I don’t move, watching her face for the tell-tale sign to go ahead. At first, she’s still biting her lip hard enough to draw blood, and I stop her with a kiss. My mouth nibbles and sucks on hers, teasing her, until she sighs in my mouth.
My hands focus on her breasts, massaging them and trailing light kisses on her nipples. Luz’s sighs become moans, and soon enough she’s moving against me of her own volition.
When I pull back from the kiss this time, she’s smiling, nodding her head. “Please. Keep going.”
I pull back, gritting my teeth and cording my muscles, feeling like I’m about to snap. She’s so tight against me, it’s all I can do to take things slow, but she deserves every moment of torture it costs me—and then some.
When her nails rake my back again, tugging on me, and begging me to go faster, only then do I let myself increase my pace and plunge deeper, until we both break on the cliffs of ecstasy.
Lucrezia
I can’t sleep, my mind going haywire over what we shared. Dom’s drawing lazy circles on my back, causing delicious shivers to run up and down my spine. Low in my belly, desire stirs anew and I shift.
Dom stops his ministrations, chuckling. “Ready for more already?”
I peek at him, nibbling on my lip. “Maybe.”
His eyes flare dark and one hand rises to cup my cheek. “Much as I want to take you up on that—and trust me, I do—it might be a good idea to let your body rest.”
I know I’m pouting by the way he laughs, his entire chest rumbling with it. It’s such a change from the man I dragged out of the bar and it fills me with female power.
Dom shifts so I’m sprawled even more over him, and plays with my hair. “What’s going on in that pretty head of yours?”
“Many things. But mainly, I have this weird urge to be honest with you.”
When I meet his gaze, it’s not surprised. “I claimed you, Luz. And since wolves mate for life, that’s the purest form of commitment you can get into, stronger than any bonds of human marriage. There’s no glowing light or singing angels, but I think it’s normal a part of you feels the purity of what we just shared, hence the honesty.”
It makes sense, on a bizarre level. “Well then, to answer your question, my head was recalling the bar, and picking you up from there. And I was thinking how much of a difference there’s in you now.”
I search his gaze, sensing his body tense underneath mine. “What happened, Dom? Why were you there?”
He sighs, running his free hand—the one not on my back—over his face. “When Lucas kicked me out of the pack, it broke the connection I had with them. You have to understand that being part of something like that, it’s... It’s big. Especially for someone like me, who lost his link to wolves when I was so young.”
My heart clenches for him, but I don’t want to interrupt. So instead I wrap my arm around his waist and set my chin on his chest, giving him my full undivided attention.
“At first, I wanted to go after the creatures, or find something to sink my teeth into—a fight, preferably. But then my feet carried me there, and I didn’t move. It’s the type of place that lets you fall into oblivion.”
“I noticed.” My tone was meant to be neutral, Dom picks up something in it and his gaze returns to my face.
“Luz, I touched no one there, you have to believe me. Hell if I know how that girl got near me.”
I wave my hand, dismissing the thought of her. “Don't worry, I get it.”
Dom seems relieved, but a slight frown creases his brow. “How did you find me, anyway? The guys couldn’t have known where I was, disconnected as we were.”
“Yeah, about that...” I shift, biting my lip. Before I have time to finish, my buzzer rings—repeatedly.
Dom scowls at the door. “Expecting someone?”
“Not really...” But I slide out of bed anyway and pull on my robe. His eyes follow my every movement, his heated gaze making me blush.
Then the buzzer breaks the moment and I huff. “Something better be on fire, somewhere.” Dom’s laugh follows me into the hallway and back to my front door. To my annoyance, the buzzer stops ringing as I near it.
I’m about to return to the bedroom when loud, insistent banging starts on my front door. I tiptoe to it, peek through the peephole, and sigh.
“Seriously?” I open the door, having a faint idea what this is about. Tristan and Finn are gracing my doorstep, both appearing flustered—and relieved at finding me.
