Page 16 of Mourning Wings (Whitmore Legacy #1)

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VALERIA

V erónica’s words hit me like a sledgehammer.

My heart stops, and it feels like I’m suddenly outside my own body, watching this moment unfold from a distance. No . No , it can’t be. I try to speak, but nothing comes out. My throat is tight, my mouth dry. I feel the blood drain from my face, leaving me cold.

“ Camila ?” I finally manage to croak. “ That’s not possible.”

But as I say the words, something inside me shifts, like a piece of a puzzle finally sliding into place. The way she moves, the way she talks, the way she always seems to know just a little too much— I’d felt it from the start. That familiarity tugged at me, like an old memory buried deep. I was drawn to her, even when it didn’t make sense. I just couldn’t figure out why—until now. My head spins as I grab the edge of the table to steady myself.

“ I didn’t remember,” Ronnie —no, Camila —says, her voice soft. “ Not until I saw the tattoo. Then , it all came back. The Whitmores taking me away. My name. I didn’t know who I was for so long, but I’m her, Valeria .”

I stare at her, my heart breaking and mending all at once. “ This can’t be real.” My voice cracks, tears welling in my eyes. I shake my head, trying to fight them back, but they spill over anyway. “ You’re not her. You can’t be her. She’s dead.”

“ They wanted everyone to believe that,” Camila — Ronnie —says, her voice tight. She leans forward, desperation in her eyes, pleading with me to believe her. “ But I survived. They might’ve erased who I was, but they couldn’t break me. Camila might be dead, but I — Verónica —am very much alive.”

My vision blurs, and I press my palms to my temples, trying to wrap my mind around this as my body trembles with disbelief. How can this be real? All these years of searching, of mourning, of thinking she was gone, and now, she’s here, sitting across from me.

“ I looked for you,” I whisper, the tears choking me now. “ I never stopped looking for you.”

She reaches for my hand, and I don’t pull away. The moment her fingers touch mine, I feel it—something I’d lost so long ago. A warmth spreads through me, even though I’m still shaking.

“ I’m here now,” she says, her voice barely audible, but it hits me like a tidal wave. “ I’m here, Valeria .”

A sob escapes my throat, and I throw myself at her, wrapping my arms around her neck like I’ll never let go. She’s real. She’s here. After all this time, after all the pain, she’s back. She remembers.

We hold each other, and I can’t stop crying. It’s everything I’ve been dreaming of, everything I thought I’d never get.

“ What did they do to you?” I manage to ask between ragged breaths, my face buried in her shoulder.

“ They must’ve drugged me enough to cause a memory lapse,” she says, her voice shaking now too. “ I don’t remember everything, but they messed with my head. I didn’t know who I was for years. I became someone else. But your tattoo brought me back. It made me remember.”

I pull back to look at her, wiping my tears with the back of my hand. “ I can’t believe this. I thought I lost you forever.”

Ronnie smiles, but it’s sad, full of everything we’ve been through. “ I thought I was gone too, but I found my way back. I found my way to you.”

Everything clicks—the strange feeling I had the first time we met, the inexplicable pull toward her, even when I didn’t know why. I knew her, on some deep, instinctual level, even if I couldn’t explain it.

“ The necklace,” I mutter.

Ronnie lets out a sigh. “ It was the only belonging I had when I left that place. I didn’t know where it came from or what it even meant, but I kept it all these years. Now , I know I was wearing it for you. I missed you every fucking day after I was taken from Gloomwood .”

I reach for Ronnie’s face, cupping her cheeks. Her skin is warm under my fingertips, and I can feel her breath hitch as I pull her closer.

“ Camila ,” I whisper, her name like a prayer on my lips.

She doesn’t say anything. She just looks at me with those same eyes that have always known me— truly known me —even before all this.

My gaze wanders over her face, taking her in the way I should’ve done from the very start. Ronnie has changed so much, but now, with everything out in the open, I can see the thread that connects the girl I once knew to the woman in front of me.

Back then, she had long, wild blonde curls tumbling past her shoulders in unruly waves. I remember how they framed her face, making her seem ethereal. She was beautiful then, so beautiful that it almost hurt to look at her sometimes.

Now , she’s different. Short , black curls cling close to her neck, the sharpness of her new look matching the edge she has grown into. Her features, once soft, are now bold. Tattoos snake up her arms and across her collarbone, intricate designs that tell stories I don’t yet know.

