by Anna Santos
It didn’t take long for her to come. Her orgasm exploded and made her scream loud with no concern about the other vampires in the house who could hear them mating. He had to put his hand over her mouth to muffle the sound. She didn’t complain, in fact, she swallowed his finger and made a lustful face as she continued to squeeze and push him inside her, encouraging him to let himself go and surrender to the warmth and tightness of her sex. Just then his body spasmed, his penis jolted, and the pleasure ricocheted from his testicles to his back while he felt the perfect orgasm.
“This is so much better than dreaming about it,” he whispered when he finally relaxed and fell on top of Jessica’s body, still held inside her.
* * *
JESSICA
Jessica stroked his hair, trying to get her breathing under control like he seemed to be.
“I was thinking the same,” she mumbled. “I’m so glad you didn’t say no this time.”
“Why did I say no to this before?” He nibbled her shoulder and she felt him stir again. He was still inside her and it didn’t seem to want to come out. It aroused her in return, baffled by the fact that she had no need for fangs in her throat to climax. She just needed him inside her as he kissed and touched her everywhere.
“Because you are old-fashioned,” she replied. She held back the laughter when he nibbled her neck. It reminded her that she had been expecting him to bite her, but he didn’t. “I love you so much,” she mumbled, holding him tight as her nails dug into his skin.
“I love you too,” he replied, finding her mouth and tangling his tongue with hers.
All she wanted was for him to keep making love to her as their hips went back and forward until they reached fulfillment again. She wasn’t satiated. Apparently, he wasn’t either because he locked his hips to her as he slowly rolled them back and forward. She grabbed her legs around his and moved at his pace, enjoying the slow mating, the tender kisses, and the soft loving words that he kept mumbling against her skin. She was intoxicated with lust and oblivious to reality. Everything she ever wanted was in her arms, taking her to heaven and back.
Several minutes later of feeling intense pleasure, she whimpered as another rush of heat came from her insides and gave her a new and glorious orgasm that left her whole body quivering. She could barely breathe from happiness.
Moaning, she grabbed a handful of his blond hair and pulled his head back. “I’ve missed you so much!” She kissed him and held him until she didn’t miss him anymore.
Chapter Twenty—Sebastien’s Sister
JESSICA
Jessica opened her eyes and winced in pain when she tried to swallow and felt her mouth dry. Her head hurt, and a terrible ringing sound buzzed in her ears. When things stopped spinning, she realized that she had fallen asleep on her laptop keyboard. Next to her was a huge book with a leather cover and the notepad she’d used to gather information about Kevin's tattoo. Apparently, she had been searching for answers and found something.
She stretched her arms above her head and closed her eyes, trying to chase the fog away from her mind. When she could focus, she lit up her screen by tapping the touchpad. The sudden brightness of the monitor forced her to tilt her head before she could see the display correctly. The web page showcased wedding dresses, but she had no clue why she would have been browsing for those.
The ringing brought her back to reality. She was in the palace’s library; it was still day, and someone was repeatedly ringing a bell. Realizing that someone was at the door, but no one was answering, she got up. Whoever it was at the door wasn’t giving up and in fact seemed to be growing impatient.
She made her way down the stairs, fixing her hair as she looked around for another living soul. There appeared to be anyone else around, not even the king, which was odd since he rarely left the palace.
She opened the door just as a tortuous new wave of ringing began. “What?”
In front of her stood a stunning brunette.
“Hi!” the girl greeted happily with sparkling green eyes and perfect white teeth.
“Whatever you are selling, I’m not interested,” Jessica informed her, crossing her arms and putting on an intimidating face.
“Oh, no! It’s nothing like that,” the girl said in the same happy tone, which made Jessica frown.
The petite girl wore casual clothes, a nice smile, and was really gorgeous with long, curly, dark hair falling over her black leather jacket. She was also wearing amazing shoes—ones Jessica knew were quite expensive. “I’m sorry, what?” she asked, not paying attention to what the girl was saying.
