Immortals of New Orleans Box Set (Books 1-4)

by Kym Grosso

  “I’ve gotta take a shower,” he muttered, walking toward the master bedroom. “You wanna join me?”

  “Sure, um, I’ve just got to stop by my room a sec, okay?”

  “Okay, meet you in there.”

  She nodded, wishing she could take his hurt away. He needed comfort tonight, and she swore she’d do everything in her power to help him. The killing appeared to come at a great cost to him, or perhaps he was mourning Toby. Observing Tristan in the element of battle had been both exhilarating and exhausting. She couldn’t even imagine what it had done to him, but she’d go to him, care for him, and make him whole again. But Kalli knew there was a critical singular task she had to complete before she could give herself to him fully; one which would allow her to start her life anew.

  Going into her bathroom, she stared at herself in the mirror. Taking a deep breath, she peeled off the black clothing she’d donned for the summit. But even once her clothes were gone, the morose film of violence still clung to her skin. She needed to shake off this evening’s events as much as anyone, but she couldn’t stop thinking about Tristan, the man and the wolf. Reveling in his animalistic display of dominance, she could no longer deny her true self.

  Stark naked, she wrapped her fingers around the tan bottle on the countertop, which contained the CLI. Remorse for Toby’s death still remained, but pride for surviving all those years without detection surged through her veins. There was no use in regretting what her childhood could or should have been. There was only now. And without a doubt, Tristan and Lyceum Wolves commanded her future. In her mind’s eye her alter ego awakened, enthusiastically prancing in anticipation. Unscrewing the white top, she took one last look at the pills before flushing all of them down the toilet.

  Instead of going to his room, Tristan had decided to turn around and head toward the kitchen. He’d torn off his clothes, removed his shoes, and threw them into a black plastic bag. Texting housekeeping, they arrived within seconds to take it to the incinerator for disposal. The scent of the dead wasn’t something one could wash out of clothing. Snatching a bottle of cognac and a couple of glasses, he retired to his private sanctuary.

  Tristan let the hot spray sting his skin as his consciousness drifted to Kalli. Mulling it over all day, he’d struggled to comprehend the urge to claim her. Yet deep down, he knew exactly why. Although Logan’s earlier cryptic comments had irritated the hell out of him, he realized at some point later in the afternoon that his beta knew for certain what he’d been renouncing. But his stubborn attitude could no longer deny fate. Never truly understanding what it was like for other mated wolves, the calling of his mate was a song he craved like no other.

  Accepting and acting on this newfound realization were two entirely different things. Kalli hadn’t even accepted her own wolf, so he wasn’t about to slam her with this new information any time soon. Reflecting on the summit, he prayed he hadn’t frightened the hell out of her. But like he’d told her, there was no hiding one’s true nature. And his was lethal.

  He placed his forehead against the cool tile as the calming scent of Kalli wafted into the room. Out of his peripheral vision, he could see her white robe drop to the floor, giving way to her silky olive skin. Through the beveled glass blocks, he watched the black curls spill down her back as she removed the band and pins, which had bound her hair.

  In the reflection of the mirror, Kalli’s breath caught as she noticed his sexy silhouette; like a powerful animal, he stretched his arms upward, leaning against the shower wall. Slipping around the enclosure in search of Tristan, she admired the sight of his bronzed dripping wet skin. The muscled planes of his back gave way to the solid curve of his buttocks and long powerful legs. Jets of water sprayed from each wall, and by the time she reached him, warm drops poured down her lithe but curvy body.

  Within inches of his body, she placed her hands on his shoulders tracing her fingers upward until she reached hold of his rock-hard biceps. Giving them a gentle caress, her hands trailed down the hard muscles of his back. She heard him hiss; his head lolled backward in contentment. Her hands explored his trim waist until her arms were wrapped all the way around him. Pressing forward to embrace him, her swollen bosom crushed against the expanse of his back and her legs straddled his. Spreading her fingers, she touched his wonderfully broad chest down to the rippled abs beneath his warm bare skin.

  “You okay?” she asked lovingly, closing her eyes while the cheek of her face pressed softly against his back.

