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chapter Twenty-five

Enzo

M y back is locked up. That couch is by far the most uncomfortable thing in the world.

As I lay awake most of the night, tossing and turning, the thought of returning to my cabin tempted me. But I stayed. I was determined to make this mating bond work. I won’t lie as if I don’t have ulterior motives. I need Michaela to lower that wall in her head. In order to do that, I have to make her trust me. Which meant I have to show her I can be trusted.

Planting my bare feet on the hardwood floor, I lift my arms over my head and stretch. The stiffness in my back loosens. Climbing to my feet, I make my way to the back hallway. Pushing the bedroom door open, I walk into the bathroom. I brought over all my stuff yesterday while Michaela was still out.

I quickly do my morning routine and then turn on the shower. Right as I’m about to pull my shorts down, the bathroom door burst open. My mate is standing in the doorway in a tank top and underwear. She rarely wears her arms out. I know it’s because she’s covering up those legion cuffs. However, now that I’m seeing my wolf markings running down her shoulder and arm, I want her to always put her arms on display.

A sense of pride hits me. My wolf is preening inside me like a peacock.

“My mate,” he gloats.

I don’t reply, because guilt quickly washes over me. Michaela was never supposed to carry my markings. Those markings were meant for Ana.

“What are you doing in my bathroom?”

Knowing that it’s only her and not Marley, I push my underwear and shorts down my thighs and off my feet.

“I have to shower,” I say, standing back up straight. I tug at my cock, unsticking it from being pressed up against my leg in those boxer briefs. Her eyes immediately go to it. I wait for her to look away.

She does, but the sweet scent that follows has my nostrils flaring.

My wolf groans inside me, his tongue nearly hanging out of his snout.

“Reel that shit back in ,” I tell him.

Turning away from her, I put much needed distance between us so my wolf doesn’t have me pinning her to the wall and reminding her who she belongs to.

“Am I the only reason you want to reclaim her body?”

I won’t even dignify that question with a response.

“Must you use my bathroom?” she says at my back.

Sliding the glass shower door open, I step under the warm water, allowing it to ease my aches even more.

“The alternative was to share a bathroom with your little sister. And that’s not happening.”

I catch the grimace on her face before she clears it up.

“Good point. But you could have gone home and showered,” she says, folding her arms under her breasts, causing more of that smooth brown skin to show at the top of her tank.

I run my tongue over my lips, remembering her dark chocolate nipples. Shaking my head, I toss the visual away.

“I am home, sweetheart,” I sneer, flashing her my smile before turning my back to the water and holding my head under the faucet.

“Your home is the cabin across the road.”

“Not anymore. As of today, it will be given to a newly mated pair. So, you can either let me finish my shower, or you can come and join me.” I tug at my hardened cock as I make direct eye contact with her.

She stares back at me as if she’s debating her next action. Finally, she shakes her head and spins around, storming out of the bathroom. I chuckle to myself. I knew she wouldn’t take me up on that offer.

“Bring her back,” my wolf threatens.

Look, I won’t act as if I’m not physically attracted to Michaela. The way my dick is standing at attention right now is proof of that. Despite how many times I had her last night, my cock was still not tired. The way I had to make her submit to me made me feel like a got damn king. And her top-notch pussy should be studied and replicated. No matter how much I don’t trust the vampire, I have to admit, her sex game is superb.

However, a repeat of last night will not happen. I just needed to stay in this long enough to determine what she’s hiding and then I can break this bond.

“Not breaking bond,” my wolf growls.

“I’ll make you a deal,” I tell him. “ We can partake in that world class pussy one more time before I kill her.”

Trust me, it will be worth it to feel that tight grip at least once more. The moment the thought slips through my mind, an image of Ana follows. I immediately drop my head as guilt weighs heavily on me. I shouldn’t be talking about enjoying the vampire. It shouldn’t get me hard thinking about her body or her luscious lips wrapped around my dick. I should feel disgusted even thinking about touching her, not fantasizing about it.

“No disgust,” my wolf says. “My mate.”

“Jeez, will you come off it?”

His annoyance with me is easy to decipher. I clear my mind and spend the rest of my time in the shower cleaning my body.

After getting fully dressed, I walk to the front of the cabin. Michaela is in the kitchen, leaning against the counter with a coffee mug in her hands. She’s wearing a robe now.

I head over to the coffee machine behind her. Pulling down a coffee mug, I pour myself a cup of the dark brew.

With my back to her, I say. “We need to discuss birth control.” I turn toward her, just in time to see the way her body freezes. Her back is to me, but without even seeing her face I can tell something about what I said bothers her.

“Last night was a bit of a blur, but I definitely don’t remember a condom or pulling out.”

She places her coffee cup down and turns to face me.

“No worries.”

Rolling my eyes, I let out an exacerbated breath. She plans on making everything difficult.

“Look, I don’t think either of us is ready for a baby right now. We need to take precautions.”

“It’s taken care of. You don’t have to worry about any unwanted leech babies.”

