Against Darius’s protest, we’re here at Mason’s small party. I insisted on coming and Darius decided that he doesn’t trust Mason or any man enough to let me come to the party by myself. Surprisingly, it is not a big party. Maybe because most students are still home for Thanksgiving this week.
Lily and Keisha, my humans’ college friends pull me aside as soon as we arrive. We need to catch up since we haven’t seen each other for a few weeks now. Keisha’s best friend, Amanda isn’t here, thankfully. She’s still in Pismo Beach for Thanksgiving with her family. The last time I saw her was when Quincy poured water all over her.
The music is playing and the furniture is pulled aside to leave the middle of the room empty for people to mingle and dance.
Nobody is dancing so far. We’re standing in groups just talking and drinking.
Daniel, who is now Lily’s boyfriend is one of Mason’s best buddies. They are both in the other corner of the room, talking with a few other guys from college. Apart from the initial greeting, Mason has been keeping away from me when he saw me arrived with Darius. The stare both men gave each other was definitely chilly.
I gaze at my mate from across the room where he is standing with his arms crossed at his chest. He’s in black jeans and black button down shirt that contrasts greatly with his sleek fair hair that’s getting a bit long. The back is touching the collar. His skin has a light golden tint from the sun this morning. All in all, he’d featured in any straight women’s wet dream even if they’re not into blonds.
I know he wants to come over and stay close to me but he’s giving me some room to talk to my friends alone. Right now his eyes are cold and he’s wearing a bored expression on his face while two girls are currently vying for his attention. If I couldn’t sense his feeling of utter annoyance, I’d be kicking their asses to the moon.
Still, this sucks!
Darius raises his eyes to meet mine. His blue orbs catch the bright light coming from the kitchen and they reflect it back, making the color very light, almost transparent. I could easily lose myself in those beautiful eyes. Suddenly I have a strong urge to be back in his arms.
Whose brilliant idea was it to come here? Oh, wait! It’s mine!
Darius’ eyes turn questioning. He can feel my need for him. I know he would come over as soon as I give any indication that I want him to. Still, we just got here not ten minutes ago and Lily is still talking to me. I have to remind myself that we are here to mix around with my human friends. I’m such a bad friend.
I raise my hand and place it on his mark on me above my heart and the corners of his lips twitch up a tiny bit. I can’t help a little smug smile curving my lips up when I see him does the same, placing his hand on the mark I gave him. We are so corny but I love it that I can make a fierce and dangerous lycan warrior does something sweet like that…just for me.
“So, Daniel asked me to move in with him next semester. His father got him an apartment just ten minutes away from campus, South of here,” explains Lily while I keep my eyes on my mate.
“Wow, moving in together? That’s great, Lil. I’m glad that everything is going well with you and Daniel.” I tear my gaze away from Darius and give Lily’s hand a squeeze.
“I know, that’s a big step, right? Moving in together,” she says, sighing. “Thanks to you. It started with a dare, remember?
Anyway, enough about me, what about you?”
“Yeah, what about you and Mr. sex on legs over there?” Keisha tilts her head towards Darius. “Is he a total sex god in bed? Is he as good as he looks?”
My eyes instantly meet his again above the heads of the few people in front of him. There’s a tiny smirk on his lips. I know he can hear us. He’s waiting to hear my answer even though he
knows I’m not the kiss and tell kind of person. I’d love to wipe that smirk off his face for once. Alas, we both know he has the reason to be smug.
I’m tempted to poke my tongue childishly out at him but I scrunch up my nose instead. His lips twitched like he’s holding back his laughter. I roll my eyes and he lifts his eyebrows expectantly. Still waiting for my answer.
“Oh, he’s okay, I guess,” I finally answer her and I can see my mate’s eyebrows rise up another notch. “I mean, he might be really awful…you know, false advertisement and all,” I can’t resist adding and I could almost hear him growl sexily in my ear. The look in his eyes is warning me of a retribution and a reminder of how “awful” he is in bed as soon as we get home, so I quickly add, “Or he might be awesome. Who knows, right?
It’s totally subjective.” I almost snort at how lame and stupid my answer sounds.
“Oh, come on. What kind of answer is that? It’s either good or bad. There’s nothing subjective about it. It’s not rocket science, Penny,” snaps Keisha, clearly not liking my response. I know my answer doesn’t make any sense but I’m not going to divulge any sordid detail of my intimate life to anyone, especially not to someone like Keisha. Serves her right for being so nosy.
