My arms crossed in irritation as I stared. “I’ll do this because I understand fully where you are coming from, but know that I can take away your access just as quickly as I give it.” I pointed a finger at him. “So, if I allow you in and you breach my trust at a later date, I will revoke your entry.” I saw he didn’t like this, not at all, but intelligently he didn’t argue since my point was valid. I nodded, then I crossed my arms, compelled to also say, “And just because I’m allowing you back there, it doesn’t mean we will be doing...anything,” my hand fluttered, “sexual…in there.” My cheeks were starting to flush, but I didn’t glance away from his gaze, letting him know I meant it.
His lips pinched as he gazed at me, then they twitched.
I jabbed the finger at him again. “I’m serious.” Again, I watched his lips twitch. “And dammit, I’m not funny.”
He inhaled heavily, his breath coming out shakily as he tried damn hard not to laugh at me.
I scowled, lifting the pictures and marriage certificate from the table. “Well, I’m so thrilled you think what happened earlier was humorous.” I lightly shoved him out of the way so I was standing in front of the tent flap, and murmured quietly, “Permit Ezra Zeller.” The wall flashed solid gold for a moment, then went back to shimmering gold against the white fabric. I brushed the tent flap aside, stepping into my bedroom, and motioned grandly for him to cross the threshold. “Your annoying Highness may now enter.”
“Thank you, your smartass Highness.” He stepped into my room, his gaze instantly scanning, analyzing everything he saw. He didn’t move any further until he had finished, then he made his way directly to Isa’s crib, not commenting on the sterile surroundings. I blinked when he paused in placing Isa in her crib and reached inside. Without glancing in my direction he held his arm out…with a buzzing bee printed bra dangling from his index finger. I quickly strode over and snatched it from his hand, muttering curses quietly under my breath as I tossed it into the bathroom, letting the tent flap close to hide its untidiness…and possibly more undergarments he could make fun of.
I watched as he kissed her cheek before placing her in the crib, earning a few happy babbles from her, and I froze. Staring. Because right here, right now, in the present day and time as he bent over the crib covering his daughter with her blanket and softly speaking to her…I saw the man I had watched onscreen. There was not an ounce of hardness on his face as he gazed down at her, completely letting down his guard — well, if he hadn’t strategically placed his body to protect himself from me — as he ran his fingers over her hair and spoke to her in such a soothing tone it threatened to make me sleepy.
I knew I was marveling, but I had not thought that man existed anymore, but of course, he did for Isa. His daughter. Just as I came alive with merely a thought of her. Anyone who couldn’t unconditionally love their child, an innocent baby, was a true monster. Though it was still a shock to my system seeing that love in him, the man who had just a week ago called himself heartless…and yes, he was when he needed to be, but not with her.
So there went my idea for going behind his back and filing for a divorce. There was a decent possibility that if I filed, the loopholes in Law One would be revoked, and we would be spelled for separation again, which I wouldn’t mind but…Isa. No, I couldn’t do that to her. She deserved to know this man who had already loved her unreservedly.
I jerked realizing King Zeller was staring at me from where he was bent over her. I flared my nostrils, not really knowing how long he had been watching me as I zoned out, but I stated the truth softly, “I won’t divorce you.”
One eyebrow rose. “I know. Just as I won’t divorce you for the same reasoning.” His head dipped, and I saw his predator peek out, his eyes glowing dimly as he stared. In the softest voice, he stated, “Earlier I said that I wouldn’t be nice if you ever attempted to permanently take her away from me, but the truth is, I will kill you.”
Truth.
I shrugged. “I know that.” And I let my eyes glow, let my wolf ride my voice. “And just the same, I’ll kill you if you do anything to take her away from me.”
Truth.
King Zeller’s lush lips lifted, and I saw the briefest flash of fang. “What a pair we are.”
I snorted, walking to my bed and flopping down on it, staring up at the ceiling. “We don’t trust each other. We have no reason to. We met only a week ago because I was trespassing not only into King Shadow, but into your home. And then there’s the tiny part where you,” my hand flittered, “tortured me.” I chuckled quietly, the action getting a smidge easier, if still sounding unused. “It wasn’t exactly the prime setting for starting our dysfunctional family.”
