IT WAS TWO DAYS BEFORE we left the bedroom, neither of us able to be apart for longer than a few seconds.
He was lying on his back, eyes closed and arms above his head, breathing slow and even. I was wide awake, up on my elbow, tracing the tattoo on his side. It was new. Well, new as in I hadn’t seen it before, but it could’ve been twenty years old.
Half of it was hidden beneath him and I was curious to know what it was.
His cell phone rang and his eyes opened.
The corners of his lips curved upward and his hand curved around the back of my neck, bringing me in to him for a kiss. “Mmmm, baby. I’ll never get used to seeing you here.”
I laughed. “You should be, with that painting hanging in front of your bed.”
He snorted. “I never wanted to forget you. And it’s not the same thing.”
He ignored the phone as he trailed kisses down my neck then slid the sheet lower and his tongue circled my nipple, teeth grazing the surface before he sucked.
I arched in to him, hands curling around his biceps. The cell stopped, then rang again.
“Are you going to get that?” I asked, not wanting him to, but knowing it had to be important for someone to continuously call Waleron.
“Fuck no,” he said, and drew my other nipple into his mouth.
I moaned, my body heating and my bud throbbing. “I don’t think I’ll ever get used to you swearing.”
“I always swore, baby. Just rarely out loud.” The phone went silent then started again. “It won’t stop, will it?”
“Maybe someone has heard from Damien or Abby?”
“Damien is with Jasper. He’s gone rogue, and Abby, I suspect, is already dead.” Waleron leaned over me and tagged his phone, lying on the floor beside the bed, and I caught the rest of the tattoo.
My breath hitched.
Etched on his side, amongst interwoven swirls of ink, was scrolled maitagarri.
Holy shit.
My eyes flew to his. He held the phone to his ear, listening, and yet all his focus was on me. “Don’t care,” he said into the phone, then paused. “Say it over the phone.”
He’d never let me go. He’d pushed me away, but he never stopped loving me.
He scowled, hand tightening around the cell. “Fine. But I choose who sits on the council with me.” He tossed the phone aside. “Need to go to the Realm.”
“Now?” I asked as he climbed out of bed.
“Yes. Tor is offering a formal apology, and we are choosing another Taldeburu to take Zurina’s place.”
“I didn’t realize the Wraiths called on a cell.”
Waleron smirked and it was such a rare sight that it stole my breath away. “I blocked everyone from my mind except you, maitagarri. And as you know, this house is unknown to all. Even the Wraiths.” He dressed in his black cargo pants and threw on a white T-shirt. “I’ll be back soon. I want you naked in my bed when I return.”
“I’ll be here.” I stretched like a cat, smiling, letting the sheet slip from my shoulders to reveal my breasts.
His eyes flared and he grunted before he Traced.
But I didn’t stay in bed naked. I showered and then Jedrik texted an hour later that the witch bitch Trinity had showed up at the Talde house insisting on seeing Waleron. I quickly dressed and stole Waleron’s car and drove to the Talde house.
She was the one sore spot and I was finally having my say with the bitch.
The gate was already open as I skidded around the corner. “Is she still here?”
Jedrik’s voice sounded rather amused. “Oh yeah. She’s talking to Keir about some vision she wants payment for.”
What? The only payment Trinity ever asked for was Waleron in her bed. That was so not happening ever again.
I parked and hopped out of the car, then took a few calming breaths before walking up to the house and down the hall to the library.
I threw open the door.
“He’ll want this vision, Keir. It’s about a girl, Max. I’m told she lives with Xamien. Tell him to meet me at my house tonight.”
Trinity stood with her back to me, curved hips, slim waist, long legs. She leaned over the desk while she spoke to Keir, her palms resting on the smooth surface.
Keir noticed me enter the library, but didn’t acknowledge it, keeping his focus on Trinity. The witch was too arrogant to even care that someone had entered the library.
“Message will be given. Now, if you will excuse me, I have…,” Keir said.
The witch slowly straightened and turned with hands on her hips. She raised her thin dark brows and her white teeth gleamed as she smiled. A fake smile, of course. Trinity didn’t know how to smile for real. Every bone in her body was fake.
