The beast and the blessed novel by Ashley Breanne novel Chapter 123

Eighteen: Joselin

Joselin's P.O.V.

The feeling of a hand trailing over my hip, pushing the blanket down a tiny bit, made me stir. I rolled onto my back with my eyes closed, knowing by how dark it was that it was still either nighttime or very early. Either way, I needed way more sleep to recover from last night.

The bed moved as Tobias shifted his weight, and an uncontrollable smile spread across my lips. Happy. This was what it felt like to be happy.

His hand trailed down further, pulling the blanket away from my body. I bit my lip, keeping my eyes closed even though I knew he could see and hear that I was awake. The stubble on his jaw slid up the inside of my thigh, and I gasped at the sensation.

"Good Morning," He whispered against my skin before licking up my slit, giving my clit an extra stroke of attention.

"It is a good morning," I whispered with a laugh as he turned his head and left an open-mouthed kiss on my thigh. "Have you not had your fill?" "Never." He growled, focusing back on my clit with his warm tongue and skilled fingers teasing my entrance.

I fought the need to keep my eyes closed as he enjoyed his breakfast.

Instead, I forced them open, glancing down at the most sensual sight of my life.

My nipples were pebbled, and down the valley of my breasts, I watched as Tobias enjoyed himself. The little groans and sounds he made in response to my taste and the way he responded to my moans, and the rocking of my hips against his lips drove me crazy.

His fingers curled inside me as he thrust them firmly and quickly, and I cried out as he brought me to my climax. My head fell back against the pillow, and my legs and hips trembled as my energy had been stolen from my body.

Small sighs left my lips with each breath as he worked his way up my stomach, taking one of my nipples in his mouth before holding himself over me with his lips gently touching mine.

"You are breathtaking." He whispered before stealing a kiss, and I leaned up, following him when he pulled away. My eyes fluttered open, surprised to see the brown eyes I loved. It wasn't his beast influencing his words. They came from him.

"I can't believe this is real." My reply was met with a goofy grin, making my heart flip.

"Believe it, sweetheart." He kissed me once more, a deep, punishing kiss that sent a thrill to my core. I wanted to wrap my legs around him and pull him deep into me. But he had stayed firm even though he had been right.

I had begged him to fuck me, to slide in and fill me with his cock. But he refused with a smile each time. The closest he had allowed himself to get was to slide his shaft in the wetness between my lips, brushing my clit with every stroke.

"I was called in, but I'll see you later." He whispered, rubbing his thumb over my bottom lip. His eyes flickered over my face before he forced himself up and promptly pulled the blankets back up around me. "Get some more rest."

I couldn't resist watching him get dressed. My smile was unavoidable as he walked over and kissed my head before hurrying to leave the room.

Tobias leaving me here in his house, trusting me completely, made me feel giddy.

I woke up a few hours later when the sun was high in the sky. The disappointment that Tobias had not returned yet was in the back of my mind, but I was too happy to dwell on it. He had a job to do, and so did I. Soon, I needed to talk to Aurora about being my pledge to join the council and teleporting, but she was still away. She and Henry had taken a vacation, wanting to reconnect. Based on how tense things were between them before they left, I would say they probably hadn't even left the bedroom on their trip.

I wanted that in my life. I wanted to stay in Tobias's bed for as long as possible and enjoy him. Everything about Tobias's room was neat and organized. I chuckled when I thought about my tower back at the castle. Compared to him, I was a hoarder with all my supplies and books. I wondered if it would bother him to always have my things around.

My hands tightened on the blanket as I immediately stopped that train of thought. Too fast and too soon. Things were going great, and I needed to enjoy what we had before jumping into something more.

I slid my black dress on, leaving my panties on the floor for him to find later, and made my way down the stairs and out the door. I had become more confident in traveling through the darkness, but it was the last thing I wanted to do today. I didn't want that creature to ruin my good mood.

I was also excited to walk through the pack lands covered in Tobias's scent, to have everyone know that he was mine.

Several heads turned to watch as I passed them, but most avoided me just as any good neighbor should. I highly doubted they were friends with Tobias. So, that just made them nosy and irritating.

