“I don’t need to know you more. I know you enough. Whatever flaws you have will be perfect.” He smiled and lowered his head, capturing the taut bud in his mouth and rolling his tongue around and around.
“I think I died and went to heaven.” She arched her back, offering herself to him.
“You are very much alive, I can feel your heart beating.” He lifted his head and placed his hand over her heart. “A good strong heart.”
Helena reached down between their bodies and tugged at his belt buckle. “Why don’t we get naked?”
“I am not going to argue with you.” He unbuttoned her jeans and pushed them down over her hips before she’d even unbuckled his belt.
“Expert hands.” She wriggled out of her jeans and he hooked his fingers in the elastic of her panties and pulled them down over her thighs, too. Then he swiftly unbuttoned his jeans and dragged them off.
“Better?” He hooked his hand under her knee and drew it upwards.
“Much better.” Helena curled her fingers around his hard length and stroked him up and down. He closed his eyes and fought for control. When he came, he wanted to be deep inside her, he wanted to fill her with his essence and spark life inside her.
He dipped his fingers inside her, stroking her inner walls as she teased him. Dario bit his bottom lip, fighting to hold on, but it was too much.
Using his weight, he pushed her onto her back and nestled between her thighs. Helena guided him inside her, her own need matching his. With a hard thrust forward, he entered her, stretching her as he moved in and out. Deeper and deeper he moved, until he was fully inside her, her warmth and heat surrounding him.
Dario lay still, reveling in the sensations coursing through his body. It was as if they were one, two creatures joined together. The bond between them was almost tangible, but just out of reach.
Helena nipped his neck, the sharp stab of pain as her teeth dug into his tender flesh sparking him to life. Dario slid his hand under the small of her back and held her in place while he pulled back out of her and then lunged forward, filling her in one hard stroke.
Helena wrapped her thighs around him urging him on. He was not about to disappoint his mate. In a steady rhythm that built slowly, he drove them to new heights.
When he roamed the grassy plains and wide-open spaces with a herd of horses, he experienced freedom, but as he came inside his mate, he experienced a new freedom. Profound freedom because she was there with him, calling out his name as she came around him.
“You’re hungry.” She lifted herself up on one elbow.
His stomach gave another deep rumble in reply. “I can run back out for food. Our order is still probably waiting for us.”
“I don’t know if I want you to leave me.” She kissed his shoulder and then pulled away from him and swung her legs over the side of the bed. “But we need to eat, and I need to unpack and then repack if we’re leaving tomorrow.”
Dario slid out of bed and dressed, retrieving his clothes one item at a time. “Pack light but pack warm.”
“How long will it take us to get to Wishing Moon Bay?” Helena pulled on a robe and grabbed the suitcase she’d taken on her first trip to Wishing Moon Bay.
“If we leave early tomorrow, we should be back in town the day after. We’ll have to camp out for a night, but we can probably find a summer cabin that’s been closed off for the winter and sleep there overnight. We’ll need to make sure we take enough food and water. Which is why the rest of the luggage will need to be a bare minimum.”
Helena paused in her packing, her shoulders hunched forward. “I’m sorry I got you into this, Dario. Whatever this is.”
“Hey.” He crossed the room, with one sock on and one sock off. “This is not on you in any way. This is on Barry.” He pulled her into his arms and held her close. “Anyway, I would rather be here caught up in this mess with you than to have never met you. And I mean that. It’s not just words.”
“Thank you.” She rested her head on his shoulder, her arms wrapped around his neck. “I never thought I’d ever be lucky enough to find a man like you. I was beginning to think I was never going to be lucky enough to find a man at all. That’s what Barry fed on, I’m certain. I was a poor needy woman who wanted to be loved.”
“There’s nothing wrong with wanting love,” Dario told her sharply. He loosened his grip on her and pushed her away. Looking down at her, he held her gaze. “Love is the most incredible thing. The love of a parent for a child, a man for a woman, and a woman for a man. Family, friends, we’re all held together by love. It’s one of the most important lessons Valerie ever taught us.”
“I know. I feel the same about Penny and Milo. I love them so much, but I wanted more, I wanted the love that would bind me to a man forever, a man I could trust to have children with.” She tilted her head to one side. “You’re right, we should be thanking Barry for bringing us together because I know when I look into your eyes that I have found that love with you.”
She leaned forward and brushed her lips against his. Dario tightened his arms around her, his eyes lingering on the unmade bed. Maybe there was enough time for them to make love once more before they left the apartment.
But Helena pulled away from him and went back to her packing. There would be time for lovemaking later when they were holed up in a cabin somewhere remote.
For now, they had to pack and leave town, making sure Barry didn’t follow them back to Wishing Moon Bay. Dario might not believe everything the man had said, but he did believe Barry desperately wanted to get to town. But why?
The answer to that question would unravel the whole mystery.
Chapter Seventeen – Helena
They were packed and ready to go. As she locked the door behind her, she wondered if she would ever see her apartment again.
