Feral Bonds: Claimed By Rogue Alpha Brothers-Chapter 528: Something To Overthink

Evaline:

I didn’t even realize how deep I had sunk into my thoughts until warmth wrapped around my fingers.

I blinked, my gaze snapping down to where River’s hand had come to rest over mine.

The car wasn’t moving.

Confused, I looked out the window and realized we were pulled over on the side of the mountain road, the world outside quiet and vast - pine trees standing like silent witnesses beneath a sky slowly bruising into evening. The leaves rustled in the soft wind, the only sound grounding me in the present.

River unbuckled his seat belt and turned fully toward me, his movements unhurried, deliberate. His fingers slipped between mine, lacing our hands together with practiced ease, as if this was where they belonged. The warmth of his skin seeped into me, steadying something that had been spiraling since the moment I had stepped out of Marcus’s cell.

"Angel," he said softly. "You need to stop overthinking."

I arched an eyebrow at him, slow and pointed.

He caught it immediately.

A quiet sigh left him, his lips curving into something that was half amusement, half resignation. "Okay," he corrected. "That was stupid. You don’t stop overthinking. I know that."

I didn’t say anything, but the corner of my mouth twitched.

His thumb brushed over my knuckles. "What I mean is... I need you to promise me something."

That got my attention.

"I want you to promise," he continued, his voice firm but gentle, "that you won’t go digging into the West Tower. Not alone. Not secretly. Not even a little."

My heart skipped, not from fear... but from the weight of the request.

Though I wasn’t thinking about doing anything like that, she couldn’t deny that she’s vert much capable of doing so... especially on whim.

"I’ll talk to my brothers," he said. "I’ll tell them everything Marcus told you today. And then we will decide what to do next. Together."

I studied his face, the sharp lines softened by concern. "You promise you won’t leave me out?"

"I swear it," he said without hesitation. "But in return... you don’t go playing hero on your own."

I nodded slowly. "Alright."

Relief immediately flickered across his features.

Then, unexpectedly, a small laugh escaped me.

He frowned. "What?"

"I just think it’s funny," I said. "Not long ago, I was the one begging you to include me in the investigation. And now look at you... practically begging me to stay out of it."

A smirk tugged at his lips. "Enjoy it while it lasts."

"I am," I teased.

He chuckled softly, then searched my face. "So... are you done looking like you are carrying the weight of the world?"

I shook my head honestly. "I can promise not to investigate. But thinking? That’s harder. Especially when I don’t have anything else to distract me."

He was quiet for a moment. Then his gaze darkened... just slightly.

"What if I gave you something else to think about?" he asked.

Before I could ask what he meant, he released my hand and leaned closer. I felt the click of my seat belt releasing, the subtle shift of his body invading my space. One of his hands settled on my thigh, warm and grounding, sending a shiver racing up my spine.

"River-" I started, my breath hitching.

His face stopped inches from mine, close enough that I could feel his breath brush my cheek. His eyes searched mine, intense, unreadable, as his thumb traced a slow, deliberate path along my skin.

My thoughts scattered instantly.

Every nerve in my body seemed to wake at once.

I grabbed his wrist... not to push him away, but because I needed something to hold onto. "We are... on the road," I whispered.

"I know," he murmured.

The car felt impossibly small even though it was anything but small. The air charged with everything we had been avoiding for months. His presence was overwhelming in the best and worst ways, his closeness unraveling me with terrifying ease.

He didn’t kiss me.

Instead, his lips brushed near my cheek, my jaw, my neck... never quite touching, never giving me what I wanted most. It was torture, deliberate and controlled, and he knew exactly what he was doing.

But on the other hand, his fingers had already slipped under my panty, easing their way into my core while his thumb brushed over my clit.

I gasped out loud. My gaze fixed on his as he pulled both his fingers out only to thrust them in. His pace was fast... unrelenting and deep that had me digging my fingers in his arms.

My breaths came faster, my pulse loud in my ears. The world outside the car faded until there was only him... his warmth, his scent, the way he made me feel like gravity had shifted.

"River... I-I’m close..."

"Then come for me, love." He whispered, his warm breath fanning my lips. "Don’t hold back."

It’s as if my body had been waiting just to hear him speak these words. All it took was one more deep thrust of his fingers, and it tipped me over the edge.

The orgasm was so strong it shook me completely and left me breathless. When the moment finally crested, I sagged back against the seat, breathless, heart racing, utterly undone.

River rested his forehead briefly against mine, his breathing just as unsteady.

"There," he said softly. "Now you have something else to overthink."

I let out a shaky laugh, still catching my breath. "You are insufferable."

He smiled.

I looked up at him, my eyes searching his. "Are you still not going to kiss me?"

Something serious crossed his face then... something deep and unyielding.

"When I finally kiss you," he said quietly, "it won’t be a game anymore."

My heart skipped.

"It’ll be the day I mark you as mine," he continued. "For eternity."

The words settled into my chest like a promise.

And this time... I didn’t feel frustrated.

I felt claimed already.