My Werewolf Husband (Domenico and Misty): A Hot BBW Billionaire Werewolf Shifter Paranormal Romance

by Marian Tee

  “What are you looking at?”

  Misty nearly fell on her butt at the sound of her husband’s voice and would have done so if his quick reflexes had not enabled him to catch hold of her.

  She allowed him to pull her up to her feet and when he turned her around to face him, her breath caught and her heart skipped a beat. Even now, she still had trouble believing that this man belonged to her.

  Then she saw the look on his face—

  Misty asked meekly, “You know about the Panthera?”

  Domenico only looked at his wife in answer, wanting her to squirm. It was the best and only way to punish her. Of course, it was also one of his favorite habits. Small and curvaceous, with dark hair and dark eyes, Misty was not the type to invite second glances from men. But for Domenico it had been the total opposite.

  Because he had known of her before ever meeting Misty, Domenico had been captivated by her character, had found himself powerfully attracted to her strength and loyalty. He had never met a human woman like her, someone who had an uncanny knack of making people either love her or hate her very passionately.

  Misty fidgeted, trying not to say a word in her defense, but when Domenico remained silent, she blurted out, “It wasn’t my fault.”

  “That’s what you said the last time also, my love.” But the tender smile that accompanied the admonishing words had Misty sighing in relief.

  “It really wasn’t my fault, though,” she insisted. “And I know Calys would have sided with me if she was there. They weren’t right to talk about Anastasia that way—”

  He looked at her.

  She shut up. She knew that look. It meant he saw through her – or rather, her babble. She mumbled, “I admit that I may have gotten slightly carried away by my emotions.”

  It was difficult to keep a detached face at his wife’s mumble, but he knew it had to be done. She always thought of herself as a wimp, but when it came to the people she cared about, Misty ended up acting like the fiercest she-wolf. While her courage was something he greatly admired, he wanted her to learn to be less impulsive. It always ended up getting her in trouble, and Domenico feared the day would come when he wouldn’t be in time to save her.

  “How carried away?”

  “I might have, umm, said that Anastasia would never marry a panther even to save her life?”

  Domenico winced. “Misty…”

  “But they were talking about her like she was trash,” she said unhappily.

  “And that’s wrong. I’ll be the first one to say that. However, you cannot expect thousands of years of prejudice to change overnight. The changes you want will happen. I will personally make sure it happens, even if it’s only for your sake, but you must accept that it will happen gradually.”

  She leaned against him in answer, and his arm curved around her, knowing how precious this was. When they were apart, Misty had fought hard to be independent but now that they were back together, Domenico knew that she was doing her best to show him that she trusted Domenico to be her strength when she needed him to be.

  Misty was rubbing her nose against his chest, like a pup wanting affection. Domenico stroked her back.

  “I don’t think I’ll ever be the proper mate for you.”

  “Inconsequential,” he dismissed. “I’m the only one you’ll ever have, the same way you are the only one for me.” Taking her hand in his, he drew her next to him for a walk, knowing it would help clear her mind.

  Misty leaned her head against his shoulder. It was rare for them to have quiet time like this, and she cherished such moments. They walked in companionable silence for long minutes, past the marshes and deeper into the Everglades, with its ever-gray skies and twisted, lanky trees.

  Although she had lived all her life in Florida, she had never even considered coming here and probably wouldn’t have if not for the fact that a large part of it made up the Adelardi pack’s territory. There was something about its eternal fog that crept her out, making Misty feel like time had no meaning here.

  The silence unnerved her, too. It was a deep kind of silence, one that had shivers running down her spine. She looked at Domenico, wondering if he felt the same—

  Domenico, sensing his wife’s attention on him, glanced down at her with a raised eyebrow.

  Nope. Of course the Big Bad Wolf wouldn’t be afraid of the woods.

  “Whatever it is you’re thinking, I’m certain it’s not something I’d like to hear.”

  She grinned.

  “Don’t even think about telling me.”

  From afar, something tittered—

  Misty jumped into his arms.

