Chapter 10 Kaleb
Chapter ten
Kaleb
“I just don’t understand how you can trust him so easily?” Stacy snaps her fingers. “Just like that?”
Even if I could tell her about my dreams, my premonitions, and all the supernatural woo-woo, there’s a good chance she would just think I’m crazy. I want to tell her everything, but I just don’t know how. Damn, no wonder Darius wants to ease me into everything. It all sounds so…fantastical.
Sighing, I pull out the only trick up my sleeve. The baby photo of me and my parents. I hand it to her.
Just like me, her eyes focus right on the baby blanket and my embroidered name. Stacy has seen that blanket a million times throughout our lives. She gasps. “Kaleb,” she whispers, staring at the photo intensely. “Are these your parents?”
I bite my lip. “Yes. It’s them, Stace.”
“Wow.”
“He’s going to take me to Heart’s Hollow tomorrow to meet them.”
Stacy’s head jerks up, eyes wide. “Heart’s Hollow,” she gasps. “That’s a sanctuary town.”
“A what?” I ask, confused.
She glances over my shoulder to make sure that Darius isn’t standing there. “Kaleb, did Darius tell you about the paranormal?”
My jaw drops open. “You know?”
“Wait, wait, wait.” She laughs. “You know?”
“Apparently, I’m a witch,” I blurt at the same time she says, “I’m a wolf.”
My mouth snaps shut.
“Well, technically, I’m a wolfless wolf. I can’t shift. My pack kicked me out when they found out. Wait, you’re a witch?” she asks. “Okay. That actually makes so much sense, from what little I know.”
“This is crazy; I had no idea any of this was real,” I whisper. But then Stacy and I both break into wide grins. She tugs me over to the sofa where we chat about everything that has happened since Halloween, and I even confess that I’ve been having dreams about Darius since before I met him.
“It sounds like he might be your fated mate.”
“My what?”
“It’s like a soulmate. Like in all those romance books I tell you about.”
“That’s real?”
She nods. “I was really young when I left my pack. But I remember there was one fated pair in our group. It’s a big deal. Like, a really big deal. They shared dreams and memories, and could even hear each other’s thoughts at times.”
I gasp. “Oh my gosh, I think I heard him say the word ‘mate’ in my head.”
“Oh shit, maybe it was his beast saying that to you. You said he was a shifter?” Stacy asks.
“Yeah, but I don’t know what kind.”
Stacy’s brow creases. “Isn’t that a little weird? Don’t you want to know?”
I nod. “Of course I do. But he was so nervous to tell me. Honestly, I don’t think it matters what he can turn into. I mean, as long as he doesn’t eat me.” My mind decides to supply that sexy image of Darius as a vampire again. I shake the image away.
“Uh, okay. I don’t even want to know what you were just thinking about.”
“Shush!” I smack her playfully with a throw pillow.
“Don’t worry about the whole him trying to eat you thing. Fated mates can’t hurt each other. It isn’t physically possible.”
“Wow, do I seriously have a soulmate?” I whisper.
“Fated mates!” She squeals. “You two totally have to be fated mates!”
“Oh my gosh, not so freaking loud, Stace!” This time, I glance around to make sure we are alone.
“But damn, Darius is so handsome. He’s this strange mix of temptation, danger, and safety.
I don’t know how to explain it, Stacy. He looks like home.
” Even with those mysterious tentacle tattoos wrapped around his biceps.
Stacy grins. “Okay, I think you need to go tomorrow. Oh shit! Kaleb, you’re finally going to go meet your parents. This is the fresh start you wanted!”
I nod eagerly. “I think it is.”
Twenty minutes later, I’m sitting on the sofa by myself. Stacy decided to go out with a friend to try to give us some privacy. I’m a little surprised Darius didn’t come back inside when she left.
Wrapping a scarf around my neck, I wander outside until I spot Darius sitting near the curb. “Darius, are you okay?”
He doesn’t hear me, seemingly lost in thought. “Darius?” I try again, placing a hand on his shoulder. He glances up at me with tear-soaked cheeks. It’s obvious that he’s been crying. Something like rage rolls through me.
Who the hell hurt my mate? I gasp. Did I just think that?
But as the word rolls around in my head, I hear another one in reply.
Mate.
Darius' eyes light up with a beautiful golden glow. His beast.
Mate.
