“Julian?” I screamed his name.
His head was hung, his face, midnight black. A long, pointing beak was where his nose should have been, but his eyes – there was no doubt in my mind that it was him. Thick black wings disappeared somewhere behind his back, and a backpack dropped to the ground.
Now, Julian was standing in front of me, wearing nothing but his goddamn birthday suit. I wanted to shield my eyes. His dick was long and flaccid, and there was absolutely no way I should ever see him like this; yet I couldn’t peel my eyes away, for shock.
Taking note of my appalled status, Julian held up his index finger and hurried to open his backpack. I watched, mouth hung, as he ripped out a pair of joggers and stepped into them.
“Sorry,” he muttered, grinning. “You’re probably scarred for life from seeing me unsheathed.”
“Unsheathed?” My voice was a shriek. “How about seeing you in the form of a goddamn crow!”
“First of all, I am not a crow.” He grunted. “I would never be a crow. I’m a raven.” He said the word slowly, as if English was my second language. “But not just any raven,” he rambled. “I’m a Chatham Raven. They originated out of New Zealand, but unfortunately, they are extinct... well, people think they are.”
I glared at him. “Are you serious right now?” I spat. “What the hell and how the fuck?”
“Okay, seriously, don’t overreact!”
“Why the hell does everyone keep saying that, like this shit is normal?” I huffed.
“And stop shouting,” he continued, ignoring my horror. “The last thing I need is for that fucking wolf shifter to smell me and come raging in here like a mad wolf!” His eyes darted about the immediate area as he hurried towards me.
I clamped my hand over my racing heart, trying to steady it. “First of all, he isn’t a fucking wolf shifter,” I clarified.
Julian’s brow narrowed. “Of course he is. I just saw him shift and bolt off into the woods.”
“I mean, he’s a wolf shifter, but not a fucking one.” We needed to focus on the issue at hand, which was the fact that Julian was in Italy and that he was a Chatham Raven. “What the hell are you doing here?”
“I came as quickly as I could,” he responded.
That wasn’t my concern. I glared at him. “I never asked you to come!”
“You didn’t have to ask. You’re my best friend. I just knew I needed to be here.”
My eyes narrowed. “We’re not friends anymore. Remember? We broke up!”
“Fuck that,” he dismissed me with a swipe of his hand. “Like I said, you overreact, and you were totally deep in the emotions that you don’t even have. It didn’t matter what you said to me that night. I know you better than you know your damn self. Trust me on that.”
My jaw cinched. “Why didn’t you tell me?” I whispered.
“Because you wouldn’t have believed me,” he answered. “You had to go through some things before you got to this point.” His eyes lowered, and he pointed at my neck, his hands still sporting pointy, black talons.
“Can you please pack that shit away?” I begged rolling my eyes at him. “I’m already traumatized. I don’t need your claws to take it to another level.”
Julian glanced at his hands and grinned. Then, like magic, the claws receded until all that was left were human fingernails. They were still black, but they were fingernails nonetheless.
I trailed my fingers over the tender spot on my neck, and my thoughts traveled to Vince. A smile tugged at the corner of my lips.
Julian smiled with me. “So you’re the wolf shifter’s mate?”
It was a rhetorical question.
“Yeah,” I breathed out. I peered at Julian. “But why do I get the feeling that you knew this before I even got here? Back home, I asked you what was going to happen. You told me that you didn’t know.” I narrowed my eyes playfully. “You lied to me.”
“I didn’t lie,” he said holding his hands up. “I just didn’t tell you the details of what I saw.”
“And why not?”
“Because if I did, you would never have come.” He shrugged. “You would never have found the remedy for Loveless.”
My breath hitched. “Is that what this is?” I whispered. “Did Vince heal my heart?”
Julian smiled.
My eyes fell from his. Then I thought of something and looked back up. “So, if the purpose of the trip was for me to find Vince, what does that mean about Sasha and her mate?”
