My practice was cancelled due to Elder Merrick’s absence, of which I didn’t find out about until I stood in the middle of the arena with no teacher. Apparently, the entirety of Antonio’s posse had been called away, a gossiping Shifter told me while I waited in vain for my teacher. So I trudged back up the walkway and headed for my bedroom, ready to crash. And that was exactly what I did once I had entered, lying down next to Pearl, who was still snoozing away with Jack — Ezra had left for kitchen duty already — and fell asleep.

I woke to a hard thump on the mattress, and gruff words stating, “Someone’s knocking on your door.” Ezra’s voice, sounding growly and deep.

My eyes shot open just as he kicked the mattress again, and I heard the knocking at the door. I rolled, falling straight onto the hard floor, which reminded me that I had lain on the edge of the bed, not wanting to disturb Pearl or Jack, and not wanting to lie on the side that smelled of Ezra. “Shit.” I jumped up, brushing my hair back, and rushed through the room to the door. Wiping the sleep from my eyes, I opened it swiftly, keeping a firm hold on the handle.

King Fergus’s eyebrows rose as he took in my state of dress. “I’m seriously beginning to question if you’re hitting on me.” A pause, his head cocking. “Although, if I were you, and that’s what I was going for, I would rethink my ensemble’s provocativeness. Or lack thereof.”

Or not so much dressed.

I squeaked, slamming the door shut in his face. “Shit.” Staring down at my turtle underwear set, I now remembered that I had stripped down so I didn’t get muddy clothes on the bedding, too tired to throw something else on.

Sighing heavily, I opened the door again, but only a crack, to peek out into the hallway. Where King Fergus was laughing his ass off. My eyes narrowed. “That wasn’t funny.”

“Oh, I’m not laughing at you,” he hooted. “I’m laughing at the Prodigy Shifter wearing turtle underwear.”

My lips thinned. “Snapping turtles. Get it right.”

Which made him laugh that much harder.

“Just give me a minute to get dressed.” It was time for our session, by the look of the sun.

He nodded, waving a hand as he rested against the wall, still chuckling.

“You’re so getting your ass kicked today.” I slammed the door again. And turned in a huff, already running my hands through my tangled hair. And stopped dead.

Ezra was standing a few feet back, arms crossed and resting his shoulder against the wall, staring at me with a hooded gaze. My own instantly hid half my eyes, and I went into motion, moving past him to…well, hide in my closet under the guise of getting dressed. But when I came out he was reclining on the bed, looking fucking good as hell. He was also waiting for me. Hell, at least I was now clothed in a pair of black cargos, a t-shirt, and boots.

Crossing my arms, I asked, “What?”

He stared at me for a long moment, and then asked calmly, “You’re not sleeping with him?”

I snorted, dropping my arms and moving into the bathroom to brush my hair. “No, I’m not.”

Another pause, then a quiet, “I’ve slept with four women since we stopped.”

My hands instantly trembled on the brush, but I gripped it hard and focused on my task, wanting to run the fuck out of here.

I heard the bed squeak, which it had started doing during our three weeks together on it, and he was suddenly resting his shoulder against the doorframe. “I thought you were sleeping with him. He’s never touched you before and he started doing it this week. You’ve been spending so much time together,” he ran a quick hand through his hair as I set the brush down and picked up a hair tie, “I thought you were having sex.”

Breathing through my nose slowly, I studied my hair in the mirror. “Well, we’re not.” My movements were slow and controlled, making sure I got my hair up right on the first try. “It doesn’t matter anyway, Ezra. I realize you were mistaken, thinking I was flaunting him in front of you, and that’s why you tried to hurt my feelings by saying what you did about Rose.” My gaze flicked to black robe. “It still smells of her by the way.”

He instantly backed up, undoing the buttons. “Shit, I’m sorry.”

I waved a hand, walking out past him. “Don’t worry about it. It’s just an adjustment period.”

“Lily, sweetheart—”

“Don’t call me that.” I stopped, my attention snapping to him. Too many memories.

He dropped the robe on the ground, and took three long strides to me. His hand lifted, wavering next to my cheek, and I quickly stepped back, away from him, utterly pissed, but trying to be cordial. His eyebrows slammed together, his hand dropping as his nostrils flared. He loomed over me, and my head crooked, staring up at him. He inhaled deeply, his eyes shutting. He took two steps back. “You were gone all night. I thought…” His eyes opened, void of emotion. “You smell like sex.”

I shrugged, turning and walking toward the door. “You asked me not to flaunt it, Ezra, so why are you asking me?” I stopped, turning abruptly to face him. “And why the hell would you tell me you’ve slept with four women? What on earth makes you think I would want to know that?” I didn’t care that my voice was the tiniest bit shrill.

His nostrils flared, and very slowly he asked, “Did you have sex last night?”

My eyes widened in incredulity. “And what makes you think you have the right to ask me that?”

He stared. “I told you honestly how many women I’ve slept with—”

“Which I didn’t wish to know!”

“—and I would like the same honesty from you.”

My own nostrils flared in anger. “Yes, Ezra, I had sex all night long.” I paused. “Does that make you feel any better?”

