Darian’s Surrender
Jaden Sinclair
Published by Melange Books, LLC White Bear Lake, MN 55110 www.melange-books.com Da...
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Darian’s Surrender
Jaden Sinclair
Published by Melange Books, LLC White Bear Lake, MN 55110 www.melange-books.com Darian’s Surrender, Copyright 2012 by Jaden Sinclair 978-1-61235-483-5 Print 978-1-61235-484-2 ebook Names, characters, and incidents depicted in this book are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental and beyond the intent of the author or the publisher. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. Published in the United States of America. Cover Art by Caroline Andrus
Darian’s Surrender Jaden Sinclair Dominic Vanderburg has grown up knowing about the family feud between his family, and the Laswells, but never knew what it was about. At age fifteen, he went with his grandfather to the Draeger home with intentions of fixing the gape, but instead he discovered his mate. Darian Laswell is only nineteen when she is summoned to a Gathering. Her parents are reluctant to let her go, but unable to prevent it. She goes, but the last thing she ever suspected was to be marked, and claimed, by a man whose family is hated by her own. Dominic comes from a world she knows nothing about and fears she will never understand, but he does everything he can to help her fit in. With his determination, he is set to show his young mate that together they can mend the wrong between their families.
Contact the Author www.jadensinclair.com Other stories by Jaden Sinclair at www.melange-books.com The Proposal Kiss Under the Mistletoe in Holiday Treats The Christmas Dream in Wicked Christmas Wishes S.H.I.L.O. S.E.T.H. Interplanetary Passion Outerplanetary Sensations SHIFTER SERIES Stefan’s Mark Claiming Skylar Dedrick’s Taming The Prowling Cole’s Awakening The New Breed Seducing Sasha Draeger’s Legacy Lucifer’s Lust, with Mae Powers Love at First Sight Tales of the Forbidden, Book 1, Forbidden Temptation Tales of the Forbidden, Book 2, Forbidden Rapture Tales of the Forbidden, Book 3, Forbidden Innocence Pirate’s Hellion Raided Pleasures Fate of the Gods
Chapter One The warm summer breeze blew across her face. It mixed with the fresh cut grass and the salty ocean water, making her feel free as ever. This was the time of year she loved best, and this year even more so since she’d finally graduated from high school and would attend college come fall. Darian Laswell smiled at her best friend, Lindsey Kimberlin. They’d hung around with each other since Lindsey moved to Cape Cod, after Darian’s grandmother, Natasha Draeger died. Natasha had given Darian’s father, Adrian Laswell, the the house, grounds, and the dock, and he worked hard to keep up the place. They weren’t rich and her father refused to take any help from the family. It happened to be the one and only thing the family fought about when they got together. Money! “Now, why are we going to the dock instead of swimming?” Lindsey asked. Like Darian, Lindsey had just turned eighteen. She also pretty much lived at the Laswell’s home since her own father was never home, and when he was, he’d be passed out, drunk, in the back bedroom, leaving Lindsey to fend for herself. So Skyler, Darian’s mother, insisted that Lindsey stay with them. Because Lindsey spent so much time with Darian and her family, she discovered the big family secret. They were shifters—werewolves that could turn from human to beast at will. They also possessed large sexual appetites, especially the males. They went through a heat cycle on the full moon, which meant they either had sex with their mates all night long or suffered agonizing pain alone. The females were different. About twenty-four hours before the full moon, they went into a sexual needing cycle, which necessitated being locked away in a type of safe house until the full moon was over. This protected a woman from being mated to a male that wasn’t her match. However, if by chance a shifter male found his match, he wouldn’t have to wait for a full moon. He could hunt,
claim, mark and take his mate any time he wanted. Uncle Dedrick has been working for years on changing the laws of a how a male could make a claim but hadn’t been successful. Sure, he managed to influence the council in changing some of the barbaric methods of a claim but that was about it. Not too many families wanted to change things, and because of this, other families refused to let their daughters attend Gatherings. The males simply thought that they had the right, at a Gathering, to claim their mate in any way they desired. Finally, last month, Uncle Dedrick’s wish was fulfilled and a new law was passed. A male could mark his mate and take her away, but no public bedding of any kind, from the old law, or the claim would be null and void, allowing a father to restore dignity to his family. “Fox wanted to show me something,” Darian answered, Fox being her brother. Shaking off the thought of her kind and the family, she went on, “And he said he needed our help with dad.” “Then it’s got to be something bad.” Lindsey sighed. “If he needs your big blue eyes to flutter at your dad, I can’t wait to see what it is.” Darian giggled, turned the car into the dock parking lot and found a spot. Summer time guaranteed the dock would be busy. Already the parking lot was half-full. They both got out at the same time. Darian went around the front of the car and, with Lindsey, headed for the docks. Lindsey stood the same height as Darian, but she wasn’t quite as thin as her or her baby sister, Lyssa. Lindsey had curves that Darian wished she had. Lindsey also had very long silky black hair she wore parted down the middle. It flowed down past the middle of her back and thin bangs brushed her forehead. Darian thought Lindsey’s big brown eyes were her best asset. Once they got close to the long dock that branched off in many different directions for the speedboats, fishing boats, or the boats where tourists lived in the summer, they heard yelling. “What the hell was that?” Adrian Laswell stood at the last ramp with Alex, Darian’s oldest brother right by his side. “Oh, this can’t be good,” Darian said as Fox, showed up in a boat. “What?” Fox asked, looking around with his arms out. “You never saw a houseboat before?” “Is that what you call it?” Alex chuckled. Darian and Lindsey stopped next to Alex and Darian had to cover her mouth to control her laughter while Fox got his ass chewed out. “Tell me you didn’t pay a shit load of money for this piece of shit,”
Adrian demanded. “Didn’t pay a dime, I won it last night in a poker game.” “Oh, that’s even better,” Adrian snorted. “Your mother will hide your ass once she finds out you’re gambling again.” “You got screwed, little brother,” Alex chuckled. “Did you get kissed first?” “Looks better on the inside,” Fox said with a big smile. “Come on board and have a look.” While Alex tied the line, Fox moved away from the wheel, walked to the back and went down the spiral stairs to the main floor. Adrian came in from the back sliding door, a frown on his face and Darian with Lindsey simply followed them, keeping their mouths shut as they followed Fox down the stairs. “Thought you said it looked better on the inside,” Adrian grumbled. “This is a mess,” Lindsey finally said. “I agree,” Adrian remarked. They stood in the main room of a twenty-by-one hundred-foot long houseboat. Not one speck of furniture was inside, but it appeared someone had begun remodeling it. “This is going to cost you out the ass,” Alex said once he came inside. “The flooring has already been finished with new tile and the master bedroom is done. Come on, I’ll show you.” He motioned for them all to follow him past the dining area, kitchen and down a very long hallway. Alex opened doors along the way and Darian stayed behind him, looking into each room. There were two other large bedrooms, a laundry room, and bathroom. One of the closed doors had the water tank and another the furnace. To the back, the door on the left led into the master bedroom. It wrapped around the back side of the boat with sliding doors in the center. There was a bed frame but no mattress on it. Built in nightstands were located on each side of the bed. Across from the bed was a built in dresser and over it a slot for a television. Two closed doors revealed a large walk in closet and the master bathroom complete with a corner shower large enough for two. The room was the only livable area on the boat. “What the hell you going to do with it?” Alex asked, opening doors into the bedroom, looking inside. “Well, I was thinking about finishing the remolding and moving in.” Fox glanced at Adrian, holding his breath, waiting for his father to blow up. Darian also held her breath, waiting.
But he didn’t. Instead, Adrian nodded his head, walking around. “I can see that. Now if I can just get Ash to start thinking about moving out, I’ll have it made.” He sighed, rubbing his face, giving Fox a smile and then walking out through the sliding glass doors. “Hello, remember me?” Darian waved with a smile. “I still live there.” “You’re going to live in this?” Lindsey said, looking around with a wrinkled nose. “Not until it’s done.” Fox gave her a nudge when he moved past her. Lindsey gave him a smile and jumped on his back like she always did and Fox caught her. “Well, then, you’re going to be at least fifty by the time this floating dump is done.” “Very funny,” Fox said and shrugged her off. “This is going to take you forever,” Darian said. “I really can’t picture you living on it either.” “I can’t picture him leaving mommy,” Lindsey snickered. “Well it should give you something to do this summer,” Adrian remarked, crossing his arms over his chest. “I would love to know where you plan to get the money for it,” Alex said. “And that is our cue to leave.” Darian hooked her arm around Lindsey, tugging her out of the room and back down the hall before things heated up once more. “I can’t believe your brother is going to live in that,” Lindsey said. “Not the way it is he won’t. Man, I’m almost dreading what mom is going to say once she hears about it.” Darian drove Lindsey home. She tried to talk her into coming over for dinner, but Lindsey wouldn’t. She said she needed to start looking for a job and then with some pressure she admitted that her father was gone. For how long, Lindsey couldn’t say. When Darian got home, she was a bit surprised to see an extra car in the driveway. She got another surprise when she went inside and saw her uncle in the living room talking to her father. “Uncle Dedrick!” she called out, rushing to him, practically tackling him on the sofa. Dedrick Draeger, the head of the family, still looked to be in his prime, even though he now was in his late sixties. Only recently, had his dark hair start to grow gray, but his eyes hadn’t lost their sharpness and he never missed a thing. He always wore a suit, which Aunt Jaclyn hated
and bitched at him repeatedly about it. Aunty Sidney said that Jaclyn worked hard to get Dedrick to relax, but it was like fighting with a mute. The man just didn’t listen. However, tonight he wasn’t in his suit, but a pair of dark jeans with a nice shirt and suit jacket. Even dressed down, Darian got the impression he wasn’t here to relax or just visit. “Hey kido!” Dedrick greeted with a big smile and a tight hug as she sat on his lap. “My you’ve grown and gotten heavy.” “Darian, go help your mother with dinner, please,” Adrian said. By the look on her father’s face, Darian knew that they were discussing something important. She got off Dedrick’s lap and walked into the kitchen where her sister, Lyssa, and her mother, Skyler, were fixing super. “What’s going on?” she asked her mother as soon as she entered the kitchen. “Nothing good if your Uncle has shown up without calling first,” Skyler sighed. **** “Why didn’t you tell me that you hadn’t informed them you had daughters in the first place?” Dedrick tossed back. “It was none of their damn business.” “The hell it is!” Dedrick raised his voice, looked around and groaned, rubbing his face. “Damn it, Adrian. You’ve put me in one hell of a position. The Cabinet is pissed and this new bullshit has us all on edge.” “This is why they should be focusing on that, instead of how many daughters I have.” “Doesn’t work that way, Adrian. They want things to be normal so the others don’t find out and join sides.” “It’s going to get out eventually.” “True, but I don’t want my family to be the excuse that they’ll need as to why it got out.” Dedrick stood up, hands in pockets. He strolled over to the window, staring out as the night breeze ruffled his hair. “Things are getting out of my hands. There are still enough of the old families on board to out vote the new. And with this new Cabinet forming, having their own Gatherings with the old ways, it’s getting harder and harder to protect the young as well.” “It’s an uprising, Dedrick. Too many of the old males don’t want the change.” “I know.” “Have you also heard the other shit that’s started? It’s the reason
why I don’t want my girls out of my site.” Dedrick didn’t answer, only looked over his shoulder at Adrian. “Someone’s hunting down this new Cabinet, Dedrick, and killing them.” “This is the reason why you need to play ball here.” “Bullshit!” Adrian snapped, his anger getting the better of him. “It’s the reason my girls are staying home, not going to this crap.” “If you refuse the summons, Adrian, then the protection of the Cabinet will be stripped. You’ll be banned from everything and then the girls can be claimed however a male wants. No rules. Do you really want that?” “Do you know who told them?” Adrian felt defeated. He went to the sofa, slumped down with his head on the back not know what the hell to do. “Vanderburg.” “The Vanderburgs,” Adrian snarled with a growl. “Those damn people can have anything and everything they want.” He stood back up, his anger once more rising. “Old man Vanderburg is a son of a bitch!” “It wasn’t the old man, but his eldest grandson, Dominic.” “How the hell do they know I have girls?” “Apparently, Dominic was with his grandfather when he came to me for my support for him as a board member on the Cabinet. The girls were at my house then, remember.” “That was what, five years ago?” Dedrick waved his hand. “Adrian, I came over here to tell you that you have to comply here. You have to let the girls go to the Gathering. It’s not a request but an order by the Cabinet, not Vanderburg.” “Lyssa is only fifteen, Dedrick,” Adrian growled. “Do you know what something like that could do to her? Darian is just about to turn nineteen. They’re both too young to go.” “It’s out of my hands,” Dedrick growled back. “I can’t accept that.” Adrian shook his head and began to pace the room. He couldn’t get over his anger, being told he had to bring his daughters to a damn Gathering where they could be claimed and taken away from him. “I was able to pull one string,” Dedrick said, getting Adrian to stop pacing and look at him. “I did tell the Cabinet that, in order for you to willingly attend, make the Gathering a social event this time. Lucky for you the new members have agreed and sent out notices that it will be a formal party this year with rules.” “What kind of rules?”
“Since you do have an underage female attending, the only thing the males will be able to do as to a claim is marking—a public marking for all to see.” Adrian sighed loudly, his head going back and another growl rumbling low in the back of his throat. He didn’t like the idea of someone touching his youngest no matter what rule there might be for her. “I still don’t like it, Dedrick.” “What other choice do you have?” **** Darian sat with the rest of the family at the kitchen table, eating supper, looking from her mother to her father. Something was going on, she could see it in the way her father just ate the food, didn’t talk or smile as he always did. She could feel the tension in the air, and apparently so could her brothers and sister. She turned her attention to her oldest brother, Alex, and decided to break some of the tension in the room. “So, Alex, I heard that Jewels is back.” Oh, that broke it all right. Alex just about choked on his drink and she smiled sweetly at him. “Where’d you hear that?” he asked with a strain in his voice, wiping his mouth with the napkin. “Lindsey. She’s going to go talk to her about a job.” “Wait, Lindsey is asking Jewels for a job?” Fox asked. “Doing what?” “My God, you’d think with brothers like you three I’d be the last to know anything.” Darian rolled her eyes at Fox. “Jewels took over her father’s club. She’s been back for a couple months now,” she finished, looking Alex in the eye. “Thought you knew that, at least.” Jewels Stanton happened to be one of Alex’s one and only ‘girl’ friends. He first came across her when some boys were picking on her because her father owned and ran a dance club in town. Alex took her under his wing, just like Skyler would do. Jewels ended up spending most of the summer with them, like Lindsey. Only Jewels came during the summers until she turned sixteen. Once she hit sixteen, she stopped coming back and the letter writing between her and Alex also stopped. He never said why, but it seemed to change Alex. “Lindsey can’t work in a club,” Skyler said. “Adrian, can’t you find something for her to do in the marina?” “Wish I could, but with the boys working there full time this summer I’m strapped,” Adrian said.
“What she going to do?” Fox asked. “Dance and shit?” Skyler reached over and slapped Fox’s arm. “Are you trying to say that my friend isn’t pretty enough to dance?” Darian said, crossing her arms over her chest, glaring at Fox. “She doesn’t have the body for it,” Fox tossed back. “You’re a hypocrite,” Darian said. “You know, I can’t see her dancing either,” Ash put in with a chuckle as he reached for his glass. “Don’t think she has the coordination for it.” “You two are so mean!” Darian gasped. “She is pretty and has the body for dancing. Jewels would be lucky to have her working there.” “She’s smart,” Skyler said. “Maybe she can do the books or something. Alex, why don’t you go and talk to Jewels about it. I’m sure she’d listen to you.” “Thanks, but no thanks.” Alex pushed away from the table with his plate in hand. “When it comes to Jewels I stay as far away from her as I can get, thank you very much.” “Why? I thought you two were glued together,” Fox smarted off again with a snicker. “Maybe she’s too much of a woman for him now,” Darian laughed. “So why was Uncle Dedrick here?” Ash asked, sobering everyone up quickly. Adrian cleared his throat and rested both elbows on the table, chin on his hands. “Alex, sit down, please.” The tension once more filled the room, and Darian didn’t know if she wanted to hear what her father had to say. “You all know the rumors going around about the changes to the Gatherings and the trouble those changes are causing,” Adrian said. “Yah, some of the older families are starting up their own Cabinet with the hopes of overthrowing the newer members now,” Ash said. “But what’s that to do with Uncle Dedrick?” Darian watched her father take a deep breath, glance to her mother and sink back in the chair. “I’ve been ordered by the Cabinet to have the girls at the next Gathering.” “What?” Alex said. “Are they out of their minds?” Ash added. “I’m not going!” Lyssa said shaking her head, arms crossed over her chest. “Can they do that?” Fox asked. “They can do it,” Skyler said. “They can make us outcasts without
any protection if we disobey them.” “That’s bullshit!” Alex snapped, the anger coming off him in waves. “Darian?” Skyler asked. Darian raised her eyes from her plate to her mother. “You’re very quiet.” “Does this mean someone is going to claim us?” Skyler looked at Adrian for a few moments. “I don’t know.” Slowly her eyes went back to Darian. “Maybe.” “I’m not going!” Lyssa raised her voice, pushed from the table and ran from the room. “Lyssa!” Adrian also pushed from the table, going after her. “I don’t give a damn what they do,” Alex huffed. “It’s bullshit to have girls that young at a Gathering. How could Uncle Dedrick let this happen?” “He can’t stop it.” Skyler raised her voice. “But he has made sure that it stays civil. Only a public marking to stake the claim. This time the Gathering is to be held like a formal ball.” “But I could get claimed and not come home, right?” Darian asked, fighting the tears at the thought of being taken from her home. “Yes, that could happen.” Skyler sighed. Shaking her head, Darian also pushed away from the table. She ran from the kitchen and out the front door. Once the warm night air touched her face, the tears fell down her cheeks. She ran all the way to the docks, to the very last one, where she finally sat down and cried. Her gut screamed at her that this wasn’t just the Cabinet making sure her father obeyed the rules but that someone wanted them there. Looking out, staring at the almost half-moon, she knew what was to come. Gatherings happened only a few days before the half moon in order to give the couples a little bit of time to get to know each other. By the looks of the moon that meant it was going to happen in a day or two. Not enough time to get use to the idea. “I know how you feel.” Darian turned her head. Skyler stood on the dock, her hair blowing in the wind. “I’ve been in your shoes.” In her forties now, Skyler Laswell still had the appeal of a young woman. One couldn’t tell she’d birthed five children. With little gray in her hair and very few wrinkles on her face, she still kept up with each of them. She also had a way with her that reminded Darian a lot of her grandmother, Natasha. Skyler ran a strict house, but not so strict you felt like you didn’t have any freedom. Darian loved her dearly. She never thought there might be a day when someone would claim her and take her away from
her family or that her mother wouldn’t be there when she needed her. Skyler joined her. She sat down with her feet hanging off the side, not touching the water. Darian leaned to the side, rested her head on her mother’s shoulder and cried softly. “I’ve been there, Darian,” Skyler said. “I do know how you feel.” “I never thought that someone would just take me away from here.” “You are jumping the gun some,” Skyler sighed. “There’s still a chance that no one will claim you. I’ve talked to your dad and you just have to make a short appearance. Stay less than an hour then leave. No one claims you two then you don’t have to go again. It’s a onetime event, so to speak.” “And what happens if someone does,” she sniffed, sitting up, facing her mother. “Mom I can’t, you know,” she felt her face heat up. “Oh, honey, it’s not as bad as that.” Darian wiped her nose and stopped crying. “Yeah sure.” “Darian I didn’t tell you about sex and what to expect with a male on moon night to scare you to death. I told you so you would be prepared for the day when you are claimed. Remember when I said knowledge is power?” Darian nodded. “Well this is power. You know what to expect, and you do things right then you will always hold the upper hand.” “I’m scared, Mom. I don’t want to go and take the chance.” “I know,” Skyler sighed, putting her arm around Darian’s shoulders, looking out at the water. “I don’t want you to have to take the chance either.” “Then please don’t make me.” She couldn’t keep the desperation out of her voice. Skyler took a deep breath, let it out slowly and lowered her head down to the top of Darian’s. “I wish I could. It’s out of our hands. Let’s just keep our fingers crossed that no one claims you.” But someone already has! Darian couldn’t tell her mother that for the past two nights she’d been having strange dreams of being seduced by a man she didn’t know. She knew what the dreams meant, just as she knew that when she went to the Gathering she wouldn’t be coming home. The man in her dreams had already claimed her; they all just didn’t know it and it scared the hell out of her. The one thing she never did tell her mother was that sex frightened her or more like the idea of sex with this male that invaded her dreams at night. She couldn’t see his face clearly, but she knew his touch now, and that was enough to leave her shaking at the idea of being at his mercy. “What do I do if I’m claimed?” she asked low.
“There’s nothing to do,” her mother said just as low. “And if you fight, like I did your father, then things might get out of hand. Keep your eyes open to everything and try to get to know him. Don’t turn this into a battle of wills. I don’t want to see you get hurt.” But I’m already hurting. Darian nodded, taking the advice her mother gave her, keeping the inner thoughts to herself. She couldn’t tell her what went on in her dreams, what he said, how he touched her. Just thinking about it had her face heating up. “Come on,” Skyler said, standing back up, taking Darian with her. “We need to start packing. You three have a long drive ahead of you.” “You’re not coming?” Once more Darian thought she might panic with the thought of her mother not going with them. “No,” Skyler sighed. “I’m staying here. It’s sort of the rules. The head of the family takes the female to the Gathering. I have to stay home, but I’ll be thinking about you girls the whole time and keeping my fingers crossed.” Darian wrapped her arms around Skyler’s waist and laid her head on her chest. “I love you, Mom.” “I love you too, baby.” Skyler tightened her hold. “No matter what happens I love you.” Once more, the tears threatened to fall, but Darian held them back. She didn’t need her mother seeing her weakness and fear. Skyler could read them all like a book, and Darian gave a silent thanks that it was dark outside. “Come on,” Skyler urged. “We have things to do in a short amount of time.” With another nod, Darian let her go and walked back to the house, her heart heavy and fears high. By the time they reached the house, she had herself under control, but Lyssa, on the other hand, was a completely different matter. When they entered, her sister was upstairs screaming with her father, throwing things out of her room. “You know,” Ash said, putting his arm around Darian and Skyler. “I think Uncle Dedrick told us about a time when mom did the same thing.” “I wish my brother would stop telling you all the crap I did,” Skyler huffed, shrugging Ash’s arm off and heading up the stairs. “Makes me look bad.”
Chapter Two “Are you sure?” Dominic Vanderburg stood in front of a large, floor to ceiling window in his home office, staring out at the green grounds, watching one of the caretakers trim a rose bush. “Thorn saw it.” Dominic turned his head, looked his younger brother, Justice, in the eye, and then looked out the window again. A short list of the new Cabinet had been discovered, and wouldn’t you know it but their name showed up on it, or more like one name in particular; Robert Vanderburg—their grandfather. “Did you see it?” Dominic asked. “I saw it.” He didn’t need this, not now, yet once more, his grandfather was sure to fuck things up for him. He was twenty-five, old enough to have a life he wanted, not cleaning up messes his grandfather still made. Sure, he was the head of the family and, for the most part, there when needed, but when his brothers grew up and took charge of their lives, their grandfather refused to let go of them. Now, with this bit of information landing in Dominic’s lap—well it all couldn’t happen at a worse time. On a low growl, Dominic turned away from the window and returned to the desk. He sat down with a tired sigh, leaning back, rubbing his face. Moving his hand to his chin, he rubbed it also, staring at his brother. Justice Vanderburg was twenty-one, full of life and ready to take on the world. He’d hooked up with Thorn, a shifter male with no home, no background when Justice turned eighteen. What the hell the two of them had in common, and what connection they had, Dominic couldn’t say. Before Dominic even knew about the mental abuse their grandfather dished out to Justice and Damond, their friend, Thorn had known. He got them out, settled them into Dominic’s home while Dominic was away on
business. That alone had Dominic owing the man much. But why the hell Justice had to go running away with Thorn, saving the world was beyond him. The only possible reason had to be a girl. Justice had it bad for one girl, a human with a shifter stepfather; the girl wouldn’t give him the time of day. “I don’t need this now,” Dominic finally said. “When is Damond due home?” Justice went over to the small bar, poured two drinks and came over handing one to Dominic before sitting down across from the desk. “He could help keep an eye on him.” Dominic snorted. “You really think he’s going to tell you two anything or me for that matter? That old fart has kept his secrets and he’s not about to share this one.” “Well it really isn’t a secret if we know,” Justice smirked. But the smile left quickly and he turned serious. “Does he know what you’re about to do?” Ah, their grandfather. “Why should he know anything that I’m doing?” “It’s a gamble.” Justice took a sip from his glass, “One that will backfire as soon as they find out a Vanderburg let the Cabinet know he has daughters.” Dominic thought about that one. He turned his chair back towards the window, watching this time as the curtain moved in the breeze. He should close the room up and let it get cool, like the rest of the house. Already the summer heat was making things uncomfortable, but Dominic liked the fresh air and it gave him a feeling of freedom. “I’m sure he knows by now.” The Laswells and Vanderburgs had an old family feud going, one that their grandfather didn’t want to let die and refused to indulge them in the details. To Dominic that meant money, and he would put a large amount down that his grandfather, or even great-grandfather, had screwed a Laswell out of some. He kept thinking to himself that he would find it out and fix it, as a gift to his soon to be mate. Ah, his mate. The thought alone had Dominic wanting to smile, but he didn’t. Trouble would begin soon enough once his grandfather learned that he intended to go to the Gathering and bring home a Laswell to mate. Hell, he knew for years that the girl was his, only held off for two reasons. One, she was too young at the time, and two, he wasn’t ready to face the wrath of his grandfather, not that it mattered much to him. “Are you sure she’s the one?” Justice asked.
