Chapter 16 – Layla
The week went by quickly thanks to a busy schedule of meetings and events.
Thorne is still keeping his distance, sending his best guard in place to protect me when I’m out in public. He claims it’s necessary since he can barely control himself when around me.
The longer we go without completing the bond, the harder it will get to stay away from each other.
We’ll have to experiment, and we can’t do that for another week or so when meetings and events for the Supernatural Unveiling Plan are more spread out. Especially since we don’t know how long we’ll be out of commission while giving ourselves to each other to satisfy and intensify the bond.
I walk out of my bedroom after changing into my gown for tonight’s event. It’s dark green with a tulle skirt and beaded embroidery along the long-sleeved top. My hair is styled to the side, my reddish-brown curls falling over my shoulder.
In the living room, I find Thorne with his arms crossed while staring out of one of my floor-to-ceiling windows.
“You’re being extra broody, Thorne,” I say and giggle.
When he turns, I fluff out my skirt and do a little spin.
“How do I look?”
His eyes widen, his breathing becoming heavy as he scans me head to toe.
“I’m guessing by your growl that you like.”
“I very much like.”
“Well, I very much like you in this suit,” I say, checking him out from head to toe.
The suit is all black and sexy as hell against his purple skin. His hair is up in an elegant man bun, and his wings are out instead of having them tucked against his back like usual.
“Everything okay?”
“Yes, why?”
I move to run my hand down his wing, but he grabs my wrist, stopping me.
“We’ll be late if you touch them.”
“What will happen?” I bite my lip. “Would it turn you on?”
He puts the wings away, and I frown.
“Not only will it turn me on, but your touch will make me feral. I’ll rip this dress off you and fuck you up against the window. Or I’ll fold you over the couch and take you from behind. Gargoyle wings are highly sensitive to their mate’s touch.”
I realize he hasn’t let Vara or me touch them during sex yet. I know how important they are to him. But Thorne never puts himself first when it comes to pleasure.
That’s going to change tonight.
“Well,” I say, lust attempting to capture my voice. “I guess Vara and I will need to pay them extra attention the next time we’re together.”
I give him a wink and grab my purse from the table before heading to the door.
We walk into a small ballroom at Lanthom Hotel in Midtown.
A decent crowd has already formed, enough that Thorne stays by my side, holding my hand as we weave through bodies.
The rest of my team huddles around me. I tried to convince Thorne that I no longer needed such an extravagant security team, but he disagreed and added a few more members to tonight’s detail.
The brat.
I spot King Basque near the middle of the room, speaking with a few other supes: a fae, a witch, and a wolf shifter. Not many supernaturals were invited tonight, only SUC members and a handful of other supe leaders. We’re still not ready to extend this plan to the entire community.
Xander’s mate is also here, clutching his arm as if her life depends on it. I somehow missed meeting her at the party I hosted months ago.
I suppose I was a little distracted while getting tail fucked on the dance floor.
As I approach, the supes chatting with the couple wrap up their conversation and disperse.
“Xander,” I say once I reach him. He’s already told me to call him by his first name anytime we’re at these events. He claims King Basque is his father.
My eyes immediately fall to the short, plus-size woman in the stunning purple cocktail dress. It has sheer sleeves that fall off her shoulders and showcase her lovely tattoos: heather flowers and Evangeline lilacs.
She’s gorgeous.
“I agree,” Xander says with a chuckle.
“I did not mean to say that out loud, even though it’s absolutely true.” I stifle the urge to cover my mouth and hide my smile, but Thorne is still holding my hand, and he squeezes it as if anticipating the move.
Xander notices our embrace but doesn’t say a word about it. Thorne also doesn’t make a move to release me despite noticing Xander’s rapt stare.
“I’m Evangeline,” the human says, extending her hand to me.
I take it, and she hisses.
“Cold,” she says under her breath.
“Unfortunately, it’s a side effect of being dead.” I laugh, noticing the lovely blush that spreads across her cheeks. “You’re not quite human, are you?”
There was a zap of magic between us when I accepted her greeting.
“Well, mating with Xander gave me immortality and his healing abilities. But my mother is also a witch, so she thinks I have some power within me that’s trying to wake up.
” She holds up her palm and in the middle is a marking that looks like a daisy.
“She gave me this, and I can basically shoot light lasers out of it.”
Xander clears his throat and pushes Evangeline’s arm down out of sight.
“Kitten, please. Supernatural hearing in this room. I don’t want everyone knowing about my secret little weapon.”
