Chapter 16
Chapter Sixteen
Justice
Fuck me.
Never in my life have I ever felt anything like what I felt while inside Annahi.
Locking inside her was just one of those experiences.
She took my cock and wanted everything I gave her.
When I sunk my canines in her shoulder, I felt her mind.
I felt her soul merge with mine. It was like we became fused together in a way that I knew deep down if that connection were to be severed, we’d both die.
I’ll do everything in my power to make sure that never happens.
Annahi was mine.
My sweet Peanut.
My soul.
Fucking mine. All Mine.
Annahi had passed out before I’d been able to pull from her pussy. A pussy that hadn’t wanted to let me go. Even out, she had a greedy pussy. I hadn’t been able to keep the grin from my face at the thought. I looked forward to taking her again, and I had, twice throughout the evening and night.
I’d woken her up to make sure she ate. That was the second time I got inside her. We watched a movie after that with her lying in my arms. The third time was in the middle of the night when I felt her fingers trailing along my skin, waking me.
This morning, I wanted to take her again, but I knew she was sore. I felt it through the bond between us.
I also knew she was apprehensive about being around the others.
She feared hearing their thoughts without me touching her.
But it was something we needed to test the theory of now that we were bonded.
We couldn’t keep going about me touching her twenty-four-seven, though I didn’t mind having my hands on her.
What we needed to know was if anything had changed for her.
When it comes to mates, those with abilities or not, things change for them when they’ve completed the mating, and if what Sibley said is right, then she should be able to block everyone’s thoughts from her mind.
“Come on, Annahi, you gotta come out sooner or later,” I call out, growing frustrated with my mate for taking her time. I knew what she was doing in trying to prolong the inevitable. She didn’t want to leave the room. She didn’t want to face others because she knew there was a chance.
“I’m not ready,” she whispers, but I doubt she thinks I can hear her through the door.
“Peanut, I’m gonna be right there with you,” I tell her, wishing I could relieve the anxiety within her mind.
I could feel it in my own head. It was strange being able to hear her thoughts and feel her emotions.
The fact that I don’t hear her thoughts constantly makes me feel like she’s able to control it now, which will be good for both of us.
Slowly, the door opens and I find my mate standing there, sucking on her bottom lip.
Fuck me. It’s cute seeing her like this.
More than cute, if my cock has its way, I’d take her right there against the door of the bathroom.
“Come on, baby, let’s go do this. If it doesn’t work or it becomes too much for you, I’ll bring you back in here. Regardless, I’ve gotta meet with my brothers.”
“If this works, can I get back to working at the clinic?”
Her emotions fill in what she doesn’t say.
She misses working with animals. Her job there is a passion I’m seeing she needs to keep doing.
I might not like her being away from me, but I won’t stop her.
Besides, Zaid can make sure she’s protected while there.
I’m just not gonna let her go there by herself.
“If it works, I don’t want you on night shifts anymore. At least not all the time.” I wanted her in bed with me at night.
Annahi draws that bottom lip of hers once again between her teeth, a light blush builds on her cheeks, and she gives me a little nod.
Reaching to take her hand in mine, I tug her toward me. “Come on, Peanut, let’s get you out of this room before I take you back to bed.”
“Would that be a bad thing?” she utters, the shield she has up dropping, and her mind filling mine with thoughts of the night before.
Damn. If she didn’t stop, we definitely weren’t gonna be leaving this room. My cock was already aching for her, and I knew she needed a break for her body. She was sore and couldn’t deny it.
“Little minx.” I smirk and shake my head.
“We both know you’re sore, so quit with the teasing.
” Dipping my head down, I claim her lips for a kiss that involves my tongue sliding in her mouth briefly, drawing a moan from her lips.
Reluctantly, I pull back and take her hand and stalk out of the room, bringing her with me.
The feel of turmoil emotions mixes with my own, agitating me. I want to be able to assure Annahi everything was gonna be okay, but I couldn’t do that. Not until we tested the connection between us.
