by Lila Rose
However, life went on and it was up to us to be who we were meant to be. To each other and to our people.
Kissing his chest, I settled back down. “We will get through this together.”
He sighed, a small smile touching his lips. “Yes, we will.”
“Now, do you want to tell me what was going on with Darik and Raven?”
“Before we speak of it, I must tell you where I have been and why it took me so long to get here and claim you. The thought of what you went through, what you felt, will haunt me. I am so sorry.”
“Don’t. It’s not like you knew about what was going to happen to me.” He stiffened. I sat up, bringing the sheet with me, holding it against my chest. Turning, I glared down at him. “You knew?”
He had the nuts to look sheepishly at me. “I did. Jezanna informed me. Though, we all thought we had time.”
“Hang on, hang on. Did you know we were meant to be a mated couple right from the start?”
He pushed himself up, his back to the headboard. “Yes. As soon as I walked through the classroom door and saw your eyes, my breath caught and I nearly stumbled. I never stumble,” he said matter-of-factly.
It came to me then. The way I’d always felt about Isaac. I knew there was something about him I needed to know. A place, a part of me, reached out to him that first day. He intrigued me. Only it wasn’t just that. It seemed my body always knew he was meant for me. I’d denied it though, because the thought of a mate, a partner intended for me, was something that had never crossed my mind. I had been alone for so long and I’d always thought I would die that way.
Glancing to the bed, I whispered, “I never believed in mates. I even told Jezanna there wasn’t one out there for me, no matter the connection we had. I was foolish.” Looking to Isaac, I asked, “Did Jezanna know you were my mate?”
“No, I even kept that prophecy to myself. Gregory knew though. He was the one who told me and never second-guessed me, like my siblings when I wanted to move from one place to another while I searched for you.”
Shifting up the bed, I snuggled into Isaac’s arms. No wonder Gregory was adamant about me staying and protecting his family, our family. He knew I was meant for his adopted son.
“Speaking of Gregory, it was also why I was delayed coming to you. I had information about his attacker. As we suspected, it was one of MaryJane’s men. Though, after he had brutally attacked my father, he fled. We managed to find him, Leila. I went after him.”
“Tell me you made him suffer.”
He kissed my temple. “Another reason I love you. You are bloodthirsty when it comes to people you care for.”
“True.” I nodded without an ounce of remorse for it.
“Yes. At my hands, he suffered for a long time and still it wasn’t enough.”
“Because he took away a good man.”
“He did.”
“You know, Gregory would be a happy man where he is now, with his wife.”
“I do know it.”
“But the loss of him is still hard.”
“Exactly.”
“Life is truly mean sometimes.” I sighed.
His fingers touched my chin and he tilted my head around to his. Placing a soft kiss upon my lips, he then whispered against them, “Which is why we must live like it is our last. We must smile, laugh and love with all we have, and make each day special in some way.”
Pulling back, I smiled. Isaac opened his eyes and they were red. Turning my head, I asked, “Why do they go red?”
“It’s a sign I have claimed my mate.”
“So not just because you want to do the wicked with me?” I grinned.
He threw his head back and laughed. When he calmed, he kissed me again and then said, “It is that as well; however, the claiming is what brought them out.”
I ran a finger over his brows and down the side of his face. “I think they’re freaking amazing.”
He chuckled. “I’m glad, because you will see them a lot.”
“Will others?”
“No, it’s mostly when we’re intimate. My eyes only bleed red for you and you alone.”
“I wonder if Caelen’s go like that for Jezanna.”
“Leila, I refuse to talk about Caelen,” he bit out Caelen’s name with a growl, “while in bed with you.”
“Wait.” I sat straight. “Does mating have anything to do with Darik and Raven?”
He sighed. “I believe so. As well as with Jeremiah and Sofia. Also, yes, I do believe Jezanna and Caelen are destined mates for one another. Though, I’m unsure if they have claimed each other as yet.”
