by Marian Tee
Aurelius said tiredly, “We are now ending the meeting.” He stood up, and the others followed suit. Domenico immediately moved to help Misty out of her seat.
The simple act of courtesy made her heart ache.
Domenico was immediately concerned, having scented her unshed tears. “Sweetheart, what is it?”
That gentle caring tone made her want to cry harder. She knew that all these little acts of courtesy were an innate part of Domenico. But Misty also knew now that those acts of courtesy would be misinterpreted by other Lyccans as a sign of weakness.
He was weak because of her.
She smiled up at Domenico, her voice just a little shaky as she answered, “I’m just thinking of what I could say to the Faeries about this meeting.”
Domenico tucked loose strands of her hair behind her ear. “You can say whatever you want, cara. There is nothing for you to worry about. I’ll always be here to support you.”
And that was the problem, Misty thought, struggling even harder to keep her tears locked in. Domenico Moretti was not meant to support her. He was destined to lead the Lyccans, but how could he when she had become his Achilles’ heel?
Oh God. Did he realize now how wrong he had been to choose her? She couldn’t even begin to fathom what made Domenico think she would be such a big help to him that he had taken pains to keep her at his side. If anything, marrying her had done the opposite for now Domenico was without a pack to lead.
“Domenico?” It was Aurelius, and he was looking questioningly at Domenico.
Domenico glanced at Misty with a frown. “I have to talk to Aurelius about the Caros. Do you think you could wait for me just for a few minutes---”
She tried to keep her voice normal as she asked, “How about I hitch a ride with Alessandro instead? I’d like to visit your family and mine while we’re here. That way you can also take as much time as you want with your meeting.” It was a lie, but it was also a good decision especially with the way Domenico appeared relieved at her answer.
“That’s a wonderful idea. Maybe we can all have dinner together before we go back to the realm?” At her nod, he called for Alessandro, who promptly came to his side. “Would you drive Misty home? I’m tied up here but I’ll follow as soon as I’m done. We’ll all have dinner together before we return to the realm.”
“Of course.” Alessandro offered his arm to Misty with a twinkle in his eye. “Shall we go now, Princess?”
She rolled her eyes. “I’m not a princess.”
Alessandro answered seriously, “You always will be in our eyes, Misty. Always. And don’t you forget that.” Then he paused. “But I still can’t believe how in the world you became such a war freak with the Faeries.”
Misty turned red. “I am not a war freak!”
He rolled his eyes. “Did I or did I not just see you start a fight with Enrico Fiarino?”
Domenico allowed himself to smile as he followed the two from behind, enjoying the way his younger brother bantered with Misty. It was a pleasure he used to take for granted but not anymore.
When Alessandro’s limousine slid to a stop in front them, Misty turned impulsively to him. “Domenico?”
He lifted a brow.
She tiptoed to kiss him, knowing by the way he stiffened that she had taken him completely by surprise. “Thank you,” she whispered against his lips before practically running away. Inside the limousine, she saw Domenico staring at her, a bemused expression on his gorgeous face. But what really made her want to weep was the tender light in his eyes.
“You still love him,” Alessandro said triumphantly as the limousine drove past the gates of the Castellano residence.
Instead of answering him, she said quietly, “I need a favor, Alessandro.”
~~~
Lyccan Hall was bustling with activity when they arrived. Numerous curious glances went their way as they entered. It wasn’t before long when what she feared did happen.
A Lyccan wolf-whistled – and of course it truly did sound like a wolf – at the sight of her. “Domenico Moretti’s Delilah,” he sneered. “I wonder how really great you are at bed that you made the Moretti prince turn into a sex slave.”
Misty gasped. But before she could answer, Alessandro was pulling her past the other Lyccan. As they went further and further in, the insults became more and more offensive until Misty was literally shaking in her effort to control herself.
Where’s your puppy?
Have you chained Domenico Moretti to your bed? Is he a good little pup fit to lick your feet?
Do you ask him to “roll over” for some kinky fun? How about asking him to let another man fuck his ass? Wouldn’t that be fun?
She so badly wanted to fight with all of them, but she couldn’t, not when Domenico’s own brother wasn’t saying a word in his defense. Alessandro did not even appear bothered. Inside the office reserved for the Moretti pack, Alessandro quietly asked all the others to leave.
When they were alone, she burst out, “Why didn’t you let me answer any of them? They all need a good swift kick to the backside if they thought they could get away saying things like that about Domenico.”
Alessandro said gently, “But they can.”
She whitened. “What do you mean they can?”
“It’s been like this since you were gone.” Alessandro gave her an apologetic smile. “For a while, I blamed you even. The first months had been the most difficult. I couldn’t understand why Domenico wasn’t beating them all up. I thought…” His lips twisted. “I thought you made him weak. I thought he was weak.”