Dominic gave his attention back to his brother. Then he glanced at a glass of his best brandy, but he didn’t drink it. “Yes.” “How can you be so sure?” “I’m sure.” “Well, Millie will be happy.” Justice sighed again, sitting back in the chair with his fingers linked together over his chest. “She’s been on your ass to get mated and settle down.” “Yeah, I let her know and she’s already been out getting female things, filling up the bathroom, moving shit around in the closet to make room for her. You’d think the world was coming to an end the way Millie is behaving.” “Well, getting mated is supposed to be a happy thing now.” “And what about you?” One eyebrow went up and this time Dominic was powerless to stop the grin from showing. “You still have a hard-on for Vashti?” Justice growled and Dominic chuckled. “Thought so.” “We’re not talking about her,” Justice waved his hand in the air. “Oh but it’s a very interesting subject.” “When do you head out?” “In the morning. I’m going to stay at the main house for the night, but once I’ve claimed her will be heading home. It’ll be a long drive. The Gathering is being held about ten hours away, but I don’t want to stay there with her. I think it’ll be best if I get her home so she can settle in.” He took a deep breath, sat straight in his chair. “I would like for you and Damond to not be here when I bring her home.” “Afraid we might steal her?” Justice joked. “This is going to be traumatic enough so I don’t need to toss you two on her, too. I’ll let her know that you two live here and all, but I think it will be best for now if it was just the two of us. Now, if you go off with Thorn, am I going to have to worry about you as well?” “I’m a big boy, Nick. I can handle myself.” “That’s why I worry.” After seeing Justice leave, Dominic packed an overnight bag, and arranged to have the limo brought to the front first thing in the morning. He couldn’t help but worry about Justice and what kind of trouble he and Thorn might get into. Thorn was a hunter and if Justice weren’t careful he would follow in the man’s footsteps. That Dominic didn’t want. Like he told his brother, the drive would take ten hours. The sun began to set by the time he pulled into the drive that would take him up to the main house. There were workers all over the grounds, setting up
tents with tables under there, hanging lights in the trees and fresh flowers inside a gazebo in the center of it all. He parked the car right in front of the mansion. He had learned that the Gathering would be something so different that some of the older families were bitching about it. The Cabinet decided that the event needed to be less animalistic, and more civil and humanistic. So a ball had been planned, a formal event, where you were expected to dress nicely and show you had manners. One major rule had been established—no public mating. No matter what, you couldn’t simply claim the female on the grounds for everyone to see. What a male could do, however, was put his mark on the female’s shoulder. If they felt the need to finish the claim, then the main house was there for them. Dominic liked the idea. He didn’t really want to have to do a full claim for everyone to see. The few times Dominic got lucky and was able to see his mate, and the few dreams he snuck into, he knew she wasn’t the kind of female able to handle such a thing. He also learned that she feared sex, which was not a good thing for him or for her. He hoped like hell he would have the patience she needed. Dominic left the limo and heard, “Mr. Vanderburg!” He looked at a smiling man in a tuxedo. Behind him stood two other men dressed in tuxes as well. “Welcome. I’m Ryan, I’ll take you to your room.” The men behind him went to the back of the limo, taking his bags out. Dominic shook the man’s hand, looking around. “You all move fast.” “Well when the Cabinet informs us of a special Gathering we certainly do. Follow me.” Dominic followed the man inside. Right off, he saw that the house was an old plantation one and the décor and lighting hadn’t changed from the old days. Oil lamps and candles lit the hallway and rooms. Old Asian rugs lined the entryway, beautiful paintings graced the walls and servants were busy in every room he passed. Up a flight of wood steps, down another hall and into a bedroom Ryan took him. “Your room for the night.” It wasn’t anything real fancy, but it sure did have a nice comfortable feeling to it. His bags were placed on a settee at the end of the bed and the double doors leading out to a small balcony were open, letting the fresh warm air of the night in. The whole room was done up in gold and pastel colors. The queensized bed had a soft golden comforter folded down to the foot. Cream-
colored sheets and pillows were smoothed out over what looked like an extra soft mattress. The bed frame was made out of oak, as were the dresser and nightstand. Walking into the bathroom was almost like walking back in time. There was no electricity anywhere, only candles and oil lamps lit the place up. There was an old-fashioned lion foot tub in the center, a small sink and toilet with a chain pulley in the room—all white. Dominic went over to the tub, started the water, and began to undress. As he did, he thought about the woman he would soon mate— Darian Laswell. Stepping into the cool water, sighing as he stretched out as much as he could in the tub, Dominic closed his eyes and relaxed. He also reached out to her, wondering what she was feeling knowing that come morning she’d be heading here. He saw her in the bed, sleeping, but not really at rest. Dominic pulled her from the dream into his own dream where she rested on a settee in a short white silk teddy, her legs bare for his touch and sight. For two days before the summoning, he’d been entering her dreams, staying there, touching and talking to her, trying to ease her into what was to come. Now that he was finally going to have her, he could barely contain his excitement. Moving to her, touching her leg, running the tips of his fingers up the bare leg, Dominic let her wake in his dream. Her blue eyes opened and she sat up with a gasp, fear in her eyes. He moved behind her, straddled the settee, and brought her body back to his. “Shhh,” he purred in her ear. “Why are you doing this?” she whispered. “Who are you?” “You know who am I am.” He held her at the hips, moved his hands down to her legs and back up. “Don’t!” She tried to twist away, but Dominic held her in place. “The wait’s over, Darian.” Again, he purred the words in her ear, pressing his face into her hair, taking in the sweet scent that belonged only to her. “And you know that.” Up between her legs he slid both hands, parted them and cupped her pussy. She gasped, both hands going to his wrists to pry his away. She couldn’t. Dominic rubbed her, teased her clit and kissed her shoulder. The shoulder that very soon would have his mark. “I don’t like this!” she panted, tugging so hard on his wrists he could feel the nails dig in. “Don’t be afraid. I promise you, soon, all you’ll feel is pleasure.”
The connection broke. Dominic shook his head, growled low and swore under his breath from the loss. A knock on his door had him standing up in anger. That fucking knock on the door was what had broken the hold he had on her. Stepping out of the tub, jerking the towel from the rack, he left the bathroom for the door, wrapping the towel around his hips. With a yank, he opened the door, only to stand there in a bit of shock. “Damond.” “Bad time?” Damond Vanderburg, his middle brother, walked into Dominic’s room with his usual cocky stride, looking around, checking everything out. He was only two years younger than Dominic, and often they were mistaken for twins. Damond had the same build, the same large frame, dark eyes and dark hair. However, Damond happened to be darker, more alone, more withdrawn than Justice was. Every time Dominic saw his brother, he was reminded of what their cruel grandfather had done. He was a bastard. “What are you doing here?” Dominic closed the door and turned towards his brother. “Heard you were here.” Damond went over to the chair and sat down, crossing one leg over the other. “Justice thought you might need a bit of backup.” “He’s wrong.” Dominic went to his bag, dug inside and brought out a pair of shorts. Dropping the towel he dressed then tossed the wet towel into the bathroom. “You really going to claim a Laswell for your own?” “Don’t you start too.” Damond shrugged, “Not going to start anything, only asking a question.” “Where you been, Damond?” “Around.” “That’s not an answer.” “Only one I’ve got.” With an aggravated sigh, Dominic ran a hand through his wet hair wishing like hell he had a drink. For the past two years, Damond has been on the go, running from something that he refused to reveal. Dominic wanted nothing more than to help his brother, but the man didn’t let him in. hell, Damond didn’t let anyone in. “Robert knows you’re here,” Damond said. “And he knows what you’re going to do.”
Damond never did call their grandfather anything but Robert— maybe once he did. Dominic could recall one night Damond lost his control and called their grandfather a no good son of a bitch. Damond was only fifteen then and Dominic had just moved away. Their grandfather whipped Damond for the disrespect and Damond, in turn, left. Of course, Dominic took his brother in; after all, the house he had been building behind their grandfather’s back was finished and had more than enough rooms in it. A year later, Thorn got Justice out and the three of them cut ties with their grandfather, but that didn’t mean Dominic took his eye off the man. Seemed neither did Damond. “How’d’ you know?” Dominic asked. “Oh, from friends of friends. He’s throwing a fit. Heard he’s trying to pull a few strings to prevent this claim, but the Cabinet isn’t listening. They told him once a claim is made and a shifter’s made his mark, there isn’t anything anyone can do.” “I would love to know why that man has it in for the Laswell’s,” Dominic sighed. “All we ever heard was how they are backstabbers.” “And in truth, Robert is the one,” Damond finished. “He hates everyone.” “Which was why father left so young and didn’t come around much. Bet he never thought that we would have to live with him.” “By any chance, did Justice let you in on what him and Thorn found?” “I know.” “So what do we do about it?” Dominic sighed and sat down on the side of the bed. “Damond I can’t deal with him and this.” “Which is why I’m here.” Dominic looked over at him. “You need to stop and think of yourself for a change. Let me worry and deal with Robert.” “Just like that?” Damond stood back up and stretched. “Nick, you’ve always been there for me and Justice. It’s time we were there for you. Justice is with Thorn, checking things out, so you leave Robert to me. We’re not little boys needing our big brother to save us.” He had a point. Standing before Dominic without a doubt wasn’t a little boy needing his big brother. “So you staying for the Gathering then?” Dominic asked. “Just until you do the deed.” Damond strolled to the door and opened it. He stood in the doorway looking back at Dominic. “After that I’m going to help Justice and Thorn. Males are disappearing, Nick, and I
think we need to find out why.” Damond left and Dominic went back over to the open balcony. He watched the men below moving things into place, putting up more tents and off in the distance someone was digging a pit. Meats of all kinds would be served, he knew. It truly would be a party, not an animal Gathering. Sleep wasn’t something that came easy or lasted very long. He tried to go to bed around two in the morning, slept lightly and was back up at six. Other males stayed over so the staff put together a breakfast buffet in the dining room. Dominic didn’t bother with dressing up; he wore a pair of jeans, a simple blue t-shirt and his boots. Morning papers were stacked on a table. He grabbed one and went to the dining room where others were eating and talking, some sounding excited over the upcoming Gathering. A large spread of food had been laid out, but his normal appetite just wasn’t there. He poured some coffee, took a bagel and with paper in hand strolled out to the patio where he found a spot to sit. Even the morning paper couldn’t get his mind to focus. He kept thinking about the coming evening and what was going to happen. Would she fight him, be timid and scared? All he had to go on was what he discovered in the dreams, and that wasn’t too much to go on. What he did know was that he was going to have one hell of a task getting to know her and for her to get to know him. He also had the small problem of her fear of sex. That was a first for him. In the past, the few women he’d taken to his bed jumped on him and worked their asses off to keep him—hold him there—for as long as they could. He never once heard a past lover complain about his skill, size or touch, but most bitched when he ended things. Dominic never kept a woman in his bed longer than a couple of months. He always felt like something was missing, and now he knew why; he never felt any kind of emotional connection with any of them, not like what he was forming with Darian. “Excuse me.” Dominic looked up from the paper he wasn’t reading to a man much older than him wearing a suit. “I don’t mean to be rude, but your Dominic Vanderburg right?” Dominic closed the paper. “Yes I am. And you are?” “Lorenzo Jenaro,” the man smiled. “I knew your father. In fact, I guess you could say I knew a lot of fathers.” He chuckled. “But I must say I’m a bit surprised you’re here. From what I’ve heard, you are not the kind of male who needs a Gathering. May I?” He motioned to the
seat next to Dominic. Dominic nodded, inviting him to sit. Lorenzo Jenaro had a very kind and soft smile, the kind that made you want to sit with him and hear any story he had to tell. His salt and pepper hair was brushed back from his face, and the wrinkles around his eyes did nothing but improve his facial features. “Well, maybe I just feel the need to try to settle down,” Dominic said. Lorenzo nodded. “I can understand that. I’m here with my son. Thought it might be time he got a feel for a Gathering. Besides, I didn’t want to miss this one. It’s a new tradition of sorts. A party, not an animal thing.” “And how old is your son?” “Just turned twenty and fighting me big time about the settling down thing.” Lorenzo chuckled again. “I have a daughter also, but she’s not of age to attend. Did you hear that Adrian Laswell is to show with both of his daughters?” “Yes I did.” “I’m so shocked that the Cabinet has insisted on both since the youngest I’m told is only fifteen.” Lorenzo clearly was surprised by the act. His old brown eyes lit up and lips thinned out. “I heard they did it sort of as a punishment,” Dominic casually said. “For not letting them know he had daughters in the first place.” “Well that could certainly do it then.” Lorenzo nodded. “Well I’ve taken up enough of your time. I’ll let you get back to your paper and maybe we’ll see you this evening.”” Dominic smiled. “Maybe. And good luck with your son.” “You too.” Dominic watched him leave, still smiling. Jenaro was an old name, old family. He wished them luck with the Gathering and hoped that he would see the man again and meet his son. He finished his coffee, nibbled on the bagel and gave up trying to read the paper. With a sigh, he got up and walked the grounds, taking in everything and finding the best spots where he might try to be alone with Darian. If what he’d learned so far about her were true, then she would stay very close to her father the whole time. That would be a problem for him. He needed to get her alone and maybe he’d see if Damond would help with this. If Adrian stayed very close to Darian then Dominic wouldn’t be able to claim her, not to mention that he was dying to kiss and hold her. Just thinking about that had his cock rising. It had been a very long time since he wanted a woman this bad, or felt incomplete
without one. All of it was so new to him he felt a bit nervous over what was to come tonight. Lunchtime came around very fast. This time he was more than hungry and joined the others for the meal. One hell of a spread had been laid out, one he knew Millie would be shaking her head over. He found a spot at the table, nodded to Lorenzo and ate his meal with a bit of small talk to the others near him. When finished he left, headed back to his room and started to get ready for the event. Restless for the event to begin, Dominic paced his room, not sure if he should take a shower, a bath, or if he was fine without. He decided on a shower. When he got to dressing, he growled at the choices he brought. Nothing he had was good enough for the first face-to-face meeting with his mate. “You remind me of a girl.” Damond walked into his room with no care in the world. He was dressed in a dark suit. “This is new to me, Damond, so give me a damn break here!” Dominic snapped. Damond whistled. “Man, you are so on edge. Wear the black one. You always did look good in black.” Dominic nodded and grabbed his black pants with the black silk top, no tie. “Want help getting her away from daddy?” “Yes,” he blurted out as he pulled his pants up his legs. “He’s got both girls coming with him. I just need Darian away long enough to put my claim on her.” “Are you going to bring her back here?” Damond strolled around the room. “And finish the claim?” “No.” Dominic slid his arms next into the shirt, but didn’t button it. Leaving it open he went back in the bathroom to splash on a bit of cologne then went out for his shoes. “I’m taking her home and I want you and Justice to stay away until after moon night. I need some time with her alone.” “Oh, I think I can handle that. Besides, Justice needs to get away. His hard-on for Vashti has gotten worse. Don’t understand why he doesn’t just take her and fuck it out of his system.” “One day he will,” he said, slamming his foot down into his shoe. Dominic stood up and finished with his shirt. “And I can’t wait to see the day a female brings you down to those stone knees of yours. The girl that calls to your blood is going to be something for sure.” Damond snorted, “Don’t bet on it.”
Chapter Three The drive to the Gathering took almost eight hours, which made them leave early in the morning. Uncle Dedrick assured them all that the Gathering would be different and be more like a party than anything else. That she and Lyssa didn’t have anything about which to worry. They would go, show up and please the Cabinet, stay for a very short time then leave. That simple. Only it wasn’t going to be that simple and they didn’t know it yet. The Gathering was more like a ball. Males were dressed in tuxes and the females in pale pink or white dresses that left shoulders exposed, indicating if they were mated or not. The estate house was huge and well hidden by thick trees. Anyone that didn’t know where to find it wouldn’t. The grounds were spread out and perfect with the house on a hilltop overlooking everything. The house had every window lit up in golden light. A long driveway led to the house. Standing on the porch, one could see everything going on below, which some males were doing. Tents were set up in a circle formation and under them drinks and food on white table clothed tables. Further back smoke rose up from cooking pits that had meat turning on racks. In the center of the grounds stood a large white gazebo, with red roses woven around and up the sides. Younger males stood along the road, waiting for cars to come up, opening doors, letting people out and parking the cars. As soon as the limo that Uncle Dedrick sent for them pulled up, their doors were opened and the three got out. Darian couldn’t stop staring at the unfolding scene in the gazebo. A mating was happening right before her eyes and it was fascinating. She couldn’t hear what was being said but she saw the man walk around the girl and bite her on the shoulder. That simple move had the few watching them cheer.
“You okay?” She jumped when her father spoke and touched her shoulder. Darian quickly nodded, but inside she wasn’t okay. The dream she had last night came back to her; the feeling of his hands on her flesh, the warm breath touching her shoulder and his strong embrace. She couldn’t shake it off, no matter how much and hard she tried. “Yes,” she answered softly. “I guess I just wasn’t expecting so many to show up.” Lyssa had dressed in a pale pink gown with lace. It was loose on her, reminding Darian of that show Pretty in Pink with the way it hung off her shoulders and clasped around her neck. It wasn’t as long as her own dress, but it did go past her knees. Her hair was loose and flowed down her back, and her blue eyes were huge in fright. “We just have to get through an hour or two,” Adrian said to them both. “Stay close to me and I think we can get through this without some dumb ass trying to take either of you from me.” “Adrian Laswell!” Darian turned at the loud voice of a man she didn’t know. He was dressed in a tux like everyone else. His black hair was streaked with gray and a wrinkled face smiled in friendship. She watched her father shake hands with the man, but he didn’t smile in his usual manner. “Lorenzo Jenaro,” Adrian remarked. “What are you doing here?” “I heard you were coming and kept my fingers crossed you would.” “It’s been a long time.” “Too long, my boy,” the man said. “And are these your girls?” Darian felt her father stiffen. “My youngest two, Darian and Lyssa.” His voice was tight. Clearly, he didn’t want anyone to know about them. “How many did you end up having?” “Five. Three boys at home.” Lorenzo smiled. “Some get all the luck.” He grabbed Adrian’s arm and pulled him away. “Let’s go have a drink. I want to hear all about your family. Been ages since I last saw you, and I still can’t get over that you mated Skyler Draeger. What a lovely girl.” Before Darian could think and Adrian could reply, he was hauled away and she was left standing there with Lyssa, not knowing what to do. “Now what do we do?” Lyssa asked softly. “I don’t know,” Darian answered. “Dad said to stay close to him.” “I say have a drink and walk around.” Two glasses were handed to
them over their heads. Lyssa jumped and moved closer to Darian, but took one of the glasses. Darian just stared at it and then at the man who handed them the beverages. She didn’t take it. He was good looking, she had to give him that, but he was dark. Midnight black hair hung long, almost to his shoulders and dark eyes to match. The smile on his lips did little to take away the darkness in those eyes or still her pounding heart. He scared her and it must have showed. “Forgive me.” He bowed. “My manners tend to leave me when I stumbled across two very beautiful ladies. “I’m Damond Vanderburg.” Darian licked her lips, glancing at her sister, “Thank you. Darian Laswell. This is my sister, Lyssa.” “Your father wouldn’t be Adrian Laswell, would it?” She nodded. “Yes.” “Ah…” He smiled at her, but she didn’t think that smile wasn’t warm and didn’t reach his eyes. “I am a bit surprised though that your brothers didn’t show and that your father has left you—um—left you unchaperoned.” “Excuse us.” She grabbed Lyssa’s hand and pulled her away, leaving him standing there. Being in his presence bothered her and she wondered now if all of the males were going to make her feel uncomfortable. “I don’t want to be here,” Lyssa remarked. “Neither do I,” Darian agreed. “We need to find dad before someone else comes up and we can’t get away from him.” Hand in hand, they started walking, and then quickened their pace so they were almost running but not quite. Darian was trying to find her father and the longer she went without him the more her discomfort turned to panic. Terror hit when she lost Lyssa’s hand and became lost herself in a thick crowd. She couldn’t find her father, lost her sister and had no clue where she was or how to get back to the road. Darian stopped walking and froze when her eyes landed on the gazebo—the last place she wanted to be. Another man was escorting a girl inside, and this one was protesting. Darian started to back up away from it, even though her eyes seemed to have a will of their own. She couldn’t tear them away from the scene before her. “One fair beauty in the lair of many beasts.” Darian stiffened. A deep voice, all too close and with a purr to it, was behind her. His was a voice she somehow knew. He stood so close behind her that she felt hot breath on her bare shoulders.
“My senses picked up your scent that I’ve only ever once caught,” he went on, voice going lower and grass crunching from movement. “I followed it and it brought me right to you.” Darian sucked air into her lungs when he touched her shoulder with his hot breath, memories of her dream flashed before her. She was too scared to turn around and see the face that went with the voice, went with the dream. “To the one that is destined to be mine.” Darian swung around to tell him no, but he scooped her up with a strong arm and pressed her against his thick hard chest. Full lips came down on hers and his hot tongue forced its way into her mouth. Her hands went up to his chest to push him away, but instead she couldn’t help fisting them into his jacket and holding onto him. It was her first kiss and Darian felt it travel all the way down to her toes. He moved his lips on hers, not too rough, and not too soft. His tongue thrust in and out of her mouth touching hers lightly. Every so often, he would suck on her lower lip. Everything he did she felt throughout her body and the throbbing that formed between her legs gave her enough sense to break away from the kiss. But his arms didn’t let her go. “I’ve waited a long time.” His hoarse whisper chilled her and the words he spoke brought her fear back. “Dreams can only do so much for the hunger inside.” “No!” Darian struggled against his hold on her, but he wouldn’t give. “Let go.” “I can’t let you go.” He rubbed his lips across hers. She opened her mouth to speak only to have him close his over hers again. His head slanted to the side, as did hers. This time the kiss was tender and deep. Darian thought she was going to fall to the ground with the power and the seduction of his kiss. She felt her feet leave the ground, but the kiss was too strong for her to investigate as to why. Only when her feet touched the ground again did she find the strength to pull away and end it. Once her eyes opened and she saw that they were in the woods, alone and away from everyone, Darian panicked. She started to struggle in his arms, twisted and turned her body as well as pushed against his chest. This was what she feared the most. Being taken into the woods and forced into a mating. “Hey, calm down,” he said, holding her tight. “I’m not going to hurt you.” “Let go!” she panted, pushing as hard as she could against him.
He pressed against her until he backed her up against a tree. His arms boxed her in against the tree keeping her in place. She was breathing hard, fearing what he’d do next. Was he going to rip her dress? Was he going to rape her? No. He reached up and touched her face. Darian turned her head away, closing her eyes tightly. “I’m not going to hurt you, Darian,” he said low. “Could never hurt you.” “Then let me go,” she breathed out. “Look at me.” She shook her head no. His hand went under her chin and he turned her face toward him. Reverently, he said, “You’re very beautiful.” “I said no!” She heard her father’s voice and it gave her a small amount of hope. Darian pushed the man before her away and rushed out of the woods, back to the gazebo to witness a scene that had her mouth going dry. “She’s only fourteen!” Adrian yelled. “Daxis, what’re you doing?” Lorenzo shouted. Darian moved closer to her father and saw a young man with his hand on Lyssa’s arm, dragging her toward the gazebo. She struggled but couldn’t loosen his grip on her arm. “Lyssa?” Darian frowned and murmured, completely forgetting the man who was once more behind her. The man forcing Lyssa into the gazebo appeared to be about five or six years older than her. He was also big, towering over Lyssa by many inches. When Darian tried to go to her father, the man who had kissed her stopped her by wrapping one arm around her waist. He held her tightly, her back against his chest, allowing Darian see everything. “Watch, and see what happens,” he said in her ear, his breath sending chills over her skin. “There isn’t anything to be frightened of.” “That’s my sister,” she gasped, trying again to pull his arm away from her. “Please let me go.” “Father, she is the one!” the man standing beside Lyssa announced. “I felt it the moment she stepped out of the car.” “I’m going to kill you, you little bastard!” Adrian lunged for him but several men held him back. “She’s too damn young!” The man pulled Lyssa back against his chest and her face went pale. “I’m making my claim before all these people.” “Let me go! Release her!” Adrian yelled.
“By rights I can acknowledge your claim,” said another man in a long white robe that came up behind him. “And by the right of the father, your mate will stay with her family until she reaches the age of eighteen.” He nodded his eyes on Adrian. “State your name and make your claim.” “I, Daxis Jenaro, claim Lyssa Laswell, as my mate before everyone here. And with my mark, no other may take away what now belongs to me.” He opened his mouth and bit Lyssa on her left shoulder. Adrian yelled and Darian was helpless to stop herself from breaking down also. Lyssa paled but didn’t cry out when he made his mark, but stood frozen, helpless. When he released her shoulder, a cheer went up and Lyssa pulled out of her captor’s arms to run to their father. “I take it it’s now your turn?” Darian turned her head. The man who had had held her in his arms came up next to the man holding Darian. His eyes were cold, and it appeared he held little warmth in his heart. With the two men standing close, Darian had this crazy notion that the two of them were related. “That it is, Damond.” Darian opened her mouth to call out to her sister and father, but nothing came out when she heard that the one holding her was going to do the same thing. She shook her head. “No.” she gasped. “You can’t.” “Darian!” Adrian called out to her once she was in his view, thanks to the man dragging her toward the gazebo. “We have another claim!” the man in the robes yelled. “Dominic Vanderburg claims Darian Laswell as my mate before everyone that stands here to witness. With my mark, let all know that she is mine.” His arm went around her waist, his free hand up to her throat pushing her head to the side. Darian found her father in the crowd, holding Lyssa. She was helpless to call out to him, just as he was helpless to stop this. She was almost twenty, old enough to be mated at a Gathering. Old enough to be taken away. Warm breath touched her shoulder, and then soft but firm lips brushed against her. She shook and closed her eyes, unable to meet her father’s gaze as she was being marked by a man she didn’t even know. Teeth pierced her skin and then his lips sucked on the wound he’d made. The slight pain that came with it turned into pleasure that pooled between her legs. She suspected that he was taking his time and lingering
a bit longer than he should. In fact, she knew he was by the tender way he was rubbing her belly and the soft growling sounds coming from him. Finally, he let go of her shoulder and a cheer went up. When his arm let her go, she quickly ran to her father, hiding her face with embarrassment in his chest. “I’m sorry, Dad,” she whispered. “I lost Lyssa and… and...” “Shhh,” Adrian soothed. “This isn’t your fault.” “Adrian, I don’t know what to say,” Lorenzo said. “It was never my intention for this to happen.” Darian glanced up at her father and Adrian was staring straight ahead. She felt him stiffen, but refused to look behind her. She didn’t need to. She felt him, the one that just claimed her. “I will wait for my mate until she is old enough, Mr. Laswell,” Daxis said. Adrian nodded, but didn’t let go of either her or Lyssa. “But may I please have this time with her?” “Daddy, please don’t,” Lyssa groaned. “Want to shoot me?” the young man asked. Darian stiffed in her father’s arms and closed her eyes. “The idea is appealing,” Adrian’s voice was thick with sarcasm. “Lyssa, go with your mate, but don’t go far. We leave in a few minutes.” “No,” Darian moaned against his chest. Daxis pulled Lyssa away and Adrian wound both arms around Darian and held her tight. “You had this planned, didn’t you?” Adrian accused, glaring at Dominic. “If you’re asking me if I knew about your daughter, then the answer is yes. I discovered her years ago when I went with my grandfather to the Draeger home and she was there.” “You bastard,” Adrian chuckled without humor. “May I have my mate, please?” Darian fisted her hands into her father’s jacket tighter and shook her head. “Daddy, don’t,” she whispered. “You can’t do this, Vanderburg.” Adrian rubbed Darian’s back, taking one step back. “She’s my daughter.” “And I have respected that by waiting longer than I could have.” “I can’t just hand her over and turn my back on this,” Adrian sneered. “You tricked us all to get what you want, like all of you bastards do.” “I don’t expect you to.” Darian couldn’t stop her body from shaking or the tears from falling. “But you also have another daughter that is going to need your support. I promise you with my life I will never hurt
Darian.” Darian felt a tear touch the side of her face and glanced up at her father. Adrian was crying and that made her feel even guiltier. He looked down at her and touched her face. “Don’t force them, Adrian,” Dominic went on. “They will cast out anyone that fights a legitimate Gathering claim and you know that.” “You are a son of a bitch,” Adrian growled low, tightening his arms around her. “As much as I hate to admit it, he’s right,” he whispered and she shook her head no, grabbing at him when he took a step back. “You hurt her and I’ll kill you without blinking.” “Daddy, no!” She was desperate now, holding onto his jacket so tight her knuckles were turning white and hurting. Dominic took her arm and pulled her away from her father. Her tears came so fast, they blinded her. Darian saw Daxis release Lyssa and she ran to their father’s arms. “Let’s go,” her mate said, tugging her away. “I don’t want a fight to break out and the tension is rising. Damond, get the car.” “It’s waiting for you,” Damond said next to them. “Her bag is already inside.” His arm went around her waist and he turned her away from her father and sister and quickly rushed to a limo that was waiting with the back door open. Dominic gave her a gentle push into the limo and he ducked in behind her and closed the door. When Darian heard the door close, she knew her fate was sealed. One hand on the dark window, tears still falling, Darian watched her father as she was taken away from the Gathering. Now a mated female with a male she didn’t know anything about; one that scared the hell out of her. **** Dominic sat back in the leather seat, flicking a finger back and forth over his lips, his eyes fixed on his new mate who was still crying softly. Guilt ate at him, but he knew he’d made the right decision. There was no other way he was going to get Darian Laswell away from her father to court her before he claimed her. Laswells and Vanderburgs hated each other, thanks to their great-great-great-grandfathers. It was still a mystery to Dominic what the feud was all about, yet he and his brother had vowed to find the truth. This is not how he planned things. Hell, this wasn’t even how he dreamed his claiming of her would happen. He’d handled it all wrong, no doubt about it. Now how was he going to fix it? He knew that finishing the claim was out of the question. He wasn’t going to demand her to
sleep with him—okay that’s not true. He was going to have her share the bed, just not finish the claim. Too bad his dick didn’t understand it. He wore a throbbing hard-on thanks to that kiss and he couldn’t seem to get the thing to go down. Not even her pain could still the desire and lust that was building inside for his mate. “Why?” Darian asked, her voice breaking as she cried, forehead pressed against the glass. She wouldn’t look at him, which bothered him and made him feel guilty. “Why me? Why did you demand that I go?” His heart began to pound in his chest. Dominic wasn’t afraid of anything, but right at this moment he was terrified that he was going to say something wrong and blow the one chance he had with her. He sat forward. “Look at me, Darian.” Dominic kept his voice soft and low. He got this strange feeling that she was feeling like a mouse trapped in a cage. He knew he would if the tables were turned. “Please.” She sniffed, wiped her face and turned in the seat, facing him. It stung him when she pressed her body back into the corner of the limo, as far away from him as she could get. He reached out to touch her wet cheek and Darian cringed back. Dominic didn’t stop though and he wiped the rest of her tears away. “I saw you when you were eight years old at your Uncles house,” he told her, sitting back in the seat with regret. He enjoyed touching her but knew he couldn’t now. “I was thirteen. My grandfather was trying to fix this family feud between many of the families, but for some strange reason refused to fix the one with the Laswells. He went to the house to get your uncle’s support for a position on the cabinet. He didn’t get the support. When I saw you coming down the stairs with your cousin I knew that moment that you were mine.” Fresh tears fell from her eyes, tearing him apart inside. “Please don’t cry.” “I can’t help it,” she whispered. “I want to go home.” “I know you do,” he sighed. “I’m sorry I had to do all this this way, but it was the only thing I could think of doing. I told my grandfather that night that the girl with the long golden brown hair was my mate, and that nothing was going to stop me from claiming her. Thirteen years has gone by.” His voice lowered and he had to sit forward again. “Thirteen years without you.” She slapped his hand away when he reached for her, turned her head and crossed her arms over her chest. No more tears fell from her eyes. She appeared to be collecting herself, which was a good thing. He sighed in relief. “This will work, Darian, if you give it a chance,” he said.
