My stare was bored. “And I’ll try to contain my excitement.”
Ezra shoved his plate back, muttering curses as he stood from the table. He rubbed the back of his neck. Glanced from side to side. “I didn’t ask for any of this shit. Not now. Maybe then…but fuck…what the fuck was I thinking?” Yeah, he was talking to himself as he kind of lost it, and it wasn’t hard to figure out what — whom — he was talking about if you were in the know. He scrubbed his face harshly. “Maybe there’s someone I can interrogate.”
We watched, I with wide eyes, as he turned abruptly and started shouldering his way through the lunch crowd, heading for the exit.
Elder Jacobs whistled quietly. “Well…hell.” He glanced at me and away. “I’m sure he didn’t mean it quite as it sounded.”
Yeah, he did…because that was how I felt.
I jumped when Elder Zeller whacked Elder Merrick up the backside of his head hard enough that his face came mere inches from hitting his plate. “Don’t do that shit to my son anymore.”
Elder Merrick’s wolf growled as I watched Ezra’s spiky head of hair disappear in the distance, but he stated, “I’m sorry. You’re right. It’s obviously too much.”
I blinked, not really understanding, and stated the obvious, “I’m going to go to my tent and eat, and lie down before I have to meet with the other Shifters.” I stood, kissing the top of Antonio’s head. “I’m sorry, but it’s nothing personal.”
He smiled gently. “I know.” His gaze held mine. “Find time to shift.”
Finding time to shift hadn’t been easy, but I hadn’t enjoyed an ounce of time I spent outside of Antonio’s soothing power once I had felt what it could be like again, so I had done it. I had left the confines of the Mage dome and found a secluded spot to strip bare and shift. And run. God, it had been great, too. So great that, feeling almost high from the endorphins of my run, I snuck through King Shadow still in wolf form, biting the handle of the small bag I was carrying to stash my clothes in and heading toward…my husband’s tent.
The running had cleared my mind. And I knew what I had to do. The answer seemed obvious now. How I hadn’t seen it before, I don’t know.
Trust.
I had said it before. We had no trust for one another. And for us to have a workable relationship in, and out, of our Ruler roles, we needed to trust one another. And since our first encounter hadn’t started out on the right foot, I was going to take the first leap of faith. I had stated my size in wolf form at lunch, but hearing and seeing were two completely different things. So I was going to show him myself in wolf form and put blind trust in him, hoping his love for our daughter would be enough to push us past this hurdle we had unknowingly set ourselves.
Yeah, the run had helped.
Slipping past the tent flap, I tugged on my bag as it caught on the fabric, then dashed to the second flap, the entrance to his bedroom, slipping past it and keeping a tight grip on my bag’s handle as it caught again. Marijuana smoke filled my senses as I shook my head, attempting to dislodge my bag by bearing down with my hind legs and pulling, while loud spellbinding music drifted in my ears. Huffing, I shook my head hard and fell on my tail as my bag came free…and my bag flew back, thumping into my chest and almost knocking me over. I seriously hoped Ezra hadn’t seen any of that. Hastily, I peered to the side, searching for him, unable to hear a damn thing over the music, or scent anything over the drug’s cloying aroma.
And froze.
I wasn’t exactly sure where to look first because…he wasn’t alone.
There was a Vampire woman lying on his bed. From my lowered position all I could see was her lily white thigh wrapped around Ezra’s waist where he was lying over her, the champagne silk of her negligee riding up almost to her hip. Her hand was running down his side, starting to burrow between their bodies and obviously heading for his crotch, while her curly red and black hair was thrown back on his pillow. Her mouth opened on a sigh with his face at her neck, even as he grabbed her hands and held them next to her head in obvious dominance.
An odd sound came from deep inside my chest, and belatedly I realized it was sorrow taking voice, my chest oddly constricting in an agonizing hurt, which I couldn’t believe I was feeling for a man I didn’t truly know, my husband.
And two things happened at once.
Apparently, Ezra must have heard me, his eyes flashing open in my direction and instantly glowing green. Right when my wolf overrode any humanity I had, comprehending possessiveness on a completely different level.
Mine.
