Page 139 of Craving Carla

She turns to walk away but stops and looks back at me. “It’s funny. Mother Fate made you look like the darker of the Blackwood witches and me the fairest. But it’s the complete opposite.”

With that, she vanishes—there one moment, gone the next, like she’d never been there at all. Only the slight disturbance in the snow where she stood proves she was real. Moria climbs down from me, her eight eyes focused on where Anora had been standing.

“What the fuck was that?” I whisper, still staring at the empty space.

I stiffen as a realization hits me—I saw the veil. For the first time, I actually saw it, that pink shield that appeared around me when Anora’s magic attacked. Before I can process this, images start flashing in my mind from my children—Amari finally waking up. They’re saying “daddy.”

I smile at that, pushing the unsettling encounter with Anora to the back of my mind for now. I walk around Moria, heading back toward the cabin. Snow blankets the path as I move through the clearing and up the stairs. I open the door and step inside, grateful for the warmth that greets me. I kick off my boots and pull off my coat, hanging it on the hook by the door. The patrol cabin has become home these past months, and despite Amari’s excitement about our new place being built, I’ll miss this cozy space.

I head into the kitchen and put on a pot of coffee, the rich aroma filling the small room. While it brews, I take blood from the fridge, warming it slightly before adding it to his coffee mug. Amari prefers it this way now—a blend of coffee and blood rather than feeding directly from humans. It’s a sacrifice he’s made for me, though he insists it’s not a sacrifice at all.

With the mug in hand, I jog up the stairs to find Amari finally sitting up in bed, stretching his arms above his head. He looks beautiful as always—his dark skin radiant, his curls slightly mussed from sleep, his muscular chest visible above the blankets. He gives me a knowing look and sighs when he notices the mug in my hand. “I told you to stop doing that.”

I walk over to the bed, ignoring his complaint, and hand him the mug. He takes it, then grabs me with his free hand, lifting me into his lap. I giggle and rest my hand on him. He steals a kiss from me before taking a sip of the coffee.

“Perfect as always,” he says, the approval warming me more than any fire could.

He takes another sip, then sets the mug down on the bedside table and wraps both arms around me. “How has your day been?”

“Interesting,” I reply, not wanting to bring up Anora’s strange visit just yet. “How did you sleep?”

“Like the dead,” he says playfully, his expression sparkling with humor. I sit up and pull my sweater over my head. Amari grins, his attention lingering on my breasts through my bra and tank top, his expression darkening with desire.

“Any progress?” he asks, his voice more serious. “I’ve noticed you’ve been spending a lot of time with your children while I sleep.”

“No, nothing,” I say with a small shrug. “Just bonding with them, thinking.”

“Our new home is almost ready,” he tells me, excitement evident in his voice. “One more month and no more patrol cabin.”

I pout my lips at that, and he shakes his head.

“Don’t do that,” he says gently. “Our new home is perfect. And it’s time you start bonding with the coven more. They’re eager to get to know you better.” I climb off his lap, my mind suddenly wandering to other thoughts. Amari notices immediately—he always does.

“What is it, baby?” he asks, concern creasing his brow.

I look at the coffee mug and gesture toward it. “You’re doing really well adjusting to your new feeding style.”

Amari laughs at that. “I see my men in and out of Midnight Moon when I’m on the tourist island, but interestingly enough, I don’t have a desire to go.” He pauses, his expression becoming more serious. “I still don’t find this feeding ideal, but it’s enough.”

I lift my wrist to him, and he stiffens, his attention locking onto my pulse point. “You once said that feeding on me was special,” I remind him. “But you’ve never done it. Is it because you don’t like that you absorb some of my power by feeding on me?”

“No, it’s not that at all, Carla,” he says, his voice low. “Then what is it?” I press.

Amari sighs and looks away from me. “Is it wrong to save something for when you do feel the mate bond?”

My face falls at his words. “I don’t know if that’s ever going to happen. It’s been two months.” I swallow hard, fighting back the emotion threatening to overwhelm me. “I’m going to miss out on so many things because I can’t feel the mate bond.”

I try to climb off his lap again, moving to sit on the other side of the bed, but he quickly grips my hips, pulling me back into his lap.

“No, stop,” I protest. “I don’t want you doing it because you feel like you’re being forced.”

Amari roughly cups my chin, forcing me to meet his stare. His brow furrows, his beautiful features intense with a dominance that makes my heart race. “You’re going into brat mode,” he warns. “Stop it. Or I’ll bend you over and fuck that attitude right out of you.”

I grin at that, contemplating whether or not to keep pushing him. There’s something thrilling about challenging him, seeing how far I can go before he takes control.

Amari chuckles, his grip on my chin softening. He gently caresses my face, and I get lost in his presence—the deep pools of gold that seem to see straight through me.

“Did you know that vampires don’t dream?” he asks unexpectedly. “Daydream, yes, but in our slumber, no. There’s nothing. It’s like a blink, almost like when a human goes under anesthesia for surgery. There’s nothing. I simply wake up, rejuvenated, and my thirst returns.”