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“Love will make men dare to die for their beloved – love alone; and women as well as men.”
–Plato–
Finn
Someone’s shaking me. I open my eyes, meeting Elle’s sweet hazel ones. A grin escapes me as I remember last night, and I reach for her. But rather than melt in my embrace, Elle pulls away, shaking her head.
Then I notice she’s holding my phone out, and after a few blinking attempts I make out Tristan’s name on the screen. Rubbing a hand over my face to shake the sleep off, I grab the phone.
“Dani, don’t! They’re going to tear each other apart–”
“Tristan?”
“Finn!” Relief spreads in his voice, replacing the panic from before. “Meu amigo, you need to get here, now!”
“Here, where? What time is it?”
“Lucas’ place! Dominic’s about to tear him apart.”
The line goes dead, and I stare at Elle in the darkness. “It’s only past midnight,” she whispers, and I hesitate. Yes, my duty is to my pack, but after what we just shared –
Elle smiles, and bends over to kiss me quickly. I only taste acceptance and support in the air, which reassures me. Then she snaps off the bed and throws me some clothes. “You have to go, I get it. I’ll be here when you come back, I promise.”
When I still hesitate, she adds, “Tristan said they were keeping an eye on Dom... They helped bring Lucrezia’s body to his place, because he wouldn’t let go of it. After he went through a bottle of Romanian ţuică, he got up and started shouting about Lucas.”
“Shite,” I mutter, and finally get out of bed. “They’re not on good terms in regular times, there’s no way in hell they’re going to survive this.”
One more kiss, and I’m out the door. Too knackered from the fight to morph, I grab my car and drive over. When I park, Dani’s outside the house, moving her hands and drawing runes. I don’t understand why, at first. The area is quiet – almost too quiet, given Tristan’s phone call.
Keeping my eyes on Dani, I get out of the car and walk over. Once I pass her, it’s like someone cranked up the sound on the radio. Crashes and curses erupt from Lucas’ house, and I stop in stupefaction.
“Took you long enough,” Dani mutters. “They’ve been going at it for the last hour. I managed to get a sound protection on the area, before some humans hear the ruckus and try to call the policiais.”
Not sure what to expect, I walk up the steps and inside the house. Tristan is by the door, his dark expression settled on what’s left of Lucas’ living room. I’ve been here only a few times, but I remember a baroque-style decorated hall and living room, with gorgeous antique furniture and leather everywhere. The place had screamed money – at the time.
Now, it was in shambles. Holes in the walls, mirrors broken, pieces of furniture lying about. And in the middle, panting, Lucas and Dom in human form. They’ve each got cuts and bruises on every part of their body I can see, and their clothes are ripped. Lucas’ one arm is bleeding rather profusely, and Dom’s got something piercing his leg.
Not that it matters to either of them. I taste their rage, their desperation – their grief. It clogs my throat, reminding me of what I lost long ago.
“Why haven’t they morphed to wolf?” I ask.
Tristan speaks out of the corner of his mouth. “Dani put something on them to stop it. She said there’s less chance of them killing each other like this.” A pause, and he adds, “Though, they’ve come pretty close to it.”
“And you haven’t intervened?”
Tristan gestures to the living room. “What, and become part of this lovely decor? No, thanks. It’s better they get it out of their system.”
“I reckon there isn’t a way to get it out of their system,” I whisper and move closer.
Lucas glances over. “Stay the fuck away, Irish.”
“And let you kill each other? I don’t think so.”
With a growl, Dominic lunges and head butts Lucas, sending him flying in the wall. His hands are coated with bruises and blood – his own or Lucas’, I can’t tell. But I sense a shift in his attacks this time – he’s determined to kill.
And that, I can’t allow.
Lucas may have made mistakes, but Lucrezia’s death was not all his fault. We all could have done more – protected her better. And while the loss is hardest on them two, me and Tristan are also feeling it. And I’m not about to let someone else join her in the great beyond.