“I’m Dulce,” she repeated. “Sebastien’s sister. Eric sent me here to bring you these.” She showed Jessica a brown envelope. “He insisted I would ring several times since you were probably in the library. I’m here to keep you company,” she added.
“What are these?” Jessica asked, taking some drawings from the envelope.
“Drawings of your new room. He said you should pick your favorite, so the workers can start tomorrow.”
“Hmm.” Jessica furrowed her eyebrows and pursed her lips, then reached for her phone. “Hi, Eric! I’m sorry to disturb you, but there's a girl here claiming to be Sebastien’s sister who says you sent her to choose furniture for a new bedroom. Yes—okay. I was just checking, since, you know, King Francesco may send someone else after me. See you later then!” She hung up and smiled at Dulce for the first time. “Pleasure to meet you! I didn’t know you had arrived from New York. When did you get here?”
“That’s odd. I thought Sebastien had told you. Or at least Kevin had. We came to dinner last night but—well—you were unable to attend.”
Jessica frowned. “Yesterday?”
“Yes. I hope you are feeling better.”
“I don’t know anything about that.” Jessica grabbed Dulce’s hand, drawing her inside before closing the door. “I just love your shoes”
“Oh, thank you, they are Christian Louboutin. Is everything okay with you?” Dulce asked, following Jessica into the kitchen.
“Yes. And I’m sorry about my rudeness before. I was being careful. It's just that I fell asleep—and I really don’t remember...It's odd. You woke me up, so I’m a bit grumpy and my head hurts. I just need tea and an aspirin.” She took a deep breath and smiled at Dulce. “So, Eric sent you to babysit me?”
“It’s nothing like that. He just wanted someone here to keep you company.”
“That was sweet of him. But where is everybody else?”
“In the town meeting,” Dulce answered with a half shrug. “Sebastien is there, too.”
“A town meeting? About what?”
“I don’t really know. Only the alphas and the group leaders know what the king is speaking with them about. He must have told you something about it before he left.”
“The king? Why would he tell me?”
“Oh, sorry. I thought you two had talked. Never mind. Do you want me to prepare you some tea?” Dulce walked to the cabinets. “I think Rose has some herbs somewhere to calm your headache,” she said as she opened the cabinets in the enormous palace kitchen. “Here it is.”
“You seem to know your way around the kitchen,” Jessica said when Dulce easily found the cabinet with the tea kettle.
“Yes, I spent a lot of time here when I was younger. Why don’t you have a seat?” the young woman suggested, pouring water in the tea kettle. “I’ll prepare some for you.”
As Jessica sat, she placed the envelope and her phone on the table. Just then, Kevin texted her.
“Is everything all right?” Dulce asked, bringing the cups to the table.
“Yes, it's just Kevin thanking me for some information I sent him about his tattoo. Apparently, I figured out its meaning.”
“Really? That is great news!” Dulce cheered. “Is he going to be okay?”
“Yes, his witch has branded him. Apparently, she comes from a long line of psychic witches who are rare and powerful.”
“Have you told anyone else a
bout this?”
“I don't think so. I think Kevin must have told his sister, and I'll...”
Jessica stopped speaking and stared blankly into space.
Dulce’s brows drew together. “What’s wrong?”
“I guess my work here is done. I don't need to...Well, I still have my grimoire to translate.”
“Are you sure you are okay?”
“I'm just thinking out loud. I'm sorry, sometimes I have these headaches and lose track of time. I'm sure, once I take an aspirin, I'll feel better.”
“About that, I haven’t been able to find any.”
Jessica waved her hand in dismissal and changed the subject. “Did you move here permanently? Or are you just visiting your brother?”
Dulce blinked a few times before rubbing her hands and shrugging. “I guess I decided to move back home for a while. Did my brother say anything about my reasons for returning?”
“No. Should he have? When we’ve spoken about you, he’s just told me how much he misses you and how you were inseparable growing up.”
