Chapter Twenty-Two
Lulu
My phone buzzed on the desk, and I spared it only a quick glance.
My fingers were flying across the keyboard on my latest article.
I scrolled for a moment, then clicked the send button.
Only then did I finally pay attention to my phone, picking it up.
My smile was immediate and impossible to control.
Bruce, who was still sitting directly across from me, now wore a far less sour expression and gave me a grunt.
As it turned out, living in and taking over the apartment above us was less stressful for him. It also meant he had an excuse to torture me every time I was in the office about my new live-in significant other.
Or, at least, he considered it torture. I considered it a pleasure, and anytime I could bring up Zaldi, I did.
Which reminded me of the text on the screen.
ZALDI: Do you need anything from the store?
The domesticity of it made my stupid heart nearly beat out of my chest. Typing quickly, I barely noticed the freshly healed white scars across my hand as my fingers flew across the keyboard.
LULU: I thought we might go out tonight.
Only a moment later, his response came through.
ZALDI: Really? Where are we going?
My cheeks heated, and I promised myself no one in this building could understand me as I kept typing.
LULU: I thought maybe a picnic. Somewhere outside.
Three little dots appeared. Not typing—just dots. Clearly waiting for me to explain more. My cheeks burned hotter.
LULU: Somewhere we could be alone ??
I put my phone face-down on the desk, forcing myself to take a deep breath before packing up my things. I only lived upstairs, but I was still trying to keep some semblance of work–life boundaries.
As it turned out, living and working in the same building made the temptation to work late hard to ignore, but Zaldi and I had promised to take time for each other—especially since it had only been a few weeks since he marked me with his bite, and he was still learning about the living world.
And I was very game to teach him. Including what I had planned for tonight.
After stuffing my things into my laptop bag, I slung it over my shoulder and waved goodnight to Bruce. My grandfather had already left for the evening. I stepped outside, then climbed the stairs to our apartment.
I dropped my things quickly, intent on changing into something that provided a little more movement. A deep voice rumbled from the shadows, making me jump.
“You think you can just tease me like that and not give me the whole story?” Zaldi asked.
He stepped out from the shadows by our bed, his brilliant red skin glowing in the dim light.
Heat flooded my body as I looked at him. We had barely managed to get out of bed the first few weeks we were together, and, even now, I never missed an opportunity to see my beautiful mate as he really was—horns and all.
“So, you like my idea?” I asked.
“The portion I’ve heard? Of course I do,” he said immediately. “And if it’s what I think it is…”
My smile felt like it might crack my cheeks. “Oh, it is.”
“Then, what are we waiting for?” Zaldi said.
He marched toward me, bending low to throw me over his shoulder like a potato sack as he headed for the door.
I shrieked, laughing and pounding on his shoulders. “Zaldi, hold on! I need a minute to get ready!”
With a grumble, he set me back on my feet, looking me over. “Five minutes,” he said. “That’s all I’m waiting.”
Shoving him aside playfully, I dashed to my dresser and yanked out lingerie I knew he’d like. I tore off my clothes, slid into the lace, then added a tank top and shorts over the top.
I’d started buying cheap lingerie at this point—the way we shredded everything made it worth it.
A second later, I strutted past my mate and through the door, turning in the entrance to flash him a bit of skin. He stared, jaw hanging.
Moments later, we were in the car, driving through Salus Glen towards the edge of the city limits where a massive city park blanketed the area.
We parked in the small parking lot. Only one other vehicle sat in the lot—a small white truck with the Salus Glen logo on the side.
And, leaning against it, in full uniform and hiking boots was my inside contact.
The park ranger, Hal Banner.
Reminiscent of an enormous man-shaped golden retriever, I’d met Hal a few days earlier while interviewing him for the paper. He’d told me about the temporary park closure and, after an incredibly awkward series of questions, offered to let me roam around tonight.
I could only guess what he’d assumed.
Zaldi, still in his human glamour, shook the man’s hand and introduced himself. “Zaldi. Nice to meet you, man,” he said casually, nailing the new vernacular we were working on. “Thanks for letting us borrow the space.”
I shook his hand next. “Good to see you again, Hal.”
“The same to you,” Hal said, jerking his finger toward the park. “You sure you’ll be all right in there?”
“We won’t be long,” I replied quickly, hoping Hal took the hint and headed out sooner rather than later.
Hal scratched the back of his neck. “Construction crew comes in early. If anyone finds you… maybe don’t use my name.”
“No problem,” I said with a smile.
Zaldi and I were already climbing over the narrow gate, our shoes crunching on the still-dead grass of the nearest path. Hal waved once before driving off. Brimming with carefully concealed excitement, I listened to his tires crunch back onto the highway.
“Now?” I asked, still feeling the need to whisper.
Zaldi tilted his head back, looking around. “We’re alone.”
His skin shifted, changing into that deep ruby red I loved. Brilliant eyes met mine, and his smile warmed me from the inside out.
“Better?” he asked.
I shrugged. “You’re perfect in every form.”
He tilted his head, horns catching the last of the sunset. “Cute words coming from my prey.”
“Excuse me?” I stuttered, stepping back once…then again. Heat once again thrummed down my veins.
Zaldi drew in a deep breath, his eyes rolling back. “You’d better run, sweet dream. I can smell you.”
Adrenaline flooded my bloodstream, and I took off toward the hills.
I hadn’t been in the park since I was a kid, but I remembered enough. My arms pumped, feet digging into the cool dirt.
I barely made it a quarter mile before I could hear the thundering steps of my mate getting closer. I put on my final burst of speed intent on making it further than last time. But, I didn’t see the tumbling of loose stone across the path and with a squeal, I went flying.