Tristan catches drift of what I’m doing and steps next to me. One nod, and we both jump on Dom – grabbing one of his arms each. He struggles, rages against us – and holy shite, he’s strong. My vârcolac friend has been blessed with extra strength, but I never counted on having it used against us.
The first time, he throws us off and goes for my alpha’s neck. Lucas evades it and lands a punch, giving us the moment of distraction needed to try again. This time, I’m prepared. So when Dom struggles again, I touch the side of my hand to his temple and pull some of his rage inside me.
It’s not enough to calm Dom down – but it’s enough to get him to stop struggling. His emotions are all over the place, until, like a deflated balloon, he falls to his knees. Tristan and me share a look, and kneel next to him in solidarity – and to make sure he’s not about to jump up.
But no, Dom is definitely down for the ride. He won’t cry in front of Lucas, but he’s done fighting.
“Grazie,” Lucas whispers.
I glance up at my alpha, and the words are out before I can stop them. “I didn’t do this for you. Lucrezia wouldn’t have wanted him to go down killing you, is all.”
Then I grab Dom up, and Tristan helps me get him to my car. I bring him home with me, but as soon as I turn the corner, I know we’re not alone. A faint glow by the side of the house drawas my gaze, and as we get closer I recognize Ileana.
With a trembling hand, Dom opens his side door and drag himself out of the car. He stumbles towards his godmother, whose expression is wrought with sadness.
“Dragul meu,” she whispers, and it’s all it takes.
Dominic freezes in his tracks, his entire body shaking. It’s pain, rage, and grief all mixed into one, coursing through him. Yet he’s holding it down, refusing to let the emotions out. Ileana glides to him and wraps her arms around his shoulders as if he were a babe.
“I know your pain,” she says as I stare at them.
I’m both infringing on their moment, and afraid of leaving them alone in case he goes back after Lucas. Ileana glances at me and gives a slight nod, so I step to the side where I can give them privacy, but still be there if I need to intervene.
Dominic says nothing as she holds him, just seems to soak up her embrace. Eventually, after long moments, he pulls back. His eyes are red-rimmed, his jaw tight with fury. “I will get vengeance for this.”
Ileana lifts a hand to his cheek. “Nu, dragul meu... My darling godson, vengeance will only taint your soul.”
Dom grabs her hand, and I see his knuckles tighten over it. “I. Don’t. Care.”
Ileana grimaces as if in pain, but when I try to move closer, she holds out her palm in a silent gesture meant to stop me.
“My soul is the least of my worries right now,” Dominic growls. “I have lost my fucking mate, Ileana, and someone needs to pay.”
She only stares at him with her sunny gaze, until he drops her hand and steps back. He runs a hand over his face. “I didn’t mean to hurt you.”
I figure it’s as good a time as any to intervene. “Why don’t you come inside, mate? Get some sleep.”
Dominic looks at me, but doesn’t really see me as he shakes his head. “I can’t let Luz sleep alone. I never have, and I won’t start now.”
Before I can stop him, he morphs to wolf form and takes off at a gallop.
Ileana turns her sorrowful gaze to me. “Watch over him. He is not in his right mind, and will not be for a while.”
With my next breath, she’s gone in a whirlwind of flowers. Elle opens the door then, her expression filled with understanding.
“Was that Dom?”
I hesitate between chasing him down, and going to keep him company. But there’s a quality to his pain that I know not even I could soothe.
So when Elle holds out her hand, I take it and bury my head in her neck, inhaling her sweet scent. “I don’t know what I would do if I ever lost you.”
“You won’t,” she whispers, wrapping both arms around my shoulders and pulling me inside. “I’m here, and all yours.”
I bury my own grief in a kiss, and she seems to understand my need as we kick the door shut behind us.
∞ ♦ ∞
The next morning should be a work day. I wake up to five missed calls from Lucas, and listen to a voicemail saying the shop is closed, and no one’s presence is required.
Still nursing his wounds, that one.
