He stared into her eyes, those deep, blue pools showing more emotion in one moment than they had in all other moments combined so far. Beneath the cruel, cold mask he wore, there was a kind man beneath. She saw that now, and whatever happened next, she would try to remember that.
After a moment, Theo got himself under control and poured them each a glass of wine, handing her one before downing his in one gulp, pouring himself another with a shaky breath, and then finally joining her on the bed.
Lily, on the other hand, only sipped at the bitter, rich liquid given to her. It would be easy to lose herself to the abyss of alcohol, but she wanted to keep her head on her shoulders. All she needed was a light buzz to peel her fear away.
"Tell me," Theo said, "how is it that a woman as beautiful as you wasn't married when you stumbled into my home?"
"I suppose I just never found the right person," Lily replied, taking another sip of her wine. "We wolves, we're ... we're meant to be with our mates, not jumping from relationship to relationship. At least, that never felt right to me."
Quiet knowing filled Theo's cool eyes. Just like that, he understood what she'd given up to become his bride: a chance at ever finding her mate.
"I'm sorry. That must have been very difficult for you."
Lily shrugged, not trusting herself to speak. It had been difficult, but it wasn't like she chose to go her life without her mate. If it were up to her, just like any other wolf, she would have liked to have her mate when she was young so she could enjoy her whole life with him. This was the life she'd been given, and now she had to make the best of it, even if that meant marrying a man she would sooner destroy for keeping her prisoner and threatening her pack than show any emotion for.
"Thank you for being honest with me," Theo said after a moment.
"And what about you?" she asked, desperate to know more about the guarded man who was now her husband. "Why were you still unmarried?"
Theo's expression became shuttered, and he looked away from her. "I never found someone I wanted to spend my life with."
He didn't say anything else, and Lily let the silence stretch between them. Theo clearly didn't want to talk about his past, and she had the sense there was a lot more he wasn't saying. That was fine. She had plenty of secrets of her own, and she didn't need to know his life story to do her duty now.
But even as they sat there in silence, trying to convince herself that this sex would mean nothing, there was a comfort in his presence, in the kind, gentle way he treated her on the way to the inevitable way this night had to end.
Lily had fallen deep into thought, the alcohol help luring her into a stupor. She absently sipped the cup, and when she lowered her glass from her lips, she noticed that Theo was leaning in close again. A dribble of wine settled on her lip, and he brushed his thumb over it before bringing it to his own mouth. With a lazy smile, he then leaned in to kiss her again.
This time, there was no hesitation, no restraint. Theo kissed her like he wanted to devour her, his mouth hot and insistent on hers. Lily met him eagerly, any resistance she'd felt moments before wiped away with a simple flick of his tongue tangling with hers. Theo's heavy, rough hands roamed her body, possessively taking in her curves and angles. He palmed the swell of her breasts, and she let out a sharp gasp when he thumbed her nipples through the thin fabric of her nightgown.
Theo sucked on her lip, and he drew away. She made a slight, disappointed whine. "Sorry," he murmured. "You just looked so kissable, right then, when you were deep in thought ... I couldn't resist. Is this ... too fast for you?"
Lily's head swam. Whether it was the wine or that she was drowning in Theo's musky scent, she didn't know, but right then, she couldn't find a reason to care. They were going to do this anyway, weren't they? She might as well give in and let herself enjoy what was to be.
"I'm fine," she panted. "Keep going."
To emphasize her point, Lily pulled away long enough to slip off her nightgown. Theo's sharp intake of breath told her everything she needed to know about how he felt about what he saw.
He pulled her back against him, murmuring words of appreciation against her skin as he caressed her breasts, teased her nipples into hard buds as he kissed her. Electricity shocked through Lily, and she felt as though she wasn't in her own body anymore, but just an observer. She wouldn't let this man touch her, but whoever had possessed her body was eager to take control, reveling in every touch, every caress, every flick of his tongue.
She pushed her hands between them, fiddling with the buttons on his shirt until it came undone, revealing the pale, muscular flesh beneath. Her fingers skittered across the firm planes of his abs and pecs, admiring the valleys and curves of his body while he explored hers. Burning heat soared through her skin, iced over by a shiver as she felt Theo's fingertips ghosting up her thigh.
Lily gasped as Theo's fingers dipped between her legs, lazily stroking through the wetness there. She grabbed onto his shoulders with a gasp. When was the last time a man had touched her, let alone made it all the way between her legs?
"How does that feel?" he whispered, voice husky, into her ear as he worked her. She clenched around him at the sound of his sexy voice, and he chuckled. "You seem to like my fingers."
She shuddered and gushed around his skilled fingers. "Y-yes. Oh, God."
Theo slipped another finger inside of her, working them in and out while she writhed beneath him. The sensations spiraled through her body, taut with anticipation and pleasure. She moaned uncontrollably, panting whenever she wasn't absorbed in the pure ecstasy of him. Part of her wanted him inside her now instead of his fingers, but then she remembered the brief glimpse she'd received of his considerable endowment the two other times she'd seen him naked. She'd need him to take his time with his fingers and stretch her, or else he might hurt her with his sheer size.
So she relaxed into his grip while he worked her with his fingers, sighing and falling back onto the bed and letting her nightgown pool around her waist. Theo looked down at her with dark eyes that reflected all the hunger she felt coursing through her veins.
And when their eyes met, Lily knew she couldn't hold out any longer. She wanted him inside of her—needed to feel him claiming every inch of her body.
"Take me," she whispered, barely recognizing the throaty voice that came out of her own mouth. "I'm yours."
Theo pulled away from her again, the blue eyes that had once been icy, emotionless spheres staring at her with unnatural attentiveness. "Are you sure you're ready? We don't have to rush into this. I want you to feel good."
"You promised you wouldn't hurt me," she breathed. "You're not going to lose control of yourself, are you? If I ... if I let you have me?"