“No one knows what the future holds,” Whitney replied.
“May I?” Elisa looked at Tamara, and held her small delicate hand over the baby bump.
Tamara took the child’s hand and placed it on her belly. Elisa pressed an ear to her abdomen.
“Sounds like music,” she whispered. “I can’t wait to be the Godmother.”
“Are you ready?” Selene asked. “You’ll have your hands full.”
“Yes, I know.” Elisa grinned.
“Elisa, tell me what you see? Please…” Tamara said.
“Are you sure?” Elisa lifted her head, but left her hand on Tamara’s belly.
“It’s either now or in two weeks,” Tamara pleaded. “I don’t think I can wait two whole weeks.”
“Triplets,” Elisa said. “There are three heartbeats.”
They all gasped in surprise, and a wide grin spread across Tamara’s face.
“Are you sure?” Tamara’s eyes were wide and bright.
“Have I ever been wrong?” Elisa asked.
“You are certainly something else, young lady,” Whitney exclaimed.
“Elisa is special,” Tamara said, squeezing the child’s hand.
Arianna smiled.
Tamara would give her mate something that Arianna would probably never be strong enough to have herself. A legacy would continue because of it. Devin Caedmon’s offspring would be born very soon. The thought of new life being created and such a divine gift given to a special couple warmed her heart.
For a while, it served to take her away from her own crisis, but this moment of enrichment could not erase what would eventually transpire with her.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Jayson didn’t return with Devin until nightfall. The mood of both men had been somber when they walked through the door. Arianna had immediately known that her situation had been the topic of discussion. Instead of returning to his condo, they visited a lake near the Caedmon village to talk.
Jayson left to hunt and to blow off some steam, leaving her in silence to contemplate her choices. Now Arianna sat alone at water’s edge, listening to the sounds of crickets and small mammals scurrying about as she lay back on the grass. The sky was clear with only a hint of clouds scattered about. The stars were in abundance tonight. They were numerous, but her choices were not.
It didn’t surprise her that she feared for her father more than herself. The consequences for breaking a nearly thirty-year-old agreement could be risky. Zeldano was known to retaliate against those who defied him. There was a long list of names on the missing persons list linked to business dealings with Zeldano.
Something jostled the bushes next to Arianna, and she pulled herself up into a sitting position. She lifted her nose to the breeze and caught the scent of sandalwood.
“Come out, Jayson.”
A black wolf emerged, majestic and glorious against the darkness. The very first time she’d seen him in wolf form; it had taken her breath away. Even now, he commanded her complete attention with his uncontainable presence. His eyes were a stormy blue, and he studied her intently.
Jayson prowled toward her and she welcomed him with open arms. His sleek, black fur had always been surprisingly soft. The more she touched him, the more she found herself unable to resist him. Even now, as she pressed her face against it. He purred and growled softly as she stroked his belly.
For what seemed like an eternity, they sat there, woman and wolf, looking out at the gleaning surface of the lake. A sharp breeze flowed across the water, and then rushed over her bare shoulders.
Arianna moved closer to her wolf, and whispered, “I sometimes wish I were born wolf instead of human. I would run free, like the wind, just as you did.”
Jayson came to stand on his hind legs and faced her.
“I feel incomplete with this wolf spirit roaming through my human veins. The same spirit that grants you the ability to shift from wolf to man and then back again at will is the same spirit that controls this drive in me to run wild and free.”
Arianna stroked the wolf’s ear, and then brought her face to settle against his.
“What does it feel like to be free?” she asked. “Free from the confines of the life you were born into? Do you even know?”
The wolf exhaled deeply and his soft nostrils flared against her face.
“I’ve decided that my fate cannot be changed. These things must happen for a reason.” Her shoulders slumped and she pressed her forehead onto his. “I’m sorry. I won’t let everyone suffer because I am selfish. This is the life I was born into. These are the laws of the Caedmon for which I must abide by.”
Jayson shifted gracefully back into human form. “What are you saying?” He pressed his lips to hers.
“You were threatened because of me. I have to fix this. I have to do it myself. Alone.”
“No.”
“Just kiss me, Jayson.”
He kissed her, caressing her lips softly between his. His tongue lingered across the seam of her mouth.
“I always return to you. If we are meant to be, we will eventually be together. Why force it?” She grasped the back of his neck and returned his kisses. “If I break this agreement, everything will end badly. I can feel it…”
“I can’t live with the knowledge of you being bonded to another.”
“It’s an arrangement only. On paper.”
“But he means to have you completely,” Jayson said. “No wolf would propose such an agreement without your exclusivity.”
“Remember what we did when we were young?” she asked. “We made an eternal promise. Don’t you remember it?”
“I do,” he whispered against her forehead. “It was how I found out that you were my true mate. It’s when I began to believe that there was such a thing.”
“We didn’t understand. We were just too young.”