His jaw clenching was answer enough. “Who?”

It was too tempting to pass up. “Who are the women you’ve slept with?”

Instant. “Rose, Jessica, Kiki, and Catherine.”

Something inside me broke hearing the names of the women he had slept with spill off his tongue so fluidly. My shoulders hunched as I rubbed at my chest. My feet moved as if on their own, pulling me away from the man who was causing the hurt.

His hooded gaze darted across my face, and he inhaled deeply, then shouted, “Goddamn it, Lily, I thought you were screwing Fergus!”

I jerked at his hostility, but kept moving backward, shaking my head. “This is what we both wanted.”

He ran a hand over his face, cursing, but not arguing my point, then asked quietly, “Was it Finn?”

I saw no point in lying now. “Yes.”

His gaze stayed lowered. “Was last night the first time you’ve had sex since us?”

“Yes.”

I quickly left the room as he began tearing it apart.

I got my ass handed to me by dirt boy. “Oh, shut up.” I glared at him as he smirked.

He shrugged. “I didn’t say anything.” Ah, but his grin increased.

I slapped a hand over it. “That’s what I’m talking about.”

Under my hand, I felt his lips curve even more as he mumbled against my skin, the sound muffled, “You’re a sore loser.”

“I never said I wasn’t.” I glared, pointing at him with my other hand. “Now, to the important part. Did you make a bet with the other Kings about who would win?”

His eyes narrowed, and he said again with the muffled voice, “Why?”

“Well, I was thinking that tomorrow you pick the bigger payout, and we make it happen whichever way that is to keep them from betting about us.”

He lifted my hand off his mouth, and laughed outright. He had a dirty handprint on his face now. There was dirt under my fingernails, which I didn’t think would ever come clean from that last ‘little’ explosion. He only shook his head and started walking toward the cave’s entrance.

“Hey!” I griped, yanking on my boots and rushing after him. “It’s a good plan.”

Amber eyes met mine, full of mirth. “They’re my group. My team. Betting is our thing.” He shook his green curls, which were free of debris, very unlike mine. “I won’t ruin that by cheating.”

I felt my lips frown, but I understood, even if it wrecked my plans for revenge. “Speaking of cheating…” My gaze hit the ground, and I scuffed my shoes along the long grass. “Can I ask you a question?”

“Sure.” I could feel his eyes on me.

“Say you were in an…odd…relationship.”

He snorted. “Most relationships are odd at some point.”

“Alright.” I nodded. “Well, say you’ve just gotten out of a sexual relationship with someone you care for.” My hands waved in front of me in grand motions. “And say you both decided to take a break from each another because it was becoming too…” My hands fluttered all about. “Real.”

King Fergus rested his hand on my shoulder, stopping my progress and making me look directly at him. “Real as in ‘I’m falling in love with you’ real? Or real as in ‘oh shit, I forgot a condom and made babies with you’ real?”

My gaze was chilled at his bluntness. “The latter.”

His lips pressed together, and he seesawed them back and forth. “Okay, what’s next?”

“Well, say you’ve decided to take a break from each other. Does it constitute cheating if you have sex with someone else,” I held up a finger, “which was entirely expected during the break,” my finger twirled, “but you go about flaunting it,” I held up a stopping hand, “which was not expected, to the point it was specifically stated not to do out of respect for the other person’s feelings during a sensitive time for the both of you?”

“I’m honestly a little confused here, trying to keep that straight,” his eyebrows puckered, “but if you’re asking if it’s cheating when you’re on a mutual break, the answer is no, especially if you both discussed it beforehand and knew it would happen.” His head cocked. “But if you’re asking about flaunting the new lovers…”

I snapped at him. “Yes. That’s it. When it was explicitly stated beforehand that it would be disrespectful to do so.”

“Is he flaunting them in front of you?”

I waggled my hand. “Kind of. Using words like an ‘experience’ and saying he slept with four other women since us.” I blinked. “He tore a few things apart when he found out I’d slept with someone.”

King Fergus stared.

“What?” I shuffled on my feet, watching him intently for an answer.

Still, he stared.

“I’m waiting for an answer, dirt boy!”

He blinked. “You are so innocent.” He shook his head, chuckling quietly when I glared at him, despite that I thought my impression was pretty ferocious. “Let me ask you this…Do you want him back?”

That stopped me. “Like, back in my bed?”

His eyebrows rose. “Or wherever you two did it.”

“Oh.” My eyebrows slowly came together. “I don’t know. He kind of,” I rubbed at my chest, “hurt me, sleeping with those other women.”

He watched my hand’s movement, snorting as he turned and started walking again. “If you want him back the answer is simple.”

I ran to catch up. “I said I don’t know if I do or not.”

“Well, if you decide you do,” his grin was malicious, “don’t hide the fact you’re sleeping with other partners.” Amber eyes full of knowledge met mine. “If he wants you, too, he’ll be back once he can’t take seeing it anymore.” He raised his arms. “Or, you could go the responsible route and actually talk with him about it.”

“Hmm.” Yeah, no. “Our conversational skills have been lacking recently.”

