The warlock’s gaze darkens, matching the frown on his tanned face. “She tricked you into a blood vow. That means your blood is her blood. Once you marry Calvin Belmont, she can do whatever she pleases with the grimoire.”
That’s why she didn’t blink an eye when I pointed the problem out. She had already thought of a solution. Suddenly, my legs can no longer support my weight. I reach for the nearest chair, needing to sit down. I knew I was making a deal with the devil, but the implications of what I allowed her to do to me go beyond my fears. She set me up, played on my emotions, and I let her. I was so fucking stupid.
With my head in my hands, I fight the urge to cry. What the hell am I going to do now?
“What’s your plan?” I ask. “I assume you have one.”
“You’re going to keep acting as if nothing has changed. We can’t do anything against Elena Montenegro until she shows her hand.”
“Are you saying I have to continue with the sham engagement and marry Calvin?”
“I’m afraid so.”
I let out a shaky breath as my world collapses on top of me. What about Saxon? The potion has dulled the power of the bond temporarily, but it’s still there, vibrating in my chest. God, I wish he were here. I miss him, even though we’ve only been apart for a few minutes.
“You’re thinking about your mate,” the warlock says.
“Yes,” I reply without making eye contact.
“I have the power to break your bond, if you desire.”
A sharp pain pierces through my chest as my entire body rejects the idea. I should say yes; it would make things much easier. That was the goal—finding a way to end the mating bond. And now that’s been offered to me on a silver platter, I can’t take it.
“I don’t want to break the bond.” I lift my eyes to his. “Saxon is my mate. I’m not going to give him up.”
“But you have to marry Calvin. What you’re doing is madness. It’s torture.”
He’s not wrong. But knowing how badly that old bitch played me has given me a moment of much needed clarity. She knew what was in my heart before I did. I love Saxon. It’s why I couldn’t bear to lose him.
“Can’t you end the blood vow instead?”
The man squints while his jaw is clenched hard. “I can, but Elena would know the moment it happened that she’d lost the connection to you. We can’t have that.”
Undiluted anger rushes through my body, making me see red. I’m tired of awful things snowballing out of control and being unable to stop them.
“Are you saying that I’m your pawn now?” I grit out.
“Don’t you realize, Aurora? You’ve always been a pawn. But now, you’re playing in my boardgame.”
On unsteady legs, I get up. “I’m nobody’s pawn. You just told me you can’t act against Elena until you have proof, which means you need my help. If you’re as powerful as you claim, you will find a way to free me of this vow without Elena knowing before I have to marry Calvin.”
His nostrils flare as he stares at me in a cold and calculating manner. “I don’t take orders from anyone, girlie, especially from a barely-of-age witch.”
“Then don’t consider this as me ordering you around. Think of this arrangement as a collaboration. Neither of us can get what we want without the other, so why not partner up?”
He doesn’t answer for a couple of seconds, and in that time, I keep my gaze steady, locked on his. Warlock or not, I’m not going to be intimidated by him.
“Fine. I’ll need a few days to come up with a solution. In the meantime, I’d suggest you keep your trysts with your mate private. Your little sister won’t be around to cover for you next time.”
24
Aurora
The annoying warlock is gone. He’ll get in touch when he can figure out a way to break the stupid blood vow I made with Elena. His promise should have relieved some of the weight crushing my chest, but blood vow or not, I’m still expected to marry Calvin.
If that wasn’t already a death sentence before, now that Saxon has come into the picture, the situation feels more impossible than ever.
I text Miranda to see how she’s doing. She shouldn’t have lied like that to cover my ass, but I’ll be forever grateful that she did. There’s no answer, which could indicate part of her punishment means no access to her phone. I send a text to Niko as well. If Miranda is on social lockdown, Niko will have all the details. She’s usually the one dealing with our mother’s wrath, but only because she’s a brat.
She doesn’t text me back either and I begin to worry, but then I remember it’s the middle of the night and she’s probably asleep. God. Where is my brain?
