Page 11 of Love Bites Really Hard (Mated to the King #4)

eleven

ZORA

We made it back to our room and into our bed without any problems. As much as we both hated the no sex rule, on the way back, we both agreed that it would be wisest not to do it again until my period started. I only had a week until then, so it didn’t seem like a big deal.

We could make it.

I wore pajamas, to avoid a repeat of that morning, and went to sleep the same way we had the night before. The only place for Bane’s cock was still between my thighs, so that was where it went.

We needed to have a canopy installed over our bed so I could sleep without his wings covering me, but his wings were so much more relaxing than a fabric lid. And if we got a canopy, there was a good chance Bane would accidentally tear it with his wings.

So, snuggling seemed like the best option at the moment.

We made it through the night and morning without hassle, though we were both horny when we woke up. Bane showered while I made coffee after we were awake.

I was sitting on the balcony when he came and sat down beside me. When I handed him the cup, he sighed, but lifted it to his lips.

I didn’t fight my grin when his face twisted with disgust.

“Any better?”

“I don’t think so.”

Bummer.

He handed my drink back, and we sat in peace for a few minutes.

“Do you have a pool here?” I asked, my gaze on the view.

“Yes, and no. We do have a pool, but it’s not very big. The bottom of it connects to an underground river that goes on for many miles before it spits you out in a lake outside of Mistwood. It’s much further away than the wolves’ lake, and full of a variety of water monsters.”

My eyes nearly bulged. “What?! That sounds awesome! Let’s go.” I sprung to my feet, but Bane shook his head.

“Even with me swimming next to you, there’s no way to make it fully safe right now. It will never be like one of your sisters’ pools. There are too many kinds of monsters living there, flooding it with their magic.”

I deflated. “Oh.”

“I can build another pool.”

“Your people hate me. They’re not going to be on board with you spending their money so I have a place to swim.”

“I have my own money, Zora. I’m not young. I would be happy to build you a pool like Hale’s.”

“Hale’s pool caused drama, and his people liked Blair. That’s not the situation we’re in here.”

He growled at me. “When Oscar’s bond is broken, they’ll immediately understand the truth.”

“It’s fine. They don’t have to like me. Most people don’t.”

“Why would you think that?”

I made a face, still looking toward the forest. “Never mind.”

“Tell me.” There was an edge to his voice that said he really wasn’t kidding.

“It’s not that big of a deal. People just think I’m too much sometimes. Don’t worry about it.”

His eyes narrowed. “Fuck them.”

I rolled mine. “I didn’t think you wanted me screwing anyone but you.”

“All monsters are like that, Zora. Too angry. Too loud. Too violent. Too passionate. Too different . Some of us have tentacles. Others have insane mating rituals. I turn into a rock, for fuck’s sake. You belong here.”

I couldn’t stop my lips from curving upward just a little.

He did have a point.

“And for the record, anyone who touches you will die. If you fuck anyone else, you’ll watch me tear his intestines out through his throat. You belong to me.”

“So if I ever need anyone dead, I should just snuggle with him.”

“If you ever need anyone dead, you should just tell me, so I can kill him.”

“If all monsters are too violent and too angry, why do you try so hard to be calm and civil all of the time?” I asked, finally voicing the question that had lingered in my mind for so long.

Bane didn’t answer right away.

I looked over at him, and found him studying the trees. Looking… unhappy.

Maybe I’d touched on something he didn’t want to talk about.

I’d just opened up with him, though. So if he didn’t want to open up with me, the conversation was officially over.

I sipped my drink, and waited.

He finally said, “My parents argued a lot. Constantly. My mother tried to keep the peace, even when he verbally attacked her. It’s why I still talk to her, and why I let her live here even though she drives me insane with her messages. He was cruel. Not physically, but his words hurt her badly. I saw it in her eyes, daily. She would’ve had more children, but she couldn’t deal with him any longer. I wouldn’t let her. No one deserves to be treated that way.”

My throat swelled with emotion.

Fuck.

I’d lost my temper with him. Yelled at him. Had it been a flashback to his childhood? Had I reminded him of his dad?

