Chapter Five

Kalin

“Wow, thank you.” The redheaded woman across from me stood up from the table, smiling.

“You’re welcome.” I loathed lying. The cards I’d read for her had revealed a turbulent change coming. But my job tonight wasn’t to terrify customers. The truth sucked more often than not, so instead, I’d told her what she wanted to hear—that her year would be bright. I wished the same for the sexy wulfkin I’d kissed, because what I’d glimpsed when we had touched was never leaving my mind.

Blood. Whether it belonged to him or someone else was inconsequential. He stood at the center of the mess. Was the Death card from earlier a message about him? Warning me to stay away?

My client sauntered back toward the courtyard, vanishing into the crowd. While I’d been starving before, now I couldn’t stomach a crumb, not when my mind was consumed by the strange wulfkin. Hell, why a Russian? Their pack leader always acted hospitable, pretending to be every pack’s friend. But he sent spies into European territory to scout our lands. The Varlac leader of Hungary, who ruled all of Europe, was new to his position. Maybe he was too gullible to realize the threat. I struggled to believe a warlord from Russia would ignore such a prime opportunity to invade while the new Varlac leader found his feet.

And faced with such an enemy at the Halloween party, what did I do? I kissed the stranger and let him devour my nipples out in the open. A flush of heat rose through me, and I swore my cheeks were as red as a tomato.

Maybe my wolf had her wires crossed and was caught up in the idea of finding a partner.

Lenuţa sat across from the guy she’d eyed earlier. With the way they both leaned close to one another, I doubted any fortune telling was taking place.

As I looked away, I met familiar Russian wulfkin eyes fifteen feet away from me. My stomach fluttered. Shit, I didn’t even know his name, but I’d kissed him. The guy had towered over me, and his embrace had left me feeling petite and protected.

Behind him, I noticed two other wulfkin. I’d sensed them the moment I’d returned to the courtyard. Now, the duo prowled. If Mr. Sexy hadn’t been standing there, would they have attacked Lenuţa and me?

My muscles twitched, fighting the impulse to whirl and run.

I dug in my bag and pulled out my cell. There was no response from Enre or Alena. No signal either. I played with the idea of finding a way out of the castle. Except I ought to remain and watch over the three strange wulfkin. And who was the female I’d seen with Mr. Sexy? A human with an odd scent akin to burned electricity. If she were in a relationship with the wulfkin, then he wouldn’t have kissed me, right? My head hurt trying to make sense of the situation.

Glancing at Lenuţa, I gasped. She was kissing her client, tongue and all. I stretched my arm toward her and prodded her side, hard.

Lenuţa looked my way with raised eyebrows. “What?”

“In front of everyone?”

She huffed and rolled her eyes. “Come on. Have you seen what sort of party we’re at?” Lenuţa slouched, and her partner in crime scooted his seat closer to hers.

I scanned the yard. Most people were in their thirties or forties. More than half of them were making out—kissing, groping, moving to second base. Damn!

Lenuţa wasted no time in jumping back down the guy’s throat. When I tapped her again, she flapped a hand toward me, pushing me away.

Shifting in my chair, I froze as Mr. Sexy appeared and sat in the seat across the table from me. His smile widened, and I noticed the tattoo on the side of his neck. It was a black, five-pointed star with a wolf’s face, mid-growl, in the center. The Russian Varlac Tsar’s insignia.

Every molecule in my body tingled with the memory of Mr. Sexy’s touch and the urge to go there again. Oh, goddess, was I no better than Lenuţa?

“Can I get a reading?” His voice sounded heavy and raspy.

I tightened my thighs as a buzz lingered between them. Who the hell was this wulfkin? The lord of torturing my libido?

“You didn’t tell me your name,” I said.

“Axe Vuk.”

I’d never heard of the family. I straightened myself and picked up the deck, shuffling the cards. My gaze stayed on Axe. My wolf was there, trembling on the inside, craving him. What was wrong with her? She’d never behaved this way with anyone before. And I’d been with other wulfkin.

I spread the cards in a fan across the table, deciding a simple reading would suffice. “Select three. Past, present, and future.”

His hand landed on mine, and I struggled to take another breath, studying how he completely covered my hand with his.

“I can still taste you,” he said before breaking our contact, and I already missed his warm touch.

Okay, if he’d intended to make me melt, he’d succeeded. And how should I respond? I chewed on my cheek, studying the way he edged three cards out of the pile with his index finger.

