The Delta's Daughter Chapter 274

CRIMSON

Still 3 1/2 months earlier

Tomorrow, we leave for Riocht and as I look around at our warriors packing up trucks with weapons and other equipment, a forlorn feeling creeps in knowing that not every soldier will come back with us.

Gillian and a few other mates and wives are handing out special uniforms that Alpha Lamia had commissioned. We were sent four hundred of the metallic materialled outfits. They were lightweight and the fabric acted as a shield for our bodies, and they stretched and rolled when we shifted. Tawny and Mason had given us a demonstration of their uses. And although they couldn’t prevent a sword or arrow from piercing us, they did deflect teeth and claws from sinking into skin.

The most useful thing about the uniforms was their ability to allow us shifters to keep clothes on us and shred them. Then when we shifted back to feet, we had clothes to cover us.

Besides looking like a real army, for the first time since I can remember - the uniforms were all black but with the Kingdom’s crest on the right side of the vests, proudly displaying our red and gold colors with the head of a Jaguar.

I gave a few orders and left Wyvern to oversee the final preparations for the four-day trip to Riocht. Wyvern would not be accompanying us on the journey. Instead, he would stay back to lead our Gamma teams and with Gillian oversee the Kingdom while we were away.

“Kolby…” Gillian’s soft voice reached my ears, finding me in our room as I threw a few items into a duffle bag. I paid her no attention gathering a few more items and stuffing them in.

“Kolby,” She said again. This time closer and I felt her arms snake around my torso from behind. Her gentle hands glided over my bare stomach. I was wearing just a pair of pants as I packed.

Relenting, I stopped what I was doing and turned to face her. Capturing her wrists in my hands, removing her soft palms from me. I looked down into sad blue eyes. Worried eyes.

“Promise me you will come back.” Her voice almost broke with fear.

“I will come back,” I promise even though it’s not something that can be promised. But is offering false hope better than giving her no hope at all?

I stare down into Gillian’s eyes, taking her in, still holding her hands in mine. She moved closer to me. Our bodies barely touched, while she gazed up at me with nothing but love and concern shining in those blues. Four months ago, I would have had her underneath me already, sinking into her heat. The thought twists my stomach sending a sickening feeling to ripple through me.

“What’s wrong?” Gillian’s eyebrows draw together. She lifts her face and brings herself up on the tips of her toes to kiss me. At the last second, I turn my head, her lips landing on my jaw. “You’ve changed Kolby.”

There’s no malice in her voice, no anger in her tone. Just confusion. I can’t look at her. I’m an asshole and she doesn’t deserve this. She’s too good.

I swallow the lump in my throat and bravely face her. “I love you, Gillian, you know that, right?” I’ve always been a confident person; however, at this moment I am anything but. I didn’t lie to her, I love Gillian. We grew up together, all our memories are with each other. I promised to protect her, to keep her safe. That’s why I agreed to marry her and take her as my chosen mate. My Queen. I could never see myself with anyone but her.

“I know you Kolby, better than you know yourself. I know every one of your looks, sighs, and mannerisms. Are you not happy anymore?” I let go of her hands letting them fall to her sides.

I want to tell her I am happy, that everything is okay. But I can’t. It would be a lie.

“Tell me, my love, what is eating at you?” She pushes for an answer.

I close my eyes drawing a large breath. “War,” I croak out “It’s stressful and your father’s little power play did not help.” It’s not a lie but it’s not the complete truth either.

How do I tell her she is losing me? That I am second-guessing marrying her when our year-long contract is up. That a certain princess’s mere presence is playing with my head. Making me want things I shouldn’t.

I cannot let Gillian down. I refuse to break her heart, her trust.

“Mmm” She muses. And says nothing else. Typical Gillian. She hates confrontation. She would rather see peace than war. I know my leaving will be hard on her. I am all she has; her father doesn’t count. The only use he has ever had for his daughter was to put him in a better position.

“I need to go finalize some paperwork with Wyvern,” I tell her pulling away. My eyes drift down to the marble flooring because I can’t meet her eyes.

“Will you not spend the night with me, Kolby?” She says behind my back.

