Some Things Money Can’t Buy
“Why is Milan not here?” I ask. No, I don't really want to deal with her now. This evening has been great and I don't want to ruin it. But I have to ask.
“That's because she's not part of the pack,” answers Constantine.
“Oh?” I raise an eyebrow.
“To be part of the pack, you have to be approved, not just by the majority, but by all members of the pack,” answers Serena at my questioning look.
“Serena and I didn't want her to be a part of this pack,” informs Caspian with a smirk.
“Besides, she's not always with us. She comes and goes as she pleases. She would stay with us for a few months or so, then she's off to Europe or somewhere. She'll disappear for months or sometimes years before she shows her face around here again,” comments Serena, shrugging her shoulders.
“This is the longest she's ever stayed with us. Almost a year now,” explains Lazarus.
“Where is she, anyway?” asks Constantine. From the tone of his voice, I sense a confrontation coming.
“We don't know,” answers Serena looking at Lazarus.
“We haven't seen her since this morning after you left,” says Lazarus.
****
“Come home with me tonight?” Constantine has been trying to persuade me to spend the night at his place, while I feel that I should go home. I feel kinda awkward about telling my parents that I'm spending the night at his place. Besides, I left everything at home when I went for the run this afternoon. I don't even have my phone with me.
“Maybe some other time?” I'm blushing beet red. Oh, goddess, why am I so weird, and awkward....and weird? Why, oh, why can't I be normal?
“What about me spending some time at yours?” He smiles roguishly. His silver-gray eyes glinting mischievously. I get the feeling that he's enjoying making me blush way too much. He also knows how much I want to spend the whole night with him. He's so hot and—blast him and this mate bond feeling, sharing thingy!
“This thing....about sensing each other's feeling, it's great and all...but is there any way I can keep my feelings to myself?” I finally ask him.
“What, you don't want to share your feelings with me, sweetheart?” He flashes his straight white teeth.
“I do, but...not all the time.” Especially not now.
“I know. There's no off button anywhere, but you can hide it a bit...sort of like turning the volume of a radio down. You can't totally turn it off, especially if you're experiencing some strong feelings like extreme sadness or fear, or anger....or passion,” he whispers the last word in my ear. The warmth of his breath teasing my skin.
Fuzzy bunnies! I grab the back of his neck and slam my lips against his. I kiss him long, hard and good until we're both panting.
“Meet me up in my room later tonight,” I inform him breathlessly.
He grins like he just won a round of battle. Well, he just did. That was an easy win for him.
Gah! I'm such a sucker for this hot, delicious, irresistible...
“Sweetheart,” he groans, reaching for me again. Oops... I forgot that he can totally feel me.
It's fifteen minutes later that I finally walk on unsteady legs across our driveway. Sheesh, I need a shower. A cold one. Wait! I didn't even get to know how to tune my feelings down from him.
Genesis! One little whisper and you forgot everything. I suck!
The TV in our living room is on. I know mom and dad are watching their favorite show. I sneak around to the back of the house and climb up through the window into my room. I'm amazed at my own agility now. I doubt that my parents or Autumn heard me.
I quickly gather my pajamas and head for the shower. The warm water feels good on my skin. I wish I had Constantine's amazing shower. Constantine—just the thought of him makes me smile like a crazy woman.
I stop in front of the bathroom mirror on my way out. My skin seems to glow. The mark on my shoulder seems darker. I put on a pair of yoga pants and a tank top and run a comb through my hair.
I can hear my parents talking and laughing downstairs. I haven't seen them since this morning. I should go downstairs and talk to them.
“Hey, sweetie!” greets mom as I enter the living room.
They are watching The Golden Girls. My parents love that old tv show. Autumn is on another chair munching on chips. It's Friday night, she gets to stay up late. I'm surprised she's not out with her friends.
“I didn't even know you were home until I heard the shower going,” says dad.
I grin, walk over and squeeze myself in between the two of them on the sofa. I used to do that a lot when I was a little girl. I still like to do it from time to time even though I'm all grown up now.
“My baby girl,” mom squeezes my cheeks. I giggle when dad kisses my other cheek. Ahhh... just like old times.
“Genesis sandwich.” Dad laughs.
“Hey! What about me?!!” yells Autumn just before she launches herself right on top of me.
Oommpphh!!! Cuddly bunnies!!!
“Flattened out Genesis,” I groan from under her. “Autumn, you heavy cow,” I manage to muffle out as she squishes her back against my poor mushed up face.
“Genesis mashed!” she yells as she jumps up and down on top of me. I have a heavy cow for a sister. A crazy one at that.
