by Eve Newton
“Stop it,” she mumbles.
“No way,” he says. “Watching you eat is fascinating.”
Her blush returns, but it doesn’t stop her from buttering a third roll.
He looks over the menu and asks her what she wants.
“Everything,” is her reply and he laughs.
She takes it from him and casts her eyes quickly over it and hands it back. She has decided and by the looks of it can’t wait to get started.
He calls the waitress over and Liv starts. “Soup, green salad, and stuffed mushrooms to start. Rib-eye, very rare, with lots of fries and onion rings, the spaghetti and meatballs and more bread please.”
She hands the menu back and the waitress makes to leave, assuming Liv had ordered for the both of them. He clears his throat and puts his hand out to stop her from leaving. She looks astounded but doesn’t say anything as she takes Lincoln’s order of, also, rib-eye, very rare, with lots of fries and onion rings, he adds to Liv’s delight. He wanted to order more. That won’t fill him up or keep him going very long, but he is certain that Liv won’t eat even a quarter of what she just ordered.
She leans towards him and smiles her beautiful smile at him. “Kiss me,” she says, and wild Wolves couldn’t stop him. It gets very heated, as he gets carried away with being able to do this here with her and when someone mutters, “Get a room,” he laughs and pulls away. He can see her desire for him burning in her eyes and he wants to take her away from here and to their clearing in the woods, where he can take her repeatedly. He is about to suggest it when her starters arrive and she dives into it, shoveling the salad into her mouth at a rapid rate. He frowns at her now. He was enjoying watching her before, not that it makes any difference. She won’t gain weight no matter how much she eats, but it pleased him anyway as she is so tiny. Now, he is starting to worry. It is completely unnatural for her to be heaping this much food into her mouth. The salad has gone, the mushrooms are half finished, being washed down with cream of tomato soup, in between bites of bread. He seriously hopes this doesn’t make her ill. It won’t be a pretty sight.
The steaks and pasta arrive, and she is on it immediately, savoring the taste of the bloody meat before she grabs handfuls of fries.
“Liv,” he says to her. “Perhaps, slow down a bit?”
She stops mid-chew and looks down at the smorgasbord in front of her. “Sorry,” she says. “I have no idea where this is coming from.” She replaces her fork and takes a ladylike sip of her wine. It makes him laugh and he shakes his head at her, but his worry only exacerbates as she is sitting there, eyeing up the rest of her dinner, dying to get stuck in again. She doesn’t wait for permission before she picks up her fork and finishes both dishes off before he has got halfway.
Then she starts eyeing up the rest of his!
He sighs and hands it over to her. She will only order something else if he doesn’t comply with her hunger. She grins at him and accepts it with grace, before she ruins it by picking it up with her fingers and eating it like some sort of cavewoman. She licks her fingertips and wipes her mouth and hands on her napkin and sits back, finally looking replete. Lincoln and the rest of the restaurant are staring in open shock that someone so tiny could put away so much food so quickly.
“Finished?” he asks her sardonically and she laughs.
“For now,” she says. “Want to get out of here?”
“Well, that had to be the shortest date in history,” Lincoln says as he asks for the check.
“Oh, it’s not over,” she says. “I know exactly what we can have for dessert.” She licks her lips and he nearly keels over at the suggestion in her voice.
He helps her up after he has paid and amidst stares of awe, they leave the restaurant.
“The clearing?” he asks, desperate to get her on her hands and knees on the mossy ground.
She shakes her head to his disappointment. “It’s too cold,” she says. “I really feel it now. I need a nice warm and comfy bed.”
Well, that’ll do, he thinks as he starts the car. “Where to?” he asks.
“Go home, but then I am taking you back to L.A. We will have privacy, but also showing my face is high on my list of priorities,” she says.
“Good idea,” he says and drives off. Although, there is going to be a bit of conflict once Chrissie wakes up, he isn’t sure he wants Liv around to deal with that. It will be up to him this time.
