<h4>Chapter 35: Chapter 35: FUCKING GODDESS</h4>
<strong>IVAN’S POV</strong>
I had spent most of the day in meetings with the Council of Elders, deliberating on security matters. Lately, there had been rogue threats to our borders.
The Council had also received reports of spies roaming freely through the market and less conspicuous parts of the pack, gathering intel about Ash Creek and selling them to enemy territories for a price.
I sat at the head of the meeting table, overseeing the details of the discussion.
While I wasn’t Alpha King yet, I was the closest point of contact to the Ash Creek throne. Now that I had an heir, it was only a matter of time before I was crowned.
The Council continued to bicker and argue, tossing out suggestions on the most effective ways to handle the situation.
I waited until they had reached a conclusion concerning the rogues and the spies before shifting the conversation to something else entirely.
"I wish to discuss the topic of my ascension to the Alpha throne," I began, toying with the Ash Creek si ring on my finger.
The ring was silver, a family heirloom my father had gifted me a few years ago. I knew it was corny to think about, but now that I had Asha, I couldn’t help but imagine the day I’d pass it on to him.
"Of course, Your Highness. It is about time we had that discussion," Francis said, giving the table a meaningful look.
I returned the look. "My coronation was dyed because of my failure to produce an heir. But as you all know, I happened to have fathered a son with my first mate, Maeve, five years ago. A DNA test confirmed his identity."
"So, you do n to name the boy, Asha, as your heir?" Barty asked, voicing the question on everyone’s mind.
"Yes," I answered simply. "He is mine. I don’t see why not. But then, for that to happen, I would have to ascend to the Alpha throne first. How long is that going to take?"
"We would have to wait for the next full moon," Elder Kris replied.
"The next full moon?" I shook my head. "No. That’s not going to work."
As I said that, I turned to Barty. "How are the preparationsing along for the rejection ritual?"
"Everything is on track," Barty assured me. "The next full moon is in three days. With your permission, we can hold the rejection ritual then."
"You have my permission," I told him. "As for the coronation ceremony—"
This time, I addressed the rest of the table.
"We’ll hold an official ceremony in a month—the next time the moon is at its fullest. There’s no rush. I’d also like the ceremony to double as Asha’s formal instatement as the next in line for the Ash Creek throne."
"Of course, Your Highness," the Council chorused.
The meeting dragged on for a few more hours. After several rounds of discussion, the Council was finally dismissed.
One by one, the Elders left, until I was the only one left in the throne room.
Not quite ready to call it a day, I helped myself to a few sses of rum. As I drank, I thought about everything that needed to be done in theing months.
With Father gone, it was up to me to protect Ash Creek now, to strengthen the borders and the legacy. I also needed to present a united front—with a Luna at my side.
That was where Serena came in.
No matter how insufferable or dramatic she was, she was the only one I was willing toplete the Mating Ceremony with.
But to do that, I needed to break the mating bond I still shared with Maeve. Just as Barty had said, the rejection ritual would be held under the next full moon.
And if everything went ording to n, the bond would be severed.
I finished my drink and finally stepped out of the throne room. To my surprise, it was already past 9 PM.
I’d been awake and working since dawn, and now, I was bone-tired. I made my way down the corridors, offering curt nods to the servants who stopped to bow or greet me.
Somehow, after fifteen minutes of wandering without a destination, I found myself standing in front of Maeve’s door.
Showing up thiste, I knew she wouldn’t like it. She’d probably pick a fight with me over it. I told myself it didn’t matter—if it meant I got to see Asha.
Asha. That was the reason I was here.
I hoped he was still awake. So far, I hadn’t managed to have a decent conversation with him.
Yesterday’s encounter in the woods had been a disaster—one I intended to fix.
It was all up to Maeve to give me a chance to redeem myself. I braced myself, gathering every ounce of courage I had before knocking on the door.
There was no response, but I could hear the faint sound of scurrying feet behind it. I waited a few seconds more.
Maybe she hadn’t heard me. Just as I raised my fist to knock again, the door flung open suddenly.
Maeve appeared in the doorway, wearing a red robe that looked like it had been stitched from sin itself, tailored explicitly for seduction.
The silk clung to her curves like it worshipped them, loose enough to be dangerous, tight enough to drive me fucking insane.
It parted at the thighs just enough to show off smooth, golden skin and the promise of whaty between. Her hair was tousled, her lips slightly parted like she’d just woken from a wet dream.
Blood rushed straight to my cock, hot and hardening so fast it was painful.
My mouth went dry, heart rate spiking as a thousand images—no, a thousand filthy shes—of this woman, this goddess, flickered through my brain.
Her on her knees, tongue out and eyes ssy. Bent over the edge of my bed, begging. Spread open with my mouth on her, my name breathless on her tongue.
Her nails dragging down my back while I drove into her hard enough to make her forget every man before me. Every thought before me.
The robe was short—dangerously short—clinging to her wide hips, the torturous curve of her thighs. I followed the path of the carelessly knotted ties to—
Fuck.
One tug. That’s all it would take to have her naked and gasping under me.
One tug, and I’de face-to-face with the soft swell of her breasts.
Goddess. Maeve Oakes wasn’t wearing a bra. The nightie was sheer,pletely see-through, and I could see her nipples—sulent, perfect, impossible to ignore.
"Ivan. What are you doing here?" Her voice was startled, cutting through my thoughts like a de.