But somehow, she’s just as stunning— more stunning. The woman in front of me is fierce, powerful, owning every inch of who she is. The changes don’t hide her beauty; they amplify it. There’s a rawness to her now, a danger that wasn’t there before, but it’s beautiful. She’s beautiful.

I reach out, tracing the ink on her arm. “ You’ve changed,” I murmur, not as an accusation but as an acknowledgment.

She gives me a half-smile, one corner of her mouth tugging up. “ We both have,” she says softly, her hand covering mine, pressing my palm to her tattooed skin. “ But you know what? I think you were there with every version of me, guiding me back. I couldn’t be who I am now without you.”

Her words send a shiver down my spine, and I feel that same familiar pull, stronger now than ever. She’s right. No matter how much has changed, she’s still Camila . She’s still mine . I’m still hers.

Her gaze flicks down to my mouth, and suddenly, the air between us is thick and charged. I don’t even think about it; I lean in, crashing my lips against hers.

The second we touch, everything inside me ignites. Her lips are soft but urgent, moving against mine in a way that makes my entire body hum with energy. I can’t stop. I don’t want to stop. I’ve been waiting for this moment for so long, and now that it’s here, I’m terrified to let it slip away.

I pull her closer, my fingers tangling in her hair, and she responds just as fiercely, her hands gripping my waist as she kisses me harder, deeper. It’s like we’re trying to make up for all the lost time, for every second we didn’t know each other, every moment we were apart. I can feel her wild heartbeat against my chest, matching mine.

The kiss turns desperate, needy. My fingers glide down her neck, across her shoulders, and I feel her hands slipping under my shirt. Her touch sends shivers down my spine, and I can’t get enough of it. I need more.

I let out a gasp as she pulls me onto her lap, her hands exploring my body like it’s the first time, but also like she has always known exactly where to touch, exactly how to make me come alive. My skin is burning, and all I can think about is how much I’ve missed her, how much I want her right now.

We break the kiss for a moment, panting, our foreheads pressed together, but the moment is short-lived. Ronnie’s fingers are already at the hem of my shirt, tugging it up. I help her, lifting it over my head, and then her hands are on me again, skin on skin, and it’s electric .

“ Valeria ,” she groans.

The look in her eyes says everything. She wants this badly too. She pulls me closer, her lips finding mine again, and suddenly, our hands are everywhere—on skin, in hair, tugging and ripping at the fabric between us as if it’s the only thing keeping us from each other.

I slide my hands under her shirt, cupping her breasts, and they feel perfect in my hands. She gasps against my lips as I pull on her nipple.

Ronnie’s lips trace a slow path down my jawline, and when she reaches my neck, her teeth sink in sharply. I gasp, a mix of pain and pleasure sparking through me, but before I can protest, her tongue glides over the mark, soothing the sting and sending shivers across my skin. Her kisses trail lower, across my collarbone, down my chest. When her mouth closes over my breast, a jolt of electricity shoots straight to my core, leaving me breathless.

“ I need you. Now ,” I whisper, my hands fumbling clumsily with the buttons on her pants.

Clothes fall to the floor in a tangled mess, and Ronnie pulls me onto the bed, her body pressing into mine.

“ God , Valeria ,” she breathes, her voice thick with desire. “ How could I have ever forgotten you? You’re perfect. Everything I’ve ever needed. Just like this. Bare . Under me. Completely mine.”

She straddles me, her thigh pressing between my legs as she lowers herself just enough to kiss my nipples, teasing me with the soft scrape of her teeth. Her hips begin to move, grinding her slick center against my leg, and the feel of her arousal against my skin sends my own need spiraling.

“ Please , Ronnie ,” I whine, arching beneath her. “ Let me taste you. I’ve been dying for it since you made me come in the hallway. Please .”

Without a word, Ronnie moves, positioning herself above me, her knees framing my head as she grants me exactly what I’ve been begging for.

My tongue flicks against her, and she lets out a loud, throaty moan. God , she tastes like heaven—sweet and intoxicating. I grip her thighs and pull her down onto my mouth, pressing her against me so she’s no longer hovering. With her fully seated on my lips, I suck her clit into my mouth, swirling my tongue with just the right pressure. Ronnie’s hips begin to rock forward, riding my tongue as I work her closer to the edge.