Rolling my eyes, I get out of bed and join Elle in the shower. Last night, I dreamed of Ronan for the first time in years – my beta. He died at the hands of the dragan I pissed off in Ireland, and it’s something I haven’t yet forgiven myself for. Luz’s death has made the memory even more present in my head.
Maybe it’s our mate bonds getting stronger, but Elle feels it. She lets me wash every inch of her body, melting into me more with each passing second. Unable to resist, I bend my head and take her sweet mouth, enjoying the way she has to stretch to kiss me back – thus pressing her entire body against mine.
“We never quite finished, last night,” I whisper, nipping at her ear.
The delighted squeal from her spurs me on, and before long I’ve got her legs wrapped around me, her back to the wall, and I’m right there – teasing her, teasing both of us. Elle moans under me, trying to shift her hips to take me in, but my hold on her ass grows tighter and she can’t move.
Eyes glazed with desire settle on me. “Please, Finn...”
The invitation is too sweet. I drop my mouth to hers, stealing the kiss – and drawing it out. Sucking on her bottom lip only drives her crazier, and I feel the tremble in her body. Elle breaks the kiss, panting, nails digging in my shoulders. She tilts her head to the side, offering me her graceful neck.
My lips trail down her jaw, then her neck, and I nibble on it, enough to leave a mark by the time I stop. Her trembling increases in my arms, as do her moans, her pleasure coating the air around us.
“Finn...” It’s more of a growl this time, and I pull back just enough to check her eyes. It’s only the hazel that meets my gaze, none of the grey I associate with the alter.
Kissing her nose, I say, “Stay with me.”
Then I drive into her, groaning at how tight she is, how feckin’ amazing she makes this simple act. I free up one hand to nudge one breast up to my mouth, then the same fingers trail down to her centre. Panting, steam around us, she comes around me and I groan at the sweet sensation.
Dazed from the orgasm, she lifts a limp hand to my lips, tracing them. A slow grin curves her lips. “More?”
“Thought you’d never ask, love,” I grin back and pull out, only to slide back home. With each thrust I go deeper, and Elle digs her nails harder into me. The pain is as sweet as the pleasure, and it’s not long before I lose myself into oblivion, screaming her name.
∞ ♦ ∞
By the time we’re out of the shower, my doorbell is ringing insistently. I pull on a pair of sweatpants and open to find Dani there. There are shadows under her eyes, a stark reminder of what we have all lost.
“Where’s Tristan?”
“Nice to see you too,” she grumbles and pushes past me. She notices Elle in kitchen, and my sweet, innocent girlfriend blushes crimson at the thought of what we’ve been doing just minutes earlier.
Dani lets out a weak smile, catching on. “Sorry to interrupt, but this was urgent.” She meets my gaze. “Remember the spot your púca showed us?
“Yeah?”
“I was by there earlier this morning.” At my look, she rolls her eyes. “Not alone, relax. Tristan was with me.”
“Why would you both take the risk?”
“You know why,” she growls. “We’re not just going to sit by and let Cade’s bastardos get away with killing Lucrezia. Anyway, point is, for some stupid reason the Reapers are still camping there. Maybe they think they’re safe, não sei. I don’t know. But it got me thinking.”
I lean against the wall, crossing my arms. “I have a feeling I won’t like this.”
Her gaze grows pleading. “Listen, that witch gifted me with powers, but she’s been used by both my brother and now Cade. If we free her, maybe she’ll make a run for it. We can try.... Without her, they can’t bring Declan back. And we can’t let them do that, not after they took Luz from us.”
I glance at Elle, recalling the blood they took off her during the battle. She steps closer to me, interlacing our fingers. “Go. I’ll be okay by myself.”
“Naw, love. Not by yourself. Call Tytus, see how he’s coping about Luz... And don’t stay alone.”
She squeezes my hand in reassurance, and I steal another kiss from her. It’s hard to stop at only one, but I manage to tear myself away.
