by Lola Taylor
And despite that revelation, she didn’t feel the teensiest bit jealous. It seemed petty to be. After one had faced down death, had stared its bottomless, empty pits down, not much else seemed to rival it in severity.
No dark thoughts tonight. Only joy.
Alara and Danica looked up as Nik went to the fridge to snag another beer. Verika didn’t even ask why he wasn’t drinking wine, knew he preferred beer over “those fancy-smancy drinks” any day. She also had enough sense not to say that knowledge aloud lest it be too intimate an admission. Despite their relationship feeling less strained, Alara might not take too kindly to Verika saying something like that. It could be viewed as waving a neon flag in front of the other wolf’s face, like shouting, “Hey, I used to be in a relationship with your mate, and we were close.” And Verika had no desire to trigger Alara’s innate territorial instincts.
Yeah, she’d better keep her mouth shut on that one.
Alara swatted Nik’s bottom as he popped the cap and took a swig of his fresh beer. “Don’t chug too much of that stuff. You’re going to be full before we’ve even started dinner.”
“Me, full? Do you remember you’re married to a walking, breathing garbage disposal?” He grinned and kissed her.
Alara’s eyes shimmered as she smiled back. “You’re the sexiest garbage disposal I’ve ever seen.”
“Speaking of sexy,” Danica turned her gaze on Verika and smiled broadly, “that dress looks amazing on you! Really brings out your hair color!”
Verika’s dress was crushed forest-green velvet that sat right at her knees. The stretchy material hugged her curvy body, the long sleeves coating her arms, and the V-neckline just low enough to be sexy but not trashy. She’d worn a black lace bra that doubled as a camisole, peeking above the dip of the neckline where the medallion her mother gave her rested. Black velvet pumps, black stockings, and simple black earrings completed the ensemble. She’d even taken the time to apply dark-red lipstick and smoky eye shadow. Her long hair was just as polished, with long loose curls dripping over her shoulders, her back. She looked pretty damn good, she had to admit. And the entire ensemble had cost her only fifty bucks, thanks to catching some pre–Black Friday sales and the right combination of coupons.
Verika blushed faintly. “Thank you.”
Danica scurried over in her gold kitten heels and wrapped Verika up in a warm hug. It was hard to remember she was one of the most powerful women, politically speaking, in the Underworld because she was so…well, human. “You’re welcome! I am so glad you could make it. Hope the airport wasn’t too much of a nightmare.”
“Thank you. It actually wasn’t too bad. We didn’t have a layover, and security ran things pretty smoothly in Florida. They even had our luggage ready to go soon as we got to the luggage belt in Little Rock, so all in all it was a surprisingly smooth trip considering what time of year it is.”
“That is a smooth trip.” Alara came over and hugged Verika, though not quite as tightly as Danica had. Verika suspected that was mostly because Alara was a more reserved person, or perhaps she wasn’t the hugging type. “I’m envious. A black cloud seems to follow me around whenever I set foot inside an airport. You do look beautiful, by the way.”
Verika didn’t sense any hostility or bitterness in the other woman’s voice, and her eyes lit up with her smile. Verika smiled back. “Thank you. So do both of you. How’s the baby?”
“Spoiled rotten,” Danica said. “I was actually just about to grab him. Come on. I’ll introduce you.” She peeled off the apron and tossed it on a dinette table. “You okay without me?” she asked Alara.
Alara waved a hand. “Yeah, dinner’s pretty much done. I just need to candy the yams, butter the rolls, then we’ll be ready. If I need any help, I’ll draft Chef Nikolas.”
“I’ll butter your roll,” he growled, pinching Alara’s butt.
She yelped and swatted him on the arm with a spatula. “Do you ever behave?”
“Now where’s the fun in that?”
Danica rolled her eyes and grinned as she turned back to Verika. “Let’s get out of here before they decide to heat up the kitchen in more ways than one.”