“My mother is going to be so upset,” she whispered, not looking at him. “What you did was unforgivable.” “Should I have walked into your home and claimed you then?” That had her turning her head, frowning at him. “I could’ve done what your father did I suppose and made my claim by coming to your home.” Her face paled. “I know the story, just like a lot of us know how your uncle has pulled many strings to keep the family away from the Gatherings.” “I’m going to be sick!” Dominic knocked on the back window for the driver to pull over. Before the limo stopped, Darian opened the door, jumped out of the car and ran. “Shit,” he hissed. How in the hell could he have fallen for that one! “Darian!” he yelled. She ran from him, looked over her shoulder when he yelled, but didn’t slow down. He went after her, closing the distance and cursing. He was running out in the middle of nowhere, chasing his mate. A growl followed by a lunge and he caught her, tackling her to the ground but taking the brunt of the fall. They rolled, stopping when she was atop him and she swung her arms wildly. Dominic didn’t think she had this kind of fight in her, so her actions caught him off guard. “Darian, stop it!” he grunted when her fist found a soft spot in his gut. A knee landed too close to his groin. She punched him hard enough to kick the wind out of him and freed herself. He didn’t allow her to get too far away for he sat up and grabbed hold of her ankle, pulling her back and planting her on her back. Catching his breath, he stared down at her. “Done yet?” “Find someone else!” she yelled, twisted her body left and right as much as she could. “Please.” With another growl, which he started to notice he was doing a lot lately, Dominic stood up with her in his arms. He had wound both arms around her waist, pinning her arms to her sides, her feet off the ground as he walked back to the limo. “I’ve found the one I want,” he told her, ignoring her wild kicking to his shins. “And you’re it.”
Chapter Four Darian completely ignored him once he got her back into the car and he couldn’t blame her one bit. If he were in her shoes, he’d probably do the same thing. Behaving as if he wasn’t there, she lay down on the seat, back to him and went to sleep. Dominic covered her with his jacket then sat back watching her, thinking, unable to get any rest either. This is not how I wanted us to begin. They should have been talking on the drive home, instead, she slept and he watched her. Now what to do? Already he had to fight this urge to touch her, to smell her, to simply hold her. He wanted to tell her about the home he’d built, just for her. A home that took him years to complete and even longer to keep from his grandfather, who still not only thought Dominic was wasting his time in building but wanted a taste of Dominic’s grander lifestyle. Yeah, that was his grandfather. The old bastard wanted it all without giving anything back, which was why Dominic didn’t have any trouble with closing the door on him. However, now the son of bitch was causing trouble again, and Dominic didn’t think he could turn his back on it either. This time he was going to have to do something about Robert Vanderburg, or all hell would break loose and come crashing down on their heads. Glancing at his watch with a sigh, he once more looked to her sleeping form across from him. The Gathering had started at six and she showed up around eight, and it was only eleven. Fuck if time wasn’t moving slow. He estimated that they should get back to the house around three in the morning, if he could get his damn driver to speed things up. Reaching towards the phone located close to the floor, Dominic picked it up and waited for the driver to answer. “Yes, sir?” “Can you drive a bit faster, please?” “Yes sir.” The call ended and sure enough, he felt the limo pick up speed.
The next time he looked at his watch the time showed after one in the morning. Finally, making good time. At ten till three, the grounds came into view. Dominic reached toward Darian, shaking her gently. “Darian, wake up.” Slowly at first, her eyes fluttered opened, and once she remembered where she was, she sat up fast, wide blue eyes looking at him in shock. Lord help him if she wasn’t everything he’d ever wanted in a mate. Soft, creamy silken skin that screamed to be touched, tasted, kissed. She had the golden hair of her father, along with the blue eyes. A heart shaped face, soft, pouty lips and such a delicate frame he wondered for a second if touching her the way he needed would break her. Shaking away the thought and the desires that were starting to rise, he smiled. “Thought you might want to see the place,” he told her. When the grounds came into view, Dominic watched her closely. He saw the interest in her eyes as they turned into the long drive. When she sat forward, closer to the window, he grinned and moved close behind her. He took in the sight of it, through her eyes, and felt so much pride. The marble house was lit up, spilling golden light out into the darkness, everything about it magical. “Chateau de Amour,” he whispered in her ear, brushing some hair from her shoulder. He looked down at her mark and kissed it. “It means, house of love, for you.” She turned her head to him and Dominic kissed her, holding her gently under the chin. He kept kissing her until the limo stopped in front of the door. When it stopped so did he, thrilled that she let him kiss her. **** Moving back from him, Darian opened her eyes and looked at him. It was the first chance she really had to take in his features. Like his brother, he had dark eyes with long lashes, but his eyes were warm, not cold. She could see the warmth and caring, almost feel it and that connection alone frightened her. His face was strong, but the darkness of his eyes gave her the mouse to cat feeling, knowing she was the mouse without a doubt. In the dinner jacket and slacks, she could still make out the strength hidden behind the fancy clothing. She could see the thick outline of muscles on his chest, arms; even his fingers had a hint of power in them. It made her shiver at the thought of what he could do to her, if he wanted her. Who was she kidding? Of course, he wanted her! The suit he wore hugged his body. Power radiated from the muscles in his legs, and the
thickness between them had her mouth going dry, the fear once more surfacing. Images of her sexual education class hit her, reminding her just what the males did with that appendage between his legs. A reminder she didn’t need at the moment. “Come on.” He took her hand, opened the door and pulled her from the limo. “Time to see your new home.” A man in a suit stood by the open door. He smiled at them and took her bag and another from the driver. “Welcome home, sir.” “Lance,” Dominic nodded. He brought Darian up to his side, “This is Darian, my mate,” he finished with not only a smile but also a kiss to her hand. He seemed to be doing a lot of kissing her lately, which made her feel weird. No one had ever kissed her this much, not even her father who was always hugging his children. “A pleasure, miss.” He bowed. “Welcome to Chateau de Amour.” “Thank you,” she whispered. Dominic pulled her away and took her inside. Instantly, she was in awe of her surroundings. The foyer was white marble, with a balcony in the center where one could look down and view the splendor of the place. There were paintings on the walls, fresh flowers in large vases in the corners, some on the floor others on tables. In the middle of the floor, a large black and white swirl printed rug had been laid down on the marble floor. To her left was a marble and black iron railing staircase that went up and around to the middle of the second floor. Straight ahead was a sitting area with floor to ceiling windows and a marble fireplace. There was even a crystal chandelier in both the foyer and sitting room. She was tugged forward then and to the left. A long hallway went from left to right and pictures lined the walls. Darian didn’t get much of a chance to see them. Dominic was taking her, it seemed, on a quick tour of the house. She saw the dining room and her mouth gaped open. The room was shaped in an oval with an enormous table in the middle. Against one wall was an elaborate buffet and china cabinet filled with china and crystal. The table had ten chairs around it. Lace curtains adorned the floor to ceiling windows. “Don’t eat in here much,” Dominic said. “Most of the time I’m here alone.” He pointed out the swinging door that lead to the kitchen. He didn’t take her through it but back out to the hallway, stopped and opened a
door to show her a laundry room that was also hidden by a door that blended into the wall. The kitchen was impressive, huge in fact. Black granite countertops, light oak cabinets, a bar, table in front of more windows and hardwood floors gave the room a functional yet aesthetically pleasing appearance. To the back of the house was the living room with a pool table in an adjoining room. The furniture was cream-colored. There were cherry wood tables strategically placed by sofas and chairs, built in bookshelves with a large-screened television in the center slot. Looking out a sliding patio door was a deck that led to a pool, pool house, a hot tub and guesthouse. It was just about too much for her to take in at once. Still holding her hand, Dominic turned her from the pool back into the long hallway. They went to the other side of the house and he once more opened up doors for her to see inside. One room was a large bathroom for use by guests. Another door opened into his office, but she didn’t get to see much of either. Last door on her right was the master bathroom. She walked inside and was impressed by a large Jacuzzi in the middle of the room, built big enough, she thought, to fit ten people. There was a his and her vanity, including a section ideal for a woman to put on her makeup. There were two walk in closets, and a maid even now worked at hanging up women’s clothing she assumed had been purchased for her. A toilet was located in its own little room to the right. Against another wall of the spacious bathroom was a beyond-belief walk through to a beautiful shower decorated in a mix of light gold tile, and a natural wood finish. Dominic walked over to the far left and slid open a set of sliding doors that went right into the master bedroom. She held her breath, and then released a gasp at the gorgeous room. It was plain and simple and simply gorgeous, a combination of gold and tan, with natural wood and marble. A fireplace next to the main door and king sized bed on a raised platform, fur rug over lush cream-colored carpeting and a sitting area. It was all too much to take in at once. At the very corner of the room was a spiral staircase going up to a second floor. Looking up the stairs, she jumped when he said, “My work out area.” Darian glanced over her shoulder at him before moving away. “What else is upstairs?” “Eight more rooms,” he answered, his eyes watching every move she made. “My two brothers stay here, so they each have a room.”
She swallowed, her mouth going dry. “Is one of them mine?” She knew the answer before he said it. “No.” He took a step towards her and she took two back. “You scared of me, Darian?” The question was asked low, sending chills through her. She couldn’t seem to breathe regularly either. “Yes,” she breathed out. “You don’t have to be.” He kept coming at her and she kept backing up. “I’m not going to hurt you.” “I—I… ” She couldn’t finish what she was going to say. Her back touched the door and he pressed his hands to it over her head, boxing her in. “I’m not going to force you tonight. I don’t want our first time together to be like that.” “Then—then what do you want?” Damn it was hard to talk when he was close like this. “Share my bed, my house, my life,” he whispered, moving a hand down to her face again. He brushed his knuckles across her cheek so gently and tenderly she shivered. “And,” she licked her lips trying to get some control that he was trying to take away from her. “And what about the end of the month?” “What about it?” “It’s full moon then. I think we both know what happens around then.” “Then we’ll deal with it when that time comes.” He leaned down and kissed her, his lips lingering. When he was done, he didn’t move away quickly. “This will work, Darian. Just give it a chance. Give us a chance and I promise you I’ll make you happy.” “What if I asked you for one of the other rooms until that time?” He stopped, slowly turned back around to face her. “Would you give me one of the other rooms?” She could tell by the darkening of his eyes that he didn’t want to, but would his honor let him? Darian held her breath, waiting for the answer. “If I say yes, what will you give me in return?” She swallowed hard, not sure what to say to that. “I—I… ” “Will you give this—us a chance then?” He strolled towards her. “Will you get to know me and not be scared when I get close?” “You scare me now,” she breathed out softly. “I know. I can see it in your eyes.” He took his jacket off, tossed it aside and nodded. “All I ask right now is that you give us a chance. You do that, and I’ll give you this amount of time.” Once more, he took her
hand, pulled her away from the door and walked her back out to the hallway, towards the stairs, up and down a long hallway. He stopped in the middle and opened the door, took a step aside and let her go in first. “Rose room.” Another breathtaking room. Darian slowly walked inside, unable it seemed to take it all in. There was a large queen sized bed off to the left with oak nightstands on either side. Two glass window doors that were open with long white curtains that moved in the light breeze. She went over to them, and looked out over the balcony, enthralled by the amazing view of a large rose garden and a fountain. A quilt in cream color imprinted with roses of all colors and lush pillows covered the bed. There was one dresser in the room, a large closet and a bathroom. “Of the eight rooms on this floor, only three have their own bathrooms. This is one of them.” Dominic went into the bathroom, looking around it. “The other two are at the front and end of the hall. Damond has the last room, and Justice the very first.” “Where are they?” she asked, looking around the bathroom. It wasn’t as grand as the one in the master bedroom, but still very impressive. The room included a large shower with glass doors, showerheads all over the walls. The tub could easily fit four people. There was a toilet in its own little corner and a vanity built in beside it. “Justice is out and Damond will soon be joining him,” he answered. “I’ve asked them both to give us some time alone.” He went to the door right across from the room she was taking and opened it. “There are two more bathrooms and the upstairs library,” he said. Darian followed him in, taking in as much of the library as she could. There were bookshelves, floor to ceiling, filled with books. From the second floor, a wraparound balcony met a set of curved iron stairs going down to the first floor and a sitting area with fireplace and leather furniture. Below, she saw a desk lined with files and papers. “I’ve also sort of taken it over as my office,” he said. “How do you not get lost in this house?” she asked. “It takes some getting used to. Under this spot, right behind the stairs, is another door that leads out to the first floor. Same hallway leads to the master bedroom. If you find you can’t sleep, come and get a book. What’s mine is now yours.” He turned from her and went back out into the hallway. Darian followed him out, but not towards the stairs.
“Janet?” “Yes sir.” “Bring Darian’s things up to the rose room. She’s going to be sleeping in there for a few days.” “Yes, sir.” He turned back to her with a small smile. “Well I’m sure you’re tired. So I’ll leave you to rest. Um, in the morning just come to the kitchen when you’re ready. I’m sure Millie will want to know what you like and don’t like.” “Who’s Millie?” “Well she sort of runs the nest you could say,” he chuckled. “She’s the cook around here, but she’s also more than that. If you need anything, go to her.” She made a silent ‘O’ and he nodded. One step was all he took before once more turning around, only this time he came up to her took hold of her face and kissed her. “Night, Darian,” he breathed against her lips. Letting her go, he turned and quickly walked away. Darian held her breath for a few seconds, and then let it out in a rush before entering the bedroom. The maid, Janet, he’d heard Dominic call her, came in with her things. While she hung up Darian’s clothing up and put away her other clothing in the dresser, Darian went into the bathroom and started running water in the tub. She took a long, hot bath, soaking and thinking about all that happened to her, what was going to happen to her, and how her family might be taking the news. She also worried about her best friend, Lindsey. Being a human, Lindsey didn’t understand much of their world or how things went. She only understood slightly the difference between shifter and human and, by her father’s request, Darian kept it that way. She didn’t need to know any more, unless something crazy happened and Lindsey was claimed, which, by the way the other shifters in town treated her, Darian didn’t see happening any time soon, if ever. It was almost four in the morning by the time she slipped under the covers to get some sleep. However, sleep didn’t come easy. She had closed her eyes, felt she’d managed to get a small amount of rest, but getting what she needed was out of the question. Around six, she gave up. Her mind refused to shut down enough for her to get the sleep her body needed. Getting out of bed, Darian dressed in a simple pair of jean shorts and a baggy shirt. After searching through her things, she found her cell phone and dialed a number. “Hello?” the voice groggily answered.
Darian couldn’t help herself and smiled. “You’re still in bed? Figured you’d be down at the docks, giving Fox hell for me.” “Darian?” Lindsey’s voice came though clearer than when she’d answered the phone. “Hi!” Darian laughed. “What you doing? What’s going on?” Lindsey rushed out. “Are you okay? Alex said something last night about you doing this shifter thing you all have to do. What’s going on?” Darian took a deep breath and sat down on the bed. “Where do I begin? Lindsey I don’t think you’re going to believe any of this. Hell, I don’t believe it myself.” “What?” “The shifter thing is a Gathering. Remember when I tried to explain it to you a while back.” “Isn’t it like a party?” “Something like that. It’s a way for us to find mates, or like get married.” “Okay, so what’s that got to do—wait! Don’t tell me you just got married? And I wasn’t there!” “Lindsey, it isn’t like that!” Darian rushed to say. “It doesn’t happen like that. We get marked and such. Oh, it’s all so damn complicated.” “So uncomplicate it then. Are you married?” “In a way, yes.” “Holy shit!” “Boy, you can say that again.” “What’s he like? Better yet, what’s it like?” Even though Darian knew the ‘it’ to which Lindsey referred, and knew it scared the shit out of her, Darian still had to smile. “Girl, this just happened a few hours ago. Can I get to know the guy before I sleep with him?” “Sleep?” Lindsey laughed. “Who said anything about sleeping?” “You’re terrible!” “I know. But at least tell me he’s kissed you. That much you can do, right? Man I would love for someone to sweep me into his arms and kiss me until I forget how to think.” “You read too many romance books.” “Yes, I do. There are too many of your kind of guys that won’t have a damn thing to do with me. Let’s face it, I’m not that pretty and too chubby for the guys in this town. Hey, does yours have any brothers?” “Yes, but I’ve only met one.”
“And?” “And he scared the hell out of me.” “You say that about every guy.” “Linds, the guys of our kind are not the kind you want to mess around with. Trust me.” “I trust you, Darian. It’s just—” “I know, you’re lonely. Hey, I heard something about you getting a job with Jewels in the club.” “Just part time.” “So it’s true then?” “She needs someone to help with the books and if dad keeps sending me what he has, then with this I can make it this summer.” “How long does he plan on being gone this time?” “No idea. He only left a note.” “Why don’t you take mom and dad up on the offer and stay there for the summer? You won’t be alone.” “I’m fine, Darian. Besides, I’m sort of use to being alone and I’ve put new locks on the doors. Really, what could happen and who’d want me?” Darian picked something up in Lindsey’s voice, something that was off. “Hey, I better let you go. I’m sure you will want to be with your new husband. Oh, and maybe I can hitch a ride with someone to come and see you.” “That would be great!” Again, she smiled. The idea of Lindsey showing up would make things less awkward. “I miss you already.” “Can’t wait to see this man of yours either. I bet he’s hot!” “Only you would think something like that.” “Everyone needs to have a dream, Darian.” “So what do you dream about?” The end went silent for a few seconds before Lindsey sighed. “I better let you go. I need to head to town anyway and pick up a few things then drop off the stuff I did for Jewels last night. You’ll call me back?” “You know I will.” “And I’ll see about hitching a ride to see you. I’ve got to check this man of yours out and keep fingers crossed one of his brothers—” “Don’t even go there!” Darian chuckled. “A shifter male isn’t for you, Lindsey. Trust me when I tell you this. They’re too demanding.” “What’s that supposed to mean? All men are demanding.” “Not like this. I’ll explain later.” She said her good-byes and hung up. Taking a deep breath, Darian stood up and left the bedroom without any shoes on her feet. Summer
always had been her time of year. She and Lindsey would spend it at the dock, swimming, going out on boat rides with Alex and late night fishing. Sure, they both talked about getting summer jobs this year, but she also still looked forward to hanging out with Lindsey and having her days of doing nothing. Now she would spend her summer getting to know the male to whom she was mated and she wondered how her family was handling the news. When she left her room, she noticed the house was quiet. Unsure where to go, her stomach answered that question. Going down the stairs and looking around, thinking and remembering the location of rooms, she went to the left, down the hall, letting her nose guide her. “Well good morning, honey,” a woman in the kitchen said. “I’m Millie.” She came toward Darian, hand out. Darian took the hand and let the woman bring her into the kitchen where she sat down at a large wide bar. Darian immediately picked up the fact that Millie was a shifter-female and, from the wonderful smells in the kitchen, one hell of a cook. Like the rest of the house, the kitchen was done in a soft golden tone with off white marble on the floor and cream granite countertops. Millie possessed a grandmotherly quality about her. Her smile was kind, her figure huggable figure and she seemed to possess a wonderful personality. There was something about her that had Darian wanting to stay in the kitchen all day, to be around her. “Darian.” “Well now, Darian, I was just about to start cooking breakfast. What would you like?” Millie asked. “I’m not sure.” Darian frowned. “Whatever you have cooking will be fine. I’m not picky.” “Oh, you better tell her what you like,” Dominic said, walking into the kitchen, and looking very good much to Darian’s regret. “She’ll just drive you nuts until you do.” He came up behind her and kissed the side of her cheek before taking the paper that Millie handed him. He gave her a nod to follow him over to the round table in front of a window that reminded her of her kitchen back home. “Whatever your fixing now will be fine,” Darian told Millie, sliding from her seat at the bar to join Dominic at the table. “Steak and eggs it is, but you will need to let me know about other meals now.” “Juice?” Dominic asked. She nodded and he poured some into a glass. “Coffee?”
“No thanks.” He poured himself a cup, and then brought it up to his lips, sipping it slowly. “You sleep okay?” “Not really.” Darian took a drink of juice, avoiding his eyes. “Not my bed.” Millie brought over two plates with steak, scrambled eggs and toast on them. She left then returned with a fresh bowl of fruit and placed it on the table, then left the kitchen, leaving them alone. “So you never eat in the dining room?” Darian asked, picking up her silverware and cutting into the meat. “Not when it’s just me,” he answered, also cutting into the steak. “When my brothers are here we do. More room, and of course when there’s guests. Most of the time I’m always gone.” “What do you do then?” “Entrepreneur.” He smiled. “Have my hand in a bit of everything, but I’m taking a few days off for us. So what do you do for your summers?” “Spend it at the dock with my best friend.” She tried to smile with the memory, but couldn’t. “Guess that’s out of the question now.” “Darian, you’re not a prisoner here. We can do whatever you want.” “Can I go home then and forget this ever happened?” He dropped his fork and groaned. “I’m not going to play house with you, Dominic. I’m sorry.” She pushed away from the table, her breakfast forgotten. Out of the kitchen, down the hall and out the back door she went. Maybe a walk around the grounds would clear her head.
Chapter Five “You didn’t really expect it to be easy, now did you?” Millie asked. Dominic slumped back in his seat, pushed the plate away and sighed. “I didn’t think it was going to be this hard.” Millie snorted. “Shit.” “And she’s right,” Millie went on. “You can’t expect her to play house.” “You heard that?” “I hear everything in this house.” She smiled, turning her back on him and going back to doing whatever it was she was doing. “For your information, if I wanted to play house I wouldn’t have let her take one of the guest rooms. I’d have her in my bed.” “Uh-huh.” “Don’t uh-huh me,” he snapped. “I’m working on it, Millie. This shit isn’t easy for me either you know.” “Looks like someone got up on the wrong side of the bed,” she sang. “You know if you don’t get a good night sleep you end up one grumpy ass bas—” “Don’t say it!” he growled this time. “I’m just saying.” Dominic held his hand up. “I know. You’ve only been saying it for months.” “Nick, you’ve been happy only a few times, and most of those have been when your big deals close the way you want them.” She turned around, leaning back against the counter. “Now for the few weeks leading up to the Gathering you’ve been on cloud nine. Don’t let your stupid alpha pride screw this up.” “And just what would you suggest I do?” He pushed away from the table and stood up, hands on hips, a growl rumbling low in his chest. “You go to her and talk. It’s really that simple, Nick.” “Nothing’s that simple, Millie.”
“Yes it is. You just never had to before.” She took a deep breath, crossed her arms over her chest and narrowed her eyes on him. “Look, I have a bunch of things to do today, besides my normal shopping. I’m going to be gone for most of the day. Why don’t you go out there, talk to her, fix her one of your special sandwiches for lunch and just hang out. Show her the good side of you that I know.” “And if that doesn’t work?” “I’m sure you’ll think of something.” Millie turned her back on him again and began cleaning up breakfast dishes. His appetite left and so did he. He left the kitchen, went outside following Darian. Her scent lingered where she walked, giving him an easy trail to follow. When Dominic started looking for a place to build his home, he fell in love with these barren lands outside of the city. He fell in love with the woods, the trees, the free feeling the land gave him. Buying up everything he saw was the easy part. No one else wanted the grounds because of the trees and the cost it would be to clear it all out. Even developers refused to purchase the land, which made buying it up cheap and easy for him. He’d only cleared about half of the trees for the house and left the rest wild. Walking in it made him feel like he was in the woods and when the need to change, to run and hunt hit, he could do it without any trouble. He got the idea of finding such a place after visiting the Draeger home and seeing the woods there. He found her not too far into the woods sitting on the ground, back against a tree. By the look of her eyes when she glanced up at him, Dominic could tell she had been crying again. “Darian?” She sniffed, wiped her eyes and stood up quickly. “What do you want?” He took a deep breath, reminding himself to stay calm and not rush into anything or say the wrong thing. “We need to talk.” She laughed, but the sound sounded more like sarcasm. “What the hell could you want to talk about? You didn’t want to talk or discuss the claiming at the Gathering, or give me a chance to voice—” “I know what you would’ve said,” he rushed out, hand going up to silence her quickly. “You would have refused my claim, right? Or run from me, as you’re doing now.” “Run from you,” she huffed. Where could I run that you wouldn’t find me and hunt me down?” He felt and saw her anger, which didn’t help him to stay calm.
