Love Bites

by Aleera Anaya Ceres

  “What took you so long?” he demanded. He was in bed, lounging against the pillows. Much to her surprise, he was naked. The sight nearly made her gag.

  “My hair is tangled,” she said. “I’m going to go brush it out really quick.”

  Using that excuse, she dashed past him to the bathroom. Picking up the brush, she decided the best place to hide it from Hunter was in plain sight. She returned to the bedroom, brushing her hair as she did. When she finished, she placed the hairbrush on the nightstand, and sat at the edge of the bed, looking at Hunter.

  Now, all she had to do was seduce him, and while he was distracted, she’d knock him out with the hairbrush. Maybe, it would take more than one blow, but she’d do whatever it took to get away from him now.

  Earlier that day, she’d thought she deserved whatever he dished out, considering it had been her fault Ignacio had been killed. But a whole bottle of champagne later, after talking to the guard, crying her eyes out and thinking of Ignacio, Katheryn realized Ignacio wouldn’t have wanted her to give up. He would’ve wanted her to fight Hunter and not give in to his torture. So, that’s what she’d do.

  She leaned forward to kiss Hunter, trying to act like she mean it, to seem passionate and needy. Even though she felt sick to her stomach touching Ignacio’s murderer, she gripped his blond hair and ran her fingers through it. He tasted like poison.

  Hunter pulled her on top of him then rolled over, pinning her under his crushing weight. He kissed her chin, moving down to her neck, and Katheryn couldn’t help but feel violated.

  None of this matters. She needed to fake it, to pretend in order to make her escape.

  She pushed his head lower until he was kissing the swells of her breasts. As he busied himself there, Katheryn stretched her hand toward the nightstand, reaching around for the brush. When her fingers came in contact with it, she gripped it tightly and in one fast movement, swung it down toward Hunter.

  Before she hit it his head, Hunter stopped the blow by grabbing her wrist, squeezing tightly. Katheryn cried out, but finally dropped the brush.

  Hunter straddled her, keeping her hands pinned above her head. “How big of an idiot do you think I am, Katheryn?”

  As he glared at her, Katheryn saw the manic craze in the depths of his eyes.

  “Did you really think I’d buy this whole seduction routine?” He threw his head back and laughed. “You looked so pathetic, playing the role of dutiful fiancée. Did you really think you had me fooled?”

  Katheryn squirmed beneath him. “Let go of me!” she shouted. “I’ll never submit to you!”

  “Don’t you see, Katheryn? The simple fact that you won’t submit is why I had to have you in the first place.” He pinned both her wrists with one of his hands, and trailed his fingers down her face to the swells of her breasts. “And now I’ll take what I want.”

  Katheryn screamed.

  With a crash, the bedroom door burst into splinters, pieces of it scattered across the floor and flew through the air.

  Hunter cursed and glanced over his shoulder. Katheryn couldn’t see past his bulk, but she felt him suck in a violent breath.

  “You!” he yelled in a voice filled with anger and, to her surprise, more than a touch of fear.

  “Get. Off. Her.” The low growl filled the room.

  Even though Katheryn couldn’t see the speaker, she’d recognize that voice anywhere. She’d memorized the melody and tune and rhythm of every note. She didn’t need to see the speaker’s face, for she knew every detail of it. The way his eyes slanted, their honey-yellow glow and the occasional spark of hungry red. She knew the way his nostrils flared, how his jaw set stubbornly. His image was burned in her mind. When Hunter jumped off the bed, she saw her rescuer in the doorway, yellow eyes glaring dangerously.

  Ignacio!

  Katheryn’s breath rushed from her lungs as she stared at the ghost of her Soul Mate. She stared at him in disbelief. Everything suddenly felt like a dream, violent and surprising. Katheryn didn’t know what to think. She simply stared not daring to blink for fear he’d disappear.

  “Ignacio?” she whispered as his gaze found hers.

  “Are you hurt, love?” he asked in his sexily accented voice.

  Katheryn gasped. This was no ghost. Ignacio was truly alive and in front of her. She shook her head no in response, unable to trust her voice.

