by Erin R Flynn
“Bite her but don’t drink since you see too much then,” Dain suggested as he moved closer. He spread my legs wider for him as he leaned in until we were almost kissing. “You are more beautiful than the day we met, my wife. You are the most beautiful woman to me ever and I do not mean only the physical. I want nothing more than to be as we were. Will you accept me again?”
“Not as we were,” I whispered, leaning my forehead to his. “You can’t be the man who is stupid and abandons his wife who has abandonment issues again.”
“We sink or swim together, I swear it,” he rasped. “I will never leave you trying to keep you afloat on your own. We are stronger together and together we shall handle everything.”
“I accept. I’m yours forever,” I murmured, thinking that was what he was waiting for. I meant it, but it sounded weird to say.
Then again, we really never had vows or a real wedding how I knew them so what did I know?
He moved me so he could push in me, growling when I gasped at how full having them both in me made me feel. He kissed me desperately as Enzo tried to distract me. It was like he knew that Dain wanted that emotional orgasm with me like I’d had with Jonik. I just didn’t know if he wanted to block it, feel it too, or share it like he was having it with me.
All three? None?
“Focus on me,” Dain whispered against my lips as started moving. His hands ran up and down my thighs as he thrust, staring into my eyes in a way that I couldn’t look away from. “We will share what you did with Jonik. Not tonight. That’s for us only. This is about us even if we’re sharing it.” He gave me an impish smirk which was rare for him. “Like when you sirened me and I mated you. Remember that?”
I nodded. “It was snowing like now.”
“Yes, almost a year ago. You were like an angel standing in the snow on my balcony. My own personal angel who offered me all of her and everything I never knew I wanted.”
“Dain,” I gasped as he moved faster, his grip changing to needier as he moved my arms to loop back around Enzo’s neck. He attacked my skin with his lips, nipping that spot under my ear. “You fucked me on every inch of your room and bathroom.”
“I know. I see it every time I’m there. I’m always horny in my own damn room because I have flashes of being with you,” he grunted, the words coming out choppy as he moved faster. “I won’t last.”
“My Energizer Bunny won’t last?” I moaned, shocked and ready to fall over into bliss myself.
“Missed you too much. At court I touched no one, wanted none of it, but you awakened that part of me. That need didn’t die while we were apart.”
Shit, that was sort of hot to know it was building for me for almost a year. It sucked the reason and we’d only been making out since I was rescued, but yeah, that was sort of hot.
“I love you,” he whispered against my skin and my orgasm hit me hard, his doing the same.
“I love you too,” I breathed when we were done and he was holding me tightly. It wasn’t our best, not even close, but I knew he’d made sure of that so Enzo wasn’t in the memory of our top hits.
Which Enzo had not expected for our reunion from what I was getting from him. I was glad Dain had done it but I didn’t want Enzo pissed and ruin his mood with me. I pushed Dain to lie on his back, bringing Enzo with me as I straddled Dain. I glanced at him over my shoulder. “You drive.”
I could feel Dain’s amusement at the situation and my surprise. I gave him a look that I couldn’t believe him. Then again, he had pride as a man and Enzo had intentionally pushed his buttons. I could sort of understand that.
And at least Enzo took me up on my offer, in charge of our fun and still careful of me when he was that pissed. That also shocked me and I said as much when we were done.
“I am a man of control,” he reminded me.
“I know, your control scares me even as when control that strong snaps things go very wrong,” I panted as I snuggled up between them, the three of us lying on the bed. “I just can’t ever wrap my mind around being in control when I’m as angry as you got.” I shrugged. “There’s a lot I don’t always get.”
“I hate to interrupt but Simone is texting you asking if you’re still doing the siren show tonight and the tasting soon,” Carter muttered, focused on his phone when I glanced at him.
“Tasting?” Enzo asked.
“Fuck, I forgot,” I groaned. “Simone wanted to change up the menu and do some different stuff but not while I was gone. We’ve talked about it some more and last month we did a trade out with one of the Dorcus resorts. Two chefs who have vast experience in Mediterranean cuisine and have gotten Michelin stars came and did a month of a different menu. It went over really well.”
Carter and Dain snorted. That was an understatement. Most restaurants and places wouldn’t ever take a risk like that but it was a really cool idea and people liked really cool ideas to take a break from life.
“We’re thinking of doing the same with a few chefs trained in Chinese cuisine—specifically Sichuan, Jiangsu, and Cantonese for January and until the Chinese New Year. The sampling is the first round of what they’re thinking. The goal is traditional dishes that can be at markets and stalls that people flock to when they visit but with an upscale twist and flair that people come here for.”
“It’s an interesting concept.”
“Want to come? I have bespelled lipstick. You can act like one of Carter’s friends visiting.”
“He’d have to wear lipstick still,” Carter chuckled, looking about to burst out laughing.
I rolled my eyes. “Yeah, we already thought of that and the last one I got from Nina is clear, more like a gloss but it stays like a lip paint.”
“Yes, I would,” he agreed after a few moments. “I’ve wanted to see the show Apollo talks about so much.”
