by Rhys Lawless
Eventually, we started talking again, but not about Wilder. We talked through his Angel Guard idea and where his base of operations would be. We discussed my idea, the one born after tonight’s events and knowing I didn’t want to lose Caleb ever again. And by the time Kathleen came out of the room, we had made some very important decisions, all of which would remain secret until we went through with them.
“So?” I asked as soon as I saw her walk through, her face an unreadable mask.
She came and sat down opposite us, and the flames settled into more of a kindling.
“I think we can get him back,” she said, and I exhaled. “But it will take time. And I can’t guarantee results.”
“We’ll do anything,” I said.
“I know you will. What about you?” she asked Winston.
He glanced back at her and bit his lip.
“I...I guess,” he said.
Kathleen rolled her eyes but, for the most part, ignored his response.
“I will need to reach out to an old friend. I need their expertise in this. And he’s not cheap.”
“We’ve got money,” I reassured her.
Mother Red didn’t react to my words but watched the sparkles in the pit.
“He’s been through hell and back. He’s got insurmountable power, but he’s lost his mind. If we can get that back, then he should be able to use his natural power to heal the parts of him we can’t even see,” she said.
How much did they break him? And to what end? What had Dion done to my father? And she dared say she loved him.
“She needs to pay for what she did,” I said.
“We made a deal with her, remember?” Winston said.
“Fuck the deal,” I said.
Winston shook his head.
“The last thing we need is another deranged dhampir wreaking havoc. Let’s get our father back and he can decide a fitting punishment for her,” he said.
He was right. If we got him back, it was his decision to make. Not mine or Win’s. He’d been the most hurt out of this ordeal.
“And now what?” I mumbled.
“Now?” Winston said. “We’ve got to fix what we can.”
I knew what he was saying, but it didn’t feel right leaving Wilder alone, even if he was with Kathleen. But then, on the other hand, I couldn’t be here and with Caleb at the same time. I had to learn to let go of control where I could.
Besides, I had a plan to implement and so did Winston.
But before any of that, it was time I showed Caleb how much I loved him.
Twenty
Caleb
Every step he took toward me made my heart beat faster and my foot tap the floor quicker. He hadn’t even needed to message me he was on his way. I knew. And he knew I knew.
With his dad in safe hands and the crime scene at St. Paul’s taken over by the special force of the MI5, we could finally be together and not be interrupted or feel guilty that we had to be doing something more important.
Even Annabel knew to lock herself and Nora away in her room after I warned her Wade was on his way and we’d had a chance to catch up.
So when the knock came on my door, I was ready to answer it.
“Hey!” he said, but I didn’t wait.
I jumped at him and he caught me, placing two firm grips on my ass cheeks and then kissing me like he’d missed me. Our tongues danced together, his scruffy, unshaven face pinching me and making the skin around my lips sore.
Oh, God, this feels good. Fuck, I’ve missed this, he said.
So what if we’d only been apart for two nights and a day. My heart had felt his absence like it’d been years.
He barged into the hallway, and I closed the front door with m.y foot as he knelt, my back rubbing against the carpet of the staircase. His cock throbbed against my own, and I knew it was highly likely we wouldn’t make it to the bedroom.
Fuck it! I always wanted to have sex on the stairs anyway.
I crossed my legs tight over his hips so I could feel more of his length rub against me.
As he released my lips to let out a groan, I used my empathy to link us and make each a prisoner of the other so no sound could come out and disturb Nora or piss Annabel off.
You’re a fucking tease. I love that, he said, and he planted kisses on my neck.
No. Not kisses. Each lasted more than a second, and he sucked every spot until my skin prickled. Hickeys? What were we? Sixteen?
I want the whole world to know you’re mine, he said. I want the world to know that if they touch you again, they won’t live to tell the tale to their grandkids.
He always knew what to say. Even when he couldn’t say anything at all.
God, I love you so much, I said. Own me. Own my body, baby.
He didn’t let me down. Wade continued to leave his mark on my skin. He moved down from my neck to my arms and then to my chest. My cock throbbed in my briefs, and it begged for release. I moved my hand to touch it, but Wade grabbed my wrist and pushed my hand back, then grabbed my other hand and held me in place as he pressed my knuckles into the carpet on either side of my head.
You don’t do anything unless you ask me, he said.
Fuck off, I told him.
Wade lifted his head to glare at me.
You’ve disobeyed me once tonight already. Are you going to disobey me again?
Yes!
His Adam’s apple bobbed, and he opened his mouth and spat on my face.
I’m your master, remember. You do as you’re told or you pay the price, he said.
Whatever, I said, and he spat on me again. My dick twitched against Wade’s, and all I wanted was for him to keep on spitting on me and fuck me and then make me come.
He crushed into my face and took my lower lip between his teeth to bite. The pain coursed through my body and made me jump. He let go of my lip and one of my hands and grabbed my face and squeezed. He leaned in again. I thought he was going to kiss me, but instead, he spat inside my mouth.
