'He can't back down from this. He can't,' Dina said happily.
'Well don't get too excited. We thought he wouldn't last time,' Lily responded thinking back on their last experience. She blushed at the thought of him being in between her thighs again.
'That was different. Everything is out in the open. We will reassure him we're not..'
'I am tired of us reassuring him. We are worthy. This is time for him to show us that he's worthy,' Lily snapped, cutting Dina off.
'Yes like the powerful she-wolves we are,' Dina agreed.
An unsettling sensation prickled at the back of her neck as Lily returned to the castle. Her giddiness at seeing Garrett seemed to fade. She paused, her senses tingling as she scanned the surroundings.
'Someone is watching us,' Dina growled within her.
'We're used to getting stares. A werewolf among lycans is stare-worthy,' Lily said, trying to calm Dina, but something did feel off.
Lily's eyes locked onto a figure standing in the shadows, a man watching her. He looked like a normal warrior. She hesitated, her heart quickening, but dismissed it as mere paranoia when he turned away.
'See nothing wrong,' Lily thought as she finally reached her room. She wanted to wash away the sweat and smell of outside from her before Garrett arrived. She took a relaxing shower, letting the warm water wash away any hesitation or doubt about what would happen tonight.
As she emerged from the shower, wrapped in a towel and steam curling around her, Lily's heart nearly leaped out of her chest. The man from earlier stood in her room, his presence filling the space with an unsettling aura. She clutched the towel tighter, her voice laced with anger. "Who are you, and what are you doing in my room?"
The man turned to her, his eyes gleaming with an intensity that sent shivers down her spine. "I am Adrian," he announced with a chilling calmness. "You're as beautiful as I first saw you Winter Moon night."
"If you have no business with me, then you need to leave," Lily said firmly.
"I am where I am supposed to be. I am here to claim what is rightfully mine," Adrian answered.
Lily's eyes widened in confusion, her frustration mounting. "Claim what? Me? No. You must have me mistaken for another she-wolf. I am not a Lycan. I am a werewolf under the Lycan King's protection. You need to leave."
Adrian's lips curled into a sinister smile, his gaze unwavering. "Ah, but Ethan is not here right now. You are part of a lineage that spans generations; your power is meant to be for someone worthy. Of course, you turn down Ethan. Perhaps you need a rebel who can put you in your place. You will belong to me, whether you acknowledge it or not."
Lily's defiance overcame her fear. "You're out of your mind. You need to leave before you say something that will kill you."
Without warning, he lunged at her, his movements fluid and calculated. Lily's instincts kicked in, and Dina, the better fighter, took over to fend him off. They grappled, crashing against furniture; however, Adrian was stronger than her. He slammed her hard into the wall before throwing her into the bed.
Lily attempted to pull herself up, but she was slammed back into the bed by her throat. "You can't escape your destiny," Adrian growled.
Just as Adrian was about to bite her neck, the window burst open. Garrett stormed in, his eyes blazing with fury as he took in the scene. Without hesitation, he lunged at Adrian, a fierce growl escaping his lips.
"Get away from my mate!" Garrett's voice boomed through the room as his fists collided with Adrian's form.
Lily's heart pounded with a mixture of relief and renewed hope. She scrambled back, watching the two men battle, her eyes reflecting both fear for Garrett's safety and gratitude for his timely arrival.
Garrett's punches were swift and unrelenting, each one a testament to his determination to protect her. Adrian staggered, his facade of control crumbling under the assault, confused as to how a werewolf could best a Lycan. Garrett sent Adrian face-first out the window with one final, powerful strike.
Lily gasped as she rushed to the window, heart pounding. She peered down, but the darkness obscured the fall. She turned to Garrett, her voice shaky. "Is he... Is he gone?"
Hearing Lily cry out in pain, Berric quickly took over. All ideas of sexily entering her room via the window were forgotten. He and Garrett were aligned for once. The Lycan needed to die for harming Lily, but this wasn't his land, and he wasn't Alpha here. Garrett would allow Ethan to handle it as Garrett had alerted his warriors of Adrian and would be collecting his unconscious form momentarily.
Garrett approached her, his chest heaving from the fight. His eyes were not their normal color, revealing to Lily that Berric was completely in control. His eyes scanned her naked body, noticing the bruises forming on her. He pulled her to him, holding her.
"Garrett, wait Berric?"
"It's Garrett," His eyes had returned to their normal color.
"Thank you for saving me. I couldn't..."
Garrett pressed his lips against hers, cutting her off. His strong hands gripped her waist pulling her closer to him, making Lily realize that she had fought Adrian naked. Her face became flushed earning a growl from Garrett as he noticed her embarrassment. It didn't take him long to figure out why.
"Don't you dare think about him. You focus on me," Garrett said firmly.
"I wasn't," Lily stammered, surprised by the aggressiveness. Garrett nibbled at her neck before but it seemed that Garrett was more eager to put hickies all over her skin. Each nip earned a new surprised moan.
His touch felt more possessive, too; his big hands grabbed Lily by the waist and moved her quickly so that she was pinned against her bed, forcing herself to wrap her legs around his waist. Garrett massaged and tweaked her nipples while he kissed her. Lily felt completely overpowered and dominated but she and Dina yearned for it.