Page 45

Carla

I shift in bed, yawning and stretching my arms overhead as soft light seeps through the curtains. My eyes open, fixed on the ceiling, too afraid to glance beside me. Did he leave me again? Unease swirls in my stomach as I rest a hand over myself, feeling my heart race with anxiety.

I gasp when Amari’s cool hand wraps around my waist, pulling me firmly against him.

“I can smell your fear, Carla,” he murmurs, burying his face in my hair.

I squeeze my eyes shut, embarrassed at being so transparent. “I was afraid you wouldn’t be here.”

He sighs, clutching me tighter. “I know I have a long road ahead when it comes to earning your trust. But I’ll spend an eternity trying to earn it.”

I look up at him, taking in the perfect angles of his face and the way his eyes shine with warmth.

His beauty still startles me. I push myself up and move closer, pressing my lips against his.

His touch is gentle—fingers trailing up and down my back, tangling in my curls, his gaze locked on mine, filled with something that looks suspiciously like adoration.

“How do you feel, baby?” he asks as I sit up and he follows, his hand gently stroking my cheek.

“I feel fine,” I say, and he smiles at me, that maddening beautiful smile, his fangs flashing.

He tucks a finger under my chin and leans in for another kiss.

I don’t deny him. His kiss is tender, his touch sweet and gentle.

I break away for a moment to breathe, but Amari moves closer, cupping my face and pressing his lips against my cheek, trailing kisses down to my neck, making my skin tingle.

“I want to take you out on a date tonight,” he murmurs against my skin. He pulls back and looks into my eyes, searching for an answer.

I don’t know how to respond. This vampire has me in a chokehold, making me want to say yes to anything he suggests. He smiles, his thumb gently tracing over my bottom lip, leaving a trail of warmth in its wake.

“O-okay,” I manage, and he rewards me with another kiss. “But there isn’t much to do here. We’d have to?—”

He places a finger over my lips, hushing me. “Don’t worry about that. Just show up and let me lead the way. I promise I’ll make it enjoyable.”

I smile, then climb into his lap, straddling him. His hands automatically move to my hips, steadying me.

“We need to go see the king today, Carla,” he says, his expression turning serious.

I frown and look away, but he cups my face, forcing me to meet those mesmerizing golden eyes again.

“Let me ask you this. Do you want to be with me?” His tone is earnest, almost vulnerable.

“Yes,” I whisper, the word escaping before I can overthink it.

He presses his forehead against mine, and I place my hand against him, feeling the flutter of his heart beneath my palm. The sensation still amazes me—a heart that beats for me after a millennium of silence.

“That means so much, Carla. You have no idea.” His voice drops lower, caressing my senses. “I don’t want you to be afraid of standing before the king to hear his confirmation that you’re fated. I need you to trust me. Can you do that?”

I nod, unable to form words under the intensity of his gaze.

Amari slides out of bed, stretching his arms above his head. The movement causes the muscles in his back to flex and shift beneath his skin. He walks around the bed and holds out his hand to me.

“Come, let’s get cleaned up. Then I’ll feed you before we leave.”

I take his hand and let him pull me out of bed, my eyes trailing over him as he leads me into the bathroom. I don’t know how he does it, but whenever I’m around him, my brain short-circuits, making me forget all my carefully constructed arguments.

After we’ve showered—which consisted of a good thirty minutes of making out, steam rising around us as his hands explored my body, nearly turning into a full-on fucking session before he pulled back with a groan—he helps me get dressed, then dresses himself.

He takes me downstairs and makes me a light breakfast of fried eggs and toast.

While I eat, he puts on his tie and jacket, then pulls a cellphone from his pocket, scrolling through it thoughtfully.

This is the first time I’ve seen him use his phone, and I wonder what’s holding his attention.

Watching him in his tailored suit while I sit here in my simple fitted t-shirt, jeans, and sneakers, the contrast between us is striking—like night and day.

“What are you doing with your phone?” I ask, then cringe, knowing I’m being nosy.

He looks up and grins, approaching the table and holding the phone out to me. “Here, baby. Have a look.”

I nervously shake my head, and he chuckles, pulling the phone back.

“I’m catching up on intel Bobby’s gathered for me. I want to know what Alexis plans to do with the blood sample she stole from you.”

I clean my face with a napkin, then push my plate away, leaning back in my seat. “How well do you know Alexis?” The question feels loaded as it leaves my lips.

He doesn’t look up as he answers. “We’ve encountered each other before.”

I groan at that. “You mean you fucked her?”

His head snaps up, and he shoves his phone into his pocket, frowning. “No, Carla. I did not fuck Alexis.”

“But you wanted to,” I snap back, hating how insecure I sound.

Amari sighs and pulls out the chair across from me, sitting down. “Yes, I found her attractive for a split second. But the moment I caught the radical scent on her, I was completely turned off.”

My face falls as the deeper issue surfaces. “This is hard, knowing that I’ll have to share you.”

“Carla!” His voice rises sharply, making me stiffen. He adjusts his tie and straightens in his seat, but doesn’t meet my eyes for a moment. When he finally looks at me, his expression has softened. “What happened before my heart started beating is the past. That is not the future you’ll face.”

“But—” I start, then snap my mouth shut. I grab my plate and glass from the table and stand, but he moves so fast I nearly fall backward. His arm shoots out, catching my waist, stabilizing me.

“I promise you, I will not betray your trust.” He takes the plate and glass from me and walks them to the kitchen.

“What did you find out?” I ask, changing the subject as he rinses the dishes.

“Right now, they’re just running tests, but Bobby will send the data to me later tonight.” He returns and pulls me into his arms. I let go of my tension, relaxing against him, breathing in his scent.

“Ready to go?” he asks.