It's funny how my life has turned out to be. If Logan had accepted me, I'd probably be living in the pack house as the luna of the pack now. Instead, here I am, mated to a lycan and still acting like a kid. I know sooner or later I would have to grow up and leave my family to live with my new pack, wherever they decide to move to. Right now, I'm just going to enjoy my time with my family.
Thankfully mom rescues me by digging me out from underneath my demented sister.
“Oh, my goddess!” exclaims mom suddenly, pulling on my shoulder. “You're marked!”
My cheeks heat up as mom pulls me into a hug, then she turns me around to study the mark on my shoulder again.
“Lycan's mark,” she marvels.
“Well, finally,” mutters dad. “For a lycan, he showed a lot of restraint. Even a werewolf would have marked her a long time ago.”
What? I almost choke on my embarrassment.
“Yeah, well...your dad marked me a couple of days after we met, and that's very considerate of him.”
I so don't want to hear this! Autumn and I start covering our ears.
Mom laughs and pulls our hands down.
“We should celebrate,” she suggests enthusiastically.
Suddenly, my chest burns. Something is wrong.
Constantine.
“Something's not right,” I blurt out, pressing a hand to my chest. My phone starts to buzz and I jump up to answer it.
“Genesis, you should come right away,” Serena's voice comes through the line as soon as I swipe right to answer.
“Why? What's wrong?” My heartbeat picks up with burning anger and fury that's not mine.
“It's Constantine. Caspian is on his way over to pick you up,” she says before she ends the call.
“That was Serena. I have to go,” I inform my parents.
“What's going on? What's wrong?” asks dad.
“I don't know, but I have to go. Caspian's on the way over to pick me up.”
“Do you want us to come with you?” Mom looks worried.
“No, I don't think so. I'll let you know when I know for sure what's happening,” I assure them. I'm feeling so much fury, my eyes keep changing. Constantine. I have to get to him fast.
The roar of a car engine just outside our house alerts us to Caspian's arrival. He must have been speeding to get here so fast. I sprint to his car. He guns the engine as soon as I close the door to his sleek silver Porsche.
“Okay, I'm freaking out. Tell me what's going on Caspian?”
We're flying along the highway. I don't think a regular police patrol car would be able to catch us.
“Well...” he says, checking the traffic beside us before he switches the lane, then he speeds up even more. “When we got home this evening, we found the door to Constantine's studio wide open. Apparently, that crazy bitch Milan broke in and went into a fit of frenzy. She pretty much destroyed the studio...and the paintings.”
Oh, My Gosh! All those beautiful paintings. They're not just paintings to him. There was so much passion and emotions poured into those magnificent artworks. To him, part of them represented me. All the years he was waiting for me. Each and every one of them held a special meaning and were very precious—it's something that money can't replace.
Constantine—I feel his rage and now it's mingled with my own. This is not helping.
“How is he doing?” I ask Caspian, trying to calm myself down.
“Not great. He was tearing her room apart the last time I saw him before I came to get you.”
“Where is Milan?”
“I don't know. She wasn't there when we got back, but we can smell her scent everywhere in that studio. You can sniff the crazy, you know...”
I can now sense Caspian's anger as well. He's gritting his teeth when he's explaining this to me. His knuckles are white on the steering wheel.
We arrive in front of the mansion in record time.
“Come on, Red,” urges Caspian, touching my arm gently after he kills the engine.
Serena is waiting for me by the front door. She is looking outwardly calm, but I can sense her inner turmoil. Together, we walk in through the massive heavy double doors. I can hear the commotion even before we fully step inside the grand entryway.
Lazarus meets us at the foot of the stairs. The sound of banging and things breaking get louder as we climb up the grand staircase.
“None of us dare to go in there. We're just waiting for you,” explains Lazarus. The four of us are standing in front of a closed door, listening to the sound of destruction inside.
“You better get in there and calm him down before he tears the whole place apart,” says Caspian.
“Sure, feed me to the lion, why don't you?” I mumble and manage to get some smiles from the three lycans.
I gingerly pull the door open. I feel somebody pushes me inside and closes the door behind me. Darn, it Caspian! So much for pack loyalty and love.
Cuddly bunny and fuzzy slippers!
This is what I call destruction. I think my mouth is opening and closing several times without any sound coming out as I gape at the sight before me. The only thing that is still intact in the whole room is the ceiling. Torn fabrics, splinters of broken wood and glass are everywhere. The windows are all smashed and broken. Gaping holes in the walls.
My mate is standing in the middle of it. His shirt is torn. His glistening chest rising and falling. He raises his black vacant eyes to stare at me as soon as I step in the room. I'm not afraid, but the hair at the back of my neck stands up from the chill of his stare and the anger that I feel still brewing inside of him.
At least he hasn't phase into a full lycan yet.
