Chapter 16
Imagine that night without Mila. As if she didn’t exist. Would we have talked?
Gone straight to an alley to fuck each other’s brains out?
I’d have taken it all. I couldn’t be sure how vamps dealt with fate, but to us wolves, it was everything.
It centered on the very idea of mates. A clandestine pairing decided long before either being was born by the stars and celestials themselves.
Now that I discovered Aurora used to be a shifter, even if she couldn’t shift any longer, told me we’d met for a reason.
Fate reunited us for a reason. I just couldn’t tell what that purpose was yet.
Sex with Aurora felt like living another existence. Before her, my romantic encounters excluded non-shifters. She wasn’t just any vampire. It was her, which intensified the heat of our connection.
The very idea of knotting her, of biting her, of her biting me? Fuck. The thought alone made me rock hard in my damn sleep.
I’d been comfortably sleeping with Aurora wrapped in my arms, her ass snuggled against my dick. Her scent wafted in waves from our proximity and brought me to a level of slumber I hadn’t experienced in ages.
That was until my damn phone rang upstairs. And not just any ringtone, the ringtone that I couldn’t ignore.
Groaning awake, sleep still heavy in my head, my eyelids drooping, I groggily slipped out of bed.
I slapped my face several times to make sure I was alert and attentive before sulking up the steps.
By the time I’d made it upstairs, it had already gone to voicemail, but immediately started ringing again.
I left the cellar door open a crack so her presence still lingered with my senses and answered the phone. “What?” I snapped.
“Shit, nice to talk to you too, Alpha,” Phelan said.
I rubbed my face and leaned on the doorframe. “Like to hear how you’d sound with only two hours of sleep.”
“I hope you got your dick wet because we’ve got problems.”
Standing straighter, my instincts kicking in, I furrowed my brow. “What is it?”
“Those shifters didn’t stop last night. They calmed down a bit, but they kept trying to follow you all.”
“Yeah, the one I interrogated was relentless too. He got worse the closer Aurora was to me.” I peeked through the door, glancing down the stairs, and half-smiled when I saw one of Aurora’s feet shift into view on the bed.
“Wait. Why the hells would that happen?”
I scratched my chest. “Have some theories, but wanna be sure before I say anything.”
“Because that isn’t cryptic at all. Alright, Hark.” Phelan let out a disgruntled sigh because he knew better than to pry something out of me. “Have you noticed only wolves under your command aren’t affected by this?”
“My alpha word is the strongest of all the packs.”
Clanking, like ice dropping into a glass, sounded through the receiver. “True, but it’s still strange.”
“Phel, are you makin’ a fucking drink at seven in the morning?”
Sounds of liquid being poured followed. “It’s a screwdriver. The orange juice makes it not count.”
I rubbed my thumb between my eyes. “You said problems, plural, Phel, what else?”
“As you can imagine—” Phelan took a sip of his drink and made an “ahh” sound. “—they canceled the meeting. Rescheduled for next week, but they made a vote.”
My gut wrenched at that. I gripped the phone tighter. “About what?”
“Either you take Aurora out of Plena Falls, which I already told them wasn’t going to fucking happen, or until the alpha bind on her is lifted, remain sequestered to your place with her.”
“What?” I growled way louder than I should have. Peeking through the door, I sighed when I didn’t see Aurora stir. “What?” I whispered.
Phelan coughed on his drink. “Hey, whoa. You’re still alpha. It’s just that if any business needs handling, we come to you.”
“How the hells is that supposed to help anything?” I lifted the phone to my mouth so my words came out angrier than whispering allowed.
“It keeps the other shifters contained. If they try to break into your place, one, I pity the fool who tries, and two, the pack’s orders are to rotate watches.”
My claws inched out. I balled my hand into a fist. “The council is orderin’ my pack?”
“Come on, Hark. They have the power when it affects all packs.”
They did. They completely did.
“Fine. I still think this is a bad idea. How are we supposed to figure this out stuck in here?” A second glance downstairs almost stopped my heart when I couldn’t see Aurora’s toes. A breath pushed from my lungs when the blanket shifted into view.
“Maybe you can figure other things out. Make use of your alone time?” I could hear the shit-eating grin on Phelan’s face.
“Bye, Phelan,” I clipped and hung up.
At some point, Waffles had hopped from his spot on the couch and plopped his butt by my heel. He wagged his tail and panted excitedly.
“Shit. Sorry, pal. It ain’t time to get up yet.” Crouching, I picked him up and set him back on the pillows. “Stay.”