“Let’s go.” I follow Dani out the door and into the woods.
We get by the barn in too short a time. Fiona is still strapped to the same wheel we saw her on last time, looking haggard and like she’s lost even more pounds. Pity fills me – she didn’t deserve this.
In wolf form still, we creep around the area, trying to see if there are Reapers about. I catch no scent, and one look at Dani confirms the same.
They were here before, she warns me, so keep an eye out.
With our teeth, we get to pulling at the ropes holding Fiona captive. The witch turns her head to the side, noticing me, then Dani. Recognition flashes in her eyes, as does fear. I wish we could tell her we’re not here to hurt her.
We don’t have time to morph human and back, Dani says. Just keep going, she’ll figure it out.
Sure enough, by the time I’m done with one foot, and Dani the other, Fiona’s fear has ebbed away. Her eyes are more alert, though her face looks gaunt and haunted. Guilt at what she’s done – what she’s caused – fills the air.
I focus harder on the wrist I’m trying to unbind, and finally manage it. She lays there for a minute as Dani cuts the remaining wrist, then whispers, “I am sorry.”
I nod, trying to tell her I know. Then I turn my head to the side, pointing to the woods.
“You’re freeing me?”
Dani nudges her forward, and Fiona manages to get off, but stumbles. Her feet won’t hold her up. I share a look with my companion.
Bollocks! We didn’t count on this.
Well, we can’t take her in the car, either!
I think for a second, then step away and into the woods. The púca still owes me, since it wasn’t able to get Luz away from the battle. One howl, and the woods tremble. Something passes by as swift as an arrow, and shadows part to let it through.
The black mustang takes one look at me, then the witch. “So this is your new favor?”
I hold its gaze. Not new. You couldn’t deliver at the battle, so this is what you owe me. Get her away from here, and we are even.
The púca stares at Fiona again, as though assessing her, and listening to my words. After a few lengthy moments we don’t have to waste, it finally drops to its front knees. With much prodding from us, we get Fiona on its back and watch as they ride away.
Then I follow Dani back to the car, morphing back as she clothes us. My thoughts are churning, an odd feeling in the pit of my stomach. “It’s odd they would leave her unprotected.”
Dani voices what we both dread. “Maybe it’s because they already got what they wanted out of her.”
A sigh escapes me. “If they did, then God help us all.”
By the time I get back home, Elle is asleep. I change into a pair of clean shorts and slide into bed, pulling her in my arms. Whatever the Reapers are after, there’s no way I’m letting them touch her again.
Elisandra
Wake up.
I groan, tossing and turning in bed. A warm arm wrapped around my waist succeeds where the voice hadn't. My eyes pop open in the darkness, and it takes me a minute to separate my very vivid dream of flying – and the male voice prodding me to keep at it – from the reality.
Then I remember Finn's hands on me this morning, and smile. Turning in his arms, I try to hold on to sleep, but it escapes me.
Wake UP!
This time, I don't get a choice. My body jerks from under him, and before I can think otherwise, I'm standing. Finn rolls to his back, throwing an arm over his face. It's only a second later I realize he's done so to block the light coming from me.
Or, more specifically, from the fire that my hands are holding.
Move to the bathroom or I throw this on the bed.
Gritting my teeth, I do as she asks, and look in the mirror. Whether it's my imagination or not, I can practically see my reflection moving as she speaks.
You’re wasting time. Yeah, he’s hot as sin, but you have so much power in you. Use it!
I frown at my reflection. “I thought you didn’t want me to.”
That’s what the zmeu put in your head, not me. Use it! Use it all!
“And if I don’t want to?”
Why not? What has you so afraid?
“Nothing!” I hiss at my reflection. “But there is no need to use this. Not when I’m here, safe.”
And were you safe when the Reapers cornered you on the field, taking your blood without permission?
“Finn and Tytus protected me!”
After the Reapers had already hurt you.
Tears fill my eyes. “It wasn’t me they were after, it was Lucrezia!”