“Family,” King Zeller murmured in a soft tone, testing the word on his tongue. “I never would have guessed this was what I was mind raped for.” He stood for a few moments by Isa’s crib, then moved so he was standing where my knees hung over the bed.
I lifted my eyebrows, staring up at him. “Remember what I said before you entered.” My eyes went back to the ceiling, so I didn’t see temptation staring me in the face. “I may have had a temporary moment of insanity by starting that kiss earlier,” I paused, then stated begrudgingly, “which was fucking hot as hell,” I sighed heavily, “but it doesn’t mean we’re going to travel down the same path we did before. We’re both changed from this past year. That man and woman on those videos may be able to love their child, but when it comes to others…” I sighed, not bothering to finish.
He did it for me. “When it comes to others, love inevitably brings pain, which we both suffered immensely during this last year.”
I pointed at him. “Exactly.” Placing my hands under my head, I glanced at him where he stood like a huge helping of all things brutal and wild, fanning the flame of attraction and arousal low in my gut. I scowled, not appreciating where my thoughts continued taking me. “Maybe you could wear a sack over your head or something.”
His nostrils flared, and he blinked before he crossed his arms, making his shirt fabric pull tight, muscles showing plainly thanks to the golden sparks that contrasted shadow and light on his body. A purely carnal grin etched his features. “I can help you with that itch.” His gaze roamed my features, sliding down my body. “Because I have to tell you, now that I know why I was mind raped, and seeing some of my past I don’t remember, I’ll shortly be in the right place mentally to have sex.” He saw how my lips thinned even if I tried to hide it, the man appearing not to miss much, and his attention lifted from my mouth to my eyes. He bent slowly until his hands were on either side of my shoulders as he stared down at me. “And as you stated before about loyalty, the same has always held true for me. I am extremely loyal to those I care about, and fidelity in a committed relationship is a quality I have always respected in others.”
His head cocked as he watched me. “I hold no respect for those that cheat on their spouses, and I believe they should be held accountable for their actions…and not nicely.” He bent slowly, speaking softly, being blunt and honest. “So, with that said, and the fact you and I cannot divorce, when I want sex — and believe me, I will — I will be coming to my wife for it, even if I don’t particularly like or trust her.”
I tried not to show I had been holding my breath, so I breathed out shallowly, and stated just as bluntly and honestly, “I’m not a damn blow-up doll, King Zeller,” asshole, “as much as you may wish I was, so I seriously hope you have enough intelligence in that brain of yours to realize that sex unavoidably leads to stronger emotions, which will lead to us taking that same damn path to the same mistakes…and risk another spelled mind sweep and separation. All of those things are unbeneficial to Isa and ourselves.”
His grin was predatory as he lowered his face to a few inches from mine, his heat now surrounding me even if he had no weight on me, his feet still on the floor and upper weight on his arms. “Ah,” he chuckled, the sound cruel, “you’re forgetting something,” a slow drawl, “sweetheart.”
/> My gaze narrowed further. “And what is that,” I flashed my teeth, “baby?”
He rumbled quietly with forbidding humor, the sound oddly…comforting and nice. “It’s what you’ve already stated. We’re no longer those idiots from a year ago. Both of us have learned many manipulative skills and evasive tactics.” He bent his head, brushing his bristly, warm cheek against my own soft cheek to place his lips against my ear, and I felt his shadow of a beard. “Even if feelings become involved — and you’re correct, they might eventually — who better to hide an affair than the cruel, jaded, and merciless?”
My nostrils flared, and I scented he was already turned on. “Not that I don’t agree with your thought process, but I still believe it unwise for us to be involved sexually.” This was about self-preservation, an absolute must. “Why risk it?”
His chuckle was still soft, even with his lips still at my ear. “One question: do you want to spend our very long existence together thinking about your spouse, your husband, me, fucking other women?”
