“Holy fuck.”
We laughed. Both the sound and the feeling delighted me.
I touched her face. “You spoke to me without words,” I murmured, but her face scrunched in confusion.
“I did what?” she asked, smiling. `
I chuckled and kissed her mouth. “I will tell you about it later,” I said. “All that matters in this moment, is that you are mine now.”
And that I will prove my brother wrong.
Shenique smiled and a surge of happiness flooded my chest until I thought it would burst open. “Is that you I feel?” I asked. Our tones were hushed and the sunlight poured on our naked, damp bodies.
“What do I feel like?”
I paused. “Like ecstasy.”
Shenique smiled and her eyes dipped from mine. “Yes,” she whispered. “But I think we both feel that way.” She rested her gaze back on me. “Is this what it’s going to be like with us? Ecstasy?”
My heart cinched and I nodded. “Forever.”
Shenique kissed me, and I pulled her close.
I wanted to ask her about Loveless and the purple puffs of mist, but I did not do it. She had ingested it years ago, but it did not matter anymore.
I had defeated it. I had transcended its barrier. I knew this because as I looked into her eyes, I could see the fire of her passion burning hotter than a flame. Not only this, I could feel her. Our emotions were melding together, becoming one. What she felt, so did I, and in this moment, the only thing I felt was love.
My mate, she did not need to worry about Loveless anymore. In fact, as long as she had me, she would never need to worry about Loveless again; but my brother and his mate... they needed to worry about it, because in a few hours, we would give it to them, and their bond would be destroyed.
I nestled against my sleeping mate and cast my gaze on our special mark. It was there. It was ours, and nothing would take it away. Not even Remi’s doubt or his disparaging remarks.
Shenique snuggled against me, and a warm feeling cascaded over me like warm rain. I kissed her neck, the mark, and then drifted off into a content sleep.
Nineteen
Shenique
‘Payback’
Vince and I made love four more times before the afternoon sun had arisen, and each time had been more mind-boggling than the one before it. The first round saw us entangled in a classic sixty-nine position. He had lapped at my dripping center, producing blurry stars on the cottage ceiling, and I struggle to satisfy him back. He had told me that it didn’t matter, but it did to me. I wanted to reciprocate the attention he was showering on me. I’d never had the opportunity to do that to a man before. In the past, any time I tried, it ended up in disaster. But with Vince, it was all I wanted to do. The sounds he made in the throes of pleasure ignited me. I was thrilled to think that he had conquered Loveless. I was thrilled to think I was capable of receiving and reciprocating true love.
The second time, Vince fucked me hard against the bedroom wall. My legs were wrapped tight around his waist as he hoisted me up and dropped me down on his thick, stiff erection. My back rubbed the concrete, but there was no pain, only the sensation of his power taking up residence inside of my needy body.
The third time, my face was buried in the Egyptian cotton sheets as he rutted me from behind. Everything in me wanted to explode, but I held on. He drove into me, grunting and moaning. I had never experienced such intense pleasure in my entire life.
But the final episode was the most powerful.
Vinny hovered over me, his lean, chiseled body covering mine in missionary-style, as he fed his dick into me with slow, unhurried bursts. He kissed my face and promised to protect me. He whispered sweet words of adoration into my ear. He told me there would never be any other woman, that I was everything he had ever needed.
I was free-falling deeper and deeper into a lovely abyss. I had experienced abysses before, but those ones had been terrifying. They had hurt and left me wounded and scarred; but this abyss was nothing like the others. This one was bright, warm, and secure. It beckoned me to explore the extent of its depths, and this morning, I hadn’t cared how far I fell.
And the moment when he claimed me as his own...
For the millionth time, I touched the tender spot on my neck. I’d given him permission to access all of me – or at least what was left of me – and he’d done so without delay. It had been like going to the doctor and getting a needle: a quick stab of pain, which faded away; but this pain had given way to intense yearning.
I craved Vince Moretti. Whenever he touched me, my body and soul erupted, and now, all I wanted was to make him happy. I had never wanted this for anyone other than my sister. I never thought it could be possible. And now, as I thought about my sister, I realized that she wasn’t in danger at all. In fact, she was probably safer than she ever had been.
We headed towards the garden, the place where Vince had ordered the butler to bring out lunch. It was a crisp, spring afternoon, and the sky was clear, except for the flock of black birds squawking and hovering around the treetops. I watched, mesmerized, as Vince was presented a plate with massive portions.
“Oh my god, are you really going to eat that much?”
Vince tucked a linen napkin into his shirt and gripped his utensils into his hand. “Watch and see,” he suggested with a sexy grin. “I am a wolf, Carina, and I am not just feeding myself. I must also make sure that he is satisfied.” Without another word, Vince sliced into his meat and made light work of the heaping plate.
I nibbled at my rations and balked when Vince’s gray eyes lifted to meet mine. “Are you all right? After this morning, I mean.”
I smiled into his face. “I’m perfect,” I answered quickly. “I have never felt more rejuvenated in my entire life. I feel like I have a fresh start, like everything is new, and it’s all because of you.”
