The Birds And The Bees Talk
Upon seeing the three faces, I yelp and quickly hide against Constantine's chest. I grip the front of his shirt in embarrassment. My face must be beet red. This is so embarrassing!
“Well, hello, Constantine. Hello, Genesis. Nice to meet you,” says a male voice. His voice full of mirth.
“Hi, Genesis,” says Serena.
“Hello,” says another male voice. Must be Lazarus.
“Hi,” I mumble against Constantine's chest. I'm in hiding.
I hear laughter, so I press my face harder against his chest. There's no way I'm coming out to face them now. I hear the rumble of laughter in his chest and feel his body shakes with laughter.
“Sunshine, are you coming out to meet everyone soon?”
I shake my head and close my eyes. No.
I feel his warm hand come up to press gently on my back. They are still laughing.
“What are you guys doing home now anyway? It's not even lunch time yet,” he asks his friends.
“Oh, we decided to check in on you and have lunch at home. Where is the cook anyway?” says the first male voice.
“I told her to go home. Order some pizza or Chinese or something,” answers Constantine offhandedly as he lifts me up and carries me off. I press my face against his neck. I don't know where he's taking me, but I'm not going to look.
“Nice shirt she's wearing,” again the first male voice, sounding wicked.
“Just look away, Caspian,” growls Constantine, then in a flash, I'm in his room.
There's no end to my embarrassment today, and it's not even noon yet! I must have inherited the genes from my dad, I decide. My ability to land myself in embarrassing situations.
“I blame my dad,” I announce once Constantine places me on my feet and closes the bedroom door.
“What?” he asks, looking puzzled.
“The genes that make me prone to embarrass myself,” I explain.
“Okay...” His eyebrows furrow. I can see he's trying very hard to follow my logic.
“I mean, my mom's perfectly normal, you know....most of the time. So it must've come from my dad's side.” I conclude. It makes perfect sense to me now.
There's a soft knock on the bedroom door and Serena pokes her head in before Constantine says anything.
She walks in and suddenly I feel inadequate. She's so gorgeous. Definitely one of the most beautiful girls I've ever seen. Her skin is smooth and lightly tanned. Right now her beautiful honey brown eyes are filled with warmth and mischief. Her long shiny golden blond hair falls in soft waves down to her waist.
“I'm borrowing her, and she can wear my clothes,” she announces.
Constantine places his arm over my shoulders and tugs me to him. “Or she can just stay in here with me and wear mine,” he contradicts her.
Serena rolls her eyes. “The boys and I would like to get to know her too. You've got to learn to share, Constantine.” She moves in and grabs my hand.
“No I don't,” he mumbles sullenly under his breath, but reluctantly releases my shoulders as Serena pulls me away.
"One hour," he says sourly. Now he looks like a little boy whose favorite toy had just been taken away from him. “Then I'm coming to get you,” he informs me.
“Four,” counters Serena.
“One,” he insists.
“Okay, three,” she returns.
“One,” he states firmly.
“Oh, come on...give a little. Three,” she bargains.
“Alright. Two.” He sighs.
“He sounded like he just gave up his Ferrari or Aston Martin instead of just two meager hours without you,” she complains as she drags me to her room. “Lycans!”
“You know I can still hear you, right?” says Constantine from his room.
“Good,” she mumbles with some satisfaction.
These lycans fight like siblings. You would never have guessed from the way they look when you see them in school.
“How did you end up here? I bet there are more exciting places to live in instead of this little town,” I inquire curiously as I glance around hers and Lazarus's bedroom.
“Caspian had this idea about attending and graduating high school. Lazarus and I were supposed to accompany him. I don't know how we ended up here really. Knowing Caspian, he probably threw a dart on the map to decide. Constantine was just supposed to be here for a couple of weeks. Maybe come for a visit once in a while. Well, one day he went to get a sketchbook and some pencils at some art supply store. The next thing we knew, he bought the whole studio and registered into the high school with us,” she informs me, smiling cheekily.
Serena lends me a pair of jeans and a pretty white and pink floral top. Good thing we're almost the same size. The jeans and the top fit just perfect.
“Thank you for lending these to me. I can't imagine going home in Constantine's shirt,” I admit. “I'll return them after I wash them.”
She waves her hand in dismissal, then pulls me down to sit on the bed next to her.
“It's time for our birds and the bees talk,” she announces.
What??? My cheeks must have turned bright red. I can only stare at her. Horrified.
“Oh, it's not like that!” She laughs. “I mean, now that you're with Constantine, you're going to go through changes soon. You see, I was born a werewolf. Just like you...but I'm a lycan now,” she reveals.
I stare at her in surprise. She doesn't look like a she-wolf to me. She's all lycan.
A sudden thought occurs to me. I remember how my eyes, my voice, and my body changed yesterday when I went for a run. Also the changes in my body right now in my human form—my curves, my hair, skin.
“What does that mean?” I ask her carefully.
“You know, werewolves are born with mates that fit them like a puzzle. We are born to fit our mates. But lycans don't have that. So when lycans find their erasthai, the erasthai, whether they're humans, or werewolves or fae would soon change to fit the lycans perfectly after the bond between them started. It's the moon goddess gift to her children since lycans are born without mates.
