by Belle Harper
He chuckled and the other three did too, “Well…” Galen started. I turned and looked at them all.
“Raff saw an R8 while we were there…” My mouth dropped. He bought two cars.
“They gave us a discount, if that makes it better. Plus, I thought it would be a nice date night car.”
I couldn’t believe them, and pretty sure no matter what I said, or did they would always want to spoil me. Like I wanted to spoil them, I hugged them all. Then I heard the screeching voice of Jett.
“Cupcake.” He was running with a pink box in his hand and a huge grin. He was also only wearing some basketball shorts.
We had come home Sunday and told him we bumped into Clare. And her shifter boyfriend. Yeah, he was a panther shifter. It was exciting, but also I felt terrible for Jett and Mekhi. But I was mad too, because Ada was right. They kept shaking their heads, Ranger was upset. He knew they were lying. But it was Mekhi who broke down, said they begged Galen to compel her, to forget about them. They wanted her to fulfil her dream of college, to become a veterinarian. They told her they would wait for her while she was in Colorado, but she didn’t want to leave. She wanted to stay here with them both, even tried to decline, and Galen had to fix it.
I felt terrible for her. They really should have let her grieve properly, it was her choice, and they took that from her. I understand they wanted her to go to college; I loved that about them both. How important that was for her. But taking memories from her, years of them, that wasn’t the way to do it. I told Galen he can never do that again.
To anyone, ever.
Chapter Fifty-Seven
Maverick
We spent the afternoon doing Lexi’s favorite thing. Her puppy pile. I was grateful really, I felt like it had been forever that my wolf was stroked by her. And nothing felt better than my mate— my claimed mate, running her fingers through my fur, scratching behind my ears and making those sweet sighs of happiness.
She read my book, the hardback. She refused to at first, said it was too “fancy” and her old one would suffice. But I told her it wasn’t fancy, it was cheap, not much more than her own paperback. So she said it didn’t matter, she still wanted to treat it properly.
“It’s a book, if you don’t read it, then you’re not treating it properly,” I told her. She finally agreed and took it with us to spend the day in the sun. There was a cool ocean breeze as the day wore on, but she just snuggled in closer to us. I was nervous about dinner. She had invited my father as well; I wasn’t overly happy about that.
We had all mentioned to him many times these last few weeks about moving out to a larger house. He was very fixed on us being here, that we could move into the main house with him. That Galen could take a spare room up there. That a vampire would soon be working again at the school and Galen would need to relocate, anyway.
Galen didn’t want to be in the main house, I certainly didn’t want to be either. It worked for some pack families, but I wanted privacy. He had such a huge problem before about hearing us, that was why we were all living on top of each other at Galen’s cottage.
I had asked why one of the other packs couldn’t have the vampire, at least until we could talk him around. The pack owned most of the houses in Kiba, we couldn’t just move into one, we had to get permission from the alpha. And he wasn’t very understanding about our needs.
He went on for thirty minutes about how it was a pleasure and privilege to have the vampire stay here. I started to believe it was a power thing more; he had the last one. Give Rawlins the next one.
My wolf wasn’t the only one on edge, I could see Ranger too. There had been no fighting, he had been very restrained in that area. But he was a ticking timebomb. And I really thought he should go let it out before it because a huge issue and he exploded and did more than just hurt someone.
Maybe a run before dinner would clear my head. I got up and Lexi knew what I needed; I shook my fur out, and she held her hands up to block her face.
“Seriously, I’m getting a dog brush, you are moulting Maverick.” I let out a whuff as I laughed at her. Ranger nuzzled into her throat and she stroked his chin. Raff pushed him aside and tried to curl in a ball on her lap. She was laughing and cussing at us all. He was smaller than us, but there was no way he could fit on her lap like he was a puppy.
“Go, all three of you, and meet back at the house to get ready. We need a shower now.” Galen was wiping fur from his dark jeans. I used his distraction to pounce on him and lick his face.
