Thank you to Conrado for the Gem! Extremely appreciated!!
I casually walked over to Bea’s desk and sat down, waiting for her to return from the back office. Lukas was looking at the portraits in the waiting area and grumbled when I tried to shoo him outside. “Are you shy about being seen with me?” “No… well, yes. But no. It’s just… they’re like family. They’ll start asking questions about you. Please leave.” I asked as I got up and tried to push him out. Lukas chuckled, making his chest rumble, and he quickly sidestepped, engulfing me in his massive arms. “If that’s the case, they’ll love me. I mean… look at me,” Lukas said as he flashed me a perfect smile, then kissed my head. “What’s not to love?” I groaned but did nothing to stop him. I felt helpless in his strong arms, which, incidentally, I didn’t want to leave. After we attempted to get information from the bar, Lukas slept in his JEEP to watch if someone from the bar came looking for us. He hadn’t wanted to sleep in my apartment, and I felt it was because of what had happened th
Lukas stood his ground and made a low growl deep within his chest. It sounded animalistic. I didn’t think any human could do that. I placed a worried hand on his back, and it was as though I was touching a brick wall. His muscles were stiff and taut, twitching under my fingertips. When the men stepped forward, Lukas bent his knees like he was about to pounce on prey. “What business do you have with her?” He called out to the group blocking our exit. “It’s no concern of yours, dog.” One man spat. They looked angry or perhaps irritated. They certainly did not look friendly. “Actually, her business is mine as well.” This was ridiculous. We didn’t even know why they were there. The men could have information about the Umbridge case. I tried to push Lukas out of the way to face them, but Lukas didn’t give me that opportunity. He just shoved me back and growled some more. Why was he acting like a fucking caveman? “Why, exactly, do I need to go with you?” I shouted from behind Lukas.
I removed my sweater and looked at the injury on my right arm. It wasn’t just a graze—it passed through my skin and came out the other way, barely missing my bone. Jace had left to get a bowl of water and some clean bandages. I sat on a stool in Jace’s office on the second floor. My leg wouldn’t stop shaking from nervousness, so I examined the room, hoping it would change my mind. It had a bay window and allowed him to view what was happening below and on the same level. I had to admit I was a little embarrassed from the last time I had seen Jace and took the minutes he was away to calm my fluttering heart. We had kissed, and I didn’t even remember it… also, so much has happened since. I passed my sweater over the bullet holes to remove some of the crusted blood and saw it had scabbed. I frowned when I discovered that. It should have still been oozing. The wound was barely an hour old, and I had repeatedly moved my arms. The door to the office creaked, and Jace came inside with a
Jace POV I closed the door to my office and turned off the lights. The situation with Max was becoming a nightmare, and one I feared I could not contain much longer from my father. She unknowingly stepped over the cover line and was now in the direct line of fire. Why did she prowl around the Umbridge case? I mean, what was her point? If Max uncovered more, the vampires in this city would order her capture or execution. Director Ventura had been breathing down my neck since he saw her here last week, and I was coming up short of excuses. I could always say I wanted her as a pet, but it would be hard to pretend with Max's hardshell exterior as they would see straight through her and know she wasn’t one. There was something peculiar about Max. Something I couldn’t quite put my finger on made her stand out from the humans. The other problem was that she had unearthed the fucking Noctua. My father would not be pleased to hear they were alive and operating within the city. I thought w
After combing the house and earning myself a few side glances from Mrs. Dunkan, who had kept a watchful eye on my every coming and going, I stepped inside the shower. Up to now, Jace was still a mystery to me. I couldn’t find anything to give me insight into his life. Also, this house looked inhabited. It had a sterile feel, as though no one had really lived there since the purchase and renovations. I was getting a “staged” home vibe to entice future buyers. Regardless of whether it was staged, I had to hand it to Jace. The bathroom in this room was gorgeous. Floor-to-ceiling tiles with no shower entrance or window separations. I liked the open concept. The shower head was long and extensive and mimicked rain. There were two other showerheads on each side, and when I pushed a button, it shot a more substantial stream that massaged my aching back. Heck, I was never leaving this shower. Soon, steam filled the room and wrapped me in a warm cocoon. Mrs. Dunkan had not joked about gett
I woke up to the sound of knocking. It was relentless, and I was already a grumpy morning person. I grumbled and turned away from the door but couldn’t roll over. Something was tied to my wrists against the bedpost. I pulled, but metal scraped my skin and forced me to open my eyes. What the… I was handcuffed to the bed! I twisted my arm and yanked harder, but the cuffs didn’t budge. A muscular arm snaked across my breasts, and soon my body was under Jace. “Morning, beautiful. Sorry about that. I must have forgotten to remove them before falling asleep.” My face became red as the memories surfaced from the night before. Jace had found the cuffs in my backpack and wanted to have fun. God. Why couldn’t the bed swallow me whole? The knocking on the door persisted, and Jace became annoyed. “What is it, Mrs. Dunkan?” “Sir, your father called and has requested your presence at the office. Should I tell him you’ll be late?” “Tell him I’m not coming in. I rather stay in bed.” Jace a
