Page 45 of Entwined
“He’s a black mamba shifter,” I say reasonably.
She sends me a frown. “What’s your point?”
I let out a loud sigh, my left eyelid twitching. “No point, Mother. When’s the party over?”
“The party has only just started,” she chides. “And you still haven’t spoken to your father.”
My attendance tonight was wrangled through emotional blackmail and guilt, even though I don’t have anything to do with my family’s politics or public image. They continue to have issues with my connection to Vaelor, and my father is still a little sore about my using his underhanded dealings to force him into talks with Frederick Hamilton. It’s been almost four years since I made the threat, but the man can hold a grudge.
I raise my eyebrows, hitting my mother with a hard look. “I’m not exactly hard to find, either. If he wants to talk, I’m right here.”
She purses her lips, clearly thinking better of starting this battle. Our own relationship is still rocky because I refuse to pretend that years of Vaelor’s mistreatment didn’t happen. But she’s been attempting to bridge the gap ever since we brought Felicity into our lives. She’s trying, and it’s enough—for now.
“Where are your mates?” she asks, changing the subject with as much subtlety as a piercing alarm. “I haven’t seen them since you first arrived.”
“I don’t know.” It’s not a lie, but there’s a telling throb in my chest that warns me aboutwhatthey might be doing, wherever they are. But I’m not about to share that with my mother. “They’ll be lurking in the shadows around here somewhere.” I shoot her a look. “You know how they feel about these things.”
She blows a breath out. “I’m aware. Truth is, I’m getting tired of this game as well. Your father believes that if heloses his seat, he loses power. And that Lucien Vallous won’t look out for the best interest of the shifters.”
“At some point, the fight has to be someone else’s problem,” I murmur.
There’s a low sound of disapproval that has me rolling my eyes, just as my father says, “Always shirking your responsibilities to your kind, Connor. I thought, by now, you’d realize the fight isyourproblem, instead of hiding away with your mate and your”—he bites off the rest of the sentence, looking around warily—“him.”
My wolf snarls, his fur standing up on end, but I keep the reaction off my face, knowing my father would take pleasure in riling up my beast.
“Myhim?” I repeat with humor. “You act like you’ll summon him if you say his name loud enough. Here, let me do it for you.” I get in his face, enjoying the several inches I have on him. “Vaelor.”
“I know his name,” my father hisses, his eyes flashing. “Just like you should know your place. If Vallous gets the seat, where do you think wolves will fall in the line of priority?”
“Probably around the same place that serpents currently fall,” I say dryly. An angry flush crawls into his cheeks.
“Listen,” he growls under his breath. “You’ve caused enough problems, don’t you think? I’m still paying for the way you murdered the Thierra girl.”
“‘Murdered’?” I scoff with no small amount of disbelief. “You’re kidding, right? She put cameras in my room, recording me fuckin’ my fated mate. She attacked Felicity more than once. You won’t find one damn shifter who would disagree with my actions that day, especially considering she drew first blood.” Our eyes clash and holdfor several tense seconds, both our wolves rumbling out a challenge. A beat later, his wolf shows neck, forcing him to drop his chin to his chest. “You choosing to settle with her family?” I continue harshly. “That’s all on you, old man.”
“That’s enough,” my mother says sharply. “Geoffry, this is neither the time nor place for this discussion.” We both open our mouths to argue, but she doesn’t let us, ordering me, “Connor, go find your mates.”
I shoot one last glare at my father, but then turn and stalk away, heading into the kitchen. The place is overrun with catering staff, the uniformed servers grabbing silver platters filled with tiny hors d’oeuvres. I snag something from one tray, grimacing as some kind of spicy raw fish hits my tongue, resisting the urge to spit it out.
Felicity bribed me with burgers to turn up tonight with my game face on, and now I’m thinking I should’ve insisted we get them before we arrived. Maybe then, my wolf wouldn’t be a bristly, snarling mess after just one conversation with my father.
Unwilling to risk putting anything else fishy into my mouth, I trek through the kitchen and out the other side, searching for my wayward mates. It’s not until I’m walking past one of the downstairs bathrooms that I pause, my wolf sticking his nose in the air.
I don’t hesitate, barging into the room and slamming the door shut behind me, making a show of flicking the lock. As I lean back against the door, crossing my arms over my chest, I grouse, “Couldn’t even lock the door, asshole?”
Felicity lets out a giggle that immediately soothes my wolf. She’s bent over the vanity, her black evening gown hiked up around her waist, the globes of her pale ass on full display. Her arousal fills the air of the small bathroom,the scent of her slick having every ounce of my blood rushing south.
As I watch, Vaelor plants a hand between her shoulder blades, forcing her further down as he forces his cock back into her with merciless force. She moans.
“Our mate was feeling needy,” Vaelor informs me, his voice husky. “I think she’s going into heat again.”
“Oh, fuck yes,” I grunt, yanking my cock out of my pants with no finesse, jacking myself in time with Vaelor’s thrust. “You know what that means, Starling?” She twists her head around, pinning her glazed eyes on me. “This time, we’re gonna fuckin’ breed you.”
She blinks rapidly, her mouth parted in a silent gasp. As Vaelor slowly drags his cock back out of her, the sloppy sound of her cunt gives her away.
“She likes that idea,” he says unnecessarily. “You want to be filled up with us in all ways, don’t you, Princess?” He reaches around, cupping her flat stomach. “You ready to have our baby?”
“Yes,” she breathes, and pre-cum spurts from the slit of my cock, coating my fingers. Felicity has been denying us this since we mated, insisting that she wanted to finish her degree before we added to our family. She graduated six months ago, but Vaelor and I both agreed we’d wait for her to give us the green light.