“Had he killed someone?”
“Yes. He hated himself at first. We searched for others, but never found another tribreed. But from the true vampires we met, we learned what we needed to keep Philip alive. Philip doesn’t need to feed on blood as often as a true vampire, but if not for me and my wolf, he’d kill even the few people he feeds from.” He smiled when I gave him a confused look. “I was the only one strong enough to stop him from killing them. He has since learned to control the urge to kill.”
“Ah, I see. So, the woman from the pub was the one who turned him?” I asked.
“I’ve always assumed it was her. He won’t tell me. Says he can’t remember, but I think he’s lying. Embarrassed that a female overpowered him.” He smiled at my snort. “Some of his thinking is stuck in the old days. He may be a little over the top, but under it all he’s a good man and a loyal friend.”
“Did you ever find her?”
“No, but I’ll never stop looking.”
I nodded. “I get that. If Stella disappears, I plan to spend however long it takes to track her down and put an end to whatever she’s up to.”
He leaned in for a kiss, pulling me into his lap as he deepened it. Our hands explored each other’s bodies for a few minutes before he ended the kiss with a nip on my bottom lip. “It seems we both have a penchant for vengeance.”
“Yes, it does.”
“What are your plans for today?” he asked as he plopped me back onto my chair.
“I really need to get caught up on my manuscript. I’ve fallen behind.”
“I have work I need to attend to as well. We will meet up with my men at ten o’clock.”
I stood and pushed his legs apart with my knees. His hands slid around the backs of my legs as I leaned down to kiss him again. We had a hard time not touching if we were around each other for more than five minutes.
“Dinner first?” I asked.
“Yes. Meet you out here around eight?”
We’d taken to having all our meals out back. I loved his yard so much, I felt it was a waste to eat in the stuffy, old dining room.
“It’s a date,” I said. He didn’t leave, Instead, he looked at me with a look I was becoming familiar with. “Say whatever it is you’re thinking.”
His lips twitched a little. “I don’t want to piss you off, but I need to ask you a favor.”
“Okay. Go for it.”
“Do you feel our connection? Our bond?” He rubbed his chest to emphasize. I nodded and rubbed mine too. “If someone takes you again, or you are in trouble, tug on it. Hard. Do you know what I mean?”
I tugged on it to show him I did. He smiled and tugged back. “I didn’t realize that’s what was happening. A tug. It’s easier than whatever I was doing, but it worked so... This is all so new. But yeah, if it happens again, I’ll tug the fuck out of it.”
He laughed and bent down for a quick kiss. “Good. I’ll see you later.”
I watched him walk back to the house regretting not doing him on the patio before we set ourselves to work. Later, I told myself as I opened my laptop.
I wrote for a few hours before my stomach growled. I was trying to decide what to eat when Henry called from the trees. I hadn’t seen him in a while and my wolf pawed at me when she heard him.
“All right, calm down,” I told her as I undressed and shifted.
She ran toward Henry but slid to a stop when Liam’s owl swooped at her head. Henry made a soft cooing noise telling her it was okay, but she was still wary of the newcomer. Walter circled her head and flew up when she softly swatted at him. They were setting their boundaries. Once they settled that, the odd trio went off on their hunt.
My wolf ate well and was happily dozing by the lake when Liam’s wolf settled beside her. They cuddled with each other for a while before walking back to the house together. Once we exited the trees, we shifted and threw ourselves at each other before we made it across the lawn.
Our wolves flirting had worked as foreplay, and I was more than ready when he slid inside me. His mouth closed around my nipple as he thrusted his hips faster and faster until I cried out. Holding me by the waist he rolled onto his back.
His hands moved to my breasts, massaging them as I rode him. As the pressure built, I leaned forward, resting my hand on his chest as I moved faster, the pleasure pooling in my core.
When his climax was close, he squeezed my hips, moving me how he wanted until we came together. I lowered myself onto his chest, toying with the thick hair there as his fingers danced over my tattoo. I wished we never had to move again.