Narrowing his eyes on her, he said, “Are you trying to pick a fight with me?” She rubbed her face and sniffed back more tears. “How can I pick a fight with you when I don’t even know you? Why couldn’t you come around some before the Gathering? Why couldn’t you let me know about any of this? Why—” “Now hold on a second,” he interrupted. “If I had come to your house and let you know, do you really think it would’ve made a difference? Do you think your father would’ve let me see you?” “So you do this instead.” “Where’s this coming from? You aren’t ignorant of our shifter ways.” He frowned, both hands on his hips. “Dominic, right?” He nodded to her question. “I want to go home, Dominic. I don’t want to do this, be here, or be your mate. I’m not ready for this, don’t you understand that?” “The only thing I might understand is that you’re scared.” She snorted at that, and turned her back on him as if to walk away. “Don’t do that.” “Do what?” she snapped, turning back around with a glare in her eyes. “Don’t turn your back on me. Don’t try to dismiss me because I’m not saying what you want to hear.” “Don’t tell me, you’re going to take it as a challenge to your manhood, right?” “I might just take it as a challenge period.” He crossed his arms over his chest, leaning to the right. “Is that what you want? To force the mating?” “Hasn’t it already been forced upon me?” “The claim has, not the mating, Darian.” She snorted again. “There isn’t a difference, Dominic. Force is force.” Once more, she turned her back on him and started to walk away. The control he held on to so tightly slipped and a growl rumbled in his chest. He never did like it when people turned their backs on him and just walked away, as if they didn’t give a shit he was still there. It had to do with his grandfather and the way the man treated him and his brothers. Whenever Robert Vanderburg finished speaking, he just walked away, not giving a shit about what a person had to say. Common sense went out the door for him. She walked away from him, deeper into the woods and he followed her. One glance over her
shoulder and Darian started running. That’s all it took for him to lose it and go after her. A chase. Catching her was easy. Holding her was another thing. The moment his arm went around her waist and he yanked her off her feet, Darian began to kick, twist and hit him, venting her fury on him. To the ground, he took her, to their knees where he stayed behind her, holding her tight against his chest with one arm. She still struggled but it did her little good. Holding her was easy, which meant the lesson he was about to give her would be just as easy and very sweet. “Do you know why we mark on the shoulder?” he asked his voice lower and raw sounding. Holding her so close, her squirming body teasing his own, making his cock thick and hard was painful. “It intensifies the pleasure of the mating when we bite.” He jerked her shirt to the side and bit the mark. Darian cried out and stiffened in his arms. Her chest rose and fell fast and she dug her nails into his arm, forcing Dominic to pin both arms under his one around her waist. “Stop,” she panted. He did let go with his teeth, but kept sucking at the bite, licking over the wound. With his free hand, he moved down to the front of her jeans and yanked the snap open, forcing the zipper down. “No!’ She twisted her hips away from him but couldn’t escape his hold on her. “I’m going to show you what the pleasure of the bite is all about,” he told her with a purr in his words right next to her ear. Dominic watched his own hand slide into her jean shorts, inside her panties. His cock throbbed in pain and he held his breath once he cupped her mound. Hot, silky, so soft it had his mouth watering to taste and cock pounding with need. He questioned himself, wondered if he would be able to do this without doing much, much more. He would just have to wait and see. He rubbed her with the pad of his hand. Up and down, up and down, licking at the mark, taking the sweet scent of her arousal into his lungs. She still tried to pull away from him; tried, but didn’t get anywhere. “Damn it, stop!” she yelled. Dominic didn’t answer her or stop. His fingers parted the silky lips of her pussy, found her clit and began a slow massage over the tiny nub. Darian tensed, tried to close her legs and twist her upper body again. Cupping her pussy, holding her tight against him, he reached down with
the other hand and parted her legs once more, providing easy access to the treasure he desired. Once he parted her folds again he thrust two fingers into her with his thumb touching the clit. Ah, so tight, so hot. She was fucking perfect and his dick ached! Dominic had to bite his own lip to keep control over his body. Never had anything like this ever happened to him before. Past lovers never had his body burning this hot. He teased her clit with his thumb, continued moving his fingers in and out slowly, going in as deep as he could get. Then he began, once again, licking and sucking on her mark, pumping his fingers to match the sucking on her shoulder. Darian’s breathing quickened. He doubted that she knew she was moving her hips to the rhythm of his hand, and he sure as hell wasn’t about to tell her. Not going too fast, not wanting this connection to end too soon, he slowly let go of her arms and moved his hand under her shirt. The question now was how long would he last doing this? Already, he could feel his own excitement rising, threatening to spill, but it didn’t stop him. Higher he moved his hand, then under her bra to cup one breast. She made a sound, one that sounded much like a moan, the kind you worked hard to hold back. Dominic scraped his teeth along the mark, squeezed and pinched the nipple of her breasts and kept fucking her sweet tight pussy with his fingers only. Darian’s arms went up and both hands fisted into his hair, pulling at the locks, and still he worked her. “God, I want you, Darian,” he breathed against her shoulder. Darian shook her head, tugging hard on his hair. “No,” she groaned. “I want my cock where my fingers are,” he went on, licking her throat up to ear where he gave a nip to the lobe. “I want to feel you climax around my cock. Feel you milk my own release and hear you scream while I’m pumping into you.” “You can’t,” she panted. “You can’t do this.” “I’m doing it,” he rumbled in her ear. “And you’re close.” He squeezed the nipple between his fingers and began pumping his fingers faster into her pussy, flicking the thumb harder against her clit. The faster he moved them, the faster her breathing came. Again, he scraped his teeth against the mark. She gasped, one hand going to his wrists, digging into them. “That’s it. Come for me.” And she did. A cry left her lips, her pussy contracted around his fingers, and Dominic bit her hard on the mark. He lost his own control, groaned and came in his pants. His cock contracted, just like her pussy.
He growled low against the mark, left her breast, and put his other hand into her pants, rubbing at her swollen clit fast and hard while he still fucked her with his fingers, urging her into a long climax. Darian pulled hard on his hair and kept pulling on it as her body peeked once more and held on for a long time until she shrieked, crashing down and over the edge. Afterwards, she dropped to the ground, bent forward on her hands and knees, breathing hard. Dominic was also breathing hard and fast. He felt as if he just had one hell of a fuck, when he hadn’t. He just gave his mate a crashing orgasm, her first, he guessed from her reaction. She crawled away from him and he let her go. He stayed there on his knees, still breathing fast, watching her as she kept her back to him and fixed her shorts, then her bra and shirt. Once she finished, she slowly stood up, her back to him. “Darian…” He had no idea what to say to her, and she didn’t let him. With her head down, her hand came up and stopped him from speaking. “Don’t,” she whispered. “Just don’t.” She walked away from him. With a sigh, Dominic sat back on his knees and was about to rub his face when he stopped, recognizing the scent of her on his fingers. Unable to control it, he brought the fingers to his lips and licked the sweet honeydew off each finger. The taste gave life to his damn dick all over again. **** Darian ran all the way back to the house. She slammed the door to her room, turned the lock and began stripping off her clothes as she headed for the bathroom. A hot shower was what she needed, one that would clean her of the memories and the tingling sensations she still felt all over her body. She washed and when she brushed the sponge over her shoulder, over the mark, she almost dropped to her knees. The mark was so sensitive it gave her chills that raced down her spine and pooled between her legs. Her clit throbbed painfully and she swore she could feel her womb contract. She felt sore, yet strangely unfulfilled, unsure what she needed, though. It took her a few seconds before she steadied herself, finished cleaning and turned the water off. Wrapping a towel around her, she left the bathroom, hunted for a fresh pair of shorts, shirt, and a sports bra in a drawer. Dressing once more, she looked for her phone, saw that she had missed a call from Lindsey and dropped face first down on the bed.
“I’ve got to get out of here,” she moaned into the bedding. The sun began to set by the time she left the room. Slowly going down the stairs, she tried to get herself together to face Dominic. After what had just happened, she didn’t know if she wanted to see him or not. Barefoot, reaching the bottom step, she heard the front door bell rang. She looked behind her, thinking that someone would be coming out any second to answer it. No one appeared and it rang again, so she headed for the front door and got one hell of a shock when she opened it. “Lindsey!” she gasped, with her mouth open. “I’m going to take it that you didn’t listen to my message,” Lindsey said, pointing a finger at Darian. Darian snapped out of her shock and rushed Lindsey, hugging her tight. “I’m so happy to see you!” “So I can see,” Lindsey laughed. “What are you doing here?” Darian pulled back, smiling at her best friend. “Well, I offered to bring your things. Your mother didn’t trust your father. Your father wasn’t about to let your mother come, and don’t even get me started on your brothers.” Lindsey rolled her eyes. “Alex is pissed, Ash, well not sure about him, and Fox went to his floating pile of junk. Lyssa has locked herself in her room, so overall, I think they’re all losing it. You mom called me and asked if I could do it, so here I am.” She shrugged, walking into the house, looking around and whistled. “Damn, this place is huge!” “Hello?” a soft, masculine voice said. Darian looked in the direction of the master bedroom and bit the inside of her mouth. Dominic stood there, also freshly showered and changed. “Um, Lindsey, this is Dominic Vanderburg,” Darian said. “Dominic, this is my best friend, Lindsey.” Dominic came over to Lindsey, hand out. “A pleasure.” “Nice to meet you,” Lindsey said. “Your place is great!” “Thank you.” “Lindsey brought my stuff,” Darian said, avoiding eye contract with him. “Ah.” “Yeah, her parents still want to kill you, I think.” Dominic glanced over to Darian and this time she couldn’t avoid him. She rolled hers eyes at him. “Lindsey knows about us.” “I see.”
“Did I hear the door?” Millie came out with a towel in hand, wiping them. “This is Millie,” Darian said to Lindsey. “She sort of runs things around here.” “I sure do, honey.” Millie smiled. “Oh, now aren’t you a pretty thing.” Millie also took Lindsey’s hand, shaking it. “Um, Millie, Lindsey here has brought Darian’s things. Will you see that they are brought in please?” “Sure thing,” Millie said. “Oh but not the bag up front,” Lindsey said quickly. “It’s mine, in case it was too late to head back.” “Oh, honey, it’s too late for that now,” Millie said. “Why don’t you stay over the night?” She looked at Dominic. “I’m sure it isn’t a problem and we have plenty of room. Besides, I’m sure Darian would love to have you for a day or two.” With a nudge from Millie, Dominic spoke up. “Yes, of course. We have the room. Darian? Why don’t you give her the room next to the one you’re using, and I’ll go get your bags.” “And supper will be ready in about an hour, in the dining room tonight,” Mille added. Darian took Lindsey’s hand, pulling her away and back towards the stairs. Dominic went out the front door and Millie returned to the kitchen. “Okay, I’m not that stupid. What the hell is going on with you two?” Lindsey asked. “Nothing,” Darian answered. “And I’d love to keep it that way.” Instead of taking Lindsey to the room next to hers, Darian entered her room, closing and locking the door. Lindsey looked around, her hands in the cut off shorts pockets. “This place is something. How big is the pool?” She stopped moving around and looked at Darian. “Is it that bad?” Darian lost her composure and went to Lindsey. Lindsey held her tight and Darian began to cry. “I want to go home.” “Well, I doubt he’s going to stand there and let me take you.” Darian couldn’t help it and laughed through her tears. Slowly she pulled away, wiped her eyes and took a deep breath. “I don’t know what to do, Linds, I really don’t. He scares me.” “I can see that.” Lindsey nodded. “He is kind of huge. So I guess it would be pointless for me to ask you if you two have done it then.” Darian rolled her eyes. “That’s what I thought.”
“He didn’t even want to let me sleep up here in one of the guest rooms.” “Are they all like that?” “How the hell would I know?” “Is that the bathroom?” Lindsey pointed behind her. Darian nodded. “Well, give me a few and we’ll finish this. I really have to go.” Lindsey turned and headed for the bathroom. Right before she made it something slipped from her back pocket. Darian went over, picked the paper up and not thinking about it opened and read it. A human with a fine ass like that shouldn’t be left alone. Something bad might happen. A wolf like me might come calling to see if little Lindsey is as ripe for a picking as she smells. Are you ripe, little Lindsey? Are you ready for a good fucking? I can give it to you. “Man, do I feel better,” Lindsey said when she came out. “What’s this?” Darian asked, holding the paper up. The color seemed to drain from Lindsey’s face. “Nothing.” “Nothing, my ass. Who’s it from?” “I don’t know.” “Is it the first one?” “Darian, let’s not talk about some stupid letter. What we need to talk about is you and your problems.” “Lindsey, this is serious! If a shifter is writing this, which is what it sounds like, then you can’t screw around here. You need to go to my father and let him protect you.” “I think your father has enough to worry about. He wants me to tell him how you’re doing with all of this.” Darian fisted the letter in her hand and groaned. “I don’t know what to do, that’s my problem. I can’t be with him. Hell, I can’t even think about having sex with him.” “I wish I could help you.” “You are helping me.” Darian smiled. “Just having you here helps me.” “Darian I’m a human and you all are these shifters. I’m weak compared to you, so I don’t see how much help I can give you.” “You give me more than you know.” A few seconds went by before Lindsey spoke again. “So what do you think it will be like, once it happens?” “Don’t even want to think about that.” “Well, can I at least ask you what has happened, so far?” Could she tell her best friend about the things Dominic did to her
outside? The way he touched her, pleasured her, had her screaming out with such intense pleasure that her body only craved more? No! No, she couldn’t tell Lindsey about that. It was just too embarrassing. So instead, she moved her shirt to the side and showed her the crescent bite mark. “Holy shit!” Lindsey gasped, coming up to Darian, touching it softly. “Did that hurt?” “No.” “Really? It looks like it hurts.” “Trust me, when a shifter marks their mate it doesn’t hurt.” “I swear every time I turn around you all are shocking the hell out of me.” Darian smiled. “Come on. We had better go down for super before Millie comes looking for us. I’ve only been here for one damn night and I get the impression that she runs shit around here, not Dominic.” Dominic was already in the dining room waiting for them. When they appeared, he stood up and smiled. “I was starting to wonder.” “Something smells great,” Lindsey said, taking the seat across from Darian, to Dominic’s right, Darian sat at his left. “That would be Millie’s pepper steak,” Dominic said. “I don’t know what she does to it, but the thick pieces always come out so tender.” He picked up the platter that had the meat on it and handed it to Lindsey first. “So, how long can you stay?” “I have to leave in the morning,” Lindsey said, putting some meat on her plate. “Summer job and all.” “You must tell me everything about Jewels,” Darian said, taking the plate from Lindsey. Lindsey giggled as she put some potatoes cubes on her plate next. “Oh you wouldn’t believe it if I told you. I got to stay late one night, because I was filing and all and watched a show that would bring Alex to his knees.” Lindsey’s face lit up. “Every so often, out of the blue, the girls get together and do this special lap dance for some guy in the club. The spotlight picked him out and the staff brings him up on the stage. He would sit down and these girls would come out all dressed the same with masks on. Darian, Jewels is one of them!” “No way!” “Yes! But you don’t know which. I’m telling you it is the coolest thing I’ve ever seen.” “Did she know you saw it?” “Yeah, she figured it out. Said it helps keep her in shape and the club full. The thought that any time they pick someone for a dance, and
the owner joins in, is enough to have them coming every night. I would love to be able to do something like that. She did say that she’d teach me.” “You wouldn’t?” “Why not?” Lindsey shrugged. “Might get rid of this damn belly I have. Nothing else seems to work.” Dominic chuckled then and covered the smirk with his napkin. He quickly cleared his throat. “So you work at this dance club then?” “Yeah, only part time. I do her books and filing. The stuff she doesn’t like to do.” “Alex is your brother, right?” he asked Darian, who nodded. “Does he have something for this woman then?” “More like a use to thing. He never did tell us why she stopped coming around or why the letters stopped,” Darian said. “Darian’s parents like to take in the strays,” Lindsey said. “That’s not true!” Darian snapped. Lindsey rolled her eyes, “Please. Jewels was sort of like me. Her father wasn’t around and her mother dropped her off each summer. Boys were picking on Lindsey and Alex stumbled upon them. They became good friends and she was around all the time, but then what? She stopped writing and coming over, right?” “Yeah, but I got a feeling it’s because of Alex,” Darian said. She cast Dominic a quick look before going on. “He’s sort of domineering in a way.” “From what I’ve heard and learned, aren’t you all that way?” Lindsey asked her. “It’s a wolf trait,” Dominic said. “You know, I’ve been hearing that one a lot also,” Lindsey said. “Alex has been a bear,” she went on with a giggle. “It’s driving him nuts I think, that Jewels hasn’t come around to say hi.” “Could be,” Darian said. Lindsey filled her in on other things going on back home. Darian had only been gone for a day and yet it felt like a lifetime. After the meal, to her relief, Dominic had some work that needed his attention. That left her and Lindsey alone. She took her on a tour of the house, and then, with regret, had to call it a night. Lindsey was tired. Darian didn’t want to let her go, but she did. She gave her the room next to her own before entering hers. “I’m a stranger here,” she sighed, going to the window and looking out at the night.
Below, she spotted Dominic, pacing with a phone up to his ear. She watched him move, watched the way he carried himself and shivered, because in that moment as she watched him it also hit her. He could have done so much more to her in the woods than simply touch her, and yet he hadn’t.
Chapter Six “Are you out of your fucking mind!?” Dominic snapped into the phone, pacing the back yard, trying to keep his temper in check. “Are you even thinking at the moment, or are you and Thorn so far gone with getting even that you forgot you had a damn brain!” “Will you calm down?” Justice sighed on the other end. “No I won’t calm down. Justice, you are trailing a fucking killer for Christ sakes.” “Well, then, it’s a good thing I have a killer on my side then, isn’t it?” “This isn’t a game!” Dominic barked, his anger once more rising. “You know, I’m starting to get the impression here that the mating isn’t going well. Am I right?” “Fuck you, Justice.” “I’ll take that as a yes.” “You need to stop, man.” “Says who?” Dominic opened his mouth to speak, but Justice went on. “Look, this isn’t about revenge. Robert is involved in something that I think we need to find out more about. Whatever it is Thorn’s after is his own business.” “Don’t bullshit me here! You know what the hell Thorn is after and it’s going to get you into trouble.” “You really are starting to sound like one hell of a grumpy bastard,” Justice laughed. “Why don’t you finish the damn claim before you start to sound like him?” “Don’t even go there,” Dominic growled. “Look Nick. I only called to let you know that I’m fine and we’re on to something. Have you ever heard the name Wycough before, by the way?” “No, why?” “We think it’s the guy we’re trying to find, but not sure. Damond is
searching for any information on this guy. Thorn thinks he’s the one who’s been selling young shifters into this sex ring.” “What’s Thorn got to do with all of this? You mentioned that he’d been taken, along with this Brandon guy. What happened?” “No clue, he won’t tell me.” “Well, something happened. A man doesn’t just go out on a rampage, hunting like Thorn does.” “Okay, enough about this and him. What are you going to do about your mate?” Dominic sighed loudly and looked up at the night sky. A storm was coming. He could feel it. “If you don’t finish it soon then her cycle will do it for you.” “I know that, Justice,” he growled. “Nick you’ve waited a very long time. What’re you waiting for now?” “You don’t understand.” Dominic couldn’t keep the growl from his voice. “You’re right, I don’t. So help me to understand.” “Can’t.” This time Justice sighed on the phone. “Nick, if you don’t finish it, you’re either going to go crazy with the need or do something very stupid, and you’re not the kind of guy to do stupid shit. For once think about yourself. Thorn’s got my back, and Damond is helping, so I’m fine, big brother.” The big brother remark had Dominic smiling. “I’ll come home after the full moon, alright?” “Fine,” Dominic growled the word feeling the frustration of what Justice said through his bones. He did need to finish the claim before her cycle. If she went through that and he hadn’t done it then things might get way out of control and he’d end up being rougher on her the first time than what he’d like to be. “But you watch your ass. If this guy knows you three are hunting him, then he’ll come after you. Call me as soon as you find out what Roberts is up to. I don’t trust that sneaking bastard. He hung up, put the phone in his pocket and looked up at the night sky. Justice was right; he needed to finish the claim before her cycle came and took it out of both of their hands. Only he didn’t want to be a bastard either. “What to do?” he asked himself. Sleep didn’t come easy or last very long. He only got a couple hours
of it before giving up, taking his shower and dressing casually for the day. Thunder echoed off in the distance, dark clouds blew in and small flashes of lightening lit up the sky. Darian’s friend, Lindsey, left right after breakfast. Darian began to cry but Lindsey put a stop to it. Now Dominic stood with her on the front steps, watching Lindsey drive away, feeling like he needed to say or do something, but what? “Hope you’re not afraid of storms,” he said. “Think we have one hell of a one coming.” He cringed, knowing it was one of the stupidest things he could’ve said. Darian turned on him. “You ever do what you did to me out in the woods again I swear I’ll call my father and have him come kick your ass.” “We’re mated, Darian.” He turned to face her, arms crossed over his chest. “Touching is part of this, other things too.” “Stay away from me, Dominic,” she huffed. “And keep your damn hands to yourself. I’m not interested.” She made to walk away but he stopped her by grabbing hold of her arm, jerking her close. “The last thing I plan on doing is staying away from you, Darian. You’re my mate.” “Let go!”She tried to jerk free, but Dominic held her tight and close. Once more, the animal in him surfaced and he couldn’t hold it back. He walked her backwards, up to the house where he pressed his body against her. He moved one of her legs up to his waist, fisted his hand into the back of her hair and moved her head to the side. A yank and the mark on her shoulder presented itself and he bit down on it. He felt the shiver that went through her body and growled low in his own pleasure against her. She pushed against his chest and seemed to have enough strength this time to cause him to let her go and take a step back. “Don’t,” she huffed. “Darian—” A hand went up. “Don’t, Dominic, just don’t.” Again, she turned and this time ran back into the house. He followed her inside, watched her run up the stairs, flinching when she slammed the door on him. She stayed in her room for the rest of the day. He fixed lunch, but she refused to come out or open the door and take the tray. Even Millie tried before leaving for shopping again, clearly forgetting something for dinner. Once more, Millie told him to go talk to Darian, who refused to
open the door or even answer him, which pissed him off. Robert use to ignore them through a closed locked door. By the time Millie got back, Dominic knew he was in one hell of an ‘I’ve been pushed too far’ mood. “Well, don’t you look like someone pissed in your cheerios real good,” Millie stated as she put two large bags of groceries on the counter. “And you know drinking won’t help a damn thing. You need to go up there and talk to her.” Dominic knew Millie was right, about the drinking at least. In the kitchen, he stood leaning against the window frame, watching the rain beat down on the ground. The storm outside matched his mood as did the clothes into which he’d changed—a ragged pair of jeans and a white tank top. Hell, after the little thing ran from him and locked herself up in that damned room, he believed he had every reason to sulk. And yes, Dominic was man enough to admit he definitely was sulking right now. He wanted her so damn bad he couldn’t think straight and the weather outside only seemed to match the raging storm inside him. A storm and battle that he was starting to slowly lose. “Nick?” Dominic turned from the window to look at Millie. He made up his mind right then that his mate was going to become familiar with him and his touch, right now. He put his half-empty glass of whiskey down on the table, and then walked out of the kitchen with a newfound determination. Taking the stairs two and three at a time, he went to the room Darian now occupied. He tried to turn the knob and gritted his teeth. Damn, thing was still locked. Not being swayed this time, he took a step back and kicked the door as hard as he could. She came rushing out of the bathroom, hair wet from a shower or bath, a pair of thin, white satin panties and matching camisole covering her breasts. Those big blue eyes of hers were wide open in shock. “What—what the hell are you doing?” she gasped. He didn’t answer her. Instead, he went inside, grabbed her arm and began to tug her out of the room. Somehow, she managed to yank her arm free and backed away from him. “Are you out of your mind?” she huffed. He didn’t answer but took hold of her arm, pulled her forward so he could put both arms around her waist. Picking her up, he carried her out of the bedroom and headed down the hall. “Let go!’ she yelled, kicking hard against his legs. One of those
kicks found a tender spot on the inside of his thigh causing him to lose his grip and she escaped his arms. Instead of her running back to the bedroom, she ran down the stairs. He caught her before she could open the front door. Swinging her around, he bent over, slung her up onto his shoulder, turned and began walking again—this time toward the master bedroom. “Dominic!” she cried out, twisting her body, rising up and kicking her feet. “What the hell are you doing?” “What I should’ve done the night you came home,” he answered. Millie came out of the kitchen just as he turned to head down the hallway to their room. “Get someone to fix the door, and make sure we’re not interrupted for anything,” he growled at Millie. “Millie!” Darian screamed. ”Stop him. Please!” She groaned when Millie disappeared into the kitchen. Darian twisted and fought hard, but it did her little good. Dominic wasn’t going to let go, not this time, not when he had her in his arms. It just was too damn hard staying away from her after last night in the woods. Inside the master bedroom, Dominic kicked the door with his bare foot, went up to the bed and quickly thought of how he was going to keep her there. Keeping her over his shoulder, he went to the closet, opened the door and grabbed the hanger that held his ties. Somehow, he managed to keep her up on his shoulder as he yanked the ties off the hanger, knotting a couple together as he walked back to the bed. Once he had four attached, he tossed Darian upon the bed, grabbed her wrists and secured them quickly together. He then positioned her in the center of the large bed and pulled her arms up over her head, tying the end of his ties to a center post on his bed. “What are you doing?” Dominic heard the panic in her voice, but pushed it aside. He was on a mission, and didn’t need her fears at the moment to sway him. Already, those fears seemed to hold him at bay. He went back to the door, locked it, and then as he walked to the bed once more he began to strip away his own clothes. He didn’t think it was possible for her eyes to get any larger but they did when he tossed his shirt off to the side and then tugged at the snap of his jeans. “Dominic, please!” she begged. He pushed the jeans down his legs, leaving the tight boxers in place, though they didn’t do a damn thing to hide his growing erection.
He crawled upon the bed and she scooted away, using the heels of her feet. Next to her body he lay, on his side, facing her. He slid a hand around her waist and jerked her toward him, pressing her up to his side, both knees up. Talking wasn’t something he could do at the moment. It took every ounce of willpower he had to simply lie there and look at her. When he did finally touch her leg, Darian jumped and strained against the bonds. He worked hard to ignore the quick manner in which she was breathing as he moved his hand up and down her legs, pushing the one down and sliding it to the inside of her thigh. “Soft as silk,” he finally purred, massaging the leg. Over her hip, he moved higher, touching her belly. With her arms up over her head, the camisole rose up, stopping under her breasts, affording him a peek at the underside of the mounds. “Please let me go,” she whimpered. “I can’t.” He flattened his hand on her belly, feeling the shudders that went through her. He moved the hand downward once more, sliding it over her pussy. She gasped, arched her back a bit and stiffened all at the same time. “I need to touch you so badly I hurt. Last night started this raging need inside me—a need that is only getting worse.” Dominic rubbed the satin covered flesh as he bent over and kissed her belly. Light, feathery kisses he planted all over her stomach while he rubbed gently against her pussy with his hand. He could feel her heat, smell the desire slowly build in her body. When his kisses moved up her body, she sucked in her breath, stiffened and held it. Dominic gave her two light kisses to the small bit of skin showing, licking at the undersides of each breast before moving down. He positioned himself between her legs, kissing and nibbling at the core of her. Glancing up at her, he saw her face heat up in a blush, a single tear slid from one corner of her eye before she turned her face to the side, hiding in her arm. Guilt hit him at the sight of the tear, so much so that Dominic slid up her body and licked it away. “Don’t cry, Darian.” “Then stop this.” Her chin quivered and still she didn’t look at him. He shifted, reached down and this time slid his hands inside her panties, cupping her pussy once more. Darian’s head turned eyes once more huge. He rubbed her flesh, up and down with the pad of his hand before seeking out more with his finger. Dampness greeted his finger and gasped, then murmured, “I can’t. I
can’t control this any longer.” He pushed a finger inside her. Her mouth opened and he stole a deep kiss. Mouth slanted on hers, he thrust his tongue into her mouth as he penetrated her pussy with that one single finger. Fuck, if she didn’t taste and feel like heaven and hell at the same time. It tortured him to no end to have to feel her without completely feeling her. It was the same kind of torture he’d experienced last night, or maybe this one was worse. After all, he did have her in his bed, half dressed. Faster he moved his finger, in and out, and then he joined the one with another. Two fingers he used, feeling the tightness of her innocence. He could hear her panting, her legs going up and down on the bed. Dominic attacked her mouth as his fingers plundered her pussy. Soon, he had three fingers fucking her, moving fast, thumb teasing her clit. Whimpering, mewling sounds came forth from Darian, and the smells he picked up told the tale of how close she was to experiencing her second orgasm by his hand. “Yes,” he growled low against her lips when he pulled back from the kiss. “Come for me again.” Darian frowned, shaking her head. Using his teeth, Dominic pulled up the camisole and moaned when he saw her breasts and felt them press against his chest. Hard nipples brushed, tempting and teasing him to a point that he was powerless to stop from sucking one ripe berry into his mouth. He sucked, nibbled and pulled at one, not once missing a beat as he pumped his fingers into her tightness. She arched and a cry tore from her lips. Dominic felt her pussy contract around his fingers and moaned. He wanted nothing more than to feel that orgasm wrap around his cock, not his fingers. The scent of her release filled the room, filled his senses to a point that his animal side took over. He released her breast from his mouth, slid down her body and slowly withdrew his hand from inside her panties. Her eyes were upon him as he sat up between her legs on his knees. He could feel that control slipping and didn’t try to hold onto it. Slowly he brought the fingers that were just inside her up to his mouth. Keeping eye contact with her he sucked them, sucked each drop of her pleasure from his fingers as he rubbed the aching cock throbbing between his legs through his boxers. “You taste just as I always thought you would taste.” His voice rumbled in pleasure. By the way she held still, staring at him with panic-
stricken eyes, he would bet his eyes had turned deep red. Not since his heat did he feel so out of control and yet so deathly calm at the same time. “More!” the word slipping in a raw growl. She shook her head quickly, but he was already gone. Dominic hooked his fingers into the waist of her panties, pulled them over her ass and down her legs, tossing them over his shoulder. He lowered himself down, spread her thighs as wide as he could and began to kiss at the wet mound before him. Darian wasn’t completely shaved, but the swollen lips of her sex were. He kissed up and down, nuzzling her slightly with his nose as he took in the sweet scent of her arousal. Licking her from one end of her to the other had Darian jumping. One real good taste and he was lost in the pleasure, the animal taking over, ready to conquer. He lapped at her sweet pussy like a dying man. He sucked each and every drop of her dew. Using his thumbs, he parted the folds, teased her with a flickering tongue, up to her clit where he sucked the nub into his mouth, pulling it hard. Darian cried out, her legs tightening as if to close around his head. A popping sound and he released it only to seek out her entrance, into which he pushed his tongue. In and out, he fucked her rubbing her clit at the same time fast and hard. “Dominic, oh God!” she screamed, arched and climaxed quickly. He felt it around his tongue. Sucking it out, licking her from her ass back up to her clit, Dominic rose slowly. Things had gone too far for him to walk away go. He had to finish what he’d started. Licking his lips, he slid his tight briefs down his legs. Bending over, kissing back up her body he took up a position again between her legs. He latched on to the one breast that hadn’t received any attention from him yet. Flicking his tongue quickly over the nipple before sucking it in, he also rubbed her pussy with the head of his dick. Heat, wetness greeted him. Posing it right where he wanted, he released her breasts, pushed the camisole up, over her head and up towards her bound wrists. One yank and her wrists were free, but he had his fingers linked with hers to keep her arms still above her head. As gentle as he could he pushed, but fuck him if she wasn’t so damn tight that it seemed gentleness went right out the damn door. Her tight pussy tightened, preventing him from pressing inside her.