“Ah, Delara. How is Edan?” She raised her brows. “Oh, that’s right, you exchanged him for the vampire Liam. Now that he is dead, who is it this time? A CWO? Perhaps a disgusting Long Neck.”
I smiled. Normally, I’d be as angry as a raging bull with spears in its butt, but not this time. No, I was taking the witch bitch down. “Waleron, actually.”
Trinity’s fake smile dropped and she glowered at me. “I doubt that. But if you did, then be sure to tell him I’ll see him at my place tonight. We have a business agreement.”
Fuck that. Waleron was never doing “business” with the bitch again. “That’s not happening.”
Trinity smirked and leaned back on the desk. “We shall see.”
Last night Waleron had told me about Trinity. How he’d taken so many drugs in order to numb out Trinity’s touch.
“He told me he was so drugged when he fucked you that he can’t even remember it. And you know why he did that? Because he couldn’t stand the thought of you touching him.”
“Where is he?” Trinity glared at me, her fingers curled around the lip of the desk.
“At home in bed where I left him.” A small white lie, but damn it felt good to see Trinity speechless, because everyone knew Waleron’s home was a secret.
I licked my lips and seductively ran a hand over my hip.
Trinity inhaled several deep breaths as if she were trying—and failing—to get control of herself. Her long fingernails smoothed over her tight black pants before she walked slowly toward me. Her lips pursed so hard that her bright red lipstick smudged.
“Did you finally convince him to fuck you? How sweet.” She stopped a few feet away. “Only took you, what… twenty-odd years?”
The scrape of the chair sounded as Keir stood at the same time Jedrik barged into the room with Xamien behind him.
I smiled at Trinity. “At least he wasn’t drugged.”
Trinity’s hand rose to slap me, but I was ready for it and ducked out of the way, then spun and grabbed her wrist.
Trinity yanked free, but I wasn’t done yet. “He’s mine. Understand me, bitch. You use his loyalty to the Scars against him again and I will hunt you down and rip each and every fingernail from its nail bed and shove them down your throat.”
“Whoa, fuck,” Jedrik said.
Trinity raised her hands and I knew exactly what she was going to do. Some spell that would just piss me off and probably piss off the rest of the Talde.
I hauled off and punched Trinity in the face so hard, she staggered back and her fuck-me heel caught on the edge of the Persian carpet. She teetered for several seconds, trying to get her balance, and then toppled over backward. There was a loud ripping sound as her skintight pants tore in the crotch.
Jedrik bowed his head and chuckled. Keir sat back down, grinning and Xamien laughed outright.
Trinity cursed and yelled incoherently—something about her visions and how Waleron would never get anything out of her again. As elegantly as she could, she came to her feet and swung around to Keir. “Tell Waleron he will never have another vision from me again.”
“My pleasure,” Keir responded.
Trinity squeaked and glared at him, then me, before she walked from the room, the rip in her pants flashing her red lace underwear.
“It’s about time that bitch was put in her place,” Jedrik said.
And damn it felt good. Xamien nodded to Keir and Jedrik. “I’ve come to say goodbye.”
Keir stood and walked around the desk to shake his hand. “You’re welcome here any time, Xamien. And if you need assistance with finding Damien, let me know.”
Xamien shook his head. “He needs to find his new path. I just hope it’s one he can come back from one day.”
Jedrik and Xamien shook, and then he turned to me. “Kitten, a moment.”
I nodded and followed him out to the back garden. “Where is Waleron?” he asked.
“The Realm. They’re giving him a formal apology.”
Xamien laughed. “That won’t go over well with Edan. Especially after Zurina kicked his ass and left him drugged on the Realm floor.”
I smiled. “Edan has enough ego to get over it quick enough.”
“True.” He stopped me with a hand on my arm and I turned to face him. “You’re where you’re meant to be. I feel it running through you, the peace and calm.”
“Yes. We aren’t perfect, but we never were. We’re just who we need to be together, and it’s right. It feels right.” I took his hand and squeezed. “Thank you, Xamien. For everything you did for me. For saving my life again and Waleron’s. And for understanding.”
He pulled me to him and kissed my forehead. “Be good, kitten.” He Traced from my arms and was gone.