“I keep myself controlled to ensure that I don’t become like him. People can be wild and angry without being cruel, but I don’t know that I can. So I don’t allow it. Or I try not to. This situation has made that more difficult,” he admitted.

“Even when I was being a bitch, and hurt you, you didn’t say anything hurtful to me,” I countered. “Did you want to?”

“Of course not. You’re mine. I could never hurt you that way.” His words came out a growl.

“Then maybe you don’t have to control yourself as much as you think, Bane.”

He didn’t respond to that.

“You wouldn’t turn into your dad if you told one of your guys he was being an asshole when he was actually being an asshole. Just like you didn’t turn into him when I was being bitchy to you.”

“You weren’t being bitchy. You were scared. And hurt. I could see it in your eyes that you weren’t trying to attack me. I hurt you when I said I didn’t want our bond.”

“I panicked, and hurt myself when I did. Even if it was your fault, I don’t think there’s really a way to avoid all pain when you’re in a relationship. We’re just people. People have misunderstandings. They disagree. Especially when they’re independent, stubborn people like you and me.”

“I’m not stubborn,” Bane said.

I snorted. “I’ve been calling you Mr. Control Freak in my head.”

“If it wasn’t accurate, it would be offensive,” he grumbled, but he didn’t really sound angry. “Come sit on my lap, Sweetheart.”

“Come sit on mine,” I tossed back.

He chuckled, but a moment later, he lifted me out of my seat and sat beneath me.

“If it makes you feel any better, I’m a control freak too.”

“I’ve noticed.” He pulled some of my hair away so he could tilt my head closer, leaning the side of my forehead against his cheek. His hand rested on my thigh, casual, but intimate. “It turns me on.”

“Everything turns you on.”

“That’s a valid point.”

“I need a better nickname for you. Even the boring ones would be better. I kind of like Babe.”

“I’m the gargoyle king. You can’t call me Babe .”

My lips curved. “Maybe your mom should try the insemination thing. If Sierra suggests it, she might actually go through with it, Babe .”

Bane made a noise of disgust. “I don’t want to talk about my mother being inseminated.”

“Come on, it’s such an uplifting topic.”

He tickled my abdomen, and I laughed as I fought his hands away. He was chuckling with me when I finally convinced him to stop, my eyes wet with tears from laughing so hard.

My laughter faded as I took another sip of my coffee, staring out at the trees again. My forehead rested against his cheek once more. “Did your mom stand up for you with him?”

“His words were never pointed at me or my brothers, so she never needed to. She would’ve, though. The situation wasn’t like yours. Your mother didn’t stand up for you, did she?”

I bit my lip, my throat swelling again. “No. My father was a monster. Adjective, not noun. He was a werewolf. I was wary of them even before we met Curtis, but my sisters thought I was just scarred. They were right. Not all wolves are bad—Porter is great. But my dad wasn’t. He hurt my mother long before they had me.”

“She didn’t mean to get pregnant in the first place. She told me that, when I was six or seven. She was on birth control, hoping to protect a child from him. But he found it, and destroyed it. Almost killed her because of it. She was pregnant a few weeks later. She hurt me because she felt like she had to, to keep herself alive. It was how she stayed on his good side. He just… enjoyed it,” I said.

“You worry you’re going to be like her.” Bane’s gaze was on me, but I didn’t look back.

I’d already told him as much. “I was never going to take a mate. I wanted one. Maybe I wanted one even more than Clementine did. I never had anyone to take care of me, you know? Even my sisters. I love them desperately, but they didn’t even know how to cook. They had no idea what it was like to be on their own. Izzy had a rough childhood, but mine…”

I shook my head. “I took care of myself before my parents were dead. Afterward, I took care of my sisters too. And I’m glad I got to. It just felt kind of lonely sometimes, waking up every morning to make breakfast by myself. Making dinner on my own, too. We could’ve just had cereal. We could’ve eaten out for every meal. We didn’t have the money for it at first, but the safehouse was paid for, and our online businesses did well quickly enough that we were fine financially. I just… couldn’t.”

“Taking care of yourself makes you feel safe. It gives you something to control.”