“Cool, but I meant the tasting.” I shrugged when he turned me to face him. “You’re thousands of years old and probably have the most refined palate of any of us. It’s why Carter and some of the ancients are going. I like trying new things but I have dietary restrictions and—”
Carter burst out laughing. “You being the world’s biggest wuss with spicy food is not a dietary restriction, Sera.”
“That bad?” Enzo asked.
“Yes,” I hissed, rolling over onto my stomach and glaring at Carter. “For your information, Dr. Sloan said I had a hypersensitivity to spices. He tested me. It’s a real thing, something about my tongue, taste buds, and I had a lot of stomach problems as a human so shut it. My point is that I can’t try everything and some they might have to mute for me so knowledgeable help would be nice so it’s not all on Simone.”
“Sorry, I’m sorry,” Carter gasped as he calmed down. “I’ve just never seen someone turn so fucking red from wings none of us thought as hot. At all.”
I stuck out my tongue at him and rolled over again so I was straddling Enzo, much to his surprise. “Are you done poking at Dain? If you come play with us can you not poke back after he didn’t give you all you wanted? I’d rather add something fun to do the deal than there be issues. Please? No more fucking problems.”
He nodded. “I’d like to meet your son.”
I let out a slow breath. “Fine, but you cannot hold him.” I shook my head. “He can’t control his power or wear a ring like…” I closed my eyes and covered my face, letting out a wordless scream.
Enzo hadn’t known that Topher was clairvoyant.
“We all assumed he was, Sera,” he said gently, rubbing his hands over my thighs. “You were instantly vigilant and we know it was your father’s child, not a distant cousin. The lie made it clear he was probably like you, but no one on the council will use that or disclose it, you have my word.”
“That’s hard to believe, no offense,” Dain said gently.
“No, it’s not, because while the council is dark and goes way beyond what most of you think, they have lines of honor that would shock people,” Carter argued. “Remember, they are the
ones that enforce such crazy rules and laws that if you break an agreement you forfeit all you have and your life. Going after children is a line none will touch. Any living relative for a vampire is sacred.”
Right, because they couldn’t have kids anymore. Something about the virus killed off sperm and eggs.
“I swear to you I will never even confirm you admitted it,” Enzo promised when I still couldn’t calm down. “You let your guard down around me, that is not to be punished but it amazes me as you know I am a monster.”
True, but I was glad the monsters had lines even they wouldn’t cross.
I nodded, letting out a shaky breath. “Tell Simone I’m in. I need to feed and heavily. Dr. Sloan said so after completely draining myself for Brian.” I slid off of him and focused on Carter, letting Dain comfort me as well. “Orson said something about having council guard friends who would be interested in moving since we’re so much fun here.”
“You mean you keep getting fucking shot at,” he growled. “Yes, we’ve had friends ask to get them out like you did the new ones.” Understanding filled his eyes. “You think we make this like a test on how good they are at security to explain Dubois’s guys instead of we brought in a team like we’re worried.”
I nodded. “More help, right? The other plan’s been going well and we’ve gotten some pretty good info. If we’re going to bring in more prey shifters from Russia and refugees more security would make sense. I mean you know this better than I do but couldn’t we use more people since we expanded again?”
“Yes,” Dain sighed. “More packs signed the contracts to give blood at the deal you made Virgil. Queen Laila wants to expand again. New York could use more people as well as Melicent has been taking over the world there too. We actually have about two hundred jobs that could use people. Plus your five other packs are getting a lot going and done. People are requesting another APA event in January.”
“Ugghhhh,” I groaned as I covered my head with my hands. “We need like twenty of us for all the trouble you start, Dain.”
“Yes, it’s me, my love,” he chuckled, turning on his side and kissing my shoulder. “People were offering to host but Noah and the local Alphas made it rather clear given the rumors it was a mob network and other problems that started because of it, we needed to have events where we would have the law on our side, for now.”
“Agreed but I think the next one should be in Vegas to show it’s safe too. Laila said they could use more people as well.” I blew out a harsh breath. “Okay, let’s get going. Carter, figure out rooms or maybe a conference room for Enzo’s people at one of the hotels. Or we can let them have the house in Highland Park. Whatever is on the DL.”
“Here would be better,” Carter countered. “A bunch of us can double up in apartments and let them use ours. I don’t want to risk a hotel conference room with people coming and going too much. We need to assume Murray won’t be working alone.”
“A good assumption, but while he might be smart, he does not think the same of Sera and the director certainly doesn’t,” Dain told him. “Monroe said it was comments here and there but after the shit with getting the court ruling shifters can sniff cocaine and the cartel problems, the comments are much worse and all alluding to her being put in as division chief a colossal mistake and disaster for the FBI.”
Carter and even Enzo snorted, which made me feel better but like ouch. Who didn’t love hearing the director of the FBI thought that of you?
We got ready to leave, Enzo having only brought one carry-on bag for now but enough clothes. He had already contacted the people he wanted to get involved and then I showed him how to use the lipstick.
“Basically you visualize how—”
“I know how the magic works,” he assured me, leaning in towards the mirror and putting it on.
The way he said it though, with such confidence that didn’t seem just he’d used spells before, clicked in my brain. “You were a warlock before you were a vampire, weren’t you?”