“What’s holding them back?”
“They’re both scared. I think, once this trouble with Gerald passes, things will change.”
“Is Darik going to claim Raven? And Jeremiah, Sofia?”
“I cannot answer for them.”
Shrugging, I said, “I’ll ask them.”
“Leila,” he groaned. “I think it best if we stay out of their business.”
“Maybe,” I teased.
He grinned wickedly at me. “What would make you promise to stay out of their love life?” Slowly, he touched my neck and then slid his hand down over my arm, only to come back up on the inside. My eyes closed and I moaned when he ran his fingers down my side.
However, they sprung wide and I let out a squeal when I found myself on my knees facing the headboard with Isaac’s powerful body behind me.
His hands inched slowly from my sides to cover my breasts. “I’m sure I could make you promise.” His voice was husky and low. I pushed my arse back against him to find he was already hard and resting against my lower back.
I grumbled when he moved away slightly, so our lower halves weren’t touching.
“Isaac,” I snapped.
His chuckle blew his warm breath over my shoulder and neck. “Leila my love, do you promise not to get involved?”
“I…”
Isaac’s right hand glided down my stomach and paused just above my pelvic bone.
“Promise and you can have what you want.”
Breathlessly, I panted, “What do you think I want?”
“Me,” he growled and nipped my earlobe. “You want your mate deep inside you.” With his fingers, he ran them whisper-softly through my coarse hair below. He slid a finger up and down my opening. Teasing me, taunting me, but it was in the best way possible.
“Please,” I begged.
“Promise me?”
“N-not fair, Isaac,” I bit out when he parted my lips and placed a finger over my clit. Only he didn’t move it.
He chuckled. “I know, my love. However, this I need you to yield over because they need to figure things out on their own.”
Yield? Me?
The best option I had was to tell a little white lie to get want I wanted. “Okay,” I whispered.
Isaac bit my neck and then earlobe. “You lie to me, my love.”
He flicked my nub. A shudder shivered over my body and a moan dropped from my lips. “Please.”
Isaac cupped my mound and forced me back, so my arse jutted out. He ran his spare hand over the globes of my arse cheeks and then slapped one. “It is difficult to say no to my mate,” he growled. I felt his hand then and I knew he was holding himself and lining it up to my entrance. The tip had just touched my opening when he added, “I will have to find another way to make you promise.” And then he pushed all the way in, the tip hitting something amazing inside of me, ripping a half scream from my mouth.
Looking over my shoulder with hooded eyes, I saw my mate’s eyes glowing red. He was enjoying this as much as I was.
“Fuck me,” I panted.
“Yes,” he snarled. He took hold of my hips and thrust in and out of me hard. My hands gripped the headboard in a tight hold. I threw my head back and purred through my fast release.
Fangs sank into my shoulder, pulling another climax out of me. I yelled out my pleasure. Still, Isaac didn’t relent. He pounded me o
ver and over while he drank my blood deep from my shoulder.
Suddenly, his mouth released and with another snarl, he emptied inside me with thrust after thrust.
We both panted to catch our breath. Would it always be like that? I hoped so.
The love I felt for Isaac was so hard to explain, to put in order, but I knew I would fight for him. I would bleed for him and I would love him until I passed into the next life, where I would find him all over again.
Love you.
He kissed my back and slowly slid out of me. And I you, my love. Forever.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
When I woke, my stomach growled in complaint. Stretching, I reached out for Isaac, only his side was cold. Sitting, I looked around the room just as the bathroom door opened.
“You took a shower without me,” I complained.
He smiled. “I knew I had to or else I would have been distracted once again with your delicious body. Besides, I need to feed my mate and before that, I have to clear the way to get out.” He looked at me with a sheepish grin.
“Isaac, what did you do?” I asked, standing and pulling the sheet from the bed to wrap around my body.