I know I froze under him. Something inside me — not my wolf and not my Vampire, just a primal part of my soul, possibly pride or greed — revoked at the thought that what was mine, and he was mine even if chosen by the young and inexperienced me, being touched by another woman, or him touching someone else. And the feeling was strong…so strong that my wolf woke and growled quietly. It was the sound of death stalking back and forth, waiting to pounce on anyone who so much as glanced at the asshole King. Miraculously, I loathed him, but I wanted him all for my own because…he was my husband, and he would be forever. A Mystical’s life was extremely long.
His Vampire responded in kind, his growl just as soft and deadly as mine, and it wasn’t a threat. It was more of an understanding of predators, a basic harmonized necessity to guard what was our own. Pushing back his Vampire, he lifted so he could meet my gaze, and he specified, “You hadn’t thought about this yet.” It was a statement.
I answered anyway, pushing my wolf back. “No, although I did think it odd you wanted to know if I had slept with anyone during the past year.” My lips pinched. “I get it now.” My head swung to Isa and stayed there, my gaze on her quietly babbling tiny form. “But still, I don’t know if it’s worth the risk. She deserves to know you. Abstinence may be our only option.”
King Zeller stared down at me, eyebrows raised. “You’re serious?”
I shrugged, turning my head back to face him. “Yes.” I paused. “Well, we would probably have to get together once every five years or so, since it could actually make me ill not to have intercourse.” Shifters, I swear we got the rotten end of the deal compared to other Mysticals.
He blinked slowly. “That’s…not really going to work for me.” He was starting to appear a little wide-eyed. “Other than this past year, I normally have an…overabundance…of sexual energy.”
It was my turn to stare as I put the puzzle pieces together, remembering his earlier comment about orgies. “I married a man-whore?”
His eyebrows snapped together, a bit of anger flashing in his green eyes. “I’m sure you weren’t complaining when we were together before we were caught.”
I blinked. “That’s a hell of a lot of confidence there, bucko.” I patted his shoulder. “And I doubt you were complaining, either.” I rubbed at my temples, staring past his head to the sparkles on my ceiling, and asked seriously, “Will you be in physical pain if you abstain?” Not that I wouldn’t mind him being that way, but he would probably be a bit of an annoyance the grouchier he became.
He hesitated, then he stated plainly, “Not like a Shifter can become, their need driving for physical contact, but a Vampire…” He paused. “I’m not sure why you don’t know this.” His head teetered back and forth, periodically cutting off my view of the sparkles. “You see, a Vampire is all about the capture and seduction. If I waited as long as what you’re stating, I would,” he paused, then he stated steadily, “well before that time, I would literally hunt down the object of my needs and seduce her with unrelenting mercy until I had her, and it could possibly end fatally for the female.” He stared into my wide gaze. “You.”
My jaw was hanging open. I knew it was. And I didn’t really care.
“Don’t give me that look.” He stared pointedly. “You know damn well — what you didn’t mention a minute ago — that if Shifter doesn’t become ill from abstinence, it’s because they’ve gone all primal during their sexual hiatus, and those matings normally end in death.” A thoughtful pause. “Statistically, Vampires kill less in those periods than Shifters.”
I choked. “If they go primal. There’s always the flip of the coin of becoming ill.” I closed my eyes, sighing heavily. “Well…fuck.” There weren’t any other options, unless we had sex with other partners…and yeah, I could already feel my mind going to that nice, velvet haze of red fury at that thought, which still astounded me.
“Yes,” King Zeller drawled slowly, “that’s the point. We fuck. Exclusively.”
Another heavy sigh as I rubbed my eyes. “I’m not ready for that yet.” I stared up at him tiredly, exhaustion creeping in. “Can I speak honestly with you?”
He stared at me intently. “I think that would be best.”
So I did. “I’ve been dead inside for what feels like forever, but since I met you a week ago, I’ve been overloaded with emotions and it’s freaking me out a bit.” I shook my head, closing my eyes again, and they stayed closed. “If we had sex right now, I’m not sure I could handle it. I need some time to cope with everything I’m feeling.”
