Willow Dark Storm

by ZL Morris

  An urge to practice what I saw some of the other vamps doing downstairs goes through me. I want to be able to please them. With a little manoeuvring, I tilt my head back for a better angle. I lick the head, and the taste of him fills my mouth. I’m rewarded with another guttural groan.

  Excited to try to get the noise again, I open my mouth a little wider and allow him to push inside. He only pushes his length a little of the way in, careful to not make me gag. His rhythm matches Zadimus’s, and I allow them the control they need to take over.

  I breathe sharply through my nose when a set of cold hands settle against my stomach. They move painstakingly slowly up to my breasts. Lazarus kneels beside us, but his attention isn’t focused on where his hands are.

  He’s intently staring between my thighs as his brother plunders me. Zadimus must recognise what his brother wants because he shifts until his upper body lifts off mine and he kneels between my legs, allowing Lazarus a better view. I grow wetter from the way he watches.

  Wanting to touch him, I run my fingers down Lazarus’s chest. When my fingers skim over his stomach, his muscles jump under my touch. Empowerment goes through me when I move down so I can grasp his hard manhood. Slowly, I move my hand up and down. He halts the movement by wrapping his hand around mine. Confused, I flick my eyes up to his face, and he tightens my hold. His face briefly turns to mine, and with a seductive smile, he pumps our joined hands up and down his length.

  My breath hitches as the same feeling goes through my body like before, and out of instinct, I clamp down on Zadimus. It only spurs him to push harder and faster. Idris and Lazarus speed up to match his rhythm. Just as my body hits that pinnacle for the second time, multiple groans and shouts of my name echo through the room as they follow me over.

  Chapter Seventeen

  The next morning, I wake to an empty bed. I should feel disappointed they didn’t spend the whole night with me, but I can’t really expect them to stay in bed with me when they don’t sleep. That’d be really boring for them.

  My toes point towards the footboard in a stretch, and I revel in my muscle’s soreness. I’m no longer an innocent. I’m finally a woman. And damn, I enjoyed it. I wonder if this will turn me into a sex freak. Snorting, I mentally shrug my shoulders. Who the hell cares, I’ll wear the sex freak badge with pride.

  The bed dips, and I squeal in surprise. It ends on a laugh when Idris’s face comes into view. He hovers above me, effectively trapping me. His hair is tousled, likely from where I grabbed it during our second—no, the third session during the night.

  His cold lips press against mine, and I’m disappointed when he pulls back far sooner than I’d like. “Morning, Callidora. Did you sleep well?”

  “I did. How come you’re in here?” My eyes grow wide, and I try to backtrack. “I didn’t mean it like that. I just… I thought maybe you’d all be off doing your vampy duties, seeing as you don’t sleep.”

  His smile grows bigger as my words rush out. By the time I’m finished, he gives me a full, sharp-toothed grin. “I wanted to stay behind. It didn’t seem right to have you wake up alone after last night. As for my vampy duties, I’ve been doing my part at Zadimus’s desk.”

  “C-c-could you show me what you’ve been working on?” He moves back slightly to give me room to climb out of bed. It’s only once I stand and the cool air of the room hits my bare skin that I realise I’m naked. “Oh shit! I’m sorry, I-I-I’ll get dressed first.”

  Idris’s voice turns husky. “No need to get dressed in my presence, Callidora. A vampire could get used to you walking around naked.”

  With heated cheeks, I spin on my heel and say over my shoulder, “Just give me a minute! I’ll be right back.”

  His laughter fills the bedroom while I rush to get dressed. When I leave the walk-in wardrobe, he’s lining up slips of paper on the desk.

  “Can I have a look?”

  His eyes shine brightly when he looks at me over his shoulder. “We should get you downstairs for breakfast. We’ll go through all the plans together, if that’s okay?”

  Disappointed by his refusal, I nod and try to brush it off, but my words come out harsh. “If you don’t want me to look, then I’d rather you just tell me and not feed me a line.”