“I will be back, just… don’t wait up.” I chance a look at her over my shoulder and my heart breaks when I see her eyes filled with tears. “Shh, baby,” I tell her, turning and bringing her against me, cradling her head in my hands and against my chest. “Everything is fine, I will be back tonight, and I promise I won’t die on you.” I lie and I feel so ashamed.

*****

It’s late. The palace is dark and quiet the only audible sound to be heard is my breathing and the thumping of my heart as I stand outside Tawny’s room. Hands braced on either side of the frame, my head barely leaning on the heavy wood door.

There are no sounds of movement from behind the other side of the door. But she’s in there. I can scent her. The sweet smell of the gods leaks through the barrier and engulfs my senses.

What am I doing here?

Suddenly the door opens, and I stumble falling across the threshold, almost on top of the princess. “Crimson?” Tawny’s surprised questioning voice has my eyes snapping to hers.

Our gazes lock for what feels like an eternity. The two of us getting lost in our own bubble. Until she breaks the moment of silence “What do you want Crimson?” She’s cautious as she lets go of the door taking a step back from me.

I take a step forward. “I don’t know,” I admit.

She’s so tiny, so frail looking. Like she would shatter and crumble with one wrong touch. But she’s not. Not my Kitten. She’s stronger than she looks and so brave.

The way she handles a weapon with precision and grace, how she brought down a mountain of a man at least twice her size. She never shied away, never showed fear. And when I held her in my arms, all her layers peeled away and vulnerable, her purring? It woke something deep inside me.

It woke up the beast, the lion who would protect his Pride no matter what. Tawny is mine to protect. I feel it, I know it. Except, I don’t know what to do with it.

“I think you should go,” She says. Her hand gestured to the doorway behind me. “Unless something needs to be done before we all leave tomorrow?”

I take another step towards her. Yes, something needs to be done. She takes a hesitant step back. “You’re messing with my mind,” I croak out, not knowing what else to say.

“Excuse me?” She huffs and crosses her arms over her chest in a protective manner. But it does nothing to temper down the burning lust that has ignited inside me, quite the opposite. Her stance only extenuates the swell of her breasts covered by the flimsy tank top.

I let my eyes travel down her body. Dark creamy legs on display, a hint of the curve of her ass tease me as her sleep shorts barely cover her.

Toes painted a light pink; look like candy I’m dying to lick. My wandering gaze travels back up - Appreciating each and every soft curve my kitten has on display – until I find her face and my eyes roam her dainty features.

“I don’t understand,” I hardly murmur “Is this what it’s like, why am I so drawn to you?” I don’t expect her to answer. My question is as much for me as it is for her.

“It’s the mate bond,” she sighs heavily. “You really need to go Crimson… please” There was a slight tension in her voice.

Small beads of perspiration are gathering on the base of her neck. My nostrils flare as her scent suddenly becomes heightened. The smell goes straight to my dick, and I harden almost instantaneously.

“Crimson, please leave.” She orders me, but her orders don’t work for me. I have no spirit animal to submit to her. I don’t move.

Her dark skin becomes flush and the perspiration on her skin increases, “You really need to leave…” She says in a breathy and sultry voice.

I close the door behind me. Taking a stalking step toward my kitten.

Tawny’s arms unfold and she holds her hands up, palms out “Crimson…” I hear her, but I’m still moving toward her, ignoring the plea in her tone.

In a few steps, I’m standing over her. My body is drawn to her, an invisible tether pulling me closer to her. I want her and I can’t seem to shake the thought.

I shouldn’t want her this much - but I do. Her scent is stronger and underneath that delectable nectarine sweetness – is arousal. Tempting me, daring me, tantalizingly driving me insane.

Glassy nervous yellow eyes stare back at me. Wide but wanting. Her body sways towards me. “I hear you say leave, but your body is telling me to stay.” I hardly recognize my own voice, deep and lustful.

I grab my kitten by the waist and pull her flush against me. Grinding my hips against her, rutting my cock into her stomach “Crimson… Please…” she moans, a begging voice but does she even know what she’s begging for?

Inhaling deep my lips and nose glide over her soft skin down her neck, over her chest.

I palm one of her plump breasts my other hand holding tight and close so she can’t escape. Fingers trail down her body slipping under the band of too-short shorts and finding her wet heat.

She's soaked. She wants this.

I’m like a starved man, unable to resist her mouthwatering scent and ready to feast upon her flesh.

