19

QUELIER

A while later, my little Dino-trio met me at their front door, lined up like little ducks in a row. Which was ironic because evolution would eventually turn them into ducks, chickens, and other kinds of birds.

“Did you stick around and bully those naughty men some more? Time to go home, my little beasties,” I said as we reached the end of the hall. Their adorable little chuffs and chirps were so cute.

I opened their door, revealing the lush, eco-accurate habitat I created for them. It had a cave, trees, rocks and all the flora of the time. I even had the ceiling spelled to look like the sky would have during the Cretaceous era, so they’d feel at home.

“You can stay here for now, then Momma will be by to see you after she eats!”

They ran inside, eager to find the goats I usually hid in there for them to hunt. It was the perfect enrichment activity for them. Just because they were becoming domesticated, didn’t mean I wanted them to lose their edge.

Diana made sure to spend time with them daily, so they would get used to her. I hoped they’d be her entourage, like that dragon lady from the fantasy show I started watching a few days ago. Every badass woman needed an equally dangerous animal sidekick, and velociraptors definitely fit the bill.

In between visits, I looked after them or they roamed Pit 13, causing mayhem and destruction wherever they went. I put body cams on their collars to catch all the ensuing drama. Apparently, Tank regularly terrorized some of the bear shifters, and Claw visited the kitchens often because one of the cooks regularly fed him.

I double-checked their door was locked, then faded back to my apartment to change into a suit. The Buffoon Brigade decided to test me today, sullying my military uniform in the process. The joke was on them though, because the dinos ensured I had the last laugh.

They were chomping at the bit to make fools out of themselves.

Karma sure took a bite out of them.

The Dino-Trio wanted to take a bite out of life, theirs specifically, but they only got a taste.

After today, maybe they’ll learn not to bite the hand that fed them … Assuming they ate the cake I sent.

I could go on making bad bite jokes all days, but bottom line—they should have known better than to fuck with me and make me late.

I picked out a dark grey suit and a crisp white shirt, pairing it with white gold cufflinks. She didn’t like the uniform very much anyway. I opted for no tie and comfortable dress shoes, in case I needed to run.

I wasn’t sure what version of her I’d meet today and wanted to be prepared for every eventuality.

One of the many perks of being Diana’s PA was that I could access any place in Pit 13. After fading to the Medical Facility, I used my magical signature to get through to the Magical Recovery Unit on the third floor. Her room was a contained, locked chamber at the end of the hall, for safety reasons. Judas’ senior guards kept a post at her door, but they knew who I was—I visited at least once a day.

“Hey Dalen,” I said to the shorter guard.

“Good to see you, Q,” he replied.

“How is she today?” Some days were better than others.

“She’s watching something on TV, seems calm to me.” He picked up his phone and called the line in her room. “Angela, your favorite visitor is here.”

I heard her excited squeal through the line and smiled to myself. Maybe she was calm, or maybe she was feral. Either way, I still wanted to see her because all of her versions were my favorite.

The guards let me in, shutting and locking the door behind me. They didn’t give me the spiel about the red panic button on the wall anymore because they knew I didn’t have to use it if she lost control. Fae Magic was more than enough to restrain a newly created vampire.

She hopped up from the couch, and I barely saw her blurred form before she tackled me to the ground and sniffed my neck. Her body was on top of mine, pinning me to the ground. The tip of her nose grazed the sensitive skin near my ear, and I shuddered. I loved having her so close to me.

“You smell so delicious,” she whined. Her pupils blew wide as she scented me, and I almost lost myself in her big hazel eyes. They were blue, green, and brown all at once. Steady like the earth, deep like the ocean, and full of life like a forest.

I sat up, holding her in my lap. I trailed my fingers through her long, wavy hair. It was just as soft now as it had been before her transformation. “Then take a taste.”

Her warm, smooth tongue ran over my neck, then she pierced my skin with her sharp fangs. As soon as her venom hit, I sighed. It didn’t have much of a toxicating impact on me, but knowing she was being taken care of—that I was the one sustaining her—that did something to me. It made me feel like a fucking Fae King on a big golden throne. She grew frenzied with each pull, already surpassing the amount she drank last night.