He chuckled. “Well, actions do speak louder than words.”

“Not sure if that applies here.”

“Believe me,” he nodded, still grinning, “in this situation, it does.”

Well, it took me a whopping two weeks — and many stiff brush-offs and arguments — after calling a hiatus with Ezra to want him back in my bed. Finn just wasn’t cutting it, even if he was excellent in the sack, and no other man really caught my eye. To flat out want Ezra back. I was woman enough to admit that it was pretty fucking pathetic, but there it was: I wanted him something fierce.

Even more pathetically, I had no clue how to put King Fergus’s advice into action. Or more precisely, I didn’t feel right doing it. It just seemed…childish. Not to mention, I didn’t really think it would work. But after Ezra came back that morning smelling of roses again, I used the entire day contemplating the pros and cons of flaunting a partner in front of him.

During that day’s meeting with Elder Camden, Elder Harcourt, the other Elders, and the Kings, I thought about having Finn show up at our room, even as I half listened to them talk about the botched mission for Philip Masterson. The asshole had apparently evaded them and gone into hiding with a few other United States officials as the rumors of war began to escalate. The Elders arguing for peace deduced that the Com leaders of the world weren’t under a spell but hating us only out of fear and out of the bitty fact that we had lied to them — unknowingly — when the first treaty had been signed.

Through dinner, I debated asking Felix back to my bed. But I quickly vetoed that since he and I had struck a decent relationship of boss and protector. In the end, when I had decided King Fergus’s advice just sucked, it came down to dancing that night at the bar where many had come to celebrate King Nelson’s birthday.

Ezra and I weren’t speaking to each other, which was half a blessing since it meant we weren’t fighting — most Mysticals had gone back to watching us, waiting for a sparring match to occur. No, tonight he was firmly ignoring me, and I was trying my hardest to ignore him as we all drank a birthday toast to King Nelson, who was busy trying to make sure his mate, already two sheets to the wind, didn’t drink all of the alcohol in a whiskey bottle.

The place was packed full of kiss asses, so I didn’t notice when Elder Merrick slid behind me. His arm circled my waist as he pressed his lips lightly to the side of my neck. I jolted in surprise but laughed at his antics, never one to miss an opportunity when Ezra was near and still boggling my mind.

“Would you like to dance?” He nibbled at my throat again.

I tossed my drink back, more than ready to get out of Ezra’s evasive sight. “Why not?”

He grinned, pulling me from the King’s table. “It’s about time you quit telling me no.”

“You caught me on a good night.” I pointed against his chest, which was just too muscular for his own good. “You know, a little ugly within the Mys could go a long way.”

He laughed, pulling me to the edge of the dance floor, which had been constructed after Ezra and I had started a brawl that had resulted in a clean slate of space to work with. “Lily Ruckler, you’re something else.”

I bowed. “Why, thank you.”

“Now, dance with me,” he growled low, grinning like the devil. He pulled me flush against him. My eyebrows rose at the action, but I went with it, feeling just tipsy enough to enjoy myself. Lord almighty, the man could dance, making the act more sexual than two people on a crowded dance floor had a right to be. I chuckled as he lifted my leg over his hip, dipping me backward to place a line of hot kisses down the center of my chest, only just missing what cleavage I had.

“You’re dirty.” I grinned when he lifted me. “Watch out or my wolf might wake.”

His lips tilted. “That could be interesting.” His hands ran down my sides and gripped my hips, his fingers long enough that he was skimming a hold on my ass. “I’ve never had an alpha wolf in my bed before.”

My grin grew, and I leaned up, whispering at his ear, barely heard over the beat of the music, “Just stay away from the birds.”

He choked, coughing and laughing hard. He shook his head at me, and then bent, placing his lips against my ear. “Have you ever heard a more inappropriate sound when you’re supposed to be sexually aroused?”

I chuckled, moving with him to the music. “Like fucking prey in the end.”

“I went and had duck afterward, I craved it so bad,” he chuckled, dipping me again. He held me there, staring down at me. Right as I scented Ezra close by, his lips landed on mine. The way he had me positioned, I couldn’t exactly break free of him unless I wanted to fall on my head, so I held on tight as he firmly kissed my lips, careful not to slip his tongue inside my mouth, which I didn’t miss, but he damn near took my breath away. It wasn’t a bad kiss, by any stretch of the imagination. In fact, it made me think of him a little differently — much less as a teacher, and a bit more as a possible lover, but…he still wasn’t Ezra.

Gradually, as the beat changed to the next song, he lifted me, his mouth not leaving mine until I was fully upright. I heard a few catcalls around us, and I blinked open my eyes to raise questioning eyebrows at him. His grin was pure mischief, reminding me very much of the animal he had inside him. I scented the air, and realized Ezra’s scent was no longer close. My head cocked. “What game are you playing?”

That grin didn’t change. “The only one worth a damn.”

“Elder Merrick, you’re a strange one.” I thumped his chest, stepping back from him as the Shifters began to descend on us, wanting to be close to the alphas. “I can’t quite figure you out.”

He followed me, quickly evading the Shifters’ clinging hands. “It’s part of my mystery.”