Kill.
My bag was instantly dropped, and I lunged at the bed, teeth bared, aiming directly where my husband’s mouth laid on the woman’s throat, needing to make her bleed for trying to steal what was mine, make her dead.
Mine.
Kill.
Flying through the air, almost at my destination, I yelped, my attention swinging from my target’s throat as my husband blurred, growling, and caught me by the throat, his fangs bared. A cry echoed through the air, my soulful howl of distress and discomfort, as he hurled me violently onto the ground next to the bed, my head falling back and smashing viciously onto the rug, which wasn’t so soft with the velocity of his pitch…and I couldn’t see anything but darkness as I slipped into unconsciousness.
Chapter Ten
“Goddammit, I told you I didn’t know it was her!” Ezra shouted.
“How the fuck could you not know?” Antonio yelled harshly.
“I’ve never actually seen her this way!” Ezra expounded, sounding furious. “Hell, I didn’t even know it was her until I searched the bag she dropped and found her wedding ring. She said she was as small as a fox, but fuck,” it sounded like he was breathing heavily, “I thought she was exaggerating.” He cursed profusely. “All I knew was a fucking tiny red animal was coming directly at Lacy and me while I was feeding!”
I scented past the dissipating marijuana smoke…truth. He had been feeding, not kissing her.
While lying on a Lacy…on his bed…when she was dressed for sex.
Hmm…nope, knowing he had been feeding didn’t really help how pissed I was.
I twitched in extreme agitation, and I felt warm hands land on my head.
Elder Merrick’s voice interrupted whatever Antonio was starting to shout. “She’s coming around, so everyone shut the fuck up.”
The twitch didn’t help the pain in my head, which was killing me, and a tiny whine escaped before I could stop it. I felt another hand on me, which I could tell was Bindi’s from the scent, and I felt a Mage’s healing magic pulse around my head.
Elder Merrick hushed quietly, “Lily, you and I are definitely going to need to train together. My tail could easily snap you in two.”
I huffed softly, which was half a sigh as the throbbing pain lifted from my skull at Bindi’s work.
“She’s going to be all right?” Ezra asked in a deep rumble. “I didn’t hurt her too badly?”
Bindi muttered, “Not for lack of trying. Her skull’s fractured in two places.”
Elder Merrick’s wolf growled softly. “King Zeller, you’re fucking lucky you called when you did and all your words have been truthful, or you would have been dead already for hurting her.” A deep loud growl. “Again.”
“You can go fuck yourself,” Ezra rumbled. “I wouldn’t have hurt her either time if I had known it was her, and I’ve about had it with your pitiful threats.”
I blinked my eyes open when the Mage’s tingling magic disappeared, my head no longer pounding. I was staring up into irate golden eyes and furious navy eyes, Bindi and Elder Merrick on their knees next to Ezra’s black couch where I lay on my back. I wiggled, turning my head to give Bindi’s hand a good lick in thank you, making her scowl even further, even as she scratched behind my ear with her other hand. “I know. You’re welcome.”
I turned my attention to Elder Merrick and made a chomping motion at him.
His eyebrows rose. “Yes, you will be trai
ning with me,” his eyes flittered down my tiny furry body, “and Lord help us if I even step wrong.” He blinked, then he glanced up at Bindi. “You should probably be there during her training sessions just in case.”
I growled, nipped his hand, and quickly darted from his reach, sitting at the end of the couch, grinning at him, showing him my sharp pearly whites.
He chuckled quietly. “All right, so you’re quick.” He blinked, shaking his head as he evaluated me. “But you’re so—”
I growled, cutting him off, done with this conversation for now…and let my gaze travel the room. Antonio was behind the coffee table, standing with his hands on his hips, still wearing an expression of worry, so I huffed, letting him know I was all right. My gaze stalled on the bed, which was still messy from where Ezra and Lacy had been, and I felt my anger ratchet right back up. Lastly, I peered to the side where Ezra watched me with his arms crossed and a hand over his mouth, evaluating me from the tip of my ears to my tail, which was starting to swish back and forth in fury.
I growled.