Of course she would. She’d have to come back here and collect the rest of her things, for she knew in her heart that she would never live here again. Her heart belonged to Dario and living in her apartment would kill him. Not that he wouldn’t do it for her. But he would die a slow death being cramped up here with nowhere for his horse to run free. They could move to the suburbs and buy a house with a large backyard, but there was nowhere for him to run wild and free without attracting too much attention.
Deep down, Helena believed Wishing Moon Bay was the right place for her, too. A place to raise their children if they were blessed. Children who would one day shift just like their father and need the freedom to run wild and free while they explored their special gift.
“Second thoughts?” Dario placed his hand on her shoulder.
“No.” She’d been staring at the door, but he’d pulled her out of her reverie and now it was time to go, time to face whatever Barry might throw at them.
Or maybe they were making more out of this than it actually was. Maybe Barry had no intention of following them and they were about to trek across the country for two days for nothing.
But if her mom had taught her anything, it was caution. If you thought there was a monster in your closet, you put up a talisman to ward it off. You didn’t just pretend they didn’t exist.
A now familiar pang of guilt stabbed Helena in the chest. She’d been so hard on her mom, never understanding the truth of her mom’s beliefs and knowledge. Why hadn’t she told her daughters about this other world?
“Okay. I think you’ve checked the door is locked enough times.” Dario’s gentle voice roused her. She’d slipped back into a dreamlike state without even realizing it.
“Sorry, this has stirred up so many memories and emotions.” She brushed a stray tear off her cheek and then turned to him. “Okay, let’s go.”
She shouldered her pack, even though Dario had insisted on carrying it, she’d told him she could manage. It wasn’t heavy, she’d packed very light, just two changes of clothes and some food. Dario carried a second pack that held water and more food, plus a warm blanket. They would attach the straps together and place them over
his shoulders like saddle bags once he’d shifted.
They took the elevator down to the ground floor. Nervous energy threaded through her veins as she kept a look out for Barry. Although Dario’s senses would pick up on the man first.
“Is he out there?” she asked as they headed down the street to where she’d parked her car.
“Not that I can tell. But now that we’re out in the open, there are too many people for me to pinpoint him.” He looked around as she unlocked the car door. “It’ll be easier once we get out on the open road to see if there’s a car following us. I looked at the map and have a few ideas of how we can flush him out.”
“Have you done this before?” Helena slung her pack in the back seat and climbed in.
“Not in a car but my brothers and I used to play games like this out on the mountains when we were younger. It was a good way to learn to track.” He slid into the passenger seat, looking too big for her small car.
“Then let’s put this plan into action.” She started the engine and checked the mirrors, before she put the car in drive and pulled out into the traffic. “I don’t know if I’m going to feel a little disappointed if he doesn’t follow us.”
“I won’t be disappointed, but we’re going to follow the plan. I’m almost certain Barry isn’t a shifter, but that doesn’t mean he can’t disguise himself as something else.” Dario blew the air out of his cheeks. “Hell, he might even be something else.”
“Like what?” Helena squawked.
“I don’t know.” He frowned and shook his head. “Sorry, I shouldn’t have said anything. I don’t want to frighten you.”
“Hey, I can take it. You just caught me by surprise, that’s all.” She reached across the car and put her hand on his. “Promise me you won’t ever keep things to yourself just because you think I might get scared or freak out. Not ever.”
“I promise,” he answered solemnly.
“Okay, we’ll be out of the traffic soon and heading along the highway. Let’s see if we can flush out our tail.” She giggled. “That sounds so weird.”
“You have no idea how much weirder life in Wishing Moon Bay can get,” he warned.
“I am tempted to ask you to tell me, but I think I’d like to find out for myself. I like surprises and my life is going to be full of them from now on.”
Dario was silent for a moment and then he took a deep breath and asked, “Does this mean you will live there with me?”
“Yes. If we can figure out a way to earn money. We can’t live on love.” She stared at the road ahead. This was it, she’d committed to living in a new town. There was no way she could change her mind now. Not when Dario was grinning from ear to ear.
“I’m sure we’ll come up with a plan. There’s plenty of opportunity in Wishing Moon Bay. And since both of us have seen so much of the world outside of town, we could introduce some of those ideas to the town.” He relaxed back in his seat, his eyes a little unfocused as his mind worked.
If Helena did have any doubts about her mate, they were swept aside during the car journey. Dario was smart and committed. He proved that as he took her along winding roads, only for them to arrive back on the highway, all the time she drove, he kept a look out for Barry or anyone else who might be following them.
“Anything?” Helena asked.
“Not that I can see. He’s either very good or never saw us leave town.” Dario didn’t look as happy with this news as she expected.
“What’s wrong?”
“I thought we’d see him following us and shake him. Since that hasn’t happened, I’m worried we just don’t see him, or sense him. Or he has another plan.”
“Another plan?” Helena hadn’t considered this. “What kind of plan?”
“We’re assuming that you are the only person he’s found from Wishing Moon Bay. But if he’s that committed to finding the town, he could be searching for any witch or shifter who knows the location. Most of the townsfolk would never share that information but there are plenty who would, for the right price or in the right situation.”
“So we could be wasting our time trying to shake a tail who isn’t there.” She glanced in the rearview mirror. “And there I was thinking I was special, and that Barry and I shared a connection.”