  Domenico laughed.

  “But it didn’t sound normal,” she protested even as she squeezed his shoulders so he could let her down.

  “My love, you’re married to a shifter. Is that normal?”

  “I’m used to fighting vampires, not…I dunno, it could be an aswang, you know?”

  Aswang was a Filipino myth, one of the many mythological creatures Misty would occasionally ask him about so she would know which were and weren’t real.

  Domenico only shook his head at her. As they resumed walking, the silence tempting her to cling to him, Misty blurted out, “I have a joke.”

  She didn’t say anything after that, prompting Domenico to ask, “What’s the joke?”

  Misty bit her lip. “It’s not kid-friendly, though.”

  When he looked down at her, Domenico saw Misty’s eyes darting here and there, as if they were about to be attacked anytime. Suppressing a smile, Domenico tried to sound more concerned than amused as he asked, “Is something bothering you?”

  She shook her head quickly, not wanting Domenico to think she was a wimp. Pasting an overly bright smile on her face, she said, “I can tell you the joke now.”

  His lips met in a thin line. She spoke the words exactly like the kid in Sixth Sense as he was about to confess his ability to see dead people. Domenico thought about reminding her that he was over six foot tall, experienced in battle, and was virtually the strongest werewolf of his entire race. And yet here was his wife, scared of the shadows around them.

  Breathe, Moretti. Misty would be hurt if she realized he was laughing at her fears. When he was sufficiently in control, he murmured, “Go ahead then.”

  Misty said, “One day, when the mom of Little Big Dick—”

  Domenico choked. Little Big Dick?

  Misty blinked at him. “What?”

  Domenico cleared his throat. “Err, nothing. Go on.”

  She tossed him an odd look – one that had him nearly choking again – before speaking. “Okay, so one day, when the mom of Little Big Dick was still pregnant with him, her husband – Little Big Dick’s father - wanted to, umm…” She paused, her cheeks turning red.

  “Have sex?”

  Misty looked relieved. “Yes, that. At first, Mrs. Dick refused, saying it might be bad for the baby but Mr. Dick says, ‘No, it’s going to be okay.’ So they do it, and as they make love, he tells her, ‘It feels good, doesn’t it?’ This happens several times, with Mrs. Dick saying no, then Mr. Dick insisting it’s okay.”

  Misty suddenly giggled.

  Domenico wasn’t surprised, now used to Misty always laughing at her own jokes even before she was done delivering the punch line. But when she kept giggling, he told her exasperatedly, “Do you mind finishing the joke?”

  “Oops, sorry.” Still giggling a bit, Misty said, “The day came that Mrs. Dick finally gave birth and it was a healthy baby boy. When Little Big Dick came out into the world, he went to his dad immediately. Little Big Dick then asked—”

  Domenico was startled when Misty suddenly poked his forehead several times. “What the fuck?”

  As she poked her husband’s forehead, Misty said in an irritated voice, pretending to be Little Big Dick, “-Do you think this feels good, huh, Dad? Does that feel good? Huh, huh, huh?”

  Domenico laughed, the deep tenor of his amusement blending with his wif
e’s giggles—which was suddenly cut short.

  “Oh my God,” Misty whispered.

  His wife had turned into a block of ice next to him, and when Domenico followed her gaze, he, too, became still.

  Not looking at her husband, Misty whispered between barely moving lips, “That’s — I mean, she’s – what I’ve been seeing, following us all this time.” Misty gulped, unable to take her gaze off the wild-looking woman in front of them. The woman seemed naked and not naked at the same time, her body the shade of bronze, while her most private parts were covered with something metal-like – something that also appeared to be a part of her body.

  Domenico gripped his wife’s hand tightly. A jinn. He wondered if Misty emitted some kind of strange scent that had all kinds of races coming to her. First there were the Faeries, who most of them had thought extinct. And now a jinn? Who knew they even existed to this day? He thought the vampires had hunted them down to extinction.

  “Do you have a wish?”