There's a big difference between phasing intentionally and phasing when we lose control due to anger or pain. When we deliberately change, we are one with our lycans. Our thinking will work together with our lycan instinct and our judgment will still largely govern our actions. If we lost control, the lycans take over completely, acting on instinct in retaliation to pain or anger.
“Costa...Constantine?” I whisper. I think he can hear me because he tilts his head to the side, listening to my voice. I gingerly take a few steps towards him. Waves of red hot fury coming off him hitting me right where I am standing.
In less than a blink of an eye, he is standing right before me. His eyes, two black shiny soulless marbles stare into mine. So cold and so void of any other feelings but rage.
He looks like my Constantine, but different. His beautiful face is etched with dark blue veins starting from his eye sockets, spreading all over his features down to his neck. A few lines even reach his broad chest. His white teeth are sharp and his canines are longer and more visible. I'm not even sure if he recognized me, but I know with deep certainty that he would never hurt me.
His hands suddenly come up to grip my shoulders. His long sharp fingernails are digging into my flesh.
“Constantine, please...?” I whimper and he flinches. His grip loosens up a little bit.
I bring my hands up to touch his cheek gently. I try to calm my own feelings and mind, hoping that he can feel it too.
He pulls back, while his hands are now very gentle on my arms, holding me like he's afraid he's going to break me. Pitch black eyes still regarding me coldly. It's like two persons fighting over control.
“Costa, I'm here. It's me. I'm here for you.” I reach out to him again. His eyebrows furrow when I put my both hands on his cheeks.
His long sooty eyelashes fan across his cheeks as he closes his eyes as I gently stroke his face.
“Help me.” He leans in closer and wraps his powerful arms around me. His voice is unnaturally deep and guttural. His lycan is still in control.
One hand moves up to grip the back of my head, while his face nuzzling my neck, feverishly breathing in my scent. “Help me before I hurt or kill...”
I can feel the pent up fury that's still raging inside of him, like a trapped wild beast fighting to get out.
“I'm here now. You have me,” I murmur softly.
“She destroyed everything. Everything!” He snarls. “Those paintings of you—”
“Shhh... listen to me. You have me. You have all of me. We can make new paintings together. We have the rest of our lives to make new paintings together. I'll model for you anytime you want me to.”
He closes his eyes as he listens to my voice. I lean my cheek against his. One of my hands plays with the silky dark curls at the nape of his neck, while another keeps stroking the other side of his face.
“I love you and I'll stay with you forever. I'll follow you to the end of the world,” I vow as I trace the dark blue veins along his cheek with my fingers. So wild, so strong, and so dangerous, my mate... mine.
“Promise?”
“Huh?”
“Promise me you'll stay with me forever.”
“Yes, of course, for as long as you want me.”
“Forever. I love you. I need you.” He breathes against my cheek. “Nothing will take you away from me. I'll destroy her if she takes you away from me. I'll destroy anyone—”
“Shhh...” I grab his face with both hands and press my lips against his before he gives in to his anger again. He returns the kiss instantly, crushing my lips with his. His tongue finds its way into my mouth and his hands lift me up and move to wrap my legs around his waist.
I wind my arms around his neck, losing myself in his kiss and the taste of him. I barely register anything around us as he presses me against the wall. His kiss grows more urgent and demanding.
“Owww...” Something is digging into my back.
“Oh, sweetheart, did I hurt you?” He instantly pulls back and set me back on my feet to see if I was hurt.
I giggle as I reach behind me and pull a piece of wood that was sticking out from the wall of what I think used to be a walk-in closet.
“No, I'm fine, but the room isn't.” I grin as I toss the wood across the room.
He sighs and pushes his back against the wall beside me. I turn my head to look at him to find him already staring at me. His eyes are still all black, but the dark veins on his face are slowly fading.
We stand like that, with our backs against the wall, watching each other. I watch him until all the visible veins disappear. I watch his eyes slowly turning back to silver gray. Those beautiful eyes that always hold me entranced. He studies my features as if he's memorizing it. He lifts his hand and traces a finger slowly down my face.
“I know your every feature. I know your eyes, the tilt of your nose, the dips of your lips, the slope of your chin... I drew them and I painted them hundreds of times,” he says.
“And you will do it again,” I whisper, taking his hand in mine.
“When I saw those paintings all torn to pieces, I felt as if she destroyed you. A part of you that I get to hold on to all these years. I wanted to end her. I wanted to do to her what she did to you. I lost control. I'm sorry,” he says regretfully.
“I don't blame you for losing it. That was an awful thing for her to do. All those amazing artworks, they can never be replaced,” I reply. “But Costa, I don't want you to feel like you've lost any part of me because of that. I'm right here. I'm yours forever.”