"Touch her and I’ll castrate you!" a loud familiar voice echoed through the forest. Red swallowed hard, and stopped struggling. The highwayman froze. She managed to lift her head slightly, seeing William in his wolf form. The voice that had spoken belonged to Carlos.
She couldn't believe that they had found her. Carlos must have told Will what One Eye had been planning. She had been so stupid thinking that she could rescue her grandmother on her own.
The highwayman backed away towards the tree, he was taking long wheezing breaths, baring his teeth. Red was satisfied, knowing that she most likely blinded him for the rest of his life.
She glanced at William—he was shifting back into his human form.
"One Eye doesn't have your gran, Red. She's safe with the pack. She managed to escape, and they tried to take her again a few hours ago," William explained, looking at her with burning anger, and worry.
Red struggled, her whole face was throbbing with pain, but eventually she lifted herself back to her feet.
"Are you all right?"
"I’ve been better," she muttered.
"You fools, do you really think this is over? In a second I'm going to turn into the most powerful wolf you’ve ever seen and then you’re all going to die!" One Eye shouted, holding a small flask in his hand. It took Red a long moment to figure out that he was holding a magical shot, the most powerful liquid in all the kingdoms.
Chapter Eighteen
William’s features were unreadable, and Red couldn't move. She swallowed hard, knowing exactly what One Eye had in his hand. There were many stories about liquid magic and until now she believed that they were all made up. A bunch of heavy bricks cascaded down into her stomach, when William moved slightly to the left, looking like he was ready to shift into a wolf again. His eyes gleamed like two golden coins in the darkness.
The liquid magic could turn the highwayman into the most vicious and powerful wolf that ever existed.
She felt stupid, and proud of her gran at the same time. Ruby had managed to escape, and Red had been manipulated by the shifty highwayman yet again. William was standing too far away from Red, and One Eye had the advantage. Everyone was aware that if One Eye turned into a magical beast, they were all going to be as good as dead.
"Try it, little guy, but I'll kill you before you even have a chance to touch that crap," William shouted, obviously confident that he could save them, but Red wasn't so sure. It was a hell of a risk. Tension was rolling throughout her entire body, pain started in her scalp and coursed down to her toes.
One Eye glanced around, seeing that he was being surrounded by Will's wolves and he had nowhere to escape. He gripped the flask and worked his jaw. Red had no idea what he was waiting for, she wasn't complaining, but in a way she wasn't even sure if One Eye was brave enough to drink the potion.
"I'm going to fuck her once I damage you enough and I’ll make you watch," he stated, then opened the flask and quickly drank its entire contents before William could even move. Red watched the movement of his Adam’s apple swallowing the liquid, and she wanted to get closer to William. Fear took hold of her like a razor, because Red knew that the magic would start working in a matter of seconds.
Tension tightened William's frame, and Red held her breath. She didn't understand why he didn't shift into a wolf earlier.
Then One Eye started shaking, his eyes rolled into the back of his head and then white foam rolled from the corner of his mouth. Something wasn't right, she was certain that the highwayman must have forgotten about something.
"Red, stay where you are. He's going to be unpredictable and any sudden movement will make matters worse," William shouted at her and she nodded. Then magical energy skyrocketed over One Eye's head. Red had no idea where it came from, but she saw white light sparkling everywhere. Heat rushed to her spine, and began spreading to her limbs.
The highwayman started arching his back, screaming out in agony. He sounded like he was being burned alive, then moments later instead of shifting into a wolf, he lit up in flames. Red's eyes widened, and her heart skipped a beat, seeing the masses of fire that covered his whole body.
Seconds later, a pair of strong hands pushed her down to the ground, and she recognised Will's scent.
"Don't move, the worst isn't over yet," he told her and they both watched how the highwayman was being swallowed by red flames that were spreading everywhere.
The smell of burning flesh wafted through the air, making her feel sick. He was burning alive, screaming, and Red couldn't tell if this was how he was going to transform into a wolf or if his spell simply went terribly wrong.
Either way, she knew that even a magical person wouldn't be able to survive something like that.
The flames could most likely be seen from miles away. Red wanted to cover her ears, unable to take his screams any longer. For some reason she didn't think that he deserved to die in such a cruel way. She pitied him, but it was too late to save him.
Minutes later, he collapsed on the ground, and the fire vanished as quickly as it appeared. Smoke kept drifting from his body, and One Eye wasn’t moving anymore. The smell was horrendous, and Red wasn’t sure what happened.
Minutes passed in silence until William said, "Fortunately for us, One Eye was never in possession of the real liquid magic. He had no idea that once he stole it from Ryll, the potion would lose its magic. His greed burned him alive.”
“Is Gran okay? I’ve been so stupid, thinking that I could make a simple exchange with him. He threatened to kill her if I asked for your help. I’m sorry,” she said, when William grabbed her hand and quickly lifted her up. Red was in too much shock to tell him that she could walk on her own. She wanted to see her grandmother as soon as possible.