  He turned back to Hunter.

  “You will pay for your crimes, bastard,” Ignacio threatened in a voice so furious it gave Katheryn chills.

  “How? You were dead!”

  Ignacio shook his head. “No, I wasn’t. You would have known that if you’d been man enough to do your own dirty work.”

  He took a menacing step forward, and Katheryn saw Hunter flinch.

  “Do the work myself?” Hunter scoffed as if the idea was a foreign concept to him. “Never.”

  “Fortunately, tonight, you die Hunter Francis.”

  With a blur of motion, Ignacio was in front of Hunter. Before the man could react or even open his mouth to scream, Ignacio gripped his head and twisted his neck until it made a loud crack.

  With an ugly thud, Hunter’s limp body hit the floor. And just like that...he was dead.

  Katheryn stared down at him. He lay immobile, head twisted at an awkward angle on the floor. The swiftness of him dying, nearly overwhelmed her, yet she couldn’t seem to tear her gaze from his body.

  Hunter was dead. Relief washed over her. He was dead and could never hurt her again.

  “Katheryn?”

  Katheryn tore her gaze from Hunter’s body to look at Ignacio.

  He moved in front of her, blocking away the horrible sight of Hunter’s body. Concern filled Ignacio's eyes, but didn’t move to touch her. She stared at him like someone peering through fog, trying to make sense of the images beyond it. Seeing him stand before her felt so surreal. She’d thought him dead, had felt the pain of it.

  “Love, are you okay?” he asked gently, as if she were a wounded puppy that needed comfort.

  “Tell me this isn’t a dream,” she whispered. “Tell me you aren’t dead.”

  Ignacio grinned. “I’m not dead, love. I’m very much alive.”

  He touched a hand to her cheek, and she felt the comforting warmth of the familiar touch. She listened to her heart, heard the thrumming cord that bound them together grow silent, appeased.

  She was complete again.

  “How can you be here? They shot you,”

  “They did. And a bullet nearly punctured my heart. I healed from it, but it took time.” he answered.

  That was all Katheryn needed to hear before she jumped into his arms. Throwing her arms around his neck, she gripped him tightly.

  “You’re alive!” she cried against his shoulder.

  She broke apart from him and looked him in the eyes. She needed to tell him, needed to tell him now. “Hunter told me if I didn’t go with him, he would kill you. I was trying to save you. Forgive me, please say you forgive me.”

  She’d thought she was all cried out, but she had been wrong. Tears overflowed her eyes, running down her cheeks.

  Ignacio brushed away the wetness with his thumb. “I know, love. I could hear your thoughts, and I could see your heart. I know why you did what you did. There is nothing to forgive.”

  Katheryn sighed her relief and leaned into her Soul Mate. She inhaled his scent. She had come so close to losing him many times and didn’t want to ever go through that ever again. She pressed a kiss to his throat and gripped him like a lifeline in a stormy sea. She didn’t ever want to let go.

  In that moment, she vowed she’d never doubt him again, never mistrust, misjudge or hurt him as long as she lived. She would proudly embrace him as her Soul Mate and never take advantage of his love. After all they’d been through, she realized there was no telling how long they’d have together. Life was full of surprises, some bad ones and some good. She wouldn’t waste whatever time they had together, sweating the small stuff. Kath
eryn had already wasted too many years of her life by giving up on her dream and being pushed into a career that wasn’t her own.

  Never again, she decided. Never again would she allow someone to dictate decisions for her. She wouldn’t waste another minute suppressing what she’d been born to do. Instead, she’d throw her arms open to the sky, scream “to hell with them” and do what her heart truly desired.

  She and Ignacio looked into each other’s eyes then, blue and yellow, and they smiled. After so many years of feeling lost, after ending up with no friends, family or money, Katheryn knew one thing, and it was probably the most important thing she’d ever have in her life.

  With Ignacio, she felt home.

