Maximus
I’m all for a seemingly fast school day, but I seriously don’t want to read those journals again. Yeah, there was some useful information in them, about our abilities and such, but it’s still boring. Yet, here I am sitting at Callie’s with a big ass tome on my lap wishing it was Callie instead. I need to make that happen. Besides, she said we were going to read our journal together. I look over to the couch where she is sitting next to Lucian, lost in her own thoughts.
Man did I get lucky to have her as my mate. She’s wearing black leggings, a teal t-shirt, and her long, red hair spills down her back from under a grey beanie. Wait a minute, that’s my beanie. When did she take that from me? She looks better in it than I do. Besides, I shouldn’t hide all this hair anyway. No one likes hat hair. She’s biting her bottom lip. She really has no idea how beautiful she really is.
“Callie,” I call. She looks up at me. “I thought you said we were going to read our journal together, and yet,” I spread my arms out, “I find myself sitting here all by my lonesome.” To top that off, I give her my best puppy dog eyes. You know what she does, she laughs at me.
“Max, you didn’t have to give me the eyes,” she says as she puts her journal off to the side. She stands up, walks over, and stops right in front of me. “Well, are you going to move the book, or are you just going to stare at me?” Then she has to go and give me that smile. The one I would do anything for. The one I live to see on her face every day.
“Both,” I answer.
I close the book, keeping one finger on the page I was staring at for the pass half hour, because I was not reading this again. I move my arms out of the way. Callie understands what I mean. I’m so glad she doesn’t hesitate and just sits right down on my lap. A few months ago, we never would have been able to get her to do this. Slowly, but surely, Callie is coming into her own.
“Happy?”
“Very.” Neither of us could keep a straight face, and we bust out laughing.
“Alright, let’s get back to it.”
“Ugh, do we have too?” I whine.
“Yes, we have to be missing something. Lucian is waiting to hear back from his grandfather. I know a lot information was lost, but it doesn’t hurt to try.”
“I know, but I would rather be doing something else.”
“Yeah, like what?”
“This.”
I drop the journal and cup her face. I pull her face closer to mine, stopping just before our lips touch. I hear her breathing hitch. I don’t waste another moment. The kiss is tentative at first, but then I nip at her lower lip, getting me exactly what I want. The second she parts her lips, I slip my tongue in. God, I love the sound of her moan. I could kiss her like this forever. The need for air has me pulling back enough to look into her eyes.
“Hey, what are you guys doing?” Callie’s aunt Dahlia says as she walks into the living room.
Callie turns her head to answer when I feel her tense up. Is she preparing herself for the way her aunt is going to react?
“Hey,” I bounce my knee to get her attention. When she turns to look at me I can see the fear in them. “What’s wrong?” She starts to shake her head. “Tell me.”
“We shouldn’t have done that in here,” she whispers.
“What? Kiss? Why?”
“Because the other guys are in here. I wasn’t thinking. I shouldn’t have kissed you in front of them.”
“Why not? You can do whatever you want.”
“It’s not fair to them. They shouldn’t have to see that.”
“How about we ask them. Guys?” I say to get their attention.
“Max, please.”
“No, we aren’t doing this. I don’t want you scared to show me or any one of them affection when you feel like it. Do you understand?” Callie nods her head. “Good.” I turn my attention to the guys. “Do you care if Callie kisses me or one of you in front of the rest of us?”
“No.”
“Of course not.”
“Why would we?”
“Callie seems to think that she shouldn’t do that in front of each other.”
“Callie, we would never ask you not to be yourself and doing what you feel is natural. None of us is going to get mad,” Lucian states.
In a move that surprises even me, Lucian gets up, walks over, and stops directly in front of us. Callie has to tip her head back to look up at him. In one smooth, swift move he gathers her hair in one hand, tugging, making her head fall back further. His other hand moves up and spreads out across her neck, keeping his thumb and index under her chin, giving him all control of her head movements. He leans down searching her eyes for something? What? The okay to do it? For her to say no? Whatever it was he found, because in the next moment, he presses his lips to hers. I see Lucian’s fingers flex ever so slightly. It causes Callie to moan, opening her mouth, giving him the opportunity to deepen the kiss.