Danica led her away, down a hallway with more extravagant furnishings, things that probably cost as much as Verika made at her personal-assistant day job back in Florida.
“How are things going with the new job?” Danica asked. “Working for the Hexes must feel like a dream.”
It was, in many ways. It was certainly a position many a witch and warlock coveted. As thanks for her service to the Underworld in stopping Mistress Black, Sebastian Hex had aided Gage in convincing the High Council to pardon her crimes in aiding and abetting a known criminal (now, ironically, her husband) and as a reward had given her a job in the new company Hex Inc., which had opened up in the Southeast. It was about a half-hour commute from their little countryside home, but Verika didn’t mind. Truly, she was thankful to be able to walk freely in a city without fear of someone recognizing her and turning her in to the DPI. The newfound freedom was intoxicating.
Was it her dream job? Yes and no. She got to work with magic every day. Despite being a glorified secretary to Sebastian Hex, she got to learn from him. He’d picked up on the fact she was a quick study and a talented and resourceful witch, and as such had taken to teaching her about business and magic whenever he could. Though she was intimidated by such a powerful family name at first, she’d grown to think of Sebastian as more of an older-brother figure. Warm, patient, and protective.
“I’ve learned a lot from Mr. Hex,” she said carefully, “though I would love to someday open and run my own magic shop. Maybe even make it online only, and pay a warehouse to keep my potions and ship them when orders come in. That way I could work from home.”
“Oh, that sounds amazing! I bet you’d be really good at it too. You’re so smart. Do you know what you’d call it, your business?”
Verika smiled wistfully. “Satine’s.”
Danica gave her a sympathetic smile and a gentle squeeze of the hand. “I think it sounds lovely. You’ll do it someday. Just keep dreaming, keep praying, keep wishing. If you never give up, your dreams will come true.”
“Thanks, Danica,” Verika said quietly, her eyes growing hot.
Danica smiled and nodded. “Ah, we’re here. We had to make an impromptu nursery, since none of the Moonstruck Pack members have pups young enough to appreciate a play room.”
Verika felt incredibly awkward for asking the next question. Maybe it wasn’t her place, but she was curious. “Are…Nik and Alara still trying?”
Danica sighed, crossed her arms outside a pretty baby-blue door. A baby’s coos could be heard on the other side. “They are. They’re not giving up hope for a baby of their own, though even with fertility treatments, the doctor thinks their chances of conceiving are slim to none.”
“That’s too bad.” She knew Nik wanted kids, had really been looking forward to it. He’d never admitted it to anyone else when she’d dated him, though he’d confessed it to her deep in the night, when they lay tangled in each other’s arms after fabulous—
Okay, that was definitely something she didn’t need to be thinking about. The idea of having sex with anyone else but her husband made her cringe.
“They’re sure Nik’s the one who’s infertile?” Verika asked in a whisper.
Danica glanced around, leaned closer. “Positive. There’s nothing wrong with Alara, so far as they can tell.”
“A talented Blue Witch or Warlock should be able to repair that.”
“Except Nik refuses all magical treatment. Something about not wanting magic to mess with his body again.”
“Again?”
Danica’s eyes widened a fraction, as if she had spouted off something she wasn’t supposed to. “He’s…been going to a therapist.”
“Why?”
“For trauma. You know, when he died?”
Ah. That made more sense. She’d never known Nik to be a
fraid of magic, but perhaps he was now after Alara, being possessed by the doppelganger, had sacrificed him in an attempt to stop Mistress Black. Verika had been able to bring him back from the grave, but that didn’t mean it hadn’t left a mark on his psyche. He was so stubborn, so good at wearing masks and showing the world what he wanted it to see, that it had completely slipped her mind he might be suffering on the inside as well.
She felt sorry for him. “I can give him the name of the therapist Elijah has been working with. Eli’s come a long way.”
“Actually, I think Nik might not take it very well if he finds out we’ve been discussing his personal life. He’ll figure out a way to deal with it. I think part of the reason he hasn’t is because he’s still in denial that he’s afraid. He’s afraid it will make him seem like a weak Alpha.”
