Page 19

Azura

“ L et him say goodbye,” Nikki says, placing her hand on Leo’s arm.

He doesn’t reply, and I hate how he has an effect on me. Why that single touch of Nikki’s squeezes my heart. Fuck, Azura. This isn’t you.

“Please don’t go yet. How about staying for five more weeks?” Corrado pleads, drawing my attention back to his gorgeous hazel eyes.

“I can’t. I’m sorry,” I apologise softly. Oh, why is this kid making my heart break just like Marcel almost did?

When he loves, he loves deeply.

I push the memory away and smile apologetically at the boy before me.

“Then why not six more weeks?” I let out a breathy laugh.

“You know you’re adding days on top?” I ask, ruffling his hair.

“But I had fun. I want to make a police doll, too…”

My heart clenches, but I can sense Leo’s anger rising and know he is getting impatient or simply annoyed that Corrado is talking to me, but I’m at least glad he let him say goodbye. Maybe the Ice Prince has a soft spot for his son at least.

“I’ll have one sent to you, okay?”

“What is this?” Nikki’s voice, which is full of disgust, asks.

I turn to see her lift the Leo doll from the bowl of water. It looks a mess with the ink having run all over the fabric.

“Oh, Daddy! That’s the doll that looks like you!” Corrado exclaims, making Leo’s eyes snap to the doll as Nikki looks at it with a look of obvious disgust.

“Eww, why do you have it in water? You’re so weird,” she says, dropping the doll onto the worktop. My eyes flash, and I do my best to remain calm as I stand up and walk over to her. Just because I’ve been nice you, don’t go around calling me weird. I hate the damn word.

“It’s a voodoo doll, made to be tortured,” I explain in an extremely sweet voice that drips with venom before picking it up from the worktop and dunking it back into the water, not caring that water splatters over her. She jumps back, staring at me as if I have lost my mind. I hate how I suddenly feel upset.

I know I am different. I fucking get it, and if voodoo dolls make me happy, then I’ll make them. I don’t need anyone to judge me.

“A voodoo doll,” Corrado says in awe. “Daddy, what is a voodoo doll?” I smile, his words lifting my spirits a little. This is why I like kids best, because they don’t judge you.

Leo comes over. Just the way he walks makes my stomach flutter infuriatingly. One hand in his pocket the other holding his cigarette… his sharp blue eyes are as cold as ice, but they still seem to ignite a fire inside of me. I look away from him as he reaches for the doll, and I brush past him to grab my bag.

“I’m ready to leave,” I declare. I do not want him to examine the doll. I’m sure he’ll realise it is meant to be him.

“Yeah, let’s go. Nikki take Corrado home.”

Home. Their home.

“Azura, please don’t go,” Corrado whispers, running over to me as Nikki holds her hand out to him.

“Corrado, she has to leave. Winona take him,” he commands icily when Winona enters.

“Yes, Alpha.” She looks at me and gives me a small smile. “It was nice meeting you, Azura. Thank you for spending the evening with Corrado.”

“It was great getting to know you, too, Winnie,” I reply, when suddenly an idea comes to me, and I hurry over to my suitcase. Crouching down, I unzip it and take out the rest of the swatches, wool, and stuff I had to make my dolls. I stand up and pass them to Winona. “If you could make a doll with Corrado?” I ask quietly. I think I hear Nikki mutter something, but I’m not sure what it is.

“But making dolls with Azura was more fun,” Corrado protests, staring at the supplies.

“I know. Come on, Corrado, let’s go,” Winona says gently yet firmly as she leads him away. He looks over his shoulder at me, looking disappointed, before he vanishes from view, and I quickly crouch down and zip my case back up before picking it up.

“Shall we?”

I was hoping to get him alone but that’s not going to happen as Nikki follows me out of the room. I walk to the lift seeing Leo and Nikki looking at each other. I step into the lift, placing my foot between the doors so it doesn’t shut. Nikki is frowning, and Leo looks as indifferent as ever, but I can tell they are mind-linking. Leo turns to her, his face as arrogant and sexy as ever, and I don’t know what he says, but it makes her look away.

“Bye,” Nikki says after a moment, glancing between Leo and myself before she walks off towards Jackie’s apartment, running her fingers through her hair.

Leo’s attention turns to me as he strides over, oozing with power, and steps into the lift. Once the door shuts, he presses a button and scans his thumb. This is my chance.

“I -”

“I don’t want to hear it,” he says, making me frown.

“I haven’t even said anything, and trust me, you will love to hear this,” I retort. “By the way… Marcel knows.” His heart rate speeds up as he looks at me sharply, his eyes turning a steely blue before he calms himself.

“Fuck. What else did he say?” He asks coldly, his eyes look dangerous.

“Not much, but he loves you,” I reply, Marcel’s words still burning in my mind. He simply scoffs in obvious contempt.

I know that many would say fight for my mate… and maybe if there was no Nikki in the picture, maybe, just maybe, I might have. I want to see the Leo that his dad said existed inside. Don’t get me wrong, if he pissed me off, I’d still unleash hell upon him, but seeing him with Corrado shows he is a good dad.