My laugh was shaky. “I guess. Anyway, I wanted a mate. I was just terrified what I’d become to protect myself if mine ended up like my mom’s mate bond. So, I convinced myself I’d never do it, even if it meant I’d never have a family of my own.”

One I had always wanted, desperately.

Just not desperately enough.

“And then you met Oscar, and you had no choice.”

“Having no choice was shitty,” I agreed. “But the worst part was my dad. Do you know what everyone always said about him?”

After a moment’s pause, Bane said in a low voice, “He was nice?”

“The nicest. Everyone agreed. My sisters’ moms. His coworkers. Other people in his pack. They went on and on about how nice he was. He was known for it.”

“Fuck.”

“I’m not saying Oscar’s like that. I know some people really are nice. But being mated to him, I would’ve lived in fear of him turning out to be like that for a long, long time. Maybe my whole life.”

He squeezed my thigh lightly. “I’m sorry. I wouldn’t have pushed you to spend more time with him if I realized. You know you could never be like your mother, though, don’t you?”

“I like to think that.”

“I’m serious, Zora. Would you give your sisters up to save your life?”

“Never.” The word came out sharp.

“You’re stronger than she was. Fiercer. You would never let anyone control you or hurt the people you love, regardless of what it cost you. And when we have kids, we’re going to teach them how to be just as strong as you are.”

My eyes stung. “Stronger. Let’s teach them to be stronger.”

“The only way you could possibly be stronger is if you knew how to fight, Sweetheart.”

I gave him a soft, teary laugh. “That’s bullshit, but I appreciate it anyway.”

He brushed a tear away. “It’s not bullshit. And if you want to learn how to fight, I’ll teach you.”

“I’ll never be able to take down a magical being who’s actually strong.”

“Of course you will. You’ve got super speed. Pair that with a knife and a punch of your magic, and you could even take down a gargoyle.”

“Now you’re just being ridiculous,” I said, though I couldn’t fight my smile any longer. “Besides, I don’t need to learn how to take down a gargoyle. I’ve got a mate for that.”

His chest rumbled in satisfaction. “Damn straight you do.” He lifted his hand to my throat and trailed his fingers lightly over the marking he’d put there. “I love the thorns. I couldn’t have come up with a mark I’d like as much as this one.”

My face warmed. “Good, because you’re stuck with it. And me. Forever.”

“That better be a promise, Sweetheart.”

I turned my head and kissed his cheek lightly. “Maybe it is, Babe .”

He tickled my abdomen again in retribution for the nickname he hated, and I couldn’t suppress another laugh.

“Hmm, what should our new pool look like?” he asked, lightening the mood. “If you keep calling me Babe, maybe I’ll shape it like my cock as punishment. It would have to be discreet, but I could make it happen.”

I laughed again, louder.

Talking to him made me feel… better.

A lot better.

Safer too, somehow.

“I can just visit my sisters when I want to swim. Our bathtub is big, so I’ll get by without a pool.”

Bane made a noise of disagreement. “I’m not going to be the one king who doesn’t make sure his mate has a pool of her own, Zora. I’m building another one. We’re not arguing about that.”

“Don’t turn this into a kingly pride thing. It’s really not that big of a deal.” An idea occurred to me. “Wait… do the unmated ladies have a pool? If they do, it can’t be connected to the river. Otherwise, some guys could use it to get through.”

He considered it. “All water monster females mate young, always to other water monsters. They pretty much have to. There are rarely any in the females’ wing… but I think they do have a pool.”

“I can ask them.”

I grabbed my phone off the table next to me and opened up the group chat they’d added me to the night before. No one had sent any messages in it yet, which seemed like a good sign that it wasn’t going to be like the Vamp Manor one.

Me

Hey, quick question. Do you guys have a pool?

Layla

We do, but it’s rarely used

Me

It doesn’t connect to the river, does it?

Layla

Nope

Me

Would anyone mind if I use it?

Sierra

I would

Layla

Your mate owns Monster Manor, Zora. You don’t need to ask to use his pool ;)

“She has a point,” Bane agreed.

“You don’t really own it. The next monster king will take it over, won’t he?”