"Currently? She is with the rest of the pack, bossing them around. She made Andrew clean all the bedrooms upstairs," William chuckled. “Apparently, she beat up the highwaymen who were supposed to be keeping an eye on her, using her old umbrella, and then ran away into the forest. Luckily, my wolves sensed her when those idiots were chasing after her. One Eye used you. He wanted gold and was willing to try anything. Good thing that Carlos showed up to warn me; otherwise we wouldn’t be standing here right now talking to each other."
“Carlos?” she asked with disbelief. She saw her ex-lover standing in the distance, watching her. She quickly lipped “thank you” to him and he nodded. Red was wrong about him. He’d obviously cared about her more than she thought. “Is One Eye dead now?”
"Yep, the potion killed him. He died just the way he feared he would one day. Come on, let me get you out of here. Your face looks terrible. I hope he didn’t break any of your bones. We need to check you out straight away," William said and started carrying her towards the camp.
Red was cold, hungry and in a lot of pain, but right then she didn’t want to be anywhere else. Being in his arms made her feel secure. Maybe she was fighting for too long to be independent, and only now did she realise that it felt good to get rescued.
William kept talking to her, but Red started to drift off, pushing ugly memories away until she shut her eyes, trying to rest for a bit.
"I love when you take care of me, honeycomb. And I bet you missed me," William chuckled and approached her from the path leading to the forest. She looked sexy, wearing a black fitted top and long cream skirt, with her long hair tied up in a messy bun.
He was furious with her the day that the highwayman, Carlos, showed up in his camp, claiming that One Eye was meeting with Red at the border of Dunnie Kingdom. He didn't think that Red would have agreed to face One Eye alone, especially after everything that had happened, but from what Carlos told him, One Eye didn’t give her much choice.
Red believed that her grandma would die if she didn’t do as he said.
William had been waiting for her outside her house in the forest, counting the minutes until she finished work. Her clothes were a little stained, but he didn't care. He needed to have her in his arms again.
&n
bsp; A week had passed since One Eye burned alive right in front of them. William suspected that Ryll had been in possession of the liquid magic, but he didn’t realise that the highwayman would be stupid enough to steal it.
Soon after, everything went back to normal, the highwaymen were gone, and Red finally decided to give Will a chance.
"I'm tired, Will, and it's been a hell of a day. Come inside. It's cold out here."
"You do realise that I’m a werewolf and we’re always warm, even when it’s freezing,” he said as she moved past him, rolling her eyes.
William didn't like watching her in the tavern when she was working. Her body was too distracting and he hated when other men stared at her ass. She belonged to him, so after a few arguments he decided to stay away, giving her space. Right now she was pretending that she didn't miss him, but her body language was saying something completely different.
He followed her to the kitchen where he accidentally brushed his elbow over her arm. She shuddered, and he sensed that her whole body was practically humming like a tuning fork with excitement. He liked playing these little games with her, aware that she was trying hard to keep her hands off of him. Even her breathing changed and he was willing to bet that she was already wet for him. William wasn't very good with waiting around for anything or anyone. He’d wanted Red since she left him to go to work that morning.
After the unfortunate night in the forest they’d been spending every spare moment together. They hadn’t talked about mating yet, but William didn't want to wait too long to make her his—officially.
"I need to check your wound. It was bleeding this morning," she told him, but he didn't move and she got annoyed. Martha's magic worked very well, but William liked to fuck Red in many different positions, and every time they had sex, his stitches reopened. It was annoying, but he just couldn't keep his hands off of her. “Just sit down and stop winding me up. The light isn’t very good in here."
"Keep talking like that. I like it when you're bossy. That tone of voice definitely turns me on," he said, and she smiled briefly, then pinched her eyebrows. Eventually he sat down on the chair very close to her, and she lifted his T-shirt. When her fingers hovered over his skin, his cock stirred in his pants.
Red took off the bandages and touched the wound with a wet cloth, cleaning the dried blood. William was still pissed that he didn't killed Ryll himself. The wound inflicted by the Iron Blade wasn’t going to heal for a long while, complicating his life further. She moved closer, and from that angle William had a great view of her cleavage. Red’s tits were perfect, and he kept imagining running his tongue over her nipples. They were poking through the thin layer of her dress.
Silence stretched for longer than he could bear. The heat that rolled off her body encased him, sharpening his senses. He was done waiting, he wanted her right there and right in that moment. Red wasn't looking at him, but he could smell her desire. It was drifting around her like the silky smell of lavender and peppermint.
Once his wound was all stitched up and sealed, William was too turned on to keep his hands off of her.
"Okay, I'm done with this bullshit. We’re going to fuck. Now," he told her and pulled her over to his lap. Red giggled, and kissed him without saying anything and he was surprised that she didn’t complain. The moment their bodies touched it was a done deal. He knew that he was going to make long and sinful love to her, possibly all night.
Chapter Nineteen
Red had to admit that she’d been through a lot in the past few weeks. Since the confrontation with One Eye in the forest, her life had turned around one hundred and eighty degrees.
Fortunately for her, William was spending every night sleeping in her bed, so she wasn't much concerned. She’d decided to give them a chance, and now with Ruby around, she didn't have to hide that they were in a relationship.