“Did he also mention how silly I was for abandoning my pack and chasing a dream?”
“No, just how proud he was about you trying to succeed in life. He said you wanted to be a singer.”
“Yes, and a dancer,” Dulce added as she placed the spoons, sugar, and some cookies on the table. “I applied to the Juilliard School and got in, so I studied music and dance to get a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree and an artist diploma in voice.”
“Oh, you are a talented person, then.”
“Yes, I guess. Singing and dancing professionally were my dreams, but after finishing the studies...”
“It was hard to find a job?”
“That, too. Even though I was lucky enough to get some small Broadway roles. What was harder was to be a werewolf alone in a big city! I’ve missed home terribly. First, Eric found his niece, nephew, and then you arrived. I had to come and meet all of you. Things are getting really exciting around here.”
“Oh!” Jessica said with a giggle.
“Sebastien couldn’t stop talking about you. Eric adores you! And you are really gorgeous,” Dulce said, taking a cookie and biting into it.
“Sebastien is a good friend. Your brother is a really nice guy. And you are kind, but I’m just plain normal.”
“Sebastien has a crush on you. But don’t tell him that I told you.”
“He is amazing but—not my type,” Jessica confessed.
“Yes, we know. Anyhow, we are all very happy that you are here.”
“Oh, thanks! I also like being here. It feels…like home.”
“I bet it does!” Dulce grinned widely.
Jessica folded her hands over the table, finding Dulce’s replies extremely odd. “So, why did you really come back home?” Jessica asked, making Dulce lose her smile. “Hmm, by the look on your face, someone broke your heart.”
“Well, technically someone would have broken my heart if I had given it to him. However, since I’m a werewolf, and I’m supposed to have a soul-mate somewhere, the most that someone can do to me is hurt it a bit, and maybe bruise it, but not break it.”
“So, you are just running from a bad romance?”
“It’s hard to be a werewolf and date a human who knows nothing about us and doesn’t appreciate you.”
“What did he do?”
“He cheated on me. I guess that's the story of my life.”
“That sucks! I hope you taught him a little lesson.”
“I just took my stuff and left. I needed a change of scenery and came back to my roots. Besides, he was not my soul-mate, so all is not lost for me!”
“That is true,” Jessica agreed, smiling about her optimism. “Sebastien said we were a bit alike.”
“Did he?” Dulce furrowed her brow as she rose to take the boiling kettle off the fire.
“He said you were fearless and joyful. Always happy, always trying to see the best in people and the bright side of life.”
“I don’t know about fearless, but I do try to be an optimist. So—what is really wrong with you?” she asked as she poured the hot water. “You took ages to answer the door, and you seem a bit off!”
“I really don’t know. I woke up with a huge headache, all alone in this huge place, and I felt disoriented and confused.”
“Are you having cold feet?”
Jessica furrowed her brow. “Why would I have cold feet?”
“Nothing. I’m sorry. It was a silly question.”
“You aren’t a tea person, are you?” Jessica asked, confused by the way Dulce was making the tea.
“No, not really. I like coffee more. Am I doing something wrong? Do you want milk with your tea or something like that?”
“No, it’s just that the tea must be covered to make an infusion before you drink it, and the leaves go in before the hot water. The infusion enhances the healing properties of the leaves. But don’t worry. I’ll just look for an aspirin in my purse. I must have one there.”
“I’m sorry. I’m better at serving drinks.”
“Cool! I’m quite good at drinking them.” Jessica laughed out loud. “Oh, cheer up! I’m not going to bite you. In fact, I was bored as hell here all alone. It’s nice to have some company. Maybe we could go for a walk in town? Stop in a bar and have a few drinks? I miss that! What do you say?”
“I don’t know if the king would like that.”
“Who cares about the king? I’m bored, and I want to party!”
“I don’t know if the guards will let you out. I had to call Eric for them to let me pass.”