“The changes happen gradually, but eventually, the mate would look like a lycan. Age as slowly and live as long as the lycan. Be as strong and as deadly as a lycan. Basically, you become a lycan. I guess we need that to balance our mates. Lycans are very strong, a human or even a werewolf wouldn't survive the mating with a lycan,” explains Serena.
“Genesis, you're going to go through some changes soon. Your wolf will turn into a lycan. Even your human form will turn. We change to look more attractive, which is funny, because how jealous our mates can get. Lycans are very possessive. It's going to be hard to deal with at first. But you'll find a way around it...we all do,” she says.
“Oh how?”
“I think you're already doing it.” She laughs.
“Oh, come on, Serena. Tell me! I'm truly lost at how to deal with Constantine sometimes,” I plead.
“Why, by using your feminine wiles, of course,” she winks at me with a wicked smile on her lips. “You catch more flies with honey, as my aunt used to say.”
I burst out laughing. I can just imagine Serena using her feminine wiles on the intimidating Lazarus. Then I imagine me, trying to use feminine wiles on Constantine.
Yikes! My face turns red.
“I can just imagine what's going on in that pretty head of yours.” Serena laughs.
I cover my face with my hands. I bet my face is as red as a tomato right now. “Oh, young Genesis, you're adorable.” She laughs harder.
“How long did it take for you to change into a lycan? You know, when you phase?” I need to know. And I need to change the subject before I turn into a big red tomato and explode!
“For me, it took almost six months. I could see the changes when I phase, I could feel the power and the bond growing. It was amazing. But every mate is different. Physical changes in human form happened so slowly to me that nobody around me noticed much difference. I noticed that my hair seemed fuller, my features more defined somehow, my body changed within a year or two.”
I know I'm changing, but it's very sudden to me. Not like what Serena is saying. My friends certainly noticed the difference in me. I'm already phasing into a lycan, judging by what happened yesterday.
“I'm glad you're Constantine's mate, Genesis. I like you. I think we're going to be great friends.” She smiles sincerely.
I think so too... and I think I'm hungry. I could smell pizza. “Oh, what's the deal with the cook?” I ask her as we descend the stairs.
Serena scrunches up her nose in disgust. “Constantine threw her out of his room the other day. She claimed that she's cleaning his room. We have cleaners. She's a damn cook! She's the fifth cook we have this year. Caspian did the hiring. Cooking isn't necessarily the most important qualification for the job,” adds Serena.
“Hey, some things are important to whet the appetite,” remarks Caspian from the living room.
“You'd better get rid of her. Her cooking isn't too bad, but she's becoming a nuisance,” cuts in Lazarus.
“This is my mate Lazarus,” says Serena happily as she wraps her hands around his arm.
“It's nice to finally properly meet you,” remarks Lazarus. He has the most striking blue eyes I have ever seen. His jet black hair is slightly long and curly. They make an extremely striking, good looking couple.
“Hi, I'm Caspian. It's a pleasure to finally meet you.” Caspian takes my hand in his. His bright bottle green eyes sparkle with mischief. Like the rest of them, he is gorgeous. His face is a chiseled perfection and his light blond hair is thick and shiny and perfectly styled in a quiff. He brings my hand up to kiss it, but Constantine snatches it away before it reaches his lips.
“We're going,” he snaps.
“She hasn't had any pizza yet...and you've got to learn to share, bruh,” says Caspian playfully. His lips curl up in amusement.
Constantine growls in irritation.
“Owww.” Caspian yelps. Lazarus had smacked him at the back of his head.
I cover my mouth to stop the laughter from escaping. Constantine isn't looking very amused.
It's nice to meet the rest of the lycans, but I need to talk to Constantine about what's going on and Alpha Carrington's plan. I couldn't talk to him about it this morning when he was trying to hold on to his control. I hope he won't lose his control this time.
***
“We never got to eat, you must be hungry,” remarks Constantine as he keys in the code. A metal door smoothly slides open to reveal the biggest garage I've ever seen. There must be more than ten cars in there and several motorcycles. Why would they need that many cars? From practical sedans and SUVs to fancy sports cars. There is a BMW, a Jeep, a Buick, a Ferrari, a Porsche, a Bugatti. Just wow! There are a few other exotic cars that I have never seen before and have no idea what the make of them, but my mouth waters at the sight of a red 1967 Corvette. That baby is totally lickable!
Constantine smiles at the direction where my eyes are drawn to.
“Which one is yours?” I ask him.
“The Ferrari, the Aston Martin, the eco-friendly Tesla we arrived in today, and also the Ducati over there,” He points at one of the motorbikes in there.
“The Corvette belongs to Caspian, but I don't think he would mind if we took it for a spin,” he adds as he opens a metal cabinet by the wall and produces a set of keys.
“Let's go,” He winks as he unlocks the Corvette.
“What do you feel like having, sunshine?” he asks as he accelerates and shifts into 4th gear.