  “Chérie, there is no place I’d rather be right now,” he mumbled. “Goddess, you feel so good. So perfect.” He moved to turn around to face her, but she stilled his movement.

  “Shhhh…My Alpha, let me take care of you tonight,” she whispered, reaching for the soap. “Relax, baby.”

  Lathering the bubbly cleanser into her small hands, she sluiced slippery liquid over his clavicles, massaging his neck until he released a small moan. Her hands continued their assault, rubbing the globes of his bottom and down his crease. Brushing his thighs, she gently turned him until he faced her.

  He stood silently watching her, enjoying the feel of her smooth palms on his skin. She rinsed her hands to fill them with cleanly scented shampoo. Reaching up into his hair, her pebbled pink tips grazed his chest. He sighed in aching need at the feel of them, but allowed her to thoroughly wash his blood-matted hair. Squeezing out the excess lather, she gently tilted his head back into the spray.

  Again, she resumed washing him with suds. Moving from under his arms to his biceps, she carefully attended to him all the way down to his fingers. Kalli’s breath caught at the sight of his tanned, sculptured chest. He opened his eyes to catch her gaze as she cleaned him all the way down to his belly. Keeping eye contact, she let her fingers deliberately trace the muscularly cut v that led to his groin. Whisking her palms downward, she spread his legs, stroking the juncture of his thighs. A ragged gasp escaped his lips as she cupped his velvety sac; his head fell backwards to rest on the tile, delighting in the sensation. Wrapping her other hand around his straining erection, she pumped him up and down, smoothing her thumb over the plump head.

  Tristan had never in his life been so open and vulnerable to a woman, letting her roam free on his body. From the first touch of her fingers to his shoulders to the graze of her nails on his chest, he tensed in excitement, letting her work her magic. She’d asked him to relax, but the agonizing arousal coursed through his body like he’d touched a live wire. It took every bit of self-restraint to not rush to make love to her. Rather, he willingly submitted to the sweet pain of her titillating stimulation, anticipating her next touch. As if she was performing a purification ritual, he felt the dark cloud in his soul lift.

  As he peered into the depths of her eyes, the intense affection he felt for Kalli teased his lips. He wanted to tell her how much she meant to him. More than lust, he was falling fast without a parachute. He bit his lip in resistance, thwarting the words that threatened to expose his heart. A jolt ran through his body as her tiny hands massaged his hot swollen flesh.

  “Kalli,” he cried out in pleasure before she released him. Lovingly, she turned his body once more, rinsing him clean. He gave into her direction, again his eyes meeting hers.

  As if performing a sensual rumba, she refused to release him from her trance. Smiling, she gracefully knelt before him, combing her fingernails down the front of his thighs. Tristan sucked a blissful breath. The sight of his beautifully bared female on her knees, parting her lips, sent blood pulsating into his already hard cock. Incredibly stunning, her drenched hair clung to her skin. Puckered nipples brushed across his thighs, as she leaned forward. Darting her tongue outward, she licked the underside of his engorged shaft. He could have sworn he’d died and gone to heaven as her warm lips encased him.

  Kalli relished his taste as she sucked him deeply. Releasing his sex from her mouth, she fisted his swollen staff while she laved his testicles, rolling them over her tongue. Once again she took his rigid flesh into
her mouth, slowly swallowing all of him. Digging her fingers into the cheeks of his ass, she pulled him toward her until he began to pump himself in and out of her lips. She moaned, as the excitement of tasting him incited her own passion; her core ached with need, begging to be touched.

  As the intoxication of her actions spread throughout his body, Tristan struggled to speak. “Mon amour…please.” He grasped her hair. “I can’t stop. I’m going to come.”

  His words only inflamed her arousal, taking him faster and deeper. Refusing to let go, she grasped his bottom, encouraging him to thrust harder, edging him closer to his impeding orgasm.

  No longer able to resist as her lips tightened around his throbbing hardness, he screamed her name, gasping for breath, “Kalli!”

