Chapter 23
“Thank you so much for joining us!” Mabel waves to the phone. “Catch ya next time, my little May Bells!” She ends the live stream and turns to me, clapping her hands together. “That was fun!”
“It was,” I say and actually mean it. She insisted I do a Get Ready with Me video on her TikTok channel. All we did was talk while she recorded her doing my hair and makeup.
For as out of it as Mabel can be, she’s good on camera and I can see why she’s gained so many followers so fast. Vampire aside, she’s interesting and personable.
Pretty, rich, and married into a powerful legacy, she’s the kind of person us regular folk like to watch from the safety of our humble houses, laying in a bed that probably doesn’t even have a headboard.
“And my hair looks amazing,” I compliment. “Thank you!”
“Of course, you’re my best friend!” She brings her hands to her chest and smiles. “Am I yours? Wait, you don’t have to answer that.”
“I’ve never had a best friend,” I tell her honestly.
“My brothers were the closest things I’ve had to real friends, I guess.
” I shrug. “I don’t know if that’s sad or not, but life in the Order isn’t really made to help anyone have a good social life.
” I close my eyes and shake my head. “Actually, that’s an Order-fed line of bullshit.
I had friends but once people found out I was a witch, I was outcast.”
“Back in my day, witches, werewolves, and shifters weren’t considered human.”
“They’re still not.”
“Then why did the Russos keep you?” She goes over to her jewelry dresser and opens the top drawer. Everything is carefully laid out. “Rubies tonight, dontcha’ think?”
“Yeah. That would match.” I’m wearing a tight black dress that ends mid-thigh with sleek Louboutin heels. Mabel let her followers pick the style for my whole look tonight, and this was deemed “siren chic”…whatever that means.
Her words hit me like a ton of bricks and the emotions I’ve been telling myself weren’t there threaten to come to the surface.
“I was told that Vivan and Marco were hunting demons in Italy but it was too late. These demons killed a family and my mom supposedly died heroically, saving me. Vivian just had the twins like six months before that and felt her maternal instincts kick in or whatever and took me so they could keep me safe. Ya know, since the demon wanted to take out my whole family but missed one.”
“The way you say that tells me something has recently made you see that wasn’t true.”
“Yep.” I pull my hair back so Mabel can put a ruby necklace on for me. “Xavier knew. I don’t know how he knew, but he knew.”
“He has a way of getting whatever it is he needs,” she starts, going back to her impressive jewelry collection. “Whether it’s information or someone’s loyalty, he usually gets his way.”
“Yeah. I’m finding that out.”
“But what happened?”
“They kidnapped me.” I look up and blink back tears. I just had my makeup done. I can’t cry and mess it up now. “I don’t know what happened to my parents. They could still be alive and looking for me.”
“Can you do a location spell to find them?”
“Yes, but I’m not exactly sure how. Finding someone with the same blood as me is more than possible…if I knew how to do it.”
Mabel makes a face, looking at me as she thinks. I assume she’s trying to decide what earrings for me to wear.
“We’ve always been warned to stay away from witches, warlocks, or anyone remotely similar. But I’ve heard from Caroline that there is a witch who runs an antique shop who might be able to help you. I could ask if maybe she could hook a girl up.”
“I would love that,” I say without asking or even caring who Caroline is. Being able to do a locator spell for my long-lost parents and know it was the real deal would be amazing. “Thank you.”
“Of course! Anything for my bestie.”
“You’re not going to, like, get in trouble for reaching out to a witch, are you?” I look at myself in the mirror, hardly recognizing the woman looking back at me. Though there’s a part of me that definitely can get used to being all done up like this from time to time.
“No, I won’t get close. And you’re fine to be around other witches. It’s more a rule for us, but you’re here so maybe Xavier will change his mind.” She wrinkles her nose. “Or not. You’re an exception.”
“To being around witches?”
“Yep. We’re forbidden.”
“Because of the whole war?”
“That,” she starts and hands me a pair of black diamond earrings. “And the fact that Xavier’s maker was killed by a witch.”
* * *
The G-Wagon comes to a stop in an alley in what I would consider a “bad part” of town. It’s certainly a place a woman like me shouldn’t venture to alone…if I weren’t a witch and a skilled hunter.
“Don’t let the run down facade worry you,” Xavier tells me. He’s dressed in all black today, looking dangerous and sexy yet again. This man could be the death of me, and I’d probably die happily if it involved us both horizontally in one way or another. “I’ve been told the food is quite good.”
“What kind of food do they serve?” I ask then shake my head. That should be the least of my worries. This has “mafia drug dealer meeting” written all over it, and if that’s what goes down tonight well…to be honest, I have no idea what I’d do.
Vampires kill. They’re monsters in some way, needing blood to survive.
But humans kill far more than vampires ever have, and they will continue to for as long as they exist. Not every vampire drains everyone they feed off of, either, and that’s a whole other moral dilemma I don’t have time for right now.
But bringing in drugs that end up in the hands of teens isn’t good. Fentanyl is bad enough, but throw in something stronger and more potent…it’s a problem and one I don’t know I can stand behind and not say anything. Which makes me wonder where do I draw the line?
“Wren,” Xavier says in a way that lets me know it’s not the first time he’s called my name.
“Yeah, sorry, I spaced out.”
“Where did you go?” He unbuckles and turns to face me, looking at me clearly despite the dark and gently taps my forehead.
“I don’t even know,” I confess and let out a breath. “Just trying to get a feeling on what’s going to happen, I suppose.”
“You seem nervous.”