Waffles’ ears drew back, but he obeyed before laying down and flopping his chin on his paws, disappointed.
Groaning, I dragged a hand down my face and trudged back to the cellar. Aurora still lay peacefully like a demonic angel. Resuming my role as the big spoon, I pulled her into my embrace, rubbed my nose against her hair, and drifted back to sleep in mere seconds.
The following night, I rose before Aurora and traced my finger from one freckle on her skin to the next, starting at her shoulder.
Despite her bronze skin, they were still prominent, and I sort of loved she’d maintained them even as a vampire.
I had to wonder if her shifter blood was the reason she didn’t look pale like the dead, like every other vamp I’d seen.
Aurora stirred, letting out a moan that sounded awfully close to last night’s. It made my dick bounce. “Mm, now that is how I like to wake up.”
“With my cock pressed to your ass?”
She turned onto her back, giving me a lazy smile, her eyes still heavy-lidded. “Precisely. I demand it from here on out.”
“You demand it?” I chuckled and kissed her.
Aurora shrugged, taking my cock into her hand and stroking it. “What? Don’t enjoy taking orders?”
With a groan from how good her skin felt, I grinned. “Certainly not used to it, but something tells me you prefer me givin’ the orders.”
“Got me there.” She gave one last tug before blowing out an exasperated breath. “I’d love some breakfast sex, but my energy level is dangerously low.” Aurora clamped her hands over her stomach.
“Let’s head upstairs. Got some news I need to share, anyway.”
“News?” Aurora tugged on panties, a tank top, and nothing else. “It isn’t bad, I hope.”
Throwing on only my jeans, since apparently we’re playing that game, I followed her up the steps. “Not bad, but also not great.”
“Well, spill, Harkin. Don’t leave me hanging.” Aurora spread her arms wide, ready for Waffles to attack her with zombie dog licks and whimpers.
“It’s the council.” I paused, waiting for that to sink in.
Aurora was on bended knee, scratching her dog’s head and ears. “Let me guess. They want to butt in because something affects all the packs in the Falls?”
“That’s half of it.”
Aurora let out a disgruntled sigh as if shifter politics was the only thing she hadn’t missed. “Okay? Can we get to the point? I only have eternity to live here.”
Eternity. Such longevity was possible for a wolf, provided they’re cunning enough to survive.
“We gotta stay isolated in my loft until the alpha bind drops.”
She asked for it. I got right down to it.
“What?” Aurora yelled, immediately rising to her feet.
I held up my palms defensively. “It was that, or we left the Falls. This way, I can still handle pack affairs, and we can figure this out.”
“But Harkin, you don’t—” Anguish twisted Aurora’s face, and she grabbed her stomach. Turning to the fridge, she whipped it open. Frantically, she shoved items aside, bottles clanking and wrappers rustling. “Fuck,” she shouted.
“What is it?” I stepped behind her.
Aurora pressed her forehead to the fridge, staring at the scarce shelves as if something would magically appear. “I’m out of blood bags. If I can’t get to the Cove, I’ll need to call Ash. Maybe he can get Hermes to express ship them through Speedy Sandal.”
“Aurora,” I beseeched, trying to get her to pay attention to me and not panic.
Instead, she panicked, grabbing her phone and bringing it to her ear. She chewed on her thumbnail as she paced my living room.
Sighing, I leaned a hip against the counter.
“Ash? Hey. Sorry to bother you. Can you check if I have any packages? I should have had a scheduled delivery of blood yesterday.” A pause. “Thanks.”
“Aurora,” I tried again.
She waved her hand at me dismissively. “It’ll be fine.”
There was an even longer pause. I remained glued to the counter, waiting.
“What do you mean there wasn’t a delivery? They’ve never missed one.” Aurora’s eyes became two glimmering dark pools. After another beat, she shouted. “What? They are out? How is that possible, Ash? How?”
Moving from behind the counter, I stood closer to her.
“Sorry, I know it’s not your fault. I didn’t mean to take it out on you.
” A small chuckle escaped her lips. “Hangry. Yes. To put it mildly.” Aurora still feverishly chewed on her nails.
If she were human, she’d have made it down to the quick.
“Thanks for trying.” She hung up and finally looked at me.
“Been tryin’ to say, I can get you blood.” I tilted my head.
“You can? I mean—how?” Aurora’s grip loosened on the phone.
I shot my hand out to catch it before it crashed to the floor. Resting it gently on the counter, I rubbed her shoulder. “Gimme five minutes. I’ll be right back.”