  His cry of deliverance resounded as he abandoned himself to his erotic release. Groaning as she took all of him, he poured himself into her, her unrelenting lips and tongue mercilessly milking him dry. He reached for her, pulling her up into his embrace, the warm water of the shower caressing their intermingled bodies.

  Kalli’s chest felt tight, so swollen with emotion, she couldn’t look at him without revealing her feelings. Resisting the temptation to fall in love with him was going to be difficult, she thought. Everything about him from the way he playfully conversed to his resplendent black wolf captivated her. Her Alpha, the magnificent man within her arms, was hers.

  Chapter Nineteen

  “Anastas,” Kalli confided.

  “Hmm,” Tristan replied, lazily drawing circles on the inside of her palm while they lay entwined in his bed. After turning off the shower, Kalli had insisted on drying every square inch of him with a warmed, fluffy towel. Within minutes, they both fell comfortably into Tristan’s large inviting bed.

  “Anastas. Kalli Anastas. That’s my real name.”

  “Anastas,” he repeated, the word rolling off his smooth tongue in a Greek accent. “It suits you. Thank you for trusting me with it. See, my lessons are working.”

  “Yes, professor, indeed they are, although I’m afraid I may require many more lengthy, hands-on demonstrations.” She brought his hand up to her lips for a brief kiss.

  Tristan chuckled.

  “And I have something else to share with you,” Kalli continued.

  “Do share.”

  She quieted, pushing up onto her forearms and tummy so she could look at him directly. “The pills. They’re gone.”

  “Gone?”

  “Gone as in I flushed them gone. Gone as in I’m returning to my nature as a wise Alpha encouraged me to do.” She grinned, remembering their previous discussion.

  Tristan pulled her up into his arms and kissed her slowly and gently. “Mon amour, I was hoping…but you had to make the decision on your own. And now there’s nothing stopping us.”

  “Stopping us from what?” She eyed him inquisitively.

  “It’s just that I’m looking forward to sharing that part of myself with you. I want to run and hunt and…” He let his words trail off on purpose, unsure of how much of his feelings he should disclose.

  “And?” She left the question hanging, yet it went unanswered.

  He simply smiled at her, somewhat stalling, somewhat just lost in her altogether.

  “Mr. Livingston,” she challenged. “Trust goes both ways. Do you need me to teach you a lesson?”

  “I’m sure you would, chérie. The scary part is that I might like it.”

  “Come on Tristan. Spill it,” she whined, in an attempt to rush the conversation, dying to know what he wanted to do with her.

  “First let me ask you something.” He stilled in preparation for her response. “Tonight at the meeting. What were your impressions? Truth.”

  “At first, I was terrified. It was suffocating in there. My whole life I’ve lived in fear of wolves. And then, there I am at a summit of all things, with two seriously lethal Alpha males.” She rolled her eyes.

  “Lethal?”

  “Damn straight lethal. And then seeing Sato, I was torn between cowering and attempting to kill him myself. The thing is that I know that there is this part of me, a very big part, that abhors violence, but I wanted Sato dead. Not only did I want him dead, I was exhilarated by your power, your strength. I wanted to watch while you took him down.” She let out a deep breath. “Oh God. It sounds awful, doesn’t it?”

  “No. Vengeance is bittersweet. No doubt he had it coming after what he’d done to you, even if it was indirectly. And he’d killed Toby. The man lacked remorse. He’d do it again,” Tristan concluded thoughtfully.

  “So, now that you know all my secrets, what gives? What else do you want to do with me? Besides having your wicked way with me?” She laughed.

  He cupped her cheeks in his hands, letting his thumb brush her lips. “Kalli, I…I’ve been alone for such a long time. But now. Meeting you. My wolf. Fuck, I’m incredibly inarticulate tonight,” he huffed in frustration.

  Kalli giggled and cuddled closer, lying her back down on his chest again. Maybe it would be easier for him if he didn’t look at her while saying whatever it was he needed to tell her?

  “Okay, here it is. I’ve never in my adult life lived with a woman. Came close with Sydney, but she wasn’t my mate. And I never felt this urge…this urge to claim her…Mira neither. I’ve never felt that craving…that need to mark someone. To claim them.”