Now, Julian frowned. He hadn’t been down for the cause from the get-go, and I waited for him to reaffirm his position.
“The future isn’t set in stone, Shey,” he responded.
Back to the goddamn riddles. I sighed. “What does that mean, Julian?”
“It means that it doesn’t matter what the cards lay out. It doesn’t matter what I see and don’t see. You are in full control of your destiny. That said...” he huffed. “Your plan to rescue your sister still stands, if you want it to.”
I straightened my shoulders. “Well, I do,” I snapped. “Vince is my mate and his brother has hurt him. He hates his brother. This isn’t about Sasha anymore. It’s about my man, and me supporting him to the fullest.”
Julian gnawed on the inside of his lip, but he didn’t say anything.
I glared at him. “What?”
“Nothing,” he said.
“Julian,” I grumbled. “You’ve come all this way – don’t shut up now!”
“You’re right. It’s one thing to fly commercial, but to fly using your own wings...”
I balked.
“I’m joking,” he said quickly.
I sucked my teeth. “What do you see?” I demanded, ignoring his sorry attempt at a joke. “What’s gonna happen?”
He frowned. “I don’t know.”
I groaned. I wanted to take him by the shoulders and shake him. “Julian, we’ve already established that you know what’s gonna happen,” I reminded him.
“It’s not fixed, Shey. I told you that.”
I glared at him, and he took a step backwards. “Fine,” he acquiesced. “Let me check.” His eyes turned black and he lowered his head. From within the bedroom, Loveless glowed fiercely. The entire house and garden erupted with an intense purple aura, and I shielded my eyes, trying to minimize the glare. Soon, the glow evaporated, and Julian lifted his head. His eyes returned to their normal appearance.
I stared at him, waiting for the report, but the blank slate face he was giving me revealed very little.
“Well? What is it.”
Julian inhaled. “I see that tonight, you and your mate will gain access to the mansion, where Sasha and her mate are staying. It’s magnificent, expensive artwork and artifacts. I see you walking through a hall.” He paused. “I see you going into the kitchen and – ”
Julian’s account was cut off by a long howl erupted in the not-too-far-off distance.
We both jerked to attention.
“Shit, he’s coming back,” Julian predicted.
Before I could say anything, the black wings he’d donned when he first arrived shot from his back, and his joggers ripped away.
“Jules, wait,” I called out. “What happens after I get into the kitchen?”
He didn’t answer. He couldn’t. He had to leave.
Julian’s feet lifted off the ground and within seconds, he was flapping away into the trees. My mouth quivered and I blinked away foolish tears. Julian hadn’t told me what would happen, but obviously, I would find out. Whatever it was, as long as Vince and I were together when it was all said and done, it didn’t matter.
Twenty-One
Vince
‘Audience’
Look at how brave our mate is.
My wolf was still talking. He’d done it earlier, while I was exercising. All he had talked about was the moment we had claimed Shenique for our own. He talked about how delicious she smelled and tasted, and how we should cut our run short so we could rut her before we
headed off.
I had given in to his primitive demands and turned around.
And the entire time Shenique had dressed, he’d provided commentary. My eyes were fastened to those curves and that ass; those breasts, with their brown areolas and pebbling centers. Now, even as I was carrying her on the back of my motorbike on our way to the mansion to carry out our plan, he was still yapping.
I continued to entertain him by answering his questions and responding to his comments, thinking that if I paid him some attention, he would leave me the hell alone. It was not working, and now, I was giving up. I would get used to him. I had no choice.
My mate squeezed her arms around my body as I veered the vehicle to the left. Her long, curly locks were flowing wildly in the wind. Every now and then, she’d release me to brush a few unruly strands out of her face or mine. She rested her chin on my shoulder and pressed a kiss on my neck.
My body stiffened. “You should not do that, Carina. Not while I am operating a vehicle.”
She threw her head back and laughed. “You need to get your hormones under control,” she advised me, nipping my ear with her teeth.