I don’t know how I know that it’s his beast talking to me, but it is. It’s talking to me through this magical connection we have. Damn, I have so much to learn. I can’t wait.
Darius looks at me with a wild, untamed look in his eyes. It’s sexy as fuck, but I also know this might be a vulnerable moment for him. It seems like his beast might be right at the surface.
I meant what I said; Darius can tell me in his own time.
I trust him. I don’t think it’s similar to admitting one’s sexuality, but telling me what his beast is must be an intimate thing to do.
It should be handled with love and care.
With acceptance. Something he alluded to not having a lot of in the past.
I hold my hand out to him. He blinks at it, staring. I continue to stand there, hand extended.
I wait for him to take it.
Damn, I’ll wait forever for this man. My mate with the golden eyes.
Finally, he wraps his large fingers around mine and stands.
He towers over me. Something about his dominance is so hot.
Memories of us dancing in the club come to mind.
The alcove where we kissed. The sofa where he trapped me between his body and the cushions. Fuck. His height really does it for me.
Silently, I lace his fingers with mine and tug him into the apartment. He follows me curiously. I tug him into my room and close the door.
He smirks. “What about dinner?”
“Are you hungry?” I ask, voice husky.
He shakes his head. “Not for food.”
“Good. Neither am I.” I give him a gentle push onto my bed before unbuttoning my jeans. “We are going to have a little fun.”
“Kaleb,” he groans… or, and fuck me, maybe that was a growl. “We can’t. My beast is too close to the surface. I won’t be able to stop myself from shifting. I don’t want to scare you.” He whispers the last sentence so softly, I almost don’t catch it.
I continue to strip, his golden eyes swirling with lust. “Does it hurt when you shift?”
“No, but—”
“Do you need to shift every so often, or can you stay in your human form forever?”
“Almost all shifters have to shift eventually, or it can become painful when we don’t.”
“Do you need to shift right now?”
He swallows hard, but he doesn’t answer my question. I’m in nothing but my jeans now. I skipped the underwear since this pair is so tight, and now I’m glad I did. The jeans are unbuttoned and pulled low on my hips. My trimmed pubes are peeking out, hopefully in a seductive manner.
Going by the way his eyes seem to glow even brighter, I would assume so.
He still hasn’t answered me. So, I try a different question. “If I weren’t here right now, and you were alone, would you be in your shifted form?”
His eyes trail up to mine. He nods. “Yes,” Darius whispers gruffly, almost as if the truth pains him.
I smile. “Thank you for telling me.” I spin around to my dresser and dig around in the top drawer. The scarf I was wearing earlier wouldn’t work. But these… I pull out two matching long silk scarves.
“Perfect.”
He eyes it suspiciously when I hand them both to him. He cocks a thick, sexy eyebrow. “You can’t tie me up with a little silk. It won’t keep my beast at bay.”
I shake my head with a grin. “It’s not for you. I want you to tie me up. Then, I want you to blindfold me, shift, and have your wicked way with me.”
Darius growls. Oh yeah, that was definitely a growl. A shiver of lust travels down my spine.
“Are you sure?” he asks, voice rough, his control about to snap.
“Tie me up. Blindfold me. Then shift. I need to feel you on me. All of you.”
As if my words unlock something inside of him, Darius charges forward, his eyes no longer swirling with that pretty mixture of brown and gold.
No, his gaze is now molten, glowing gold, bright with lust. In a move so fast I don’t even see it, he lurches off the bed and slams me onto the soft cushions.
My hands are already being held forcefully behind my back.
My heart rate picks up. I’m so hard I can already feel precum leaving my tip.
“If you want me to stop at any point. Then just say the word.”
I nod frantically; my face pressed against the mattress. “Don’t stop, Darius.” He’s still fully dressed, and even that turns me on.
“First, I’m switching things up. I’m going to let go of your hands, then I’m going to blindfold you. Is that okay?”
“Yes,” I squirm under him. He chuckles and releases my wrists, just like he said he would. The bed jostles as he gets off it. Soft silk slides against my forehead before dropping over my eyes. He ties it in place. I expect Darius to grab my wrists again and tie them behind my back, but he doesn't.
“Flip onto your back,” he commands. I do as he tells me. I hear him undressing, dropping his pants on the floor. It’s as if my hearing is suddenly heightened.
“Do you care if I rip this scarf?”
My face scrunches in confusion. “Go ahead,” I say breathlessly. “Rip it.”
