Page 40 of Bane of Hate and Silver (Primordial Inheritance #1)

Trials of Love

L uca parked his Jeep down the street from Jules’s house.

He slammed the door and stepped out just as Jules’s little silver car pulled into her driveway.

Jules climbed out, shutting her own car door behind her.

At first, he thought she might have missed the six-foot-four werewolf jogging toward her in the pouring rain until she was in his arms. He lifted her off her feet and held her tightly as the rain soaked them both.

Her forehead dropped to his. “I’m sorry Gabriel took it badly,” he said, lifting his lips to press them gently to her forehead.

Jules studied him a moment. He felt the missing pieces of his soul taking root in her eyes. He’d fallen fast, but he knew that he never wanted to let her go.

His eyes found her lips and darkened with lust. He closed the small space between them. Enveloping his mouth with hers right here on the quiet street in the pouring rain. She gave a soft moan as his tongue filled her mouth, melting in the heat of his kiss.

With a low growl, he yanked her body even closer.

She gasped into his mouth but tightened around him.

“That’s my girl,” he said, barely a whisper.

She giggled lightly as her hands found the wet waves of his hair.

She was so strong, and sexy, stunning in every way.

Strong, sexy, stunning and his. Everything about her felt right, and here in his arms was where he wanted her to stay.

Panting, she backed out of the kiss, placing her palm on his chest to stall him, but didn’t wriggle free of his hold.

“Hi,” he said, finding her eyes searching his.

“Hi,” she replied, biting her lower lip and smiling softly. “Luca…” Her voice trailed off.

“What is it?” He sensed she had something she wanted to say but was unsure that she should.

Her legs shifted from around him. He set her on her feet, covering her face from the rain with his body the best he could.

“Gabriel is an important part of my life,” Jules admitted, palms sliding up his abdomen.

“But…” she hesitated. He brushed her wet hair back.

“Something tells me that you are more significant to my future.”

Everything inside him exploded, especially his heart. But he replied with, “Giving everything up for a guy. Sounds reckless.”

Jules rolled her eyes. “Yes, and risking your position within a pack and very possibly your life is a wise decision?”

“I guess we’ll be impulsive together then,” he said, brushing her cheek with his fingers.

“I guess so,” she replied, throwing her head back and letting the rain drip down her face for a moment. The smile on her lips was one of peace and pure happiness. He knew this, he was unsure how, but he did.

“Shall we get out of the rain?” Luca asked.

“Yes,” Jules replied. “But let’s walk.”

Luca slipped one arm around her and, in comfortable silence, they strolled back toward her house, her side pressed against his. He slowed his long stride to match hers. “You know that wasn’t actually where I was going with that conversation,” she commented, staring ahead of them.

“No?” Luca said questioningly.

“Nope. I guess it just wasn’t the opportune moment…”

They walked under a large tree and Luca stopped abruptly, spinning her to face him. Hands coming to rest on either side of her neck he looked down at her. “I love you.”

“Yeah, that was it,” she told him cheekily as she turned away to keep walking.

He grasped her hand, pulling her back into him.

“Then say it.” His tone was low, barely a whisper in her ear.

She leaned back against him, magnetized to every part of him.

Turning her face to one side, his hand glided up her arm, over her collarbone to cup just under her chin.

“I.” she paused with a smirk. “Love.” His face lowered to hers. “You,” she whispered just as their lips brushed. “Too. You said it first,” she quipped as she pushed off of him, continuing toward the house. He jogged to catch up to her, wrapping her in his arms.

“Shoes.” Jules pointed to a spot beside the front door as she opened it.

Luca slipped off his soaked Converse and left them there.

Before she had time to get much farther into the house, he spun her around, lifting her onto her island counter.

She laughed, but wrapped her legs around him, pulling him closer.

He kissed her again. Content to kiss her for the rest of his immortal life.

Just as she began trying to free him from his wet shirt, her phone began to ring. He groaned, dropping his head onto her shoulder. It was her turn to chuckle. “It might be Gabriel,” she said as she retrieved her phone from the counter beside her. “Forgive me?”

“Never,” he said quietly as she put the phone to her ear.

“Hey Monica,” she greeted. “I thought you were at Tai’s today.”

Luca kissed her on the clavicle, and then the neck. He was just about to nip at the flesh there when she pushed against him.

“Wait, slow down. What’s wrong?” she asked.