A few hours later, after “dessert” proved to be one of the best moments in his life, he holds her close to him. He needs this closeness and comfort from her. She drifts off as expected so he just lies there with her in his arms. He must have fallen asleep as well, as he suddenly wakes up when he realizes she isn’t next to him. He panics for a moment until he sees her over by the window.
“I should get going,” she says.
He nods, wishing that she didn’t have to go.
“Are you coming or staying? I can come back later for you if you like?” she offers.
“I’ll stay,” he says. He still has the whole Chrissie thing to deal with. “Can you come back for me in the morning?”
“Which morning?” she asks.
“This one,” he replies with a smile.
“Done,” she says and kisses him goodbye. She Astrals off into another time zone and he flops back to the bed, exhaustion overcoming him after the last few months of uncertainty and worry.
He awakes again sometime later by a soft kiss to his lips. “Hi,” Liv says to him. “You must have been shattered.”
“Yeah,” he says, rubbing his face. “What time is it?”
“A little after eight,” she says.
Shit, he slept for hours. He feels worlds better for it though. He is about to pull her into the bed with him, when she asks, “The Demon Wolf. Did you ever find it?”
“Oh!” he starts in surprise. He had completely forgotten about the Primary Wolf Shifter. “Uh, no. It attacked that one last time back in June and then it hasn’t been heard from since. We think that, erm…” he pauses, looking at her warily.
“What?” she asks with a frown.
“That Remiel may have some control over it and recalled it back to the Spirit Realm,” he finishes quickly, watching for her reaction to that name.
She sits back on her heels and says, “Oh. It’s possible, I suppose. Although, now that he is alive and well, shouldn’t we be worried? What if it is as real as him and living somewhere close by?”
Yes, we fucking well should be, he says to himself, but gives her a reassuring smile. “Everyone is still on high alert. It is always the first order of business. If it is spotted, you will be called to kill it.”
She nods firmly, completely sure of her role. He leans forward to kiss her and groans in frustration when there is a brisk knock at the door.
He pulls his pants on and knows who it is before he opens the door.
Chrissie steps into the bedroom and seems surprised to see Liv there. Liv straightens up and crosses her arms. She looks defensive, but he knows it is so that Chrissie can see she has her magick hands stowed. Liv sidles closer to him and they all just stand there looking at one another. He muffles his laughter as Liv bends over and hands him his t-shirt. He pulls it over his head and then he looks at Chrissie, who is looking quite wary.
“Liv,” he says. “Could you give us a minute, please?”
She looks at him, startled, and starts to protest, but he quietens her with a soft kiss.
“Go and make some tea,” he said. “I will find you in a minute.”
She goes reluctantly, not at all happy to be kicked out of this meeting. However, this is not a meeting. This is a punishment.
“I ask your forgiveness,” Chrissie says as soon as Liv has left. “I will take my punishment and learn from it.”
He really does not want to do this. But he has been left with no choice. Liv left him with no choice when she failed to exclude her from the Pack. Although in fairness, he is to blame for that. He just assumed sh
e would do it, but he should have known better of his merciful mate.
He sighs and she pulls out the Nine-Tailed Dungeon Whip from her back pocket. Chrissie hands it to him and he accepts it then she removes her top. She turns from him and places her hands on the bedpost to keep her steady. He breathes in deeply and administers the first lash quickly. The better to get this over with. He tries to hold back and go easy on her, but by the third lash she is shaking and by the fifth she is bleeding and by the eighth she is screaming. Two more and he can go and be sick. He is sweating and shaky himself as he lets the whip drop to the floor. He doesn’t go to her, he doesn’t help her, he just waits while she bends stiffly to retrieve her top. She puts it on with as much dignity as she can, and he admires her strength as it had to hurt like a bitch.
“Thank you,” she says formally, and he wants to tell her that she shouldn’t be thanking him.
Instead, he says, “I give you my absolution. But know this, if you ever challenge my Chosen mate again, I will see to it personally that she doesn’t hold back, and your ass will be out. You got a pass this time, but not again.”