I didn’t like the way she said that last part. As if I would be against any child that came from me. No, I didn’t want any kids with her. However, if one were to happen, my child would never have to worry about not being accepted or being mistreated. The shit that Alarick went through would never happen to my kid. I’d dare any motherfucker to disrespect my offspring.

“No kid that comes from my sac would ever be unwanted,” I snarl. “I’m not perfect, but I’ll never be that cruel.”

Her eyes widen before turning away from me. “Yeah, well, you still don’t have to worry. There won’t be any kids.”

I realize I’m arguing about something I don’t want, but it’s something about her telling me what I can and can’t have.

“You don’t get to make that decision.”

“I didn’t.” she shrugs. “Fate did. I can’t have kids.”

Silence so heavy and stagnant floats between us. I want kids. Not right now, obviously, but I’ve always dreamed of a house full of pups. Could I forever give up the chance of being a father?

Her chuckle has me tuning back in.

“I bet that idea of breaking this bond is looking real good right now.”

I don’t have an immediate answer, so I remain quiet.

“As I thought.” She pushes away from the counter. “As soon as I figure out how, I will break the bond. No need for you to be stuck with a mate that you don’t want and who can’t give you kids.”

There is so much pain in her voice that it catches me off guard. She has always presented herself as this unshakeable woman. After finding out she was once a member of the vampire legion, it made sense. The first time I saw her vulnerable was the day she was on the porch cleaning up that blood. But even then, she had a strength about her. This is different. It’s obvious this topic is painful.

She pushes away from the counter and turns to leave. However, after a few steps, she stumbles. I move quickly, placing my cup down and jumping to grab her before she can fall.

“Marley,” I shout.

Marley comes running from out of her bedroom.

“What happened?” she asks.

Michaela pulls away from my hold. She stumbles again and clutches her head.

“I’m alright,” she says when I go to grab her.

“What’s wrong?”

“It’s the mating ceremony,” Marley answers for her sister. “The passing of blood and exchange of energy is draining. She needs to feed.”

“I’m fine,” Michaela argues. “I’ll go hunting tonight.”

“Doesn’t look like you’ll make it till tonight.”

“I can go right now,” Marley volunteers.

“No,” she snaps. “I’m fine. I’ll be alright.”

This time, when she heads down the hall, she doesn’t stumble. As soon as I hear the bedroom door closing, I turn my attention to the youngest sister.

“Is she always like this? Too independent to accept help?”

Marley shrugs. “It’s a flaw. She has an absolute fear of asking for help. I don’t blame her, though. If you grew up with our parents, you wouldn’t ask for anything either.”

Michaela mentioned once before that she didn’t have a good childhood. I took it as her growing up with unloving parents. However, this seems like it goes deeper than just emotionally void adults.

“My father wanted a weapon,” she had said to me that day we walked. I can only imagine how someone turns a child into a weapon.

“Let me ask you something,” I say, tugging at my beard. “If your parents are the reason for her being the way she is, why aren’t you like her?”

Marley grins, looking down the hall where her sister went.

“Because I was lucky enough to have a big sister to protect me.” She turns back to me, her smile falling slightly. “Michaela wasn’t so lucky.” She takes a step closer to me, lowering her voice. “I know this mating thing with my sister isn’t ideal for you, but she’s a good person, Enzo. Despite what she believes, she deserves happiness. Just be patient with her.” She leaves me with those words.

They stay with me throughout the day. After training, I headed over to the work site to help with the lumber today. Since I’ve been put on training duties, I don’t make it over here as often as I use to.

“Enzo,” the guys cheer as I walk up.

“I thought you’d be stuck in bed with your new mate,” Hans jokes and the guys all laugh.

Zyion tosses a freshly sheared log onto the pile. “I figured he’d be laid up somewhere as she fed off him.”

The others grimace before bursting out in laughter.

“Tell me,” Titus asks, stepping up beside me. “What’s it like? Sleeping with a vamp. Do they just lay there all stiff and cold?”

The wolves laugh. I try to find the humor in that joke, but the memory of that night with Michaela replays in my head. There was nothing stiff about the way her tight pussy gripped my cock. Her moans of pleasure were full of warmth. And the way she sucked my dick to the back of her throat had me nearly cumming in seconds.

I clear my throat as the visual pops up.

“No,” I simply say.

They laugh. Zyion smacks me on the chest.

“Okay, what was your trick? I know you had to shut your eyes and imagine something else to get the job done.”

“Bet you had to be drunk in order to get it up,” Titus jokes. “I would’ve had to be drugged. Wolf’s bane probably wouldn’t be strong enough to get me to fuck that vamp.”

My wolf snarls in my head. He’s not a fan of this line of jokes.

“Chill out,” I tell him. “They’re only joking.”

“Not about my mate,” he grits out . “Kill them all.”

“Don’t take this seriously. You know how they feel about vampires.”

“You saw him that night,” Zyion says, grabbing another log. “He was dancing with her like he was out of his mind. He was under a spell. That’s the only way he mated with her.”

He was right, but something about him pointing that out bothered me.