The pain Alessandro’s words caused was so great she almost doubled over because of it.
“For a time, we didn’t even talk. I couldn’t bear looking at him. I hated seeing him so fucking weak.”
The tears started to fall. She couldn’t bear imagining how Domenico felt when he heard all those insults. Why was he letting them get away with it? Why?
“And then I fell in love, the same way my brother fell in love with you---”
“Alessandro---” She suddenly wanted to cover her ears.
“And that was when I understood. All of this…” Alessandro inhaled sharply. “It’s simply meant to atone for what he did to you.”
A cry of pain escaped her. She couldn’t stop it, and she couldn’t keep herself from crying because now the images became even more vivid. The Lyccans whom Domenico had spent his entire life protecting had turned their backs on him so quickly it had to have hurt him.
They were looking down on him – Domenico Moretti, the proudest man she knew – simply because he chose to love her.
She had been wrong.
He wasn’t weak because of her.
He had chosen to be weak for her.
“I never wanted him to do this.” She couldn’t control her sobs and she cried harder when Alessandro pulled her in his arms.
“I know, Misty.”
“I don’t want him to be weak because of me.”
“And he isn’t.”
She looked up at Alessandro in distress. “How can you say that?” she cried out. “Look at what happened earlier in the meeting. That little worm would never have been able to speak if---”
“Listen to me, Misty.” Alessandro waited until his sister-in-law --- and that was always how he would think of her, whether Misty and Domenico were married or not --- raised her gaze to meet his. “He’s not weak because of you. He’s stronger.”
She started to shake her head.
“Misty, it’s true. That was what I thought before, too, but this is Domenico, remember? He never does things easy. Everything has to be complex and layered with mystery.”
She couldn’t stop herself smiling a little at that, knowing that what Alessandro said was true.
“This was his way of making up for what happened last year. He wants everyone to see his suffering – the same way they saw you suffer. But…none of what they say or do really affects him, Misty. And that’s because he draws s
trength from the fact that he loves you. He’s happy with every day that he’s able to prove that he loves you. Because he thinks…he thinks by punishing himself it’s the only way he can win you back.”
She didn’t stop crying after that.
Chapter Ten
“Did you enjoy your time with the family?” Domenico was the first one to speak after leaving the Moretti compound and he did so only when they had crossed the portal leading to the Midways.
Throughout dinner, Misty had appeared subdued, unable to meet his gaze. And when she did, she looked unbearably sad. It made his heart clench. Perhaps she thought he was weak, too? If she learned of how most Lyccans belittled him now, would she be disgusted? Would she understand why he had allowed such things to happen?
He wanted to ask her so many questions but somehow he couldn’t, the words stuck in his throat. Fear was an emotion that he hadn’t been acquainted with until Misty came to his life. Now, he feared so many things and most of it had to do with losing her.
Even now, he had feared hearing her reject him, which was why it took him so long to think about something safe to talk about with her.
“Misty?”
She glanced up at him, as if surprised that he was talking to her. “I-I’m sorry,” she stammered. “I was thinking…I…what were you saying?”
Domenico’s fists clenched. What was she thinking? Was she thinking how best to completely free herself from him? Did she truly prefer Lysander Allard to him?
His face hardened. “Nothing.”
He was furious, Misty realized with a sinking heart. “Domenico---”
“Just tell me when I’m boring you. I can shut up if you tell me to.”
She let out a little cry of pain when she realized how he had misunderstood everything. “It’s not like that. I was really thinking about something.”
“That’s your best excuse?” Domenico didn’t bother keeping the disgust from his voice…or even the frustration and bitterness. Was there truly no hope for them? Was it really better for him to let Misty go?
And because he was concentrating too hard on Misty, it took Domenico a few seconds later than usual to realize that they were not alone. The Midways might be perennially silent these days, but it was a silence born of a past that was long gone. The silence was never stealthy, as if concealing danger like now.
“Wh---” Misty was suddenly thrust behind Domenico just before he shifted and took the bullet that was meant for her. “Domenico!” But already his body was pushing the bullet out, the wound healing. He snarled, and she whirled around just in time to see men half-crawling, half-running towards them until they formed a threatening circle around her and Domenico.
Their red eyes and fangs told Misty what they were, even though it was her first time to see their kind up close. She got a sick feeling inside her stomach just looking at them, a mixture of fear and disgust. They reeked of evil, and although she was scared she didn’t want to cower behind Domenico. Misty could feel him tensing as she forced her way back to his side. If he could contact her telepathically he would be shouting at her right now.