“That’s it,” I groaned as a buzzing sensation prickled my skin from head to toe, blazing through my veins like wildfire. “Drink as much as you want.”

She couldn’t kill me, because Fae blood never ran dry. We were truly a people of plenty, in more ways than one. Fae blood was a power shake for vampires, full of magical, fortifying compounds that human and other paranormal beings’ blood didn’t have. It would make her stronger than her kind, speeding up her transitioning process. I was curious if prolonged ingestion of my DNA had any other long term impacts too…one specifically.

I guess only time will tell…but I had a feeling I was right.

The longer she drank, the more she ground her pussy into my lap, right over my thickening cock. Her flannel nightgown was pushed up to her waist, and I felt how soaked her panties were. How tight and hard her nipples felt as they brushed against my chest. I tightened my grip in her hair, willing myself not to rip my pants off, pull her gusset aside, and push inside of her. Fucking her brains out right now wasn’t an option. I refused to take advantage of her when she was in this state.

Angela Rossi was not the kind of person you simply fucked on a passionate whim, either. She was a smart, wild, formidable woman. I’d have to capture her mind and heart before I claimed her. And since the day I met her, I carefully set my snare. I watched everything she did—gathered as much intel on her as I could. I asked her friends and family about her. Then I used all of that information to win her over. She was gradually falling into my trap without even knowing it.

So she had a fated mate? He’s just as attractive as she is, inside and out. Fine by me.

She had Greek gods sniffing at her heels? Zeus help us both.

She had a weird push and pull with a Bone Whisperer… Meh, Bain is a bit of a complication, but a manageable one. I wasn’t even sure if he liked her, and when I asked about him a few evenings ago, she told me she didn’t want to talk about him. That was fine by me, because I’d rather talk about us .

Angela would be mine, it was just a matter of time.

When she was full, she licked over her puncture marks to close them. I carried her to the sofa and she cuddled into my lap. I loved the feeling of her against me. She turned the TV off, then handed me one of the earbuds from her pocket, keeping the other for herself. We finished a few chapters of a romance book we’d been listening to together, basking in each other’s comfort. I did kiss her, because I couldn’t deny myself a small taste. And I couldn’t deny her the evident joy I always saw in her smiles afterward. She was going through a dark time, and she needed some light, even if it was a simple kiss.

“Have you seen Judas yet?” I asked her.

“No, I refuse him every time he visits. When he tries to mindlink me, I shut him out,” she huffed.

“Being able to block a mindlink this early on is impressive, good job.” I did wonder how much of that was Judas respecting her attempts and stopping communication and how much of it was her magic strength.

She preened at the compliment, a little color coming back to her face. She gave me a soft, warm smile and I internally melted. She was so fucking adorable. Eventually, when this transition was over, she’d smile more often. She’d be back to the saucy, playful woman I fell for.

“I think you should hear him out. You’re going to be connected to him for eternity…and he’s your sire. He did what he had to do to keep you with us,” I explained in an understanding voice. It would be difficult to win her over without including Judas in the equation, so they needed to make up, preferably soon.

“It’s not that… If becoming a vampire is the alternative to death, I’ll take it,” she admitted.

“Okay…then tell me what’s wrong.” I rubbed my hand up her leg, then settled it possessively on her knee. My urge to find out what bothered her and fix it was strong. I didn’t want her to hurt, and if Judas was at the bottom of it, he would be dealt with accordingly…even if he was handsome and charming.

“You won’t be mad?” she trailed off, unsure of how I’d react.

I answered her question with partial honesty, “No. I’d never judge you.” The full truth is that I’m so fucking obsessed with this woman I worship the ground she walks on. She couldn’t change the way I felt about her even if she tried.

“I’m mad that I’m attached to him for the rest of my life. He didn’t want me, but having sex with me was fine. He told me I wasn’t good enough for him as a partner, but my blood was good enough to drink. He said, and I quote, ‘I don’t settle down, and I would never settle down with you.’ And now, out of all of the people in the four realms, he’s my sire…and he said he was my fated mate.”

He told me that part. They shared a darkness now where their souls used to be. Which was one more reason why they had to make up. If my hypothesis about her drinking my Fae blood was right, it may also even the playing field for me as far as that bond was concerned.