I turned the first one over. “This is your past.”

He glanced down, and his nose scrunched up. “Hope that’s not me.”

A man lay facedown with ten swords stuck in his back. “This means you’ve already faced an unwelcome surprise. Maybe you’ve been betrayed.”

He nodded as if it made sense. “Okay, next.”

I revealed the Devil. “This one implies there’s negativity in your life.” The card was my least favorite, as it symbolized bad luck. Maybe Axe didn’t need to know his future; after all, he’d find out soon enough. I swallowed past the boulder in my throat, remembering the Death card back at the pack house. Why did that thought have to pop into my mind now?

“Listen, let’s not do this. It’s silly.” I swiped the deck together, but Axe caught my hand before I collected the third one, still unturned.

He rubbed his other hand along his stubble. The sound kept my focus fastened on his strong face and the thick brows crowning his golden irises. He flipped the card. “What does it say?”

I didn’t need to look down to answer, because the truth had revealed itself the first time we’d touched. I still trembled from remembering an absolute ending in his life.

Death. The grim reaper stared up at me as it had in my bedroom at the pack house. Mocking me. A shudder rattled me. I’d just met someone who made me feel things no one else had, someone who had my inner wolf in disarray. And now he gets Death.

He cocked an eyebrow. “Well, that doesn’t seem promising.”

No matter how many times I told myself the Death card had a double meaning, I couldn’t ignore the idea of Axe dying. My stomach churned, and I kept shifting in my seat, unable to get comfortable.

“Why so serious? They aren’t real. It’s for fun,” he said, laughing. “My father once said we set our own destiny through the decisions we make in life. And I haven’t regretted a single action yet.”

I nodded. “Your dad sounds wise.”

His brow pinched in a way that implied this was a hurtful memory. “He was.”

A giggle drew my attention to Lenuţa, who was leaning over her table, still kissing the guy with the weird mustache. But it wasn’t as if anyone else was coming for a reading. The rest of the crowd was too busy getting hot and heavy. Others danced to the violin music. The band had been drinking constantly throughout the performance, which explained the frequently offbeat tunes.

I refocused on Axe, who hadn’t taken his gaze off me. “So,” I said, mostly to distract myself from going all googly-eyed over the wulfkin and doing something I’d regret. I had this desperate urge to say, “Fuck it all,” and drag Axe into a corner. Every part of me tingled to have him all over me again, and my wolf agreed.

“Do you believe in wolf soul mates?” I remembered Alena saying when she’d first met Enre she’d felt as if she’d been hit by a massive snowball. After that moment, nothing had ever been the same, and everything in her head had revolved around Enre, until the babies. I stared at Axe. Was that what I’d been feeling?

“Doesn’t every wulfkin want to find their soul mate?” he responded.

“Nope. I know lots who don’t, but I think they’ll know when the sensation hits them.”

Axe’s hand slid across the table and lifted mine to his mouth. The softness of his lips cushioned against my fingertips made me shiver.

He continued kissing my hand. “I’ve never felt this way about anyone.”

“Nor have I.” I broke into a laugh. This was what parties were supposed to be about—having fun, letting lose—especially with someone who might very well be my mate. Goddess, was this happening? I’d only just met Axe, yet it seemed as if I’d known him in my heart for years. My wolf wholeheartedly agreed.

“You’re beautiful.” He stood from his seat and drew me to my feet. “Come for me.”

What? Had I heard right? “Excuse me?”

“Come with me.” He wrapped an arm around my lower back, pulling me against his side, and my body grew into an inferno.

He led me away. With a quick look back, I confirmed Lenuţa hadn’t even noticed me leaving. The people around us partied. One man had removed his shirt and was swinging it over his head. Others danced, and nearly every dark corner in the courtyard was occupied by couples making out. Maybe something floated on the air tonight. I wasn’t the only one feeling promiscuous, and while I had no idea where Axe would take me, I wanted to find out.

He guided me along a corridor and into a room with wooden walls and flooring. A sofa lay in the center, and an empty cabinet sat against the wall. Silvery moonlight streamed in through an arched window.

Axe shut the door behind us, and the excitement of being alone with a hunk had me covered in goose bumps.

He closed the distance in three steps and swept me into his hold. I softened, unsure I’d ever walk away from him. This was exactly where I wanted to be—now and for eternity. I didn’t care that he was Russian or that our clans weren’t the best of buddies. My emotions were more pressing. Could Axe be my soul mate?