“As if. Reckless maybe. And impulsive. But never weak.”
“My thoughts exactly. Look, please don’t say anything, even to Elijah. I don’t want word getting around I’ve been blabbing about him behind his back. I just don’t need the drama right now, not with taking care of my son.”
“Understood.”
Danica smiled, took a deep breath, let it out. “Good. Now that that’s out in the open, ready to meet my baby boy?”
The dinner was perfect. Absolutely perfect.
Elijah still couldn’t believe the direction his life had taken. Couldn’t believe he was sitting around a table with his brothers and their mates, that the love of his life sat beside him. The smell of apple pie and all manner of sugary confections hung in the air as they dug into dessert. Elijah was so stuffed he thought he didn’t have any room left for pie or cake. Then someone had plopped a slab of carrot cake, his absolute favorite, in front of him, and that’s all the convincing it had taken.
Oh, how very lucky he was.
The baby, Max, giggled as Danica, clutching him with one hand, swirled a tiny spoon crowned in sweet potatoes through the air while making airplane noises. She popped the spoon into the pup’s smiling mouth, kissed his forehead while he happily munched.
As if sensing him watching, the pup’s eyes—green as a spring day—landed on him, and he grinned. Elijah couldn’t help but to smile back. Those bright eyes were so full of joy and innocence, so untouched by the darkness of the world, that it struck him with wonder.
Verika slightly nudged him with her elbow, and cocked her head in an inquiring look. “Everything okay?”
He smiled softly, his gaze lingering on the pup. “Yeah,” he murmured wistfully. “Everything’s good.”
After dinner, everyone helped clean up, men included. More wine and treats were passed around, and Elijah could honestly say it was the lightest he’d felt in a while. Nik had spoken to him some, though not as much as Gage. Even Alara, despite everything that had passed between them, had treated him with nothing but warmth and kindness. Given how he’d expected to be treated pretty much like a leper, he was ecstatic things were going this well.
Until Gage had the brilliant idea of inviting Elijah out “for a smoke” on the main balcony.
Naively, he walked outside with Gage, wineglass in hand while Gage carted out a box of cigars that probably cost more than Elijah made in a month. Gage set the box down on the wide marble railing and frowned. “Hang on, I forgot something. Be right back.”
Elijah gazed out over the view of the darkened forest below, watched the tips of the distant oaks and pines sway in the cool breeze coming out of the north. Soon, there would be snow capping those tall points.
His expression turned somber. Winter always brought with it a sense of inner coldness, an acute prickling of regret, after he became a man. It had taken the fancy-smancy therapist, courtesy of Visa and MasterCard, to figure out why.
It had been snowing when he’d left home. When he’d turned his back on his family. The snow, the cold…they were “triggers,” his shrink had called them.
Triggers was a soft term for the depression spiral the biting cold and glittering snowflakes plunged Elijah into every winter.
He shook his head. No more regrets, his therapist said. He couldn’t change the past. All he could do was forgive, forget, and forge forward.
Don’t delay progress.
The balcony door clicked open, and someone inhaled sharply.
Elijah turned—and froze.
There stood Nik again, one hand still frozen on the door handle as if undecided whether or not he wanted to come outside.
Elijah’s heart pounded, nerves tickling his stomach. He could hear Nik’s heart rate, racing along as fast as his own. He realized Gage’s trick, that he had planned this all along, and silently cursed him.
Too late to back out now. Don’t be a pussy.
“Hey,” Elijah said gruffly, clearing his throat as his voice rasped from the cold-air exposure. He hated winter for more reasons than one. It also tended to bring on sinus infections.
Nik surveyed him for a long moment before at last closing the door and joining Elijah on the balcony. He stood a good three feet away, not looking at him as he leaned forward and placed his elbows on the railing. He gazed out at the sleeping forest, the sound of scraping branches and the light whistle of the wind the only sounds to be heard for what seemed like hours.
