Matthew's hand trails up my thighs, making my legs part to give him better access. His fingers slip into my already wet folds before he pushes them inside me, causing me to let out a moan. His lips kiss mine almost as a reminder not to be too loud and wake the others, then moves to my neck, then down to my breast.
My hand reaches down to feel his cock, which is already ready for me. Even after a few drinks, Matthew didn't have any problem keeping up with me, something I hadn't experienced in a very long time. The idea of him inside me has me pulling him on top of me as I'm no longer able to wait.
Matthew lets out a low chuckle and positions himself between me, then presses his thick member inside me. He pushes himself as far as he can go inside me, my body reacts instantly, wanting to clasp down on him to never let him go.
Almost as if instincts kick in, I flip us over so he's now on his back, and I'm on top. My hands reach down and are placed on the headboard to give me leverage while his move to my breast and waist as if he's tracing me. I rock my hips back and forth, throwing my head back in ecstasy from how much we move in sync.
After what feels like hours of strokes and different positions, we finish at the same time, collapsing on the bed and taking a much-needed rest. Our chests rise and fall as we catch our breath. I roll over to get some water when I notice it's almost five in the morning.
"You better get out of here if you don't want Marcy or you kids to catch you in here."
"In a moment. I'm still catching my breath, plus Ma doesn't wake up until seven, and the kids don't wake up unless I wake them. They don't think I know, but I know they don't fall asleep for another few hours after I tuck them in," Matthew says breathlessly.
"Fine by me," I say, climbing on top of him to give him a kiss before falling back into the mattress.
"Did you still want to go out into the forest?" he asks.
"Yeah, I just need about an hour of sleep, then I'll be good to go," I yawn through my final words.
Matthew slides out of bed, kisses me on the forehead, and then tiptoes out of the room. I manage to get two hours of sleep but wake up when I hear the shuffling of Marcy's footsteps as she makes her way downstairs.
I decide to get up and get ready for the day while praying Marcy will have coffee ready by the time I get to the kitchen. I unplug my laptop so I can finish reviewing the photos I barely got to last night. Although I'm not complaining, hopefully, another distraction will come to me later. I put my hair in a messy bun and slip on some socks then head downstairs.
"Good morning, dear," Marcy greets me, "would you like a coffee?"
"Yes, please," I plea.
"Did you sleep well?" she asks, causing my cheeks to start to burn.
"I did," I say, pausing to think of an excuse other than your son kept me up all night, "but I still have so much work to do on those photos I took last night, so I need the extra jolt coffee gives me to finish up."
"Can I see some?"
"Of course, just give me a moment to get set up,"
"Yay, I'll get the coffee and some tea cake for us to snack on."
I turn on the laptop and open up the files from yesterday, quickly touching up some. Thankfully, there wasn't much I needed to do. I save some of the best ones to show her, and just in time too, as Marcy walks over to me with coffee.
"Thank you," I say, taking the mug from her.
I inhale the sweet aroma and let it soothe my body. I take a drink of the dark liquid and can instantly feel myself relax and slowly wake up a bit more. Marcy takes a set right next to me after bringing some snacks, a few mugs, and the rest of the coffee in the pot.
I turn the laptop to face her and tell her to scroll down so she can look through the pictures. Almost immediately a smile comes across her face. She puts a hand to her chest as if she's overcome with joy.
"Are you okay?" I ask.
"I am," she sniffles, "I'm just so happy. These are so wonderful." Marcy turns to me and wraps me in her arms, hugging me tightly.
"I'm glad you like them. Is there a store I can send them to so they can print them out?"
"Yes, Matthew can take you there later before you guys go exploring later," she squeals in excitement.
"Did somebody say my name?" Matthew says, appearing in the doorway.
"Morning, Matty. Have you seen these? They are absolutely fabulous. I was telling her that you will take her to Gerald's convenience so she can print them out and I can hang them up," Marcy tells Matthew, although since he entered the room he hasn't once taken his eyes off me. Marcy notices and looks between him and me with keen eyes.
In the nick of time, Luke comes running down the stairs with a ton of energy, which takes some of the attention off of us.
"I'm hungry," Luke declares, looking up to his dad.
"Come with me, Luke, and help me start breakfast," Marcy orders, giving me and Matthew look as if she's saying I know exactly what has happened between you two.
"How are you?" Matthew asks, coming closer to me to sit down.
"Good, you?"
"Great, did you get any sleep," he leans in to whisper.