In the hallway, I can already hear the loud booming voices of my brothers.
It’s morning, and something’s got them all riled up.
They’d all given Annahi and me space last night, probably at Corbin’s command.
When mates first seal the bond, they need to be able to go at each other as much as they want or need.
Annahi curls closer to me, and I let her hand go to wrap an arm around her waist, holding her to my side.
Together we make our way into the main room of the clubhouse, and my blood boils in my veins, anger trying to rage through me in a way that makes me want to commit murder.
Standing there in the middle of the clubhouse, directly in Corbin’s face stood my brother . . . blood brother.
“What the fuck are you doing here, Writ?”
Our mother had a fucked-up sense of humor regarding our names. Going with names that dealt with the court system. I even had a sister named Court. Not including three other brothers named Law, Creed, and Rule.
“Justice,” Writ calls, hands clapping together, his body turning in my direction. “How you been, brother?”
“Brother?” Annahi whispers, shifting herself even closer. Her mind opened up, showing me the reason behind her fear.
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
She knew Writ. Knew he wasn’t a good person. Had seen him at her mother’s house years ago. Had seen Levana give him a vial that contained her blood.
I’m gonna murder him.
“What the fuck you doin’ here, Writ?” I demand, stepping toward him, putting Annahi behind me.
“Do I need a reason to be in town other than to see my big brother?” Writ, Creed, and I are triplets, me being the oldest and Writ the youngest. Law and Rule were also triplets alongside my sister, Court.
Until we’d been around the age of eight, the three of us had been tight. That is, until Mother Dearest decided to separate me from them. I wasn’t able to do things with my brothers, and she ended up turning them against me.
“Considering I haven’t seen you in well over two decades, I’ve no business with you. How did you find me? Better yet, what the fuck were you doin’ in the woods around club property a few weeks ago?” It was his scent I knew it.
Writ’s grin grows menacing, and his eyes grow calculating. “Can’t I just want to spend time with my brother?”
“Not your brother, Writ, you made that clear when you chose sides a long time ago,” I tell him and glance to Corbin. “What’s he doing in the clubhouse?”
“Found him lurking around the property line, closest to my house,” Corbin answers me, sounding none too pleased.
I knew my Prez, and I knew he was protective of his family.
So was Karsyn. She might only be a half-breed and unable to shift, but she was just as protective and used her powers to put wards around the house.
No one was granted entry without permission from her or Corbin.
Not even Sage can invite anyone into the home without one of them agreeing.
Regardless of the wards around the house, Corbin didn’t take to surprises. I’ve known him to run through the woods to make sure no surprises show up.
Looking back to Writ, I cock a brow. “Explain before I decide to beat you to death just for showing your face.”
I hear my mate’s quiet whimper and feel her fist on my cut in her small hands.
If it were anyone else but her, I’d tell them to back off and not put their hands on my cut.
Annahi, though, she could put her hands on me anytime she wanted, including moments like now when I could all but taste her fear, not just hear it.
Writ inhales and starts chuckling. “Seems your little mate behind you is scared. Come on out, little one. No one is going to hurt you.”
I take a step, closing in on him as my brothers follow suit. “You do not address my mate.”
“What’s the matter, brother, afraid I’m gonna take her from you? We do share DNA, so I could be her mate as well, for all you know.”
Like hell he is. I didn’t give a shit about what he thought was gonna happen here, he wasn’t getting anywhere close to Annahi.
“I suggest you get the hell out of here before we kill you,” Dane speaks up, rage consuming both his voice and expression.
“You don’t have any business here, asshole, so get the fuck out,” Corbin snarls, evidently losing his patience.
Writ scans the room and starts backing toward the front door before his eyes land back on me. “I’ll be seeing you around, big brother. Mom will surely be looking forward to meeting your mate.”
My blood runs cold as I launch toward Writ, not making it to him in time as he rushes out the door, my brothers stopping me from going after him as I want to do.
“Don’t play into his hand, VP,” Tobias growls, standing directly in front of me.
