The Werewolf Prince and I

by Marian Tee

“Misty?’

  She appeared immediately before his open doorway. It had been two days since Matteo’s funeral and she had been acting strange ever since. Domenico had pretended not to notice, but he had seen her pacing back and forth outside his study, peering at him once in a while. When he had finished his phone calls and meetings, he decided to find out what Misty seemed so restless about.

  “Yes?” She looked at him almost uncertainly.

  “Come here.”

  She went to him without a word then looked up at him with the same uncertainty.

  Without warning, he kissed her, pulling her to him, molding her body to his. He felt her stiffen when he cupped her breasts as he continued kissing her. Although they had been married for several days now, she still reacted like a virgin, especially when he touched her in the middle of the day.

  Domenico pulled away and surveyed her dreamy expression with satisfaction. “Now,” he murmured, “what it is that you want to tell me?”

  She took a deep breath. “Do you believe in ghosts?”

  He blinked. “Come again?”

  “You heard me.”

  He raised a brow. “What brought this about?”

  “I…just answer my question first.”

  “Then you’re telling me what this is about?” he countered.

  She squirmed.

  “I don’t believe in ghosts.”

  “But why not?” she practically wailed. “How about faeries?”

  He just looked at her.

  “But you’re a WEREWOLF. Shouldn’t you believe in other non-human species?”

  “Most are just myths. I’m real.”

  “But…”

  Domenico sighed impatiently “Misty, what is this about?”

  She sighed, too. “I think…no, I know what I saw. I met Castellano’s son.”

  “When he was alive?” Domenico was stunned.

  She looked at him miserably. “No. When he was dead.”

  When Domenico got the whole story out of his wife, he shook his head. “You’re exhausted. You’re imagining things.”

  “I’m not imagining things.” She stomped her foot.

  “Then prove it.”

  “You can’t see him. You don’t believe in them.”

  “And you did?”

  She squirmed at his mocking gaze. “Inside, I guess.”

  He rubbed his aching head. “Cara, this just isn’t a good time. I have things to do, and I still have to take care of Kevin.”

  Misty felt instantly guilty. He was right. He was doing his best to fix things. It was unfair of her to burden him with another dilemma. “I’m sorry.” She hugged him tightly.

  He kissed her hair. “We’ll talk about this more tonight.”

  She nodded but knew she didn’t have the time to wait for tonight. So much was at stake.

  “I told you he wouldn’t believe you,” Daryl said knowingly when she returned to the master bedroom.

  She sat on her bed. “I had to try.”

  “What next?”

  “Are you really sure your father is contemplating---” She couldn’t say the word because it was too horrible to imagine.

  “War?” Daryl sobered. “Yes. Against humans. Your species, Misty. And for the wrong reasons. He’s blinded by his grief. He thinks those who attacked your brother and Domenico’s friend were humans.”

  “You should talk to him, Daryl.”

  “I can’t. I want to, but I can’t. I’ve tried so hard to reach out to him but it was impossible. You’re the first one among Lyccans who could see me. You have to make him believe me first. And then I promise you, your brother Kevin---”

  She shook her head quickly. “No, Daryl. I’m not helping you because of that. Domenico says he’ll make it possible for Kevin to become Lyccan and I believe him.”

  Daryl slowly smiled. “You’re unbelievably naïve. You know that, right?”

  Misty grumbled, “Is that the way to talk to your savior?”

  “If I were straight, I’d give you a passionate kiss.”

  She laughed.

  “But since I’m not, can I kiss Domenico baby instead?”

  “Over my dead body.”

  The next day, Misty woke up early, waiting for Domenico to leave for the office before dressing up. She chose her clothes carefully, mindful of Daryl’s warnings. She had to dress like a lady because his father was the old-fashioned sort. In the end, she selected another one-piece creation of Mark’s, a wraparound dress of blue and black vertical stripes and matched it with a pair of dainty but sensible mules.