  He reacts to the sound of my voice and swiftly moves to stand in front of me. “Hey, it’s not that.” He pulls me into his arms. “I just didn’t want to go through the information twice, and honestly, I’m not even sure if this idea will work. I just… I’m sorry, Callidora. I didn’t mean to sound like I was dismissing you.” He kisses my nose. “We need to have lessons or something about not putting our foot in it with our human mate. We’re rusty when it comes to not sounding like assholes. Forgive me?”

  A snort escapes me when he attempts to give me puppy eyes. With a sigh, I nod. “Just this once.” I wrap my arms around him. “Do it again, though, and I’ll have Cassius do something dreadful to your blood supply.”

  Chapter Eighteen

  Idris leads me down the stairs, one hand holding mine and the other clutching the papers he wouldn’t show me. He eased the hurt of his words by sweeping me off my feet and giving me an orgasm to remember. My legs still wobble with the aftershocks as we get to the bottom of the stairs.

  Cassius exits the kitchen at the same time we hit the bottom step. He carries a tray loaded with heaps of food. “Morning, Miss Willow. I’ve had the caterers set up breakfast. The rest of the guys and Tallulah are in the dining room.”

  My eyes shoot up to Idris’s, and I silently ask, please tell me he doesn’t know about last night, and us, and the guys. I’m rambling, but my god, it’d be like seeing your parents the next day after they’ve seen your bare ass in the air while bouncing on some dude’s dick.

  I breathe a sigh of relief when Idris gives me a slight head shake but try to elbow him in the ribs when he badly attempts to cover up a snort with a cough. “I, umm… morning. And thank you.”

  Cassius frowns but nods. “Very well. If you’ll follow me through to the dining room? I must set this tray down. I think my age is catching up to me. It’s awfully heavy.”

  A snort escapes before I can stop it. Both Cassius and Idris turn to look at me. “I’m sorry, but that tray has enough food to feed an army. I wouldn’t be able to pick it up, never mind carry it.”

  When we enter the dining room, Zadimus and Lazarus stand to greet me. I don’t make it five steps into the room before they pounce on me. Zadimus’s lips lock with my own, and a hand twirls into my hair, pulling my head back and redirecting my mouth to Lazarus’s.

  A throat clears, and heat blooms in my cheeks when I remember where we are and who’s in the room with us. Embarrassed by the public display, I pull back. My eyes lock with blue ones belonging to both Zadimus and Lazarus. I clear my throat in an attempt to get my emotions under control.

  I take another step back and turn my attention to Idris, hoping he’ll be my saving grace. “You were going to show us the plans you made.”

  Thankfully that has the desired effect and turns everyone’s attention away from me and my wanton behaviour.

  Breakfast is consumed mostly in silence. While everyone eats their fill of food, Zadimus and Lazarus shuffle through the papers Idris set on the table. Once the food is gone, some of the catering staff take the plates out of the room, and Zadimus clears his throat.

  “We’ll be holding the battle at Akeldama. I’ve no doubt that between us and your pack, we’ll have enough fighters to go against Belcoot and the rest of Blood Moon. I’m not expecting a small number of them because other packs will want to fight for them because they won’t want their Wolfsbane supply cut off.” Zadimus shuffles the stack of papers before handing one over to Theo, Alpha of the Argent pack.

  Everyone is quiet as they read through the papers, but curiosity burns on the end of my tongue. “I, um… sorry, what’s Akeldama? What does that mean?”

  Lazarus answers, “Akeldama means field of blood. A lot of wars have been held t
here over the years. One man decided many moons ago to set out with a metal detector, and after digging a few inches down, he found the soil to be red. He told stories of the battles held there over the years and how the blood spilt resulted in the soil being stained red.”

  “Oh!” A shudder courses through me at the image my mind conjures up.

  The sound of paper crinkling sounds as Tallulah’s grip tightens around a single piece. A deep frown twists her features. “What’s this here about a storm?”