“Think, VP, he was here to play with you,” Tucker remarks, placing a hand on my shoulder.
“Church,” Corbin snarls, from my side, his anger radiating off him in waves. “Coby, I want you at your computer now doing your thing.”
“You got it, Prez,” Coby calls out, already running from the room. “I’ll meet you all in church.”
Meaning he was going to get his shit and bring it into church while we discuss what just happened.
Taking a deep breath, I do my best to calm myself down.
It’s not until I shift my gaze back to my mate that I calm down.
It’s not complete, but it does help seeing her.
The fact that she doesn’t look pale or nervous works wonders, but still, I need her touch.
Writ had threatened my mate with the mention of our mother, pissing me off to get a reaction, and what the fuck do I do, I give him exactly what he’s looking for.
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
I’m gonna kill that bastard.
Moving across the space between Annahi and me, I wrap an arm around her waist and tug her into me. “You good, Peanut?”
I needed to make sure she was good to be able to focus on anything else.
Annahi nods, giving me a small smile. “I’m okay,” she whispers, nodding and leaning in pressing her head against my chest. “I was able not to hear them. I don’t know how it’s possible, but there was something there .
. . it was blocking the thoughts.” She frowns, shakes her head, only to tilt her head back to meet my gaze.
“It wasn’t in place at first, and everyone’s thoughts started to swamp me at once, but then it was like bam slapping into place like .
. . like . . . I don’t know. It just worked to protect me from them. ”
“It was the shield you need to be able to have to keep you from becoming overwhelmed with those around you. I do suggest that we work on it so we can make it so you’re not overwhelmed by it when you need to drop the shield.
” If it weren’t such a great gift to wield, I’d be there for her to say fuck it and always keep the shield in place.
Let her have normalcy, but it could come in handy to protect her at times when I might not be able to do so.
“We’ll work on it,” she agrees with me.
“I’ll talk to Sibley. She’d be the best one to work with you on it.”
Annahi draws that lip in for a moment, seeming to contemplate what I said before whispering once more. “I don’t really know her.”
“When it comes to Sibley, she’s a complicated vampire seer. Not many people know her, and she likes to fuck with me, thinking it’s funny, but when she wants to help someone, she’ll help them,” I explain, hoping that will help her. “All we can do is ask her.”
“Ask and you shall receive.”
I close my eyes at the voice coming from behind me and groan. Slowly, I turn to the woman without releasing my mate. “What the hell are you doing here, Sibley?”
Sibley waves a hand nonchalantly. “Let’s just say I knew I was needed. Now, go handle business while I make friends with your pretty new mate.” She gets that faraway look in her eyes for a moment before looking to the men coming through the doors alongside the other woman with them.
“Aziz now ain’t a good time,” Corbin remarks.
“He knows,” Sibley answers before Aziz could speak up. “It’s why we’re here. To help where we can, so you all can focus.”
“I’ve set up a team surrounding your house to keep Karsyn and the kids safe,” Orpheus announces. “Sibley demanded and with everything going on, it must be said that we could all work together.”
“You helped when Jett was in danger, think of it as me repaying the favor.” Aziz shrugs.
“We weren’t calling for a marker on that,” Corbin grumbles.
“Doesn’t matter,” Jett speaks up, a smile sliding into place. “You all were there for us.” She plants a hand over her stomach. “Helped save our child. It’s the right thing to do. Plus, if we didn’t, Arely would lose her mind if she were awake and knew all of this was happening.”
Damnit all to hell.
“Fine,” I growl and look back to my mate. “I’ve got to get into church.”
“Okay,” she says that one word with such dejection, I hate the fact I’m about to leave her alone with people she barely knows.
“I’ve got her,” Sibley says with such reassurance it should set me at ease, but it doesn’t.
Dipping my head down, I brush my lips across Annahi’s and make my way to church. Things need to be dealt with, and they need to be dealt with sooner rather than later. I wanted this handled, and I wanted it done yesterday. Whatever Writ and the others are planning, I intend to put a stop to it.