“Theoretically. But I’ve been the king for so long that transferring ownership in the human way won’t be a simple matter. My company’s name is on all the paperwork.”

So maybe he did own it.

I texted Layla a thank you, and put my phone back down on the table.

“Do you have more meetings today?” I asked.

“I’m sure I do. There have to be more pissed unmated males who want to waste my time.”

“Could you skip them, if you wanted to?”

“Of course. But if we want them to believe our story, I have to act normal. And unfortunately, my normal is attending meetings even when I know they’re pointless.”

“Right. I’ll need to be with you for those. Want to go swimming afterward?”

“Sweetheart, if the question is you in a bikini, the answer will always be yes.”

I flashed him a grin. “I could wear a one-piece.”

“I’ve seen your clothes, remember? You don’t own a one-piece.”

It was true.

But I could buy one, just to mess with him.

We made it through half the day before I got bored and wandered around the office a little. Bane had unlocked his computer and offered me free reign before the first meeting I sat through, but I decided I didn’t need it. I trusted that he wasn’t interested in Sierra. He could’ve mated her ages ago if he was.

And truthfully, with the way he was always staring at me, I didn’t have to wonder if he found her more attractive than me.

He didn’t.

The guy in the chair across from him was asking for painstaking details about a financial plan for some department whose purpose I didn’t understand. Bane obviously thought it was important, because there were a lot of details, and he knew all of them.

I was bored, though.

The meeting was going on forever.

And it was with an unmated guy, so I was pretty sure he was just asking questions to drag it out and get a better feel for the situation between me and Bane.

I peered through one of the windows, watching a couple walk down the sidewalk below us. They were holding hands. Clem would’ve called them adorable.

Maybe I thought they were a little adorable too.

Love was still a weakness… but maybe that wasn’t a bad thing. Maybe we all needed to be weak sometimes. I definitely hadn’t felt strong while telling Bane about my traumatic childhood, but afterward? I felt like I wasn’t alone. That seemed worth accepting a little weakness for.

The guy meeting with Bane cleared his throat. “You seem uncomfortable. Is there anything I can do to help? I get the feeling that this imprint situation isn’t what you wanted.”

“You don’t have to be a monster to hear someone in the same room,” I drawled without looking back. “If you’re going to shit talk me, at least do it when I’m not here.”

“I’m not—” the guy protested, but cut himself off when I padded back to Bane and sat down on his lap, leaning my back against his chest. His arms went around me immediately, and he relaxed just a little. “If you’re going to ask questions about our bond, this meeting is over.”

The guy looked at Bane, as if for backup, and Bane’s chest rumbled with a growl. He didn’t say anything, though.

With a glare in my direction, the guy refocused on his financial plan.

Bane was once again tense and wound up when we finally made it to the pool. We’d brought our swimsuits down with us and changed before leaving his office, and we’d only just gotten out of the last meeting.

Sierra sat with one other woman, and was wearing a sheer white bikini that made her nipples stand out even more than they would’ve if she’d been naked.

My gaze shot to Bane’s, but he was looking at me so intently, I didn’t even wonder if he’d seen her.

He hadn’t.

The unmated ladies’ pool was large and deep, made with shiny black tile. There was a massive waterfall with a hidden grotto behind it, and what looked like a tunnel or two. I’d need to swim around to figure out if I was just imagining things as far as the tunnel was concerned.

I pulled my favorite maxi-dress swimsuit coverup over my head and tossed it on a chair nearby, then towed my overstimulated mate into the shallow part of the water with me. His eyes felt scorching as they traveled over my favorite red bikini, but it was the pleasant kind of heat.

His hand remained in mine as we waded deeper into the water.

“If I stay under too long, just throw something down to let me know you want me to come up,” I said, treading water as it got too deep to stand. Bane’s chin wasn’t even wet yet. Being stupidly tall was a major advantage.

“I can stay with you underwater as long as you want,” he said. “I don’t need to breathe in my gargoyle form.”

I blinked.

That was…

Wow.

Wow .

“That opens up a whole world of possibilities. My sisters are going to be so jealous.” I flashed him a grin, then dove down.

He shifted as he followed me.