My erection became harder with each and every movement, and I wanted this torture to end, but by the Gods and Goddesses, I didn’t want it to end either.
We were meant to be. We were bound for life. All we needed now was to sort out our living arrangements so we could be together. Never apart again.
Wade released my hands and grabbed my T-shirt into his fists. He pulled it in two different directions, and the fabric ripped, giving him uninterrupted access to my torso.
His tongue teased my nipples hard and then nibbled on them until they were red and raw.
Fuck me already, I begged him.
Instead of a reply, I got a harder bite on my nipple that made me welp. He brought his palm over my mouth and nose and shut me up while he worked on my abdomen, tracing his tongue all the way down to the base of my dick and then back up again.
When he eventually let my mouth go, he used both hands to unbutton my jeans and take off my pants and underwear. He pressed his face on my groin and took my entire length in his mouth. When I thought he was going to choke and let me go, he hummed, and his vibrations shot through my entire body bringing me close to orgasm.
But he knew. He didn’t want me to come yet. Right before my cum was going to shoot out of me and right down his throat, he pulled off and gave his attention to my asshole that clenched around his tongue as he wetted me, preparing me for his length.
Fuck! he said and got up to take his pants off and release his dick from its confines. I’m not going to last long.
He pressed his gland against my hole and pushed his entire length slowly inside me. I took quick breaths the more he slid himself into me and tried to get over the initial pain.
As usual, to give me the time I needed, he came down and kissed me, his tongue pushing gently against mine, his breathing hot on my face, his hands giving me goosebumps.
I love you. You know that, he said.
I love you more, I answered.
Not possible, he said and began thrusting in and
out of me. His kisses swallowed more of my moans, but they did nothing for his growls.
He was like a wolf that couldn’t be tamed. I wondered if he had any wolf in his heritage. He’d always been big, strong, and stubborn like them. It would make sense if one of his ancestors had been a wolf familiar.
I wrapped my hand around his neck just as he liked it and squeezed. Linked as we were, it made my own carotid respond to the pressure and reinvigorate my boner.
Wade fucked me fast and used his hand to palm my dick at the same speed. Every movement, every sensation, every stray thought coursed through both of us. It would be like that for the rest of our lives, and I couldn’t wait for that to begin.
His seed shot out in me at the same time as mine spilled between us. My hands let go of his neck gently, and he rubbed my cum over my chest.
“Asshole. Now I have to have a shower,” I told him.
He grinned. “I can help with that.”
I don’t know who had taken kindly to me, which divine creature, but boy did I love this man. And I wasn’t going to let anything happen to him as long as I lived and breathed.
Almost a week later, Wade dropped by Java Jinx to pick me up after I finished.
Somehow, he’d managed to avoid my moving in together question, so it felt like we were back where we started. Winston’s new project kept Wade busy most of the week, which was okay because the sex when we got together was always sensational.
Winston’s Angel Guard had been approved by Ash, but also got the majority vote by the new council who now called themselves the Order to avoid any connections with the high council’s troubled past.
Hew was an integral part of the initiative, Ash was busy making sure to meet the demands of the Order and appease situations, Lorelai had become busy mediating between the witches and familiars, and Troy and Easton had taken off again for another adventure. Which meant I didn’t get to see my boyfriend or any of my friends.
The only person I saw often—and that was because he couldn’t really do much until his procedure was complete—was Selim. He used a wheelchair until the doctor he was seeing had completed the leg prosthetics that would give him both his speed and a sense of his old self back.
“Hungry?” Wade asked me when he walked in.
“Famished. Where are we going?” I asked and flicked all the switches off, grabbed an alarm crystal, and locked the doors before casting the spell on the shop.
Being so eerily close to Christian’s office where everything took place was still bumping me, although according to Graham’s research, the building had not been in use for decades. Probably because Christian was focused on and safe surrounded by witch hunters.
“It’s...a surprise,” he said, and I raised my eyebrow.
“You know I’ve become resentful toward surprises,” I told him.
He smiled, and the blue of his eyes bit into my heart and gave it a run for its money. That’s all anyone ever needed in life. It was exactly what I had been looking for for years and got my heart broken too many times in my search.
“I swear you’ll like this one,” he said and took my hand.
We walked up Paternoster Square and then continued East toward Bank, but instead of continuing on, we went up Moorgate, passed Spitalfields Market, and came to an area of Whitechapel that was close to home, but which I’d never ventured in.
“Wade Oakley-Rawthorne.” The new last name was spanking new too. He wanted to honor both his parents, so he’d decided to legally change it. Winston had still to make that decision. “If you wanted to take me home, we could have taken a cab. You know how much I loathe walking too. Also, we just passed like a million great places to eat, so wherever you think we’re going better be good.”
Wade didn’t say anything. He just grinned and continued walking. The mystery and secrecy were driving me nuts, if not slightly turning me on. And I couldn’t even get it out of his mind since he’d locked me out of his head throughout the entire journey.