“And that’s our cue,” Elder Merrick muttered softly, jumping to his feet. He patted my head as he walked by, stating, “And Lily, it wouldn’t be very Queen-like to pee on his bed, even if it suits all your purposes.”
I stopped my growling long enough to huff at him, because, sadly, that had been a thought as I pondered the best way to mark his room and exact my revenge at the same time.
Elder Merrick left, chuckling quietly with Bindi on his heels, who glanced one last time at King Zeller, giving him a proper scowl.
Antonio walked to me and bent over, ruffling my fur around my face as he kissed the tip of my nose — yes, I quit growling then — and stated, “If you’re going to attack in the future, make sure you do it right and don’t get caught.” I nodded as he lifted and peered back to the still silent Vampire, my husband. Antonio patted my head once more. Kissed my head again as I stared across the room, and he stated, “Cahal’s got Isa right now, so don’t worry…and I’ll keep her for the night in my tent so you have the entire evening to yourself.” I blinked, my head snapping to him, but he quickly scurried out of the bedroom before I could object to Isa’s first overnight sleepover with her grandpa.
“I didn’t know it was you. If I had, I wouldn’t have reacted as I did,” Ezra stated calmly — not really apologizing — as I swung my head to stare at his statue-like form. His chest expanded, but that was all that moved as he spoke behind his hand. “I can imagine what that must have looked like.”
I fairly vibrated where I sat, staring at him as I was, the image replaying of him on top of her, entwined in her arms and legs, so I jumped down, only to jump onto his bed and begin to sniff at it, my tail twitching like mad in my agitation as I picked up the various scents.
He continued, “It’s late, so she was wearing her pajamas,” the woman wore that to bed?, “and I was starving so I had her lie back.” I wish he would just lie so I could pee on his bed. “She’s a regular donor of mine, and she sometimes tries to get frisky, but I’ve never had any type of sexual interest in her or done anything intimate with her.”
I sighed into the sheets, relieved he hadn’t lied about any of it but still pissed I couldn’t hunt the woman down now and take her out in the pitch black of night. But it didn’t mean I couldn’t scent up his sheets, which luckily for him, held no scent of sexual fluids whatsoever. So I started rolling on his bed, working on the area where I smelled Lacy the most, wiggling and rolling, pressing my furry cheeks into his pillow and shaking my head. And this is how it went for the next fifteen minutes as I thoroughly went from one end of his bed to the other, systematically working my way across, not leaving one area untouched, while Ezra sat on the arm of his couch and eventually lit a cigarette as he watched me with a slowly growing expression of amusement.
After I was through and sat on my haunches at the end of his bed, staring at him, he pointed with his cigarette, lips twitching, “You missed a spot.”
I growled quietly.
He took a drag of his cigarette, blowing the smoke up as he stared at me thoughtfully. “You know, you got lucky. I was almost done feeding and she had passed out, otherwise she would have seen you.” His eyes flicked down my furry frame. “In fact, a lot of people could have seen—”
I shook my head and huffed, crouching low and military crawling softly across his bed.
He snorted on a chuckle. “All right, so you were stealthy as you moved.” His small grin, which I was pretty sure was real, faded as he continued evaluating me. “But why would you come here tonight like this?”
I cocked my head, then I glanced down at the bed before hopping up to the top and burrowing under the covers. And shifted. Poking my head out from underneath the blankets, I saw Ezra freeze as I brushed my hair out of my face, careful to keep the soft blanket covering all my private bits. “Because of trust.” I flicked a hand between the two of us as Ezra started to slowly resume taking a drag of his cigarette, his eyes not really holding mine but flittering down to any exposed skin showing, which wasn’t much, only my shoulders and arms. “You and I didn’t start off on the right foot—”
“And this was supposed to be a new beginning?”
Involuntarily, my hand went to the other side of the bed where the woman had been lying. My palm hovered over the spot, and I wondered if I could still feel the heat there from her body. “Yes, it was. I was taking the first step to a decent, trusting relationship between the two of us…” I sighed, pulling my hand back. “It didn’t quite work out as I had expected.”
A quiet rumble. “And for that, I will apologize.” I peered up at him, watching him as he watched me. “I’m sorry we haven’t gotten that chance yet.”