  “What are you saying?”

  “I can’t resist any longer…this need. I don’t know how to explain it. At first I blamed it on my wolf. It is, but it isn’t. You and I…there’s something serious between us. I mean the sex is amazing but it’s not just that. I’ve got to have you…have you as in ‘you are mine’. And not like ‘mine’ meaning part of the pack either. It’s more. So much more than that.” He blew out a deep breath, fearing he was fucking up the entire conversation.

  “It’s okay, Tristan. I know. I feel strongly about you too.” I’m falling in love with you. “I wish I could play coy and pretend I don’t feel it, but I just can’t. I want this…what’s happening between us. And my wolf, well, she’s been at me since the minute you put me in your lap in your car,” she admitted softly.

  “I want to claim you, Kalli. Mark you. Do you understand what I’m saying?” Done with hedging the issue, he put all his cards on the table. If he didn’t tell her now, he’d end up doing it the next time they made love. The call was beyond his control.

  Kalli’s stomach danced with butterflies. She’d never been claimed before but she knew that it would be a sign to the pack that she was his potential mate. Her wolf rolled in submission, baring her neck, awaiting his mark. “Do it. I want to be yours. I know it’s taken me a while to trust, but you’ve shown me how important it is to be myself. But the next moon…I’ll need your help.”

  Tristan’s pride swelled at her words. He breathed a sigh of relief; she’d felt it too. Not ready to mention he truly believed she was his mate, he celebrated the fact that she wanted this.

  “Baby, you’ve got no idea how much I’m going to help you. Your first shift with the pack; I promise you that it will be a magical experience,” he declared. “You’ll carry my mark. But you must know that there is no other for me from here on out.” He moved his hand downward, now circling her very pretty, very hard, pink tips.

  “Alpha, are you giving up your naughty ways?” she teased.

  “No way, chérie. I’m only providing full disclosure. All kinky practices are now officially reserved for you.” He pinched her nipple, enjoying hearing her squeak in pleasure. Declaring his intention to mark her ignited her excitement. Her delicious scent filled the room. His little wolf was terribly aroused. Goddess, he loved that she was so responsive. Truth be told, he loved everything about her.

  “Ah,” she moaned at his touch. “Do tell me all about these kinky practices. Hmm….I don’t think I can wait.” She found herself involuntarily grinding her hips against his leg.

  He shifted, reaching over to slide open a bedroom drawer, retrieving a
small black bag. A dark smile broke across his face, aware that he was about to push her limits.

  “A mystery?” she queried, nervously biting her lip. He’d been planning this? What was in the damn bag?

  “What? I know how to shop for more than dresses and earrings. In fact, I think this little store may become one of our favorite spots,” he boasted, anticipating playing with her. She’d nearly fallen apart at his dark intrusion the last time they’d made love. He opened the bag, gesturing for her to look inside it.

  Kalli gasped as she pulled out the small plug. Her eyes widened at him in disbelief.

  “I…I don’t know, Tristan,” she stammered, trying to conceal her excitement.

  “No hiding your real feelings, chérie. I know the truth. The way you flew apart last time I touched you with my fingers, I thought a little toy was in order. As much as I’d love to take you there, and I would,” he crooned in a low sexy voice, melting away her concerns, “that’s not happening tonight. But I know you’ll love this little toy, here. Don’t you trust me? Perhaps you need another lesson?” he breathed, sliding his palm down her belly.

  “Ah, yes,” Kalli moaned in anticipation, his fingers teasing below her belly button.

  “The very thought of me taking you there excites you, doesn’t it? Your lovely flushed skin and rapid breathing gives you away,” He slid his hand down into her slick heat, pressing a finger up into her core. “Ah, yes. You’re soaking wet.”

  “Tristan, yes.”

  “I’ve gotta taste you, baby.” Tristan flipped Kalli onto her back, settling his face between her legs. His warm breath skated across her mound while he continued gliding his finger in and out of her hot sheath. With his other hand, he ran two fingers down her nether lips, gently separating her to expose her treasured pearl.