Chapter 54: Need more, mate

"Alpha, there’s nothing in the database about Emmett. I checked through the entire night, but he doesn’t appear in a single frame of CCTV footage across the country. It’s as if he vanished into thin air," Levi reported to Victor the moment he returned to the pack from the capital.

Victor, sitting in the garden chair, stared back in utter disbelief.

"How could he disappear like this along with his family?" Victor muttered under his breath.

"He must have been planning this for a long time," Levi replied, his eyes bloodshot and swollen from staying up all night.

Victor noticed his assistant’s weary state. "You did a good job. Go home and get some rest today."

Levi bowed respectfully to his Alpha and withdrew.

"It’s a good thing Emmett left no trace," Victor murmured with a dark grin once he was alone. "If I can’t track him down, then Caroline certainly won’t either."

He picked up his cup of black coffee and took a slow sip. "Caroline, I can’t wait to see you thrown out of Andrew’s life. The moment that happens, I’ll choke the life out of you with my own hands. Though, will I even get the chance? The Alpha King will likely order your execution first."

A cruel satisfaction settled over him as he whispered the thought aloud.

Picking up his phone from the table, he dialed his assistant to send a delivery to the royal palace. "Send a bouquet of flowers and a box of cheesecake to Princess Nina at the palace," he instructed.

Setting the phone down, he smirked to himself. "Once Nina trusts me completely, everything else will fall perfectly into place."

~~~~~

Andrew lay back in the warm pool after his private spa session with his wife, entirely bare, waiting for Caroline to join him in the private pool area. "How long is she going to take?" he murmured, running a hand through the water just as the door slid open.

He tilted his head and saw Caroline standing in the entryway, a single towel wrapped tightly around her body.

"I was starting to think you wouldn’t show up," Andrew said, his gaze lingering on her.

"It just took a little longer than expected," Caroline replied softly, her eyes tracing his arms where they rested casually along the marble edge of the pool.

"Get in," he instructed.

Caroline let the towel slip to the floor and stepped down into the water, reaching out to take Andrew’s hand for balance. As she settled into the pool beside him, the soothing heat submerged her completely, washing away the tension and bringing a calm to her nerves.

"How was your session? Did you enjoy it?" Andrew asked softly.

"Yes. The massage was so relaxing I actually fell asleep," Caroline replied.

Her breath hitched as his hand glided onto her thigh beneath the water, though she forced herself to stay still.

"I know. You were fast asleep," Andrew murmured. His fingers traveled slowly up her leg, pausing at her waist before sliding around to the small of her back.

"How did you manage to control your rut last night?" Caroline asked, finally turning her gaze to meet his. "I... I gave you permission."

"You did," Andrew acknowledged gently. "But I knew it would hurt you. I’m large, as you can see."

He glanced down toward his manhood, making her cheeks flush with heat. She tried to avert her eyes, but he caught her chin gently, guiding her face back until she was looking directly into his gaze.

His other hand reached up to stroke her damp hair. "You have captivating eyes, Caroline. They draw me right in. And your scent... it’s completely intoxicating."

He leaned in, resting his nose against the curve of her neck and breathing her in. Caroline gasped softly, the intense warmth of his body in front of her contrasting with the cool marble pool wall against her back.

His hand brushed against her breast, inching lower. "Control is easy, Caroline. As long as you love and respect your mate, you can manage it. I truly believe that." His lips pulled at the skin of her neck before grazing it with his teeth, drawing a sharp gasp from her lips.

He licked the tender mark to soothe it, his hand continuing its slow descent, tracing her curve. When his thumb brushed over her nipple, a faint moan caught in her throat. But he didn’t linger there—his hand glided further down, seeking the core of her heat.

Caroline’s eyes fluttered shut. Her hands reached out to grip his broad shoulders, her fingers sliding down to his tight biceps. Her nails dug into his skin, her body arching into his touch as his fingers finally found her beneath the warm water.

"Don’t stop," she whispered, leaning in to press a soft kiss just beneath his earlobe. She mimicked the way he had kissed her neck earlier, dragging her lips slowly down the side of his throat the moment she felt his finger slide into her.

"Ah..."

A quiet moan slipped out as a second finger joined the first. Andrew stepped down onto the submerged stairs so he stood directly in front of her. Warm water rose higher around their bodies and sent soft ripples outward.

His fingers settled into a steady rhythm—slow, deep thrusts that pressed exactly where she needed them.

Caroline’s moan grew louder.

Her arms locked around his shoulders as he lifted her clear of the water and set her on the marble edge of the pool.

"I think you need more, mate. This isn’t enough for you." He grinned, then buried his face between her thighs.

"Ahhh!"

Her back arched hard the second his mouth found her. One of his hands pressed flat against her stomach, holding her in place while the other slid up and closed over her breast, thumb dragging across her nipple. The dual sensation ripped another louder moan from her throat.

Water still dripped from her skin onto the marble as his tongue worked her relentlessly without a pause, until every nerve in her body felt lit up.