By now, my cock was as solid as the tree trunks we were whipping past. “Carina, around you, I am not sure if it will be possible.” I paused. “We are travelling more quickly than I anticipated,” I commented, slackening my grip on the gas.
“That’s a good thing, right?”
“It is very good,” I confirmed, “but I was thinking that perhaps we could take a break.”
“A break?” she parroted. “To do what?”
I swallowed. “To make love,” I answered. “I will not take long, I promise.” I tipped my chin towards the distance. Look, there is my father’s winery. I was thinking maybe we could go in and – ”
She laughed, and it sent a flurry of butterflies through my insides, a feeling I had come to enjoy. “Vinny, I don’t know who you’re trying to fool,” she said. “You always take long. Once is never enough for you. We’d be in that winery all night!”
I could not deny that she was correct.
“Fine,” I agreed, turning the gas again. The wind picked up and so did her curls. “When we get back to the cottage, we’ll have all night to do whatever we like, and in the morning we will talk about our future.” I smiled in anticipation and then forced my focus back to the task.
My mate leaned against me, her heat penetrating my leather jacket, and the rough amulet pressed on me. It was hot. Almost like fire, and I wondered how she was able to wear it and not feel discomfort. Loveless was dangling on the end of a necklace, between her cleavage. My mate was wearing skintight leather pants and a black leather jacket, which cut into a deep ‘V’. I had watched her get dressed twice; twice because the first time, I had peeled the clothing off her body and fucked her mercilessly. The second time, I was well behaved, though it took considerable effort.
The conversation we’d had earlier rolled around my mind, troubling me. She was concerned about Remi and Sasha’s bond, and I knew this was because of the way our relationship had grown. I understood her position. In fact, for a second, I had considered the same things; but when my brother had presented me with the man named Roman... and when he had attacked me, as if I was his nemesis, I knew the only thing that would satisfy me would be retribution. Shenique’s words might have taken root, but the hurt my brother had caused was too great. Pain overshadowed logic, and there was very little that would get me to change my mind about what must be done.
Soon, we were on the border of the main property. I looked up at Remi’s bedroom window, and just as I expected, the lights were on, but they were the only ones. Whenever Father was away, the mansion was not as busy. Staff took it as an opportunity to rest and recover, knowing that when he returned, it would be back to business as usual.
It was perfect.
Of course, there were guards scattered around the property, but I would walk Sasha to the basement. No one would question her presence if she was with me.
We approached the side entrance, passing a few men, strapped with guns along the way. At my presence, they dipped their heads and turned their backs. Now, Shenique and I stood at the door, which was secured with a metal lock.
She pointed at it. “Tell me you have your keys.”
“I do.” I raised my hand and extended my index claw. I pushed my gleaming nail into the lock and it popped off, then I pulled the door open.
She laughed and peered down into the darkness. “Well, that works!”
I stared at her, placing my hand on the small of her back. “Are you all right?” I asked.
“I’m fine.”
“I smell otherwise,” I noted, and I lowered my gaze.
She huffed. “I’m nervous,” she admitted. “I’ll be glad once it’s over and done with. Then we can get on with our lives.”
“I like how that sounds,” I whispered. I kissed those lips. “I will meet you here in an hour. Our plan is fool-proof, so there is no need to be nervous, but if anything goes wrong, you know that I will be there. All you have to do is use our super power, and I will hear it.”
‘Like this?’ she thought to me.
‘Yes, just like this.’ I smiled. ‘I love you, Carina,’ I thought to her.
‘And I love you too.’
My heart flipped.
Shenique eased away from me and stepped through the door. I watched her carefully, assisting her as she stepped down the few stairs and into the spacious basement. Finally, she hurried out of sight and I closed the door behind her, replacing the lock, but not securing it. Then, I turned on my heel and hurried around the perimeter of the house to the front entrance.