He hummed softly, and I felt his heat intensify before his forehead touched mine gently, his breath spanning my lips and cheeks as he spoke quietly, “The feeling’s mutual, so I won’t push right now.”
“Thank you,” I whispered, and I found myself lifting to his warmth and had to stop myself, yawning long and hard. “God, you’re so hot. You’re like a furnace.” I allowed myself to lift my hands to his wrists and grip them as I burrowed my fingers under his robe and sleeves, trapping them between his clothing and skin. “And you have better sheets than me.” I felt King Zeller begin to vibrate over me, and I blinked my eyes open into green, seeing him silently chuckling. “Random, I know, but I’m dead tired,” my wolf growled softly at him, “so deal with it.”
He only shook harder over me, his laughter still silent. “So…you’re grumpy at night-time.”
My wolf growled again. “Only when I’m tired.” My legs wrapped around his, practically of their own accord, greedy for his heat. “So warm…” I yawned again, mumbling, “You’d better go before I make you stay to be a,” another yawn, “warm brick.”
This time I heard his deep chuckle. “A what?”
“Oh, you know,” I wiggled, getting more comfortable, “back in the old days, Coms would put warm bricks at the foot of their bed under the covers to warm up their bed.”
He snorted a few times, his hard chest actually brushing mine with the movement. “Well now, I wouldn’t want to be a brick.”
I grinned sloppily, poorly singing Brick house by the Commodores.
King Zeller shook hard above me and choked, singing with me in a deep baritone.
Lazily, I grinned. “Not bad, King Zeller.”
He was silent for a long moment. “That’s the first time you have said King Zeller where I didn’t get the impression there was something after it.”
I chuckled this time. “I said you were a quick one that first night, and I was right.”
“Do I want to know?”
“Probably not.”
“Well,” a long pause, “I guess that’s a step in the right direction if you’ve stopped.” A shorter pause. “But you can call me Ezra when we’re alone.”
My lips lifted evilly. “And you can still call me Queen Ruckler.” His Vampire growled quietly, and I blinked open blurry eyes to him. “Now who’s the grump?” When he only stayed silent, his forehead still on mine, I sighed and stated, “Fine, you can call m
e Lily in private if you leave and let me sleep right now. You see, tomorrow I have my first official day here in the land of King Shadow, and I hear the current boss, King Zeller, is a real ruthless Vampire dick to work with, so I need my shut-eye to deal with him.”
“Funny, I heard the same thing about the badass wolf bitch, Queen Ruckler,” King Zeller, Ezra, rumbled quietly.
My lips curled. “I am a badass bitch.”
“And I am a ruthless dick, so we’re both right.” He pressed his lush lips against mine, and I sighed — there was no way to contain it — and joined his caresses, stroking his soft mouth with mine. Our mouths meshed in a gentle tug of war, not a real battle because I was too tired and he didn’t push, but just enough to quickly satisfy before he lifted his head. “Good night, Lily.”
“Good night, Ezra.” I did manage to stop the whimper that wanted to escape as he lifted to untangle himself from my hands and legs, his warmth receding quickly as he moved to Isa’s now sleeping form to stare down at her for a few moments. I yanked my blanket back and waited until he left my bedroom — without a backward glance — to pull my cell phone from my back pocket, happy for the privacy spell on my bedroom, and dialed.
Waiting until the person picked up, I stated, “Felix, I’m going to need you or Aros to watch King Zeller’s tent. I want an update twice a day on the comings and goings of everyone who enters. Be discreet, I don’t want anyone knowing about this. And tomorrow morning, do me a favor and give me a ring the second he sets foot outside his tent.” I hung up at my elite’s confirmation and set my alarm clock. “Hidden — unpermit Ezra Zeller.” I saw a flash of gold, this time inside the tent’s walls, and I smiled as I snuggled into my chilly bed, loving that Antonio hadn’t said all my room was spelled for.
Just because the man was my husband, and we had a few decent moments, it didn’t mean he earned my instant trust, because I was smart enough to know…he was just like me.
King Tomb (Forever Evermore) Page 13