I checked the surrounding buildings, circled around my neighbourhood several times, and when I was convinced no one was around, I pulled the hood of my jacket over my head and marched to my VW Beetle. God, I had missed her! I looked to see if anything was amiss, and when I saw they had left it undisturbed, I climbed inside and started the engine. I wanted to find Lukas, but before that, I went straight to the orphanage that took me in all those years ago. They had to have some kind of record about me? That was back in the 90s, so I feared the paper files might have been damaged or moved. It was a risk I needed to take. I took the highway and left the city. The orphanage—the children’s home, I should rather say, was some thirty-odd minutes out of town. I spent the entire drive in silence, thinking of my time there. When I transitioned from one foster home to another, they would bring me to the children’s home until my accommodations were made. I remembered the director of the estab
Lukas POV I pulled Max inside the house and took one last look outside before closing the door. I didn’t think I’d see her again, but I was glad. She must have given Jace the slip again because he would never have allowed her to leave his house alone… not after what had happened. I led her inside my kitchen and sat her on a bench near the dining table. I lived alone, so I had little other than the basics. I cursed as I filtered through the counter cabinets and couldn’t find the coffee. I was sure I had some—somewhere. I glanced at Max. Her head was in her hands, and she was shaking it like she had a bad dream. Screw the coffee. I pulled out a bottle of rum and grabbed two shot glasses. “I think we both need this,” I said while placing the glasses on the table. I poured the rum and slid Max’s glass close to her face. She perked up, threw her head back, downed the alcohol, and quickly took the rum bottle to fill up her shot. I stayed silent, waiting for her to calm down. I thou
I was high from meeting the director at the children’s home. My discussion with the director yielded interesting facts about the home and its desperate need for funds. The government provided what it could, but the man running the establishment informed me it wasn’t enough. It didn't surprise me. More and more children came into their custody, and they had difficulty finding foster homes. I elatedly accepted the director's promise to inform the board members and send me the paperwork in the coming weeks after discussing my plans to donate money and what I would like to help them with. My interest in funding couldn’t have come at a better time. I barely saw the car ride pass; I was already pulling up the small dirt road leading to Lukas’s cabin in the woods. Lexie stayed there for the moment while Lukas crashed either at his house or at my place. We had taken the habit of coming over there for dinner every two or three days to keep Lex company and to unwind. I was the first to arri
Two months laterMy finger pressed the intercom button of the police precinct.“Yes?” The robotic-sounding voice asked.“It’s Max. I have a Talulah Townsend for processing.”“Someone will be down shortly.”Talulah had broken parole and hadn’t attended her mandatory drug test. She had been my easiest catch of the week. I only had to drive down the drug strip to find her with a needle stabbed in her arm, half passed out from the shot. She was younger than me, and it broke my heart to see her like this. Oh, the joys of getting back into the trenches, I thought. I was doing my best to return to my everyday life.The back door of the station opened, and Officer Dan and a colleague walked out to take the skip. When the woman was in custody, Dan removed her cuffs to return them to me.“I heard you were back on the job. Christ, Max. You really scared the shit out of me when you stopped showing up here! They told me you probably took a vacation, but I know you. Your job’s your life.” Dan said
The wait was killing me. My leg impatiently shook when I sat on the waiting chair. The lobby under the justice court building was brightly lit and warm. I had never been in that section before. If I didn’t have Moe guiding me through the separate hallway that brought us here, in the basement, I would have never suspected there was a place specifically designed for vampire laws. The fact that I was meeting the congregation was the least of my problems. My mind was on Lukas, whom I had not seen since the fight with Ventura. Jace didn’t want me to see him and had given me very few updates on his health, but the one news that kept bothering me was that the broken ribs were more important than we initially thought. Some had pierced his lungs and had caused damages that Jace feared Lukas would have issues healing correctly. I felt terrible because it was my fault Lukas got hurt. If I hadn’t jumped in the fight, maybe things would have ended differently for all of us, and maybe Lukas woul