She nods, fear of exclusion is worse than the fear of being beaten up. Excluded Wolves rarely get in with another Pack and if they do, they are lower than the lowest. She opens the door and comes face to face with a shocked and sick-looking Liv and he could curse her. She has got to be the most stubborn creature he has ever come across. Why couldn’t she just do as she was told instead of hanging around to see what happened? He hadn’t wanted her to know about this, ever. She would be devastated.
Chrissie stops dead and, looking humiliated beyond belief, mumbles an apology to her Queen, to which Liv just nods dumbly. Chrissie beats a hasty retreat then and Lincoln sighs at his Alpha mate. “Liv,” he says. “You should have done as I asked.”
“Why did you do that?” she asks him and what can he tell her? That Chrissie defied not only him, but her as well, that she threw the dice and lost and that it is their way?
“Just leave it as done,” he says. He doesn’t want to talk about it, or even think about it again. She wants to say more but doesn’t when he remains firm with her. She holds him instead and he takes her to the bed and kisses her. He strips her of her clothes as she does to him, and he presses his naked body against hers. There is no urgency now, he just needs her passionate, sweet, and beautiful self to take care of him. She sucks every inch of him, bites him harshly before she kisses him gently. He is rock hard and straining to be inside her, but she doesn’t let him. Not yet. She wants to show her love for him, and he wants to let her. She takes him in her mouth, and he groans, eager to come, but he holds out because he knows he needs to time to regroup and he doesn’t want this to end.
“I love you,” he murmurs to her as she works her tongue up and down his shaft. She circles his base and slides her hand up him and over the tip of him and he twitches. He needs her now. She knows and gives him what he wants. She straddles him and slowly, so slowly he wants to grab her and force her right down onto him, she sinks down. She is so wet and so hot.
“Oh, Linc,” she whispers to him. “You feel so good inside me.” She leans forward, her hands on his chest and kisses him. He can’t hold back any longer. He grabs her hips and flips her over, impaling her with his huge cock. Again, and again he ravages her. Takes her to the top and brings her back down again. He unleashes himself on her, knowing he shouldn’t be hurting her, but he needs it and she basks in it, asking for more. He couldn’t have found a more perfect woman to share his life with and he has to make her his. That is all that matters now as he climaxes with a victorious roar as he squeezes her ass tight, shooting his seed into her, drenching her with his need.
She lies on his chest, stroking little circles on him. He loves it when she does that. He just loves her. He can smell and feel her milky nectar cooling on his cock, and it gets him hard again. He feels her smile against his chest, and she slips down him to take him in her mouth again. He jumps to attention as she starts to lick him clean, a pure erotic moment that has him coming in her mouth within minutes. She crawls back up him and swallows and smiles at him as she kisses him, swishing her tongue around his so he can taste them both in her mouth. She drives him crazy with lust. She does things to him that he never would have thought possible. She is the sexiest creature alive, and he tells her. She giggles and settles back down against him.
“Hungry,” she mumbles, and his own stomach lets out a loud rumble. He remembers he has had nothing to eat since that half a steak last night.
“Me too,” he says.
Liv sits up and says, “I will make you breakfast.”
He is a bit hesitant. Can she cook? He doesn’t want to offend her, so he goes along with her to the kitchen after they have got dressed. She goes about making scrambled eggs and bacon with hash browns and toast. He watches her as she very effectively works her away around the kitchen, making sure everything is perfectly timed.
“You cook?” he asks her as she clearly has knowledge of the kitchen.
“Of course,” she says. “I studied cordon bleu in Paris.”
Of course, she did.
“Is there anything that you don’t do?” he asks with a laugh.
She returns it and says, “Boats. I do not do boats.”
“You get seasick?” he asks, surprised that Vampires would suffer from such an affliction.
“Like you won’t believe,” she replies. “Coming to America was horrendous.”
“I can imagine,” he mutters, glad he’s not Devon. That must have been unpleasant. “But what I mean is, is there anything you can’t master?”
