Page 34

Mila

“You guys really like carrying people that way,” she teased as she hurried to follow. Babette danced around them, barking joyfully.

She burst into laughter at Gio’s annoyed expression as he looked up from where he dangled over Carter’s broad shoulder.

“Carter started it!” Gio claimed. “Remember when he almost died? I cradled him against my chest! I was nice!”

Carter slapped Gio’s butt. “Stop complaining, you know you love it!”

Once he got to the living room, Carter dumped Gio on the couch, then grabbed the couch and pushed.

“Carter!” Gio said as he scrambled off the moving couch.

“I need room!” Carter declared. When the couch was against the wall, he grabbed the coffee table to set it off to the side.

“Should we go outside?” Mila asked as Gio grabbed a lamp and set it aside.

“The neighbors can see right into the backyard,” Gio said, pointing to the house next door. “Tonight is about showing you his beast. Some other night we can take a trip into the desert and find a nice place outside to be all alone. Carter can run and play without worrying.”

“Yes!” Carter agreed, his voice muffled as he pulled his shirt off over his head. “Let’s do that tomorrow!”

Gio nodded and came to stand next to Mila. She could tell he was hesitant, scared that she might move away from him.

It broke her heart that he was scared. He was her Gio!

Turning to face him, she moved close and wrapped her arms around him. “I still love you, Gio. That hasn’t changed.”

His tension melted away. “I love you so much, Mila.”

“I know,” she whispered. “I understand that you were scared, but don’t ever keep anything from me ever again.”

“Never again,” he agreed.

“Hey!” Carter called out. “No groping without me!”

They turned to find Carter standing in the center of the room completely naked. Mila opened her mouth to make some comment about him taking off his clothes, but the words died in her throat.

Carter winked at her, then his form blurred. Suddenly he wasn’t there, and a giant silver and black wolf was standing in his place.

The beast was bigger than any dog or wolf she’d ever seen. Intense black eyes stared at her and a bolt of fear made her freeze.

Then Babette ran up to the creature, barking excitedly. The fearsome beast dropped into a play bow, then jumped over Babette.

All her fear vanished.

“Did Carter really do that?” Mila asked with a laugh.

“He loves playing in his wolf form,” Gio said, drawing Mila in front of him, then wrapping his arms around her. She snuggled back against him as they watched Babette and Carter play. “Sometimes Lobo Gris will gather in the desert so they can shift and run as a pack.”

Babette scurried past them into the kitchen, yipping joyfully. Carter was right on her heels. Mila heard them circling the island and then they appeared back into the living room.

Babette changed direction too fast for Carter to follow. He skidded past her, his feet moving but not doing any good on the smooth wood floor like a cartoon character. He bumped into the couch before he was able to turn and follow her.

“Is Carter a member of the Lobo Gris?” Mila asked as Carter and Babette played canine tag.

Gio shook his head. “Carter doesn’t have a pack. Lobo Gris is a friendly open pack and welcomes just about anyone to their outings, even if you’re not a formal member.”

“Why doesn’t he belong to a pack?” Mila asked, surprised to see guilt flash across his face.

“He would be leading a pack if not for me,” Gio said. “When we first met, he was the alpha of a small pack of five, the Macon Pack. I struggled to accept the pack having a claim on him. I didn’t say anything, but he sensed it, so he gave up his pack. They ended up joining Mikey and the Lobo Gris.”

Mila didn’t know what to say. She was new to this world and had a lot to learn so she stuck with the obvious. “Carter loves you.”

“Yes, he loves me, but alpha wolves need to have someone to care for,” Gio said with a shake of his head. “Someone to protect. Normally that’s an entire pack.”

Mila was starting to understand. “But you don’t really need much protection. At least not at night.”

Gio pointed at the floor. “I’m safe here during the day too. The basement is outfitted to be a shelter if the house ever catches fire. We could all retreat there for days if necessary.”

“You have your painting,” Mila said. “What does Carter have?”

Before Gio could answer, Carter ran up to them and skidded to a halt on his butt, with Babette right next to him. They were both panting and looking up at her and Gio with happy, sparkling eyes.

“Are you beating up on the big, bad wolf?” Gio asked Babette as he scooped her up.

Mila reached down and sank her fingers into Carter’s thick fur. “I’m starting to think the fairytales got it wrong.”

She looked up to see Gio lifting an eyebrow at her. “Oh?”

“Yeah,” Mila said, giving him a wicked little grin. “The wolf just wanted to play.”

Gio smirked. “Yes, but only with very special people.”

While Mila was leaned over and looking up, Carter swiped a long tongue across her face.

“Carter!” she gasped. The big wolf huffed, and she could’ve sworn he was laughing at her. Bending her knees, she tackled Carter. He let out a surprised yip as they tumbled to the ground.

Carter didn’t try to get out from under her. Instead, he relaxed with her sprawled on top of him, his tail thumping.

She rolled off him and knelt at his side, running her fingers over his canine body. He was as solid in his wolf form as when he was human. With a happy huff, Carter rolled on his back so she could rub his belly.

“Careful,” Gio warned, kneeling next to her. “He loves belly rubs. He’ll be in his wolf form all the time now just to get them.”

A thought occurred to Mila. “Wait, who was the bird that broke my van window?”

Carter pointed a paw at Gio.

“Tattletale,” Gio grumbled.

“Are you a vampire and a shifter?” Mila asked, feeling a little confused.

“I’m not a true shifter,” Gio explained.