“Bad boy,” he hissed low. His eyes darkened, and I knew I woke his monster. I like it, I liked it a lot.
We drove the Audi Q7 over to Port Angeles to the restaurant. It looked over the water; it was magical. Tobias had made the reservations. It was a great location, a perfect evening, even if it was a little colder than Lexi preferred. She would need to wear something later if we decided to go for a walk down along the water.
She wore a green silk dress, it flowed down her body to the floor with a large slit up one side, hugged in all the right places. It had an open back, and she wasn’t wearing a bra. The cold air had made her nipples hard, and it was hard to stop my cock from reacting. I was glad I wasn’t the only one affected by it; she was even giving off the faint scent of arousal. I wanted to reach under the table and run my hand up the slit and into her panties.
“They have two forks.” Josh held the forks up to show us. Yeah, buddy, I wanted to tell him. I don’t get it either, but Tobias cleared his throat.
“I wanted to give you a gift that made up for the last eighteen missed birthdays, Lexi. I wasn’t sure what to get. So, I spoke with Alaric, and we agreed that we would give you all a home of your own. Larger than where you are now.”
Lexi’s mouth dropped open in an audible gulp. Galen turned so fast it almost set off my wolf. Raff sat back puzzled as he rubbed his brows and Ranger did exactly the same as me. “What?” We looked to my father. He what?
He laughed, my father gave a big belly laugh, and I didn’t know how to take it.
“Oh, you should look at your faces, I have had to keep this secret for weeks. That was harder than you would ever know. Every time you asked, and I had to turn you down, I felt like a terrible father. I wanted to give you that, as much as I love you all. I don’t want you to move back into the house.
“This is an important time for you, as new mates. Learn, grow, be together without distractions. And let face it, the boys and I don’t want to hear what you get up to.”
I laughed and Lexi’s face heated to a nice shade of pink. Ranger slapped the table.
“Hell yeah, Lexi and I get up to a lot.” I couldn’t believe Ranger just said that… in front of her father, Jack and Grayson.
“Do you watch Teen Titans Go?” Josh asked all innocently. Raff growled at Ranger before I could. Fucker, destroying this poor innocent child. I wanted to smack him, but he was quick to recover.
“No, I’m not allowed. I have been told the only person she can watch that with is her brother. And that’s you, buddy. She makes me watch love movies… eeewww.”
Josh giggled and shook his head. “Eewww, kissing movies are gross.” And we all laughed, because when you find the perfect girl to kiss, you can’t think of anything else you would ever want to do.
I loved that I could share kisses with Lexi, Galen too. I wasn’t sure how this would all work, how it would play out. But Galen had asked if tonight we went for a run when we came back. That he wanted to spend alone time with Lexi. We all agreed, it was important to have the balance. But that meant after tonight, I was the last one to make love to her. I had gone down on her twice; she dry-humped me on Sunday. But I have never gone all the way.
I would ask for private time on Saturday. Prom. Like they do in all those cheesy teen movies. Sex on prom night was usually what happened. But I would make it better than that. My wolf hummed within me. He wanted to fully claim her. I couldn’t and I wouldn’t, but she would be mine. And that made him settle.
Chapter Fifty-Eight
Lexi
We got back to the cottage and my three wolves started stripping and chucking their clothes back into the car.
“What are you doing?” I asked. Maverick winked and kissed my cheek before he turned into a wolf. Raff blushed before he was on four paws and Ranger turned and showed me his ass and slapped it. Before shifting and letting out an ear-piercing howl.
“They are giving us time alone, Lexi. I hope that is okay?”
Oh, oh. I nodded, yes, oh hell yes, this was more than okay.
We walked inside, and Galen took his suit jacket from my shoulders. I needed it. The dress was gorgeous; he had picked it out for me, said that he loved the colour green on me, that my hair color, the golden brown suited it. I felt like I was a princess wearing it; I kept having to tell myself that this was real, and as much as I wanted Galen to stop buying me things, it made him happy. As he kept telling me that it was an old custom, he wanted to buy me nice things. So long as it wasn’t all the time.
