As if waking from a dream, she slowly peeled her eyes open and locked them with his. Pleasure transformed her from beautiful to a goddess. She shone with an inner light that made him proud, because he had put it there. Her happiness was his happiness. Every breath she took, he took too. His bride owned him, body and soul.
“I can’t have enough of you.” Unable to resist, he marked Mirella with his teeth as he pinched her hardened peaks between his fingers and sped his movements to a final frenzy.
“Valentine!” she shouted, arching beneath him. Her eyes were wide and her swollen lips begged to be ravished one more time.
He obliged, pushing deep as his climax hit him with such intensity he lost his bearings for a few heartbeats. He spent his Vital Essence inside her, rejoicing at the sanctity of the moment.
“I love you.” Slowly rocking against her, he drew out their pleasure until he was ready again.
Chapter Thirty-Five
After spending the rest of the day holed up in his bedroom, Valentine drew a bath for Mirella and himself, then ordered a sumptuous dinner for the two of them.
Sated by the food, they retired for a long nap, but sleep eluded him in the middle of the night when a different hunger roused his senses. They played with each other, enjoying their bodies while bathed in the silvery light of the Fifth Moon.
The next morning came, and with Coral’s orange sunbeams reality intruded in their love nest.
“I must talk to Martali.” Valentine playfully nipped Mirella’s earlobe. Her delighted squeal filled him with a primal joy. “It really can’t wait,” he said, more for his sake than hers. Still, his hands sneaked under the silk sheets and found her soft curves. His mouth silenced hers before she could say anything.
With the knowledge that came from familiarity, he stoked her passion with a few flicks of his fingers. Pressing her back to his chest, he then bent her at the waist and positioned her body to his liking. Her scent told him she was ready for him, but he brushed between her legs to make her moan softly in her throat.
“Purr for me, kitten.” He entered her at once and made love to her as if it were the first time.
Later, under the steamy jets of his shower, he tenderly soothed her flower with long kisses that ended with Mirella crying his name several times.
“I can’t delay the briefing any longer,” he said, drying her hair with a warm towel.
“The sooner you talk with him the sooner we can come back to your bed.” Mirella leaned her head against his touch, smiling at him.
She was radiant, and he didn’t want to leave her, even for a moment. He would have an eternity to endure alone, but right now, right at this moment, she was alive, and he wouldn’t waste a second of bliss in dark thoughts.
“I’ve told Aldo to move all your belongings here,” he said, kissing the point of her nose.
“Good.” She tilted her chin so that her lips would meet his.
Her mouth was enticing and her warmth hard to resist, but he tore himself away from her. “We should get dressed,” he said, his hands possessively cupping her naked backside.
Looking down between them, Mirella laughed, and her mirth filled the room with a light brighter than Coral’s.
Once properly attired, Valentine led her out of their bedroom, and delayed by kisses and suggestive whispers, they eventually reached his studio. Ideas of how to use the large desk came to his mind, but before he could sprawl Mirella underneath him, Aldo knocked at the door.
“I’ve brought a light repast,” the majordomo announced, letting in a maid pushing a cart laden with food and hot beverages. “Martali is waiting for you.”
Valentine nodded. “Let him in.” He lowered himself to his high-backed chair and pulled Mirella onto his lap.
Aldo set the breakfast on the desk, then retired with the maid. Valentine had just fixed a plate for Mirella, when his head guard arrived.
Martali wasn’t alone. Both Gabriel and Dragon were with him.
“Please, join us.” Valentine indicated the array of pastries and bread.
As if embarrassed by their improper seating arrangement, Mirella made to rise, but he pressed her back down to his legs. “I need to be touching you,” he whispered in her ear, well knowing his friends could hear everything.
Dragon and Gabriel had the delicacy to hide their smiles from Mirella, who wiggled on his lap.
“That doesn’t help, kitten,” he said to her, breathing against her skin. She shuddered, but stilled, and he squeezed her hand with his. “Thanks.”
The three men took their seats in front of the desk, and while Martali politely refused Valentine’s offer, Dragon and Gabriel helped themselves from the buffet.