And if you don’t listen to me, if you don’t use these powers, you will end up as stupidly useless as she was!
“Stop it,” I beg.
Look at you. Snivelling like a child.
I glare at my reflection, my voice more assured. “This isn’t going to work. I have a good support system around me.”
And it will fail you!
“No, it won’t.”
Declan will come for you... You’re not only Tytus’ descendant, you’re his too.
I remember the male voice on the battlefield, directing me to the magic inside me. It can’t be a coincidence that both Declan – if that was him – and her are asking me to tap into these powers now, can it? Aloud, I say, “Finn and Tytus will protect me.”
Declan will hurt you if you don’t join him. He’s the stronger one, you shouldn’t hesitate!
I wash my face, refusing to listen any more. It enrages her further.
I will make you.
“And I won’t let you.”
Running out of the bathroom, I crawl back in bed with Finn. My body is trembling, needing his heat – his reassurance. Then my hands become questing, demanding, feeling his naked body underneath my fingertips. His strength ripples through every muscle, and I desperately need that same force inside me.
She’s trying to push at the back of my head, to take over, but I focus on the feel of Finn, his scent, his hold on me – on my heart. Resentful, she slouches back to the corner of my mind, and I want nothing more than to forget the poison she’s spewing.
So I give in to the only thing that matters. Finn’s kiss, his lips, his inexplicable patience... Half–asleep, he still knows my body with a mastery that astounds me. Nuzzling my neck, he pulls off my shorts and t–shirt I slept with, then sighs against my skin.
One hand goes to cup my breast, toying with my nipple, the other moves over my hip, gripping it. In one smooth move, he pulls me on top of him so I’m straddling him, then stares up at me through half-hooded eyes.
His emerald gaze is dark with desire, his expression intense. There’s more here, between us, than we shared before. It was grief – the loss of a friend – that made me jump the cliff the first time. Too afraid to lose Finn in this war that’s taking place around us, I wanted to at least know we’d been together – shared each other – in every way possible.
No regrets.
Now, my head is clear of everything else, because there is nothing – nothing – in this world that grounds me as he does. I cup his cheek, lowering my lips to his. Finn tastes me first, then his free hand sinks in my hair, tugging me closer.
One shift of his hips, and I’m spread over him, and he’s nudging my entrance. We sigh in relief when he’s finally – finally– inside me. I wait for the telltale yaps from my alter, but only blissful silence answers in my head.
With each stroke, with each shared breath, Finn brings me to the stars and back. His hands roam over me, finding spots I didn’t know were sensitive, making my body sing to his tune. Stars are nothing compared to the pleasure coursing through me. It’s a darned supernova, burning hotter the closer I get to my climax.
And damn him, but he feels it. The expression on his face changes, growing more intense. His thrusts inside me become harder, and I groan, letting my hair fall back.
“Not yet,” he whispers, drawing my gaze back to him. “Stay with me.”
I couldn’t if I tried. The fire inside me burns hotter still, and when the orgasm courses through me, I swear I stop breathing. A moment later, I’m aware Finn’s frozen, deep inside me, and I open my eyes.
Finn’s staring at me – through me. His gaze is hot, intense, his palms scorching me. I shift on him, only to realize it’s not his palms that are scorching, but my own. My body’s on fire – within, a heat that suffuses my skin, drawing out each breath painfully.
I meet his gaze, Tytus’ warning in my head. “I...”
Finn cups both my cheeks this time, and I drop my forehead to his. “We’ll stop if you want,” he whispers. “This isn’t just another session in the sack, my love – mo grá. It’s a hell of a lot more.”
I stare at him, at this guy who’s been in my life for the past year, who I stayed away from – and for what? The ties binding us are already thicker than anything I’ve ever known, and I don’t intend to stop.
So I drop my mouth to his, kissing him with all I’ve got. Then, inch by painfully scorching inch, I lift up, and drop my hips back down, taking him as deep as he’ll go. Finn hisses against my kiss, then a low growl builds in his throat.
