Page 95 of Craving Carla

With that, his mouth crashes into mine. His lips are cool but warm quickly against my own, moving in a way that sends electricity racing through me. He tastes like mint and something darker, richer, uniquely him. His tongue slides against mine, and I melt into him, my body forgetting all the reasons I should be keeping my distance.

His hands grip my waist, pulling me flush against him, and I can feel the hard planes of his body pressing into mine. The kiss deepens, becoming more desperate, more consuming, until my head spins and my knees threaten to give out. When he finally pulls back, I’m panting, my thoughts scattered like leaves in a storm.

He laughs at my dazed expression. “I’ll retrieve Verde and Petra’s bodies so you and our children can give them a proper burial. And you would have been better off commanding me to kill Alexis, not fuck her. Go wait for me in the SUV. I’ll be down shortly.”

I nod, still dazed, turning back around to open the door. I nearly knock myself out with it as I pull it open too forcefully. I groan when I hear Amari laugh as he runs back up the stairs.

I walk back to the SUV, tossing my blankets in the backseat, then climbing into the passenger seat. I make myself comfortable as I wait for him. I can feel Tofi and the others in the forest, watching me. They’re happy for me. And I feel even happier knowing that Amari is going to retrieve Verde and Petra so I can properly put them to rest.

I don’t think I’ve ever been this happy before. It’s beautiful, actually. A feeling I never thought I’d experience.

Amari isn’t in my cabin long. I see the lights turning off upstairs before he finally comes down, more lights going dark, then he steps out, holding several bags. He grins at me as he walks down the stairs in his suit and expensive shoes. He tosses the bags in the back passenger seat, then climbs in, starting the engine.

He looks at me and smiles. “Ready to start a new life with me, baby?”

I nod, unable to find words for the mix of emotions swirling inside me.

He looks into the forest as he puts the SUV in drive and pulls away, smiling. “You too, my children. See you soon.”

I blush as he addresses our children.

I pause at that thought.

Our children.

I’m finally accepting that happiness has found me. But I still can’t get Tofi’s warning out of the back of my mind. Remember, Mommy. I need to catch up with her tonight. What does she want me to remember?

And why is Alexis after my blood sample? I need to find a better way to approach Amari about not dismissing that date.Something tells me she may know something about me that I don’t. And that’s not good at all.

I know my children are protecting me, but from what? So many questions linger in my mind, but when Amari grabs my hand and pulls it to his lips, gently kissing the back of it as he maneuvers the SUV through the path leading back to the road, my worries fade temporarily.

Because I know Amari is here for me, to protect me, to love me, and it’s not just my babies anymore. I look at Amari as he drives me through Wintermoon, staring at him in awe. I still can’t wrap my head around it. How Fate prepared him for me, gave him Kemnebi, and when Amari found me, he was ready.

I’m the one who’s not ready. I may not need the veil lifted to love him, but I want it lifted. I want to feel the urge to claim him, to seal the bond between us. Without that, I’ll always feel like he’s not fully mine.

That’s my mission. While Amari’s busy securing the borders and trying to figure out what Alexis is up to, I’ll focus on my children, trying to get them to lift the veil, or at least help me understand why they’re still masking me.

I stare at Amari for a moment, lost in thought, knowing being here on Wintermoon means something. Damon’s library can’t help me because I’m a Blackwood witch.

But I think I know someone who can.

My cousin Angie. She has access to all the Blackwood books. Even the ones in the Witching Glen. I don’t know why I didn’t think about her the first time. Then my face scrunches up as I remember why.

I’ve been avoiding her like the plague because of her hatred for my children. She’s tried to spray them with bug spray more than once. She won’t even tolerate the sight of them.

Amari stops the SUV, looking over at me with concern. “Baby, what’s wrong?”

I frown deeper. “I think I do know someone who might have answers about why my children won’t lift the veil.”

My frown intensifies when his grin widens, his eyes alight with hope.

“Who, baby?” he asks, grabbing my hand.

I sigh and look away from him. “My cousin Angie. Of House of Zorah.”

His brow furrows. “House of Zorah has a Blackwood witch?”

I give him a sarcastic grin. “Not a Blackwood witch. Six of them. She’s got three girls and two boys, all Blackwoods.”