  The woman had spoken, her voice a mixture of rusty and seductive, like a rarely-played melody that was near impossible to resist dancing to.

  “Don’t answer.” Misty jerked when she suddenly felt Domenico’s hot breath next to her ear. “She’s a jinn, sweetheart. Everything they offer always comes with a catch.”

  Misty, still looking at the woman, whispered to Domenico, “But she didn’t come from a lamp.”

  Domenico’s lips slowly compressed.

  Just as slowly, the woman blinked.

  Misty wasn’t as slow. It didn’t take a genius to figure out when she was being laughed at by her own husband – and that the jinn was close to doing the same thing. She said defensively, “Aladdin’s came from a lamp.”

  Domenico rolled his eyes at her, unable to help it.

  The woman – the jinn – remained quiet, but her gaze was even more intent, as if she couldn’t determine what kind of creature Misty was. But when she spoke, all she said was, “Wish?”

  Domenico was about to turn the woman down when the woman spoke again, and this time her next words had both Domenico and Misty reacting.

  “I can tell you about a lying wolf.” A smile both cunning and pitying curved on the woman’s lips. “The wolf was the reason the one you trusted died. If you wish it, I can give you the name of the one who betrayed you.”

  Domenico’s fists clenched. For years, he had tirelessly and futilely searched for answers, wanting to avenge his friend. He knew that this was his best bet, but whether he’d win it or not, Domenico wasn’t sure. “If I wish it—”

  The jinn shook her head, her long, twisted dark strands curling around her body as if it had a life of its own. “It must be her who wishes it.”

  Domenico didn’t even hesitate. “Never.” He took Misty’s hand, but his wife didn’t budge when he started to turn away. “Misty?” The look on her face made his own harden. “Don’t even think about it—”

  Misty blurted out, “I wish it.”

  Domenico cursed, but the sound was drowned by the chaos of the world crashing around them. He hauled his wife to him, protecting her as best as he could while everything turned black.

  ****

  Misty opened her eyes when the rumbling, crashing noise around them stopped. She gasped, instinctively moving closer towards her husband when she saw that they were no longer in the forest.

  “Where are we?” she whispered.

  Domenico didn’t answer her, just holding her hand tightly as he led them out of the room. He had a feeling what this was all about, and he became more certain of it as he explored the room they were in. Its classy and impersonal elegance told him that they were in a hotel. Probably the penthouse, considering how the suite seemed to occupy an entire floor.

  “We’re in a hotel, aren’t we?” Misty couldn’t help but shake her head at the opulence surrounding her. She knew she should be used to such sights by now, being the wife of a wolf billionaire, but she wasn’t. The place had an informal and formal receiving area, a whirlpool bath that could fit an entire football squad, and a balcony she could comfortably throw a party for twenty in. There was also a fully stocked wine bar, an ultra-thin TV the size of a pool table, and a grand piano. At the end of the suite, another door led to—

  Misty gasped. “Is that a spa? This suite comes with its own spa?” And it wasn’t just any spa. There was a manmade rock pond, one fashioned like the hot spring baths in Japan, with steam even rising softly out of the crystal clear waters. Luxurious massage pads were laid out on a mini-boardwalk, and on the other side rose petals were sprinkled in a Roman-styled marble bath filled with scented azure water.

  Misty tugged on Domenico’s sleeve. “What’s this all about?”

  When he faced her, his face was grim. “It’s our last night together.”

  She almost laughed but when his expression didn’t change, Misty paled. “Please tell me you’re joking.”

  “I’m not.”

  Misty winced at his soft tone, a sure sign of his anger. There was also the muscle ticking in Domenico’s jaw, another sign that a volcano was about to erupt—

  “YOU.”

  Misty yelped as her husband began mashing her cheeks like they were dough.

  “YOU.” Domenico tried to see if he could apply more pressure to his cheek-mashing, but it seemed this was the most he could do. Dammit.