Lily covers her mouth with her hand to muffle her laughter. A loud snort escapes her nose and I almost lost it.
“And don’t pretend like you don’t know,” Keisha adds, very irritated now. “Nobody with a pair of eyes will believe that you two are just friends. Nobody will fall for that line again,” she
says as she walks away. I guess she gets the point that I’m not going to confide in her like we’re besties or anything.
Lily hooks her skinny arm around my shoulders as we both watch her stomps off indignantly. We look at each other and break into a laugher as soon as Keisha disappears around the corner. When her laughter subsides, Lily says, “Without her evil twin Amanda, Keisha isn’t so bad…but I still don’t trust her.”
“Yeah,” I agree. “Nosy bitch.”
“I have to agree with her though. Nobody will believe that you and that sexy piece of man candy over there are just friends. I didn’t believe it then and I don’t believe it now,” says Lily.
“Oh, yeah?” I ask her absently as I lock eyes with my mate. I see a couple more girls are making a move on him and one, in particular, is being very persistent. A beautiful redhead in a short denim skirt and a tight little white t-shirt is pressing her body against my mate’s side, attaching herself to my man like a leech.
My mate, on the other hand, seems oblivious to her desperate attempt. I know his attention is solely on me. There’s not a minute gone by tonight that his focus is not on me. He’s aware of my every movement, my mood and my company. His senses are always scanning for any threats and ready to act if he sees any danger around me. Right now his eyes are enquiring and he cocks his head slightly towards the entrance. Had enough?
Ready to leave yet?
I lift my chin up and let my eyes wander to the little redhead leech beside him. Unattach yourself from that bitch or else I’ll do it myself and it won’t be pretty.
“That right there is just amazing,” says Lily.
“Huh?”
“I’ve been watching you two communicating with each other from across the room. I don’t know what you’re saying to each other, but I know you’re talking with just looks. That is just so incredible!” says Lily looking between Darius and me dreamily.
“I wish I had that kind of connection with Daniel.”
I turn to look at her with a frown. Actually, our conversation involves more than just looks. It also involves the feelings that we sense through our bond and also our awareness of each other. Sometimes that awareness is so intense, it feels like we’re one soul in two bodies. However, Lily’s observation makes me wary of how perceptive she is or how obvious we are.
Maybe we should tone it down? It’s hard to do that when the whole world just disappears when we’re looking into each other’s eyes. Only the two of us exist in our personal bubble no matter where we are or who is there with us.
A familiar scent hit me first before a strained voice greets me,
“Hi, Penny.” Matthew, my mate…or rather my ex-mate is standing next to us. For a second, I can only stare at him and Cece who is standing rather stiffly beside him. Mason and Daniel pick this time to join us.
Matthew seems rather awkward but he’s staring at me rather longingly. Cece looks like she just smelt something rotten. Of
course, Matthew is here, Mason is his cousin after all. How did I forget that? I’m so stupid.
“Hey, Matthew, Cece…nice to meet you again.” Well, not really but it’s a nice thing to say, right? I’m working on my social skill. I force a smile and wait for the usual thrill that Matthew’s presence brings me but I feel none of it. I guess being mated and marked by Darius have really severed our ties. “I didn’t see you earlier.”
“We just got here,” Cece says, as she pulls Matthew’s hand into hers and slides another around his arm. She can’t make it any more obvious that they’re together again now.
“Well, this is a very nice party, Mason. Lily was just telling me how nice it is.” I push Lily who, no doubt has sensed the awkwardness forward. She shoots me a look before she faces everybody with a wide smile on her face.
“Yeah, awesome party, Mason,” she says.
A muscular arm slides possessively around my shoulders, pulling me back against a warm chest behind me. I can’t help but lean into his warmth. His body curved perfectly for mine to fit into.
“You remember Darius,” I tell them. I touch Darius’s arm that’s draped around my shoulders and give it a squeeze. There’s no need for him to feel threatened by Matthew or anyone
anymore.
“Hey, man,” says Daniel. Mason just lifts his Bud Light bottle up.
I sense my mate giving them a nod. Matthew returns his nod while Cece is staring at Darius with wide eyes. I’m also aware that the persistent little redhead from earlier is still hovering beside him. This man. I Can’t take him anywhere. I turn to give the redhead who is now giving me a measured look, a brief bitchy smile.
“Congratulations on your engagement,” says my mate to Cece and Matthew.