  Epilogue

  One year later

  Katheryn peeked from behind the velvet stage curtain to catch a glimpse of Ignacio. He was so handsome in his black tuxedo and red tie. His hair was combed back and set perfectly in place with gel, a single strand falling over his forehead. He was seated on stage in front of a beautiful grand piano. A microphone sat before him but no sheet music.

  The seats were packed with people in fancy dress, who’d come to hear Ignacio play tonight. There was a hushed silence throughout Michael von Angel’s opera house as everyone waited for Ignacio to start playing. After a brief moment of silence, he leaned forward and said into the microphone, “This piece is called Katheryn’s Song.”

  Then he began to play. The melody was tender and slow, a sweet tune played in both low and high keys.

  The song captivated Katheryn, made her blush. Tears filled her eyes. Ignacio hadn’t told her he’d planned to play it for her. The surprise made everything seem more special to her. She swayed slowly and happily to his melody, to the melody he’d written for her.

  When he finished, the whole stadium stood in thunderous applause, and demanded an encore. Katheryn proudly applauded with them.

  “Aw, isn’t that sweet?” The sarcastic voice at her shoulder made Katheryn turn and swat Antonio’s arm.

  “Be quiet,” she demanded in a whisper, but still smiled.

  Antonio was dressed in his best, black suit pants, T-shirt with no tie and a suit jacket. An elastic band held his dark hair out of his eyes. It was better than showing up in the ripped jeans and black boots he normally wore.

  She stared at the boy now. His eyes were rimmed with red. Whether from crying over the tragedy his family had suffered, or from lack of proper sleep, Katheryn couldn’t be sure.

  After the mess with Hunter Francis—a mess Ignacio’s connections had cleaned up for him—Ignacio had asked Katheryn where she preferred to live. They’d chosen to move to Washington State together, so she could work in a new lab, studying human and supernatural cells alike. Soon after they’d settled in a nice little house in the suburbs, Antonio followed them from Spain.

  He didn’t live with them. Instead, he’d rented an apartment down the street from them. He’d claimed he was sick of living at home, that his family had become too depressing and he needed a change of scenery. But Katheryn knew, his family would soon join him in Washington, and that made Antonio happy. Spain held too many painful memories for the Santiago family.

  Katheryn had worried to no end after Hunter’s death. She didn’t want Ignacio arrested for murder. But Ignacio had powerful connections, thanks to his boss, who’d arranged for a cleanup crew and taken care of everything. He’d even blackmailed the Francis family with information Katheryn wasn’t aware of, even to this day.

  She hadn’t known about Ignacio’s many connections or that he was pretty wealthy himself.

  “I like to keep a low profile,” Ignacio had explained with a laugh. “I don’t like to spoil myself with too many luxuries. Instead, I keep the money for better occasions, should they ever rise.”

  Indeed, Ignacio had enough money to move them permanently to Washington and to pay cash for their cute little home. They were happy, and they were together. That was all that mattered.

  And soon, their little family would grow.

  Katheryn smiled to herself and rubbed her swollen belly. She was six months into her pregnancy and already had a nice baby bump to show for it.

  Tonight, her red hair was pinned behind her head in a chignon, held with glittering clips. She wore a long, comfortable dress in midnight blue that left one shoulder bare, and comfortable flats that didn’t pinch her feet. The dress was practical and loose, perfect for the new life growing inside of her.

  She remembered when she had broken the news to Ignacio. He had been so incredibly happy that he was going to be a father that he had lifted her off the ground and twirled her through the air, only to realize what he was doing and set her back down on her feet.

  She rubbed her belly now with a giant smile on her face, feeling how the little one kicked along to the music.

  “The baby’s kicking up a storm tonight,” Katheryn said, wincing as she felt a kick on her side.

  Antonio eyed her curiously. “Are you okay? Do you want to sit down?”

  The concern he showed her during her pregnancy was adorable and brotherly, she thought and waved off his concern. “It’s okay. The baby just likes the music.”

  Antonio quirked his lip to the side. “When are you going to stop calling your child ‘the baby’, and go find out what the gender is?”