“Thanks are in order,” Valentine said after drinking from a strong cup of curcuma tea. “Without your help, we wouldn’t be here enjoying this fine morning.”
Even if he had promised himself not to dwell on bleak considerations, the scenario where they hadn’t intervened kept coming to his mind. What would have happened to Mirella once he fell unconscious?
“Don’t worry about it,” Dragon said as if he could see through Valentine. “We found you and everything is fine.”
“How did you find me?” Valentine asked. The question had kept popping in his mind whenever he thought about the whole ordeal.
“As I told you, draglets are empathic creatures. Your wolf contacted Dallian, which communicated with Carellian, and Carellian contacted my dragon. Gabriel and I simply let the two draglets fly us over the plains,” Dragon answered.
Gabriel nodded. “I must confess though that after sailing over the desert for hours seeing neither hide nor hair of you, I wondered if we were being led on a merry chase by the beasts.”
“We didn’t know about the tunnels, but both Dallian and Carellian never strayed from their course, following your wolf without faltering once,” Dragon continued. “Before leaving the manor, we sent a message to Martali, and he used another draglet to lead the aircars.”
“I’ve asked the High Lord to lend me some of his men to teach my guards how to train our stable,” Martali said.
“Thank you, Dragon.” Valentine mechanically caressed Mirella’s arm.
“Since we still can’t leave, we might as well be of help.” Dragon tilted his head to the side and patted his chest with his fist.
“I’ll stick around a few days longer as well,” Gabriel said. “Now that I don’t have to escort the Blessed Bride to Celestia anymore, I have no pressing matters to attend to on my planet.”
“Thank you both.” Valentine brought his free hand to his chest, mirroring Dragon’s gesture. “What do you have for me?” he asked Martali.
“The guns used were all Berelli—” Martali cleared his throat, then sighed. “And I’m afraid I have bad news to impart.”
With a wave of his hand, Valentine encouraged his head guard to speak.
“The six men who survived refused to talk and were poisoned during the night. We found them dead in the infirmary. Balenus confirmed they ingested a deadly mixture of herbs.” Martali passed his hand over his unshaven jaw.
“It’s clear whoever is pulling the strings of this operation also has power over my house.” Feeling his rage mount, Valentine absentmindedly stroked Mirella’s arm.
Mirella shifted on his lap to look at him. “Ronda and the merchant spoke of a Leader.”
“A Leader?” Martali asked.
Turning, Mirella faced the rest of the room. “Yes. They mentioned him several times. They said the Leader has a plan to free the Coral System from shifters and vampires.” She leaned over the desk. “Rado didn’t like when Ronda spoke of the Leader.”
“So, we’ve got ourselves an enemy,” Dragon said, relaxing against the back of his chair.
“It would seem so.” Gabriel drank from his cup.
“I’ll intensify security all around the manor,” Martali said.
Valentine nodded at his head guard, then he automatically looked over his shoulder at the
mirror behind the desk. “It’s time the Brotherhood gets involved.”
Epilogue
Valentine watched Mirella sleep in their bed. A month had passed since her kidnapping, and he still craved her as if they had just reunited. After hours of lovemaking, she had cuddled to his side and promptly closed her eyes. He was restless and kept even his wolf awake.
It was ironic that after a lifetime spent containing his beast’s dark moods, now it was the wolf trying to pacify Valentine.
Not able to stay still, Valentine left the bed, worried he would rouse Mirella, who sorely needed the rest. Silently gliding out of the room, he nodded at the five men guarding the entrance to his apartments, then walked the length of the manor and paused before his studio.
He sat at his desk, then turned his chair around to face the mirror on the wall.
“Who’s listening?” he asked the glass.
It took only a heartbeat before concentric waves broke the smoothness of the mirror, then the wrinkled face of Aretius emerged at the center, jutting out like a living sculpture.
“Brother,” the ancient werewolf said. “What tidings do you bring?”
“Nothing you don’t already know, Aretius.” Valentine bowed his head. “I still don’t know who the Leader is.”
“This Leader—” Aretius paused, his eyes staring at a distant point over Valentine’s shoulder. “He’s gaining more and more power amongst the humans, and he’ll need to be neutralized before he does us damage.”