  Misty tied her hair up in a neat bun, allowing wisps of hair to frame her face. She hoped she looked like a princess – a sensible one since what she was about to tell the Castellano pack leader would not sound sensible at the start.

  “I’ll be out shopping,” Misty told Domenico’s butler, Thompson, her gaze averted because she knew the old man would know she was lying if Misty were to look at him.

  “Of course, madam. What time should you be back if the master is to ask?”

  “I’m, umm, not sure, but I’ll call him.” She hurried away before Thompson could ask more questions.

  Thompson stood for a moment, staring after his mistress’ back, before deciding to place a call to the prince. It was better to be safe than sorry, especially with the ongoing threat to their existence.

  Daryl acted as her guard, telling her where to go and what to say when she finally reached the ornate gates leading to the ancestral mansion of the Castellanos. As their land was near the evergreens, the mansion was built to protect its habitants from the cold, with its brick exterior and numerous billowing chimneys.

  Misty waited for what seemed like an hour before the pack leader finally came to the foyer.

  She came to her feet immediately. “G-good morning, sir.”

  He gestured to the sofa and she sat down again.

  When he was seated himself, he asked without preamble, “Is this about your younger brother?”

  She shook her head.

  He didn’t seem to believe her. “Does Domenico know you’re here?”

  She almost cringed. “N-no.”

  “Then what exactly do you want?” His lips curled. “Or are you offering yourself in the bargain?”

  It took Misty a bit to understand his meaning. “Oh dear God, no! No offense, but oh, no.” She almost shuddered at the thought of making love to any other man beside Domenico. “No, really, no.”

  The old man looked almost disgruntled. “A simple no would have sufficed. Why are you here then?”

  “It’s about your son.”

  His face became cold. “What about him?”

  “I have a message.”

  “From the grave?” he mocked.

  “Sort of…”

  Rage filled his gaze and he shot to his feet. “Out!”

  “Wait, please!” she cried, knowing she was about to be dragged away and perhaps an internal war waged between the Moretti and Castellano clans if she wasn’t able to say her piece. “I know that on the day your son died, you locked yourself in his room and you said, you know. You kept saying that ‘you know’. And he said he understood.”

  The pack leader’s face turned ashen.

  “No. How could you know---” He looked around suddenly, his voice turning hoarse as he asked, “Is my son really here?”

  The bleakness and hope warring in the old man’s eyes made Misty cry. Beside her, Daryl was already weeping noisily.

  “Is he here?” the Castellano pack leader shouted hoarsely.

  Sobbing, she nodded. “Y-yes.”

  The old man slowly sat down. “Daryl?”

  “Tell him he has to believe in me first,” Daryl sniffed.

  Misty nodded. Looking at the old man, she said, “But you have to believe in him first to see him.”

  “I believe him,” the old man choked out. “I believe in him, I believe he’s here. I want him here, whatever he was, whatever he is.” His eyes widened. “Dary
l?”

  Daryl smiled even as more tears trailed down his face. “Father, I’m back.”

  Ensconced in the private office of the pack leader, the old man immediately demanded the story of his son’s life since his assumed death. It started when Daryl had befriended a faerie when he was heartbroken. Daryl’s life became even more complicated when a former lover had started to spread rumors about his sexuality, and he had known it would come only be a matter of time before the truth would come out. Unwilling to cause his father scandal, he had chosen to join his new friend – now his partner – in his world, even if it meant turning into a faerie himself and giving up his Lyccan blood.

  Daryl had decided to stage his death as a suicide to put an end to questions about his sudden death. He also knew that if he left a clue about his second life, his father would have insisted on getting him back, never mind the consequences.

  With the faeries, Daryl had been more than content. He was ecstatic and found a home for himself where he was needed and appreciated for who he was. He would never have let his father know the truth of his existence if he had not heard about Aurelius Castellano’s plans to go to war with humans.

  Daryl frowned. “No more wars on humans, Father.”

  Aurelius said nothing.

  “Father.”

  “All right,” Aurelius grumbled.