  Katheryn smiled. Antonio bugged them constantly about getting an ultrasound to see if it was a girl or a boy. But Ignacio and Katheryn didn’t want to, they wanted the child to be a surprise. “We’ll all find out once he or she is born.”

  Antonio grinned. “I bet it’s a girl,” he said. “If the baby is a girl, you should name her Esmeralda. Yeah, Esmeralda is a beautiful name.”

  Katheryn snorted in an unladylike manner. “Yeah, like I’m letting you name my child, Santiago.” She laughed and elbowed him in his side.

  “What are you two arguing about now?” Ignacio’s voice interrupted her laughter. She looked up to her husband with a smile on her face. “Do I need to put you in a time out?” He gave Katheryn a sweet kiss on the lips and rubbed her stomach. The warmth of his hand made the baby kick again.

  “Your playing was beautiful tonight, Ignacio,” Katheryn told him. “I didn’t know you were planning to play that song.”

  “The idea was to surprise you.” He smiled then bent down and pressed a kiss to her stomach, causing the baby to kick even more.

  “Well, consider me surprised,” she said. “Are you playing anything else tonight?”

  Ignacio shook his head. “Nope, the rest of the night is opera night. I was just an opening, filling in as a favor to Mr. von Angel, in exchange for all his help.” His help with the Hunter Francis situation. He didn't need to say that part out loud.

  Katheryn nodded. “So we can go?”

  “If you wish, my love.”

  “I say we go out for a bite,” Antonio said, flashing his fangs. Katheryn heard the emphasis he placed on the word “bite” and knew exactly what it was he meant. She rolled her eyes in his direction.

  “Always the playboy, Antonio,” she scolded. “You can never just get serious with one girl can you? You have to go and bite fifty of them at once.” Her disapproval dripped from every word.

  He chuckled and nudged her with his elbow. “I’m not a one gal kind of guy, Katheryn. Don’t you know why?”

  She shook her head in response.

  “Because love bites,” he said and burst out laughing.

  His words echoed Rosa’s from long time ago when they’d met at the bar. Love bites. It had, at the time, for Katheryn, but now it didn’t, not in the terrible, sad way, anyway.

  For once in her life, Katheryn was happy. She had a great job, a husband who loved her and a baby on the way. Everything she’d gone through, everything she’d suffered had led her to this moment in time.

  It had led her to happiness.

  “Yeah, sure,” Katheryn giggled. “Love bites right now. Watch and see, later you’ll find your Soul Mate, I assure you.”

>   “Don’t poke fun, Katheryn.” Antonio warned, waggling his finger at her. “What if my Soul Mate ends up being baby Esmeralda?”

  At this, Katheryn frowned. “Don’t you dare come near my baby,” she warned threateningly.

  Ignacio looked confused. “Who’s Esmeralda?” he asked, causing Antonio to laugh and skip ahead, leaving them to follow.

  “Wait, who’s Esmeralda?” Ignacio looked down at Katheryn.

  She laughed and took her husband’s hand. “Antonio wants to name our daughter Esmeralda then get his filthy playboy paws on her.”

  She pulled Ignacio forward to follow after Antonio.

  Ignacio stopped and made a face. “He won’t get anywhere near our daughter, if I have any say in it.”

  Katheryn laughed and followed Antonio into the night, relishing the feelings that branded her chest and reflected the smile on her face. Her life was finally her own, and Katheryn planned on making the most of it. She’d follow the path she set for herself with Ignacio by her side.

  Katheryn leaned into her Soul Mate, feeling the way she felt every day she got to wake up by his side. She felt the comfort, the familiarity, the happiness. But most importantly of all...

  Katheryn felt at home.

  If you liked this book, please don’t forget to LEAVE A REVIEW. If you want to read baby Esmeralda’s story next, purchase Blood Drug HERE.

  About the Author

  Aleera Anaya Ceres is an Irish-Mexican mix who enjoys reading, writing, art, and heavy fangirling. When she’s not dreaming up stories about mermaids, she’s daydreaming about all sorts of fantasy creatures. A proud Slytherin from Kansas, she currently lives in Tlaxcala, Mexico with her husband and son.

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