Well, this was awkward. Elijah ran his hand through his hair, fidgeted. Should he say something? Would it drive Nik away if he did? Should he wait until Nik was ready?
“What took you so long?”
Elijah blinked, snapped his gaze around. “What?”
Nik turned his body so he faced Elijah head on, a stern look of disapproval on his face. “I’m asking, why you just now coming around?”
Elijah stared. Was this a trick question? “I—uh—wait, what? What are you talking about?”
Nik rolled his eyes, looked away. That scowl was back. “You sent emails and texts. But you never called me.”
“I thought it might be too much too soon. I thought I’d ease into things with texts and emails first. I didn’t know you wanted me to call.”
“Of course I wanted you to,” Nik said tiredly after a moment. “I’m stubborn, and an asshole sometimes. All right, most of the time. But…” He growled a sigh and a curse. “Dammit, man, you’re still my big brother, and I still missed the hell out of you.”
Elijah’s heart swelled, and he nearly took flight right off the balcony he was so overcome by hope. “You mean it?”
“Hell yeah, I mean it. Wouldn’t be spouting off all this mushy bullshit if I didn’t.”
Elijah was so flabbergasted, he couldn’t string together a coherent sentence. “I…wow. Wow.”
Nik smiled wryly, one corner of his mouth lifting up. “Yeah. That about sums it up.”
“So…do you want to, uh, what, hang out sometime?”
Nik snorted. “Nah, we’re not in grade school, man. But we can grab a beer sometime and catch up.” His gaze sobered. “I’m ready to listen now.”
Elijah stopped breathing. He’d been praying for this, had been wishing every night since he left that his brothers would someday find it in their hearts to forgive him.
Elijah started to spread his arms, to approach his brother for a hug. Nik immediately tensed, and Elijah stopped. “Too much too soon?”
“Yeeeeeaaaaaaaahhhhh.”
“Noted.”
Nik didn’t linger long after. After giving Elijah what was probably the most awkward brotherly slap-on-the-shoulder in the history of the world, he went back inside. Verika pattered out a short while later, a freshly opened bottle of chilled merlot in her hand.
“Figured you could use this.” She filled his glass halfway.
He smiled wryly. “Thanks.” The cold wine tasted bittersweet going down.
Setting the bottle down on the floor, she wrapped her long arms around his waist. He draped an arm over her back, relishing the warmth her presence brought him.
“Everything go well?” she murmured against his chest.
He rested his head agains
t hers, staring up at the night sky. The moon was partly obscured by a smattering of clouds. The wind shifted them slowly, drawing out the pale, silvery light.
Elijah smiled. “Yeah. It did, actually. Surprisingly so.”
“That’s good to hear.”
In a flurry of words, Elijah went over what Nik and he had talked about. “And he wants me to call him sometime so we can go for beers,” he finished.
Verika chuckled. “Someone sounds happy.”
“Yeah. Yeah, I really am, Vee.”
She hugged him tighter. “I’m glad, because that makes two of us.”
The two of them held each other in thoughtful silence. It was the lightest Elijah had felt in years, maybe since his early childhood, when the world was still fresh and wondrous.
Nik and Elijah’s relationship still wasn’t there yet, but he was hopeful it would be someday, if he didn’t give up and kept working at it. Which made him deliriously happy. For the first time in a long while, he had hope.
For a better tomorrow. For a better future.
And, with his mate in his arms, for a better forever.
THE END
Looking for your next hot read? Try Carnal, now available. (Free for a limited time.)
LUST
Looking for your next hot read? Try Lust, now available.
The Her Dark Desires Trilogy
Carnal (free for a limited time!)
Sinful
Soulful (coming soon!)
Blood Moon Rising
Fever (free for a limited time!)
Protector
Betrayal
Captured
Sacrifice
Ritual
Blood Moon Rising companion novels
Lust
Forever (coming soon!)