The city was more crowded than usual as I reached the shops, and the large number of visitors to the city meant I had to be on alert at all times. It was probably why Tobias had been called in so early.

Killian had been talking about testing other alternatives to The Offering. After what happened with his mother, he didn't want to be responsible for any other woman being put in that same position. She had been chosen as a breeder for the previous king and was raped to produce an heir. It was something no one should ever have to go through or even be worried about. After the war, his first change was to eliminate the option of choosing breeders.

It was a fated mate or a mutual mating. Everything else was forbidden.

After that, Natalie had the idea to invite all willing, unmated wolves to the mating mixers each quarter.

I hadn't believed many would show up, but after fighting side by side with the Lycans, the wolves were more open to attending social gatherings with them.

I was ecstatic that I didn't have to attend any of their mating mixers.

Witches didn't have mates, so I didn't need to waste my time dressing up and mingling with people who didn't want me there.

It would just make everyone uneasy if I were to be there. At least, looking like this, it would.

It wasn't a long trek to the castle and back to my tower. I had been hoping to run into Natalie and Tobias on the way but didn't.

Instead, I was greeted by one pissed-off redhead arguing quietly with Aisha. I could barely hear them mention the word pledge, and I knew Rona was trying to make the council revolt against me since she wanted the selection for the empty seats to be filled immediately.

The two women stopped talking when they noticed me. Aisha sent me a knowing smirk while Rona scoffed with disgust as she glanced me over.

"Well, if it isn't the talk of the castle. Going out on a date with one man and ditching him for another...how scandalous." Her fingers tapped against her biceps as she crossed her arms. "Seems your reputation is still intact, Josie. It must be so nice not to care what other people think. You keep going from bed to bed, regardless of what will be said about you the next day."

I licked my lips with a smile as I tilted my head. "I see green is still not your color. It's fitting for you, though. Nothing green survives in the heat of Hell, but you'll find that out for yourself soon enough."

Aisha's eyes widened, taking a subtle step away from us but watching on in amusement.

"For someone who just got laid, I'm surprised you're so bitchy this morning. Was it something I did, or did Tobias already dump you." Rona's feigned innocence made my lip curl in disgust, but she wasn't making it easy to remain civil. I wanted to light her on fire and watch her burn. "You don't really think he would want someone who looks like you, do you?" "Were you born with your horns upside down, or did your mom just drop you on your head too many times?" I moved past her, walking in a calm and confident stride, not wanting her to see that she had any effect on me.

I didn’t bother to listen for her comeback, but I knew she had one. She would never leave a conversation without the last word.

The next time I saw Killian, I would ask his permission to kill her. Even if I had no evidence that she had broken any laws, she needed to go.

I tried not to dwell on it for the rest of the day. I couldn't reach Tobias without tracking him down in person while he was working to clear the air, but that was crossing the line. So, I waited patiently until the mating mixer was in full swing downstairs to leave. There was no need for either of us to be at the mixer, and I had hoped for another night alone with Tobias.

The night before had been perfect, but it was my turn to tease and taste him. I pulled on my sexiest underwear and a cotton, black three-quarter sleeve dress that left my shoulders exposed and fell to my mid-thigh.

He would lose his mind when he saw it on me, and I felt giddy at the idea of him taking it off of me.

The kitchen was catering the mating mixer as usual, and I loved going down during these events to steal a serving of finger foods for myself, even though I wasn't participating in the event. The staff didn't seem to mind, but I did receive raised eyebrows this time when I packed enough for four people to ensure Tobias would be satisfied.

I had just popped a bacon-wrapped cheese ball in my mouth when one of the servers pushed through the swinging door to refill their tray. His head of brown hair stuck out to me right away among the crowd, and I stepped to the side as another server opened the door again, allowing me to see him more clearly.

He held a water bottle in one hand, the other adjusting his suit jacket as a woman spoke to him very animatedly. She was beautiful, with her caramel­colored hair falling just below her collarbone and flawless skin.

Rona's reminder of my appearance popped back into my mind, but my main focus was on why the man who claimed I was his was here.