She left him in the morning to prepare the stock in the tavern for this afternoon, and her body was slowly going through withdrawal symptoms. When she was walking home tonight, she suspected that he might be waiting for her.
They had been all over each other lately, and she was surprised by her own stamina. Tonight the tavern was packed, and she’d been on her feet non-stop, trying to make sure everything ran smoothly. Exhaustion took over, but her body burned with desire when he touched her as soon as she arrived home.
He constantly wanted to fuck her, even though his body was still healing. She was trying to control herself, but when he lifted her top and started moving his lips over her bare stomach she forgot her own name. After that she gave up on keeping her hormones at bay. They were still by the table, and the sudden heat was turning her blood into molten lava. She wanted him to slow down, but at the same time she couldn't physically pull away from him. The last few days were hectic, but they had been spending every spare minute together. Ruby was happy for her. She recovered well and was back to being her normal self. Red was glad to have her back.
William abandoned caressing her stomach. He put his arms around her and stood up. She was ready to protest, wary of his wound, but then he started throwing all the stuff off the table and placed her on top of it. His eyes were whiskey-coloured again, staring at her with pumping desire.
"I just cleaned your wound. This isn't a very good idea," she mumbled, with her skirt halfway up. The button of her top was undone, and she really wanted to take a shower first. After several hours in the tavern she was smelly, and her feet were covered in blisters. "Besides, I really would like to wash myself first."
"Don't worry about it, honeycomb, I'm just going to have to be careful and to me you smell fucking divine," he said to her and then took off his shirt. When she laid her eyes on his ripped stomach her core tightened. It was crazy that he had that kind of effect on her, even after constantly sleeping with each other. "You're driving me insane, and I just can't keep my hands off you."
"I think—"
He didn't let her finish her thought. He pulled off her skirt off and took off her red panties. She’d put them on this morning, thinking that he would like them.
"Beauty, and all mine. You can't imagine how much I’ve wanted to do this since you left me this morning," he growled and then started kissing her stomach again. Red closed her eyes, and arched her head backwards. Her pulse sped up. William was running his tongue over her navel, moving further down to the centre of her sex. Red gripped the table, taking long deep breaths, her core aching for release. At that point, the pressure between her legs was becoming increasingly uncomfortable.
She gasped for breath when he placed his mouth on her clit and started licking her gently at first. Red struggled to remain still. Her heart started jackhammering in her chest. William was working his tongue to please her and she wasn't going to last much longer. Her thighs began to tremble, and she gripped the table so tight that she almost cut blood circulation to her fingers. Liquid lust filled her every cell, beads of sweat dripped down her face.
William was swirling his tongue around her clit, leaving her breathless and on edge. Pressure built in her stomach, rising throughout her entire body each time his tongue caressed her.
She pulled his thick hair, panting for air. Then he plunged a finger inside her and she was ready to explode, moaning loudly, lifting her head slightly.
"So slick and moist, just perfect," he was telling her, as he moved his finger in and out.
Heat ravaged her body, filling her bloodstream, and she was ready to come hard. A few more strokes and she was going to come undone.
"How do you like that, honeycomb? Should I keep going or are we done with foreplay?" he asked, watching her as her body convulsed in waves of ecstasy. Her muscles, joints and skin were on fire. Seconds later he pulled his hand away from her drenched sex and she glared at him, wondering what the hell was going on.
"Keep going, why on earth have you stopped?" she shouted, her sex was throbbing painfully now. She was so close, and he almost ruined it. He grinned and ran his finger under his nose, smelling h
er. It was so erotic, Red was going to lose her mind any second. She shivered remembering how good it felt to have him deep inside of her.
"I want you to tell me that you're mine, that there won't be anyone else in your life ever again," he ordered, and Red couldn't help herself—she rolled her eyes. The loss of contact was driving her insane. There was no way that she was going to promise him anything, especially now after he worked her up so much. When he lowered himself down, she swallowed hard, staring directly into his eyes.
"I can't go without touching you. I want to hear you tell me that you belong to me," he told her and then leaned over kissing her deeply, biting her lower lip playfully. She tried to grab him to get closer, but he pulled away again. "Say it, Red."
She was furious with him for pushing her so much, her core jerked away with his words.
"So this is what it’s going to take for you to make me come?" she asked, wondering if this was how their relationship was going to be like from now on. Red was ready to slap him, but she knew he was only winding her up. On top of that, she didn't have the willpower to pass on the incredible sex that they both enjoyed. And she kind of loved him, but she wasn’t going to tell him that. The situation in the tavern was getting better every day. People were getting out, drinking and not worrying about the highwaymen anymore.
"Fine, I'm yours and no one else’s. Are you happy now, caveman?" she asked, pulling him towards her.
"That's good enough for me," he said and then thrust his finger inside her again, and licked her harder, working her like no one had ever before. Red didn't even know it was possible to come so fast. She exploded almost instantly. She was trembling from everlasting sensations. Red shut her eyes and her head thrashed from side to side as orgasm after orgasm shook her entire body.
Unbelievable heat made her immobile several moments afterwards, and at the same time her body kept convulsing until William gently slapped her cheek, bringing her back to reality.