I drop the phone on the kitchen counter, feeling frustrated and angry as hell. My life is spiraling out of control and it seems there’s no stopping it. A second later, these feelings begin to give way to a sense of giddiness spreading through my chest. I whirl around, facing the door, suddenly out of breath. A single knock sounds, injecting my heart with euphoria. Saxon is on the other side.
I could open the door for him using a simple spell, but I need the short walk to get a grip on my emotions. My stomach is twisting, all thanks to the horde of little trolls having a rave party in my belly. This is definitely not the mating bond at work. Its magic is still dulled. What I’m feeling is one hundred percent me.
Saxon’s hands are in his pockets and his chin is tucked low when I open the door. His long bangs are covering part of his face and I can’t get over how fucking sexy he is. Slowly, he glances up, looking at me from under his eyelashes. I lean against the doorframe because my legs are dangerously close to turning into jelly.
“Hey,” he says in a husky voice that sends tingles down my spine.
“Hi.”
“Are you okay?”
“Yeah. And you?”
Shit. This is the most painful conversation I’ve ever had with Saxon. It’s like we’re strangers on a blind date.
“Do you want to come in?”
His eyes widen a fraction, the only hint of his surprise. “You know I do. But is it wise?”
My heart is going ninety, a fact Saxon must be aware of. “No, but I don’t care.”
His lips curl into a mischievous grin. “Aren’t you the rebel?”
I open the door wider, stepping to the side to let him through. When the door clicks shut again, I lean against the hard surface, not daring to move closer to him. He stops after a few steps and turns around.
“What’s the matter? Did that son of a bitch warlock do something to you?” There’s an edge to his tone now.
“Yes.”
His body becomes tense as hell while his eyes turn crimson. “What did he do?” he grits out with barely contained rage.
Crap. I should have stopped to think before I opened my big mouth. “Nothing bad. Just calm down for a second.”
“You’re shaking. How can that not be bad?”
A loud exhale leaves my mouth. “I’m not shaking because of him. It’s you.”
The anger leaves his face, giving way to misplaced guilt. “Are you afraid of me? Is it because of what happened in the market?”
For fuck’s sake, Aurora. You’re making a mess out of this conversation.
I take a step toward him. “God, no. What I meant before was my conversation with the warlock made me realize something.”
“What?”
The words are on the tip of my tongue, but I’m too scared to confess. Damn it. I don’t know what I’m doing anymore. Looking away, I run my fingers through my hair. “I don’t think I want to end our bond.”
Not the whole truth, but it’s all I dare say for now.
I expect Saxon to have a comment to my statement, but when he doesn’t speak for several beats, I glance in his direction. Holy cannoli. Talk about being blasted by the most intense heated stare ever. Shining in his eyes I see a combination of lust and admiration.
“What does that mean for your upcoming nuptials?”
My throa
t begins to close up. “I don’t know.”
“If we’re still mated by then, you know what will happen, don’t you?” Crimson shines in his eyes again.
“You’ll slay Calvin.” I move closer, dying to come into his orbit, his heat.
“Do you want me to kill your fiancé, Rora?” His eyes narrow. “Is that what this is about?”
I despise Calvin, but do I want him dead? No, I’m not that ruthless. But even if I were, I’d never use Saxon to do my dirty work.
“I wish it were that simple. No, I don’t want you to kill the jerkface. If I wanted him dead, I’d do it myself.”
“Then what do you want from me?” He sounds frustrated now.
I knit my fingers together, unsure of what to say. Damn it. Why am I all of a sudden so insecure?
“I didn’t expect any of this to happen, Sax. I’m confused as hell. The warlock said he had the power to break our bond, and I said no.”
The muscles around Saxon’s mouth tense as he clenches his jaw hard. “What about the blood vow?”
“I asked him to find a way to free me of it.”
“So no more zapping.” The corners of his lips twitch upward.