Huh? I glance at Cece again and this time I notice a nice diamond glinting on her finger. Gah! You’re so slow, Penny! I think she’d been trying to show off the engagement ring since they got here but I was too preoccupied with my own thoughts to notice.
“Oh, you’re engaged? When is the wedding?” asks Lily excitedly as if she’d known the couple for ages. Oh, Lily.
“Congratulations,” I say. “I’m happy for you both,” I continue and I mean it.
“Thank you,” says Cece.
“I see you two are still… just friends,” retorts Mason, making an air quote while looking at Darius and me with a smirk.
Darius’s arm tightens around me and I brace myself. “Who?
Us?” he says. “No, we’re not just friends. We’re married.”
Marking and mating to us is like marriage to humans, or maybe more so…with our souls forever connected and there’s no turning back. There’s no such thing as divorce for us.
However, to spring something like that on my human friends was something else. We’ve excused ourselves as soon as Darius dropped the bomb and fifteen minutes later I’m sitting in the car quietly with a grin on my face as I recall the look of surprise and shock on their faces. Darius was looking smug when we left the party and now he is driving with a look of concentration on his face. The traffic is light, so I doubt he’s really thinking about the drive right now.
I glance down at our entwined fingers on his thigh.
Note to self: get a wedding band for my mate.
“I should take you away on a honeymoon,” says Darius
suddenly.
“Really?” I ask him excitedly. “Where?”
He lifts my hand up and presses his lips to my knuckles before he glances at me with an indulgent look. “Anywhere you want, Malyshka.”
My heart swells with love for this gorgeous man. I didn’t think that it’s possible three years ago. We fought so hard to get here and to be together. We’ve come so far. I’m a different person than I was three years ago. I’m not even the same being anymore. I’ve also traveled the world. I’ve seen and
experienced things that changed me. One thing that will never change is the love and loyalty that I have for my family.
Darius turns off the engine and I realize that we’re home. I look out the window at our brightly lit monstrosity of a house.
Inside is my family. Genesis, Constantine, Caspian, Serena, and Lazarus. My lycan family.
I love them all with everything that I have in me yet I don’t want to completely forget my root.
“I want to go visit my old pack. My werewolf pack. I want to see my parents and my old friends, Reese, River and their
daughter, Piper.”
“Then that’s where I’ll take you. Anything you want, Malyshka.
I’m here to protect you and make your life happy.”
“I want to make you happy,” I tell him, turning my whole body towards him.
“And you do. You make me very happy, every day. My life before you didn’t make sense. I’m the happiest I’ve ever been with you in it. You make me excited to go to bed with you in my arms every night. You make me excited to open my eyes in the morning to see you lying next to me. You’re my home. I devote my life to you. I belong to you. Completely.”
Darn it this man!
“Hey, did I say something wrong?” he asks me. His voice grows wary and full of concern suddenly.
He tilts my face up with his hands and brushes his thumbs along my wet cheeks.
“You say all the right things. You make me cry,” I tell him.
He cradles my face in his hands while staring into my eyes. I see the confusion on his face. “I’m not good with words. I’ve never done this before but I’m trying, Malyshka. You wanted me to open up to you and I told you I’d do anything for you. I’m sorry I make you cry—”
“Arrgghh…you need to stop before I grow hysterical,” I warn him. More tears are rolling down my face.
“Okay. I’ll stop now,” he says.
“Okay…whatever,” I snap. The air around us suddenly grows heavy after I uttered that word. His eyes glitter in the dim light.
“Room. Now,” he growls, pushing his door open with a force.
“Okay,” I answer meekly but a naughty smile is growing on my lips. An answering mischievous smile is already curving his lips as he unbuckles my seatbelt. His eyes darkened with hunger and anticipation.
He knows that meekness is just for show. There’s nothing meek about me as there is nothing meek about him.
“Prepare to be punished for your crime, Mrs. Rykov,” he says as he lifts me up and kicks the car door closed with his foot.
“Whatever. Whatever, whatever, whatever…” He cuts my chant with his warm mouth on mine. Urgent and demanding.
I barely register the snickers and muffled laughter as he strides past the living room with me in his arms or the thud of the door of our room as he pushes my back against it.
“I love you,” I tell him between our kisses.
“And I love you. Very much,” he says.
“Show me how much,” I challenge him and he proceeds to do just that. Over and over again.
We fight. We love. This is us. As long as we’re together, we’ll be okay.