The second after, he’s flipped us over, drawing one leg of mine over his hip, and slams inside me. His mouth is still glued to mine, his free hand going to my centre, and I come undone. Finn drops his head against my chest, panting as his own release overwhelms him.
When I’ve calmed enough to draw in a shaky breath, Finn’s touch alone keeps me grounded.
Every fiber of my body is attuned to his – breathing in sync, feeling in sync. I can’t tell where he begins and I end, and the feeling of completion is too much.
It’s scary. What’s even more scary is the nasty voice at the back of my head warning me that this won’t last, that it can’t. That it’ll evaporate just like the ashes of Grandmama’s bakery. But I don’t have time to dwell on it. Because as is his usual, my boyfriend is too damn perceptive for his own good.
Finn
I fall back on the bed, panting like I’ve run a marathon. Every nerve ending is shooting off sparks, and my heart feels like it’s been electrocuted. Next to me, Elle is also trying to catch her breath.
My hand crawls over the crumpled bed sheets, seeking hers, and finds it trembling. That gets my attention, and I turn on my side. “What’s wrong, love?”
Elle moves her head away from me, and her erratic breathing worries me. I push myself to an elbow, turning her face towards me. It’s tear–stained, her nose red, and yet she’s the most beautiful creature in the world.
“Elle, talk to me.”
“I’m okay,” she whispers, and grabs my hand in hers. “Promise. It was just... Intense. I didn’t expect it, this connection, the mating, to be...so much.”
The clenching around my own heart subsides, and I feel like I can breathe normal again. “Nor did I.”
“Tytus only said that... That, because I was tied with you, that my zmeu part, the way we mate it’s through fire. I thought... He made it sound like I’d be burning you with magic, or something.”
A chuckle escapes me. “Well, it wasn’t so far from that now, was it?”
Her cheeks go crimson, and she buries her head in the crook of my neck, forcing me on my back. I wrap an arm around her, pulling her closer still. “If this is what mating with you is, my darling, I’d walk through fire any day.”
Elle jerks in my grip, and the air of satisfaction around her solidifies to something else, less pure. “What’s going on?”
“Nothing.” And yet she pulls back from my embrace, scooting to the edge of the bed, blanket wrapped around her naked form.
I can taste her fear now, but she’s lying to me. The deception stings after what we just shared, and I sigh. “You're lying, mo grá.”
Elle glances over her shoulder, frowning at the endearment. “I am not.”
“You are,” I repeat, and tug her into my lap. With easy movements, I turn her around so she's sitting between my legs, and start massaging her shoulders. “Why don't you tell me what's really bothering you?”
She says nothing, stuck in an obstinate silence that I want to tear down. “Is it what just happened? Are you afraid of where we’re going with this?”
“Maybe,” Elle says, but I taste the lie again.
“No, it's not.” I continue the massage, unperturbed, and try to think of other options that might have set her off. “Is it Tytus? Did he say something?”
“Maybe,” she whispers, but again, I taste the lie. With each question I ask, though, she's closer to telling me the truth, whether she realizes it or not.
“Maybe it's your powers?”
The muscles under my hands tense. “It's got nothing to do with that.”
Bingo.
I stop the massage, and turn her to face me again. Elle tries to avoid my look, but I cup her cheek to stop her movements. “It's got everything to do with that. What's the story, love?”
“It's...” She bites her lip, hesitating. And just as she opens her mouth to speak, my cell rings. Her eyes shutter, glancing at the blasted thing.
“I'm not going to get it. What were you saying?”
It’s already a lost cause. Elle's looking away, and moving off my lap. “Answer it. You can't keep ignoring your alpha's call.”
More frustrated than ever, I pick up. Only it's not Lucas, but Tytus’ name flashing on the screen. I debate on ignoring the call, forcing Elle to talk to me instead, but something tells me to take it. So I do.
“Yeah?”
“Get to Dominic's house. Now. Something's happening.”