“That’s my plan, but the man has left no traces behind.” Valentine’s heart was heavy with the knowledge that his attempts to keep Mirella safe were being thwarted by an enemy without an identity.
And even if he managed to save Mirella from the Leader, she still would be dead in a few months. But since he had learned about her pregnancy, his mind had kept running in circles. He could not fathom a life without her.
“Why have you contacted us, brother?” Aretius frowned.
“I ask permission to visit the Brotherhood Library.” Valentine stared into eyes that were still sharp despite being ancient.
Aretius’s dry lips curved into a smile. “Marcellus too studied the holy tomes before you were born.”
The brother’s statement surprised Valentine. It wasn’t good news to know that his father had sought the same answers he was desperately looking for. Marcellus had clearly failed. But he would not be deterred. “Am I allowed aboard Sidera Prime?”
Aretius closed his eyes for a long moment, entering the hive mind to communicate with the rest of the Brotherhood. Valentine feared that his instance would be rejected, given that his father’s search had already proven fruitless.
But finally, the ancient werewolf’s eyes opened and after a few blinks, he said, “You’ll be granted a week.”
“Thank you, brother.” Valentine bowed his head low. He had feared rejection and his heart was firmly lodged in his throat. He didn’t like the idea of leaving Mirella behind even if for only a few days, but he had set his mind about finding a way to keep her alive, and if such a way existed, only the holy tomes had the answer.
Nervous with excitement, he rode Dallian until dawn, then returned to his apartments. As soon as he stepped into their bedroom, Mirella stirred, raising her head from the pillow.
“Valentine—” she called.
“I’m here, my love.” He removed his clothes and kicked his boots off, then he sagged onto the mattress.
“Is everything okay?” She reached out, stretching her hand toward him.
“It will be, kitten.” He took it and brought it to his lips. “I’ll make it so.” Leaning closer to her, he trailed kisses all over her naked skin, focusing on the present until Coral tinged the bedroom with afternoon light.
Dear Reader, if you liked this book, please consider writing a review. As an indie author, I rely solely on word of mouth to promote my stories. Just a few words from you will ensure my work is discovered by other readers.
Thank you very much,
Monica
To keep up to date with Monica’s new releases and promotions
click here or scan the QR code with your smartphone or mobile device.
Join the mailing list by clicking here to receive a bonus story absolutely free!
Acknowledgments
As usual, I must thank my kids and my dad for just being the wonderful people they are.
Ava K. Michaels, for being an incredibly supportive author and friend.
Katie, Kory, and Angela from my critique group, for their keen eyes in catching typos and their insightful comments. Valentine Lobo's story is way better thanks to you, magnificent ladies.
All my friends, who are always very supportive and don't complain when I disappear for days.
Roberto, because he is the true inspiration behind my heroes.
Bio
Monica La Porta is an Italian who landed in Seattle several years ago. Despite popular feelings about the Northwest weather, she finds the mist and the rain the perfect conditions to write. Being a strong advocate of universal acceptance and against violence in any form and shape, she is also glad to have landed precisely in Washington State. She is the author of The Ginecean Chronicles, a dystopian/science fiction series set on the planet Ginecea where women rule over a race of enslaved men and heterosexual love is considered a sin. She has published the first four books in the series, The Priest, Pax in the Land of Women, Prince at War, and Marie’s Journey. She just released two new NA paranormal romances, Gaia, and Elios. She also wrote and illustrated a children’s book about the power of imagination, The Prince’s Day Out. Her published short, Linda of the Night, is a fairytale love story celebrating inner beauty. The Lost Centurion, the first title in The Immortals, a paranormal saga set in modern Rome, has just come out. Stop by her blog to read about her miniatures, sculptures, paintings, and her beloved beagle, Nero. Sometimes, she also posts about her writing.
Monica La Porta’s blog: www.monicalaporta.com
Monica La Porta’s author page of Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/monicalaportaauthor
Goodreads Author page: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5757332.Monica_La_Porta
Twitter: https://twitter.com/momilp
The Fifth Moon's Wife (The Fifth Moon Tales Book 2) Page 18