“I’m not a prisoner here. I can go out whenever I want. And I want to go to town. Just come with me!” Jessica begged, and Dulce simply nodded.
Chapter Twenty-One—Partying At James’ House
DULCE
A few hours later, night had fallen, and Jessica was unstoppable. She had taken Dulce with her to a bar in town, where they met some of Dulce’s old friends. There they drank, talked, and shot some pool. Dulce was just about to take Jessica home for dinner when one of her friends mentioned a party at James’s house. James was the school principal but was more famous for throwing wild parties at his house than for following strict policies at school. Supernaturals could generally find booze, loud music, willing blood donors, and drugs there. Jessica was dying to go with Dulce’s friends, even if Dulce was reluctant about going with them.
When Dulce couldn’t talk Jessica out of it, she had to go. Despite the two bodyguards who were following Jessica, Dulce felt responsible for Jessica’s actions. She had to make sure that nothing happened to the future queen, even though the future queen was acting like an irresponsible teenager with no mate. She was drinking and flirting like she hadn’t a care in the world. Dulce began to think that something was seriously wrong with Jessica, she just didn’t know what.
The party at James’s was packed and louder than Dulce remembered from back in her own days as a rebellious teenager. The house was far from town, surrounded by forest and isolated enough that there were no neighbors to complain about the noise. When Jessica and Dulce arrived, everybody was dancing, drinking, screaming, laughing, or simply hooking up in some corner. They looked across the improvised dance floor, packed with happy people, and Jessica joined right in with an excited scream, grabbing a beer and dancing to the rhythmic music. Dulce was not in the mood to party, her only concern was to not lose sight of Jessica. The two bodyguards had followed them inside and stood as close to them as possible. Yet, if something happened to Jessica, Dulce was going to be held responsible for not alerting any of Jessica’s family or even Sebastien before leaving the palace.
* * *
THE KING
Meanwhile, back in town, the king was trying to reach Jessica on her cell phone. It was almost nine p.m., and he was waiting for her in the restaurant, he had reserved for their romantic dinner. A violinist played in the lovely room, decorated with red roses for the important occasion. After d
inner, he was planning to propose to Jessica, bending down on one knee and showing her the wedding ring he had bought her that afternoon. He had even dressed to please her, wearing a tuxedo. He had also shaved and fixed his hair carefully. However, she seemed to be running really late, and he grew concerned.
He tried to call home, but it was not Jessica who answered. It was Eric, who said that Jessica wasn't home and the last time he’d heard about his mom, she had gone for a walk in town with Dulce.
Hearing that Jessica had left the palace only made the king more concerned. She could have been kidnapped and taken away from him. A lot of scary scenarios rushed through his mind when Jessica still didn’t answer her phone, so he decided to leave to look for her.
He would search in town from top to bottom if he must. He had tried to reach Jessica’s bodyguards, too, and they hadn’t answered their phones, either, hence something had to be wrong. But, just then, one of her bodyguards returned his call with apologies and explained to the king that they were at James’s house, where it was extremely noisy.
The king was livid to learn what Jessica had done all the afternoon and that she was partying and had forgotten their date. It was disrespectful and inconsiderate. Why hadn’t she called to alert him? Why had she left him to worry? He didn’t know what the hell she was thinking, but he was going to get her and bring her home, where she would have a lot of explaining to do.
* * *
DULCE
Dulce had run out of ideas for convincing Jessica to leave. She seemed to want to do anything but go back to the palace. She kept complaining about how messy her life was and how she felt so confused and lonely. Even more strange was that every time that Dulce mentioned the king, Jessica would talk about how rude he was. It seemed like she was mad at her mate and didn’t want to talk about him.
Dulce decided that they had probably had some sort of disagreement, and Jessica was using alcohol to drown her sorrow. But clearly she was acting irresponsible, the booze wouldn’t fix any of her problems. Dulce thought she should just go home, talk to the king, and make things right.