“Let me in,” he said. Spreading his own legs, which in turn had hers going further apart, Dominic tilted his hips forward with a bit of force and the head of his penis pushed inside her. Darian instantly stiffened and he stopped. “Relax, Darian,” he groaned, closing his eyes, trying to get just a small amount of control gathered. “Please don’t try to fight this still.” “It hurts,” she whimpered. “Only once, I promise you.” That had to have been the reason she ran from him. The pain of the first time frightened her. Dominic had picked things up from her in the short time they were together. Darian seemed like she had a very small tolerance to pain of any kind. Taking a deep breath, he pushed on. He tried to keep it all moving slowly. Closing his eyes, he lowered his head and kissed at her chest, trying to get to her breast as best as he could as he stretched her with the width of his cock. Fuck him if she wasn’t as tight as hell, testing him to the fullest. He found her innocence and, with great reluctance, he kept on pushing. He broke through it slow, instead of fast. Darian screamed, tensed up and fought under him. Her nails dug into his hands and still he filled her. One short thrust and he buried the whole length of his shaft as deep as it would go. He groaned, feeling the throbbing of his need pound in his body. Opening his eyes he saw Darian crying, the tears spilling down her eyes. “I’m sorry, Darian,” he said quickly, released her hands, cupping her face. “I don’t want to hurt you ever. Forgive me.” “Just stop this, please,” she sobbed, opening her eyes, meeting his eyes. “Don’t you understand that the pain is over?” He tried to smile at her but couldn’t. Instead, he kissed her, lingering some on her lips. “Give it a few seconds and I promise you that you won’t feel any more pain, only the pleasure like what my hand and mouth gave you.” She shook her head, “I don’t believe you.” “Then I’m going to have to convince you.” He smiled then, rising up on his arms. Slowly he withdrew and just as slowly, he pushed back in, the whole time watching her face. Shock spread across her face. So he kept up the slow pace, letting her get use to his body merging with hers, but soon he found he couldn’t control the slow pace. He picked up speed, sliding with ease in and out of her. He tore his
eyes from her once hers closed, her mouth parted and hands closed around his wrists. He looked down at her breasts, watched them with mouth watering hunger as he moved, enjoying watching how they bounced to his thrust. On a deep growl, Dominic once more lowered his head and took one breast into his mouth. He sucked on the nipple like a sweet piece of candy. His hips surged into hers. He took her like his animal side wanted. “Dominic, it feels different,” she gasped when he began to grind against her. “I think you need to stop.” He released her breast, looked up at her. “Never!” One deep kiss and some harder thrusts and Darian screamed into his mouth. Her pussy contracted around him, her orgasm hit and he loved it. She tightened so brutally on him that there was no way in hell he could hold back his own release. He broke the kiss right before his seed left his body. His mouth found the mark, teeth clamped down on it just as Darian’s nails dug into his back. Darian screamed a second time and Dominic kept fucking through both of their climaxes. He held tight onto her shoulder, but once her teeth found a spot right on his collarbone next to his own shoulder, he let go and howled in bliss. Darian marked him in the heat of the moment. Marked him as her mate, just as she should have, and just as he did to her, and he’d put his last dollar down that she didn’t even know she’d done it.
Chapter Seven Darian lay on her side, back to Dominic, holding the sheet up to her chest as his hand ran up and down along her side and hip. She didn’t know what to say or do and didn’t have enough strength or courage to get up and leave, not that he’d let her. Her gut told her that he wasn’t going to let her go now, not after he finally had her completely. “You okay?” he asked. She couldn’t answer him. Instead, she sat up, back still to him, sheet held tightly to her chest. Damn if she wasn’t sore and damn if she didn’t know what to do, either. When he touched her back again she flinched and heard him growl low. “Damn it, Darian, don’t shut me out.” She made to move away but he quickly stopped her by wrapping his arm around her, holding her close. “I’m sorry,” he said low in her ear. “I don’t think you are.” She shrugged him off and slid from the bed, wrapping the sheet around her body before facing him. “So tell me why?” Dominic sighed, rubbed his face, and then stood up, nothing bothering to cover his nakedness. “Because of time, or rather, lack of it.” She frowned at him and he went on. “We don’t have time on our side. Gatherings happen only a few days before the full moon and your cycle will come two days before then. I didn’t want you to go through that still a virgin.” “So you decided to take me like this instead,” she charged. “Darian, I was raised and taught that the only way to get over your fear is by facing it, so yes, I made you face your fear of us in bed together.” She shook her head, not believing what she heard. He felt justified in what he did and had no guilt about it. “I hate you,” she spat, turned and headed for the door as fast as she could with the sheet still around her. From behind, she heard him following her. Right when her hand touched the knob, his hand flattened on the
door overhead. “Hate me if you must, but trust me when I say you’ll be glad I did this when your cycle comes.” She turned around, glared up at him. “It doesn’t matter about my cycle. I’m not going to be here when it comes.” “Oh, yes, you are.” “The hell I am!” She shoved at his bare chest, pushing him away. “I’m not going to stay in this house so you can take advantage of me further. I’m going to a safe house.” “Last month was your last in a safe house.” “You can’t do this!” “As your mate, I can.” “Oh, so you’re going to pull that card.” She narrowed her eyes at him, holding her ground. “Just like a male.” “Don’t do this, Darian,” his voice dropped, but the raw edge in it was unmistakable. “Do what?” “Don’t pick a fight that you’re not going to win.” He took hold of her arm, pulling her away from the door. She thought at first that he was going to take her back to the bed but instead headed for the bathroom. Darian held onto the sheet for dear life when he took hold of her arm and walked over to the tub. He flicked the lever and water came pouring out. He released her arm then reached for some oil on the counter next to the tub, poured some in. He fisted the sheet in one hand and yanked it away from her and she stood naked before him. “Get in,” he ordered. For once, she didn’t hesitate; she climbed in, crossing arms over her breasts and scooting back to the opposite end of the tub—as far away from him as she could get. He got in and grabbed the tube of oil that he had just poured into the water. “This stuff helps with soreness. Thought it might come in handy now and then after your cycle,” he said. She snorted and he rolled his eyes, putting the tube back down. “Darian, you need to give us a chance.” “I don’t have to do shit. Nothing that has been done to me so far is by my choice.” “So, are you saying that if I had come around earlier, then you’d been willing to mate with me?” “We’ll never know, will we?” He took a deep breath, let it out slowly and leaned back in the tub, the water swaying back and forth over his chest. Darian worked very
hard to keep her eyes averted; she refused to look at the mark she left on him in the heat of the moment. That mark alone meant just as much as the one she had on her shoulder now. They were mated, the claim secured for life. Great! Now she was screwed when it came to getting out of this. “Do you want to know why I didn’t come around, after I figured out you were my mate?” he asked, not waiting for her reply. “Our families have hated each other for years. It goes back to our grandfathers, or I should say the great-grandfathers. Not sure yet what happened only that my grandfather now has done everything he can to keep this damn feud alive. My grandfather did everything he could think of to keep me from you, until I got old enough to do as I wanted. By then I’d worked my ass off so that, when we were finally together, I could give you everything you ever wanted and deserved.” “If you think I wanted all of this, then you’re wrong.” “I also learned everything there is about you and your family,” he went on. “Your father is struggling with the marina—struggling to keep it.” “He won’t take a hand out.” “I’m not offering him one, but I am a business man. I invest in many different things, when I see promise.” “Is there a point to all of this, or can I call it a night and go back to my room now.” He sat forward, the water moving with him. Darian gasped when he grabbed hold of her legs, behind the knees and pulled her close, positioning her right on his lap facing him. She felt him swell under her, felt his cock press against her and tried to pull away. “There is no more going back upstairs to that room. You’re staying with me now,” he said, hands going down to her rear, holding her close. “I—I don’t want to.” Instinct had her pressing her hands against his chest, forgetting that she was still naked in a bath with him. “Then I might be forced to do something rash.” His hands on her ass moved up her back, to shoulders, pulling her close. Lips began to kiss along her shoulder, teasing, sucking the mark he just left, sending shivers down her spine. “Please don’t,” she whimpered, stiffening in his arms. “Why?” One hand kept her in place, the other slid down to her ass, cupping, squeezing, reminding her of her current position. “I don’t want to do this again, Dominic.” The fear of feeling pain again overcame her. “I don’t want you to hurt me again.”
He stilled, his mouth stopped for a moment, then moved up to her ear. Then he slid his hand down her thigh, and slid sensuously between her legs. “It won’t hurt again, I promise.” “Dominic, please!” She couldn’t hold the sob back or the desperation in her voice. He stilled, letting her pull back just enough to look him in the eye. He nodded. “Okay.” She thought for a second that she imagined the word passing his lips. Slowly he let her go, and she moved back from him, crossing her arms over her chest once more, lowering her head. “I’ll wait but if I have to then so will you. I’ll wait until you need me, but you’re not going back to the guest room.” She looked up at him, mouth open, close to saying that it wasn’t fair, but he went on, stopping her from talking. “That’s the only deal I’m making right now, Darian. Take it or leave it.” He stood up, stepped out of the water and she turned her head, unable still to look at his nakedness. Only when he had the towel around his waist did she look up at him again. “Soak. It’ll help with any soreness you might have. I’ll have your things brought down.” **** “You know, Justice warned me that you might be a bit moody, but he didn’t say anything about—” “I swear, Damond, if you say I’m sounding like him, I’m going to rip your nuts out through the phone,” Dominic growled. Damond laughed a sound that Dominic hadn’t heard in a very long time. “Why haven’t you finished the damn claim? Everything will be better once you do.” “Like hell!” Dominic couldn’t keep his anger in check. “Ah, so you have and it didn’t go well then, and I bet you fucked it up.” Dominic took a deep breath, hoping like hell it helped to calm him down. It didn’t. “What the hell is going on with you three? Have you found any proof that he’s involved?” “Nice change of subject, and no, not yet. The old bastard is keeping his head down.” “So what are you guys doing about it?” “There was another house hit, family killed and two young males taken. Thorn wants to put the word out to other families, but we don’t think they’ll listen. Most think they are too damn strong for a human attack.” “Not anymore we’re not. What’s the plan for the full moon?” “Ah, why am I not surprised you’d asked that. Thorn said he knows
of a place where there are no humans this time of year and we can hunt if the urge comes, so all is well in our world. Can’t say the same ’bout yours. So, what’d you do wrong this time?” Dominic rubbed his face and paced his office. “I finished the claim and went about it all wrong.” “I figured that out. What did you do wrong?” “Damond, I don’t know what to do anymore.” Dominic sighed, feeling defeated. “For the first time ever, I’m at a loss here. When I’m close to her all I want to do is touch and hold her, but she fights me at every turn. I made the decision to finish the claim before her cycle and she hates me for that.” “And here I thought mating with one of our own kind would be easier than a human.” “Nothing about this is easy, and we only have a couple days left. How the hell is she going to handle her cycle when she hates me touching her? I mean, she’s going to need me, right?” “That’s what I’ve heard.” “Then you add our heat forty-eight hours later.” He groaned, rubbing the back of his neck. “Man she’s never going to let me willingly touch her after this month. I bet the only time will be during the full moon.” “Maybe we can help once we get back home, or at least I can try. I’m not going to stay out here with these two much longer. They’re nuts.” Dominic smiled at that. “Thorn scaring you?” “You know, I’m starting to think there is something unbalanced with him. He loves the thrill of the hunt too much.” “Always has. I think he’s been looking for something he just can’t find.” “Well, it isn’t a piece of ass, I can tell you that. Every damn place we’ve stopped at to eat some girl flirts with him. He’s like this magnet.” “It’s the dark look, you should try it.” Damond made a humph sound. “No thanks. When I want to get laid, I’ll do it myself, thank you very much.” Now it seemed it was his turn to laugh, but the humor didn’t last. “Is Justice being safe?” “Nick, you’ve got to let him grow up, man. He’s not a little boy anymore. Stop carrying the guilt.” “You didn’t leave him, I did.” “And you came back for him, that’s all that matters. Being away
from the house is good for him. Think of it as a fresh bit of air. He’s not there pining over ‘you know who’ if he’s out here.” “You really don’t like her, do you?” “Vashti? Never said I didn’t like her, only don’t like what she’s doing to my brother. I say, she should just fuck him and let him get over her.” “Cold, man.” “The boy’s had a hard-on for her since what, high school? He needs to move on.” “And what if she’s the one for him? Could happen.” “Then I’ll pity him.” “You already do!” “He needs to get over her, simple.” “Boy, I sure hope I’m there when you stumble upon your mate and she knocks you on your ass.” “Whoever said Vashti is Justice’s mate?” “One never knows.” Damond snorted. “Well, look, I’m going to go. We need to do a bit of traveling if we want to reach these woods for the full moon. You know, I have to say, I’m looking forward to being able to change and just run it out this month. Last month was a bitch. Never had so much pain and need mixed up like that before. You’re lucky to have your mate this month.” “Don’t feel too lucky at the moment.” “It’ll work out. I’ll be home after it ends and see if I can’t help you. Maybe she just needs someone to rag on you.” “You’re too damn kind.” “Alright, Nick, see you in a few days.” “Be careful. Lord knows I don’t need you getting shot by some damn hunter out there.” “Thorn assures us that rarely does anyone come into these woods. Maybe a camper or someone that hikes the trails, but not where he’s taking us, unless their lost. So don’t worry, we’ll be fine, Daddy, and home soon.” “Smart ass.” The phone went dead. He tossed it onto his desk and went over to the window, staring out at the night. The rain still came down, thunder slowly moving away. After leaving the bathroom, and getting dressed, he found Millie and told her to have Darian’s things moved to their room. She said nothing, only nodded at him, but he saw the disapproving look in her eyes. Leaving
her, he went to his office, shutting himself in. He’d fucked up again. He knew it and the shame ate at him but he couldn’t take it back or change the outcome of it all. He didn’t have guilt over finishing the claim, only guilt over how he went about it. However, as he told Darian, time wasn’t on their side. Her cycle was due to come in less than two days, full moon in three. She would need him, demand from him and take. Darian didn’t need to go through those demands still a virgin. Pouring a drink, he moved from the window to his desk, sitting down with a heavy sigh, feet up on the oak. Drinking never solved a damn thing, only gave one a hell of a headache, yet he was doing just that. Drinking and sulking. He wanted to go back to the room, hold her close and sleep the peaceful sleep he always dreamed about, with her in his arms. Yet, he couldn’t. Darian wouldn’t let him he knew, without a doubt, and he couldn’t blame her. He’d fucked up, plain and simple. **** Darian woke slowly to sun shining in her eyes. She stretched, flinched at the soreness between her legs and sat up in a panic, looking around at the strange room. It all came back to her in a rush, what Dominic had done to her and how things were left between them. After her things had been brought in, and the bedding changed, she dressed, slipped under the fresh sheets and awaited his return. She didn’t know how long before sleep finally took her and from the look of the pillow next to her, it was apparent Dominic hadn’t returned. Getting out of bed, she tiptoed into the bathroom, half expecting him to be in there. Nope. There wasn’t one trace of him, or proof that he’d returned last night. Strange. She took a quick shower, dressed and left, going down the hall towards the kitchen, bracing herself to face him. Instead of Dominic sitting at the table reading a paper, she found Millie behind the counter, cooking. “Morning,” Darian said, slipping onto one of the stools at the bar. “Morning, honey.” Millie turned around with a big smile on her face. “You sleep well?” Darian shrugged. “Guess so.” “Hungry?” “Starving,” she said with a smile. “Now that’s what I like to hear.” Millie turned back to the stove picked up a plate from the counter and began to load it up. She put steak, eggs, toast, some bacon and hash browns in front of Darian, then reached for a pitcher and poured her a large glass of juice.
Darian cut into the steak, took a couple bites before setting down her fork. She took a sip of juice, bracing herself to ask the question that bothered her. “Um, Millie have you seen Dominic yet?” Millie’s shoulders tensed for a second. She finished cooking another steak, took it out, and had it on a plate before turning her attention back to Darian. “He’s in the office, honey. Asked for his breakfast in there. Said he had a lot of work to do.” Now that was strange. “I thought he was taking some time off. I mean, that’s what he told me when I got here.” “Maybe he changed his mind. I know some time off would be good for him.” She turned around putting more food on a plate, then the plate on a tray, which she covered with a lid. “He sure could use a break. Works too hard for everyone.” Darian watched her put a coffee cup, pot, and other things on the tray before picking it up. “You finish your breakfast now, and I’ll be right back.” Darian stayed seated, watching Millie until she left. She slumped in her seat guilt as hit her like a punch to the stomach. Was it because of me that he went back to work? Picking up her fork again, she finished her food. Still eating when Millie returned, a smile on her face, she started cleaning up the kitchen. Darian finished the meal and left, not sure where she might go, or what she should do. A couple hours went by and she half expected to see Dominic come out of his office. He didn’t. She did catch sight of Millie coming out with the tray in hand. She watched some television, walked the grounds and decided to take a swim in the pool. At lunch, towel around her, she came back into the house and disappointment hit her when she discovered Dominic wasn’t coming out for lunch either. After Millie delivered a lunch tray to Dominic, Darian softly asked Millie, “He’s mad at me, isn’t he?” “What?” “Dominic. He’s mad at me over last night.” “Oh honey, I’m sure—” “No,” Darian rushed on. “My mother told me about how she rejected my father to a point where he left her. It was as if she broke him in a way over the rejection. Is that what I’ve done?” Millie came up to her, took her hands and led her over to the table where they both sat down. “Honey, I’m not your mother or his. I’ve never been in this kind of situation before, but I do know Nick. I don’t think he’s mad at you, only confused is all. Everyone makes mistakes,
and last night I think he knows he made a mistake by forcing the claim.” “Did I break him, Millie?” “I don’t think so. I think you only opened his eyes some. Made him realize that he needs to slow down and let you two get to know each other a bit more.” “But what about the moon and my cycle? There isn’t time for that. My time is due sometime tomorrow and he won’t let me go to a safe house. What can I do?” “Have you ever thought about talking to him?” Darian hung her head, shaking it. “He doesn’t want to talk to me. Only wants to touch me.” Millie took hold of her chin until Darian met her eyes. “Touching isn’t all bad. You need to overlook this fear you have of him and lovemaking and start seeing the kind man before you. Nick has made many sacrifices for everyone in his life that he cares for, to the point of not thinking about himself. This claim he’s made on you, well, it’s the first time I’ve known him to think about himself, so it’s all new to him as well.” She frowned. “What do you mean?” Millie smiled. “See, you need to talk to him and get to know him better. Now, lunch is ready so why don’t you eat then you can change. I’ll work on him and see about coercing him out of that damn office for dinner.” She ate, went back to the room and changed. Sitting on the side of the bed, Darian decided it was time to call the one person that had been in her shoes. Her mother. Picking up the phone, dialing, she waited, hands shaking at having this conversation. It felt like hours before her mother’s voice drifted sounded softly when she finally answered and Darian’s eyes filled with tears. “Mom,” she sighed, the tears falling. “Darian! Oh baby, I’ve been so worried. Are you alright?” “No,” she said, sobbing into the phone. “I don’t know what to do. I think I’ve done what you did to dad.” “Oh, honey. How about starting from the beginning and telling me everything that happened.” Darian did. She told her mother everything, even him coming into her room, carrying her off and finishing the claim. When she was finished silence greeted her and that alone was a sign she did do something wrong. Skyler always got quiet like this when her children
were in the wrong. “What’d I do?” she whispered. “Well first off, you’re not going to like this, but he did have a point. The claim did need to be finished if you weren’t going to a safe house. You don’t want to have your cycle with him in the house, still a virgin. The demands your own body will make are enough.” “So, tell me what I need to do.” “You need to make it right between you two. Darian, I want you home just as much as I know you want to be back, but you’re mated now. You’re not a child any longer. And as much as I hate to say these words to you, it’s time for you to grow up and think about him, not yourself. Your father has looked into your Dominic and discovered his life hasn’t been all that great. Did you know his parents died when he was only ten?” Darian gasped. “Didn’t think so. His grandfather raised him and his brothers, if one can call it that. From what we learned, his grandfather abused those boys and Dominic moved out as soon as he could. He built what he has from the ground up, and has always taken care of his two brothers. From what we’ve found out, the man has never thought of himself, but only of his brothers and what they need.” “You sound like you’re on his side.” “I’m on no one’s side. I’m only telling you that he hasn’t had an easy life and you need to cut him a break. Don’t make the mistakes I made in the past. Don’t screw around and almost lose a good match. I almost did that with your father.” “He scares me,” she whispered. “I know, but you need to overcome that fear. I doubt he’d hurt you. If he’s finished the claim then, baby, the pain is over. You just need to relax. This is a new life for you, one you should embrace with open arms.” “Has dad accepted it?” “He’s working on it. Right now, your sister has been a handful. This male that claimed her has wanted to come to spend time with her several times already and she’s refusing him. That could cause some trouble.” “God, I wish I was there to help.” “You need to stay there and help yourself and accept him.” “He’s locked himself in his office. How can I even talk to him when he won’t come out?” “You go to him.” “Mom,” she groaned. “Darian, males are prideful and if you have stepped on that pride
then you need to fix it. Let him cool off, and then when your cycle starts to come, you go to him. Trust me when I tell you that he won’t turn away from you if you need him, not if he cares for you truly.” “And if I go to him, then what? I don’t want to do that again.” Skyler laughed. “Oh baby, what am I going to do with you? I didn’t explain sex to you so you would be afraid of it. I explained it so that you would know what to expect and enjoy yourself when your time came. Sex isn’t bad, Darian. Relax and enjoy yourself with your mate.” “But I don’t know what to do.” “Then learn what to do with him. Think of him as your teacher. He’ll guide you and your body will tell you what gives you the most pleasure. Trust me when I say, if you’re in your cycle when you go to him, your body will do what it has to. Let the inner voice, your instinct guide you. Hell, just go with what feels good.” “If it doesn’t—” “It will work,” Skyler rushed out. “Trust me on this.” Darian took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. “This is so nerve racking.” “Always is the first time. Oh, by the way, Lindsey hasn’t stopped talking about the house. Maybe once things settle down your father and I will come and see it for ourselves.” “I’d like that.” “Me too. Now you go wash that face, I’m sure you’ve been crying. Get some rest, and when you feel your cycle coming, slip into a robe, nothing else, and go to him. It will help fix this mess.” “Okay,” she breathed out. “Oh, before I forget. I think someone is stalking Lindsey. I saw a letter she got, but she wouldn’t tell me anything about it. You think Fox might be able to look in and check on her?” “I knew something was going on!” Her mother sounded angry. “That girl has been acting strange for a few days. You let me worry about her, and take care of yourself and call me soon. Need to know my girl is alright.” “I will. Love you, Mom.” “Love you too.” Darian hung up took another deep breath, got off the bed and headed for the bathroom. As much as it scared her, she was going to take her mother’s advice and go to him when her cycle came. This was her life now so she might as well try to accept it, even if he scared the hell out her.
Chapter Eight Robert Vanderburg stood in front of a window in his study, leaned heavily on the cane between his legs as he watched the rain fall. At eighty-two, he never thought his life would turn out the way it had; his only son dead, grandsons refusing to talk to him, one mating an unworthy female and now this shit. Members of the new Cabinet turning up dead, their daughters raped and killed, sons missing. What was the world coming to? “Robert?” Phil Pence, one of the new members to the new Cabinet and a dear friend to Robert spoke softly, voice filled with concern. “Who was it this time?” Robert asked. “The Boyles family. All dead.” “And how many are left?” “Not many. I’ve sent word for the others to go into hiding.” Robert nodded then turned and limped over to one of the leather chairs in front of the fireplace. He sighed, feeling so old, so tired right then. “We need to recruit more.” “I don’t think we can right now, not without getting attention from the Cabinet. If they learn of us—” “I know,” Robert cut him off. “We will be banished, but we also need more males on our board if we want to take back the old ways. This bullshit now is sickening. The shame of a party for a Gathering when there shouldn’t be a party but claiming going on. Who ever heard of such crap!” “One of your grandsons has mated.” Robert snorted. “And an unfit match in my eyes. That is another thing those young members have forgotten. You don’t mix the blood or the names. We of thicker, purer blood should have our own Gathering, not mix with the lower slop.” Phil came over, handed him a glass then took the other leather chair.
“The old ways are dead, my friend. Bringing them back isn’t going to be easy or fast, you knew that.” Robert took a drink and nodded. “I did, but I also didn’t count on someone taking us out before we even got started. Do you know who it is yet?” “Not yet, but I have someone looking into it.” “Look faster!” Robert barked. “Your grandson could help.” Robert looked up at Phil with narrowed eyes. “He has the means to help.” “I ask nothing from that ungrateful bastard,” he hissed. “He turned his back on this family.” “Well I don’t know who is doing the killing, but I do know that a woman is turning the young men into sex slaves.” Robert didn’t stop from gaping at Phil as if he’d lost his mind. “A woman! Are you out of your mind, man? No woman could bring us down. No way in hell.” “Robert, you are such an old bastard,” Phil sighed as he stood up, hands in his slacks pockets. “This isn’t the old days. Women nowadays do go out and cause trouble.” “Next you’re going to tell me it’s a human,” he snarled. “That much, I don’t know, yet, but I’m suspecting it is.” “Rubbish!” “Well I still think you need to have a talk with Dominic. He might know something. Knowing what he knows will help all of us to stay one step ahead of whomever it is hunting us down. Chad Collin was also found dead, his daughter, too and his niece is gone. Whoever did could’ve made him talk. He was a weak man.” Robert nodded. “Fine. I’ll think about it, but that’s all I’ll promise.” “It’s all I ask. You stay low and I’ll start looking into other members to replace the ones we’ve lost.” “You do that.” He turned his attention to the fireplace with no fire burning. The rain still beat against the windows, matching his mood for the moment. The last thing he wanted to do was to go to Dominic. After the boy left his house Robert had learned just how deep the betrayal went and he still, after all these years, couldn’t forgive him for it. **** He didn’t come to dinner. As soon as Millie appeared in his office with dinner, he told her he had to attend a meeting and left the house. Darien knew then that her mother was right. She had hurt him and it was up to her to fix it.