They’d been inseparable back then. Like brother and sister, they did everything together. Caught fireflies, chased rabbits, climbed mountains, and jumped off cliffs. Anything and everything possible under the sun. He’d even grieved with her for months following her mother’s death. One day they declared that they would always be friends, no matter what. Jayson wanted more than an eternal promise. He wanted a blood bond. Both of them still had the raised scar from where they’d slashed through the skin on their palms. The bond seemed to satisfy them for a while, but they still had sexual urges—like most teenagers. Kissing and groping him had done nothing but leave her hot and horny. Masturbating while fantasizing about him didn’t satisfy her in the least bit. It only left her wanting more of his touch. When the attraction became too much to bear, they were left with no choice but to consummate their passion. It was the start of an explosive frenzy that never faded. One taste had never been enough.
“You will always be a part of me,” she said. “No agreement, on paper or otherwise, will change that.”
He lifted her chin and his gray gaze burned into hers. “Do you love me, Arianna? Like I love you?”
“Yes, Jayson. You are my best friend. I love you. Man and wolf.”
He took her lips in a demanding kiss, and then led her to lie down again on the grass right next to the lake. His body shifted against her and he settled on top of her, slipping his thighs between hers. He moved his mouth lower to reach her chin and slid his lips up the column of her jaw. She lifted her neck, giving him full access to explore.
His mouth fell on the unfinished mark on her shoulder and she gripped his back hard as delightful sensations ran through her. Her hips moved against him as he stroked at her skin with his tongue.
“Jayson, one more time, and then I must go…tomorrow.”
“Don’t say that.”
“An agreement on paper only…” When he pushed his hands up her thighs and under her skirt, she parted her legs, lifted her knees, and held him tightly to her.
He stroked at her core through the seat of her panties. “You’re wet already. I can almost taste your desire now.”
She moaned against his ear as he pushed the fabric aside and slid his finger through her slit. He played with her pussy, gliding his digits up and down her opening and over her clit.
Jayson gazed down at her body as he fingered her. “Your skin is so beautiful and flawless under the moonlight.”
She arched into his palm and he played her like an instrument—a guitar. He held her open gently and pumped in and out of her with skillful strokes. Suddenly, he grabbed her panties, lifted her hips, and threw the garment aside.
Jayson lowered himself between her legs and lashed at her clit while fingering her needy pussy. A sharp ripple pushed through her and her hips bucked slightly off the ground.
Arianna was on the edge, ready for release. She felt like a wanton woman with her dress bunched at her hips and her legs spread for his roving tongue and delicate fingers. Her nails pierced the ground as something twisted at her core. He worked her faster, knowing that she was near. A hungry growl erupted in his throat, and that animalistic sound alone sent her spiraling up into ecstasy. Her orgasm overtook her and sent her even higher.
He didn’t waste any time thereafter. Lifting himself to a standing position, he jerked off his shirt and pants, and settled back between her legs. His mouth was lightly parted and his fangs were clearly visible. The once calm look in his eyes was replaced with uncontrollable animal lust. She wasn’t sure who had the upper hand against her now. The man or the wolf.
Jayson cupped her ass and led his rock hard cock into her pulsing pussy. Even now, the length and girth of him shocked her. When his crown hit the back of her, she cried out and bit into his shoulder. He tasted of salt and honey, an addicting combination.
He began moving within her, opening her even further to his thick penetration.
His hand held her backside firmly and up off the ground. Each time he speared her, it took her closer and closer to another climax. She rocked her hips against him, heightening the sensation for the both of them.
Arianna could feel his cold fangs against her neck. Man and wolf struggled with each other. Both of them wanted to claim her, but one of them fought more than the other.
‘When, Arianna?’ he pleaded through telepathy.
‘Not now.’ She pulled his mouth to hers and kissed his lips sweetly. ‘Not like this.’
It was a successful decoy, but she could still feel his wolf protesting just underneath the surface of his skin.
His plunges became hard and relentless. Warm friction intensified between her legs and her clit pulsed eagerly.
This time when she came, he came with her. His seed flooded into her, uniting with her essence to create the potent mixture that sent molten ice sensations shooting throughout her. She quaked under him. He shuddered against her. Their lips touched, but they did not kiss. He pulsed within her and her pussy convulsed around him in the aftermath.
For a long moment, they remained drunk from the sexual high caused by the serum.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Arianna would pay for this. She just knew it.
She could only imagine the annoyed look on Jayson’s face when he learned that she’d taken off on his motorcycle. If she’d told him where she was going, he would have tried to stop her. Tricking him into walking across the street to order their breakfast was the only way to escape without protest. Round after round of hot sex outdoors and then once more back at his condo made for one famished wolf.
As she pulled up, she noticed that Roy wasn’t at the gate this time. There was a new guard on duty. She came to a stop next to him, and tore off her helmet.
“When did you get hired?” she asked irritatingly, as the poor guy looked her up and down in shock. “What happened to the other guard?”