I already had my graduation dress. And this dress… well, I don’t know if I will ever really wear it again and I hate that. It was beautiful and needed to be seen.
“Love?” I turned into him. His white button-up shirt looked hot on him, but no shirt would look even better. He brushed his knuckles over my lips. His eyes grew darker. I opened my mouth and one of his fingers found its way inside. I swirled my tongue around it, and he groaned loudly, stepping forward. He grabbed my ass and pulled me against his body. He had been drinking at dinner and he felt warm. I wondered if it was for my benefit or it was to look like he was human on a liquid diet.
“Lexi,” He pressed his erection against my core, and I shivered into his body. He pulled my bottom lip down before grabbing my chin and licking my lower lip, a small nibble and I could feel his fangs before his tongue swept into my mouth and our lips crashed together in a heated wave of built up sexual tension, need and want.
I wanted to show him how much I loved him, how badly I needed his body in mine. To feel him in me, to be one with each other. This was something we both needed and now was perfect.
“Tell me you want this, you need me as much as I need you now, Lexi. For a girl of many words, you seem to be lost for them now.” I let out a small laugh. He was right. I was lost for words because what I wanted right now didn’t involve words.
“I want you, I want you inside me in all ways.” I tilted my neck to the side, I wanted to hear him, feel him. I felt his tongue tracing the column of my throat, and his hand found the slit of my dress. His hand tracing my inner thigh, creeping higher and higher to where I was soaked. I need his touch more than anything. Craved it as his fingers finally found the wet fabric of my thong. He hissed and ripped them off.
The fabric falling to the floor and one finger found my clit, my knees buckled at the sudden pleasure as I moaned for more. When he finally found my opening he pressed in two fingers, finding that magic spot inside, my toes curled as he worked me.
“Bite me, please Galen,” I wanted it, I wanted the vampire, the man, I wanted my Galen. “Please,” I begged again, and I felt his fangs pierce my skin and the flow of blood as he drank from me. My toes curling off the floor and wave after wave of pleasure rocked through me until he was left holding me up, my leg like jelly. He licked my throat, the bite healing fast.
“Let’s lay you down, before you drop.” He carried me to the sofa and before he laid me down he pulled the little shoestring strap of one shoulder, then the other. The whole dress fell, pooling at my hips, then one little shimmy and I was naked before him. It wasn’t the first time he had seen me naked, but the way he devoured me with his eyes it felt like he was seeing me for the first time.
He reached for the buttons on his shirt and one by one slowly undid them. I wanted it all, and I didn’t want to wait for him, I reached for his belt and unlooped it. With his shirt off he watched as my hands found the button and the fly to his slacks, I dropped them and found him naked underneath.
“The guys are wearing off on me.” He cocked his brow. They didn’t often wear underwear. Mostly just for sleeping. I laughed. But those eyes darkened again, and hard, warm hands rolled down my body.
My legs fell open when he crawled up the sofa between my legs, but instead of coming to kiss me, he stopped and hooked my knee over his shoulder, biting gently on my inner thigh, not breaking the skin, as he kissed his way up to my aching core.
“Fuck, Galen.” His tongue dragged along my slit before he sucked my clit into his mouth, I bucked and grabbed handfuls of his hair as I rode out another climax on his mouth, my thighs shaking at the intensity of it. I was panting and grinding myself against his talented mouth until I was gasping for air and he pulled back. Watching what he had done to me, a smile crept across his face. “You are so beautiful, so amazing. I love you, Lexi.” I kissed his mouth, he tasted like me, and I didn’t care. It was hot.
“I love you, Galen.”
His erection hard against my core, rubbing through my releases.
“I can use a condom, I can’t get you pregnant and I’m a vampire so I don’t have diseases.” That was something I never even thought of. I wanted this. No barriers, just each other.