“No more zapping.” I smile.
He walks over, grinning from ear to ear now. “You don’t want to end our mating bond, and you’re trying to remove the pesky invisible chastity belt some old hag put on you. Does that mean you want to ride the Saxon sex machine again?”
“Oh my God. You had to go and ruin it.”
His arms circle around my waist, pulling me against his body. His enormous cock is up and alert, ready for action, which only stokes my own fire.
“I’m not trying to ruin anything, Rora.” He caresses my cheek. “But I do say stupid shit when I’m nervous. And that is how it is with you. I feel like I’m way out of my depth.”
“Why? You have, like, hundreds of years of experience over me.”
His brows furrow. “Way to make a guy feel old.”
“You’re not a guy. You’re a vampire.”
He slides his hand to the back of my head, twisting a lock of hair around his fingers. “And you are a sassy little witch. What am I going to do with you?”
“How about you quit talking and kiss me already?”
He raises one eyebrow. “Is this a trick? Are you trying to get me fried again?”
“For fuck’s sake.” I curl my fingers around his T-shirt, pulling him to me.
Our lips and tongues fuse together, and it’s like the Fourth of July exploded in my apartment. There are fireworks everywhere, lighting up the sky. I want to meld myself to him so we’ll never be apart. Our kiss quickly becomes a ferocious dance that has me panting for more. My body is in flames, and my pussy is clenching in anticipation.
Without breaking the kiss, I walk backward until I reach the couch. Then I fall on it, dragging Saxon with me. Thanks to his vampiric reflexes, he twists his body so that he doesn’t crush me, bracing his hand against the back of the sofa.
With impatient hands, I try to get rid of his T-shirt without letting go of his lips, which is pretty much impossible. He leans back to yank his shirt off, revealing the carved perfection that is his chest and abs. A wicked smile blossoms on his face when he catches me ogling him.
“Is it still safe?” He leans down, bracing his forearms on each side of my head.
“Yeah,” I say, out of breath. “For now.”
“Good enough.”
He lowers his pelvis down as his tongue darts into my mouth. I bring my knees up, allowing Saxon better access to my throbbing core. His cock presses against me, already so hard and big that the friction alone will make me climax in the next minute. But as I get near the edge, I sense the blood vow magic building within. Shit.
I push Saxon off me, sending him to the floor. He ends up hitting his shoulder against the coffee table with a loud clunk.
“Ouch.” He massages the sore spot, pouting.
“Sorry. It was happening again. I didn’t want to hurt you.”
“Didn’t want to hurt me more, you mean.”
“Come on. You didn’t hit the table that hard.”
“I wasn’t only talking about the fall.” He rubs his face in a fitful manner. “This fucking sucks. Do you know how badly I want you right now?”
“Yeah, I do. Trust me. The feeling is not one-sided.”
He narrows his eyes, watching me with a newly predatory gaze. “Take off your clothes.”
“What?” I sit up.
He jumps to his feet and then proceeds to strip down completely. My eyes immediately zero in on his cock, which is bigger than I remember. I want to taste him so badly, I’m almost weeping. He fists his shaft, rubbing his thumb over the head to spread pre-cum over the sensitive skin.
“If I can’t touch you, then I want you to pleasure yourself as I watch.”
Heat creeps up to my cheeks. I’m not a prude, but I’ve never masturbated in front of a guy before. It sounds so intimate, even more than sex.
Saxon moves his hand up and down his erection, not taking his eyes off me. “See how hard I am for you, Rora? Don’t make me beg.”
Come on, Aurora. You’ve fucked Saxon six ways to Sunday in the bathroom of a club. You can get off with him watching.
I take off my top, and then my leggings and underwear. When Saxon’s hungry eyes sweep over my naked body, it’s almost like he’s touching me for real. I lie down, propping my head on a pillow so I can watch him better.
“Damn it. You’re so beautiful,” he says in a husky voice.
