Page 82 of Shifting Hearts

FIFTEEN

Alejandro

I called Uncle Angelo the moment we stepped into the sunlight, and he sent reinforcements. I wanted to tell him about his sons in person, but he beat me to it.

He said that I should bring all the women and children that his offspring have harmed back to be taken care of.

They actually sent a bus to transport them all, but let me tell you, it was no easy task to convince these women that we were only taking them across the border to get some medical care and compensation.

I look at the devastated faces that stare back at me through the windows of the bus and silently curse my cousins.

This is when Maddy walks over and says, “Do you kiss your aunt with that mouth? I bet she would have a lot to say about that.”

I smirk. “More than hearing that her sons were not only part of this disgusting business, but actually tried to kill her husband as well?”

Maddy folds her arms over her chest, and with effort, I divert my eyes to the stumbling woman still lingering on the way to the bus.

“It could have been worse. They could have tried to sell their own sister.”

I sigh heavily. “That was probably the plan. They were just waiting for their father to be gone and then Antonio would have made arrangements under the guise of an arranged marriage.”

My tone isn’t betraying any of the revulsions I feel coursing through me, but I know that Maddy can read me.

She hooks her arm through mine, and immediately, I feel my body buzz with need.

I might have sent her away and been willing to give her back to the man I thought she loved, but after finding out that her Alexi was the sweet little girl who helped the more injured women get on the bus, there is no way I can ever let go of Maddy.

“We can’t stay. You know I’m all she has, and this was not what you signed up for.”

My head turns in her direction, and I take in the vulnerability in her posture. She leans closer as if unwilling to let me go, but at the same time, she puts on a brave face.

“Why did you lie to me?”

She huffs. “I never lied to you. You just assumed the only reason a woman would risk herself and sacrifice her body would be for another man.”

Still, I press, “But you let me think that Alexi was a man. Why?”

“It was the only way to get her back. I would never have found her otherwise, especially not after Alvarez put a price on my head.”

One of the sniffing underlings confessed that they were supposed to take Maddy hostage, and they already had a buyer lined up. There were no instructions regarding my fate, but it was clear that I wasn’t allowed to leave the building.

My cousins might have been in the dark about my abilities, but they were smart enough to fear me and believe some of the stories they had heard.

Of course, they didn’t expect me to have venomous fangs, perfect for incapacitating my enemies once I got close enough.

And of course, they didn’t know that my Maddy was magnificent.

My Maddy.

Yes, I realize now that the reason I pushed her away was jealousy and not because I wanted to be alone. I have never felt more fulfilled and whole than I do when I hear pleasurable cries fall from her lips.

This woman owns me, heart and soul, and even when she has peered into the dark corners of my mind, she isn’t repelled by my true nature. She forges forward and fights for what she wants, even if it means sacrificing herself for love. Or the love of a child.

“You are thinking too hard. Why don’t you just ask me to stay and assure me that we can keep Maddy? It’s the only way that you are going to get what you want.”

Her tone is coy, but I know this is something that she needs to hear from my lips.

“Stay with me, always. I need you, and in case you haven’t realized, you need me too. Together, we will be an unstoppable force.”

“Is that the only reason why you want to be with me? So, you can retain your powers?”

I grab her hand when she wants to turn away and pull her closer to me. “No, I need you because together we are whole. You are my fated mate, and that is the greatest love of all. I will never be complete without you.”

She wraps her arms around my body, leaning her head on my shoulder before she softly states, “I didn’t understand it, but I must have yearned to belong to you from the beginning. I felt a strange attraction to you and didn’t just give myself to you to save Alexi. I wanted to be yours.”

I gather her in my arms and press gentle kisses on her hair.

“You are mine. Nothing and no one will change that, and I don’t care what I need to do to prove to you that I love you. I’ll do it.”

She releases me with a jolt and steps back. “You love me?”

I chuckle. “Of course, I do, mi pequena vibora. And there is more than enough space in my heart to love Alexi with just as much fervor as you have shown. You two will never feel unwanted again. From this day on, you will have the happy home you always wanted.”

“How did you know?” she breathes out.

“I might not be the mind reader, but I know what you need. I can feel it in my scales.”

“And you are going to give it to me?”

I kiss her gently and whisper against her lips, “That and so much more, my little viper. You can never be loved the way you need by anyone but me.”

“Strong promises from someone I needed to hypnotize to sleep with me.”

I throw my head back and bark out a devastating laugh. “You can never hypnotize your own kind, my love. Is that what you thought happened?”

With her mouth agape and her delicate hand slapping my shoulder, she exhales, “Of course, I did. You made me think so. And if you knew what I was attempting to do, why didn’t you tell me?”

“And miss out on the opportunity to have a woman who wants me in my bed? Tell me another one, love.”

She giggles, and suddenly a force shakes both of us. I look down to see Alexi’s arms thrown around both of us, and her cheek pressed against my leg. “Thank you so much for coming to get me. Are we going home with Alejandro now?”

I look up to see Maddy’s questioning gaze fixated on me before I simply say, “Yes, little one. I am going to take you home, and I will never let you go ever again.