“No condom, I want to feel you inside.” He pressed his mouth to mine, biting my lip and breathing each other in as he entered me, I arched my back as he hit that spot inside that felt so good. I open my eyes to see him staring down at me. A small kiss and he started to thrust gently inside. But it doesn’t take long before we have swapped positions.
He was now seated on the sofa and I rode him, my nipples peaking as I felt another orgasm rip through me. This time taking him over as he held my waist and pumped into me, over and over. Spilling himself inside me, until my heart slowed, and I collapsed onto his chest. Sweat covered our bodies. We didn’t say anything, as he hugged me tight and pulled himself from my body, his chest rising and falling like mine, he said something I didn’t understand as I closed my eyes and fell into a deep, happy sleep.
Chapter Fifty-Nine
Lexi
It was Saturday, prom day. And I had my dress, I was sitting in the cottage while the guys all got dressed elsewhere. I was frustrated, Galen was supposed to be back hours ago, and he said he was running late. How can you be late on prom?
I took a deep breath, okay. It would be fine. He could meet us there. I just… I had worked up now in my head how I wanted it to go, and this wasn’t it.
There was a knock on the door. I was supposed to come out and show them my dress, the one that I had picked with Ada. But I guess Galen had better things to do. I was a little grumpy and okay, something came up, but this was important too. Just as important about my blood and if it can heal him of his vampirism. The prom was maybe just a little higher on importance because he could do that science stuff with Bardoul any other day… hell; he had been there most of the week.
I stood up and brushed my dress down. It was dark purple, with little white diamonds… not real ones. Fake ones. But they reminded me of Mavericks painting when I saw it, and I knew it was meant to be. I opened the door, expecting to see three of my mates, but Grayson stood there with Jack and Joshy.
“Lexi, you look stunning.” My hand went to my throat, and I let out a sob. This was better, Galen could be late. But seeing them here, huge smiles and a camera in hand.
“We wouldn’t miss seeing you go to prom,” Jack hugged me as Josh hugged my legs.
“Galen was stalling; he knew we wanted to be here. And we were running late.” I looked over and saw all four of them in tuxedos, and they each wore a black mask.
I could tell them apart, but they all looked so handsome together like that.
I could hear a camera, Grayson smiled when I caught him taking photos of me, Jack and Josh, then they swapped and took turns in taking my photo. The guys waited patiently by the Audi.
Eventually I was free to go to them, the camera clicking behind me as I made my way over. Raff
erty was first. He held his hand out to mine and I reached for him. He bent down and kissed it.
“You look like a queen,” he said, I blushed and giggled a little. I could feel the feather in my mask as it tickled my neck.
“My, love. You look spectacular.” Galen took my hand and kissed my knuckles. I took a step to Maverick. He might be built like Ranger, but I could tell the difference between them.
“Mine…” he growled and my body swayed to his. Oh, boy.
Ranger snatched my hand from Maverick and got to one knee, he produced a white rose corsage, and placed it on my wrist. I noticed then they all had matching white rose lapels.
After what felt like an hour to take photos, we were on our way. I was so excited, this was it. I was going to prom.
Ada found me almost instantly and dragged me out to the dancefloor. “That dress is killer; I should say thank you to Galen for mine.” She ran her hands down the red satin, V-necked dress. It had matching red lace. She looked killer, amazing.
“You look killer too and don’t thank Galen. I kinda didn’t tell him. Her mouth dropped open. “Where is Huxley?”
She pointed to a table with a group of guys, “he is there with the Rawlins crew.” I shook my head. Why would he want to be with them, when he could be dancing with Ada?
She shrugged. “May I have this dance?” Maverick held his hand out to me, and Ada nodded as she danced over to the Rawlins table. I placed my hand in his and he spun me in a circle.
“Wow, you can dance?” He held me to him and started to sway me. He gave me a wicked smile.
“I sure can, you just have never asked me to. My mother made us all learn. She said, ‘someday, you will find a girl and she will want to dance. Be the man who dances with her, not the one who watches as she dances with others,’ and so that’s why all the Lovell’s know how to dance.”