The color of his eyes intensified. “It makes me very happy to hear you say this,” he acknowledged. “A few days ago, I never would have thought it possible either. You were heady, belligerent, and extremely disobedient.”
I glared playfully at him.
“But now you are mine, forever. And yes, you are perfect.”
I leaned across the table and we met in a tender kiss that made my toes curl.
“Tell me about Loveless, Carina. We only have a few hours before we must head off. I have been thinking about it a lot.”
“I know,” I said. “It’s almost as if I can hear your thoughts. You’re angry”
Vince grinned. “It’s the bond,” he said. “Now that we are mated, we have the ability to communicate with one another, without words. Based on what I’ve been told, it gets stronger every minute, every day. The more time we spend together, every time we make love, it draws our spirits closer and connects us.”
I shivered at the thought.
“And for the record, I am more than angry, Carina, but you know this,” he continued. “The things my brother said, they are unforgiveable; and the way he handled me... I will never forget it.” Vince leaned in. His eyes were glowing. “How does Loveless work?” he asked again.
I drew in a long breath. “It’s simple enough,” I began. “All we need to do is pour it into either Sasha’s or Remi’s food.”
“Why not both?” he asked, eyebrows drawn.
“Because we only need one of them to fall out of love,” I explained. “The other will still be in love, but they won’t experience returned affection. That will be enough to break the bond.”
“And this is what happened to you? With your parents?”
“With my mother,” I clarified. “I never cared about my Gerald, but I expected more of my mother. She let me down.”
Vince’s eyes fell from mine, and pain rushed through me. It was both his and mine.
“It is settled,” he concluded. “Tonight, we will go to the mansion together, and carry out our plan. I will go through the front door, as I normally do, but you will enter through another entrance.”
> “We’re not going in together?” I asked grimacing. Yeah, I was independent and self-sufficient, and I had been totally prepared to carry this plan out on my own, but now I had Vince, and I didn’t want to be away from him.
“My brother is not aware of your presence,” he explained. “The minute he smells you, he will be on guard. What’s more, your sister does not know you are still here. If you come through the front door, you will not get much farther than you did three days ago.”
He had a point.
“So where is the other entrance?”
“There is a door on the west wing, which leads to a basement,” he said. “The basement is below the kitchen. Every night, Remi goes there to get snacks for your sister, and every night she eats the same thing: homemade gelato. It is like clockwork.”
I frowned. “Wait, is she pregnant?”
“Yes,” he answered, and I swallowed a gasp.
My sister was carrying my niece or nephew and she hadn’t told me? What the hell!
Vince frowned. “Stay focused, Carina. We can deal with that later.”
My jaw tightened and Vince continued.
“You will leave the basement and make your way into the kitchen, which will be down the hall and to the left. Before Remi arrives to get your sister’s snack, you will pour Loveless into her food, then, exit the same way you entered. We will meet at the basement door and then head for the cottage. The entire thing should take us no more than forty-five minutes.”
I nodded, feeling a sick dread settle in the pit of my stomach. “What will you be doing?”
“I will be distracting my brother and anyone else who might pose a problem.”
“Vince, you’re not gonna get into a fight, are you?”
“I do not intend to,” he said, but his jaw tightened and his eyes fell from mine.
I swallowed. “Good, because the sibling rivalry thing is really bothering me.” I straightened my shoulders. “And what happens afterwards?”
Vince’s eyes fastened onto mine. “What do you mean by this?”
“Like, after the mission is complete,” I clarified, rubbing my elbow, “after your brother and my sister have fallen out of love... what about us?”
Silence.
“I mean, apart from the fact that apparently, we’re bonded for life,” I added quickly. “Of course, that’s a logistic that can’t be overlooked.”
Vince chuckled, but his amusement quickly waned. His eyes intensified and his jaw was tight. “What do you want to happen with us, Carina?” he whispered.
My breath caught in my throat, but there was only one answer I could conjure. “I want to... give us a try,” I whispered in response. “I already told you, I’m no good at relationships, never have been since what happened, but....” I snatched a breath of courage. “I don’t want to not be with you, Vinny. I want to be enough for you.”
Vince exhaled, as if he’d been holding his breath. “I don’t want to not be with you either,” he corroborated.
I nodded. “So... you’re moving to Chicago?”
His response was immediate. “I am moving wherever you want me to.”
I blinked. That had been a test. He had passed.
We would talk about those details later. For now, all that mattered was that we wanted the same thing: to be with each other forever.
Suddenly, a nagging feeling of shame and regret for what we were plotting washed over me, and for a second I wondered if...
The consideration had barely entered my mind, before Vince’s adamant stare penetrated me. “Yes,” he snapped.
“Yes, what?”
“Yes, I’m sure I want to do it,” he said, obviously having read my thoughts. “Why would you question this?”
I sighed and my shoulders loosened. “The only reason I came to Italy was to save my sister,” I said slowly, gauging his facial expressions. “I thought she was in danger. I thought Remi had kidnapped her, but now I know, that’s not the case. Three days ago, you told me she was here because she wanted to be. I didn’t believe you then, but I believe you now.”
Vince shoved a piece of meat into his mouth, staring, but not responding.
