The Werewolf Order (Erotica)

Vadim stuffs his hands in his pockets, flashing Lynette a brilliant smile, “How about a turn around the garden, Lynette?”

The centaur shyly smiles at him, “Yes, I would like that very much, Prince Vadim.”

He nods, his gaze tracing her features. She is a handsome creature, with her earnest brown eyes and her ample brown hair falling over her shoulders; when she walks, her brown hindquarters sway gently with the movement. Vadim finds her to be a very attractive centaur; he is thankful that she is petite, standing a hand shorter than him, her small pony frame amplifies her youth.

Coral watches Quell leave, turning around to the pair; she addresses Lynette, “I was thinking about going for a walk in the woods to harvest some herbs, would you care to accompany me?”

Though Lynette seems eager to join her friend, she glances at Vadim, “I would love to, Lady Coral, but the Prince asked me to come to the garden with him-though I am sure it won’t be long, I could join you as soon as we are finished?”NôvelDrama.Org holds this content.

Coral’s eyes flicker to Vadim’s-he avoids her gaze. It is hard enough for him to be around her as his heart aches when she is near but he forces himself to act appropriately; she is, after all, his brother’s mate. He sees the happiness in Quell and is very thankful to have his brother back; after Searra’s death, part of Quell seemed to die as well. Sadly, though, Vadim now knows what it feels like to have someone that you earnestly love ripped away from you.

Coral forces a smile to her lips, hugging Lynette, “Well, come to think of it, it does look like rain today. Maybe we can go tomorrow?”

“Of course, my lady,” she says with an innocent smile on her lips. She gives Coral a brief curtsey before slipping her arm into Vadim’s; he leads her down the hall towards the garden. Glancing over his shoulder, he sees Coral still standing there, her face pained but when they make eye contact, she forces a smile to her lips before turning away.

The sky above the cliffs are cloudy and though they are sheltered by the large rocky walls, the chill of autumn creeps down into the garden. When they make their way through the tall grasses, Vadim fishes a small box out of his pocket; he opens it up to show a delicate metal rose on a silver chain necklace, “Happy day of birth, Lynette,” he says gently while offering her the gift.

Her smile brightens; nervously she glances up to the Prince, “Thank you, Vadim.” Her voice is quiet, her fingers gently running over the gift.

“May I put it on you?” He asks sweetly; when she nods, he pulls the necklace from the box. Leaning in slowly, his face nears hers as his hands slide against her neck and under her hair. He can see her skin flush at the contact, so close that he can feel her uneven breath on his face. He closes the clasp, lingering for a moment before his hands drift away. Tenderly, he strokes the side of her cheek with the back of his hand before offering a smile, “What would you like to do this afternoon? It is, after all, your birth day.”

Offering him a shy smile, she replies, “I actually have a gift for you too, Prince Vadim, though I left it in my room.”

He raises his brow, a smirk quirked on his lips, “Oh? If you like, I can wait here while you get it.”

She shifts nervously, “No, let’s go together.”

Casually, he offers her his arm, his pace intentionally slower than usual to give her a moment to think her actions through. He can see it in her eyes-she has decided to take him as her mate. He knows that he should be thankful she chose as much; she is a kind and gentle soul and it would be a devastating blow for the King to force them into a union. Part of him, however, feels guilty-he turned on his usual charm and easily won her over, just as he could anyone. Anyone, but Coral. Tried as he did, not only did he charm her he also was so openly honest with her that he even surprised himself-something about that woman drew him in like a moth to a flame but while he burned in her presence, his heart still belongs to her.

Lynette nervously opens her bedroom door, walking in; she hesitates at the door before asking, “Please, come in?”

With a regal nod, Vadim enters her room, keeping his hands in his pockets while his eyes watch her; she walks to her bureau, opening a large leather bound folder. After shuffling through a few pages, she pulls out a large piece of parchment, offering it up to him. Curious, Vadim walks to her, taking the paper; he is surprised to find a sketch of himself.

“There really isn’t much to do back at home, so my mother encourages me to draw. I love sketching nature but on occasion, when I have such a handsome subject, I enjoy sketching people as well,” she blushes, shifting her back legs.