“I am..a bit,” I tell him, knowing it’s not worth it to try and lie. He can sense it anyway. “I don’t know what I’m walking into.”
“I will protect you, Wren. You are my wife and I won’t let anything bad happen to you.”
I hold his gaze, feeling my heart lurch in my chest. “I know,” I tell him.
“I feel safe around you.” It’s the truth.
Physically, I do feel safe. But morally…
I’ve been toeing that line my whole life.
And it hits me that’s what’s so unnerving: I don’t think there is anything I can do to make Xavier look at me like I’m less than, like I’m evil.
Like I’m a monster.
Because if I am, then what does that make him?
“We are going to be walking into a meeting with some of my closest associates.”
I raise one eyebrow. “Yeah, that helps. Really clears things up.”
He flashes a cocky smirk and takes my hand, lacing our fingers together and bringing it to his lips. “You’ll see when you get in there.”
“Okay,” I say simply and unbuckle as well. Xavier gets out and zooms around, opening the car door for me. “But just to remind you, I am no damsel in distress. If things go sideways in there, I will protect myself by any means necessary.”
He closes the door behind me and, in the blink of an eye, pins me up against the car.
“You have no idea how much it turns me on to think of you magically ripping someone to shreds,” he whispers, breathing against my neck.
My eyes flutter shut and a chill runs through me.
“Thinking about the things you could do…” His lips go to my neck and I can’t help but grip his waist, pulling him closer so his cock presses against me.
Fuck, I want to feel that thing get hard.
“You have no idea how powerful you are, Wren.”
“I could hurt someone,” I breathe.
“I know,” he growls. “You shouldn’t hold back.” He cups my chin with his large hand and tips my face up to his. Slowly, he leans down so his lips are only centimeters away from mine.
“I don’t want to.” I let my head fall back, resting against the window. “Not anymore.” Heat rushes through me and my body screams for more of his touch. Parting my lips, I slit my eyes open and inhale, tightening my grip on Xavier.
The second my fingers press into him, he puts his lips to mine.
I gasp but then quickly melt against him, hands sliding along his back.
Xavier widens his legs and steps in, pinning me against the car.
He kisses me with fervor, tender but driven at the same time.
He moves his hand back, fingers curling around the hair at the nape of my neck.
His tongue pushes into my mouth and I need more.
Everything inside of me begs for him, needing to feel every single inch of him.
Then he quickly moves his head back and I open my eyes just enough to see his fangs before he puts his mouth to my neck.
I dig my fingers against him, anticipating a bite, but it doesn’t come.
Instead, I feel the sharp tips of his fangs on the surface of my skin as he kisses my neck, sending tingles of desire spiraling through me.
“Xavier,” I groan as he brings one of his hands down, bunching up my dress. I part my legs, heart hammering in my chest. I hook my arms around his shoulders, body humming with need for him. He sucks a little harder at my neck, fangs pressing into my flesh.
Slowly, he puts one hand between my thighs, moving his fingers up inch by fucking inch, teasing me on purpose. I’m about to grab his wrist and bring his fingers to me when he curls one long finger over my clit.
A gasp escapes my lips and I shudder from the instant pleasure. He does it again, playing with me through the thin fabric of my underwear. I arch my back, offering myself to him. With a growl he moves his lips back to mine and slips his hand down the top of my underwear.
His skin is smooth and cool against me and it’s all I can do to stay upright when he starts to stroke me.
He moves his fingers up and down and in a circle, alternating and gaining speed.
My breathing quickens and a coil of desire tightens inside of me.
My entire body tenses and my mouth falls open as the orgasm builds.
The only time I’ve even gotten close to coming this fast was after some alone time with a really good vibrator, and Xavier is giving it a run for its money.
He’s moving his fingers with vampire speed, yet isn't rough with his touch. Holy shit, all those years—all those centuries—of experience has taught him exactly how to pleasure a woman and it’s paying off for me right now.
But it’s more than him being good physically; it’s the way he can look at me and see me for exactly who I am.
And he’s not running off or telling me I’m a freak of nature or anything of the sorts.
His acceptance of me means even more now that I know how his maker was killed, and standing here, pressed up against the G-Wagon in a dark alley, I feel safe and seen in the weirdest way.
And—holy fuck—I cannot get enough of him.
“Ohhh,” I moan, wanting to tell him that I’m so close to cumming and he better not fucking stop doing what he’s doing.
I’m so wet, so wound up, it’s not going to take much longer.
He pushes two fingers inside of me right before I climax, finger-fucking me while continuing to rub my clit with his thumb.
I’ve never experienced anything like this, and my entire body shudders with intense pleasure.
My pussy spasms around his fingers, which he’s moving inside me with expertise, rubbing against my inner walls.
He wraps his free arm around me, holding me up as he keeps working, bringing me to the brink of another orgasm from the penetration in a matter of seconds.
I’ve only come like this a few times, and oh my fucking god, does it feel good.
My knees start to shake and if it wasn’t for his vampire strength, I could collapse against him.
“Breathe,” he whispers, slowly pulling his hand back so his soaking wet fingers rest against my thigh. My head flops forward, resting on his chest. I’m panting, body still humming as little aftershocks of pleasure pulse through me. I’m panting, heart racing, and my lips start to curve into a smile.
Holy shit.
I don’t know if I could handle doing that again without passing out.
My legs are shaking and my underwear is wet from being so turned on.
Xavier holds me against him for a moment before taking his hand from between my legs.
He puts his fingers in his mouth, slowly licking the remnants of me off.
Then he takes my hand and leads me inside.
“Come on, Mrs. Malus. It’s time to introduce you to the crew. ”