He stared down at me, and I knew what was coming; still, I shyly lowered my gaze. He ran a thumb under my chin and tilted my head upward.

His lips grazed mine, fiery and passionate. “Damn, little wolf, what are you doing to me?”

“I feel it too.” My voice wavered.

He chuckled, strong and loud, the sound touching me like a lover’s caress. Axe’s mouth was on me again, licking the length of my neck, then my collarbone, while he tugged on my corset.

Unable to contain myself, I moaned and flung open his jacket, pushing it off his shoulders. My hands worked their way up his chest, tracing each cord of muscle through his shirt.

Axe pulled back and dropped his jacket. I plucked at his shirt, which he peeled up and over his head. He tossed it somewhere behind him.

I could have stared at his broad chest for hours, along with the line of dark hair diving south, vanishing beneath his pants. “Look at those muscles.”

He winked. “They’re all yours. Now come over here.” He drew me closer, bathing me in his attention, all while working my corset down, releasing my breasts. “Fucking amazing.” He kneeled in front of me and pushed his face into them, tugging at the nipples with his teeth. I whimpered in anticipation. His lips wrapped around a nipple, building an intense desire within me.

He scooped my skirt up, removing the layers of fabric between us, until his touch found my thighs. My senses had been seduced, and I’d lost all inhibitions.

Axe slipped my underwear down my legs, and I stepped out of them without hesitation as he stood up. This was unlike me, and yet, I couldn’t stop myself. I smiled, my heart fluttering against my breastbone. Never before had anyone made me ready to burst.

The moment his fingers tickled the apex between my thighs, I unleashed a cry.

“So wet,” he whispered in my ear and sniffed my neck. “I love your scent.” He lifted me into his arms and carried me over to the three-seater sofa, where he lay me on my back and proceeded to kiss me. Fast and demanding. One of his hands was on my breast, squeezing, then it skimmed over my stomach. He knelt in front of me, pushing aside my dress and placing one of my ankles across his shoulder. When he lowered his attention to the spot between my thighs, he grinned.

I shivered. Damn, that sent a jolt of euphoria through me.

He spread me wider and blew a hot exhale across my skin. The tingling sensation was feather-soft. Next thing I knew, his mouth had clasped my inner lips. I stifled a gasp as his tongue flicked. My screams could probably be heard by the party outside. I reached out and tangled my hands through Axe’s hair.

His teasing drove me crazy. Since meeting him, I’d been in a state of arousal and holding on now seemed an impossibility.

I drowned beneath every stroke of pleasure as Axe licked me.

Within seconds, he stood up, his gaze devouring me lovingly. He tilted his head to the side. “You’re insanely hot.”

I tugged on his belt, needing his pants gone. He pulled his zipper open, and his cock popped out, so huge and long, I gasped and banded my fingers around him—he was scorching hot.

“Little wolf”—he knocked my grip loose—“we’re doing this my way.” He lay his body over mine, one hand propped on the couch, holding himself up, the other guiding his tip along my silkiness. The moment he inched into me, I arched against his broad chest, moaning.

“It’s okay,” he said. “I promise it will be amazing.”

“Oh, I know.” I raised my hips to meet him better, and he pushed into me—slowly at first, as if teasing. I held on to his strong arms, taking him, my desperation begging him to go deeper. As if he’d read my mind, he thrust into me, and I was unprepared for his size. My groan echoed throughout the room. I’d lost all my thoughts. There was just Axe, filling me completely. When he pulled out and jammed back in, he raised his tempo, falling into a rhythm, each pound quickening.

Desire captured my insides, begging for more, needing Axe. “Yes. Make it hurt.”

He complied and pumped so hard I couldn’t work out where he started and I ended. There was only the insatiable sensation of him piercing me, making me forget myself.

He leaned closer and sucked on my nipple, gnawing, tugging. A roller coaster of satisfaction flooded me. On my next breath, an orgasm crashed through me, owning me.

Axe released a deep growl, his body stiff as he pulsed within me. When he smiled, his expression covered me in tingles.

“I’m only getting started. You’ll never forget what I’m going to do to you next.” The swirl of emotions behind his eyes made me pant. He kissed me deeply. The way we connected was magic, like two halves that were only completely whole together. One night together, and I had the courage to believe he was my soul mate.

Then a knock at the door shattered my world.

“Kalin, I’m coming in!” Lenuţa’s voice called out.