She frowns and then sighs as she places his plate in front of him and sits with her own. “CK’s impassive face. Geez, I have tried, but that man must have been made from stone. It’s impossible.” She snorts with laughter and he joins in and watches her wolf her breakfast down. He isn’t far behind her today and grabs the last piece of toast before she can.
“Hey,” she says and tries to grab it. He holds it up out of her reach and she bashes him in the chest. “No fair, giant.” He stands as it is the only way he will be able to eat this without her trying to take it. He loves her being so short next to him.
“Sorry, baby,” he says through bites. “You ate half my dinner last night. I’m fucking starving.”
She sulks for a few minutes and has a pang as he realizes how normal this is, how domesticated and how much he wants it with her. He wonders how long it will last. He hopes forever.
No such luck as she stands and says, “I should get back. I told them I was only coming to get you. I’ve been gone hours.”
“Lucky for me,” he says smartly, and she smiles. “Give me five minutes and then we will be out of here. I want to, uh…” He wants to check on Chrissie but doesn’t know how to tell Liv that.
She knows though and waves him off. He goes quickly to find her. She is in the den, slumped on a stool and looking worn out.
“You should get to bed,” he says. “You will be more comfortable.” Her wounds will take a little while to heal. He, as an Alpha male, is stronger, faster, and heals quicker than regular Shifters. She will be sore for at least a few more hours. She nods woefully and he takes pity on her. He embraces her lightly and she clings to him, making the mistake of running her hands up his back under his t-shirt. He steps back abruptly just as Liv walks into the room, no doubt come to find him. He launches himself at her as the fury crosses her face and says to her, “Leave it. It was nothing but comfort. Let’s go.” The last thing he needs is another fight between these two. One that would surely end in Chrissie’s death. Liv is the world’s biggest hypocrite. She has her multiple lovers, but she is fiery jealous of anyone who goes near her men. He has no doubt, that after everything, she wouldn’t hold back. He grabs her hands and says, “Liv, let’s go.”
Fortunately, she takes the high road and circles her arms possessively around him. “I’m watching you,” she spits out to Chrissie who looks t
errified and in pain, and Astrals them back over to England.
Chapter 19
Buckinghamshire, England, September 2013 – Liv
“Where the fuck have you been?” is yelled at us as soon as we land in the library. Three guesses as to whose voice it is.
“Calm down,” I say to CK. “Something came up.”
“I bet it did,” he growls at me, taking in a deep breath and coming up with Lincoln and I covered in each other’s scents. Oops, forgot to take a shower. I blush furiously as I mentally send Dragon fire at myself. Such a stupid, rookie mistake.
“Pack issues,” I say forcefully and Lincoln nods in agreement.
“Well, now that you are back, we need to have that talk,” he says. I nod, thinking I can’t put it off anymore. He already tried to talk to me earlier, but I distracted him with…other things. I have no idea what he has to say, but I am sure I’m not going to like it. I go over to him and embrace him. He hugs me stiffly back and then pushes me away. I feel the pang of rejection, but only have myself to blame. I turn to Cole and find it odd that whenever I go and come back, they are together like brand new BFFs. It’s almost like they are whispering to each other behind my back. I frown as that nasty thought worms its way through my brain, but then hold my arms out for my charge and he steps into my embrace, but just as quickly pushes me away. I huff at both of them and say, “Fine, I will go and shower.” Right before a wave of Power comes rushing through the room. “Mother,” I say to Her as She appears before us in a magnificent gown of black silk with a black cloak and her black hair upswept in a severe do. Geez, who died? Oh, geez! Who died?
“ValamAtrux,” She says. “You are well?”
“Yes,” I say with a smile and step forward almost as if I am expecting some praise.
“Good,” She says. “It’s about time.”
My smile disappears and I chew my lip. I should have known better than that.
“Well, now that you have gone through your first time, we can get you prepared for conceiving in three months’ time,” She states to the silent room.