“Hmm.” I eyed him as we left the dance floor. “And most women fall over themselves for it, don’t they?”

He chuckled, nodding. “You caught me.”

My eyes ran over his face. “No, I don’t think I have.” I paused, my grin slow. “Yet.” I kissed his cheek, and moved through the crowd, grabbing my glass from King Nelson’s table and barely keeping from rolling my eyes when King Kincaid gave me that smile meaning, seriously nice pick. The man was going to drive me up the wall.

After weaving my way through the crowd, I ducked behind the bar when the bartender looked the other way, and snuck through the back door, heading for their supply closet. That one time Finn and I had been in there, I had seen a collection of wines that were dusty with age, the bottles so old they had discolored, which meant…I was going to nab one and fill my glass tall with it. And hoard it the rest of the evening while everyone else drank regular beer.

Sneaking on quiet feet, I crept in a hunched position below the bar level, since the place where the hard liquor was stored was only open shelving, seeing plainly into the back room, and then slipped into the store closet, shutting the door swiftly behind me. It blocked some of the noise of the bar, but it was still pretty loud back here. I moved into the depths of the long, thin room, going straight for the section I had seen.

Humming quietly to myself, singing along to the music with my god-awful voice, I perused the different wines, sneezing a few times as dust blew up at me when I set one down too hard. Having finally decided, using the age of the bottle since the labels were no longer readable, I plucked the oldest looking one from the back and turned to leave. And squeaked, utterly startled, and shot straight up into the air, the bottle falling from my hand to crash open all over the floor. Red wine, appearing almost like blood, splashed all over my legs, pooling at my feet where I had landed from my Shifter-induced jump.

I rubbed my nose, dislodging any dust, and his scent invaded my senses. “What the hell?”

Ezra stood inside the supply closet, his back against the door, the hood of his robe up and creating a shadow across the top half of his face, but his green eyes were slightly glowing, peering out of the darkness straight at me. His hands were behind his back and his ankles crossed, so nothing about his position was really frightening, but he had snuck in here without me even hearing the difference in the noise levels or scenting him or making a sound himself. That, in itself, freaked me a bit. Well, not to mention his eyes, which weren’t blinking.

When he stayed silent, I asked again, “Ezra?”

He pushed off the door, and began a deliberately slow stalk toward me. “You and Merrick?”

My arms crossed. “Not that it’s any of your business, but we were only dancing.”

His arms spread wide, fingers brushing the metal shelves on either side of the thin room. “I didn’t realize dancing involved dry humping, his hands all over your ass, and his mouth on your breasts and lips.” That was his angry voice. I didn’t need his grin full of fang to tell me he was pissed off. “You won’t lack for partners if that’s your version of dancing.”

I almost took a step back, but instead locked my legs, holding my ground. “Who I choose to dance with, and how I choose to dance, is none of your fucking business.” My nostrils flared in indignant anger. “And besides, at least I don’t walk around smelling like fucking roses.” My nose crinkled. “Seriously, what kind of woman smells like that? What does she do, roll around in them?”

He stopped, toe to toe with me. “She sprinkles her bed with rose petals.”

I’d stuck my foot right into that one, but it didn’t stop my anger from flaring that much higher, picturing this ‘Rose’ and Ezra rolling around on a bed full of red rose petals.

His Vampire took voice, growling low. “It’s better than groping someone in fucking public.”

My breathing was coming in pants, I was so furious. “Go fuck yourself, Ezra. If I want Merrick’s hands on my ass, then they’ll be there, just like if you want to smell like damn flowers, you’ll jump in Rose’s bed.” I shoved at his chest, pushing past him toward the door I could see he had locked.

Only to be jerked back. Ezra’s grip was unbreakable on my arms as he started shoving me backward toward the far wall. My breath caught at the action, my back slamming against the cold wall. Shocked at the rough treatment, my gaze shot to his. “What are you doing?”

“What I fucking want,” he muttered, his voice deep and guttural. I jolted in surprise when he blurred and bent to press his mouth brutally against mine. And…yeah, it took me a few seconds to understand I was getting what I wanted. King Fergus’s advice was spot on, even if I hadn’t really had a damn thing to do with it. Ezra’s lips ate at mine, and right when I snapped out of my shock, he leaned back the barest bit, groaning, “Tell me you want this too, sweetheart. Please tell me you want this.”

I nodded, staring into his glowing gaze, my hands instantly going to his belt. “Yes, I want this. Now, kiss me and shut up.”

“Fuck yes,” he moaned, his lips obeying and melding with mine. I groaned, pressing against his lips harder, greedily sliding my tongue inside his mouth, which was instantly met with his, his growl overriding my own. I felt his belt break in my hasty, fumbling hands, but I just yanked it out of his pants, dropping it on the ground. Ezra’s hands were quickly lifting the long linen skirt I had worn for the festive occasion, tearing the slits in the sides up to my thighs in his haste.