I look up at him, frowning, and he chuckles. I step back and walk to the door, grabbing my jacket. Amari flashes over, taking it from my hands and holding it open so I can slip my arms through.

“I’m not exactly thrilled about going,” I admit, “but I’m excited for you to meet Yara and Kofi, the largest of my babies. I presented them to King Amir and Queen Anora as gifts.”

Amari smiles as I turn to face him.

“They hold their positions as guardians for the royal palace with pride, willing to die for their King and Queen.” My face falls as I consider the reality of the situation.

Amari lifts a finger to my chin, raising it so our eyes meet. “What’s wrong? Why the sudden sadness?”

I try to look away, but he won’t let me. “This is why I’ve been avoiding visiting the King and Queen. I know how the Queen feels about my children. The only reason they’ve been there this long is because Amir enjoys their company. But he’ll always choose his queen first.”

Amari grins and gently smooths his thumb over my bottom lip. “As he should, baby.” I blush at the pet name. “I’ll always put you first.”

I narrow my eyes and start to say something snarky, but he leans in and steals a kiss, sweet and tender enough to make me forget my argument. When he pulls back, he murmurs, “Even if King Amir returns our children, I’ll find something better for them. Maybe they can help guard our coven.”

“Our coven?” I raise an eyebrow.

“Yes, Carla. Our coven. What’s mine is yours. And what’s yours is mine.” He kisses me again, and I sigh against his lips.

“This is going to take some getting used to, Amari.”

“Of course it will. I’m not expecting you to just jump in full force, but I hope that over time, you’ll accept the mate bond.” He opens the door, gesturing for me to exit first. “Come on, let’s get you the confirmation you need.”

I step out, and he follows, adjusting his suit as the door clicks shut behind us.

He takes my hand and walks down the cabin steps with me, heading toward the forest. I notice him glaring at the trees, probably sensing my children hiding in the shadows.

They’ve been oddly distant this morning—even Tofi hasn’t shown herself to greet me.

“What about your company?” I ask as we walk through the forest, pine needles crunching beneath our feet. “Won’t you eventually have to go back to Detroit?”

“Yes, but that’s not something you need to worry about, because I won’t be going alone. You’re coming with me.”

I stop abruptly, pulling my hand away. “Amari, I can’t just leave Wintermoon. It’s my home.”

He lets out a frustrated sigh, forcing his expression to remain soft. “Could we talk about this later? I don’t want to fight. You know how I feel about Wintermoon—it’s not a home, it’s a cage.”

I step back from him, crossing my arms. “And how do you expect my children to follow me? They may be able to hide in small spaces, but that’s not living. This is the best home for them.”

“Really?” His voice drops, taking on a dangerous edge. “The supernaturals here treat you and your children like pebbles under their shoes. You think I’m going to stand by and let you keep living like this? I’m taking you somewhere you and your children will be respected—the way you should be.”

“You don’t understand what we’ve been through,” I say, my voice rising. “Before Wintermoon, we lived in caves, abandoned buildings, sewers—anywhere dark enough to hide. My children were hunted for sport. I was called witch, monster, abomination.”

Amari’s eyes flash. “And how is that different from now? I’ve seen how they look at you here, Carla. I’ve seen supernaturals cross the street to avoid you. I watched a shopkeeper refuse to sell you a dress until I intervened.”

“That’s changing,” I insist, though the words sound hollow even to my ears. “King Amir gave me this position, this cabin?—”

“Scraps,” Amari scoffs, adjusting his suit as if physically uncomfortable with the conversation. “He gave you scraps and you’re grateful because you’ve never had anything else.”

Heat flushes my cheeks. “You have no idea what it’s like to be truly unwanted, Amari. You’ve spent centuries as the predator, never the prey. Wintermoon may not be perfect, but its walls keep my children safe.”

“It’s a glorified zoo,” he says, waving his hand dismissively. “Humans pay to come gawk at supernaturals performing tricks. How can you not see that?”

“Because I’ve seen worse!” My voice cracks with emotion. “You talk about Wintermoon like it’s a prison, but you’ve never experienced real captivity. You’ve never had to hide your children in the shadows for centuries, watching them grow larger while the spaces they can safely exist grow smaller.”

Amari steps closer, his face softening. “Baby, I just want better for you. For us.”

“No,” I cut him off. “You want what you want. You’ve spent a thousand years taking whatever you desire without consequence. Well, I’m not another conquest you can claim, Amari. My children and I have roots here.”

“Roots?” He laughs darkly. “In soil that barely tolerates you? The supernaturals here don’t give a shit about you, Carla. They tolerate you because King Amir says they must. The moment his protection wavers?—”

“Stop.” My hands clench into fists at my sides.

“You don’t get to waltz in here after knowing me for what, less than a week?

And tell me what my life is. You don’t know what I’ve built here, what I’ve sacrificed.

” Tears sting my eyes, but I refuse to let them fall.

“You think because your heart beats for me now, you can just remake my world to fit your vision?”

His eyes widen slightly, startled by my intensity. “Carla?—”

“No. I’m done with this conversation.” I turn and start walking toward the docks again.

“You’re right let’s save this argument for another time.

Because it doesn’t matter how you see Wintermoon.

It’s a better cage than the one I came from, and the fact that you minimize it so quickly just shows how narrow-minded you are. ”

I walk around him, heading toward the docks. Amari lets out a dark laugh, then adjusts his suit and follows.

The walk to the docks is silent, tension crackling between us like static electricity.

I try not to focus on Amari’s presence behind me, but I’m hyperaware of his every movement, every breath.

He probably thinks I’m being stubborn, but he doesn’t understand.

Wintermoon might not be perfect, but it’s the first real home I’ve had in centuries.

The thought of leaving terrifies me, no matter how much I might want to be with him.