She stayed up, sitting in a chair in their bedroom waiting for him to come home so they could talk. When she woke up the next morning, someone had tucked her into bed and she was alone. Millie once more took breakfast in to Dominic and upon her return to the kitchen said to Darian that he was very busy with work. Now, alone in the house, Darian had a lot of time to think and wonder about what she should do and how she should do it. She called her mother one more time, and got some advice that had her thinking twice and really questioning what happened between her parents’ closed doors. Sure, Skyler had always been open with her children about sex and the sexual needs that each of them would experience, eventually. Most of her talk had embarrassed Darian and she found it nearly impossible to listen to her mother, recalling how her cheeks felt so hot! Now she wished she had listened better than she had. Hell, even now, thinking about licking his body as her mother suggested, had her face heating up, nipples stiffening and clit throbbing. She couldn’t get the image out of her head, or get over the fact that her mother was the one to suggest it. Skyler insisted said that it would help to kick start things, and if Dominic really was intentionally staying away from her, then it would be up to her to kindle a fire in him for her once more. He might even just sit there and wait to see what she might do, not giving her a hand at all. She called her mother, just to get that bit of information, readying herself for his rejection. Man, how things changed so fast for them! Days ago, it had been Dominic chasing after her, trying to seal the bond and bring her around. Now it seemed the shoe was on Darian’s foot, and she was the one needing to do the chasing. Her hands shook just thinking about it. After lunch, Millie let Darian know that there was a meal in the fridge for her, and that she was taking off for the night. Still a shifter female experiencing cycles, Millie needed to be in her safe house before her cycle kicked in. Darian understood and she headed for the bedroom, stripped, took a hot shower, and shaved her body. She was nervous. Her hands kept shaking and she feared leaving her room. She starting pacing in her thin satin robe, thinking. Darian gasped suddenly, unprepared for the sudden heat piercing her body. Her body felt on fire! Heat from the inside out blazed through her body and a gnawing pain settled between her legs and in her belly. On a moan, she fell upon the bed, laid on her back, breathing hard, trying to
deal with the need that was so powerful. She could feel the outer lips of her pussy swell and dampness on the inside of her thighs. Her clit throbbed harder, her nipples rubbed painfully against the satin of her robe. Wave after wave crashed through her and she tried to breathe through it. This only lasted for a short time before she pulled herself up off the bed, walked on wobbly legs out of the room and headed for Dominic’s office. Each step she took irritated, yet, at the same time, aroused and pleasured her clit. She had to stop once, press her head against the wall and wait for the sensations to go away. It ended up being one hell of a long walk to his office, one she didn’t know if she could finish. The house was quiet, and inside the office just as quiet. Darian slipped inside held her breath and bit her lip to stop the threatening moan. The lights were out, a low fire burned in the fireplace, giving off a faint soft orange glow. She stood at the door, back pressed against the wood, scanning the room for Dominic. She found him sitting at his desk, shirtless and wearing only a pair of loose fitting shorts. He was leaning back, head resting on the leather chair, eyes closed, chest rising and falling fast. She made out the hardness of his cock. A reminder of what her mother had said came back to haunt her. When her time came, her mate would know it, and would be there to help ease her pain and discomfort. She would only need to ask. Finding courage, Darian pushed away from the door and went over to him. Only when she stood before him did he open his eyes and look at her. Words didn’t pass between them. In fact he didn’t even move. He just sat there, arms on the rests, legs slightly parted, eyes a bit darker watching her every move. At a loss as to what to do, the only thing Darian could think to do was remove her robe. With hands still shaking she pulled at the tie, opened up the robe and let it fall to her feet. She held her breath, naked before him, waiting to see what he would do. Dominic’s eyes roamed over her body and her nipples stiffened at his bold, intent expression. “You want this, Darian, you’re going to have to take it,” he said. Swallowing hard, licking her lips and taking a deep breath she nodded and bent towards him. The smell of him alone drew her in. She closed her eyes, pressed her body as close as she could with him still sitting in the chair. Chest to chest she wanted to moan. She slid her hands up his arms, rubbed her face into the crook of his neck and gave in to what her body
needed and wanted. She kissed his neck, he turned his head for her and she did just as her mother said. She licked him. The taste of his flesh seemed to explode in her mouth and instantly she wanted more. She moved down him, pulled at his waist, prompting him to slump down lower in his chair. She moved lower. Arriving at his chest, she stopped and licked one nipple, then the other. He sucked in his breath and jumped when she gently bit the nub, following it with a lick and suck. A quick lick to the mark on his chest and he was once more breathing hard and fast. Every spot she tasted she hungered for more. Darian couldn’t get over it; her mother had been right. The simple taste of him ignited her sexual urges and gave her ideas she never thought of before. It seemed that the lower she moved down his body, the stronger he tasted and the more she wanted it…wanted him. When she got to his belly, hands at his waist, she didn’t even think about the next action, she just went with it. She tugged at his shorts, and Dominic rose up, giving her free rein to pull his shorts down his legs, making him as naked as she was. Taking hold of his cock, he once more stiffened and sucked in air at her touch. She held the flesh up, gazed upon it then licked his stiffness from the base to the tip, as one would a popsicle. “Oh shit!” he gasped, shooting halfway out of his chair, and then sinking back down again. On a moan she opened her mouth and took the head in, sucking and licking at it, getting lost in his taste “This isn’t a good idea just now,” Dominic panted. “Darian, you need to stop.” She released him from her mouth, but didn’t stop licking him. “Why? Don’t you like it?” she purred. “I love it, but I don’t think doing that during your cycle or this close to my heat is a good idea.” “Then what is?” “Get up on the desk, and I’ll show you.” With him pulling her up by her arms, Darian got up on the desk, only to have him scoot the chair forward so he sat between her legs. Both legs he placed on the arms of the chair and she watched as his head started to lower between her legs. One kiss and she was gone. She laid back on the desk with a moan, giving herself over to the pleasure she knew he’d give her. He parted her, licked and sucked on her pussy until she grasped his hair, pulling and
pushing against him, wiggling for release. She burned from the inside out, and this only seemed to add to it not ease it. Yanking him away, she sat up and used her feet to push him away enough for her to get off the desk. Taking his hand, Darian pulled him up and had him follow her over to the low burning fire. She grabbed one of the blankets from the back of a chair, spread it out and had him lie down on the floor. “I don’t know what I’m doing,” she said to him, standing over him. “Just do what feels right to you.” She nodded and lowered herself on top of him. Reaching between their bodies, taking hold of his hard flesh, she carefully impaled herself, closing her eyes in bliss as the hot steal parted her. Dominic hissed, she shivered and with his hands on her hips moved on top of him. Closing her eyes, she just gave in to what she was feeling. She moved her hips, grinding herself on him, thrusting fast. She was on fire, burning from the inside out. The motion didn’t feel like it was enough, wasn’t hard enough or fast enough to put out the fire and it seemed that he knew it by the way he bucked under her. Fisting her hands into his chest, she gripped his breasts, dug her nails into him as she moved. The climax she sought was close, but she just couldn’t reach it. Didn’t know what to do in order to get it all to end. “Dominic, please!” she begged. He growled low and flipped them over. Taking hold of her legs, raising them up, he moved hard and fast, slamming into her in the way that felt so right. She reached overhead, fisted hands into the blanket and gave in as a powerful orgasm washed through her, stealing her breath, and calming the need for only a short time. Before she came down from that high, it began to build again and he must’ve known. Dominic sat up with her, placing her on his thighs, facing him. He moved inside her in a completely new way. She held onto his shoulders, thrust herself on his lap and so welcomed the pleasure. “Give in to your pleasure,” he whispered, hands on her backside. Darian slid her hands up his shoulders to his hair, fisting the strands, pulling his head back. While she moved, she leaned in and licked his throat. He growled and moaned. A harder pull and she had him once more laying down, taking what she had to give. Closing her eyes, moving hips hard, she rode him fast and hard. Darian moved his hands up to her breasts. He cupped, squeezed the mounds and teased the nipples. Right at her peak, she bent over and bit him again, on the mark she left last time on his chest.
Dominic shouted and jerked beneath her. She felt his cock swell, felt the jets of his release and it instantly began to still the burn deep in her body. She hung onto the bite until the very last tremor left her, and then released it only to lick and kiss at it until her body cooled. Once it did she rested her head on his chest, sighing. “It’s over,” she murmured. “Or just starting.” Yes, just starting. She’d get one day of rest and then his heat would come, and it would be his turn to demand from her. Only, what would he demand? “What’s your heat like?” she asked, not able to look up at him. He rubbed her back. The action instantly soothed her, had her relaxing even more against him. “Painful.” “No I mean—” “I know what you mean. I don’t know, demanding maybe.” “Will it hurt?” “No, it shouldn’t hurt you at all, only give you great pleasure. Besides, I do have the oil if I need it.” “For what?” “For if you’re not ready for anything that my ‘animal’might want. Don’t think about it now, Darian. Close your eyes and go to sleep.” Just the mention of sleep had her yawning. Since that night he came into her room, took her and tied her up, she hadn’t slept well. The guilt over the things she said bothered her so much that all she did was toss and turn. “I’m sorry,” she said low, her eyes drifting close. “For what?” “For hurting you.” “You didn’t hurt me. I’m the one that hurt you and it should be me saying I’m sorry.” “This feels so good.” She snuggled closer to his chest and the warmth of his body. Dominic, in turn, held her tighter, and she gave into sleep, welcoming it. **** Dominic grinned and stayed put, feeling her body relax on top of him. He couldn’t get over the fact that she came to him when her cycle hit, glad she had turned to him to ease her pain. The house slowly filled with her needing scent, a scent that was starting to drive him nuts. How the hell he was able to stay seated in his chair until entered his office, he didn’t know. And how the fuck he’d stayed in his seat as she licked at his
body made him cringe. Damn! That alone was one of the most enjoyable things he’d experienced in his life. He stayed there for a bit longer, making sure that she was in deep sleep, then as carefully as he could he got up off the floor, holding his mate. He winced when he slipped from her, surprised that he was still hard but it was a controllable hardness. Holding her close, he left his office and went to their room. Gently, he placed her under the sheets and got in behind her, wrapping his arms around her sweet curves with a sigh of content. Finally, he had his mate and, as he held her in his arms, he found it hard to believe his dream had come true.
Chapter Nine The sun shined in his face, dragging Dominic from a deep, contented sleep. Opening his eyes felt like it took more energy than he had but somehow he managed to do it and winced at the brightness. Darian slept next to him, on her belly, the sheet draped over the curve of her ass, arms and hands under the pillow, hair fanned out around her. He smiled at the sight. Quietly, he slipped from the bed, looked around for something to put on, finding a pair of shorts in his dresser, he left the room quickly to fetch food for them. Millie told him before she left that the kitchen would be stocked, since she wouldn’t be coming back until after the full moon. He raided the fridge, brought out lunchmeat, lettuce, pickles, tomatoes, onions, bread, and dressing to make sandwiches. While he started to pile ingredients onto slices of bread, he stopped with a frown and wondered what she might like on it. Not sure, he just put the sides on the plate next to the sandwich. On to a tray he placed two plates, chips, water, sodas and just because he craved them, chocolate chip cookies. With the tray fully loaded, Dominic picked it up and made his way back to the bedroom. Darian hadn’t moved a muscle. She still lay in the same spot and the sweet sight of her gave him the same amount of pleasure. Putting the tray down on the nightstand, Dominic slid back into the bed, slow and gentle. Leaning down he kissed her bare back, starting from her waist and moving upward. “Darian,” he whispered in her ear. “Wake up and eat something.” She groaned, “What time is it?” Dominic glanced over at the clock on the nightstand on her side. “A bit after one.” She pushed up on her arms, looking disgruntled and startled.
“What?” He laughed brought the tray over to her while she turned, bringing the sheet up to her chest. Her frazzled expression gave him a small sense of pride. Clearly, she had the look of a woman who’d been thoroughly loved. “Hungry?” he asked. “Starving.” She took one of the bottles of water first, opened it and downed half before putting it down. He chuckled. “I didn’t know what you liked on your sandwich, so I just put the stuff on the side here.” She shocked him by taking the one sandwich and biting into it. With her mouth full, she also took the pickle and bit into it as well. “Slow down. Don’t need you chocking here.” She smiled, covered her mouth with a hand and chewed fast. “Sorry.” He opened one of the cans of soda and handed it to her. “Guess it takes a lot out of you, huh?” “Well, I normally do sleep to about noon, but never this late, and I don’t think I’ve ever been this hungry either.” She took another big bite, chewing fast then washing down the food with a drink of soda. “For the rest of the day, I just rest up I guess.” Dominic moved onto the bed. He lounged sideways at her feet, eating as well. “It’s our nature. You’ll rest up for the most part of the day to get ready for my demands.” “Do you feel it then?” He shook his head. “I don’t usually feel my heat coming until late in the afternoon. My father, when he was alive, told me that it was unusual. That the day of the full moon the male should always know it’s there and feel it build, but I don’t. Think after three is when I start to feel it.” “So what will you do until then?” “Take care of you.” He leaned forward, kissing her quickly on the lips. Her cheeks brightened. “And enjoy the blushing of your cheeks.” She lowered her eyes and took a smaller bite of the sandwich. They finished and he took the tray back to the kitchen and cleaned everything up. When he returned to the bedroom, Darian was once again sleeping and he let her. He headed to his office, did a little bit of work, and sat thinking about the shit his grandfather might be into. He knew the old bastard better than his brothers; knew the games he liked to play and knew how he enjoyed fucking people over. Dominic also did his own looking into things and had his own information that he would share with his brothers once they came home.
The new cabinet that had formed and planned the next Gathering would meet this night. It would be their first meeting. He wondered how many families would attend it and how many fathers would allow their daughters be taken in front all that night. True to his inner time clock, the first wave of his heat hit around three. By five, he felt the burn, and at six, he felt like he was going to die from the pain. Leaving his office, he walked down the hall, taking his shorts off as he went. Naked, opening the door, he snarled and growled low at the sight of the empty bed. The sound of water running stilled the panic that threatened to spill forth. He headed for the bathroom just as the water stopped. Waiting in the doorway for her to come out his heat pounded through his body hard. The second he saw her he advanced on her. Jerking the towel away, pressing her up against the wall, Dominic kissed her deep. A leg went up to his waist and he moaned into the kiss feeling the heat of her pussy touching the tip of his cock. It felt a magnetic pull toward her, one he wasn’t about to fight. He bent slightly and, with one hard thrust, buried his length as deep as he could inside her where she stood. She stiffened for a second, and then he picked up her other leg and held her up, moving hard and fast. He wanted nothing more than to be gentle yet his heat refused to let him. The urgent need was just too damn powerful to fight. Add the small fact that he’d waited years for the night when he’d have her in his arms on moon night, and it mixed with this frenzy. Her climax hit before he was ready for it. She contracted around his shaft, tightened and released him, building his own need and pleasure, but not to the point of shoving him over the edge. With a low growl, he pushed them away from the wall, walked over to the bed, and let her drop before him onto the mattress. “Turn over.” He smelled her fear, saw it in the wildness of her eyes, but his gaze remained steadfast on her. Licking her lips, Darian slowly turned over to her belly. She shook and he growled low again. Bending over, Dominic licked her from one cheek of her ass, up her back all the way to the shoulder with his mark, crawling upon the bed over her. “I want everything, Darian,” he growled in her ear, tucking a hand beneath her waist and pulling her up to her knees. “I need it all tonight. Need to know that you are finally mine in every way” She looked over her shoulder at him, swallowed and nodded. No sound came from her sweet lips. Dominic didn’t need her to speak, only
acknowledge what he needed and give it to him. From her nod, he knew she would. The animal in him surfaced to the point that he no longer could see in color. Everything in the room, even her, showed in red. He even felt the strong pull to change, but fought that. He didn’t need to be the beast tonight, he needed to be the man. He’d known about his mate and had wanted her for so long, hadn’t had her with him in his great time of need that it became a task of willpower for him now to stay the man. Kissing back down her backside, he made sure she understood not to move. He wanted her up on her knees. Wanted that pretty ass up where he could do as he pleased with it. Wanted to be able to see the swollen lips of her pussy, to smell the pleasure he gave her upon every spot on her body. At the roundness of her rear, Dominic kissed, licked and sucked. He left two hickies on her before taking a bite. Darian gasped, shook, and if he wasn’t mistaken, climaxed as well. Parting the mounds and bending over again, he licked from behind her pussy up to the tiny entrance of her ass. He took two more swipes, straightened up, and with a powerful thrust, he planted himself deep inside his heaven. He saw her through his red colored eyes and saw her fist her hands into the rumpled sheets. She pushed back against him, met him hard thrust for thrust. He gave his animal the lead. He pounded hard into her. Rocked her on the bed and drew out one orgasm after another from her body. “Almost there!” he strained to say. The burn felt like it got hotter, the pain more intense. Stopping for a short second, he reached for the oil he’d conveniently placed on the bedside table. Slipping from inside her, he opened the lid and poured it right between her ass’s crevices. He rubbed it in, slipped a finger into her and with the last amount of will power, carefully slid his cock in and out of her vagina once more, slowly matching the tempo of the finger fucking her ass. More oil, and then he added another finger, and it happened. Her body tightened, stronger than ever. Crying out this time, it was enough to push him over the abyss as well. Dominic arched back, yelled his release then fell forward, clamping his teeth down on his mark he’d placed on her shoulder. Darian also cried out, stiffening up under him even more, her climax causing her to hold onto his flesh hard. With each jet of his release, his heat poured out of his body until it
eventually eased. He sighed against her shoulder in relief, waiting for it all to end. Once it did, he dropped to the side of her, pulling her down. Together they lay, side by side, breathing hard. “I can’t move,” Darian panted. “Me either,” Dominic said, struggling to catch his breath. “Is it over?” He swallowed, slipped from her and winced at the lingering sensitivity. “Yeah, it’s going away.” “I’m so tired.” Dominic smiled and rose up, looking down at her. “You okay?” She reached up, touching his face. He couldn’t stop himself from closing his eyes, pressing more into her hand. Just the simple touch gave him so much pleasure. “Come on,” he said. Taking her hand, he rolled from the bed, pulling her behind him. “Let’s go take a quick shower.” **** Darian followed Dominic into the bathroom, all the way to the walk through shower that she had fallen instantly in love with. Still holding his hand, she watched him turn on the water and set the temperature. Once steam filled the space, he released her hand and she went under one of the many sprays. A shower never felt so good as this one did, she thought, sighing happily. Hot water pounded over her head, down her back and another head beat hot water over her chest. Darian closed her eyes in bliss. Strange how things had changed for them. Just a few days ago, they didn’t know each other, and then it turned into a tense situation, now this. Guess the rumors that she heard about how the full moon could fix things was true. It had seemed to fix them. She washed, he washed, and then he sponged her back, rubbing at her shoulders, kissing her neck. The tenderness of his touch and manner had her wanting to cry, regretting how she’d treated him. “I’m sorry I was just a bitch towards you,” she told him, turning around to face him. Dominic ran his hands into her wet hair, pulling her head back, looking down at her. “Don’t worry about it. It’s in our past, and will stay there.” “How can you be so forgiving so fast?” “Well for one, I understand what I’ve put you through.” He reached behind her and turned the water off. Taking both of her hands, he walked backwards, pulling her out of the shower, and then grabbed the towels,
handing her one. “I should’ve come around and let you get to know me—and this before it happened.” “Yeah, that might’ve helped with my father,” she chuckled, wrapping the towel around her body. Once they both had towels around them, he pulled her into his arms. Darian couldn’t help but sigh at the move. His arms around her left her feeling safe. Strangely, she didn’t have any fear of him touching or holding her anymore. “And second, I love you Darian.” That had her widening her eyes in shock. “I know you don’t believe that yet, but it’s true. I fell in love with you the moment I saw you walk down the stairs of your uncle’s home. You are the one and only for me.” “I—I don’t know what to say.” “Only say what you feel. I’m not expecting you to love me back yet. I’m happy for now that you’re giving us a chance.” That had her smiling, “Well it isn’t like we have a choice here. I did have my cycle and you wouldn’t let me go to a safe house.” “Hell no!” He smiled back. “Wouldn’t have missed it for the world. Come on. Let’s get some sleep. I’m beat.” “Don’t have to ask me twice,” she sighed, following him out of the bathroom and back into the bedroom. Before they crashed, they both decided to strip the bed. Freshly made, and with Darian in one of his shirts, they lay down. Dominic drew her into his arms and she sighed against his chest, the warmth of his body easing some of the soreness in her body. She sighed against him, her eyes drifting closed. “I think I could get use to this after all.” Yawning and stretching, he tightened his hold around her. “Then it will be my pleasure to hold you every night.” “Okay,” she breathed out, welcoming the sleep. **** She walked under the full moon, wandering, looking for the others with whom she’d entered the woods but found no one. Vesper sighed. She didn’t know where the hell she was going and wished she had better directions. If she could, she’d kick herself in the ass for even agreeing to this little hiking trip. First off, wearing spandex pants had never been her thing, not to mention hiking boots and the other crap that went along with hiking. This just wasn’t her thing, period! She wasn’t a woodsy kind of girl! Hell, she tripped over her own feet most of the time, so what the fuck was she doing out here, getting lost?
She stopped walking, hand on her side, breathing hard, looking around. The darkness made the woods appear thicker than when she’d first arrived. “Now what?” she asked herself, looking around with a small amount of hope that she might see something familiar. Something that would help her find her way back. The answer to her question was a loud howl of a wolf sounding way too close for comfort. Vesper stilled, eyes open wide. Shaking, she turned around, fearing the wolf she just heard was right behind. Holy shit! It was! And it was huge! “Oh fuck!” Not thinking, not even processing the fact that if she ran it might chase her down and kill her, still she ran. She ran for her life, panic sitting in so quickly, she didn’t pay attention to what direction she ran. Behind her, she could hear the animal giving chase. Hell, she even thought she could feel its hot breath upon the back of her neck. She shrieked when it took her to the ground, knocking what little air she had in her lungs right out. Vesper tried to get back up, tried to crawl away before it had a chance to start mauling her and ended up getting one hell of a shock. The paw like hands that she first felt weren’t there, but had been replaced with rough human hands that held her in place. The hands turned her over and she found herself staring with wide eyes at one hell of a large man. He had red eyes! Who the fuck had red eyes? He appeared to be wild animal than man, naked as the day he was born. Every inch of his body had muscles. Layer, upon layer of muscles covered his body and he hunched over her like an animal inspecting a meal on all fours. “Wh … wh … who are you?” she stuttered to get out the words, shaking all over. He didn’t answer, only gave a deep growl, his head cocking to the side, nose flaring, as though he caught her scent. She made to scoot back and a snarl followed by another deep growl followed that move, the corner of his lip going up. It was as he was snarling at her. Without a doubt, he was scaring the shit out of her. “Wh … wha … what do you want?” She struggled to get the words out. “Ple … Please don’t hurt me.” That statement had his head jerking up, red eyes darting back to her face and a frown marring his forehead, as if she had said something
wrong. Another snarl and he grabbed her legs, dragged her ass close to him. He parted her legs and his head lowered between them. He sniffed her in the most intimate manner, and then rubbed his face up and down against her pussy. Vesper held her breath. Unexpectedly, he pressed her all the way down to the ground rough hands pushed her shirt up, along with the sports bra, exposing her breasts to the night air. Her nipples hardened and a shiver raced through her body. Again, he had his face close, sniffed at her and rubbed his face against one breast and over the nipple. She jumped when his tongue licked the nub. He kept licking at it, and at the same time, a hand went between her legs, rubbing at her pussy, awakening her to undiluted pleasure. She didn’t know what to do or say, and when his mouth closed around a nipple, pulling and sucking hard on it, she lost her silence and moaned. That seemed to give him the permission he needed, and his hand went inside the spandex, under her wet panties, to her pussy where he slid two fingers deep inside her. “Shit!” she gasped, grabbing hold of his wrist. The action had him growling again, breaking the spell. It all stopped suddenly when his big hands turned her over to her stomach, then grabbed her thighs and pulled her up onto her hands and knees. He yanked down her spandex pants until they settled at the tops of her boots. Her heart started racing when he ripped her panties right off her. With another jerk, he ripped her shirt off one shoulder. She felt his hot breath touch her bare shoulder and a cock, hot and hard, grazed her sex from behind. Vesper hung her head down, wiggled her ass, and for whatever crazy reason, urged him right then to take her. He’d started something inside her, something she couldn’t explain, and for the moment didn’t even give a damn. He pushed her legs apart and, with one hard thrust, tore into her, parting her unused body to take him, reminding her that she should have warned him of her virginity. Should’ve at least asked him to go easy with her, but hadn’t. Vesper cried out, dug her hands into the dirt and tried to find something to grip. He moved hard and fast behind her, stopping every so many strokes to grind into her. His mouth sucked on her shoulder, teeth moved back and forth, sending sharp sensations to pool where they were
now connected. He kept one hand cupped around her breast, teasing the nipple, the other moved to her hip then around between her legs where he touched her clit. Vesper cried out, pleasure unlike anything she could ever prepare herself for exploding through her body. The climax hit unexpectedly. She wasn’t ready for it and wasn’t too sure what to do, a first for her, like a few other things this night. When the on start of yet another climax began to build, Vesper shook her head, not understanding what the hell was going on. Her friends always said that you were lucky if you got one, maybe two orgasms during sex and the second never came right after the first. “Please,” she panted, her body slamming back against his thrusts. “Don’t stop.” “Mine!” he growled behind her. The mouth that had been sucking on her shoulder stopped and with a sharp bite, those teeth sunk in. This time she screamed and reached back, snarling her fingers into his hair. She pulled on the strands. Did she pull to make him stop, or to hold on for the second climax that hit her? She couldn’t answer that question. He wouldn’t stop biting and sucking on her shoulder or pumping into her, which only heightened her passion. A fast rub to her clit, and Vesper came a third time. She screamed at the top of her lungs, until her throat went raw. She could feel her pussy contract around the cock that still surged into her, and it didn’t seem to want to stop. Two more thrusts and she felt the swell of his flesh, felt the contracting of his cock, and just about gave a silent thank-you that it was all coming to an end. Yet, at the same time while she started coming down from her high, she had this strange urge to turn around and wrap herself around his body. She didn’t. Instead, she dropped down, breathing hard. He also dropped down on top of her, still holding onto her shoulder, cock still buried deep and hard inside her. She gulped air into her lungs, waiting to see what might happen next. “Vesper!” Off in the distance she heard one of her friends calling for her. The man behind her stirred, slipped from her body, released her shoulder and moved back with a low and deadly sounding growl. Even though she felt sore, tired, and still wanted to crawl onto his lap, Vesper pulled some amount of energy out of her and rolled away from him, dressing as fast as she could into her ravaged clothing. She ignored her
body’s protest and the snarling growls he gave her as he backed away, the red eyes that watched her every move. “Vesper, where are you?” A snap of a twig behind him had him looking over his shoulder. She used that distraction to make her move. Vesper took off running as fast as she could, not looking behind her. **** He let her go, for now. Stray stayed hunched behind some brush, watching her join the small group of girls that seemed to be looking for her. He snarled the need and hunger from his heat sated for now, but not quenched. He wanted more, felt the need for more, but more wasn’t an option. Once she reached her group and walked away with them, he turned to walk back to his own group when something in the moonlight caught his eye. Naked, he went to the spot where he took her down and there in the dirt a bracelet rested. Picking it up, sniffing, he picked up her scent. Turning it over, he got the one bit of information that he would need for later. Her name. Vesper Jackson. Stray smiled, fisted the bracelet in his hand and looked up at the night sky, eyes landing on the full moon. He stared at it, not feeling the need, the pain of his heat as strong as before, but it hadn’t completely left him. He wanted her again, wanted to fuck her until the pain subsided and was gone for good. “Jesus Stray! What the hell did you do?” Stray snapped out of his reverie, eyes and mind came back down to the here and now to stare at Logan, his best friend. It took him a few moments for his damn brain to register the question and shake off the lingering feelings of his heat. Slowly he got back up to his feet. “What?” Logan Wallace, his best friend, stood naked, just like Stray. Both of them had decided to go to the woods due to their heat, knowing, or at least they thought they knew, others wouldn’t be around. It had worked in the past. Apparently, tonight it didn’t work so well for Stray. Logan sniffed. “You mated.” Shock clearly came through in his voice. Stray opened his mouth to speak, stopping when he heard the snapping of dead twigs. Logan also heard it. Both of them turned and readied themselves to face friend or enemy. What they didn’t expect was for others like them to come out the brush, naked also.