I swam right for what I’d thought was a tunnel, and my entire mood brightened when I found a deep, twisting loop. There were small outcroppings and caverns in it, the kinds of spaces that someone would use to sleep in if they lived there like the water monsters Bane had mentioned.

We explored all of them, making it in a large circle before I finally slipped into the most comfortable underwater cavern and pulled Bane over.

He folded me into his arms immediately, hugging me tightly.

I snuggled up against his chest. The man was literally hard as a rock, but he was warm. I loved the shape of him, and the feel of his skin against me.

Maybe, despite all the drama, I’d gotten lucky.

Eventually, we emerged.

I knew we were probably late for dinner again, but I didn’t care. It was just food. Swimming with Bane was so much better.

Sierra was waiting on the chair where we’d left our things, wearing a cropped tank over her sheer bikini top, thankfully. Our phones and my coverup had been tossed underneath the furniture, along with Bane’s shirt.

At least she hadn’t put his shirt on.

I would’ve had to kill her or something.

Well… maybe Bane would’ve had to kill her for me.

I wasn’t delusional enough to think I could take on a gargoyle. I was basically prey.

Bane still seemed tense as we crossed the room. Being underwater didn’t help him relax the way it helped me, considering I was a siren. I was going to need to handle the Sierra situation, so he didn’t end up doing something he would regret.

“What do you want?” I asked her, stepping in front of him. His hands landed on my hips, making my point.

I was his mate.

End of discussion.

She sniffed dramatically. Her eyes weren’t red anymore, so maybe she was done crying about it. I could only hope that was the case.

“I’ve decided I’m going to be the one locked in the room with Oscar,” she said, lifting her chin.

I blinked.

Bane didn’t move.

“A thank you would be in order,” she said, sniffing again. “Bane, your mother is upset with my decision, but I think it’s for the best of gargoyle-kind. Oscar clearly wants uniquely powerful babies, and I can give them to him better than your siren could.”

Bane’s chest rumbled in warning.

She paled slightly.

He wasn’t going to let her shit talk me, even if her hatred was sort of warranted. As far as I was concerned, his mother was to blame for the whole Sierra mess.

“That’s really sweet of you, Sierra,” I said, managing a small smile. “I think you’ll like Oscar. He’ll be utterly obsessed with you, and he’s really romantic. He’ll bring you flowers, sing you love songs, and braid your hair.”

Her expression softened, growing a little wistful. “Really?”

After so many years of chasing the asshole behind me who was so very uninterested in her, I couldn’t imagine how good that kind of attention would sound.

“If you can break the imprint, yeah.”

Her lips curved. “I’m your opposite. He won’t be able to resist me.”

I didn’t point out that Bane clearly preferred her opposite. I just nodded.

She stood. “Give me a few days to move my things to his place and settle on an outfit. I’ll also need a bag to take with me, if I’m going to be trapped with him until the imprint finally breaks. Items I can use to seduce him. Expensive massage oils. Lingerie. Hair products. Chocolates.”

“I’m sure you can bring whatever you want,” I said.

She laughed humorlessly. “I’ve texted Layla. She’ll pack for me, and put it on Bane’s tab.”

My eyes narrowed, but Bane dragged his thumb over my bare hip to distract me.

“You’ll hear from me when I’m ready.” With that, she strode away.

I let out an annoyed breath when she’d left the room. “That woman is a piece of work. I can see why you turned her down.”

“Over and over like a broken record.” Bane’s thumb brushed my hip again, and he kissed my shoulder. “It could actually work. Oscar wants someone to obsess over. She’ll give him that.”

“True. Do you care about her putting it on your tab?”

“If she can break Oscar’s imprint, she can put anything she wants on my tab.”

“Except gargoyle sperm.”

“She can’t buy something that belongs to you alone,” he agreed, and kissed the place where my neck met my shoulder. The place where my sisters mates had bitten them. Even Kai. I hadn’t asked Bane if he planned on biting me yet, but maybe I should. I’d rather be ready.

He kissed a path upward before his lips brushed my earlobe, and he teased my piercings again. “Do you want flowers and chocolates, Sweetheart?”

