Chapter 52: Until it passes

Ares growled with satisfaction, his voice reverberating through Andrew’s mind as he reached out to communicate with Caroline’s wolf, Lily.

In an instant, Andrew’s eyes shifted, his red pupils bleeding into a hue of pink, a distinctive feature of Kensingtons. He hadn’t expected Caroline to take the initiative so boldly.

As her lips pressed against his, a powerful wave of her spring-blossomed pheromones erupted into the air, completely enveloping the room. The sweet, intoxicated scent brought a sudden, searing heat to his veins—an extraordinary reaction for a royal alpha.

It was common knowledge across the packs that while alphas could easily trigger a heat in omegas, omegas lacked the power to induce a rut in an alpha.

Yet with Caroline, all normal rules shattered.

Andrew felt his entire body burst into flames as his rut suddenly activated, triggered purely by her touch and alluring scent.

Every instinct inside him screamed to claim her completely, but his love for her held the dark urge at bay.

Cradling the back of her neck with his large, warm hand, he anchored her close, fighting to remain as gentle as possible even as his inner wolf demanded total surrender.

"Mine," Andrew muttered, pulling back just enough to look at her. "Do you know what you’ve done?" He lifted her chin, his glowing eyes boring into hers.

"What? I... I just wanted to kiss you," Caroline whispered, her voice trembling slightly under the intensity of his gaze.

He took her hand from his shoulder and pressed her palm against his chest, letting her hand roam over his bare skin. She gasped softly as her fingers traced the hard, defined ridges of his muscles, trailing further down over his taut eight-pack.

"Your body is too warm," she whispered, feeling the heat radiating off him like a furnace.

"Rut," Andrew answered, his voice thick and husky.

He buried his face in the crook of her neck, pressing deep, lingering kisses against her sensitive skin. Caroline tilted her head back, a soft sigh escaping her lips as his large hand moved up to squeeze her breast over the thin fabric. At the same time, his other hand slid around to her back, unfastening the clasps of her strapless bra and letting it slip away.

"Now that I’m in a rut, I want to fuck you until it passes," Andrew murmured against her skin, his teeth nipping possessively at her earlobe.

"I—I didn’t know you would go into a rut—ahh!" She gasped as his teeth sank sharply into the sensitive curve of her neck, leaving a stinging mark.

"Tell me, do you want me? Do you want this to go further?" Andrew demanded, straining to pull back the dark force of his wolf. Inside his mind, Ares growled in frustration at the hesitation, but Andrew forced his body to hold still.

Placing both hands firmly on the vanity counter on either side of her, he trapped her between his broad frame and the cold marble, ensuring he didn’t crush her with his weight.

"I am well aware of what happened to you just a few days ago," he said, his deep voice trembling with emotion. "I’ve been trying to be so careful with you. You were in extreme pain when you miscarried... The amount of blood you lost scared me to death. I have never felt that kind of terror in my entire life."

His glowing eyes didn’t blink, locking onto hers as he waited for her answer.

"The doctor didn’t say I couldn’t do it, did he?" Caroline asked softly. As much as Andrew and his wolf craved her, the same intense pull resonated from her and Lily.

"He didn’t," Andrew replied, his gaze softening just a fraction. "Let’s get under the water."

Taking her hand gently, he led her into the spacious shower stall. Caroline stood facing him, her back resting lightly against the smooth tile wall. Her eyes hovered over his chest, her attention drawn to the dark, intricate tattoos weaving down his arm.

The warm water began to cascade from above, surrounding them in a soft cloud of steam. Andrew reached out, his hand gently cradling her cheek while his thumb traced slow, soothing circles against her skin. Caroline looked up at him, water droplets glistening on her lashes.

He leaned down, pressing a tender, lingering kiss to her closed eyelids. "I forgot to remove the rest of our clothes," he mumbled against her wet skin, a low, playful chuckle rumbling in his chest.

Caroline smiled faintly, reaching up to wrap her arms around his waist. After a moment, he reached over and turned off the tap. Together, they shed the rest of their damp clothes before stepping back under the stream of water.

Caroline pumped a generous amount of body wash into her palms, rubbing her hands together to create a rich, scented lather. Looking up at him, she brought her hands to his broad chest, across his defined muscles before sliding her palms up to his tense shoulders.

Andrew stood completely still, allowing her total control. Every muscle in his body was on fire, and he had to exert every ounce of his alpha strength to keep Ares in check. His wolf was going wild beneath his skin, practically roaring at the sweet, intoxicating torture of her soft hands tracing over him.

Moving slowly around him, Caroline stepped behind his back. She applied another amount of body wash to her palms, her delicate fingers gliding over the strong, broad expanse of his back, spreading the lather across his smooth skin as the warm water cascaded over them both.

"My turn," Andrew murmured, turning around to face her.

He pumped the body wash into his broad palms and began to gently lather her skin. Every trace of restraint was tested as his hands slid over her shoulders and down her ribs, his long fingers trailing tenderly over her breasts.

Caroline let out a soft gasp as his thumbs brushed over her hardened peaks as it sent a sharp wave of electricity straight through her.

Taking his time, he made sure she was completely covered in the fragrant foam before turning the shower tap back on. The water cascaded down their bodies in a stream, washing away the lather.

The moment the foam cleared, Andrew closed the distance between them. He pulled her flush against him, trapping her against the warm shower wall as his mouth claimed hers in a deep kiss.

Their bodies pressed together completely, skin to skin, feeling the intense, searing heat radiating from each other amidst the falling water.