I felt like I couldn’t move fast enough. I wanted to touch him all over, lick and bite every inch of his gorgeous flesh. My heart was pounding so hard it felt like it was going to jump completely out of my chest, sounding in rhythm to his. His hand cupped me between my legs just as I finally got his pants unbuttoned and unzipped. “Ezra…” I grabbed the back of his head, holding his mouth close to mine as I snuck my hand down his boxer briefs and gripped his cock tight.

His groan was more growl, and I heard, and felt, my underwear rip. His fingers slid through my folds, and I jerked, my core throbbing deliciously at the touch, my lower stomach churning into an open flame. I started pumping him as quickly as I undulated my hips against his touch. I shouted into his mouth when he slid two of his fingers into me, instantly pistoning them in and out as his hips thrust against my fist.

“Oh Jesus, sweetheart.” He pulled back from my mouth. “I need inside you.”

I nodded brokenly, my head thumping against the wall. “Hurry.” I groaned as he pulled his fingers away, but I yanked his pants and boxer briefs down his hips, right before my vision blurred as he spun me with his speed, pressing my front to the wall. He raked my skirt up over my hips, ripping off my underwear the rest of the way.

Bracing my hands on the wall, I spread my legs and tilted my hips out, presenting myself in blatant animalistic fashion, and barely felt him place his cock at my entrance before he was shoving inside me. Both of us shouted at the instant friction, his cock spreading me wide as my slick channel gripped him tight. Gripping my hips with bruising force, he brutally thrust once more before he was balls-deep inside me, shouting on a groan, “Sweetheart.” He pulled back, slamming inside me again, making me choke on a scream from his possession. “Perfect.”

His hands slid around my stomach and skimmed up under my shirt, ripping my bra to grab my breasts as he started thrusting into me, pulling back only to slam in repeatedly. I screamed in pleasure as my world tilted from his possessive thrusts and at his dominance. He fondled my breasts, squeezing hard, and shouted, “Fucking shit! The best…fucking best, little wolf.”

“Ezra!” I screamed, pushing back on the wall, my hands fumbling for a grip as I pressed my core against him, tilting my hips further and my voice high and breathless. “Ezra, baby!”

One of his hands disappeared from my breasts, his hips still pistoning and building a raging fire inside me, and he grabbed a fistful of my hair, yanking my face to the side. He slammed into me, making me scream as he growled, “Have you ever called anyone else that?” His cheeks were flushed bright pink, his eyes glowing, appearing like a man bent on ravaging.

“No, baby.” I shook my head inside his hold. “Only you.”

“Fucking right,” he rumbled, his lips landing on mine unbreakably, even as he thrust into me viscously, making me gasp. His tongue pillaged the cavern of my mouth just as his cock owned my core, thrusting into me so fiercely my body shook against him and warmth began to transfuse my limbs from my core outward. He pulled back, eyes on mine, and panted against my mouth, “I’ve only ever called you sweetheart.”

A whimper escaped, and I pressed my lips back to his. “Baby…”

He grinned against my mouth, running his tongue along my bottom lip as his hands slid down to my hips, and he whispered, “I’m going to fuck you now.” His teeth latched onto the crook of my neck in clear possession, his cock repeatedly driving into me so forcefully I went on tiptoe, screaming his name. Unrelenting pleasure consumed my body and mind at his nonstop, merciless dominance, his groans and growls rocketing my craving, knowing he was just as affected as I was by this possessive joining. My elbows hit the wall as I lost my grip, but Ezra only grunted, his teeth biting in harder to hold me in place as he hammered in and out of me.

“Fuck, baby,” I hollered, my wolf’s nails piercing through my skin so I could dig into the wall. His predator growled, his thrusts becoming urgent, and one of his hands instantly slid around me, his fingers finding my clit. I jerked against him, screaming, “Harder!”

He pressed more firmly as I undulated my hips, making him shout against my skin. His body started trembling against me just as branding flames shot from my core, licking at my stomach, before an explosion of heat overtook my frame. I screamed his name long and hard, my body jerking against him so fiercely that he shoved me flat against the wall. With his last thrust, his face turned to the side of mine as he shouted my name, his body quaking just as hard as mine, his cock pumping deep inside me while his hot cum adding to my pleasure as he filled me.

Honestly, I wasn’t sure how long we stood like that, wrapped in our pleasure-filled haze. It seemed like forever as I slowly came down, my eyes gradually opening. I tilted my face, my breaths coming in shallow pants, my heart pounding fiercely against my chest. Ezra’s face was toward mine, his cheek pressed against the wall, his arms wrapped tight around me, supporting me since my feet no longer touched the ground. He still appeared out of it, his eyes closed as he breathed heavily against my cheeks.

I tilted my head forward and kissed his lips lightly. Just a gentle brush. He made a noise deep in his throat, the sound hoarse and fully sated. I kissed him again. And yep, got the same response, making me grin, lazy pleasure enveloping me. I whispered against his lips, “I missed you.”

His chuckle was the barest breath, and one green eye opened. “Missed you more.”

“Doubtful,” I mumbled, playfully biting his lower lip. “So…this wasn’t just a one-time deal?” Please, say no. I held my breath, watching as his other eye opened.