Immediately, a clawed hand snagged my waist, the dusky sky blurring as we rolled once, his body protecting mine until I was released, sitting splay-legged across his middle.
“Good catch.” I grinned down at him, scooting back just enough to grind against the obvious arousal beneath his belt.
Zaldi stopped my downward movements with a smack on my ass. “I still won. Which means….”
I huffed, hating to lose even like this. “Which means you choose what happens next.”
Zaldi’s smile was smug, I wanted to kiss it off his face. But, suddenly I had a much better idea. “Exactly. I’m so disappointed though, I had something I wanted to try for weeks.”
I definitely had his attention now. “Lu…
With slow, deliberate movements, I moved my knees up his torso, and then carefully shifted so I could slide my knees until they were pressing into the earth on either side of his jawline, leaving me hovering just over his neck and staring down into wide, surprised eyes.
Even as I winked down at him, I could feel the way he was responding—the tingles starting in my hand and my pussy—as I watched my mate realize what I was insinuating.
“What are you doing?” he asked, breathless.
“I don’t know,” I said, running a finger down his horn. “I thought I might take your tongue for a ride.”
“Fuck, I love you so much, Lulu,” he groaned, his hands immediately moving to my shorts.
I could only squeak out a warning before his claws were tearing through them, shredding the fabric to bits as his eyes took only a minute to register the scrap of lace between him and my body. Then, came a snarl—fangs and claws—and I was naked from the waist down, wearing only my little lacy top.
“I want you to smother me,” he said, his claws already pricking the sides of my body as he positioned me over him. “I want you in every pore of my skin. Smother me.”
I wanted to have a saucy comeback, another thing to hold over him in my secret victory, but I was rendered useless, and definitely speechless, in the next instant as his tongue dove into my body—first teasing at my entrance before pushing deep, tasting me, taking the end of him before retracting to lick and lap at my clit.
“Oh my God, Zaldi, it’s so good,” I chanted, my hands curling into his horns, holding on tight. “Please, don’t stop. Don’t stop. Don’t stop.”
“More,” he growled against my skin, his hands lifting my ass and pushing me higher so he could properly fuck his tongue into me while I rocked against his face, soaking him.
“I’m yours,” he said as the pleasurable waves began to ripple through my body, his venom settling in my veins like a familiar heartbeat—one that would drive me absolutely mad.
Again and again, he guided me into his deliciously thick tongue as it thrust up into me.
I was a goner, my body bowing and arching against his hold as wave after wave of pleasure blanked my mind.
Sometime later, my mind was a delightful mush of pleasure and contentment, and I curled against him low, putting my head on his shoulder and letting his fingers trail down my spine and over my naked butt.
I knew I would get cold soon, but for the time being, I was going to enjoy every second of this.
Zadie had been rather quiet. I played with the line of his ribs, my fingers sneaking across his now familiar body.
“Are you all right?” I asked him.
He shifted his shoulders on the ground a little. “It’s been a while since I came just from getting you off.”
“That’s kinda hot,” I told him with a smile.
He chuckled. “I know. And, honestly, what you did—sitting on me, letting me taste you—it makes me pretty fucking feral.”
I rolled to an elbow, looking down at him. “That’s okay though, right?”
“Only for you, sweet human. Only for you.” His palm cupped my face for a minute, the dark claw tracing under my eye as we gazed at each other for a long moment.
“Look, I really don’t want to be the person to interrupt you at this point,” a deep voice said from behind us, “but unless you guys get moving, you’re about to be the centerpiece of a very awkward dinner.”
“Holy shit!” I screamed as Zaldi lunged to his feet, twisting immediately to face down the blonde-haired man who stood only a couple of feet from us, leaning back against a trail post.
His human glamour wasn’t triggered, which meant this man knew exactly what Zaldi was. And seeing Zaldi—horns and all—he didn’t even flinch. Instead, he spread his hands wide and simply said, “Easy there, demon. I heard you were going feral, but I want nothing to do with that.”
I threw myself behind Zaldi in a moment of clarity. Silently, he took off his shirt and handed it to me, letting me slip it over my head.
“Who are you?” he demanded.
I could tell he was spreading out his magic and his senses to see what kind of Other this was in front of us.
The blonde shrugged, dropping his hands to his sides. “I’m just the scout.”
“The scout for what?” I asked from behind Zaldi, still feeling like I might never live this moment down.
All tense in front of me, I could actually feel one of his muscles grow tight, his magic expanding to create a barrier between us and the intruder. That wasn’t good.
But the blond guy didn’t move. He only nodded toward Zaldi. “Your boyfriend here figured it out. You can ask him.”
And, without a backward glance, he turned and began to jog back into the park, disappearing down the trail.
I groaned, pressing my face into Zaldi’s spine. “I am never, ever doing this again,” I promised him. “I’m so horrified.”
Zaldi remained a frozen statue of red muscle in front of me.
“Zaldi,” I asked softly, “what’s going on? Who was that guy?”
“A werewolf,” he said quietly. “A fucking werewolf.”
I laughed, the loud sound echoing around us, as I scrambled to find whatever scraps of fabric I had left. When I straightened, looking back to Zaldi, he hadn’t moved.
“You’re not laughing,” I told him, pointing out the obvious.
Zaldi looked over his shoulder at me, his golden eyes sharp and dangerous.
“There’s no such thing as werewolves,” I said to him, my heart suddenly thumping in my chest.
This time a smile curved his lips, “There’s no such thing as demons either, my love. And look how this turned out.”
I sighed, “Only in Salus Glen.”
My mate reached for my hand, “Only in Salus Glen.”
The End