No part of me is weirded out by this. In fact, I find the situation hot. Callie is lucky that she is sitting sideways on my lap; otherwise, she would feel just how okay I am about this. Hmm, now this has possibilities. I smile at my thoughts.
Lucian
I pull back, staring at Callie’s face. Her cheeks are flushed, eyelids partially closed as if waiting for more, the way her body leans toward me begging for more. It turns me on. It’s taking everything I have not to find the nearest surface and continue what we’re doing, but I know she isn’t ready for that. Callie is better off being with one of the others first. I’m trying to gauge her reactions to certain things I do. Mostly, to make sure she has no sort of flashback or memories crop up of her stepfather. So far, so good. She has come a long way from that shy, quiet girl we met. She still has her moments of insecurity, like now, but we have been trying to show her she has no need for that. I hope my little display proved just that.
I know Callie is not the only one affected by what just happened. I can smell the lust coming off of Max. I notice Callie clenching her thighs together. Good. It’s just the reaction I was hoping for. She handles my shows of dominance well by naturally submitting to me. She’s not even aware that she is doing it. I know we’re going to have to have a certain conversation soon, but I’m not and she’s not ready for that yet.
“Any more doubts, baby?”
I see her swallow, trying to compose herself before she answers. “Nope, none.”
“Good.” I give her a quick peck on the lips before I release her and go back over to my seat. I look over at Zeke, who is just staring wide-eyed at me, which I understand. I’m not known for doing what I just did, but I felt like I needed to make a point, and I did. My eyes go to Graydon, who is death gripping the arms of chair he is occupying. “You good, Graydon?”
His eyes meet mine. They are flicking back and forth between his normal color and that of his bear. I can’t tell if this is happening because he liked what he saw or because of the possessiveness of his bear. If I had to guess, I would say a little bit of both.
“Yeah, I’m good. I just need a moment,” his voice coming out harsher than normal.
“Well, that was quite entertaining,” Callie’s aunt says. “This is on the list of things you never want to see.” She shudders. “It’s a little to much.”
Well, if that doesn’t help Graydon I don’t know what will. Another first for me. I forgot she even entered the room. I look over at Callie to see how she is doing, and I can see the blush on her cheeks.
“Sorry, Aunt Dahlia,” she says.
“Don’t worry about it, you weren’t doing anything wrong. However, I would like to know what you are looking for in the journals. Anything that I can help you with?”
“I don’t know.”
Callie goes on to explain the vision Cat had, and how we feel like we are missing something in the journal.
“You think there is a clue as to whom might have been in the vision?” Aunt Dahlia questions.
“I don’t know. I’ve looked at the journals, multiple times, but I haven’t found anything. I pretty much have a photographic memory, but I thought maybe I missed something the first few times I’ve looked through them,yet I haven’t found anything new.”
Aunt Dahlia’s brows furrow. She’s staring at the space in front of her, almost like she is trying to recall some detail. Then as if a light bulb goes off she looks up at us with a shocked expression on her face.
“A witch. We need a witch. One, because the witch can be there to help fight off the witch from the vision. Who better than one of her own kind. Second, remember when I told you your mother had a witch come in and put a block on your powers?” Callie nods. “Well, what if that’s not the only thing that she did, what if she had her put some sort of spell on the books?”
“We came to the same conclusion earlier, that we would need a witch to combat a witch. Do you really think it’s possible? That the books could be spelled?”
“Yes, I do.”
“Is there any way you can get ahold of the witch?” I question.
“I can try. It’s been years since I’ve seen her, but I’m hoping she’s still in the same area as she was back then.”
If Aunt Dahlia can find that witch, we just gained a leg up on trying to change that vision.