors and Cate stood just a table away, pretending to be interested in Cruz’s politics, ready to pounce.

Finally the queen excused herself and Cate took her chance.

“Your majesty, I wish to bring something to your attention to an urgent matter,” Cate said in a dramatic whisper.

“What is it dear,” the Lycan Luna asked, curious but clearly annoyed at the interruption.

“I saw Eleanor and Lorenzo run off, I think something may be wrong,” Cate pretended to be genuinely concerned for the couple, hoping the queen would take to her. “Will you come with me? I believe there could be trouble.”

“Yes, I will see personally that all my guests are accounted for. Guards, please do follow me and Ms. Bellagamba,” the queen said with a commanding yet still gracious tone as they all filed into the hallway, following Cate.

Cate led the small group towards the women's washroom down the hall where rustling and gasps could be heard from just outside the door. The guards looked at each other wide eyed, then at the queen for direction. She gave them a slight nod before they kicked down the door, storming the bathroom with claws out.

What they found however was not Lorenzo and Eleanor, but the waiter Cate had bribed with his pants at his ankles and another beta waitress on her knees in front of him. Scared out of their wits by the sudden intrusion, the beta girl fainted as the waiter fumbled to pull his pants up and cover himself. The queen was outraged.

“Guards, escort these two out of the palace, they are never to work here again,” the Lycan Luna yells, flipping her cloak and stomping away from the scene as Cate ran after her.

“But, your majesty, what about Eleanor?” Cate called and the queen stopped and poked a clawed finger at Cate’s chest.

“Do not take me for a fool young lady, I know of your jealousy towards Eleanor and your wish for revenge upon Black Moon. I will not tolerate behavior like this again. If I hear of one more plot, one more attempt to sabotage your fellow dancer, you will be dismissed from the Luna Festival. Understood?” The Lycan Luna didn’t even wait for a response before strutting off down the hall back towards the dining room.

Cate could only stare after her, knowing she had been shamed publicly again by Eleanor was the last straw. Even if she had to do things under the table, Cate would stop at nothing to get what she wanted.