  “Now that you can see me, we’ll be able to have more time together. Sometime, I hope you’d be able to visit where I live now.”

  Aurelius smiled slightly but his voice was thick with unshed tears when he said, “That would be nice.”

  When it was time to leave, Aurelius turned to Misty and began, “About your brother…”

  She shook her head quickly. “Domenico said he’ll find a way and he will. You don’t need to give us special treatment.”

  Father and son both exchanged looks.

  Misty rolled her eyes. “I know, I know. I’m naïve, right?”

  “Domenico is lucky to have you,” Aurelius said diplomatically.

  “If only I had been born a girl, Father. Then you’d have Domenico as son-in-law.”

  “Not when I’m still breathing,” she retorted laughingly.

  Domenico was waiting by the front door, head hazy with rage as the Castellano’s car drew to a stop. He stalked towards it, nearly tearing the door open in his haste to get to his wife.

  Misty only managed a word edgewise. “Domenico---”

  He kissed her hard, pulling her tightly against him, drinking in the feel of her body against his. God! He had been out of his mind upon receiving Thompson’s call and learning later on that Misty had ventured into another pack’s territory alone.

  “We will speak later,” Domenico told the Castellano’s emissary curtly even as he lifted Misty in his arms and took her inside. He reached their room in record time and after kicking the door shut with a loud and heavy bang, he threw her to the bed.

  He said very softly, “Misty?”

  She started to babble. “I’m sorry I lied but I had to go---”

  “Do you know how worried I had been?” he exploded.

  “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I had to!”

  Domenico didn’t know if he wanted to strangle her or kiss her into submission first. When he advanced toward her, he was satisfied to see her cringe. Good. It was but a fraction of the fear he had tasted upon realizing that Misty could be in serious danger.

  “You had to do what?” Domenico snapped at her, still furious. “Kill me with worry? Don’t you know how much he hates humans?”

  “He---”

  “Don’t you know he has the power to make you disappear, to hurt you before---”

  “But he---”

  “Do you know what happened last time a human strayed into his territory?” Domenico roared.

  “He doesn’t hate humans anymore!” Misty finally cried out.

  Domenico froze. “What?”

  “He doesn’t hate humans anymore,” she whispered.

  He looked at her, really looked at her, and his anger slowly dissipated. Even though he didn’t know exactly what had transpired, Domenico was sure she had succeeded in charming the Castellano pack leader to her side. Another potential ally – and he didn’t even have to lift a finger for it. Domenico knew it was something to rejoice about, but this time he also knew he would forsake all allies if it would mean having her safe by his side forever.

  Because he was in love with Misty.

  “I’m not in trouble anymore?” Misty asked carefully when she saw Domenico relax gradually.

  He sighed, lying on his back and lifting Misty up to have her lie on top of him. “You’ll always be in trouble.”

  “Only since I met you,” she pointed out.

  “Then you wish you had never met me?”

  She looked at him as if he had just said he wanted to kill her, which made Domenico want to take her in his arms and keep her there for a long, long time.

  “Don’t say things like that. You might jinx us,” she wailed.

  He pulled her back to him with a sigh. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it. You know I’ll not let anything keep us apart.”

  They fell silent afterwards, both aware of having so many things to say but not knowing where to start. Domenico stroked her hair as he felt Misty’s breathing ease into a steady rhythm in her sleep. He loved her. He was in love with her. Domenico marveled at it, but knew as well it wasn’t yet the right time to tell Misty about it.

  He was hedging his bets again, he knew. If Matteo had been by his side, he would have reprimanded Domenico for it, would have told him that he was wasting yet another golden opportunity in his life just to extract revenge on his father.

  Two more days passed and in those days, Domenico would leave before she woke up and come home when she was already fast asleep.

  On the third day since her visit to the Castellano mansion, Domenico came home in the middle of the day, surprising her in the kitchen by wrapping his arms around her from behind.

  She turned around in his arms, and Domenico immediately took her lips in a kiss.