“ Oh my God , Val . Princesa ,” she breathes, her voice thick with lust. “ N?o pares.” Don’t stop .

I slip a hand between her legs from behind, teasing her entrance with my fingers. She gasps, a breathy mewl escaping her as I slide two fingers inside her. “ Come for me,” I murmur against her skin. “ Make a mess of my face.”

I’m so turned on, I can’t resist. My other hand slips between my own legs, fingers finding my clit. I spread my thighs wide and gather some of my own wetness, circling the sensitive nub with just the right touch. It feels so good, I can’t help but moan against Ronnie’s pussy, the vibrations sending her even higher.

Hearing me pleasure myself drives her wild, and her hips move faster, grinding her center over my mouth, her moans growing louder, more desperate. She’s so close, teetering right on the edge.

“ Ah ! Fuck , Valeria , I’m coming,” she gasps, her body trembling as she finally lets go. Her legs shake, struggling to keep her steady as she falls apart, screaming my name.

Once Ronnie catches her breath, she leans down and kisses me fiercely. The taste of her still lingers on my lips, mingling with the sweetness of her tongue, making me crave more.

Her hands grip my shoulders as she suddenly flips me over, positioning me on top of her, straddling her hips. “ Grab my belt,” she commands. Confused but eager to please, I pick it off the floor and hand it to her.

“ Come closer.” I lower myself toward her, and she loops the strap around my neck, pulling it snug. My breath hitches, a tightness forming in my throat as I struggle for air. Ronnie holds the belt like a leash, a wicked smirk tugging at the corner of her lips.

“ Ride me, princesa,” she orders, her voice dark with desire. “ Put your soaking cunt on mine and make me come again.” She grabs my still-wet fingers, pulling them into her mouth, slowly sucking and licking them clean. “ Use me to get off. Show me what a good little slut you are.”

Her words send a wave of heat crashing through me. I don’t think I could be any more turned on.

I lower myself between her legs, positioning my hips so my center rests perfectly against hers. Gripping her knee for leverage, I begin rolling my hips, the friction coaxing a deep moan from my throat as I grind down, her clit rubbing against mine in a delicious rhythm.

I close my eyes, letting the sensation wash over me, until I feel the sharp tug of leather around my neck. It tightens, choking me, cutting off my air. “ Eyes open, butterfly,” Ronnie says, her voice commanding. “ I want to see them roll back when you come for me, as I steal all the air you breathe.”

I lock eyes with her as I move, desperate to find my release. Our wetness mixes, slick and hot, and I can hear her inhales coming in ragged gasps, spot her chest rising and falling rapidly beneath me.

“ Fuck , fuck, fuck,” I whimper, the orgasm rising, creeping closer with every grind of our bodies.

Ronnie wraps the belt tighter, the pressure increasing around my throat, making it harder to breathe. My vision blurs and my chest heaves, but the lack of air only sharpens the pleasure. I’m dizzy, on the verge of passing out, and when I come, harder than I think I ever have, my body threatens to give out.

“ Yes , princesa. Just like that.”

I ride out the last of my orgasm until Ronnie tenses beneath me, her climax overtaking her.

I bend down to kiss her, and she pulls back just enough to look into my eyes.

She brushes a strand of hair from my face, her fingers tracing the curve of my jaw. Her breath is warm against my skin, and for a second, the world feels impossibly still.

“ You did so fucking well, butterfly.”

My cheeks feel hot at her praise, and I smile shyly. “ Thank you.”

“ Do you feel it?” Ronnie says. “ It’s like the stars waited for us—like every scar, every broken piece, was leading us to this point.”

I blink, the intensity of her words sinking deep into my chest. My heart pounds as she goes on, her fingers moving to trace the tattoo on my rib, the one that sparked this entire moment.

“ Mors tua, vita mea ,” she murmurs, her eyes burning into mine. “ Your death, my life . But it was never about death, was it? It was always life. You gave me life, Valeria . Even when they tried to take it from me, I held on because somewhere, deep down, I knew you were out there, waiting for me.”

Tears prick at my eyes, but I can’t look away from her. She’s everything—my past, my present, my future—all in one. And she’s right; we’ve been waiting for this, maybe even longer than we realized.

“ And I’m not lost anymore. I’m not broken. We found each other, and nothing— nothing —can tear us apart again.”