The sound of the material ripping causes my cock to jump. Fuck, why is this so hot? There’s no way I would have been able to rip it myself.
Darius crawls over me, his solid body pressing against mine. “No matter what I do, don’t remove this blindfold. Understand?”
“Yes. I understand.”
“Good. I’m going to shift now.”
I gasp. My chest rises and falls. “Wait. You’re going to shift on top of me?” I ask, unable to keep the excitement out of my voice.
He chuckles. “You’re totally into this, aren’t you?
” He doesn’t let me answer. “Yes, love. I’m going to shift.
Right on top of you.” He leans down and sucks on my neck, grinding his hard cock against me.
I don’t expect it, but fuck, it’s hot as hell.
I’m not even tied up yet, and I’m completely at his mercy.
My cock needs friction, but I’m still in my jeans, and now I’m mentally kicking myself.
Gods, why didn’t I take them off when I had the chance?
Suddenly, Darius presses me even harder against the bed, trapping me just the way I like. Only he continues pushing me down. I gasp. He isn’t just pushing me down. His body is changing, growing bigger.
His hand circles my right wrist, gripping it tightly. But it’s not his hand anymore; it’s…something else. Now, my left hand is being held down too. His fingers tangle in my hair and yank. “You aren’t peeking, are you?”
Oh gods. “N-no,” I moan so loud I don’t even recognize myself.
His other hand travels to my wrist, where I’m still being held down.
Somehow, he’s tying my wrist to the bedpost. I realize that’s why he wanted to rip the scarf in half.
He doesn’t want my wrists bound behind me.
He wants to tie both of them, with me spread-eagled for him.
Fuck.
Once both of my wrists are tied, his fingers travel lightly over my face. “You okay, love?”
I shiver. “Yes, Darius. Please, please don’t stop.”
He laughs. Is he smirking? With his fingers tracing my lips and the other hand still gripping my hair, I feel like I know what to expect. But to my surprise, something travels across my chest at the same time another something travels up my thigh.
I suck in a shocked breath, but he takes advantage of my open mouth by pressing two of his fingers inside. Immediately, I suck.
“Gods, look at you. So desperate for any part of me.”
I moan and then moan again, the sounds muffled by my sucking.
I grind my clothed cock against Darius, causing him to groan. “Do you want more, Kaleb?”
“Mmmm,” I hum in agreement. Please. It’s as if someone is here with us because with one hand at my mouth and the other in my hair, something is yanking my pants off.
I gasp when my cock is freed. It thuds against my abdomen, heavy and harder than I have ever felt it.
Arousal so potent thrums through my body.
Something slithers up my chest and tweaks my right nipple.
I’m trembling now. My nipples have always been so sensitive to the touch that I could probably come from this alone.
When I finally think I know which way is up and which way is down, I’m caught completely off guard when something else slithers toward my left nipple.
A whimper tumbles from my mouth when I feel more stimulation.
Oh gods, both of my nipples are being sucked on.
At. The. Same. Time.
What the fuck is going on?
I’m squirming and panting, so high on lust.
Both of my nipples are being sucked on. Fingers are in my mouth and tangled in my hair. Darius is still hovering above me.
And that’s when I feel it.
Another appendage—because that’s what it has to be—is wrapping around my cock, little suctions trailing up and down my base. Hands and appendages are everywhere! Teasing, caressing, sucking, touching.
The whole bed is vibrating thanks to my violent trembling. I’m whimpering and moaning like a wild person. I can’t fucking help myself. I start thrusting my hips. Faster and faster.
“Oh fuck. Darius. Don’t stop. Don’t stop,” I cry, literal tears seeping from my closed eyes. “I’m going to come! I’m going to come!”
“Fuck, darling. Look at you. So perfect for me.” Something yanks my thighs open, spreading them wide. Right as I’m about to orgasm, I feel the tip of…of… oh fuck, the tip of a tentacle probing my hole.
Tentacles!! Images of the blue-and-red tentacles from my dreams pop into my mind’s eye right as I climax. My cock throbs as I come and come hard, my body still quivering violently.
“Fuck, fuck, fuck.” The sounds of Darius jacking off can barely be heard past the blood rushing to my head.
I swear, I hear Darius’ beast in my head again. This time, however, I answer it back. Mate. I send the word through our connection, hoping he hears. Then, I pass out from pleasure.