  “It smells wonderful here,” he murmured even as he nibbled on her lips.

  “I’m preparing some pastries to take with us to the hospital.” The last of her words ended with a whimper when Domenico tore her apron aside and snuck his hands under her shirt.

  “You seem so happy,” she said wonderingly even as her body started to heat up at his touch.

  Her words made Domenico recall why he came home early in the first place and he pulled away ruefully, pulling her shirt back down with a sigh. But his eyes were gleaming when he looked at her face.

  “I have a surprise for you, Mrs. Moretti.” He took out a folded document from his blazer’s inner pocket and gave it to her.

  She frowned. “What is this?”

  “Read it.”

  She unfolded the paper, her eyes widening when the full import of the words printed on it finally sank in. “You got it,” she whispered.

  It had cost him numerous favors but everything had been worth seeing the joy in his wife’s face now. “Kevin will be safe.”

  She burst into tears and hugged him. “I love you, Domenico.”

  And he heard himself say, “I love you just as much.”

  Misty gasped.

  He stared at her steadily. Now had been the right time to tell her how he felt and so he did.

  Heart bursting with emotion, Misty pushed him to the work table.

  Domenico laughed as Misty kept pushing him until he finally lied on top of the kitchen work table on his back. “Misty?” But his breath hitched as she slowly undressed in front of him. His cock rose in response when she stood before him, fully naked.

  “I love you,” she whispered just before she unzipped his jeans and climbed on top of him.

  Domenico groaned when she straddled his lap and slowly impaled herself on his cock. She was already wet, and the knowledge drove him wild.

  Misty’s eyes were wet b
ut they were shining brightly, too. She lowered to kiss him, sucking on his tongue aggressively. Domenico let his wife take the lead and only gripped her hips in support as she fumbled for a rhythm that would suit them both.

  “I love you,” she gasped just as she lowered herself on him again, the position causing Misty to press her clit against him in a way that made her head reel at the pleasure.

  Realizing that she was struggling to find her rhythm again, Domenico grabbed her hips roughly again. “Let me,” he growled just before he drove his hips up.

  She screamed, eyes rolling back, but Domenico wasn’t yet done. Pistoning his cock in and out of her, Domenico simultaneously carried Misty’s body up and down to meet his thrusts.

  When he felt himself nearing an orgasm, Domenico pulled her back down, catching one of her nipples with her teeth. “Come for me, Misty. Now.”

  She did so with a cry, and he spilled his load inside her, body convulsing at the strength of it but he never let her go.

  Because Domenico loved her. He loved Misty, his wife, his princess, his woman.

  No matter what happened now, no matter if she willed it, Domenico would never let her go.

  Chapter Twelve

  Dear Diary,

  I have a confession.

  It’s a good one. Domenico and I are in love. He’s finally told me he loved me, and life has been beyond wonderful – especially with Kevin safely turned and recovering quickly from his injuries.

  Yesterday, Domenico took me a walk around the garden. And when the sun set, we fucked. It was the most thrilling experience, knowing that someone would discover us anytime soon. Domenico had been fully clothed while I was naked waist down, my pants tossed to the ground. He covered my mouth with his hand because I couldn’t stop sobbing at pleasure as he speared me again and again with his cock.

  Tomorrow, he says we should take a tour around the brook in the far end of the estate.

  I can’t wait.

  Today, Misty and Domenico were going to have their first date.

  Domenico had said they owed it to themselves, after everything. Soon, he had even promised they’d have the honeymoon that never was. The search for Matteo’s killer still continued, with promising leads that Domenico did not yet felt fit to share with Misty. But he did tell his wife about how his proposal was being positively reviewed now by the Lyccan Council, all thanks to the support he had consolidated from packs which had never been allied with the Morettis in the entire Lyccan history. Domenico knew that the alliances with the Castellanos, Cavaliers, Buenaventuras, and Fontabellas would never have happened without Misty at his side, and it was one of the hundreds of reasons he knew he should be thankful to his wife for.