Stepping up to me, his hands went straight to my waist and then he leaned in and ran his tongue over my lips. Pulling back, I said, “Now you’re distracting me.” I smiled. “What did you do?”
He rolled his eyes. “I only pulled some things down the stairs so no one else could enter.”
“What type of things?”
He cleared his throat and my big, strong, ever-courteous vampire mate muttered, “A couch, piano and table. They were the items close to the stairs and then Jezanna would have filled in the gap with more items. Like I had asked.”
After a big gulp of air, I burst out laughing. My hand went to his chest to hold myself up.
That explained why he’d left the room for those few moments. He was making sure no one could enter and interrupt us. It was hilarious and gorgeous at the same time.
Isaac’s hand at my waist tightened. He pulled me into him so our fronts collided. He smiled down at me, but his eyes were heavy and hot red. “I love seeing you laugh.”
“I love you.” I grinned, winding my arms around his shoulders where I pulled him down and kissed him.
When my stomach growled, he mumbled against my lips, “You must shower so I can feed you.”
Looking up at him, I asked with raised brows, “Sure you don’t want to go back to bed?”
He sucked my bottom lip into his mouth before pulling back and saying, as he walked toward the stairs, “We will have more time for that, Leila Morgin.”
“Oh, I hope so.”
He winked over his shoulder and started up the stairs. I went to the bathroom with a smile upon my face. Never had I been so happy. I could only pray it would stay that way.
By the time I made it out of the shower and dressed in the clothes laying on the bed, Isaac wasn’t in sight. Therefore, I made my way up the stairs and walked down the long hallway until I could hear voices.
As soon as I entered the kitchen, silence nearly burnt my ears. Rolling my eyes, I ignored everyone and walked up to the far end of the table where my mate waited with a smile upon his lips. There, he grabbed my wrist, twisted me and tugged me down into his lap. His mouth met mine in a hungry kiss. If he didn’t care showing affection in front of everyone, then I wouldn’t either.
I decided I liked to grope my man whenever I had the chance, so I was happy.
A giggle started and then a wolf whistle, while someone else cleared their throat.
Dazed, I shifted back where I felt Isaac was very happy to see me and looked down the table. Jezanna was the one giggling. Her smile was of pure joy. Of course, Caelen was the one who whistled. I caught him in the action doing it again. I had to guess who the person was who cleared their throat and it would be Jeremiah. He sat down at the other end of the table looking a little embarrassed.
Besides the three of them, there was also Xavier, Darik, Jensen and two other people, a guy and a girl, who I didn’t know.
“So, what’s going on?” I asked as I dragged a plate of cold meat towards me.
When no one spoke, I looked up to see all of them standing. I hadn’t even heard them move. My fork with meat on it slipped from my hand and clattered to the table when they all went to their knees.
“What’s going on?” I whispered out the corner of my mouth to Isaac. He didn’t even answer me.
Watching in awe, every one of them placed their hand over their heart and spoke at the same time, all saying the same thing, “We pledge our allegiance to our queen.”
Holy shit.
“Okay, um, thanks. I think.” I picked up my fork again and added, “Get up off the floor. You’re all starting to freak me out, and none of that queen stuff in this house.”
“I like her,” the new female vampire said with a smile. I’d caught a glimpse of her outside when I’d arrived in my heat frenzy, so I knew she must have been Seraphine.
“It’s what we all said after she opened her mouth to talk,” Xavier laughed. They all got to their feet and sat back down.
“Queen Leila—” the nameless guy with fiery red hair said.
“Nope.”
“Ah,”—he looked to everyone for assistance—“Queen Leila.”
“Sorry,” I mumbled around my food.
Isaac chuckled behind me. “My mate means what she said, Hamish. She would like to be only called Leila within these walls.”
“And if we’re down the street shopping. Really, any time we’re around humans. My uncle would get a kick out of you calling me Queen, but he’d also tease the hell out of me for it. Not happening. Oh, and when we’re in battle, Queen Leila is too long. Just Leila is fine.”