He held my gaze steadily, even if his lids were drooped in relaxation. “No, sweetheart. This wasn’t a one-time deal.” He paused, licking his lips. “Not unless you want it to be?” His eyes darted back and forth between mine, his grip tightening.

“No, I want more of this.” I smiled, completely content. “More of you.”

His grin was damn near sweet, with his cheek scrunched on the wall as it was. “More of me, huh?”

“Yeah.” I rolled my eyes. “More of you.” I kissed him again, this time his lips softly molding against mine. “I’ve grown kind of fond of the badass Vampire.”

He hummed, kissing me. “The feeling’s mutual for the little wolf.”

I nipped his bottom lip. “I called you badass and you call me little. How is that fair?”

He grinned, again appearing sweet. “Are your feet touching the ground?”

I scowled, but I don’t think it came off as anything but lethargic squinting. “Shut up.”

His eyes danced over my face. “God, you’re cute.”

My breath caught, my heart melting at the innocent words even though I tried scowling again. “That’s like saying a rattlesnake isn’t deadly.”

“To a Mys, it’s not.” He chuckled as he watched my face scrunch up even further. “I’m going to get you a book on general Mystical knowledge.” He was vibrating against me as I bared my teeth. “You need it and you know it.”

I huffed. “Like I said, shut up.” I wiggled my legs in the air, trying to be as dignified as I could, sniffing with the action. “Put me down.”

An eyebrow cocked, even though his grin only increased as he watched my face. “Say please.”

I stared for probably far too long, loving seeing him like this, and I couldn’t help but kiss him once more, missing him that damn much. “Please, baby?”

He blinked, staring right back, his gaze running over my face. His lips found mine. This kiss lasted longer than our previous gentle brushes, one of his hands lifting to thread his fingers through my hair and holding the back of my head as he slanted us away from the wall so he could tilt his head, deepening the kiss. My sigh was profound as his tongue gently slid against mine, curling to slowly retreat, only to repeat it again just as leisurely. The kiss ended just as slowly as it had begun, by gradual increments, as he tilted his head back. And he kissed my nose once before lifting me off him, both of us grunting with the intimate motion, and setting me on my feet.

Pulling my skirt down, I glanced around the room, and jolted, realizing… “Holy shit! When did that happen?”

Ezra stopped in the process of reaching for wet wipes on one of the shelves — he couldn’t go out there smelling like me — his attention shooting first to me, then to where I was staring. Which was the whole room in general. Including the wall we had been against. There was a golden sparkle of protection coating the entirety of the room’s walls.

“Fuck,” Ezra rumbled, his face swinging to the door. “Hopefully it was Pearl.”

My hand clamped over my mouth. “We weren’t that loud, were we?” My wide eyes met his equally round gaze. I pointed vaguely. “There’s music out there for the Vamps.”

He quickly nodded, grabbing the wet wipes off the shelf. “No one would be able to hear us out in the bar.” He quickly cleaned himself as I slipped my flip-flops back on, which had fallen off, and I motioned to his fingers, which he wiped down. “I wouldn’t have started this here if I thought they could hear us.”

“I know,” I murmured as he fixed his pants. I picked up his belt and my panties, which were both ruined, and tossed them deep into a trash can, under a few things smelling horrendous, and used a few of the wet wipes to clean off my own hands. “How does my hair look?” I pitched the wet wipes into the trash, and turned to him.

His lips twitched as he pulled his hood up, which had fallen at some point. “Like you’ve been properly fucked.”

I sighed, waving my hands at it. “Well, fix it.”

“Calm down,” he murmured softly, running his fingers through my hair, which did, indeed, feel tangled as he tugged through it relentlessly. “Whoever put up the spell did so with our protection in mind.”

“And hopefully not blackmail,” I griped quietly, fixing his shirt, which was crooked. “This is King Nelson’s party, after all.” I paused. “Lots of Mages.”

His fingers stalled for a moment before moving again through my hair. “Do try to be optimistic. Comments like that take years off my life.”

I sighed. “I’m just trying to prepare for who I might have to kill.”

His gaze met mine. “If there’s any killing that needs to be done because we’re sleeping together,” he actually pumped his pec muscles, “I’ll be the one to do it.”

I stared, dry words flowing, “Really? A man thing?”

He sniffed, jaw hardening. “Yes.”

I patted his chest. “Okay, Conan, you can kill the baddies.” I smiled sweetly. “And I’ll scream and run away in terror.”

He blinked, then snorted. “That’ll be the day.” But he positioned himself in front of me as we moved toward the door. He paused for a moment with his hand on the door handle, ear to the door, but his eyebrows came together as he glanced at me with a shake of his head. Cracked the door just a smidge to peek out. He jerked, cursing, as it slammed back into his face from the outside.

Low and behold, Bindi slipped inside the door, shutting it firmly behind her. My lips pinched and my claws literally sliced through my fingers, even as Ezra growled at her, his predator taking voice, while he rubbed at his eye. Bindi placed her hands on her hips, stating bluntly, “Are you two fucking insane?”

“Possibly.” I smiled at her. It wasn’t pretty, my eyes flashing. “You were the one who put the protection on the room?”