“Look, Chayton and I both know the moon goddess approved this union for a reason. I’m just hanging on long enough to figure out why.”

“What are you going to do when the parasite tries to sleep with you again?” Hans asked with his nose scrunched up.

The idea of Michaela asking me to come to her bed has me hardening so fast I have to glance down to make sure my print isn’t obvious. Turning slightly so that they don’t notice, I run a hand down my face. They didn’t need to know how hard it’d be for me to turn her down. They don’t have to know that no matter how hard I try, I can’t get the way her skin had glowed under the moonlight out of my head.

I chuckle, trying to play off the situation. “Hopefully she will drug me again, so I don’t know what’s happening.”

The guys all laugh. The joke sits heavy on my shoulders, but I ignore the feeling. My wolf is silent in my head, letting me know he’s not happy.

Then, the scent of vanilla floats through the air. I turn around to find Michaela standing in the tree line. She’s looking at me, but her expression is neutral. The same neutral she always wears, like a shield. I open the link between us and a wave of sadness hits me so hard tears nearly pool in my eyes. The link slams shut, cutting me off from the emotion. She turns and walks back through the trees.

“Do you think she heard us?” Zyion asks. I guess he noticed her too.

I glance at him and then back at that tree line.

“No, she couldn’t have. She was too far away.” Even though I give that reply, the sadness I felt plays back in my head. I don’t think I’ve ever felt such a heavy feeling of melancholy before. It wasn’t just the dejected feeling that I felt, underneath it was a current of loneliness. Sorrow and forlorn, that’s what lies beneath her neutral face.

The others walk away, going back to their work. Zyion stays behind me. Once we are completely alone, he turns to me.

“Help me out here,” he says. “I know there is a reason for all this. What the hell, man?”

“I’m just as confused as you are. Something came over me that night. When I woke up, I realized I was mated to her. Not only mated, but blessed by the goddess.”

“Shit,” Zyion says. “And Chayton is making you stay in this?”

I nod. “But it might not be a bad idea.” I tell him.

His gaze widens. “How do you figure?”

“Well, being her mate gives me direct access to her around the clock. Not just her whereabouts, but also her mind.”

Zyion leans back. “You can see what’s in her head.”

“Yeah. Well, not fully. She has a wall inside her mind that’s so solid I can’t get anywhere near it without her shoving me out. But at some point, she will lower her guard and I’ll be able to see what the hell she’s hiding.”

Sorrow and forlorn.

“Maybe that’s why the goddess blessed your union,” Zyion says excitedly, like he cracked the code. “She gave you unlimited access to the leech so you can discover the truth.”

Although, I know this is exactly what I basically pointed out, something is telling me this isn’t why the goddess blessed this union.

Sorrow and forlorn.

Instead of telling Zyion this, I nod my head. “Yeah, I’m sure that’s it.”

I finish up with the workers, helping them get the load out of for the day. Afterwards, we head to the cafeteria for dinner.

It’s close to nine at night when I finally make my way back to my new home with the vampires. The smell of cooked meat and vegetables greets me as I make my way up the porch. Using my new key, I walk into the house. Marley immediately jumps up from the counter she was sitting on.

“Michaela, he’s back,” she shouts to her sister. Her energy is nearly bouncing off the walls.

Michaela walks up the hall, that neutral expression on her face. She looks me over before placing her attention on her sister.

“What’s this about?” I ask.

Marley rushes over to me. “I cooked dinner for us tonight. Pot roast, roasted veggies, and rolls. It’s not as good as Michaela’s, but I did my best. Oh, and I made tea. I cut back on the sugar. I know you guys don’t like sugar.” She walks over to the stove and pulls a covered tray out.

“I figured since it’s our first actual night being a family, I’d do something nice.” She looks back at me so expectantly remorse washes over me.

I rub the back of my neck. I didn’t even think about the fact that I’m no longer an unmated male, so I should be eating at my home. The only thing that went through my mind was not breaking bread with the vamps.

“I uh…I ate at the cafeteria already.”

The way her face falls pulls at my heartstrings.

“Oh,” she says, looking down at the floor. “I thought mates didn’t eat at the cafe.”

She’s right, but what am I to say?

“This is new to him,” Michaela explains, stepping into the kitchen. “He’s not used to having a mate. It slipped his mind. But I’m dying to eat.”

My wolf whimpers in my head. He can feel the disappointment flowing through our link from our mate.

Michaela busies herself by making a plate of the delicious smelling food. Marley is a little slower to fix her plate. I didn’t even need to have a link with the little vamp to feel her disappointment. I head into the back bedroom, leaving the two upfront.

“He’s not going to keep the bond, is he?” I hear Marley whisper to her sister. Their conversation is low, but I’m a wolf.

“I doubt it. But it’s okay.”

“I’m sorry, Michaela.”

“There is nothing to be sorry about.”

“What about—”

“Marley,” her sister’s quick reprimand cuts her off. “Eat your food, baby.”

After that, the only sound I hear is the sound of forks scraping against plates. The more I am around that vampire, the more interesting she gets.