Fuck! I need to stop thinking like that.

“Sure, he’d want the perfect fucking woman to be the Luna. You’re a Westwood. I’m sure that made him feel fucking proud.”

The lift doors open, and I realise we are in what looks like a dark underground car park. The walls are fully made of steel with dim lighting and more cars than I can count. There are a few doors leading off from here, too.

“I’m far from perfect, and your Dad knows that. You don’t know anything about my life, Leo, so stop fucking pretending you do,” I shoot back.

“Oh, yeah? So you’re not just a pampered princess who has been given the entire fucking world at her feet.” He stops in his tracks and turns towards me. I almost knock into him, stepping forward just as the lift door shuts behind me.

“I’m not doing this with you. Don’t judge when you don’t know anything about my life. Everyone has their trials, Leo. No one’s life is just fun and games,” I reply, shaking my head in irritation. I’m about to shove past him when I pause and look up at him, trying not to pay attention to the heat of his body.

“Wow, you don’t even see what you have. Tell me, little she-wolf, what exactly have you faced in life?” He asks coldly, his tone laced with mockery. It fucking hurts, and he is only making me angrier. I had heard how his life had been, how the rogues had lived, but his behaviour is unfair. I have done nothing to hurt him.

“My life may not have been as bad as yours, but I refuse to let it shape me. I refuse to let it become my present and future. I will always look for the positivity and happiness in life. You can hold on to your past, Leo, I don’t really care. I’m done with you,” I say, glaring up at him before I make to step around him, only for him to grab hold of my arm, stopping me. My heart thumps at his touch as I try to focus on our conversation and not his touch. I am already fucking stressed out about what Judah is capable of once I am out of here. I am sure he will find me and try to do something again.

“Do enlighten me,” he says coldly. I shake my head, ready to push past him when he blocks my path once more, caging me between the lift door and his body. “I asked for an answer.” His voice is dangerous, menacing even, but what annoys me the most is the way it makes my core throb.

“You won’t get it because in your eyes, we are just entitled, but have you ever considered that if it wasn’t for those so-called Elites that you fucking hate, you would still be in those caverns! We helped save you all! We freed you! My grandfather and biological mother fought in that battle that gave you your freedom! So many members of those so-called Elite packs died for us all! Alejandro almost died! Fuck, he did die! Even though Kia was pregnant, she knew she had to fight that battle! And Rayhan, who you fucking hate so much! It was his mate who travelled to the veil to the other world to make sure Endora had no way back here! I’m fucking tired of you throwing a bitch fit! I get it, Leo. What Rayhan did was wrong! I feel that! But what have my parents ever fucking done to you? Those Elite you hate so much helped you and your people!”

I shove him back, but he doesn’t even budge. He tosses his cigarette onto the floor, his eyes flashing steely blue as he sneers coldly.

“So, there it is, the part of you who feels like you did us a fucking favour.”

“No! I’m just saying I get it! Rayhan fucking messed up, but he admitted it! He gets it! But don’t you see how many fought Endora? If those Elites, as you called them, didn’t, this world wouldn’t be what it is today!” I shout in exasperation, grabbing his shirt as I shake him, but even then, he is unmoving. White-hot rage is clear in his eyes as he steps closer, his body pressing against mine.

“Spoken like a true entitled princess. You will never get it because you only see it from your point of view. No one ever fucking gets it.” I try to push him away only for him to grab hold of my hips sending a violent jolt to my core.

“Then try to make me get it! I want to know!” I shout, my chest heaving in anger. He swallows, his eyes searching mine, and I know they are blazing silver. Our anger and whatever this is between us rages around us like a hurricane. “Tell me!” I scream, my eyes stinging with tears of frustration. “I want to know!”

“Shut up.”

My eyes widen in shock and confusion before another wave of anger flashes through me. I try to knee him in the balls, only for him to knock my leg aside with his foot and trap my leg between his. My heart thunders as a jolt of pleasure rushes through me when his thigh presses against my core. Oh, fuck.

“Don’t tell me to shut up!” I growl, trying not to focus on his body. “You have an argument, then throw it at me. Give me a good fucking excuse for you to be so -”

“I said shut the fuck up,” he growls huskily.

“You can’t make me -”

I am cut off when his lips suddenly press against mine in a rough, blinding kiss that sends my body into a frenzy of pure bliss. A thousand tingles course through me, and I feel every pore of my body react. My heart pounds, and I find myself kissing him back with passion fuelled by my anger and frustration. His hand slides up to my bare waist, pulling me closer as he deepens the kiss, my stomach knotting as he devours me.

Oh, fuck, he definitely can make me shut up.

The moment I feel him throb against me, and a moan leaves my lips, I freeze. One word screams in my head.

Nikki .

I push him away, and this time, he staggers slightly, his eyes flashing as he stares at me, our hearts thumping violently as we both realise what we have just done...