She huffed. “Of course I was. I was here to pass out free condoms to all the partiers, and decided to check the storage closet where people — who are fucking morons — sometimes sneak off. And imagine my surprise when I hear the Prodigy Shifter and Prodigy Vampire going at it.” She shook her head, crossing her arms. “Do you know how many people I shooed away?”

I stared at her foot as it started thumping in irritation at our silence.

“Um, no?” Ezra asked slowly, also watching her closely, his nostrils flared.

She snorted. “Apparently, there’s some really good wine in here King Nelson wants.” Her gaze wandered to the broken wine bottle on the floor, rolling her eyes, before her attention returned to us. “Roughly, I turned away fifteen people, only six of which were sneaking back here to do what you two were already doing,” she glanced at her watch, “for the last forty-five minutes.” She rubbed her ear, glancing at me. “The spell doesn’t work for the person who creates it. No one will ever claim you have weak lungs.” She chuckled, gaze to Ezra. “Or you.”

My wolf’s nails disappeared. “You aren’t going to say anything?”

She blinked. “I’m a physician. I’ve seen many things in my lifetime that I’ve never once divulged information about. Besides, if I was going to say something about you two, I would have done so when I determined he was the father of your twins.”

We both stilled.

“Excuse me?” I asked gently. “How the hell did you know that?”

Her eyebrows rose. “You mean other than the fact that he acted like the father trying to not act like the father?” I growled, and she stated hurriedly, “During my exam, I knew the babies were hybrids. Their power signatures were in their DNA, unprotected and new. Vampire and Shifter. I didn’t just scan you, Ms Ruckler. I also scanned them when I did the internal exam.”

My whole body stiffened. “Did you treat me any differently, knowing they were hybrids?”

Instant. “No, I did everything I could to save them. I’m not the Executioner. That isn’t my job, thank God.” She actually scowled at me. “I save lives, not take them.”

Truth.

My whole body relaxed.

Ezra cleared his throat. Twice. Quiet words. “Do you know what their genders were?”

Her lips pinched, her gaze instantly softening before lowering. “Are you sure you want to know?” She motioned to the room. “You’re both moving on. Why stray to the past?”

“Please…,” he whispered softly, eyes avidly on her.

She cleared her throat. “A boy and a girl.”

My breath caught, and my knees weakened to the point that Ezra had to slide an arm around me, holding me close so I didn’t crumble.

Bindi’s gaze met ours, and I saw only the medic in her expression. “When you plan to have children again,” her tone was matter-of-fact, her gaze flicking back and forth between Ezra and me, “make sure you see a doctor immediately, once you believe conception has occurred. She has a weak cervix, an incompetent cervix. There’s a procedure the Coms do — we sometimes perform it on the few Mysticals who need it — to sew the cervix.” She glanced at me. “It can’t be done once you’re dilated to four centimeters,” her gaze again flicked between Ezra and me, “but before that, it can be done to help the cervix from dilating. That procedure and bed rest will give you a better shot at a healthy baby being born.”

Thoughts flying through my head in damning implications, I wheezed, “It was my fault?”

Ezra’s grip on me instantly tightened, his gaze flying to mine. “That’s not what she said.” His voice was gruff, his eyes steadfast as he brushed a tear away from my cheek, which I hadn’t even realized had fallen. “She said it was your cervix, which we didn’t know about before.”

My breath came in pants, incriminating thoughts slowing, and I nodded jerkily. He was right. We hadn’t known about that. If we had, we would have fixed it. My body shuddered, my head falling against Ezra’s chest. It hadn’t been my fault.

Bindi spoke carefully. “As I said, with the proper care, it can be treated with successful rates for full-term children.”

Ezra didn’t even blink, glancing at her. “Thank you. For everything you’ve told us, and for putting a protection on the walls.” He began rubbing my back soothingly, my heart rate gradually decreasing with the motion.

She pointed at the door, her blank expression turning into a scowl. “That thing is so thin, I will have nightmares about growling people screaming ‘sweetheart’, ‘baby’,” she snorted, “and my personal favorite, ‘little wolf’.” Ezra’s said growl returned, but she only chuckled. “Be smart in the future if you two want to keep what seems like a good thing going.” And she slipped out the door without a backward glance, the golden protection disappearing with her.

Ezra bent his head, sighing heavily against my head and holding me close. “I’m not straying to the past, but I just needed to know. I’m sorry if it hurt you to hear, though.”

I tilted my face, kissing his jaw. “It’s better than always wondering.”

“Exactly.” He hugged me tight before moving to open the door a crack, peeking out. “I’ll go first.” His gaze met mine, then darted over my face. “Go straight to the bedroom. We’ve got missing time to make up for.”

My lips quirked. “Say please.”

“Please, sweetheart?”

My grin grew. “Okay, since you asked nicely.”

“That’ll be the only thing I ask nicely.” He grinned when I huffed in exasperation — the man never let me win — then made a quick kissing motion at me, just to irritate me more, before ducking and blurring so fast he left a backdraft.

I crept back to the wine bottles and snatched one. Ezra and I could drink it together later. Or hell, maybe even save it as a keepsake of this place. I blinked at that soft thought, not knowing where the hell it had come from, right before I ducked and secretly made my way out of the bar.