“You mean because he said the same person killed your father and his father?” Dario’s gentle voice probed.
She nodded, not trusting herself to speak.
“Perhaps he was lying.” Dario’s tone told her he didn’t really believe that. “He’s a bad man. That’s my sense of him anyway.”
“And not just because he was hitting on your mate?” Helena wiped a tear from her cheek.
“I admit I was already biased. But the more I think about last night, the more I don’t trust the guy.” He glanced in the mirror and sat up straighter in his seat.
“What is it?” Helena flexed her fingers on the steering wheel and looked in the rearview mirror.
“There’s a blue car. It’s the Nissan, can you see it?”
She nodded. “It’s following us?”
“I’ve seen it a couple of times. It didn’t follow us when we turned off the highway, but it’s back behind us now.”
“Are you sure it didn’t follow us?” Her heart rate increased, and the blood thundered in her ears.
“I’ve made a mental note of the registration.” He pointed to a turnout up ahead. “We can take the next right and then double back on ourselves. Let’s see if he follows.”
She nodded, following Dario’s directions along back roads that wound past small farms and country cottages. “Did he follow?”
Dario shook his head and let out a long breath. “False alarm.”
“And there’s no other way he can track us?”
“Not unless he’s put a tracking device on the car or can track your phone.”
“My phone?” Helena pulled off the road and parked in a gateway to a field full of cattle. “There’s an app, Find My Phone, but surely he can’t use it on my phone.”
“We can’t take the risk.” He pressed his lips together, his eyes flashing with anger.
“Okay, I’ll switch it off, but first I’m going to call Penny and tell her what’s happening.” Helena’s hands shook as she took her phone out of her pocket and pressed dial.
“Tell Penny to call me on my cell phone if she needs you. Okay?” Dario’s concern was evident as he waited for Penny to answer.
“Okay.” Helena nodded, chewing on her nail as she stared into the field of ruddy brown cattle that moved slowly around their field without a care in the world. Helena envied them. “Hi, Penny.”
“Helena. I was going to call you later today.” Penny sounded anxious and Helena’s cow envy grew.
“What’s wrong?”
“When are you coming home?” Penny paused. “When are you coming back to Wishing Moon Bay?”
“We’re on our way back now, but we’re taking a long route, dumping the car and coming in on foot. At least Dario will shift, and I’ll ride him.” She closed her eyes, not wanting to worry her sister, but she had a right to know they might be in more danger than they ever imagined. “Barry wants to get to Wishing Moon Bay. That’s been his plan all along. We aren’t sure if he’s following us and I’m going to need to turn off my phone.”
“Your phone?”
“In case he can track it, we’re not taking any chances.”
“Is he dangerous?” Penny asked.
“I don’t know. But we have to be cautious.” Helena wasn’t going to tell her sister what Barry had said about their father. Not over the phone.
“Okay. Be careful. Please.”
“We will. Why were you going to call me?” Helena closed her eyes, sure she wasn’t going to like what Penny said.
“We can talk when you get here. There’s something I found…” Penny’s voice wavered.
“Now I’m really worried.”
“It’s better you see what I’ve found rather than me tr
ying to explain.” Penny’s voice cracked with emotion.
“Penny, tell me.”
Her sister didn’t answer for a moment or two. “We went into the attic yesterday. Valerie and I were going through the toys and clothes. Milo was with us, but he was more interested in the stuff in the attic belonging to Rad and the previous owners.”
“What did he find?” She covered her face with her free hand, not daring to look at Dario.
“Photos.”
“Photos of who?”
“Of Mom and Dad.” She sobbed and then inhaled deeply. “We know who they are, Helena. We know that they lived here.”
“Do you know any more?” Helena squeezed her eyes shut, willing herself not to break down and cry.
“No, we’re going to the library today. We’re going to search the news archives for anything we can find on them.” Penny sniffed loudly. “I’m scared, Helena.”
“Wait until tomorrow. Wait until I’m there with you.”
“Why?” Penny whispered.
“I’m scared of what you might find.” Helena chewed the inside of her cheek, her throat constricting as her emotions threatened to overwhelm her.
“I think Dad’s dead, Helena.” Penny sobbed, and Helena wanted to reach down the phone and hug her.
“I think you might be right. And I want us to be together when we find out what happened. Please. I know it’s a big thing to ask, I know how much you want the truth because I want it, too.”
“I’ll wait. Just hurry.”
“I will, Penny. I love you.” Her voice finally broke.
“I love you, too, Helena. Take care and come home safely.” Penny sobbed.
Dario reached for the phone and switched it off, before enveloping Helena in his arms and holding her until she could cry no more.
Chapter Eighteen – Dario
Dario noted the blue Nissan once more as they left the highway and turned onto a road that threaded its way through a couple of villages. This was their last planned detour, their last chance to shake their tail.
At least we know he is following us and not using anyone else to get back to Wishing Moon Bay. If we lose him this time, we will have lost him for good. His horse couldn’t wait to escape the confines of the car and run free.
The Horse Shifter's Mate: A Wishing Moon Bay Shifter Romance (The Bond of Brothers Book 2) Page 13