I pursed my lips. “Loveless is powerful, Vinny.”
“Which is why it will be the perfect thing to separate them,” he responded quickly.
“Is that really what we want to do though?”
He set his utensils down and pressed his back against the seat. His eyebrows pulled together, and his gray eyes shimmered. I was still learning about his wolf, had only recently made his acquaintance; but I had a feeling both Vince and his wolf were pissed off by my probes.
“Carina, I understand your trepidation,” he assured me. “My brother and your sister, they are in love, and what we have planned will cause great pain.”
“Their bond will literally be obliterated.”
“Their bond is not what’s important,” he snapped, his jaw tensing.
I jerked backward. “What could be more important than their bond?”
“Payback,” was his swift response.
I swallowed a gasp. Three days ago, I might have understood his position more fully. Three days ago, I would have high-fived him and recited our fated-mate-is-bullshit mantra.
But things were different now. Everything had changed.
Vince was my mate, and I knew how powerful our connection was because I was living in it. And it was the most beautiful thing I had ever experienced. For the first time in my life I could feel love. It was strong and it was powerful. Suddenly, the thought of taking that away from my sister didn’t appeal to me, but neither did the thought of not supporting my own mate. Every second that passed drew me closer to him. With every new dawn, I realized that I needed him next to me. Whenever he wasn’t there, a hollow pit burrowed deep in my soul.
I wanted to support my mate. I wanted to make him happy. I wanted to be enough.
“You are enough, Carina,” Vince said, ripping through my thoughts.
He had read my mind.
My heart softened.
Vince decorated my jawline with a trail of soft kisses, and a deep sigh rose in my throat. “Are you in?” he whispered. “I need you in, or I will not be able to repay my brother for the damage he’s caused.”
My heart wrenched.
My mate was presenting me with a test. I needed to pass.
“I’m in,” I assured him, eyes fluttering. “Whatever you need, I’m here to support you. I’m your ride-or-die chick.”
He groaned and deepened the kiss. His tongue danced over mine, until my mind clouded and my pussy shuddered. Soon, the only thing on my mind was his dick and the way it felt sliding against the walls of my pussy. Baby Jesus in a manger, how much I wanted him inside of me made no sense.
Again, he read my mind. “I will do this when I return,” he muttered. His thumb rolled over the center of my breast and I almost folded.
Suddenly, Vince eased away from me and pushed his chair back from the table.
“Where are you going?” I asked falling into this shadow.
“For a run,” he said. “I will be back in an hour. While I am gone, prepare Loveless.”
“There’s not really much to do,” I said. “I only need to wear the necklace so my heart can charge it.”
His mouth pressed into a straight line, but he didn’t say anything. Instead, he bent down and gave me a final, lingering kiss. His hand pressed against my cheek and he drew me closer. All too soon, he separated from me. His body began to do that thing. I stood back as his gorgeous animal materialized and dashed away from the cottage. I looked after it, until I could no longer see it, and then my shoulders dropped.
Twenty
Shenique
‘Remedy’
I turned to walk into the house, realizing that the moment I had been preparing so long for had finally come. I was going to rescue Sasha.
But from what? From love?
Before I met Vince, love made absolutely no sense. All it
had ever done was hurt me, hurt Sasha too. I knew her backstory. I knew about the countless men who had worn her down emotionally and caused her to doubt her value.
I was in the same boat. Years of abuse, not just from Gerald, but from other men I’d tried to date, had done that to me too, but I had developed thick skin and vowed never to let another man in.
But then I’d seen Vince, and he had been everything I hadn’t known existed.
And now, I was going to... save Sasha.
“Their bond will literally be obliterated.”
“Their bond is not what’s important.”
“What could be more important than their bond?”
“Payback.”
The dialogue played back in my mind. Somehow, it didn’t add up.
But Vince had been affronted and he had concerns about the future of his livelihood – whatever that was. I still didn’t know; but even if I couldn’t rationalize my part in the plan anymore, Vince was my mate. I didn’t know much about what that meant yet, but I had a deep sense that I needed to support him and be by his side. I could only imagine the fight he’d had with his brother, but I didn’t have to imagine his pain. I could feel it, just as he could feel mine.
No one had ever felt my pain before. No one had ever vowed to protect me. No one had ever loved me, but Vince did, and that meant I had to be his sidekick. His pain was mine, and if retribution was in order, I’d be right next to him meting it out.
I walked out of the garden, and headed for the cottage, but suddenly, the flock of black birds living in the trees erupted into the sky. A dense, black spread threatened to block out the late afternoon sun, and the racket they made forced a gasp out of my mouth. They swooped towards me, and I stumbled backward. They encircled me, their flapping wings sounding like helicopter propellers in my ears. I threw my arms over my head, trying to shield myself from their erratic movements, but it was no use. I swatted at them, trying to make a dash for the house, but suddenly, one bird, which was significantly larger than any of the others, landed in front of me with a heavy thud.
I fell into the grass, but when I saw the strangely familiar silhouette of a man standing before me, my mouth opened in shock.
Loveless: A BWWM Wolf Shifter Romance (The Alpha Series Book 2) Page 15