I felt my face soften, my heart beating a little faster even as my muscles relaxed at his humble words, his honest apology that we hadn’t gotten our chance to make things right. “Thank you.” I tucked a stray strand of hair behind my ear, deciding to go for broke. “What you said at lunch before you left…I get it.” I picked at the blanket, staring at the fabric. “This is an…odd…situation we’re in, our predators feeling as they do, as we do, knowing what we were to each other in what feels like a previous life. And yet, it’s not a previous life since the person’s standing right in front of you, someone who might as well be a complete stranger.”
Ezra grunted softly, grinding out his cigarette, his eyes still steadfast on me. “That’s putting it mildly.” He moved fluidly, slowly, across the expanse of the room, his movements again reminding me of a cat. He sat next to me on the edge of the bed, eyes scanning my face and other, lower parts of me, watching as I tightened my grip on his blanket to keep it steady when his weight on the bed tugged it. “You really are shy, aren’t you?”
My lips pinched, but I eventually nodded once in affirmation.
His head cocked, and his own lips pinched. He started to say something. Stopped. His eyes ran over my face, and he chuckled quietly. “Do you really want the beginnings of trust?”
I felt my eyebrows furrow at his actions and words. “Yes.”
He leaned so that he was resting on his elbow, his feet still on the floor, but the action brought his face closer, down to my level. And his words held me frozen. “Then I’ll tell you the biggest weakness I know about you. You know perfectly well that letting the opposing force know what you know is unsafe, so this is me, opening up to you. Trusting you.” With green eyes so vivid he held me captive, he stated softly, “You’re a hybrid. Half Shifter, half Vampire.”
The world stopped. It did. I knew it must have. That, or I did a mini-faint as I stared, unable to breathe.
“Hush,” he whispered softly as he placed his warm palm on the side of face, again touching me carefully, as if I were made of glass. “I don’t care about it other than the fact it puts you more at risk, right along with how tiny your wolf is. I don’t want our daughter growing up without a mother any more than you do. She deserves to know you. She deserves your love.
” He brushed his thumb back and forth over my temple, and I felt the cool surface of his wedding ring as it glided across my skin. “I won’t tell anyone. You have my word.”
Truth to all.
Sucking in a harsh breath as my mind swam, I sputtered, “How?”
His lips curled a bit. “When you told me about bleeding on my favorite t-shirt, I wondered because when I woke up after my mind rape I had blood on the pajama pants I was wearing that wasn’t mine and tasted of wild spice, not Shifter, not Vampire.” His half-smile lifted a bit more. “Then, when we were kissing, and you jumped away when Elder Farrar caught us…” He chuckled quietly, a cocky sound. “Well, before you pulled away from me I bit you and got a drop of your blood.”
I blinked, staring wide-eyed at him. “I didn’t feel it.”
One eyebrow rose, and he didn’t say anything, telling me wordlessly he was that good.
I licked my lips, asking, “You really aren’t…?”
He shook his head slowly. “Not a soul.” He brought his head forward, staring me in the eyes. “I am not a man to mess with, but where Isa’s happiness is concerned, I’m not a cold-blooded bastard.”
“I’ve had my tubes tied,” I stated instantly, feeling I needed to clarify this. “I had actually had them tied before I got pregnant so no one could ever use me to create a Beast, but I think somewhere in the voids of what I can’t remember something happened between us to alter that, and I got pregnant with Isa. But after I delivered her, Bindi tied my tubes.” I paused, brows furrowing. “And you know from the videos that I can do Awakenings, so you know the Elders are wrong about their reasons for killing hybrids.”
He hummed quietly, his head slanting as he watched me, his thumb still gliding over my temple. “You don’t need to prove to me you’re not like the hybrid who started this war. Every individual is not created alike. Anyone who simply knows your name,” both arched eyebrows quirked, “the badass wolf bitch, Queen Ruckler, would be a fool to think you a traitor.”
I ate up his gaze, my eyes flittering back and forth between his, hope dawning. “Trust.”
King Tomb (Forever Evermore) Page 16