Their eyes grow wide as saucers when they notice what I’m wearing. I feel the tell-tale sign of a flush on my cheeks, but refuse to back down. “What’s so damn urgent?”
They share a look, and Finn says, “We wanted to make sure you were all right. After the way you left...”
“And the guy you left with!” I scowl at Tristan’s interruption, but heat behind me interrupts the verbal lashing I was about to give him.
“What guy?”
Dom opens the door wider, at the same time throwing an arm around my waist and pulling me to his side. I warn Tristan to behave with a glare—which he ignores.
“Hummer guy.”
I roll my eyes at Tristan. “His name is Tytus, and he was more help than you two.”
“You took off before we returned!”
“You were about to get in a pissing match with Lucas. Do you honestly think I wanted to waste time waiting when I could be out there, finding Dom?”
Tristan falls silent at that, and I realize Dom has been just as quiet, listening to the entire exchange. Recalling his mention of honesty from earlier, I glance up at him.
“When I went looking for you, Finn’s car ran out of gas. I was in the middle of nowhere with no cellphone battery, so I got out and walked to the closest intersection. A small cluster of wolves tried to start something, and I fought them off. This guy Tytus showed up and called them off.”
Dom’s expression is unreadable, but at least he’s not throwing a tantrum like Tristan. “Called them off? How?”
I shrug. “Beats me. He told them to leave, and they did.”
“Then he’s a wolf.” He glances to Tristan and Finn for confirmation, but they shake their heads.
“He’s not, amigo. Finn won’t say what he is, and I can’t place the smell, but he’s neither human nor wolf.”
“I see...” Dom’s gaze darts between them. “Well, I’m assuming you both came here to see if Luz is alright?” When they nod, he says, “As you can see, she’s fine. And we have some catching up to do.”
Finn coughs into his palm to hide a smile, but Tristan’s nowhere near that subtle. “About damn time!”
Dom shakes his head, moving me back inside. He’s closing the door when Tristan puts a hand on it. “Hold up. What Lucas did... You need to know, we didn’t vote on it. He didn’t run it by us.”
Finn nods. “And we don’t support it, and have told him as much.”
“Thank you.” Dom pats them on the back one at a time. “I’ll let you know if I get anything useful on those creatures. And... You can tell Lucas I’m still in town. I don’t need you lying to your alpha for me.”
With that, he shuts the door all the way and faces me. Something in his expression shifts, and his hands come to rest on my hips. “This guy Tytus. Did he try anything?”
“Nope, he was a perfect gentleman. Almost old-school.” I hesitate for a second, then shrug. “He’s the one that showed me where you were.”
“And how did he know it was me?”
“Said he caught your scent on me.”
Dom’s nostrils flare, then he pulls me closer. His mouth moves to my cheek, my ear, kissing all the way down to my shoulder. “If you see him again...”
I gasp when he nibbles on the sensitive skin, my body arching towards his. There’s an aching need inside me, and I can no longer control it. “I’ll tell you. I promise.”
His mouth cuts off any further comments, and talk of Tytus is forgotten.
Dominic
I wake u
p with a start, breathing heavily. Next to me, Luz mutters and shifts on the bed, draping her body over mine.
My eyes move to the hallway where a faint light shines. I recognize the glow enough to call out. “Ileana?”
Luz stirs against me, blinking. When she lifts her head and her gaze lands on my godmother in our bedroom, her jaw goes slack.
“Lucrezia, meet my godmother, Ileana.”
The immortal waves from afar, a soft smile on her lips. “It is a pleasure.”
Luz pulls the blanket to her chin, blushing three shades of crimson. “The pleasure is all mine.” She glances at me, her expression questioning.
“Remember when you told me my great-grandfather was forgiven by the Church?” When she nods, I jerk my head towards Ileana. “She made it happen with her white magic. And she’s been a benefactor for my family ever since.”
Luz sits up straighter, making sure the blanket still covers her. “So you were around during Dom’s childhood?”