“Surprised to see us, Lyccan?” the vampire crooned. His features were sharp and cruelly beautiful, and Misty could see why some women would willingly become his victims. Or at least women who were as depraved as this vampire was.
“Did you think the Midways were for you alone?”
Misty could feel Domenico gathering his strength, preparing for an attack. His side touched her calves, his tail brushing against her skin several times, as if comforting her.
They were outnumbered. She had counted twelve vampires and there were just the two of us. Misty doubted that Faeries would suddenly appear to give them aid since their race tended not to leave the realm after dark.
“This world is no longer yours – just as your pack left you to rut until you die.” The vampire cackled. “Did you get that? Rut until you die?”
Was it a good thing or bad thing that vampires apparently had a lame sense of humor? And why was she even thinking about it when she was in a life-or-death situation? Misty felt the stirrings of panic inside her, and she swallowed, knowing enough of vampires to try to keep her fear in control because it was what they thrived in.
Concentrate, she told herself. This was what she had been training sixteen months for.
The vampire’s red eyes flashed as they landed on Misty. “Don’t worry, human. The Master does not want you dead.”
She lifted her chin. “That’s too bad since I want all of you dead.” And with the element of surprise in her side, she let loose the throwing stars she always had with her. Like all other weapons of Faeries, the throwing stars were forged of steel dipped in the blood of the race’s fallen heroes. They were the only ones that non-Faeries could heal and represented a gift of trust from the race. Milo had also said it could be her greatest weapon since she did not have the stamina or the killing instinct to really wield a Faerie sword.
The throwing stars struck its targets, hurtling through layers of flesh, muscle, and bone and killing the vampires instantly before spinning back to her hands.
The vampires let out a keening cry, and their leader hissed, “Forget about what Master said. Kill them both!”
Her body went taut, preparing for the hurt that was sure to follow. There was no mercy in the vampires’ eyes, not even a semblance of a soul. She was scared, terribly so, but a part of her realized that she was more scared for Domenico than for herself.
The circle of vampires started closing towards them.
“I’ll think that through if you’re smart,” a light cool voice warned from the darkness.
She jerked at the unexpected intrusion, hairs standing up on her nape. Thud. Thud. Thud. Three young men came out of nowhere, landing on a pouncing position on the ground. Fangs flashed in the darkness, sending the vampires in a disoriented frenzy.
Domenico relaxed at the sound of that voice, recognizing it immediately. If Riyu Delicazzi was around, then it was a given that his two second in command, Luka Georgiades and Stefan Mancetti would also be there. He turned his head slightly, and he saw that the three had formed a triangle offense around the circle of vampires. It was a well-known position that Caros favored when going to battle, one that left no enemy within the triangle breathing.
Misty heard Domenico’s fangs snap. She looked down at him in confusion, just in time to see him growl. It was low, loud, and menacing, sending shivers up her spine. But there was no time to think about it anymore as the growl acted like a signal.
The three new strangers launched themselves at the vampires the same time Domenico went on attack.
A vampire ran to Misty and she let loose another throwing star, but it only grazed the vampire’s face. Her heart screeched in fear, causing her fingers to fumble and dropping her other weapon to the ground.
When she looked up a split second later, the vampire was practically flying towards her, too fast for Misty to catch her other throwing star.
She kept her scream locked inside her, not wanting to distract Domenico. Misty started backing away, tripped on her own feet, and her mouth opened in silent horror as she felt herself falling backwards.
The vampire’s fangs were inches away from her throat when a blur of black crossed her vision, Domenico throwing his weight on her attacker and they tumbled to the side of the road.
“Domenico!” Her hand shot up to catch her throwing star and she hurtled it back, aiming for her attacker, who was now struggling against Domenico. The throwing star sliced the vampire’s neck open, and Domenico finished the job, his claws dismembering the vampire’s head.
A pair of hands grasped her from behind, and Misty only stopped struggling when she realized that it was one of the Caros helping her up to her feet. “You okay?”
“Relax. I’m on your side.” It was one of the Caros that had come to help her, and the savior was nothing but a teenage boy, his attractive features made sexier by the wicked gleam in his eyes. He bent
down to kiss her hand, just in time for her to see another vampire coming for them.
Misty didn’t even pause to think. She grabbed the dagger in the boy’s hand and threw it, the knife slicing the vampire’s skull neatly into halves.
The boy turned around, his eyes widening as the vampire fell to the ground. He looked back at her with eyes filled with admiration. “My heart, be still.”
The flirtatious words, uttered at such a setting, calmed her. Misty even managed a smile as she grabbed the throwing stars from the ground. Magic enabled them to return to her hands after hitting its target but not when it hit something accidentally---like the floor.