I drew in a deep breath, trying to assess what was happening behind the door. My ears pricked at the sound of shuffling feet ascending the stairs in the atrium. There was some chatter deeper in the mansion, but for the most part, all was quiet, as I expected.
I looked at my watch. It was one o’clock in the morning, but I knew that Remi would soon be making his way to the kitchen to retrieve his mate’s snack. I bristled with anger at the thought. Again, rage filtered through me.
Shenique had said her heart charged Loveless, and I did not like the sound of that, but now, as I thought about it, I understood what it meant, because the rage swirling inside of me fueled my own contempt.
I needed to hurry and complete the plan. Only then would I be satisfied.
I pushed the front door open and stood in the near darkness. Automatically, my sight sharpened and I scanned the area. My thoughts fled to my mate.
‘Carina, are you all right?’ I shot the thought out to her.
‘I’m fine,’ the thought came back, ‘I’ve just left the basement. And for the record, it’s not a basement. It’s a house inside a house.’
‘Do not get distracted,’ I warned her. ‘To the left and down the hall.’
The connection went dead.
Without hesitation, I marched towards the staircase, but the sudden, repugnant odor of excess cologne made me stop in my tracks. I grimaced, and my lip curled. As if on cue, that fucking bastard, Roman, appeared from around the corner.
“Vince, you’re back. I’ve been hanging around all day, hoping I would see you.”
I growled and my nails extracted. My arms stiffened at my sides. “Roman, why the fuck are you still here?” I snarled.
“I told you, I’d get my audience,” he replied.
I glared at him. “Did you think I was joking when I warned you to leave?”
“I would leave if I could,” he answered, “but my return flight to Miami isn’t until Sunday.”
“Surely that’s an easy fix,” I considered. My ears pricked at sounds, which originated in Remi’s bedroom, and my eyes fled to the top of the stairs. “Move out of my way,” I instructed him pushing past. “I have things to do.”
Roman reached out and grabbed my arm. My burning eyes fell upon where his flesh touched mine, and he pulled away.
“We n
eed to talk, Vince. This is important. This morning was crazy, I know, but we can’t avoid it. I’ve waited decades for this moment, and now that I’m here, there’s no way I’m putting it off.”
I groaned and scrubbed my hand over my face. This man was trying my patience. He was wearing my nerves thin. I did not have time for this. I did not want to fight Roman. I would, but the truth was, I couldn’t afford to. My mate was making her way into the kitchen, and if I did not intercept Remi and stall him, something disastrous could happen. The only thing I wanted him to do was leave me the fuck alone and disappear. He was just like my wolf: insistent, demanding...
I thought about the tactic I had used on my wolf. It had not worked very well, but maybe it would work with this motherfucker.
My mouth cinched. I glanced up the stairs as more muted sounds echoed, and then turned my eyes back on him. “Talk,” I barked, “but make it fast.”
Roman’s eyes widened in shock. “Seriously?”
I growled.
“I’m just saying, I was expecting a little more resistance.”
“Would you shut the fuck up and talk already?” I whisper-shouted. I knew that what I had said did not make sense, but Roman got the point.
“My mother was studying Italian cuisine and she came to Italy,” he said, rushed.
“Your mother, she is a chef?”
“She was going to be,” he answered, “but after what happened between her and our father, she didn’t finish her studies and returned to America. I was two years old at the time.”
I shifted my weight from one foot to the other and glanced up the stairs again.
Roman continued. “Our father was ashamed of us.” His mouth bunched. “He wanted nothing to do with my mother or me. I never met him.”
“Well, if your story holds any merit, neither Remi nor I are much better than you. He died when I was six and Remi was eight.” I glared at him. “Is that all you want me to know? I do not have time for this sob-story.”
Roman’s eyes fell from mine. “My mama thought I was crazy when I tried to tell her I thought I was different. Whenever I asked about my father, she told me he didn’t exist.”
Loveless: A BWWM Wolf Shifter Romance (The Alpha Series Book 2) Page 16