His breath hits my cheeks, sending some of those memorable shockwaves from last night through my body. With his lips so close it would be so easy to kiss him, but it feels weird to do it when his son or mom can walk in at any time. He sits back in his chair and looks behind me, smiling and waving at his son, who is calling his name to show Matthew he is cracking an egg.
"Will have plenty of time for that later, once we leave," Matthew smirks.
I work on the pictures and show him some of the ones that would be great for printing while we wait for the food to be ready. A few minutes pass by when his daughter Juliana comes downstairs and jumps into his lap.
Moments later, Luke comes in with plates, followed by Marcy, who brings in the first tray of food. We all eat together, and once I've had enough to eat, I head back to my room and prepare to leave. As I'm putting on my shoes, there's a knock on the door.
"Yeah," I shout.
"You ready?" Matthew's voice comes from behind the door.
"I'll be right out," I call back.
He opens the door as I finish lacing up my tennis shoes.
"Did I say you could come in?" I tease.
"It's not like there isn't anything in here I haven't seen," he teases back.
"Let's go. I actually want to see more of the forest today."
"Then let's go, but we will stop at the store first to get the pictures developed, so by the time we are done, they should be ready," Matthew says extending his hand to help me up from the chair.
We leave, and after a short drive in his old pickup truck, we get to the store. A few minutes later, inside, we finish and head back to the inn. Right before the afternoon, we walk back into the treeline, and seeing all the trees surrounding me reminds me of the reason I'm here.
I think back to the journals and try to find anything that resembles any of the sketches that were drawn in them. We spend a few hours looking when we come upon an area that opens up. It seems out of place here, but it reminds me of one of the sketches. As I get closer, Matthew grabs my hand and stops me from moving forward.
"What's wrong?" I ask, snapping out of my trance.
"We should be heading back now?"
"Why? I think this is what I've been looking for. Can't we keep going?"
"This area isn't safe. Bears are known to come out of nowhere out here and kill people," he says, leading me away from the area.
Even as I protest, he doesn't stop and continues to drag me away from the area. I mentally take note of the area so I can return when I'm alone. I pull my hand from his and practically push him away to stop him from dragging me.
"What's with you?" I scoff, annoyed I'm being treated like a child.
"We should be heading back before we lose any more light."
We walk back in silence, aside from our usual laughter and deep conversation. When we get back to the inn I head to my room and shut the door behind me, locking it in place. I grab the journals and verify that what I saw was actually what I was looking for. When I find the page, my heart stops.
It is what I was looking for!
Dinner time came and went. I grabbed my plate of food and came back to my room, as I was still upset with Matthew. Marcy could sense the tension, while the kids were none the wiser. I continued reviewing the journals, hoping something new would pop out of me, but I had no luck, making me even more frustrated.I slam them shut and pace back and forth, trying to think of a way to get back out there on my own without the asshole tour guide. How can he sleep with me one day and be an ass the next? I scoff."Now he's starting to remind me of Jackson." I search the room, hoping I might find something that will help me get back out there. As I rummage around the dressers and closet, I manage to find a flashlight, a few batteries, and a thick jacket. I walk over to the window, open it, and contemplate jumping out. During my internal debate a knock on the door stops me.I set the jacket and flashlight on the chair, then go to answer the door to see Matthew standing behind it. "What do you wa
Jackson POVFour Days AgoLeave! How could she fucking leave?! I've wasted these last few years kissing up to that bitch, waiting for her to become that damn wolf, and she just leaves! As if I would have stayed with her this whole time if I didn't expect to get something out of it."Damn it!" I yell.I pick up the bottle I took out of the fridge just before she left and throw it against the wall. My rage doesn't end there. I rip apart the couch, throwing the pieces all around the living room, then pick up the TV and slam it down on the ground. "Fuck!" I scream with my fist raging in the air."Hello?" a woman's voice calls from behind the front door, "I'm trying to work over here," she continues, annoyed as she bangs on the door.Perfect, I can go for a snack.I open the door, and the blonde, busted woman drops the bitchy attitude and changes her whole demeanor to something more seductive. A typical move for any human that comes across me. Humans are unable to resist the aura I exude,