Ileana inclines her head, stepping closer to the bed. “I was, though he could not see me. When his parents died in that horrible house fire, I made sure he was placed with a good family. Knowing he was safe and hidden from his vrykolakas relatives, I focused my energy on keeping an eye on them, and lost track of him.”
Before Luz can follow the same train of thought Finn did, I intervene. “Ileana followed Radu, my cousin, across the ocean, and that’s how she ended up back here. She feels guilty over not being able to save all their souls, and hopes I might be able to change that.”
“By taking over as their alpha?”
Surprise must show on my face at her question, as Luz chuckles softly. “You forget I went all the way to New York to get this information. I can draw my own conclusions.”
Humbled by all she’s done for me, I kiss her forehead and squeeze her against my chest. Everything else I want to say will have to wait until later, because there’s no way in hell my godmother is here just for kicks.
So I turn to Ileana, frowning. “What is it?”
“Your cousin grows restless. They need more kills to feed the habit, Dominic. If you ever plan to take my advice, now is the time. Not later.”
“I’ll do it. I have no alpha to answer to, so nothing stands in my way now.”
Ileana glances between me and Luz. “You should take your mate with you.”
“Absolutely not.”
“Hey!”
Luz shifts again, and I can sense her agitation. But I tighten my arm around her waist instead, immobilizing her. “I don’t want her in danger.”
Ileana moves closer to the bed, her eyes saddened. “Her love grounds you. When you meet your brethren, they will want to turn you. Tonight is a full moon, and you will be at your most vulnerable. Heed my words, godson.”
With the cryptic words, she disappears before we can ask anything else. Luz breaks out of my hold and gets to a kneeling position on the bed, wrapping the covers around her.
“What did Ileana mean, about a full moon making you vulnerable?”
I sigh, rubbing the back of my neck. “Remember that old legend I told you about how the vârcolacs eat the moon and that’s why it’s bloody?”
“Yeah... You also mentioned something about how a full moon makes you faster.” Her green eyes shine with confusion, trying to see where I’m going with my evasive answer.
“True, I can run at three times my regular speed. But it also makes my concentration less than optimal, and my ability to heal is impaired. Most importantly, it emphasizes the primal part of me, making it easier for my wolf to rule me.”
Luz completely ignores that last part, focusing instead on the hurting part. “So a regular morphing back to human won’t fix you, if you get bad wounds?”
I shake my head, watching her closely. “Not until the full moon is completely gone.” Which, we both know, could take a few days.
Luz is silent as she absorbs the knowledge, but what she ends up saying is nowhere close to what I’m expecting. “I want to come with you.”
“You don’t even know what this is about.”
Her emerald eyes sparkle, and not with amusement. I know she wants to help, but if anything happens to her...
As if reading my thoughts, Luz’s expression softens. “I’ll be careful and listen to what you tell me, I promise. But please let me come.”
In a weak moment, I nod, praying to all the gods I don’t live to regret it.
∞ ♦ ∞
The forest is quiet, except for their constant howls. Me and Luz move as a unit, silent, and I keep my human form for ease of communication. Her hand is warm in mine, and despite my worry over her well-being, something in me says this was the right decision.
When we pass through the area we were last attacked in, she wrinkles her nose at the dead bodies. Their rotting scent fills the air and we quicken our pace through it, on the way to the cave.
“It’s weird, but I feel bad for them.”
Her whisper reaches me and I nod in agreement. “They didn’t deserve the atrocious ending. Which is why I was afraid to bring you.”
My grip tightens on her as we cross the river, keeping to the unbroken ice this time. Luz squeezes my hand in reassurance once we're over.
“I’ll be fine.” She flashes me the army knife I gave her in the car. “Armed and ready.”
I snort at her poor attempt of a joke. We bend under the last of the branches and emerge in the area Aiden was killed. Radu must have dragged his body elsewhere, a small blessing that keeps the air only semi-clear. The cave is below us, and I point it to Luz.
“That’s where I need to go.”