  “B-but we needed to know—”

  “Not like this,” he snapped. Furiously spinning away, Domenico hit the wall behind him, his fist pulverizing the cement and creating a crater-like hole within the wall. There was no point going after the jinn – once a wish was made voluntarily, the wisher had to win the challenge for it or die. It was all up to Misty now. There was nothing he could do, and that was what killed him.

  When he turned to face Misty, he cursed under his breath again, realizing too late he had just ended up frightening his wife. She was hugging herself and shivering. Her eyes were wide with shock, but she was visibly struggling not to let her fears show.

  Domenico pulled her into his arms, wincing at how cold she felt. “I’m sorry, sweetheart.” He brushed his lips against her fragrant hair and tried not to think about how frail her bones were. What if the jinn made her fight to the death against a Lyccan?

  Misty tried her best not to choke her own husband as she hugged him back. His body was rigid with tension, and she knew it was because Domenico was worried about what would happen to her. “I’m sorry, too. I know you’re worried about me.”

  “Damn right I am,” he muttered. He tipped her chin up. “Why did you have to do that?”

  “Because I didn’t want what happened to the Faeries to happen to us,” Misty confessed in a small voice. “So many people died. So if I could do something to avert it—”

  “Lyccans are stronger and more used to warfare,” he gritted out.

  “But you’re not immortal,” she argued softly. “You bleed, too, and I just don’t want to risk losing any one of you.” She looked at her husband anxiously, hoping he would no longer be mad— “Oww!” He was mashing her cheeks again.

  “I remember the first time I found out how stubborn you were. You didn’t want to stay in my home before our marriage—”

  When he released her, she made a face. “It wasn’t unreasonable—”

  “And then there was the time—”

  She asked quickly, “Is there a point to all this?”

  He only smiled, but the fact that it didn’t reach his eyes just made her nervous. “Yes. I wanted to remind you how your stubbornness got you through.” His tone sober, he continued, “I’m afraid you’ll be even more stubborn with whatever you’ll be facing – without me.”

  Misty swallowed. The fact that she was going to face an unknown challenge alone was finally dawning on her.

  Stepping back so he could see her face clearly, Domenico said gruffly, “Everything’s going to work out as long as you listen carefully to what I have to say.”

  She nodded. “Got it.”
But her voice squeaked in the end, and both of them mentally winced at it.

  Taking her hands in his in hopes that he could pass his strength to her, he continued, “I’m only passably familiar with how jinns are. They’re not evil, but they’re no angels either. Granting wishes is how they keep their powers strong. That’s really all there is to it.” Rubbing his thumb over her knuckles, he continued, “She’ll come to us when we least expect it so there’s no point being prepared about it. Since you’re the wisher, you’ll be the one she’ll ask to do something – it would seem impossible, but it’s not.” He tipped her chin, stressing, “I mean it, Misty. It may seem impossible but it never is. My mother wished upon a jinn once and she’s alive now, isn’t she?”

  Misty was stunned. “She really did?”

  He gave her a quick hard nod. “Yes, she did.” It was a lie. Apparently he still could, given the right incentive, and that was the woman in front of him. He needed Misty to be strong and he didn’t give a fuck what he had to do to make her so.

  Misty breathed a sigh of relief at Domenico’s answer. If his mother had made a wish and hadn’t died because of it, then surely there was something she could do to ensure she got out of this safely as well. “Thank you for telling me that.”

  He bent down, brushing his lips against her in a short, sweet kiss to reassure her. “Just remember that and you’ll be fine.” If she wasn’t, then he’d turn the world upside down until he found a way to rescue her.

  Misty’s mouth opened and closed.

  “What is it?”

  She bit her lip.

  He took a closer look at her face and because he knew her better than she knew herself, he immediately understood what she wanted but couldn’t say. Without a word, he lifted her up and walked to the bedroom.

  When he laid her down on the huge white bed and followed her to it, Misty asked breathlessly, “What are you doing?”

  Pausing in the midst of removing her clothes, Domenico said with a straight face, “Giving you a good luck charm.”