Luca stopped and stood straight, putting a little distance between them. He could hear Monica’s rushed and shaky voice, but he had no hope of making out what she was saying.

“Alright. I’ll be right over.” Jules’s expression changed into one of instant regret. “After one teeny tiny little stop.” Jules ended the call and slipped her arms back around his neck, pulling him closer once more.

“Where are we going?” Luca asked, running his hands up under the wet material over her back.

“We aren’t going anywhere,” she said as he began to kiss her neck.

“Oh?” he mumbled in question.

“No time,” she pushed him back, but there was a playful smile on her face.

“What’s up?” Crestfallen, he brushed wet hair behind her ear.

“Tai broke up with Monica,” Jules said.

“I’m sorry to hear that,” he replied. “Did she say why?” His hands came to rest on the counter beside her thighs.

“Actually, she did,” Jules said. “And I think it’s our fault.”

Jules released a steadying breath as she stood outside Gabriel’s home.

She’d been in such a state leaving Gabriel’s earlier that she’d forgotten the second reason she’d come.

Blood . All was silent inside. Everything was dark.

She tried the front door, finding it locked.

Swiftly, she reached under one of the wicker chairs on the porch, finding the spare house key.

When she walked inside, there were no signs of Gabriel or Eileen.

She went to the kitchen, took a glass out of the cupboard above her head, and pulled open the refrigerator door.

Five hospital blood bags sat inside. The sight and smell of it both disgusted and revitalized her.

Without hesitation, Jules punctured the plastic with her teeth and poured it in the glass.

The luscious liquid steadied her nerves. Only after Jules stopped feeling the blood pulsing down her throat and through her body did she open her eyes. She saw a note tucked under the bags in the refrigerator, scrawled hurriedly in Eileen’s handwriting.

Jules,

I am going to do everything I can to get Gabriel to see reason.

But he says he needs space and I’m afraid if he doesn’t get it, he will do something we are all going to regret.

So, we’ve gone to Fort Miles for a few weeks.

I know this is an impossibly bad time. I’m sorry. We both love you, Jules. Remember that.

Eileen

Luca reluctantly, but at Jules’s request, walked into the employee entrance of Panda Plate on his day off. He found Tai and his father in the kitchen preparing for the lunch rush.

“Hey there, Luca!” Mr. Yang greeted him while tossing vegetables into a searing pan. Tai muttered a hello but kept his head down.

Luca moved past both father and son to get himself a large paper cup and fill it with Mountain Dew from the soda fountain. Tai’s father chuckled. It was customary for employees to help themselves to soda. Luca slipped a straw into his cup and took several swallows.

“So, Luca, what brings you here? Tai told me you’ve been sick. Or was it lovesick?” said Mr. Yang with a smile on his face. Tai had obviously just told his father the truth. Luca had been too busy with a girl to come to work. And yet Mr. Yang was smiling. So maybe Luca was off the hook.

“Oh. I um…that’s the one. Still am. Sick as a Dog actually,” Luca replied smiling at Mr. Yang. But then moved his eyes not so subtly towards the back of Tai’s head. Mr. Yang saw the gesture and seemed to catch why Luca was really here. The phone rang and without thinking, Luca answered it.

“Well you just let me know when you are ready to be put back on the schedule. I don’t want to stand in the way of young love.” Mr. Yang said once Luca had hung up the phone and entered an order in the system. “Speaking of young love, Tai why don’t you take a break.”

“But it’s almost lunchtime,” Tai protested.

“It’s almost ready and it looks like Luca might really be here to talk to you. Maybe he can fix whatever is going on between you and our precious Monica. Since you obviously won’t listen to me.”

Tai poured the contents of his large skillet into a pan and glared at his father. Mr. Yang continued to mumble under his breath. Luca thought he was pretty obviously on Monica’s side.

“Well, come on then,” Tai said as he carried the pan into the dining room and placed it on the almost full buffet.

He then grabbed a plate and started fixing one for himself.

Finally, his reluctance apparent, he joined Luca at a table in the corner of the dining room.

For quite a while Tai said nothing and refused to look up from his random assortment of food.

Halfway through Tai’s lunch, Luca spoke up. “Are you really going to make me ask?”

“There isn’t anything to say.”

They sat silently. Luca knew Tai had to have his reasons to break up with Monica. He also knew that if he waited, Tai would eventually say what he needed to.

“Fine.”

That didn’t take long , Luca thought.

“I just couldn’t stand it anymore.”