“Yeah, I can see why that hurts. I’m not making excuses for him, but sometimes when men want someone who forces them to change who they are—to exist outside of their comfort zone—they resist. It’s a dick move, but it happens.”

“Yeah, and sometimes when you hurt someone and force yourself as their sire, they resist. It’s a reasonable move,” she smirked. “At least I have you. I don’t know how I’d survive without seeing you everyday, Quel.” Her heart eyes made my heart thump so hard in my chest I wanted to scream. I needed to see them daily. Preferably every minute of every day.

“Yes you do have me. I’ll make sure you’re okay.”

That sounds so much better than “You’ll always have me for the rest of our immortal lives, whether you want me or not.” Or, “You’ve had me since day one. No, seriously, I’ve been stalking you since your niece introduced us. I’m so glad I followed my Faetuition and joined the Morningstar resistance.”

I kissed her on the forehead, reminding myself how a slow, steady approach would surely win this marathon. It was worth it, because she was the prize at the end.

Quelier, emergency meeting in my conference room, ASAP. Lucifer’s voice rang through my mind, and I internally cursed him. But alas, my whole plan was for nothing if this war ended the world as we knew it.

“I just got a mindlink from Lucifer. He needs me in a meeting.” I gingerly moved her onto the couch.

“You’ll come back?” she asked hesitantly.

“I’ll always come back to you.” Whether she wanted me to or not, I’d boomerang her for the rest of our immortal lives.

The blanket thrown over the arm of the couch wasn’t soft enough for my standards, so I teleported one from my apartment and tucked her in. She brought it to her nose and inhaled deeply.

“It smells like you…”

“Good, you can have something to remember me by while I’m gone.” Just like I had one of her books from her room, a pair of her underwear, an almost-empty bottle of her perfume, and one of her autographed music tees from some rock band I’ve never heard of.

She giggled, her breasts jiggling with her laughter. “Since you won’t judge me, look in the end table drawer.”

I peeked inside, then grinned so hard I thought my ears would fall off. That little creep had my missing cufflink, one of my styluses for my tablet, and the watch she ripped off me the first time I visited her, when she was still completely feral.

“Are you obsessed with me?” I teased her, knowing exactly how cheeky I was by even suggesting it when I was actually obsessed with her. Hiding in plain sight and all that. “You little stalker.”

“Maybe. If you stay I’ll tell you…” she taunted me as her hard nipples pressed against her nightgown.

I knelt by the couch and held her jaw with my thumb and finger. Her bright eyes shone, even with dark circles from her transition. Fuck, if I kept drowning in those molten hazel pools, I’d never be able to swim away. One last kiss on those cloud-soft lips wasn’t enough. It turned into me crawling on top of her, and her fisting my suit jacket as she pulled me closer. Her thick thighs wrapped around me, keeping me in place. As if there was anywhere else I’d rather be.

I kissed her until she was breathless, nipping and licking my way down her neck. Her moans made me forget why I exercised self control. The tang of this woman’s skin would become my new addiction. I tore her nightgown open so I could kiss her collarbone, breasts, and the valley between them.

Her mewling echoed through the air, and I immediately stopped. What was I doing? She didn’t need me riling her up, potentially turning her feral. We had to wait until she was in the right state of mind. She needed to be truly taken with me. I wouldn’t accept any less of her.

“We need to stop. I don’t want to rile you up.” I panted, kissing the tip of her nose. We learned about too much anticipation the hard way a couple of nights ago. “I have to go. What time should I come by tonight?” I stood up, immediately missing the closeness we shared.

“Hmmm, I don’t know, I have a really packed schedule here,” she deadpanned, gesturing at the open concept sleeping and living area she resided in. It was like something out of a luxury hotel, but it was still a small space to be trapped in while recovering.

Even though I knew I had to go, I gallantly took her hand and kissed the back. She didn’t need to know the kiss was a little bit of light spellwork. “Say my name tonight and I’ll come to you.”

“Or I can say your name while I?—”

I didn’t let her finish the sentence. “Excuse you, little stalker. Don’t you dare tease me before I go into a meeting. I’m going to leave before you sink those pearly whites into me again.”

As I closed the door, she jokingly licked her fangs. There I went, melting again.

Angela Rossi would be the figurative death of me.