Vadim’s eyes wander over the picture before he glances at himself in her mirror; he carefully compares the two, “You truly are talented, Lynette, though I must admit you flatter me too much-I am far less handsome than you have drawn me to be.”

Lynette smiles at the comment, dropping her gaze to his boots, “Nonsense, Prince Vadim. You are perhaps the most handsome man I have ever met.”

He chuckles a bit, leaning in to gently place a kiss on her cheek, “Thank you, Lynette. I shall cherish it for all time.”

Before he can pull back, her hand drifts up, gently resting on his chest. Her breathing is rapid and her eyes are slow to meet his, but her intent is clear; her lips meet his for the first time. He kisses her tenderly, savoring the innocence of her mouth when she parts her lips to allow his tongue in; she stifles a gasp, returning the action hesitantly. Finally, she eases away from him.

“Vadim,” her breathing is shallow, her voice just a whisper, “I… I want you to be my mate.”

He knows there is a smile on his lips but he doesn’t respond, he simply looks her over. When he finally drops his gaze, he asks, “Are you sure?”

“Yes,” she replies without hesitation, taking his hands into hers, “I am sure.”

Looking down at their hands, he says nothing. He lets her go and turns his back, slowly walking away from her, “Lynette,” he tries to start but doesn’t know how to word it.

“It is Coral, isn’t it?” Her voice is quiet, but not hurt or angry, just curious.

Vadim’s shoulders slump; he gazes down at the picture in his hands, looking at a man who is confident, striking, fearsome, yet he knows he isn’t that man, “I am sorry, Lynette, it isn’t very fair of me to take you as my mate when my heart belongs to another.”

“Do you not… like me?”

He draws in a deep breath, “Yes, I do. You are a wonderful centaur, Lynette. Any man would be lucky to have you,” he turns around to face her but he can’t bring himself to look into her eyes, “and I am a fool to turn you down but it wouldn’t be honest of me to not tell you the truth.”

Lynette slowly walks to him, taking his hand; she leads him to the small love seat in the room, motioning for him to sit down. He sighs, sitting as she kneels in front of him, still holding his hands. He forces himself to meet her gaze when she speaks, “Do you know the story of my parents?”

“Yes,” Vadim says softly, “your mother was married to a human man and had children before she met Laire.”

Lynette nods, “She loved them very much. She doesn’t talk about them ever but I know that they were killed before the Battle. My father says that they were going to visit relatives when a group of men attacked their wagon. They killed my mother’s husband and her children; after they had their way with her, they left her for dead. She wouldn’t have made it but a man found her-he healed her. She returned to Centuarna and was fortunate enough to meet my father.” She looks sadly at Vadim; swallowing hard, she continues in a hushed voice, “I know that my mother loves him but I also know that she still holds a place in her heart for her first husband and her other children. There are times that I’ve stumbled upon her when she is alone-she still grieves for the loss. There are some days that she cannot get herself out of bed because of the sadness. My father understands this-he does not expect her to just forget those that she loved before. He knows that while she is the only one for him, he shares her with the memories of her lost family. That does not mean that their relationship is any less special.”

Vadim gazes into her dark brown eyes, seeing the kindness in them, “I could never ask you to do that for me, Lynette.”

“You don’t need to, Vadim. I have chosen you as my mate and that means that I do so willingly-I am capable of giving you my heart and I will not ask you to give me all of yours; I simply ask, that you make some room in it for me.”

He reaches out, cradling her cheek, “What of Coral? You two have become such great friends-I do not want to stand in the way of that.”

Lynette closes her eyes and leans into his touch, “Jealousy is not something I know, Vadim. I adore Coral. I know she loves you-I can see it in her eyes-that is why she went out of her way to make me feel comfortable, to bring us together; seeing you alone hurts her worse than not having you herself. I know that you are an honorable man, Vadim, just as she is a virtuous woman. You didn’t have to tell me the truth but you did,” she opens her eyes, her hand reaching for his, “our relationship is built on a foundation of trust and honest. It will be a strong one.”

Gazing at the centaur before him, he can hardly fathom how lucky he is to have met her; he is thankful of her understanding and patience with him. Drawing in a deep breath, he says, “I’d like to have you as my mate too, Lynette-but I want to let you know now, before we do something we cannot take back-if I have a son, he will not become King. I will abdicate the throne to Quell.”