His eyes flashed shock that he quickly schooled. “Technically, but no, as I could control no magic of my own, but I had magical blood on my father’s side so I was sensitive to it, could sense it. I was a bastard though and he did not acknowledge me. My mother was a psychic, a full one, so with that mix I was one as well. A powerful one because of the magical blood, which was what she hoped.”
I swallowed loudly. “Hoped?”
He nodded. “Not to sell me or other horror stories but she was not a woman of means and all the men her parents—who were psychics and dangerously used it for money and to not work otherwise—were trying to sell her to were horrible. Instead she found my father, who had money and means, and learned of his magic. She seduced him to be his mistress and had me. I helped her survive.”
“A payoff from him?”
“Yes, but also, she had a child out of wedlock, no one would marry her then. She ‘ruined’ herself so that she wouldn’t be sold and took the payoff and ran so she didn’t end up at a brothel.” He studied me in the mirror. “You remind me of her many times and I mean that as a compliment. My mother was a survivor but was a good mother and woman. She simply could not stand for what was expected of her.”
“Good woman,” I praised. I couldn’t even imagine how hard that must have been given it was hard now not to bow to what society or people wanted or thought my life should be. Thousands of years ago it would have been a joke. “That’s a badass story. You should talk to Brutus and let him tell it.” I shrugged. “A woman like that shouldn’t be left out of history.”
“That might be one of the nicest things someone has ever said of her.”
“You’ve been talking to the wrong people then, Enzo.”
He frowned. “I’ve never told anyone about her, not for many, many years.” He focused on the mirror then and applied the lipstick, physically changing his deep green eyes to silver ones. His salt-and-pepper medium-length hair that was perfectly styled became longer blond hair held in a ponytail. It was actually a good look for him.
He added a large scar on the right side of his face along with a bit more girth to him. The spell couldn’t change height or body type so I didn’t know how he did that. Even the scar.
“It only works because I’m not naked and the scar is a characteristic just as hair and eyes,” he explained, hopefully getting that from the way I was looking at him.
And then I had a horrible thought. Maybe he wasn’t. “You’re still psychic, right?”
He nodded. “I would ask you not tell anyone that.”
“Could you not read our thoughts?” I asked softly.
He gave me an amused look. “I never do. I made a promise to my mother long ago that I would never listen unless in danger or to help. She hated the way her parents abused the power for money and was trained to do the same. I will say some of my excessive control stemmed from that as it was needed to survive with such a powerful gift, as you fully know.”
I shook my head. “No, I don’t, as I was a fraction of a normal clairvoyant. Only touching people or the rare loud broadcaster. I can’t get anything from objects. I was honestly a horrible clairvoyant until I became a wolf and it got stronger. All it really gave me was migraines and I couldn’t block any of it.”
“Because no one taught you. There are ways but you have too much to learn already and your ring is an ingenious solution.”
“Yeah, it gave me a lot I never thought possible,” I murmured as I twirled it around my finger. It was then I saw my other hand that was now without an engagement ring.
Funny how I only wore it a few hours and could already miss it so much.
12
“You want to talk?” Simone asked me after giving me a hug.
“Yes, but later, privately,” I answered, realizing that was how I really felt. “Want to take a soak later after the siren show?”
“I’ll see if there’s a hot tub open but yeah, that sounds like heaven.” She gave me a wink and walked off, relief fi
lling me that maybe I could get some perspective tonight talking with her.
“Oh fuck,” I hissed as I locked gazes with Grigori… The Beta from Russia I’d rescued and completely forgotten about.
Completely.
He chuckled and came over to me. “I understand, Alpha, I do. You wear many hats and have much support to make it all work. Jonik has been wonderful helping to get me settled. I have spoken to Milo with his help and I will be sponsored by him for citizenship and a job. I am elated to be an enforcer with a life of my own instead of a Beta who was treated like a dog.”
“I’m glad you like the plan. I am sorry though. I know it’s not an excuse but I am normally not remotely so dismissive. I am still glad we got you out.”
“I am as well and Milo has some ideas of how and where to start with Oleg. They are looking into some things and will present it to you.”
“Good, the shifter council wants to be involved and not leave it completely on us. Eugene might be of help on this one.”
His eyes flashed shock but he nodded, thanking me and promising to tell Milo. Also that he was already working on his English. Good, that would help communicating with the pack.
The conversation also reminded me that I needed to meet with Eugene and discuss some things. Axel too. Fuck.
I sat at a large booth with Dain on one side at the end and Carter and “Eric,” which we decided would be Enzo’s undercover name. I pulled out my phone to send some messages but raised my head when I felt nerves and upset, frowning when it was Ashley, Julia, and a few others of the younger wolves in college.
“If someone at that school so much as looked at you funny again, I’m going to end up in jail,” I said with a growl.
Ashley’s lips twitched and I felt them ease down. “No, not remotely, but we need a favor and it’s horrible timing.”
I frowned. “Yeah, sure, but shouldn’t you guys be studying for exams upstairs?”
“We were but one of our projects took a turn,” Julia sighed. “We knew you were coming for the tasting and hoped you could fit us in too.”