I lick my middle finger, then slide my hand down my belly until I reach my clit. I’m so horny that just the simple touch makes me arch my body. A moan escapes my lips as I continue to make circles with my fingers across the sensitive bud. Saxon grunts, moving his hand faster now.
“God, Sax,” I purr like a kitten. “I wish you were the one in between my legs.”
“Me too, Rora. Me too. But watching you is the next best thing.”
The pressure keeps building below, and if I were alone, I’d have my eyes closed now, probably picturing a delicious fantasy starring him. But I don’t need to do that today when I have the real deal in front of me.
“I’m so close, sweetheart. I’m just waiting for you.”
I don’t know if it’s the tenderness in his voice, or the way he’s looking at me, but a wave of pleasure sweeps over me in the next second, making my entire body shake. I cry out his name. He cries out mine. I only stop moving my fingers when he collapses on the other side of the couch, spent. We don’t speak for a moment and all I can hear is the combined sound of our erratic breathing.
When my heartbeat returns to normal, I curl my legs, sitting up. Saxon turns to me with a pleased grin on his lips and sleepy eyes. “That was hot.”
I glance at his crotch. “And messy.”
He’s still sporting a semi, which doesn’t surprise me. His endurance was off the charts when we hooked up for the first time.
His face turns a lovely pink shade. Oh my God, I made Saxon blush.
“Yeah. Sorry about that. I should have thought things through.”
I scooch closer, unable to keep my distance from him when he looks adorable like that. I kiss him on the cheek. “Don’t worry about it.”
He closes his eyes, making a humming sound in the back of his throat.
“What is it?” I ask.
“Nothing. I’m just … happy.” He looks at me again, burying me with so much tenderness that I feel undeserving. “You make me happy, Rora. And I think that’s why fate chose you as my mate.”
My heart overflows with emotion, leaving me speechless. Falling in love wasn’t something I ever expected to happen to me, and definitely not falling in love with a vampire.
“I didn’t see you coming, Saxon. But you make me happy too. I don’t care what my mother, Elena, or the fucking warlocks say, I’m not marrying Calvin.”
“Damn straight you aren’t. So what’s the plan?�
�
“I don’t have one yet, but we have nine months to think of one.”
25
Aurora
I had to kick Saxon out of my apartment with the sunrise. We both needed to rest. Besides, being near him without the option of touching is beyond torture, it’s cruelty. But I could barely sleep. I felt the sense of wrongness returning, and all the aches with it. As I feared, the potion’s effect is already beginning to wane. I don’t know if it’s because Saxon and I kissed last night, or the bond is getting stronger.
It’s no surprise that I’m a hot mess in the morning, sporting dark circles under my eyes that would make any raccoon proud. I head straight for the coffee pot, knowing I need to drink several cups before I can function properly. As I wait for it to brew, I check my phone, which I left on the kitchen counter before going to bed.
I have two text messages. One from Niko and one from Miranda. Niko was clueless about Miranda’s punishment. All Miranda’s message says is to call her ASAP. Damn it. I shouldn’t have checked my phone before coffee. Now I have to call her while caffeine deprived.
The phone rings three times before she answers. “Finally. What took you so long to call me back?”
“I just got out of bed.”
“Sunset was over an hour ago. Shouldn’t you be heading to class?”
Fuck. Is it that late already?
“I overslept. What happened? What did Mom do to you?”
“Don’t worry about me. My punishment was actually milder than I expected. I wanted to tell you that despite my excuse and that warlock covering for us, the council members are furious, especially the Belmont rep.”
I pinch the bridge of my nose, already feeling the telltale signs of a massive headache coming. “Fuck. What did they say?”
“They don’t want to wait for you to finish your studies at Bloodstone before the wedding takes place. They’re demanding you two get hitched within a month. I think they’re afraid you’re a flight risk and they want to secure the match at all costs.”
Wild Thing: A Vampire Paranormal Romance (Blueblood Vampires Book 2) Page 15