He turned right into a gated courtyard, and he approached a keypad on the side. The pad beeped as he entered a code, and the gates geared to motion, sliding open for us.
“What is all this?” I asked.
Wade came back by my side to take my hand and walked me into the courtyard which was squared in by three-floors-high red-bricked walls. The top two floors had small balconies in front of their windows, and certain parts were entirely covered in climbers that give the building’s exterior an almost magical feel.
“This is part of the new headquarters for the Angel Guard,” he said.
“What? Where did you find this gem?” I asked.
“Not me. Rune told Winston. And so we pooled all our money together to get a mortgage on this place,” he said.
“They let you take a mortgage without either of you having a job? Which bank was it and can I request a lifetime allowance?” I laughed.
Wade grimaced. “Hew gave us a...helping hand,” he said.
“Well, it looks beautiful on the outside,” I said as we came up to the front door.
Wade showed me into the main building where the training room and the base of operations would be, and we had a look into the quarters for those in training or on shift.
I don’t know how they’d done it, but they seemed to have thought of everything, even if it hadn’t been implemented yet.
Next, he showed me into what would eventually be Winston’s and Hew’s flat on the top floor, where Hew could fly in and out with ease and where Winston could keep watch on the front door and the goings-on at the courtyard.
“There’s still lots of spells to plant and cast, and all the security measures are being taken care of as we speak, but yeah, Winston’s not taking any chances this time,” Wade said.
My heart warmed with how passionate he sounded when he explained everything. He had truly found his calling, at long last, and it was already working wonders for his confidence.
“That’s all great, but I still don’t see any food.” I teased, and Wade pursed his lips.
“My surprise isn’t over yet,” he said.
“There’s more? I don’t think you’re getting just how hungry I am,” I said.
Wade walked out of Winston’s new apartment and climbed the stairs back down to the ground floor. Next, he took a door that led to the back of the building instead of the front and revealed the cutest little garden and two small terraced houses, each with their own quaint front door and window and a welcome mat for good measure.
“I lied to you when I said I was busy with Angel Guard,” he said.
I barely registered him talking as I inspected the two houses, trying to figure out who they were for.
“Oh...you did?”
“I did. I’m sorry. But it was for a good reason. I’m not going to have an active role in the Guard. After everything, I just can’t find it in myself to be out in the field again, putting myself and you at risk,” he said.
“Oh-kay,” I said.
If he wasn’t going to be an Angel Guardian, what was he going to be? What was he going to do?
“Don’t panic,” Wade said. “I’m going to be in charge of training the new recruits. And that’s going to keep me busy. But I never want to be apart from you again.
“Which is why we have these two houses. One for Annabel and one for us. Still technically living together, but each of us can have our privacy. And before you say anything, I’ve already talked to Annabel, and she’s agreed. And I’ve already moved most of your stuff. Annabel is already in her house.”
He pointed to the left one, and as if she could hear us, Annabel appeared at the window with Nora and waved at us.
“Do you want to see our house?” he asked.
He looked at me, waiting for an answer, but all I could think was blindsided.
“Sure,” I said, and he took my hand again, leading me to the house on the right.
The front door was purple, my favorite color, and a motorcycle was parked in front of th
e window. When I looked at him, he closed the front door back up and said, “We need transport. Those taxis were getting out of hand. Winston has bought more than a few of them.”
I nodded and he opened the door again. We walked in, and the woody smell of firewood and the aromas of a beef stew hit my nostrils making me feel woozy.
Or was it homeliness and comfort?
Whatever it was, I’d never felt like that in my last house.
My last house. Did I need to talk to my landlord and let him know I wasn’t staying? I had to pay the rent until the lease expired. Crap. Did Wade know about any of this? Had Annabel taken care of it.
“You’re panicking. I can see you are. What’s wrong? You don’t like it. Do you hate it? Crap, you hate it, don’t you?”
I shook my head and looked at Wade who was teary.
“No. I don’t hate it. Just...taken aback. That’s all.”
“But you like it?”
I peeked into the living room. It wasn’t big. Around three hundred square feet, with a lit fireplace in the middle and a low ceiling. Two dark red sofas that looked like they’d been pulled out of the sixties were situated around the fire with an oak coffee table.
“It’s not the biggest of places. But I’m sure we’ll fit nicely in it. Unless, of course, you want like seven kids and fifty dogs, in which case, we can look for other houses,” he said, and I froze.
Kids, pets, houses. Was he being serious?
“Do—do you actually want all these? With me?” I asked him.
Wade smiled and put his arms around my waist.
“Of course, I do, silly. You are my family now. You, Nora, Winston, Hew, Annabel. Even Lorelai. And when my dad is back to himself again, we’ll make arrangements for him too. But this our place. For our family. You—you do want a family with me, don’t you?” he said.
My eyes stung with the tears streaming down my face.
This wasn’t real. I wasn’t just living my biggest dream. I didn’t have a man offering me everything. I wasn’t just standing in my very first home with my mate, talking about becoming a family.