She nods, biting her lip. I had intended to scope out the territory, but a voice at the back of my head tells me that won’t be possible.
“Welcome back, cousin. Returned to join us so soon?”
I whirl around, as does Luz at my abrupt movement. Our eyes fall on Radu, only a few feet away. And this time, he’s not alone.
∞ 16 – Luptă ∞
“It is better to stand and fight.
If you run, you’ll only die tired.”
-A Viking Saying-
DOMINIC
This is the first time I see my cousin in human form. He’s blonde like me, but with lifeless brown eyes and a mean sneer. His body is built, but jagged scars cross his naked chest. He’s wearing a pair of jeans, faded and ripped like they’ve seen better days, and he’s barefoot.
“Who’s your pretty lady?”
I shift to cover Luz halfway with my body. His smirk at my knee-jerk reaction tells me that’s exactly what he wanted. But rather than get distracted by it, I notice his yellowed teeth and hollow cheeks.
His hair in shoulder-length, dirty and covered with leaves. And there’s a scent off him...
“Picked up a habit, cousin?” My retort seems to hit a nerve as one hand clenches in a fist. But he releases it, sneering instead.
“And if I did?”
His chaotic attitude is not reassuring and I’m regretting bringing Luz here. “What does a wolf get out of drugs, anyway?”
“Why don’t you see for yourself?” He jerks his head towards me, and I tense, expecting the creatures behind me to move.
Instead, I hear Lucrezia yelp and whirl around. One wolf morphed to human and has her in his grip. Damned freaking concentration and impaired abilities. And damn this full moon. I’m about to lunge at him, but he pushes her neck to the side and bares his long canines.
My feet are rooted to the ground, unsure what I’m witnessing until my cousin moves in my periphery. “Easy, Vlad. Human necks are so very fragile. Let’s not upset our visitors just yet.” To me, he says, “I bet you thought our eating of hearts was only for show, didn’t you?”
“No.” My eyes are on Luz the entire time, willing her to be strong, and I read only determination in her expression and trust that I’ll get her out of this. Brave girl. I try to be worthy of her faith, keeping my voice strong and holding my fury at bay. “I
thought you were a bunch of psychos in it for the thrill.”
Radu growls, and Vlad’s grip tightens on Luz. “Watch yourself, cousin. Unless you want your human to suffer.”
I glare at him for a moment, before turning back to Luz. “She’s my mate, you stupid bastard. Can’t you smell it on her? You’re harming my claimed mate. You know what the punishment is for that, in any pack.”
Radu laughs, and it’s long, hard and brittle. It stops in a coughing fit, then he straightens. “None of those rules apply to us. We are superior in every way, cousin. The hearts ensure this by increasing our natural abilities, including strength. They also affect the venom in our canines, turning it into an acid. That’s how it was so easy to dispose of those wolves that attacked you.”
“Why did you let me go, in that case?”
Radu snorts. “It wasn’t because I was sentimental, believe me. I thought if I showed you some good faith, your curiosity would get the best of you and you would return to the fold.” His glare settles on Luz. “Evidently, I was wrong and your loyalty is elsewhere. So before anything else, we must remedy that.”
Vlad moves his mouth closer to Luz’s neck, and every muscle in my body is ready to snap. “Enough! Leave her be. What do you want, Radu?” I turn to face him, forcing my fists to unclench.
He recognizes the effort and a swift, victorious gleam passes through his gaze before he nods to another wolf. It skulks near me and drops a pouch at my feet. I bend over and pick it up, hesitating to open it. I can feel what’s it in it, but don’t understand the purpose.
“You want me to shoot myself up with drugs?” Sure enough, when I tear open the pouch a clean syringe falls out, along with a vial of an amber liquid.
Radu grins at my confusion. “Yes.”
“Will you at least tell me why?”
“See, that’s your problem. You think there’s a reason to this whole thing, a plan. But there’s none, cousin. I want you to shoot yourself up with drugs because I want to see you lose control. It pleases me to wreak havoc on someone’s life.”
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