Logan frowned. “Thorn?” Stray stayed back, watching with caution. “Logan, what the hell are you doing here?” Thorn asked. “Same thing as you.” Logan went up to the male, shaking his hand. “Who’s this?” He nodded to two more males. “Damond and Justice Vandenberg,” Thorn said. “We’ve been hunting together.” “Yeah, like what?” Logan asked. Stray sensed something or someone else close by. He turned a growl ready to slip past his lips when something came flying out of the darkness, sticking him right in the throat. Instantly, he felt lightheaded and weak. “Run!” Logan yelled. Stray could see the others in the blurry darkness. He fell to the hard ground beneath him, his body feeling like it weighed a ton or more. He couldn’t lift his legs or arms, could barely keep his eyes open. Logan knelt over him. His hands went under Stray’s arms, as if to pick him up, but something stopped Logan. Right before the darkness took him, Stray saw Logan dropped to the ground next to him, a dart in this throat also. “Call her and tell her we have two,” someone said over him, “Two that should impress her and make her damn happy.”
Chapter Ten Dominic rolled over in the bed, feeling slightly drugged. He reached out to the side for Darian and came up empty. Eyes snapping open, he sat up and looked at the spot beside him then around the room. Panic hit for a moment, the thought that she’d packed up and left him slapped into him, only to be squashed with the faint smell of bacon cooking. With a frown, he tossed off the covers, slipped from the bed and went to his dresser for a shirt and a pair of pants. He dressed then, and barefooted, he left the bedroom and followed his nose. Right before he reached the kitchen, he heard other voices—male voices. “Well, look who decided to get his sorry ass out of bed.” At his table sat his two brothers and Thorn, all eating breakfast that his mate apparently cooked for them. Justice smiled big with a slice of bacon in his hand. “Hungry? Darian turned from the stove with a blush and smile on her face. On the counter near her was a plate with lots of bacon and another with a stack of pancakes. She handed the two heaping plates of food to him, then spooned up a large amount of scrambled eggs into a bowl, picked up another plate with biscuits and followed him to the table that now seemed too small for everyone. Dominic sighed and rolled his eyes. “Let’s go to the dining room. No damn room in here with them.” He headed in the direction of the formal dining room he rarely used and heard the other three males scramble up from their chairs and follow them. They all sat down and the food was passed around to all, plates filled. “When did you three get back?” Dominic asked. “Early this morning,” Damond answered. “We crashed upstairs and came down once we smelled the cooking.” He turned his attention from Dominic to Darian. “A male can never resist food.” Darian blushed again, eyes going down to her plate then up at
Dominic. With a small shrug, she said, “I have three brothers, so I help with the cooking a lot.” “And what else can you cook?” Justice asked. Dominic sighed and shook his head at his little brother. “Darian, I guess by now you’ve figured out that these two are my brothers, Damond and Justice. The silent one is Thorn.” “Thorn?” Darian frowned. “That’s different.” “More like a nickname,” Thorn said. “Never cared for the name I was given.” “Which is?” she asked. He smiled a rueful one that reached his eyes. Dominic hadn’t seen Thorn truly smile in a very long time. “Oh, that I’ll never tell.” Thorn is the kind of male you didn’t want to come across in a dark alley. He always wore black and a leather jacket, his hair was long and dark brown, and he always seemed to have a day or two beard’s growth on his face and in the outdoors always wore dark sunglasses. Dominic didn’t want to be there when the day came for Thorn to face the one who’d wronged him. “Nick, we need to talk,” Damond said, his eyes moving from him to Darian. “I can go in the other room,” Darian said. “No.” Dominic shook his head. “She’s my mate and this could affect her also. “Okay.” Damond nodded, glancing at Thorn. Thorn sat straighter in his chair. “Two of my friends were taken last night, right after their heat cycle. We’re being hunted, Nick, not just random shit.” “This doesn’t have to do with Robert though, right?” Dominic asked. “No.” Thorn shook his head. “This has to do with that bitch.” “Care to enlighten me?” Dominic asked again. Thorn shook his head again. “No.” “Nick, we’ve got two problems here,” Damond said. “We’re being hunted like damn animals, and then whatever crap Robert’s in, this is way too big for the three of us to handle.” “Then the Cabinet needs to know,” Dominic said. “What about my uncle?” Darian asked, getting all four of them to stare at her. She seemed a bit uncomfortable with all the attention. “What I mean is my Uncle Dedrick has been working for years to change things within the Gathering. He should be able to let them know about some of
this stuff.” “She’s got a point,” Damond said. “You are now part of the family. Going to Dedrick Draeger might help.” “Yeah, well the only problem is I think your family still wants to cut my nuts off,” Dominic said to Darian. She smiled in a way that had him hardening in his jeans. “Then fix things with my father.” He sighed, slumping back in his chair. “Don’t see that happening right now either. He’d be the first one in line.” “Dominic, I don’t think he’s going to slam the door on your face if you come to him with this. It’s important,” she said. “Argh.” He rubbed his face. “Okay, I know.” She raised her hands up in the air for a moment. “Let’s do this. Let’s have my parents and my Aunt and Uncle here for dinner. You can make peace, and let them know what’s going on. Uncle Dedrick can get in touch with the Cabinet to warn others and you can keep your nuts safe at the same time.” She pushed away from the table, taking some of the plates with her. “Besides, I’m starting to like them where they’re at.” Justice spit his juice out. Thorn and Damond sat there with a stupid look on their faces, and Dominic could only stare open mouthed at her as she walked out of the room. “I thought you said she was scared of you?” Damond asked. “That isn’t a girl afraid of her mate,” Thorn added. “Oh, I like her,” Justice snickered. “So what do you want to do?” Damond asked. Dominic looked at each one of them. That was the main question here. What did he want to do? It really did matter what he wanted. The thing with their grandfather was spiraling so far out of his hands he couldn’t even begin to think of what might be the best move. What stood before him was a matter of what’s right and what needs yet to be done. Robert starting a new Cabinet with the hopes of overthrowing the old and getting things back to the way they were was a big problem they didn’t need. It would do nothing more than blow up in all of their faces and hurt the good name he’d worked so hard at building. However, as Thorn pointed out in not so many words, they were being hunted. Once more, the Cabinet needed to know in order to help protect them all. “Guess I’m going to be having dinner here soon,” he told him, feeling defeated. Isn’t that what happens once you mate? You become defeated to her pleasure and needs?
**** “Yes Linds, I’m fine I swear it.” Darian giggled with her cell phone up to her ear, lying in the middle of the bed on her back. “Tired and sore some, but fine.” “What did he do?” Darian could hear the excitement and wonder in her best friend’s voice and that brought a big smile to her face. “Girl you know I’m not going to tell you.” “You take all the fun out of things,” Lindsey sighed. “So how’s things at home, truth now.” “Well, Fox finally got power to his floating dump. Alex still gives him hell about it and tells him every day he should just burn it and get it over with. Ash hangs out at the club. I think Jewels is thinking about giving him a job as a bouncer. Oh and your sister is still in a very pissed off at the world mood. I heard Fox and Alex talking about some guy trying to come and see her, but she’s been bitchy and refuses to see him, which they’ve said could be trouble for her later on. What guy are they talking about?” “You don’t want to know. How’s mom and dad doing?” “They miss you, but I think your mom is working your dad down and he doesn’t want to kill Dominic so much as just choke him. He isn’t growling as much. Guess that’s a good sign.” Darian laughed at that. “Did you tell them about the letters?” Her answer was silence. She rolled her eyes and sat up in the bed. “Lindsey, you promised me you were going to tell them.” “They have enough to worry about with you and Lyssa. Don’t need my crap. Oh, oh, oh, oh! Tell me everything about the brothers.” “I think they look like Dominic. Besides that, don’t have much to tell. Just met them this morning.” “Man, I wish I could come and see them for myself. Swear you have all the luck.” “Don’t see how you think all of this is luck.” Darian chuckled. “I’m not there. I’m here and should be—” “Are you kidding me?” Lindsey cut her off. “You’re in the kind of house everyone here would die for with a hunk of a man living the sweet golden life. I think I’m a bit jealous.” “Trust me when I say you have nothing to be jealous about. You can come and stay here whenever you want.” “Hey now, I might hold you to that.” Darian smiled. “Hey, I want to ask your opinion about something.”
“This sounds serious.” “It is.” “There is some trouble brewing in our world. Dominic’s brothers need to get information to my uncle, but in order to do that—” “You need your dad on your side,” Lindsey finished. “Yeah. So do you think his mood has calmed and he’s up for a visit?” Darian didn’t hold back the hope in her voice. “I think if you set it up right he should be fine. He wants to make sure you’re doing good, so a dinner might be what’s needed to fix this shit.” Darian sighed in relief. “I was hoping you’d say that. Okay, then, here comes my favor.” “Always a catch with you.” “Give a heads up to my brothers so they can help put out any fires.” “Darian, why don’t you call them yourself? I know they want to hear from you, and you know you’re not going to be able to do this dinner thing without them coming.” “Good point. Okay, I’ll give Alex a call later then, but once I make the call to mom and dad you help, if needed, to calm things down.” “I think I can handle that. But you have to call me once it’s all over.” “I’ll do better than that. Once it’s over you come and stay for a few days. Let me give my best friend one hell of a summer, since we can’t do our normal stuff.” “That I’m going to hold you to. Can’t wait!” Lindsey sang the last words right before hanging up. With a smile, Darian also hung up, shook her head and stopped to see Dominic standing in the doorway, a small grin tugging the corner of his mouth. “How long have you been standing there listening?” she asked. “Oh, long enough to know without a doubt that your friend means a lot to you. She’s special.” “Yes, she is.” “And I agree one hundred percent about giving her a royal treatment.” “She’s had a hard life.” Darian scooted from the bed, putting her cell phone down on the nightstand. She then started to strip the bed. “You know, you don’t have to do that stuff. I do have a staff.” “I know, but it’s something I had to do back home,” she replied with a shrug. “We didn’t have staff to do our chores.”
He pushed away from the doorway and walked into the room, going over to the other side of the bed, helping her strip it. “We had chores as well. My grandfather had a full staff to take care of everything, but us really. He preached that we needed to know how to do the basics in life. Even made us cook for ourselves once a week. Millie use to get so pissed at that.” “She’s been with you for a long time?” “Use to work for my father as the cook. My mother couldn’t cook a damn thing. Always burned shit, and she tried hard too. Dad I think did most of it until I came along, then he hired Millie for the cooking. It was the only thing Millie did. Mom took care of the rest of the house.” “How old were you when they died.” “Ten.” He grabbed the fresh set of sheets and began to help her make the bed up. “Damond was eight, Justice six. Our grandfather wasn’t too happy about taking us all in, or Millie, but Millie sort of became our nanny.” “My uncle, I know, offered a job to my father, but he refused it. Said he wanted to make it in the world on his own, like his father before him. Made a point of telling us all to do it for ourselves never let another help you.” “Do you know the story behind why our families hate each other?” Dominic asked. She stopped with the sheet in hand, avoiding looking him in the eye for a few moments. Darian didn’t know what she should or shouldn’t tell him. Hell, she still didn’t know where her allegiance stood. She wanted to be loyal to her father and the family, but on the flip side, she also wanted to give this new relationship a chance. Already she’d almost messed things up with Dominic. “It’s okay to want to stay on your father’s side,” he said. “I understand.” “It’s not that.” She looked up at him. “Okay it is. I just don’t know what to tell you really. I mean, it’s my side. You must have your own story.” “Actually, my grandfather wouldn’t say a damn thing,” he snorted. “Refuses to this day to tell us why or what my great-grandfather did.” “How’d you know he did anything?” “Oh, I remember the stories my father use to tell me about his grandfather and how much of a cut throat bastard he was. So I’m pretty sure some of your side of the story is true. I just don’t know much of it.” They finished the sheets, and then put on a new blanket followed by
a fresh comforter. Pillows were next, and then with a hand full of sheets, a blanket, and him with the comforter, she followed him out of the bedroom, down the hall to a door hidden by the wall that led to the basement and washer. “It was a business deal that went wrong,” Darian said, putting the sheets in the washer. “My great-grandfather had asked your greatgrandfather for a loan I think to start this dream business. He had part of the money, but not all of it. Yours didn’t want to give him a loan, but suggested partners. From what I was told, things went well for a couple of years. They made investments and more. Then the shit hit the fan.” She turned, leaned back against the washer facing him. “IRS called about unpaid taxes. People didn’t get bonuses, money was missing, all that kind of thing. Your great-grandfather disappeared with everything the business made, leaving my grandfather to fix things. He went bankrupt, but the IRS still wanted their money. They took everything he had left, leaving him more broke than when he started.” “And then your great-grandfather killed himself. I know the rest of the story,” Dominic sighed, crossing his arms over his chest. “Yeah, it took a long time for my grandfather to get the family up on their feet.” “When did he get together with the Draeger family?” “At a Gathering I think. Grandpa Draeger was a young man going to a special meeting to change the ways of the Gathering. He met my grandfather then and they became good friends. But my family never went into business with anyone else ever again.” “How much did he take from your family?” “I don’t know. Lots.” “I think then that’s something I need to find out.” “Why?” She frowned, not clearly understanding where all this might be heading. “Because,” he said as he strolled towards her, “In my world I believe that in order to make amends you must fix mistakes. I believe that my family has wronged yours, and I also believe that the wrong should be fixed.” He placed his hands on the machine, boxing her between him and the washer. “My father won’t take a hand-out.” “I wouldn’t dream of offering one to him.” His closeness had her struggling to breathe. She felt her body awaken and her clit throb and soon wetness dampened her panties. She looked up at him in amazement, wondering how his close proximity
brought on changes to her body; how he’d quickly awakened her passion, after all they’d shared and done in the past forty-eight hours. “But I will fix a wrong.” His voice lowered and she watched his nose flare as he took a deep breath. “Ah, don’t do that to me.” “Do what?” she whispered, suddenly unable to speak. Dominic bent down so they were face to face. He brought his face so close to hers that she had one hell of a time keeping her eyes open. “God, you smell good.” Before she could respond to that, he kissed her deep, yet softly, lingering longer than he should. When he pulled back, she wanted to take a step forward, toward him, hesitate to end these feelings he’d evoked in her. “And taste even better.” Heat came to her face so she lowered her head and fisted both hands into his shirt. “Stop it.” He chuckled. “Come on. Millie is back and we have some planning to do if you want your family over.” He pushed away from the machine, put his arm around her and together they headed for the stairs. “You know, Millie is going to chew your ass for doing laundry.” “She’s going to have to get used to it. Can’t sit around doing shit all day long. This is my last summer before college.” “Then relax. Once that starts you’re going to be neck deep in studying, and I’m going to feel lonely all over again.” She giggled as they went up the stairs while he put on a pouting act. Millie came back with lots of groceries. Darian sat at the bar watching as the three brothers, along with Thorn, brought everything in for her. They grumbled, but did it with smiles on their faces. Under great protest by Millie, Darian helped her put it all away. “Well they didn’t eat me out too bad,” Millie mumbled to herself. “That’s good.” Darian grabbed herself an apple and sat back down at the bar while Millie did her thing. She brought out meat and other food items to start dinner along with making up thick sandwiches for them to eat for lunch. “So I’m going to take it that things went alright between you two,” Millie said. Darian could feel her face heat up again. “I think we came to an understanding of sorts.” “That’s good, honey.” Millie smiled. “That boy has had a lot of pain in his life. He needs something good and that something is you.” “This is going to be a huge adjustment. Still plan on going to college.” “And you should. Nick believes in an education, honey, so you
won’t have to worry about him trying to hold you back there.” “Millie, how do you feel about planning a large dinner?” Darian asked. **** “With all that’s going on, you want to find out how much our greatgrandfather screwed the Laswells out of years ago?” Damond snapped off. After he left Darian to help Millie, Dominic had them all go back to his office to talk. They needed to come up with a plan and the only one that made sense was giving back what his family took. Might help to clear the air some. “I need something here,” Dominic sighed. “So you want to insult him?” Thorn added. “It’s not an insult,” Dominic said. Thorn snorted. “It’s an insult, Nick,” Justice remarked. “Our great-grandfather screwed many out of their hard-earned money. You going to give everyone back what he took?” “I’m not mated to the others’ daughter,” Dominic tossed back at him. “I think you’d have better luck finding out what kind of financial trouble he’s in with the marina he owns,” Damond said. “You want to fix things, help him to keep what he’s got now. He might not take it so much as an insult.” “That shouldn’t be too difficult. I’ll call my banker later and have him find out.” Dominic took a deep breath and sat back in the chair behind his desk. “So what should we do about our dear old grandfather?” “He’s only a small problem,” Damond said. “This other couple, I think, should have our full attention.” “They hunted for us during the full moon,” Thorn added. “Which means one of them knows our ways.” “Does it connect Roberts?” Dominic asked. “Don’t think so,” Thorn shook his head. “But can’t be sure either.” Dominic took a deep breath let it out slowly and linked fingers over his chest. “The only way to get Robert under control is by taking him to the Council and letting them deal with it. For us to do that, I’d need to talk to my father in law.” He growled, rubbed his face and stood up. “Either way, it’s not going to be easy.” “Other families are involved in this new Cabinet,” Justice added. “Others will be affected by whatever we do.”
“And even more will be if we don’t get involved,” Damond said. “We don’t have a choice here,” Dominic added. “The Council needs to know about the males disappearing as well as what Robert is up to. His new members are the ones being eliminated, and whatever sons they might have are being sold.” He turned his attention to Thorn. “It would help a hell of a lot if you’d fill in some missing pieces here.” He noted Thorn’s discomfort. “Guys, why don’t you give us a moment.” “I’m hungry, anyway,” Justice said. “Let’s see what Millie has, and see about telling Darian some family secrets.” “You behave yourself!” Dominic pointed a finger at his little brother who only smiled big as he walked out of the office. “I make no promises,” Justice said. The door closed, Thorn turned. “I’m not telling you shit, so don’t even fucking go there.” Dominic knew the male would be defensive. He also knew what Thorn didn’t want to admit; he’d been used, just like the others. “I’m not stupid, Thorn. I know they used you like a piece of meat. Don’t want the details either on it. I need to know the other shit.” “Like what?” he growled. “How many for one thing. Who runs the organization crap?” “A woman.” Thorn went over to the mini bar and poured a large amount of whisky into a glass. He took a quick gulp and hissed, “And she’s human.” “How the fuck is a human woman able to do this?” “I don’t know.” Thorn finished what was left and poured another. With glass in hand, he came back to the desk, taking one of the seats right across from him. “She has this drug that just takes the animal right out of everything. I felt human, Nick. Fucking human for the first time, and I hated it. I was weak, unable to defend myself. Hell, I was chained up and couldn’t do shit about it.” “Did you see her?” He shook his head. “Not clearly. She stayed in the shadows and brought her daughter into the room.” “Her daughter?” Dominic sat forward in his seat. “Are you telling me that her own daughter was the one who raped you?” “At first, yes.” Dominic didn’t understand and frowned, head turned slightly to the side. Thorn took another drink and met his eyes. He saw the coldness in Thorn’s eyes and a slight chill of fear pierced his soul. “But once I got on the bed all I wanted to do was take over and fuck the living hell right out of her.” He growled out his frustration and stood up
again, giving Dominic his back. “Nick, this stays with us, understand?” “Anything you say stays here, unless you say otherwise.” Thorn didn’t face him. “She’s my mate. I hate her and want her at the same time.” “Shit,” Dominic breathed out. “Yeah, my feelings exactly. I’m fucked either way here.” “What about this friend of yours that was taken last night.” “Logan Wallace. You know him. His father married that Vashti Berridge mother. Doesn’t Justice have a major hard-on for her?” Again, Dominic groaned, rubbing his face. “Yeah, he does. Fuck, this shit just keeps getting better and better.” “The other one, I’m not sure about. Never met him before, but he was with Logan.” Dominic thought for a moment, not sure what he needed to do. He felt lost and the only thing he wanted to do was leave this room and be with his mate. “Okay, this is what we’re going to do for now. The Vashti thing stays between us. Justice doesn’t need to know right now that Logan is a part of her family. He’ll go nuts, or lord knows what he might do. What you told me also stays here, until you want to tell the others about the girl. I’m not going to say shit. Our priority now is to find out the identity of this damned woman. I’ll leave that to you. I’ll handle Robert and this new line of shit he’s gotten himself into.” “And your brothers?” Dominic stood up slowly. “As much as I hate to say this, they are old enough to do as they wish. If they want to go with you, who am I to stop them. They need to make their own way, just wish it was doing something else.” Thorn smiled then, but it barely touched his cold dark eyes. “Don’t worry so much. They can handle themselves.” “Like you?” Thorn raised one eyebrow. “Hey, I was caught unaware. Won’t happen again.” “Sure as hell hope not.” Dominic headed for the door. “If anything happens to my brothers, it’ll be your ass I’m after.” “And I wouldn’t blame you one bit.” **** Darian paced the large expanse of the living room, cell phone in hand, unable yet to call home. No, scratch that, her parents’ home. This is her home now, and she needed to keep reminding herself of it.
Part of the meeting was over. Damond and Justice came out and headed right for the kitchen. They sat down at the table and dug into the sandwiches Millie had made. Dominic was still in his office with the other one, Thorn she thought he called himself. While they were having their meeting, she was supposed to make the call to her parents and set up a date for dinner with them. Millie was on board with it. She thought it was an excellent idea for the family to come and set things straight. If they saw that she was okay, then her father would be at ease and she wanted that. From what little she had heard of how Lyssa was taking her own claiming her father needed to be able to focus on her, not on Darian. “Having a hard time making the call?” Darian jumped, turned and breathed out a sigh of relief. Damond came in, a bottle of water in his hand. “Yeah. Still not sure what to say.” “Hi would be a good start.” She smiled and he went over to the sofa, sitting down, heaving a tired sigh. “Nick wants to make peace. That’s all that matters.” “Yeah, well you don’t know my family then.” She joined him in a chair across from him. “Some of the males like to hold grudges.” “And if they are anything like us, we tend to bend very easy to the ones we hold dear to our hearts.” He smiled. It seemed strange to her how easy she felt around him. The very first time they met, Darian was scared out of her mind. Now she just felt like she belonged here. “That still doesn’t change the fact that I’m a bit scared to call my father,” she said. “Don’t want him to blow up and I’m worried this might all be too soon for him.” “Never too soon. In fact, I think it’s the perfect time. Make the call. Invite him over and let him and Nick figure out the rest. I promise you, they won’t kill each other.” “And how do you know that?” “Because Nick’s been whipped.” Once more, he smiled, this one bigger, showing his perfect white teeth. “And he wouldn’t do a thing to hurt you.”
Chapter Eleven “If you don’t stop pacing you’re going to put a hole in my carpet.” Skyler Laswell watched her mate pace the living room, phone still in his hand, and a confused, pissed off expression on his face. Only an hour ago, their oldest daughter called, assuring them both that the full moon went well with her, as did her first cycle away from a safe house. After talking with them both, assuring them everything was now fine, she tossed in that she wanted to have the family over for a special dinner. They needed to make peace, which Skyler agreed, and talked about some very important matters that would affect everyone. Adrian was just fine, until the talk of them heading towards the Vanderburg’s home started to sink it. “I don’t trust myself yet,” Adrian stated, shaking his head, still pacing the floor. “I might choke him.” “Darian’s accepted it, so must you.” His response was a growl. In all the years they were together, Adrian just now was starting to look his age, somewhat. Bits of gray were touching the sides of his golden head and a few wrinkles finally wrapped around his eyes. Of course, it didn’t help how much he worried about the marina or the finances. She worried just as much as he did only he wore it like a second skin. “I’m not ready to,” he growled. She took a deep breath. “Well, we don’t have a choice. We’ve accepted and will be heading over there tomorrow evening. You need to come to grips with this so we can handle the other better.” “That one acts just like you!” he snapped, eyes narrowed in his anger at the thought of what Lyssa was putting them through. “She’s so damn stubborn.” Skyler snorted, “As if you’re not.” “Daxis isn’t going to wait forever.”
“Then why don’t we have him and his father over for dinner after we get done with Darian. Help to break the ice.” “Because your daughter won’t see him.” Adrian’s voice rose with his anger. “She’s putting us between a rock and hard spot here, Skyler. She’s fourteen. We only have her for four more years, which you know damn well that time will fly now. If she doesn’t start having something to do with him, like talk for Christ sakes, then when her time comes it’s going to be like Darian. She’ll be taken away.” “Then we need to make her see that.” “How?” he snapped. “She’s been locking herself in her room, only coming out for meals.” “Adrian, I agree that the situation with Lyssa is serious, but we also need to think about Darian. Let’s do the easy one first, and then deal with the hard one.” This time he snorted. “Nothing about the Vanderburgs is easy and you know it.” “So who are we letting come with us?” She hoped the change would ease his mood. With hand on hip, Adrian ran his other through the golden locks on his head. “I think just Alex. Ash can stay with Lyssa and keep an eye on her.” She nodded. “Then, let’s go have some lunch and tell the boys and get ready. It’s a drive and Darian said dinner is at seven.” Again, he growled, “Can’t believe you’re making me do this.” **** Justice stormed into the house, slamming the door so hard windows shook with the force. Dominic glanced at Damond who smirked back. They sat at the small table in the kitchen eating a light lunch, Dominic reading over the reports of the day as well as the information he requested about his father-in-law’s marina. They knew without needing to ask what was wrong with Justice. “Problems, little brother?” Damond snickered. “Where the hell does she get off acting like she’s better than me?” Justice snapped, his voice giving off just how irate he was. “I swear!” Damond looked again at Dominic who only glanced up from his reading and together they said one name. “Vashti.” “Man, when are you going to give up on her?” Damond asked. “She isn’t interested in you or our kind. You know that, she’s stated it several different times.” Vashti Berridge had been Justice’s little fantasy since he was in high
school. Ever since the day he met her he’d been trying to get his hands on her. She was a human with a stepfather that was all shifter, so she knew about them. She also knew about their hungers, their sexual appetite and the demands of the full moon. Vashti also made it very clear to them all that she wanted nothing to do with it or them, but didn’t stop Justice from trying to get her to go out with him. And each year, Dominic and Damond snickered at the attempt, trying to get their little brother to move on and find someone else. But Justice refused to listen, hence, the pissed off mood once more. Dominic really couldn’t blame his brother for wanting her. Vashti was a knock out. She only came up to the top part of Justice’s chest, wore her golden brown hair long and wavy. Her body was all sweet curves and her legs shapely, her breasts more than a handful. They all three took a bet once on her size and Dominic was a bit shocked to discover that she was a size sixteen. Vashti hid her figure from everyone and she hid it well. The night they discovered that, he thought they thought her stepfather would shoot them. But after that time, Justice made it very clear to her that he wanted her, and made it known just as clearly that she didn’t want to have anything to do with him. Somewhere along the way, a challenge was issued from her, one that backfired in a sense. Justice put the word out that she was his and anyone who dared to touch or go out with her would deal with him. After all the years out of school Justice kept that vow going and Vashti kept her hostility directed right at him. Each time they came face to face, Justice blew his top. Justice left the kitchen and went into the large family room. They didn’t move from the table, mostly because they knew where he was heading, what he would be getting, and that he’d come storming back into the kitchen. Sure enough, Justice stormed back with a large glass of whisky. “That shit will tear your gut up,” Dominic said, sitting back in his chair with a sigh. “What’d she do this time?” Damond asked. “Saw her at that little bakery with one of her friends, so I went in to say hi,” Justice said. “She turned on me, accusing me off all kind of shit like costing her her job and making it impossible to date.” Damond held his finger up in the air. “That one you did do back in school.” “I swear, Damond, one day she’s going to need my help,” Justice
tossed back. “And that help is going to cost her big time.” “Don’t you think you’re letting this little obsession of yours get a bit out of hand?” Dominic asked. “Me!” Justice’s voice rose in pitch, a shocked look in his eyes. “Who’s the one that went behind everyone’s back here to claim his mate?” “Yes, to claim my mate, not drool over something I can’t have,” Dominic pointed out. “Oh, one day I’m going to have her.” “Dreams don’t count,” Damond added. “Fuck you,” Justice also flipped him off. “Where’s Darian anyway? “Out shopping with Millie for the dinner,” Dominic sat up in the chair again and picked up the file he was reading. “And Millie let her?” Disbelief filled Justice’s voice this time. “Millie likes her, and they’re both taking this little dinner very serious.” Dominic closed the folders he’d been perusing, picked up the stack of them and stood up as well. “I just hope it doesn’t blow up in all our faces.” “Well that’s thinking positive,” Damond said. Dominic left the kitchen and headed for his office. Behind him, Damond and Justice followed. He tossed the files onto his desk, walked over to the window, staring out at nothing, deep in thought. “What’s on your mind?” Damond asked. “Talked to my banker about the marina. Don’t think Darian even knows, but her father is about to lose it. He’s at least ninety thousand behind and doesn’t look like he’s going to get caught up. The bank he’s with has just offered me a deal on it.” Damond whistled. “Damn. You take the deal he’s going to really want your balls.” “And if I don’t, then he’s going to lose everything because someone else will come in and take it,” Dominic sighed. “How the hell did he get so far behind?” Justice asked. “He bought it off of another guy who let the taxes get behind,” Dominic answered. “For a while it seemed that Adrian was getting caught up and things were going well. But like always, you try to do favors for friends and eventually, sometimes, they come back to bite you in the ass.” “Ah, credit,” Damond added. “Yeah, give fucking credit out and get screwed in return.” “So what are you going to do?” Justice asked.