Freya POV My body aches from Jackson dropping me on the floor. I panic, unsure what to do. In my condition, there's no way I can fight him off, and I need to get to the kids to make sure they're safe. I notice the camera on the floor and reach over to grab it and quickly turn it on. Jackson always hated me using it when he was around because he said he hated the way the flash bothered his eyes. Before it can turn on, Jackson lifts me back up by the throat. I clutch onto the camera, holding it for dear life and counting in my head the seconds it takes for it to turn on. My body starts to go limp. I look down at the camera and notice the red light, which lets me know it's ready to go. With every last bit of energy I can muster, I lift the camera, putting it directly in his face, and take a picture of him. The flash caused Jackson to release me and scream in pain as he uses his hands to cover his eyes. As quickly as I can, I run upstairs and shout for the kids and search for them un
Cole POV "We've been contacted by a small group of survivors seeking asylum," Derek remarks, standing up from his seat at the round table. "How many are we expecting?" Alyssa asks, taking a drink from her wine glass. I placed them both together and gave them a seat on the council because of their yin-yang personalities. Derek is a strong fighter and an expert warrior in battle; he's also the most strategic in bringing back survivors alive. Alyssa is more of the nurturing type and has a very gentle touch that helps with dealing with survivors who just made the dangerous trek here. While they both despise each other, it doesn't stop them from working well together—in more ways than one. They don't think I know about their affair, but it's obvious, at least to me, it is. "They started with ten, but now they are down to six," Derek says in a more somber tone. He knows the loss all too well from making the journey himself once before. "We can't keep taking in every stray pack that c
Freya POV "I don't think I caught your name," Justin turns to me. When I don't say anything, he continues, "So what is it?" "Freya. It's Freya," I say. Justin has been showing me around the town on our way to meet this Alpha person, and I'm amazed at how it reminds me of the stories grandpa used to tell me. The area kind of reminds me of the Wild West, but only if the Wild West was brought into the new age and had internet and running water. There was a small shopping center, but all the lights were off except for the ones out in the storefronts. The hospital is next to a police/fire station that looks to be up and running. We keep walking and pass the park that leads into a neighborhood. We continue straight, and a big house that looks more like a mansion appears. All the lights were on inside, and this place seemed to be the most active thing in the whole area. I'd think that they are throwing a party inside, as I see so many people coming and going with smiles on their faces.
Freya POV How can one random stranger make me feel so whole? He stood a few inches above six feet and was built like a tank. His hair was charcoal black, and his eyes were a striking grey. His whole body lured me in and had a soothing effect on me, but it couldn't calm my mind. I still wasn't entirely sure what was happening because suddenly, all I could do was think about Matthew and the others. This man somewhat reminded me of him, which only brought back the painful memory of watching him burn. The more he asked questions, the more I spiraled out of control, and the more I felt I was floating out of my body until it just stopped altogether. My dreams weren't any better. I could hear the screams of Luke and Juliana and the sound of Marcy's bones breaking. The flashbacks of seeing Matthew's body in the fire forces me awake. I sit up and wipe the sweat off my forehead. My hands touch the soft sheets, and my eyes search the room, making me realize I don't know where I am or how I
Cole POV "Wilson, have Callie meet with Freya, and please send some food to her room as well," I direct. Wilson nods, hands me yesterday's notes, and tells me Theo is waiting inside for me. The headache from all the confusion is not going to help me with Theo's inevitable questions about Freya. I debate whether I should go into my office or walk around the perimeter for a security check. However, Theo decides for me when he opens the door and pulls me inside. "Brother!" Theo cheers. "Brother, why are you awake so early? I thought you didn't get out of bed until at least four." "You know damn well I don't need sleep. I need answers, and I need them now," he states. His eagerness to know about Freya angers me slightly, but I push that thought down. I walk to my desk to take a seat on my chair while Theo serves me some coffee before slumping on the couch across from me. The way he is seated makes me think he's expecting me to tell him a bedtime story. Theo's reaction shifts as if
Freya POVDinner? Sounds easy enough. I am hungry and there's so much I need to know about Cole and this place. Ugh, why didn't I throw away the letter and vile!? I could have pretended everything was normal. I was normal. I may have been miserable, but this feels like another level of hell. I'm trapped in a room in an unknown mansion someone brought me to after the second worst moment in my life. The last time I tried to open the door to get out of this room, it was locked. However, I'm unable to tolerate being cooped up here anymore without it driving me insane. I search for something with a flat edge when I find a flathead screwdriver in a toolbox hidden underneath the sink in the bathroom. I move to the door, shove the flat part of the screwdriver between the frame and doorknob, and push back on the lock until it's jarred open. "Finally," I let out a sigh of relief. I peek outside and take note of the empty hallway. I exit the room, closing the door behind me. I sneak down the