  Idris rests his chin atop his steepled fingers, a cheeky smile on his face. “Whenever varied species come together for battle, more specifically vampires, the weather can shift to suit our moods. We’ll be in battle mode, and with the amount of us, the atmosphere will feed off our adrenaline. It usually creates a massive storm—heavy rain, wind, and lightning. This will work in our favour. The heavy rain will mess with their senses, and they’re already bogged down by the drugs.”

  Having seen a bare minimum over the past couple of days of what they’re capable of, I knew I was missing a lot of information about the vampires’ full capabilities. But to control the weather too? It leaves my mind boggled! Boy, have I lived a sheltered and oblivious life before I landed here.

  I’m fully prepared for a fight when the words leave my mouth, but they come out strong. “I want to be there.”

  “No!” Three thunderous voices blend together.

  I force myself not to shy away from the anger and horror on their faces. My chair scrapes noisily with the force of me standing. My body straightens to my full height, and I look them each squarely in the eye. If they won’t believe my words, then they’ll at least believe my thoughts. “I’m not staying here while you all go to war! I’ll be left vulnerable at the house if they decide to attack, so I’m coming with you. I won’t get in the way, I promise. I won’t fight. I’ll stand to the side like the pathetic human I am. But I am not staying here alone!”

  You can’t leave me!

  Lazarus and Idris collapse back against their chairs, anger no longer twisting their features. Now to get Zadimus on my side.

  He rounds the table and comes to a stop in front of me. I’m shocked when his voice comes out far softer than I expected. “You’ll have Tobias by your side at all times. He sticks to you like glue. You will stand at the top of the hill, and you’ll allow him to protect you if a wolf gets to you. You do not move from that spot, and you stay there until the fight is over!”

  I barely manage to smother the wince when he mentions Tobias, but I make sure to keep my mind blank. If I have to put up with Tobias, then so be it. I hold my hand out to shake his to seal the deal, but Zadimus has other ideas.

  He wraps me in his arms and whispers darkly, “You disobey me, and I promise I’ll spank your ass in front of everyone at the next party.”

  “Threats like that just might make me disobey you,” I cheekily mumble.

  His eyes turn blue, and his mouth kicks up in a fanged smirk. “I love you, Callidora.”

  My heart melts, and I whisper back, “I love you guys, too.”

  Chapter Nineteen

  Once plans for the impending war are finalised, we head outside to spend the rest of the morning in the garden. Excited to have fresh air without the dreaded nightmare of Blood Moon and their games, I make sure to grab my camera and the extra memory cards so I can take lots of pictures.

  I don’t normally photograph people, but with the way Tallulah and her mates treat each other, I’m unable to resist taking a few sneaky ones. If we make it through this battle with all of us alive, I’ll be sure to have the guys forward the photos to her.

  Sitting under the only blossom tree the garden has for shade, I scroll through the pictures with what I can only imagine is a dopey smile. Engrossed in the camera, I’m caught off guard when someone sits on the grass beside me.

  “Hey, I’m sorry. Didn’t mean to make you jump.” Tallulah shuffles to get into a more comfortable position.

  “It’s fine. I was too caught up in this to pay attention.” I hold the camera up as an explanation.

  The sheepish look on her beautiful face disappears with my words, and she holds out an expectant hand. I frown, wondering what she wants, but quickly realise she wants to look at my camera. My fingers tighten around the strap for a moment, unsure if I want to hand it over to her. What will she think of me when she realises most of the pictures are of her with her mates?

  After I give her the camera, the only sound between us is the quick snap of the camera sliding to the next picture. My anxiety builds to the point it’s almost suffocating. Settling my hands into the grass beneath me, I flex my fingers to try to ground myself. I’ve never had someone look at my pictures before, and I don’t think I ever will again if this is how my body reacts.

  The clicks stop, and I peek at what’s caught her attention while trying not to make it obvious. Her hand settles on her stomach, a soft smile on her face, but a lone tear slips down her cheek. Something clicks in my mind. With wide eyes, I scan the garden to make sure the guys are far enough away that they hopefully won’t hear me.

  At barely a whisper, I ask, “You’re pregnant, aren’t you?”