Tawny’s hands come up between us, laying her palms on my chest she attempts to push me away. The movement is futile as I tighten my grip, fingers digging into her waist bruisingly. “So wet little kitten, so ready to be claimed” I grind out, dipping a finger between her folds.

“Crimson…” She moans again and I slide her shorts down over her hips. The flimsy material fell down past her thighs and pooled around her ankles.

“Such a pretty kitty” I plunge another finger into her.

Her hands grasp my shoulders, her back arching into me. I grind my rock-hard cock against her again.

I want her. She wants me. I will have her. I need her.

My heart is beating strong and fierce, her nails dig into my shoulder as I pump my fingers into her wet pussy. She’s close and once she comes undone on my fingers; I will make her come undone around my cock.

“Tawny! Open the door. Tawny!” The beating on the door behind me doesn’t deter me. It doesn’t stop me.

I growl at Mason’s voice when he calls for my kitten again, a possessive rage bubbling to the surface at his interruption.

The click of the lock being undone has me removing my fingers from my kitten’s pussy, pushing her behind me as I turn to face the intruder. I snarl at the werecat as he comes through the door.

“Tawny?” A concerned and angry look on his face. His eyes darting between the two of us and her half-undressed state.

Mason lifts his chin, his nose twitching scenting the air “Get the fuck out!” I growl at him, wanting to sink my claws into his flesh and rip his heart out for interrupting us.

“I think you’re the one that needs to leave.” I laugh at his brave, stern voice. He looks at my little kitten behind me still in a state of hazy bliss. “I’m not asking you Crimson. You need to leave. NOW!” The last word was challenging and a commanding growl.

I show my sharp teeth, growling back at him, warning him to mind his own business. I feel a ripple over my skin and by the amazed look on his face, I know my eyes have changed and my skin has morphed.

Claws extended – I’m in a half-shifted phase.

I pounce at Mason, ready to maim the intruder. My mind is wild – ready to kill.

He grapples with me, the smell of fresh blood coating the air and covering the sweet scent of nectarine.

Somehow, we end up in the hallway, claws, and fur flying from the furious fight.

A fight for what?

The further we go from Tawny, the more my head clears. Like a heavy cloud is slowly lifting from fogging up my brain. The cloud is so thick that it stifled my ability to think. Until I didn’t even know why I was fighting Mason.

The fight comes to an abrupt stop. I look around, embarrassed, and ashamed. But there’s no one around to see us, no one heard us.

Thank fuck.

“What did I do?” I slide down to the floor, both hands rubbing my face. I know exactly what I did and what I was going to do. I just didn’t know why, how I could let it go that far. I was like a man possessed.

“You need to get your shit together Crimson. You are in a contracted engagement. I don’t know what the fuck you did to her, but I know she would never allow you to touch her like that if she was in her right mind!” The werecat paces in front of me, the anger rolling off him in waves. “Get it the fuck together because you can’t take this shit into battle with us tomorrow.”

“I know, I know… I just… I don’t know what came over me. I swear Mason, it’s like – like I couldn’t control what I was doing…” I bite my lip. This is so messed up. When she begged me, she was begging me to leave. She told me to leave.

“FUCK!” I growl out.

“Go sleep it off and hope to the gods that Gillian forgives you.”

“You can’t tell her,” I say, quickly lifting my head and standing up from the floor “Mason, It’s not her fault, It will break Gillian… if she knew.” My voice trails off because what I’m asking him, is to not say anything. It isn’t fair to him, Tawny, or Gillian. But…

“Go to bed Crimson, we leave in less than eight hours.”

I stand there for a moment as Mason stomps off back towards his and Tawny’s section of the palace. I briefly wonder if he is going to Tawny.

More than likely he will want to check on her. A streak of jealousy rises but is quickly snuffed out and with my head bowed I relent and slowly turn, walking away from the mind fuck I caused tonight.

Still not understanding what happened in that room, or why I even went there. I remember I wanted to check on her, to talk to her. I was about to change my mind and walk away but… Once that door opened everything changed. I was instantly put under a spell by her beauty and a primal lust snapped in place.

I couldn’t do this; I couldn’t keep trying to stay away from her. Every time I am around her, she clouds my vision. She’s dangerous to my health, and I to hers.