Kitten. That's a cute nickname. She blushes again, and I realize I like this woman. Millie and I should invite her to a get-together sometime. Maybe we can have a dinner party with our mates.
“So...” Xander says, glancing down at Thorne still holding my hand. “What we talked about is true?”
“Yes,” Thorne says without hesitation.
Thorne mentioned that he asked Xander if he’d ever heard of a three-way mate situation. Just like Vara, he hadn’t.
Evangeline scours the room. “I was hoping to meet Vara.”
“What about me?” Vara says, seemingly manifesting behind Evangeline. The short woman jumps and yelps and Xander’s quick to throw a punch. Vara catches it with ease. “Sorry, Your Majesty. Didn’t mean to startle the little one. Good reflexes though.”
Evangeline’s eyes widen as Vara walks around to stand next to Thorne, placing her hand on his shoulder.
“Wait, I thought you were a sphinx,” Evangeline states.
“I’m masked, darling,” Vara says, giving her a smile. Once again, the human blushes. She’s adorable. “Our human guests will be arriving shortly, and we can’t spoil the surprise too early.”
“Right, sorry, I can’t see any of the gargoyle’s masked forms so it’s always fascinating to see other supernaturals as humans. You’re stunning, by the way. Good choice. You look like... a model or an actress. Very elegant.” Evangeline winces. “Sorry, I talk a lot.”
Vara waves her off. “It’s fine. Humans usually do when they’re nervous, and your heart sounds like it’s about to explode in your chest.”
Vara locks eyes with Xander.
“Watch this one. I already see a lot of supes looking this way, drooling over her. Especially in that dress.”
The gargoyle king growls and bares his fangs.
“No one will touch her,” he says.
“I have no doubt about that, King.” Vara, chuckles.
“So, anyway,” Evangeline says, ignoring Xander’s protectiveness. “You three really are mates? I couldn’t believe it when Xander told me.”
Xander gives Thorne an apologetic look. “We don’t have secrets. She made me tell her.”
Thorne shrugs, amused at his king absolutely simping for the little witch.
Evangeline slaps Xander’s chest with the back of her hand. “I didn’t make him. He was like a teenage girl with the hot gossip, dying to tell me.”
“Kitten, please,” Xander says, slightly embarrassed that his mate is revealing his not-so-royal like ways.
“Yes, we are mates,” I say with a chuckle.
“But you’re not sure how to complete the bond?” Evangeline asks. She immediately grimaces. “Sorry, it’s really none of my business.”
“It’s fine,” I say, reassuring the easily embarrassed woman. “We assume it’s similar to how gargoyles or vampires mate. Shared pleasure, knotting, and consumption of blood. We just haven’t had time to... experiment.”
“Xander, my man!” a familiar voice calls out. A cheerful blond fledgling vampire makes his way through the crowd, holding hands with my best friend.
Teddy pushes past me—rude—and releases Millie so he can do one of those bro handshakes with Xander. The way Xander’s face lights up with the biggest smile tells me that they’ve already become fast friends.
“Oh, hey there, Lala,” Teddy says, turning to me after the bro-greeting. “I didn’t see you there.” He pats my head. “So short.”
“I will break your hand just so you can be in pain all night while it heals,” I say and give him a petty smile.
“Children, behave,” Millie butts in, rolling her eyes. She gives me a hug, then walks to Evangeline, giving her one too. “Good to see you again, Evangeline. And you, Xander.”
The gargoyle king takes Millie’s offered hand and shakes it with a curt nod.
Millie told me she and Teddy met with Xander and Evangeline a few weeks ago. They have a lot in common: both have new mates, and both recently had people connected to them trying to take over control of New York City.
It’s one thing we’re worried about when it’s time to share this unveiling plan with the rest of the supernatural community. There will be many who won’t want to be equal to humans and they could retaliate.
Teddy elbows me and when I glance up at him, he waggles his brows. “So, you’re getting double stuffed? Tell me you’ve had both of their tails inside you.”
“Not yet, but how delightful does that sound?” Vara says, answering for me.
Teddy groans. “Can Millie and I come over and watch? Or join in?”
Thorne growls beside me, and I squeeze his hand.
“Theodore, go away.” I push the horny golden retriever man closer to Millie, and she grabs him by the arm, leading him away with her security team following close behind.
I hear her say something about punishment and roll my eyes.
She’s just as horny as him, I swear.
I spot Cyrus and another vampire elder named Zeke on the stage, waving at me to join them.
“I guess it’s time,” I say and follow my team of bodyguards to the stage with Vara and Thorne beside me.