“He got fired.” There was a hint of fangs protruding from his lips. Her father had hired a wolf this time. He was no Caedmon, but a wolf spirit definitely sparked around him.
She looked at him skeptically. “Fired?” Now her father was going around firing people out of the blue?
“Who are you, woman?”
“Who are you, wolf?” she shot back.
He seemed taken aback by her knowledge. “Philip.”
“I’m Arianna. Now open the gates.”
His eyes widened in astonishment, before a shameful expression marred his face. “Excuse me, miss. I didn’t know.” His fangs retreated; he bowed his head, and backed up toward the control switches.
“Well, the next time you see me…you will know.” She revved the motor and rushed forward into the gates.
Parking the motorcycle next to her father’s Rolls Royce, she wasted no time as she made her way through the front door.
Arianna passed a maid dusting in the main room and found her father in the dining hall eating breakfast. When she entered, he looked up from his platter.
She pulled out a chair at the far end of the table and sat down.
Her father put down his fork, regarding her studiously. “Are you ready?”
The nerve of him to ask her that. “No, I actually came to tell you that I’m not doing it.”
“I see.”
“What led you to make such an agreement with the Zeldanos?”
He raised an eyebrow. “You want the real truth?”
She crossed her arms over her chest and sat back in the chair. “Nothing but the truth.”
“The Zeldanos have been a client of mine forever. Our liaison started back with my great-grandfather. They have been silent investors in many of my endeavors…the most recent ones include the purchase three casinos and resorts out west.”
Her father had always been one to invest in land and property, so this was no surprise to her.
“Why would you need the Zeldano’s to invest?”
“More capital, of course,” he said. “I’ve limited resources.”
“It’s because you have been gambling away your liquid capital, and losing. A year ago, you bought into an expansion of a strip mall in California that never came to fruition.”
“I’ve failed, yes…but I also succeed.”
Lately, it had been less of the later.
“You still haven’t answered my question. Why did you promise me in an arranged pairing?”
“It was something that I felt needed to be done at the time. Luther and I wanted to ensure a certain degree of nobility in our offspring. This union ensures it.”
“So you honestly believe that I will bear children with Ivan.”
“When you were little, you told me many times how you wanted to live in the biggest castle and wear the prettiest dresses…”
“Times have changed,” Arianna said. “I am no longer a child and those were only fairy tales.”
“For my daughter, I only want the best. Do you know how much the Zeldano’s are worth?”
Her eyes widened. “I don’t care.”
Her father got up and sauntered over to the corner of the room next to the small bar area. “You don’t care now, because you don’t understand how beneficial this will be.”
“To you, you mean?”
“To both of us. For you the most. When I am dead and buried, who will carry on my name and my legacy?”
“I will do this,” she said.
“You will, but I trust Ivan Zeldano to carry on the business as I have done. Their goals and mine are aligned, you see.”
“No, I don’t see.” She got up and joined him on the other side of the granite-lined counter tops.
“You have to understand that things changed when your mother passed carrying my only son with her.”
Arianna bowed her head and swallowed the rising lump in her throat. “I may not be a son, but I am still your child. Like you, I never wanted to see our family being lowered in the ranks like this, but that is something that fate decided for us in this life and something we must accept.”
The Klein’s had once been one of the most influential families linked to the human branch of Caedmons. As soon as it was known that Mr. Klein had no son and
that his wife had died, they fell down the noble ladder giving way to others to take the top spot.
Arianna didn’t care about that. She didn’t care about being on the top. Being on the top never ensured their happiness before. It just meant you had to work harder to stay there.
He poured two ounces of whiskey over several cubes of ice. “I believe we can change fate.”
“If my brother had lived, then what…?”
“These plans were in place before your brother was even conceived. My son is not here to carry on the business as I had imagined, so I agreed to sell my shares into the new venture.”
Her father and the Zeldano’s wanted it all, as far as she could see. “Is that why you banned me from seeing Jayson when I was young?”
He paused, his glass stopping in midair just short of touching his lips. “He threatened everything that I had planned.”
“Do you know why he’s a threat to these plans?”
Her father took a sip, and cringed as he swallowed the strong alcohol. “The Klein and Truman business was his family’s bread and butter. If the business had dissolved earlier as I’d proposed to Jayson’s father, I presume they’d be broke.”
Too bad her father only saw what he wanted to believe. He had to have figured out by now that Jayson was connected to her in ways that he refused to accept.
“Let’s say I’d gone off to college and decided to never come back. What would have happened if I had committed to some other man…?”
“The penalty for reneging was written into the contract.”
She was afraid of this. “What is the penalty?”
He frowned. “Public humiliation, punishment, servitude. Anything deemed appropriate to satisfy the debt owed. I’m even subject to exposure by the U.S. government for other dealings that could land me in a real prison.”
Arianna couldn’t stand the thought of her father being exposed to such treatment or being locked up in jail with hardened criminals, rapists, and murderers.
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