“Anything goes,” I whisper in a daze. I stare at the red smooth leather interior of the car. I'm in heaven. I'm in a 1967 Corvette Stingray. I'll eat anything.
Constantine's lips twitch as if he's trying hard not to laugh. His silver gray eyes are full of amusement. I love the way he handles the car. I love watching the way his strong elegant fingers glide on the steering wheel. The way he confidently changes the gear, the way the muscle of his powerful arms contract as he moves and grips the wheel or the gear knob.
I imagine those hands on me—
Fuzzy slippers! Get your mind out of the gutter, woman! Is it hot in here, or is it just me? I need to fan myself, but of course, I'm not going to do that.
His sharp clever eyes rarely miss anything when it comes to me. By the wicked look in his silver gray eyes, he must have an idea what I've been thinking about, which doesn't help my blushing problem.
****
We end up in an Italian restaurant. I can still remember the smell of that pizza they had in their home and I feel like having pizza now.
The moment we're out of the car, his hand moves to touch the small of my back and stays there. I can feel the warmth of his hand burning through the fabric. My heart starts doing the flip flops again.
Constantine requests a private booth, and we are lead and seated way at the back where nobody can see us. He sits next to me on the bench and places his hand on my thigh underneath the table as soon as we are seated.
The young waiter who comes to take our order stares at me the whole time. I can tell that he's a werewolf. The teenager doesn't take his eyes off me even when he's taking Constantine's order. That earns him a growl and a cold stare from Constantine. He's wise enough to lower his gaze after that.
As soon as the waiter leaves, he pulls me up into his lap and nuzzles my neck, breathing me in. “Genesis,” he groans against my neck. “What are you doing to me?”
Shivers run down my spine. “What do you mean?” I ask breathlessly. If he's not careful, I'd jump him right now.
“We lycans are very dangerous. Losing our temper would mean death to those around us. I'm usually very good at controlling my temper. Most lycans do, but with you, I lose control so easily. I could have easily murdered that alpha mutt and other students this morning. Snap that waiter's head just now. With you, I have no control.”
“Must you be in control all the time?” I whisper before my lips touch the skin of his throat. My tongue flicks out to taste it. Mmm. Yes, totally lickable. With him, my body has a mind of its own.
He groans deep in his throat. “Careful sweetheart.” His voice is rough. “You don't know what you're saying.” His hand goes into my hair and pulls my head to the side, then his lips attacked my neck. My head rolls back. His lips are magical. Did I say that already?
We are interrupted by the same waiter who is now looking quite uncomfortable, bringing our drinks. His face is bright red as he notes how we're sitting. I try to climb off his lap, but Constantine just tightens his hold on me even more.
“The poor guy looked like he's about to die on the spot,” I whisper, as soon as the guy leaves.
“Well, now he knows that you belong to me,” he remarks possessively.
He lowers his head and rains soft kisses on my cheeks and along my jaw. “You take over my senses completely, sunshine. When we're in the kitchen, I didn't hear my friends until they entered the house,” he whispers in between open mouth kisses. “I'm so addicted to you.”
We can't seem to get enough of each other. Now I don't remember why I asked him for some time. I think I'm ready to be fully claimed and marked by him. Now!
He only reluctantly lets me off his lap once our food arrives. The waiter cleared our table after we're done. While waiting for our dessert, I fidget with my napkin as I contemplate of how to tell him about Logan's and Alpha Carrington's plan.
“Okay, what is it, sunshine? There's something obviously bothering you. Are you going to tell me about it soon?”
How do I break it to him without him losing his temper? I really have no idea, so I just blurt it out.
“Well...uh, Alpha Carrington wants me to be mated and marked by Logan soon. He wants it done before the party when they're announcing us as Alpha and Luna of the pack.”
He doesn't say a word, so I continue, “Constantine, they're planning the party for tomorrow night.”
He is so silent. Then he closes his eyes and he clenches his jaw tight. His hands are balled into tight fists. He doesn't utter a word for a good three minutes. It worries me.
“Costa?” I whisper hesitantly. Dangerous vibes radiate off him like tidal waves.
I touch his arm gently and he turns his head and opens his eyes. My breath catches in my throat. Two chasms of black cold pits stare back at me.
I climb up to sit on his lap, straddling him. My hands move up to stroke his cheeks gently before I tangle them in his thick dark silky hair. He closes his eyes and fiercely jerks me into him. His shoves his face into the crook of my neck, nuzzling me there roughly.
I comb my fingers through his silky hair gently and he arches his head back. His eyes closed, his long, sooty eyelashes fan across his cheeks. The expression on his beautiful face is the mixture of torture and ecstasy. My heart flips at the sight. I want to be the cause of more of that look on his face, but certainly not this way.
“Tell me that you're mine,” he demands in a thick deep voice that doesn't sound quite like him. My fingers tighten in his hair and he groans as he leans down and presses his face into my neck once again.
“Constantine, I'm yours.”
“You're mine. All mine and only mine,” he growls against my skin. His powerful sinewy arms holding me tight. “I'll destroy anyone who dares to take you away from me.”