Ezra growled against my neck, sounding more like he purred, gently thrusting into me. Our bodies were slick with sweat from our two-hour marathon since leaving the bar. We’d made it all the way to the couch when we’d first arrived. Then to the floor by the dressers. Each time just as fierce as in the supply closet, but this time, haphazardly sideways on the bed, it was different.

Slow.

Soft.

Decadent.

Honestly, I wasn’t sure we had ever had sex like this. It felt more like making love. Something I had only ever done before with Dominic.

“Ezra?” I whispered, moaning softly as our hips met in a sweet glide. Sliding my feet over the backs of his legs, my inner thighs smoothing across his hips, I arched against him as he filled me again. I cried out, my body trembling from the delicious friction.

“Hmm?” His tongue dipped into the hollow of my throat, lapping the moisture there.

Swallowing hard, my hands ran across his back and gripped his shoulder blades as I lifted my hips to meet his measured thrust. “Look at me.”

He rose on his elbows, face hovering over mine. Our gazes held, both our expressions of loving pleasure. My lids drooped a smidge as he tilted his hips and pressed into me at a different angle, his breath catching as he watched my reaction.

“Baby,” my voice was breathless, “we’re making,” I moaned softly, my body shuddering under his as our bodies met again, “love.”

His eyes crinkled, lips lifting, and his nose rubbed against mine. “Yes, we are.”

“It’s been a long time since I’ve done this.”

He brushed his lips across mine, his breaths falling against my cheeks. “Me, too.”

My eyes darted between his, seeing as how he wasn’t hiding his gaze. “I like it.”

His lips lifted against mine as we shared our air. “Same here.”

I swallowed hard, groaning, his in concert with mine. “I like it a lot.” My hands began sliding over his shoulders, feeling the way his back muscles flexed with his movement.

His chuckle was breathless. “Agreed. We should do it more often.” His head tilted, our lips gliding as our bodies were, before his tongue softly met mine, his mouth eating my whimper. His fingers threaded through my hair and cupped my head in a gentle hold, giving me access to slant my own head and deepen the kiss further. My hands slid to his perfect ass and gripped him firmly enough to feel the pull and play of his strength as our hips continued to meet, the friction purely sinful.

“Sweetheart,” he moaned, tangling his tongue with mine.

Suddenly, a few things happened at once in no particular order, except for the first, which was a startled, loud-ass banshee shriek sounding to my right and causing my mouth and Ezra’s to separate. Then it all sort of unfolded in a huge clusterfuck as we saw Jack and Pearl standing just inside the room, their wide gazes very much on us.

I screamed, sounding horribly like a girl.

Ezra’s fangs sliced out, his eyes flashing bright green.

Jack shouted, “Shit!”

Pearl shrieked like a banshee again.

The blanket somehow got thrown over us.

Jack threw his hands up, hollering, “We didn’t know!”

I was pretty sure I screamed again.

Ezra yelled, “A little privacy, goddamn it!”

Pearl and Jack literally slammed into each other as they jerked, trying to turn around, and both fell to the ground in a tangle of ungraceful limbs. Ezra and I blinked, watching Jack jump to his feet and yank Pearl up unceremoniously by an arm. He threw the door open, shoving her out, but paused, grousing over his shoulder, “Next time, give us some fucking warning.” A pause, then a deep huff of air. “We’re only going to be gone an hour. And change the damn sheets when you’re done.” He stepped out of the room, slamming the door shut behind him.

We both stared at the closed door for a full minute, our heartbeats gradually turning from frantic to a semblance of normal.

Ezra growled low, his predator sounding pissed off, and his gaze moved to mine. The man sound just as ticked as he asked, “Did that ruin the mood for you?”

Quietly, I chuckled, running my hands through his hair. “Not a chance. Plus, we don’t have to explain we’re having sex again to them.” His furious eyes slowly blinked, his expression beginning to clear, as I started gently pulling his face down to mine. Nibbling at him lush bottom lip, I whispered, “How about you?”

He shook his head, his gaze on my mouth. “It’ll take a hell of a lot more than that to break the mood for me, but,” his gaze lifted to mine and back down to my mouth, “you screamed.”

“Hmm,” I hummed, licking across his lip. “Didn’t like that, did you?”

Instant. “No.” His arched eyebrows were still together.

“How about this?” I lifted my hips, his cock sliding a bit further into me, and he shuddered on top of me. “Do you like that?” That whole Conan metaphor earlier wasn’t really so off base. Ezra was definitely a man who didn’t like the woman who he cared about and was sleeping with to be frightened. It bothered him on a different level. He needed his mind taken off it in a different way, hence the grinding, our sensual powers flaring around us.

His eyes were closed, teeth gritted as he nodded joltingly. “You sure?”

“Ezra,” I arched against him, pressing my body to him tightly, “I want to make love.”

He muttered, “Thank you, Jesus.” Not a second later, his lips were on mine. And we did proceed to make slow love to one another, barely having time to change the sheets on the bed before Jack and Pearl returned.