  Her hand drops from her stomach as her head whips up. Her eyes are wide, and her face scrunches up into a panic. “How did you know?”

  Not wanting to panic her, I try to explain. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to overstep. It’s just… you don’t seem to be the type of person to be overly emotional because of a picture.” I tilt my head towards her still-flat stomach. “Hand on the stomach gave it away though.”

  She scratches her nose; her shoulders droop with a sigh. “I’ve not told them yet. I only found out yesterday morning. I knew if I told them the news before we left, then they’d not let me come. I need to be here.”

  Unease goes through me. “But what if the baby gets hurt?”

  Her shoulders straighten, and I know she’s likely going to give me a speech she’s practised in her head a thousand times since she found out. Her voice comes out strong, but she keeps her volume low. “It sounds stupid, but I’ll pick my targets. They’re drugged up, and I’ve learnt to fight my whole life. I can hold my own.”

  Tilting my head towards where all the guys sit around a table, I say, “So why not tell them that?”

  Tallulah barks out a laugh but has to smother it when her guys look up to watch her. She gives them a smile, and once they return their attention to the vampires, she explains. “They’d tie my ass up and put me on lockdown somewhere. And it wouldn’t just be for this war. They’d have me on lockdown for the whole pregnancy. They need to know this baby won’t stop me from fulfilling my duties. I’m a Luna. I can’t afford to put my feet up and relax. The pack relies on me, on them.”

  Silently, I play her words through my mind before coming to a decision I can only hope I don’t end up regretting. “I won’t tell them. I won’t tell anyone, but I can’t promise the vampires won’t see it in my thoughts. I can block the odd thought, but they’re still able to pick up on most of them.”

  Tallulah’s smile turns genuine. “Thanks, and these pictures are great, by the way. I’ve only got photos of our mating bond and when we were little. Would I be able to have a copy?”

  Her praise makes my face grow hot. I try to ignore it though and offer her a nod. “You can. Once all this is over, I’ll send them to you.”

  Chapter Twenty

  Four days later

  Akeldama – Field of blood

  Impatiently, I wait as, one-by-one, the newer vamps go through the tent I saw on my first adventure with Cassius. The noise of a generator starts up, making my ears ring with how loud it is. I can only guess at whatever the tent is for, then it somehow moves them outside. My frown deepens when the guys, Cassius, Lilith, and Tobias don’t leave the same way. Instead, they use the front door.

  Curious about the contraption, I call out, hoping my voice will carry over the noise, “Why are they going through that tent thing?”
>
  “It’s a spray tent. The freshly-turned vampires can’t go outside during daylight for the first five years because they’ll blister or die. It sprays them with a thick oil, similar to what humans use as sunblock,” Cassius explains.

  Then I remember they mentioned when I first arrived that new vampires couldn’t go out into the sun without protection. “Oh!”

  The sweltering sun hits my face when I step out of the huge doors, and sweat trickles down my back from wearing the too-thick coat Cassius bought me on our shopping trip. The only reason I don’t remove the coat is because Lazarus explained how important it was for me to wear it because of the storm that’s due to arrive.

  The energy that rolls across the already gathered vampires and wolves forces me to keep my mouth shut and not ask any more silly questions. I make sure to keep a close watch on the guys, so I don’t lose sight of them amongst the vast number of vamps congregating outside the main doors.

  Although, if I’m honest with myself, I’m not keeping track of them because I’m afraid of becoming lost. I don’t know when I’ll see the guys again, if at all. So, the need to keep them within sight for as long as possible burns within me because, at least for now, I know they’re safe.

  The huge number of older vamps who didn’t need to go through the hassle of being sprayed all move off the steps to make room for the ones exiting the tent. Instead of following everyone else, I move to the farthest side of the steps to give them some room to exit, my eyes involuntarily turn toward the posse of vamps exiting through the tent. I can easily make out who the baby vamps are because they’re all sporting a thick, gunky substance that covers any skin bare to the sun. It makes them look washed out and deathly ill.