Ventura’s fingers tightened around my neck, and I struggled to breathe. “There goes that defiant hiss again. You’re becoming quite the little vampire. You sound just like one,” he said with a growing hatred. “Do you know how much trouble you’ve been giving me? You killed my small human army of hunters who would do my future bidding. I had a chance at a surprise attack on the Harringtons, but you blew it! You were unsuccessful at making more of yourself and serving me. Why shouldn’t I just snap your pretty neck and be done with it? All my troubles would die along with you.” My hands instinctively circled around his forearm to remove some of the pressure. When I saw black spots everywhere, my grip on him lessened. I couldn’t break free, and I thought this was the end. Surprisingly, Ventura let go and grabbed the front of my vest, dragging me on my back to where Lukas and Jace were. “Pathetic girl,” Ventura spat as he dropped me beside my mates. “It doesn’t matter. Everything I need to
I stopped my VW Beetle in front of an old abandoned warehouse on 9th Street. Many were in the sector, but just as the letter said, I knew exactly which one it was. The run-down name of the company was barely visible, but the logo of an owl still showed, reminding me of the Noctua sigil. I could be wrong, but this building seemed the right one.I opened the car door and walked to the warehouse, looking for an entrance. They barricaded all the entries with pieces of wood and chains. I groaned and trudged along the exterior to find another way to gain access. When I was about to retrace my steps and search for another building, I spotted a broken window on the second floor.“Great,” I mumbled exasperatingly. “As if I do parkour in my spare time.”There was a ledge on the lower window, and I noticed a gutter installed on the wall close to it. I pulled up my sleeves and lightly ran for a jump to get a high start. I climbed the downspout until I was at level with the ledge, and I swung my bo
I strolled down the street, taking in the nightly smells of the city. After some time, I stopped and took a deep breath. The neighbourhood was silent, and only the distant sound of car horns honking reminded me that life went on while I was away. The last time I stood in front of my apartment complex, I was drugged in a cab and kidnapped. I hurried along the entrance and pushed the glass doors open. The trek up the stairs was quick, and I walked to my door to unlock it. In the two weeks I was gone, nothing had changed. My apartment had been left untouched, and the little possessions I had left were still in their place. I was surprised. I thought the vampires would have ransacked my home to find any information on me. I opened my mini-fridge and pulled out the last remaining beer bottle. I reflected on Jace, Lukas, Moe and Bea's plan as I sat. They wanted to draw out Ventura from where ever he was hiding, and the only thing they thought would succeed was to resume my life. Ventura
Jace POVI watched Max from afar. She was a small thing compared to the tall vampire she called Moe. She had been with those two since their return to the cabin, and it slightly irritated me to have to share Max with two other vampires—one werewolf was enough.“You’re doing that thing again. Stop it.” Lukas called from behind.I turned around and smugly slouched. “What exactly am I doing?”“I’ve known you for years, Jace. I know all your telltale signs. You know something that you haven’t told anyone. Spill.”My friend’s amber eyes darkened menacingly. He knew whatever I was holding back was about Max. I sighed and pressed a hand over my face. Lukas was an annoying dog but had good intentions. He wanted to protect Max as much as I did.“I knew the congregation had released Ventura before coming here.”Lukas watched me from a distance. His face was becoming red, but I ignored it. Why was Lukas getting angry with me?“When were you planning on telling us?”“This morning, but I didn’t thi
Lukas and Jace’s kisses lingered on my skin before I stepped under the water. It washed away their scent on my body, and I sighed. My fingers trailed the length of my neck and hovered over my swollen lips. They still tingled from Lukas and Jace’s bites.I remembered when Jace told me to go on top of Lukas. I had never had sex with two men at the same time, and when Lukas filled my dripping wet pussy, and Jace stretched my ass with his dick, I almost forgot how to breathe. The feeling I had in the pit of my stomach was dreadful, yet exciting.The sensation had been odd and pleasing. My skin shivered with need and all the dirty things I wanted the three of us to do. I had the loves of my life in me, and each thrust and withdrawal had me wanting, almost begging for more. I couldn’t seem to get enough of them. Their cocks filled each cavity perfectly, and their rhythms were in delightful unison. It was even more thrilling when Lukas and Jace gave me the reins, and I could choose the beat.
Lukas POV The smell of Max’s arousal woke me. I had been lightly asleep but was now fully awake, and my dick painfully swelled inside my boxers. I didn’t want to act on her scent because I didn’t know if she was excited for me or for Jace, who was inconveniently sleeping on Max’s other side. I needed to change my mind. Anything was better than thinking of everything I wanted to do to Max. I thought back to what had happened before I went to sleep. After furiously running in wolf form, I returned to the cabin and found Jace waiting beside Max’s sleeping form on the bed. He had gotten here much faster than I wanted, and I despised every second of him brushing his light fingers against the pale white skin of her bare legs. No amount of yelling and violent disagreements could remove Jace’s bond with Max. She was as much his as she was mine. Jace and I both made our claims, and the rest was history. We would be there for our mate, but Jace and I would need to have a more profound discu