“I worked very hard to learn to shift into my osprey form. It isn’t natural, and when I take it, I have to concentrate very hard on making my body move like a bird.

Carter’s soul is half wolf. It’s almost as if there are two personalities inside of him, one wolf and one human.

That means shifting and moving in either body comes naturally to him. ”

“Could you have picked any animal to shift into?” Mila asked.

Gio nodded. “Most modern vampires never bother to learn. It's an old art that was valuable back before modern transportation and roads could get you anywhere much faster than a horse. Being able to take a bird form could mean the difference between dying at sunrise or making it to shelter.”

Mila nodded. “Can I see you shift?”

“You already saw my bird form,” Gio argued.

“At night, while I was driving and panicking!” Mila protested with a laugh. “I’d like to see it here where I can admire you.”

Gio set Babette down and stood up. “I’m not as graceful or gorgeous as Carter.”

“Doubtful,” Mila retorted. She expected Gio to strip, like Carter. Instead, he took a step away from her and closed his eyes. His form didn’t blur like Carter’s had. It was more like a magic trick where there was a weird distortion of light and then a massive sea hawk stood where Gio had been.

“Majestic!” Mila announced only to have Gio try to open his wings and fall over in the process.

Mila bit her lip to keep from laughing while Babette sprang into action to check on the fallen bird.

Gio didn’t try to get up in his bird form. The light distorted and then Gio was there, laying face down.

“The floor is slippery,” he grumbled, his voice muffled because he hadn't rolled over yet.

Giving up, Mila started laughing and knee walked to Gio’s side to roll him over. “That wasn’t graceful, but you’re still majestic.”

Gio let her move him onto his back with a sigh, then gave her a rueful grin.

“If you think I’m bad, you should see Anatoly try to fly.

Zan calls it controlled crashing. At least I’m capable once you get me in the air.

It’s trying to be a bird on the ground that always throws me.

If I have to shift, I try to do it on one of the balcony railings so I can fall into the air and fly, instead of worrying about taking off. ”

Carter crawled over to him on his belly and laid his head on Gio’s chest with a little whine.

“I’m fine,” Gio said, resting a hand on Carter’s head. “I haven’t died of embarrassment yet.”

Mila laughed. “If that was possible, then I’d be dead a million times over!”

Gio chuckled and Carter made his wolf-huff sound. Carter looked so comfy with his head on Gio’s chest that Mila decided to join him. Stretching out next to Gio, she nestled in close.

Not to be left out, Babette snuggled into Carter’s side, curling up against his fur.

“This would be better in bed,” Gio said, but made no move to get up.

They fell silent, enjoying the moment. Mila let all the things she’d learned tonight swirl around in her head. So much had changed, and yet nothing had changed. Yes, she was with a vampire and wolf shifter, but she still loved them.

“Do flocks or packs get married?” she asked.

“Flocks do, but not packs,” Gio explained, his voice soft and hopeful. “Think of packs as extended families. Vampire flocks are small, often only one or two people. Their relationship is more intimate.”

“Am I your flock?” Mila asked. “Is there some kind of ceremony? Or is it as simple as saying we’re together?”

“It’s not like a human marriage,” Gio said. “We’d have to share souls. I would take a small piece of yours and give you a small piece of mine. That binds us together for life. Sharing souls creates a link where we can sense each other. It will also tie your life to mine so you won’t age or die.”

Mila sucked in a breath. “Will I have to give up food and only drink blood?”

Gio pulled his arm out from under his head and rubbed her back soothingly. “No, bellezza . You’ll still be human, only with some extras. You’ll still be able to go out during the day, eat, and do all the normal things. But you’ll be stronger and more resilient.”

“What if you decide you don’t love me anymore?” Mila asked. It was hard to voice the question, but she had to know.

“It would never happen,” Gio said with a confidence Mila didn’t share.

“But it could,” she insisted. “Can you take your piece of soul back?”

“No,” Gio said. “You can’t undo the sharing of souls. It’s an unbreakable bond.”

That knowledge both thrilled and scared Mila. “Would it hurt?”

Suddenly, the wolf was gone, and human Carter was laying half across Gio’s chest.

“It doesn’t hurt. It only feels a little weird," he whispered. “After it’s done, you’ll feel like a piece of you that was always missing is finally in place.”

“Do I have to decide now?” Mila asked.

“No,” Gio and Carter said at the same time.

“You need to be sure,” Gio continued. “I will never coerce or force you. It has to be what you want with all your heart, or the bond could slowly poison all of us.”

“Great,” Mila muttered. “Another thing to think about.”

“You’re not going to poison us,” Carter said, sitting up and casting Gio an annoyed look. “My wolf knows that you’re our mate. If you’re meant to be my mate, then by default, you’re meant to be part of Gio’s flock. The magic would never make it otherwise.”

“There’s never been a mistake?” Mila pressed.

Carter shrugged, obviously unconcerned. “Maybe, but no one has ever heard of it.”

Gio kept his hand on her back, rubbing soothingly. “We can wait for as long as you need, bellezza . We won’t get impatient or angry.”

Carter pointed at Gio with a nod. “What he said, but also I promise that it’s worth it.” He moved so he was behind her, curling into her back. “I’ve never regretted my choice.”

Babette had slid off Carter when he’d shifted. As if sensing they were talking about something important, she’d moved to snuggle at Mila’s head without raising a fuss.

Mila felt surrounded by love. She absolutely wanted it but wasn’t sure she deserved it.