“No. I want coffee and broken doors. And security cameras balled up so tightly, you could play baseball with them.”

He chuckled, and I couldn’t help but smile.

Bane released me long enough to grab our things from under the chair.

“You know she’s hoping to make you jealous by offering to mate with him,” I said, as we started down the hallway.

He captured my hand. When he laced his fingers through mine, I didn’t fight it. His grip felt too good.

“If I cared about her enough to get jealous, I would’ve imprinted years ago. She can try as much as she wants. I hope she falls for Oscar along the way.”

“Fingers crossed.” I lifted my crossed fingers.

He lifted his too, and bumped them against mine.

“Clementine told me something interesting,” I said, as we headed toward the security point between the two portions of Monster Manor.

He waited.

“She said Kai thinks all powerful males bite their mates.”

Bane nodded. “He’s right. They do.”

“You haven’t bitten me.”

“I was waiting for the right time.”

“What’s the right time?”

He shrugged. “When we’re not trying to convince our people that you’re the devil incarnate.”

“Good point. If you bite me now, people will realize something’s up.”

“Then maybe we should do it, so we can put an end to this ridiculous plan.”

I rolled my eyes. “We can make it a few more days. Sierra just volunteered to be our sacrifice, remember? We just have to wait for her to spend a stupid amount of money on massage oil.”

He didn’t look happy about it, but he nodded. “How long until your period is supposed to start?”

I didn’t have to wonder why he was asking.

My face warmed anyway. “Around a week. It never comes on an exact day.”

“Fuck, that sounds like forever. We’re not going to make it.”

“Is that a challenge, Baney?” I teased, using Sierra’s nickname for him.

“No. I don’t want to risk you refusing to back down from that.”

“I can’t this time. We’ve already risked a baby enough, don’t you think?”

“Probably.” A minute passed before he spoke up again. “Are you going to kill me if I’ve knocked you up?”

I bit my lip.

That damn mental image of me, holding a baby, came to mind again.

I couldn’t lie to him about that. Or about anything, really. I was a shitty liar.

“No,” I admitted. “How pissed are you going to be if there’s a baby?”

“Not pissed, Sweetheart. Not pissed at all.”

“You want kids?”

“Always have. Almost as much as I didn’t want to mate with Sierra.”

I smiled. “You always have the perfect thing to say, don’t you?”

He chuckled. “I never have the perfect thing to say. You just understand me.”

“I don’t think that’s true.”

“Zora,” he said, using his grip on my hand to pull me a little closer. His arm went around my waist, and I leaned against him just a little. “How many times today, when we were in my office, did you come over and sit on my lap just to calm me down because you could tell I was getting frustrated? How many times did you intervene before I broke our cover story? How many times did you realize what I needed, and take care of it?”

My face warmed. “I don’t know.”

“Neither do I, but it was a lot. We may not know everything about each other, but we’re getting there. I was right to imprint on you.”

“Maybe.”

“Definitely.” He kissed the top of my head. “Now, somehow, I have to pretend not to be obsessed with you.”

“Just focus on how badly you want to touch me, but can’t. That always seems to work.” I bumped his hip with mine, and he placed me in front of him, his hands finding my waist again.

“It works far too well.” His erection brushed my ass, and I couldn’t help but grin.

“Good.”

Our second dinner with the unmated males was much different than the first.

Oscar sat at the back of the room, his glare focused on me and Bane. Bane was far more tense with him glowering at us through the meal.

Most of the guys in the room were grimacing too. None of them were glaring at Bane anymore. All of their hatred had turned to me.

I hadn’t thought it would bother me much, but it did.

All of them were predators. They were monsters with varying powers. It seemed safe to assume that any of them could kill me if they wanted to. Hell, all of them could probably kill me if they wanted to.

And I was just me.

A siren.

Who they now hated.

Maybe we should’ve come up with a better plan, because that was freaking terrifying.

Still, I played the stupid role.

I ran my fingers through Bane’s hair, tying the messy waves into little braids when I needed a distraction. I fed him fruit. I kissed his neck. I snuggled up against him.

His iron grip remained on the armrests of the chair we occupied, with me on his lap, like we planned.