“In other words, like myself, only in formal situations will you call us by our titles.”
“Yep, really like her.” Seraphine laughed. I winked at her.
“Good to have you and Hamish back safe and sound.” I smiled.
Her eyes widened slightly. “Thank you.”
Shrugging, I turned my gaze to Jeremiah. His eyes narrowed. He knew what was coming.
“How’s the jaw?”
“What’s this?” Isaac asked.
“Leila,” Jeremiah warned.
Laughing, I sat back in my man’s arms and told him, “Darik wasn’t the only one who wanted to do the hanky-panky with me.”
“Brother,” Isaac growled. “Explain.”
Jeremiah’s eyes told me he would be getting payback on me one way or another. “It was nothing. I tackled her to the ground and Sofia stopped me from doing anything.”
“Why were you here?” Jezanna asked. Her brother’s glare turned on her.
“Because, sister, I was stubborn and didn’t listen to you.”
“True.”
“Don’t worry, Isaac.” I smiled. “I clocked him a good one in the jaw and then Sofia knocked him unconscious.”
“Good,” Isaac bit out.
Darik stood. “I would like to apologise for what I did in the room.”
I waved it away. “No one could help it, so all is forgiven.”
“With Leila maybe, but I will be teaching you and my brother a lesson later on.”
Which meant swordplay, and I knew it would leave Darik and Jeremiah with a few extra holes until they healed.
Darik accepted his punishment with a nod. Jeremiah rolled his eyes.
So I could meet my mate’s eyes, I placed my arm around his shoulders and said, “They really weren’t themselves. You can’t punish them for that.”
“No, but I can for their inability to listen. Jezanna obviously warned Jeremiah and told him to leave. He didn’t. And I had ordered Darik to stay where he was. He didn’t. Maybe after I’m done with them, they will understand the importance of following instructions.”
It was fair. Isaac had to set rules. I understood it and now I was mated to him and—eek—queen. I should also lead by example.<
br />
I hoped like hell I could.
With a nod to Isaac, I then turned around and asked the room at random, “Was anyone injured last night?”
“No casualties,” Seraphine said. “Only a few scrapes and such. Once things stopped, the men came back to themselves, so we had Penny erase their minds.”
“Good. I wanted to thank you all for taking care of an awkward situation. I’ll be glad to fight at your side when the next one comes.”
“We would be honoured. I’ve heard many great things about your fighting talent.” Seraphine bowed her head.
Smiling, I offered a small nod. “I also wanted to thank the other women who helped. Where are they?”
“They had to leave after everything was back to normal,” Jezanna said.
“I’ll make sure to invite them around.” I turned to Isaac and asked, “Um, maybe we could organise a dinner or something as a thank you?”
“That’s very thoughtful of you and I’m sure they would love it.”
“Only I’m not sure Dad’s kitchen will be big enough for everyone.”
Isaac’s brows drew down. “Why would you have it there when you will be living here with me?”
My head jerked back. “I will?”
He smiled. “Of course. We are mated now. Have claimed one another. There will be no other for us, and I wish to have my mate under the same roof every night. Especially if you are having our child.”
I balked. My hands slipped from Isaac and I would have fallen to the floor if he hadn’t grabbed me. “I-I-I-I…” was all I could manage.
“I think it best if we leave you two to talk.” Jezanna offered a small, sad smile. She knew the thought of me being knocked-up had never crossed my mind.
While I sat in my stunned state, the room cleared of people. I listened to their chairs being scraped back, their shuffling feet exiting and I wondered if I could sneak out and follow them to hide away from the thought, from even talking about it.
Really, I wanted to bury it all because the thought of a child growing inside of me when there was still danger coming for us filled my heart with fear.
“Leila.” Isaac ran the back of his hand down the side of my face. “I never thought it wouldn’t have crossed your mind. We didn’t use protection last night. Unless, are you, as they say, on the pill?”