Dominic took a deep breath, let it out slowly and rubbed his face. “No idea.” “Run it by Darian,” Damond said. “She might be able to give you some insight with her family.” “Well, either way, her father is going to lose the place.” “Sucks to be you,” Justice stated. Dominic turned and gave his brother a dirty look. “You need to cut this shit with Vashti. We don’t have time for your hard-on.” “Ouch,” Justice said. “He’s right,” Damond added. “Your dick is going to have to wait.” Justice growled, “I’m tired of waiting.” “Then move on!” Dominic raised his voice. “You’ve been chasing after her since she was a damn kid. I’m telling you that right now we don’t have time for this shit. We need to get Robert under control and the Cabinet up to speed here. In order to get their ear, I have to get on the good side of my in-laws. I can’t worry about you and this bullshit.” “Do you want us here?” Damond asked, clearly changing the subject. “No.” Dominic took a deep breath, facing both of them. “I want you to go and find out what Roberts is up to.” Damond and Justice both groaned. “He doesn’t have to see you, but I want to know who he’s seeing. There’s more to this than just him. It’s time we know who else is in this game. The more information I have the better.” “Okay,” Damond sighed, sounding defeated. “So you going to tell me where Thorn is?” “He’s gone?” Dominic said with a frown. “Yeah. Saw him leave early this morning. Figured he was doing something for you.” “No, and he didn’t say a word about leaving.” “Well, I wouldn’t worry about it,” Justice said. “He always shows up.” He cocked his head to the side. “Sounds like Millie and Darian are back.” “Let’s give them a hand then you two can get ready to head out. I need to talk to Darian about her father before everyone starts showing up,” Dominic stated. Millie planned to outdo herself. She decided to do a combination of two styles. First thing he noticed, as he brought in the bags, was a very large bag of mussels. Then he saw the porterhouse steaks. “I’m going to take a guess here and say you have a plan,” Dominic said, putting his load of bags on the counter.
Darian had a bounce to her step as she brought in her own load of food. She smiled at him, and it stole his breath. “Yeah, my Aunt Jaclyn loves steamed mussels, and you can never go wrong with a good steak. So we’re doing both.” “And what do your parents like?” he asked, unloading the bags while Millie went around them, taking what she needed for now. “They’re not too picky, but I will tell you fried chicken is a family thing. Every year we all get together at the lake for a big dinner and that’s the main course.” “Sounds good.” She stopped what she was doing and met his eyes. “You’ll get to go to one of them, as soon as we all start to get along.” He couldn’t move from the spot. Their eye contact seemed to speak louder than anything else between them. He saw the trust, the acceptance, and if he wasn’t hoping for too much, maybe a bit of caring for him as well in her eyes. The urge to take her in his arms and just hold her hit him. He wanted to be alone to simple enjoy being with her. “I want you to get the dining room set up,” Millie said, breaking the spell. He gave a wink to Darian. “Guess I’m working in the dining room, but later we need to talk before anyone comes, okay?” “Okay.” Saluting to Millie, he turned and headed for the dining room, smiling when he heard Darian giggle. He made sure the dishes they would use tonight were clean and silver polished. After he finished the job, Dominic headed for his office. He’d just finished writing a check when Darian showed up. “Millie kicked me out of the kitchen,” she said. “Told me she can finish the rest.” “You should be glad she let you do what you did.” He smiled at her. “She never lets anyone in her kitchen.” “So what did you want to talk to me about?” Dominic took a deep breath, prepared himself for the talk he needed and stood up. “Close the door.” “Sounds serious.” She closed the door and moved deeper into the office. “It is, and I think it affects you just as much as it does your family.” “Is this about the meeting tonight?” “No, it’s about your father’s marina.” He watched her carefully for any sign that she might have a clue as to what was going on but it
appeared she didn’t. “Do you know your father is in trouble with it?” “I know things are a bit hard. People there don’t want to pay their debts and keep trying to run on credit.” “Yeah, that’s part of what’s going on. I was going to find out how much was taken by my great-grandfather and pay your family back.” Her mouth opened to speak, but he held up his hand to stop her. “I know what you’re going to say about your father not taking a hand out. I never would insult him or your family by doing that, Darian. And please hear me out.” “Okay,” she said grudgingly, becoming defensive. She crossed her arms over her chest and leaned to one side. “Your father is about to lose his marina.” “You don’t know that.” “Yes, I do. My banker informed me this morning. Your father’s bank is about to foreclose on it and take it back. Mine just offered it to me, when the time comes if I want it since I’m asking about it.” “You can’t do that!” She raised her voice at him. “I never said I was,” he rushed out, hoping not to ignite her anger, now that she’d accepted him. “I’m only telling you what I’ve discovered.” He went up to her, took her hand and pulled her to the chairs in front of his desk. Together they sat down, and he didn’t let go of her hands. “You know my business is buying and selling of companies.” Again, she opened her mouth to speak only he cut her off again. “I’m not wanting to take his business, but he needs help in order to keep it.” “What are you saying?” He reached to the check he just wrote and handed it to her. “I’m saying that I’m paying back your family for what my family did to yours and hopefully save your father’s marina. I would like your help in this. If your father doesn’t take it, Darian, he will lose everything.” She took the check and her eyes got huge as she read it. “Dominic, this is so much!” “And yet I don’t think it’s enough.” “My uncle wanted to help him but he refused.” Tear-filled eyes met his. “He’s not going to want to take this either.” “Then we need to work on him to take it. I don’t want him to lose the marina, and I don’t plan on taking it either. But,” he reached out, touching her face gently, “If it does come down to it, I will buy it and sign it right back over to your family, if it comes to that.” “Why would you do this?” she whispered.
He leaned forward, kissed her gently on the lips. “Because I love you and will do anything I can to help you and your family,” he answered softly. “Now, let’s go get ready. Our guests will be here before we know it.” With a nod, Darian placed the check back on the desk, got up and walked out of the office. Dominic sighed, slumped back in the chair and rubbed his face. Well, he mused the meeting had gone better than he’d expected, but it didn’t help him feeling guilty about it. Putting the check in an envelope, Dominic left the office and headed towards the bedroom. He could smell the cooking, smell the steaks grilling. His mouth watered and his stomach growled. Inside the room, he heard the shower running. On impulse, Dominic stripped, locked the door and headed for the bathroom. He stopped for a moment to take in the beauty of the scene before him. Darian stood under the water, back to the door and him, head down. Water beat over her head, drops falling down her backside. She had both hands out in front of her, the back arched while all the jets beat down on her. He could only stand there watching for so long before he joined her in the shower. Dominic turned her to face him and kissed her deep, holding her close. She moaned into the kiss, arms gripped his and together, they both went down to the floor. He couldn’t contain his hunger—didn’t even bother trying. Covering her wet body with his own, Darian parted her legs and he sank into heaven. It amazed him at how quickly her body readied itself for him. He’d slid inside her easily and she gripped him tight. His strokes he kept slow and easy, no rush or demand like before. He wanted this to last as long as it could. With a low groan, he stopped, turned them over and sat up. She pulled back, meeting him eye to eye. With both hands on her face, he gently pushed her head back and kissed, sucked at her throat, moving down to the mark upon her shoulder. “We don’t have time for this,” she panted. “Says who?” He kept right on sucking and kissing her. “Me.” Darian surprised him by pulling away and standing up. Dominic could only sit there, watching her grab a towel and leave the shower. “My parents will be here in an hour.” “Argh,” he groaned as he lay down on the wet floor. “Don’t leave me like this!” She giggled. “It’s your own fault. Now finish your shower and get
ready.” “Baby, I’m more than ready.” By the time he sat back up she was already out, towel around her body. “And it’s just going to have to wait.” “You’re killing me here!” “You’ve got thirty minutes, Dominic,” she announced, pointing a finger at him. Darian left the bathroom, left him in pain and need on the shower floor with water beating down on him. With another low growl, he stood up, finished his shower and dressed. Thirty minutes later, he paced the long wide hallway, awaiting her family’s arrival. He couldn’t recall the last time he felt so nervous. Hell, waiting for the doorbell to ring, Dominic thought of himself as a large slab of meat on a grill, just waiting to be eaten. Darian was in the kitchen helping Millie with last minute preparations and making sure the table was set the way she wanted it. The bell rang and he simply froze. Many different things went off in his head, one being that this was a major bad idea. It was too soon to have Adrian in his home. He just knew the male still wanted to rip his throat out, and with Adrian having his brother in law—well what was to stop the man from killing Dominic. “Are you going to answer the door?” Darian’s voice snapped him out of it. Swallowing hard he nodded and forced his feet to carry him to the door. Hands shaking, Dominic reached out, grabbed the knob, and turned it, opening his home and everything else he had to the Laswells and Draegers.
Chapter Twelve Darian sat next to Dominic, who sat at the head of the table, and her father at the other end facing each other. Her Uncle Dedrick to Adrian’s right, her mother to the left and Aunt Jaclyn right next to her. Tension in the room was so thick he imagined he could slice it with a steak knife. Darian looked at each one of them, and he watched her from the corner of his eye. Then, out of nowhere, she sighed and slammed her fork and knife down on the table. “Come on! Can’t we try to get along here?” she said. “I think sitting at the same table is saying something, honey,” Adrian stated, his eyes locked on Dominic. “And knives not flying is a very good thing,” Dominic added. “This is not how I wanted the dinner to go.” She pushed away from the table, tossed the napkin on her plate and left the room. Two other chairs pushed away behind her. “Darian, honey, wait,” Skyler called out. With a sigh of his own, Dominic lowered his own silverware and slumped back in the seat. Adrian did the same thing. “Okay, why don’t we just clear the air and get it over with.” “Okay.” Adrian sat forward in his chair. “I still want to kick your ass for what you did.” Dominic nodded. “Understandable.” “But,” Adrian took a deep breath, crossed his arms over his chest and once more slumped back in his seat. “My mate has informed me that the moon night went well and that you and Darian have come to an understanding. So for her sake, I’m willing to try to make this work. But just know one thing, Vanderburg.” He pointed a finger at Dominic. “You hurt her in anyway and I’ll rip your fucking throat out.” “Finished?” Dedrick asked. “Yeah,” Adrian nodded. “For now.”
Dedrick gave his full attention to Dominic. “I know for a fact that we weren’t invited just for a good meal and to keep peace.” “No, you weren’t.” Dominic pushed away from the table and stood up. “How about we go to my office and talk? Have something stronger in there to drink and I think we’re going to need it.” Dedrick and Adrian followed him out of the dining room, down the hall and into the office. He spotted Darian with her mother and aunt in the small sitting area and gave her a nod along with a quick smile before disappearing. He went right over to the table with his best liquor. Pouring three glasses of brandy he handed them off, then moved to the other side of the room, standing up as the two took seats. “I’m sure by now you both heard the rumors of a new Cabinet being formed,” he said. “I’ve heard something about it,” Dedrick said slowly. “So.” “It’s not a rumor.” Dominic waited a few seconds for it to sink in. “I know for a fact that some of the older families have gotten together and have their own Cabinet. In fact, they’ve even held their own Gathering, in the old ways.” “Son of a bitch,” Adrian hissed. “Are you sure?” Dedrick asked. “Positive.” “How the hell do you know?” Adrian asked. “Because as much as I hate to admit this, my grandfather is part of it.” He took a large drink then, welcoming the burn. “But that’s only half of our problem here.” “There’s more?” Dedrick asked. “Yeah, and this part I don’t know if my grandfather is involved in or not.” Dominic rubbed his face. “We’re being hunted, families have been killed, the young males kept and sold or used as sex slaves.” “Are you serious?” Shock spread across Dedrick’s face, Adrian’s too Dominic noticed. “How the hell do you know this?” Adrian demanded, putting his glass down on a side table. “Friend of mine has, let’s say, experienced it all first hand.” “Does your grandfather know that you know?” Adrian asked. “We don’t talk.” Dominic also put his glass down and faced Adrian head on. “As soon as I turned eighteen I left his house for good. My brothers followed. Robert isn’t the easiest man to live with and I don’t care for his way of thinking.” “A noble man.” Dedrick glanced to Adrian before his attention came
back to Dominic once more. “So a new Cabinet had been formed. Not a shock or surprise. There have always been families that didn’t want to change things.” “But if they are doing their own Gatherings, then the others should know,” Adrian said. Dedrick nodded, “And they will. I’m sure the others know about this, or know who a few of them are. Members have been suspecting a lot lately with some of the older families, families like you.” His dark eyes gave Dominic the chills. “After all, your grandfather has never really been quiet about his feelings about the change to the Gatherings.” “I’m not him.” Dedrick began to stroll around the office head down for a moment before he looked up at Adrian then back at Dominic. “No, you’re not.” “I don’t know how the killings are related yet, but I’m trying to find out,” Dominic said. “I’m going to take a big guess here and say this new group pissed someone off,” Dedrick said. “And that someone is getting even.” “Three new problems,” Adrian sighed. “Thought this shit was over with years ago.” “At least we know what happened to the males that have been missing,” Dedrick said. “And why, when they finally do come back, the few who have, that is, are fucked up big time,” Adrian finished. He turned his full attention back on Dominic, finger pointing at him. “And you’re staying out of this shit.” Dominic opened his mouth to protest, but Adrian cut him off. “Nope. You mated my daughter and I’ll not have you put her in danger. This shit is serious.” “Which is why I’m in it,” Dominica stated. “I’m not going to look over my shoulder all the time waiting for something to happen. I don’t trust Robert.” “Good, don’t trust him,” Dedrick said. “Your grandfather will be the first one to give whoever the fuck these people are my daughter,” Adrian said. “I won’t let him.” “And you expect me to trust you?” For a few tense moments, they just stood there, staring at each other in a small face off. Dominic didn’t want to do what he planned, especially with Dedrick in the room. It seemed now was the only chance he would get and he needed to prove himself, needed to show this male that Darian meant the world to him. He reached into his inside jacket
pocket and brought out the envelope that had the check. Taking a few steps closer to Adrian, he placed it down next to his glass. “I had planned on doing this alone, but I guess I need to prove myself to you now.” He tapped the envelope twice before backing away. “I know what my great grandfather did. In fact, he did it to a lot of others, but before you open it, I want you to know that this is two things. Payback for one, and second, well, I don’t want to see you lose it all.” He took more steps back, watching Adrian pick it up and open it. A frown formed on Adrian’s brow as he looked down, then his head shot up. “Are you out of your mind?” Adrian’s voice rose, eyes narrowed on Dominic. Dedrick took the envelope from Adrian and whistled when he looked inside. “Damn.” “I’m not taking your fucking money,” Adrian growled low. “My great grandfather took one million from your family. I’m paying you two back with interest.” “Now I’m going to kick his ass,” Adrian snarled as he lunged at Dominic but Dedrick stopped him. “I also know about your marina,” Dominic rushed out. “I’m an entrepreneur. I buy and sell property, sometimes keep it. I have been informed of your marina and know that you’re about to lose it.” “What?” Dedrick gasped. “You said everything was fine,” he said to Adrian. “Everything is fine,” Adrian said through gritted teeth, the glare still directed at Dominic. “It’s not,” Dominic said to Dedrick, but kept his eyes on Adrian. “He’s sinking—fast. People refuse to pay their debt making it so Adrian can’t pay his own. That check,” he pointed at it. “Isn’t to save you or bail you out. It’s to repay what my great grandfather did to you. What you do with the money is up to you.” Adrian started to fist it and Dedrick stopped him. “Use your brain, not your pride.” “Does Darian know you’re doing this?” Adrian asked him. “Yes, I showed it to her, and she told me you wouldn’t want to take it. I don’t like what my family has done to get ahead. I don’t approve the things my grandfather is still doing. I know that you’re still pissed at me and understand it, so I look to us as family even if you don’t. You will lose the marina and everything you’ve worked hard for if you refuse to take the payback.” “I don’t take handouts.”
“This isn’t a handout. This is just making what’s wrong between our families, right.” “Take the money and get your shit straight,” Dedrick said. “Or I’m going to let him buy your damn place, sell it to me, and I’ll kick your ass straight.” “Argh, I don’t like handouts!” Adrian yelled. “And I don’t want my sister struggling either,” Dedrick pointed out, his voice also rising. “This isn’t a handout,” Dominic said. “I’m a business man. If you feel it is, how about I do something at the marina to help you out then. I don’t want to see you lose it either. Darian loves the place and it would break her heart if you lost it.” “And what the hell can you do that isn’t behind a desk?” Adrian charged. “A lot of things.” Dominic smiled. “How about this? Next summer, we’ll come there and I’ll help to work on the place to get it up where it needs to be and help you collect all the debt that’s owed to you. We can call it all even then.” “Oh, now that I like,” Dedrick chuckled. “You can work his ass off.” Time felt like it stood still. Adrian stood there, the check fisted in his hand, anger still spread across his face. Dominic watched for him to lunge again, but he didn’t. Instead, he folded the check and stuck it in his pocket. “Okay,” Adrian nodded. “I’ll take it but only if you come out next summer and help me get it all back up on its feet, and you make sure Darian starts college after this summer. She had plans before you came along and they better get done.” “I think I can handle that.” Dominic stretched his hand out to him and waited. Adrian took it and they shook on it. “Good, now can we get the girls back to the table and finish dinner?” Dedrick asked. “I’m starving and Jaclyn wouldn’t let me eat a damn thing after lunch.” “Sounds like a good idea,” Dominic said with a smile. **** “Girl, this is some house.” Jaclyn walked around the pool, looking up at the house. “I mean, damn!” “Yeah, I think it’s a bit much, though.” Darian paced back and forth, hugging herself, staring down at the green grass. “You think they’re
killing each other yet?” Jaclyn laughed short, “Honey, with your Uncle Dedrick in the same room, I doubt it.” “They need to work this out,” Skyler added. “You did your part, now the rest is all up to them.” “God, Dominic so didn’t want to do this,” she said. “He thought it was all too soon, and I think he might’ve been right.” “Have you been swimming in this yet?” Jaclyn asked. “Um, no,” Darian answered. “Haven’t really had much of a chance to do anything around here. The claim happened days before the full moon.” “Well, I think you should slip into that skimpy little bathing suit you have and after we leave take a nice long swim.” Jaclyn winked. “It’ll help, trust me.” “Help with what?” Darian frowned?” “All the stress you’re feeling.” “Will you stop,” Skyler sighed. “Darian, stop worrying. Everything is going to be just fine.” “You should listen to your mother.” Darian jumped and turned around. Dominic stood in the doorway of the large living room. He didn’t have a mark on him. “You all ready to finish dinner?” “God, yes!” Jaclyn said. “I’m starving.” Dominic stepped to the side and Jaclyn and Skyler walked past him into the house. When Darian walked to him, he blocked her with his arm out to the side, and then put an arm around her, drawing her close. “Everything’s fine, so you can stop worrying,” he said. “Really?” “I wouldn’t lie to you.” He leaned down and kissed her on the forehead. “And he took the check.” Darian gasped. “How the hell did you get my father to do that?” “Let’s just say we made a little deal and next summer I’m going to be working at the marina.” She looked up at him with wide eyes. “What?” “I’m going to help your father get things straightened out and the loaners taken care of. So next summer we will be staying there.” “Are you serious? You’re not pulling my leg?” He smiled. “Never. But know if you don’t get enrolled in college, well then your father is going to have my ass and I really don’t want that now.” “So what do you know about a marina anyway?”
“I know a few things about boats.” “Good, then you can help my other brother with his floating mess.” She ducked under his arm and went inside. “Fox needs all the help he can get.” This time at the long dining room table things were better. Everyone ate the food, talked about work, and Dominic explained how he designed his house. After dessert, a couple glasses of wine and a few tears of good-bye, the evening ended. Darian stood on the steps watching her family leave until there was nothing left to watch. It hurt, yet at the same time something inside of her changed. She didn’t feel the desperate need to be with them as they left. “You okay?” Dominic asked, his arm going around her shoulders. “Yeah,” she sighed, leaning into him. “It’s strange, but I don’t have this desire to go with them like I had before.” She looked up and smiled at him. “Think I’m starting to feel like this might be home.” He smiled also, eyes sparkling. “You have no idea how long I’ve waited to hear you say that.” Still smiling she lowered her head to his chest and he hugged her tight. “Well I guess we had better get started on those dishes.” “What?” he gasped, pulling away from her. “I pay Millie for that.” “And Millie isn’t here, plus it’s our mess. Besides, if you’re going to work for my father next summer you need to get those pretty boy hands of yours dirty.” “I’ve gotten my hands plenty dirty.” Darian turned and nodded while walking back into the house.”Unhuh.” “You don’t believe me?” “I’ll wash, you dry.” He growled low but followed her all the way to the kitchen, and she giggled at him. “I hate washing dishes!” **** “You son of a bitch!” Patrick Wallace yelled at Robert Vanderburg. “Do you know what you’ve brought upon our heads?” “You knew something like this could happen,” Robert said. He sat calmly in the leather chair, facing Patrick. So calm in fact that Patrick wanted to rip his fucking throat out. “No, Robert I didn’t think something like this could happen. Someone is killing us and it only happens to be the few that are associated with your new fucking Cabinet. Who the hell did you piss
off?” “I could ask you the same question.” “I told you back then that this damn thing would come back and bite you in the ass.” Patrick pointed his finger at Robert. “And now it has.” “And I made it very clear when we all agreed he could marry that no breeding was to take place.” Roberts own voice rose. “He bred with her.” “And then you punished them all.” Robert snorted and turned away from Patrick. “Does she still not know?” Robert shook his head. “And your grandsons?” “No one will ever know.” “Oh, but one does know, and I’m going to place a bet that he’s after your ass.” “He’s after us all.” Patrick shook his head. “Don’t bring me into this shit again. I have a new life, new family. I want no part of your crap again. This hole you dug,” he tapped on a table with a finger, the thumping sound echoing off the walls, “Is your own grave.” “You were there also. You’re just as much a part of it as we all are.” Patrick shook his head.” No. my hands are clean.” Robert snorted. “Nothing on you is clean. You’re dirty, just like the rest of us.” “If you bring them to my door, Vanderburg, I’ll bury you.” “It’s already at our doors. Each and every one of us.” **** “He belongs to one of them,” David Wycough said, staring at the two males her men brought in. “And he should die.” “I have other plans for him.” Vintina Scotts stood behind David, staring at her two new additions to the company. “Do you think you can find his father?” “Do you think you can stop lying to me?” When he slowly turned around to face her, Vintina felt fear for the first time in years. The coldness in his eyes alone had her fighting the shiver. “What are you talking about?” she asked with a short smile. “You know where he’s at.” “I used to know.” Raising her chin, she faced off with him. “When he left me he left no trace, but I’ll find him for you.” He turned back around to the two chained up on a wall. “They should make us some decent money. Just don’t fuck up like you did last time and lose them.” Vintina kept her mouth shut while he walked away and left. Once
alone, she went into the holding room to view her new prizes. With a nod to one of her men, she waited in the dark shadows as they took Logan from the wall and strapped him onto the big wooden cross she had made to train her pets her way. Once they had him secured they pushed the cross to the center of the room and turned on a bright light that shined down on his head. “Logan Wallace,” she said, strolling into the light. “How shocking that we might come face to face again.” His dark eyes focused on her face until recognition came He jerked on the chain, a growl left his lips and hate spread across his handsome face. “You!” “Surprise!” She smiled. “You fucking bitch!” He jerked back and forth and the chains held him tight. “I’ll kill you for this.” “Funny how you can threaten when you’re in no position of power.” She nodded again and another one of her men came up, sticking a needle filled with her special medicine into his arm. “An old friend of mine made this up and it works great. In seconds all of that animal you have inside will go to sleep, leaving you nothing more than a man.” She moved closer touching his bare chest, moving downward. “Oh and what a man you’ve become. Your father should be proud.” “He finds out about this and you’re dead, bitch.” Once more Logan tried to lurch forward but instead he began to slump and shake his head as the drug she gave him started to kick in. “Let’s get started with him first,” she said, standing in front of him. “I have a client that will be perfect for Logan.” “And the other?” Vintina licked her lips. “Give him the shot and then send him to my room.” **** “I can hear you thinking,” Darian sighed, rising up in the bed to look down at Dominic. “What’s wrong?” “I feel like something big is about to happen and my grandfather is going to be right in the middle of it.” “You can’t save someone who doesn’t want to be saved.” “I know.” Reaching up he touched the side of her face. “I just never thought that he’d do something this stupid. This shit can get him banished or worse, killed.” “You know…” She lowered her head down to his chest, heard the beating of his heart. “I’ve always been about family. Hell, we are very
close, my family that is, so normally I would say you should support him. But with all that he’s done maybe you need to cut all family ties with him before what he does comes and hurts you.” “What he’d done already has.” “Then you need to make sure the Cabinet knows and understands that what he does has nothing to do with you.” “How did I get so lucky to have a mate with a head on her shoulders?” Darian giggled then slapped him in the stomach. He laughed also. “You know, I don’t think you’ve got a clue what you’re getting yourself into by working for my father next summer.” “Ah, it’ll be okay. Besides, I need to get away also, and I don’t mind doing hard labor work either.” “But won’t your business suffer if you’re not here to do it?” “If I have my phone, I have my business, and besides. I’m sort of looking at it as a vacation and damn if I don’t need one.” “I won’t lie and say I’m not looking forward to going back. I miss Lindsey and the lake.” “Then you have something to look forward to. But also remember that I did promise your father about your schooling. He expects you to be enrolled in college.” “Argh,” she groaned, rolling to her back she stared up at the ceiling, “So much for a break.” “Hey, I’m going to stay on your dad’s good side.” “What about my good side?” He rolled over on his side, facing her. A hand touched her bare leg, sliding up to her hip. “Oh, I think I know how to get on your good side.” “Just like a male, thinks sex will solve everything.” His hand stopped at her waist and moved no further. “I don’t think sex solves everything. What I think does is three simple words.” She turned her head towards him and he kissed her softly. “I love you,” he whispered against her lips. “You know, I never thought I’d say or feel this, but I love you too, Dominic.” She saw him smile in the darkness. “Now that’s what I’ve been waiting a lifetime to hear.” He kissed her again then pulled her into his arms, sighing, holding her tight. “Never stop saying it.” “I won’t—Nick.” Again, he chuckled in the dark. “Like the sound of that also.”