Chapter 145: A Quiet Night of Intimacy

Ravyn POV

Ravyn brushed out her blonde hair, one hundred strokes before bed.

Their family had all arrived and were happily ensconced in the royal wing of Faolan Castle. Kelara, in particular, had opted to lie down. Or rather. Talon had made her rest. Lilia, too, rested in the guest room she shared with Dane.

As for Ravyn, Jude and Wise Woman Eirika, as well as Lilia and Daxius, made her promise to elevate her feet and let Jude pamper her before the big day. A suggestion she embraced joyfully. Her feet rested on overstuffed, quilted pillows made by Naomi's family's weaving shop. She sipped wild bittersweet tea with honey and lay languidly in bed. Well, mostly. She still liked to brush her hair before bed, a ritual she'd forgotten about for weeks. It soothed her when she was pregnant with Lilia.

Dane knocked on the door and slipped in, taking a look around the suite. "This doesn't look too much different than the last time I was here, although there are definitely more crystals. Jude radically changed his thinking on them in three years."

Ravyn reached out for her beloved son-in-law's hand. "I wanted to keep the furniture. It'll last for decades, if not centuries. With a little repainting, we'll be able to pass it down to generations of Faolans."

Dane clasped her hand. "Emer is smiling in the arms of the Moon Goddess. You've done well, Ravyn. The Silverpaw Pack adores you as the new Luna. Beauty, intelligence, grace, poise, magical ability ... and a new pup on the way. What more could they want?"

Ravyn gripped his hand. "If I've done so well, will you please tell Lilia I'm resting? She's checked on me every five minutes. Who's the mother and who's the daughter?"

Dane's golden eyes flared with amusement. "You know you're blessed to have a daughter who constantly mothers you and gives you advice on being a Luna."

Restless, Ravyn wished for Jude by her side, but she knew he was downstairs with the family. Maybe pregnancy made her feel this way. She'd have to get used to sharing Jude's attention. As a busy Alpha, he had demands on hm from the moment he awakened in the morning from the time he closed his eyes at night, and anytime he shifted into wolf form.

She would have demands too, much more than she ever did as a Pack Mother.

"Dane?"

"Hmmm?"

"When you first became Alpha ... was it overwhelming?" She added hastily. "Apart from having to keep your family together after your parents' deaths."

Dane held her hands. "Of course. I didn't know what I was doing half the time, AND I didn't have a Luna as wonderful as you ... then, of course, I broke into a certain crystal shop and met a beautiful witch. But for years, I was alone. Jude's fortunate that the Moon Goddess gave him two wonderful Lunas. Each with their own style. You're different than Emer ... and that can only strengthen the pack, in my view."

"I'm not worried about comparisons anymore."

He squeezed her hands with his wolf strength. "GOOD. Because you're unique. Jude didn't choose you in the hopes of getting a copy of Emer."

Where was Jude?

Had she seemed this needy and man-starved when she was pregnant with Lilia? Daxius swore she hadn't been, but he probably remembered events through a romantic haze. 

Jude pushed open the door and slammed it behind him.

Dane's head shot up and he glared at Jude. "She's trying to rest ..."

Jude raked his hand through his hair. "I swear, Caden Wolfbane is trying to ruin this ball."

Dane leapt to his feet, blue eyes snapping. "That's no reason to charge around like a rabid wolf in heat. What has Alpha Caden done now? You're the Alpha. If his behavior is unacceptable, a few rounds in the training area should do the trick. TOMORROW. Take care of your Luna."

Jude smelled guilty. "Yes, you're right."

Dane's eyes softened from hard electric blue to baby blue. "Of course I am. We've always told each other the honest truth." He slapped Jude on the back, then kissed Ravyn on the forehead. "I'll see you both in the morning. Got to tell the pups a bedtime story. Or three."

Jude settled down beside Ravyn, holding her. They both barely registered Dane closing the door behind him without a sound.

* * * * *

Jude POV

He'd let Caden Wolfbane's pursuit of the human Aldwin Brocius get under his skin. It stung and felt prickly to him, driving him crazy. He didn't want any mate incidents to spoil the greatest moment of his new life.

Ravyn's soft skin seduced him away from his unhealthy obsession with Caden's and Aldwin's strange romance. 

"Caden Wolfbane is still pursuing that human," he sighed, stroking Ravyn's silky blonde hair.

Ravyn made a noncommittal sound. "Is he making a nuisance of himself? Is the human complaining of harassment? Is he in any danger?"

The questions cooled Jude's burning fixation. "Well ... no. Alpha Caden is courting him the way all shifters generally court their mates. And he's walking off with his tail between his legs whenever Aldwin snaps his fingers."

He rested in the softness of his bed, and savored the even finer softness of Ravyn's body. His mate. His lover. If she didn't look so exhausted, he'd make love to her. 

Instead, he brushed his lips against her forehead, as gentle as flower petals. He wanted to be careful with her. 

"If Aldwin's not resisting, then maybe we shouldn't interfere," Ravyn said, her breath tickling his cheek.

"Well ... he's giving Caden mixed signals. Not the optimal strategy if you want to woo a mate." Jude stroked her hair like spun silk. He kissed her nose. 

Ravyn closed her eyes and sighed in pleasure at his caress. "Mixed signals?"

"Even Kelara and Talon are grumbling," Jude commented. "Aldwin runs away from him, then sits next to him at dinner and laughs at his jokes. They stroll in the moonlight in the city, but when they return, Aldwin bolts like a rabbit."

Ravyn fell silent. "Maybe Aldwin is confused. An Alpha courting a fated mate can feel like he's trying to overpower his special someone. Maybe Talon should talk to him."

"Doubtless he has."

"Then maybe another Alpha should talk to him. It's got to be you. And I ought to be with you when you do it."

A moan rose from her throat as his hands wandered to her feet and worked all the stiffness and cramping from her arches and soles.

"I'll trade you a foot massage for helping me do couples counseling," he murmured in her ear. "You deserve it."

Closing her eyes, she murmured, "I missed you when you were gone."

An irrational snarl rose in his throat. "I was only gone an hour!"

He stuffed his hand into his mouth. Had he really sounded so impatient and rude?

Ravyn's eyes flew open, and she could drown in their violet sea.

"I'm so sorry. This is a wonderful time in our lives, but it's also stressful." He kissed her forehead. "We should just enjoy the ride."

Ravyn took in a deep shuddering breath. "You're right. Let's concentrate on each other--and on the ball."

Leaning back with her in his arms, he whispered into her hair. "You should sleep, and I'll guard your rest."

Nothing was going to ruin their ball. Nothing!