Chapter Fourteen
Starla melted intoa mushy puddle.How could a male who lived for so long be so damn sweet?He’d given her pleasure beyond measure, which of course, she figured was on par with being an ancient vampire.Not that she knew a lot about them.The moment he’d sunk his fangs into her, she’d come like he’d lit her personal pleasure switch.
“I keep expecting to wake up in my bed on Fey,” she admitted.
He rolled them, placing his arms beside her head.“You’re not on Fey, Anima Mia.This is real.We’re here together, forever.I can’t live without you now.”
She tried to figure out what he was saying, but a yawn cracked her jaw.She smiled sheepishly.“Sorry.I think the events of the last day are finally catching up with me.”
“Sleep, baby.I’ll be here when you wake up.”Scepter lowered his head and kissed her, slow and sweet.
She relaxed, and when he slid to the side, holding her against him, she felt safe and coveted.The connection between them settled the wild restlessness she’d always sensed shimmering in her veins since her youth.
“Thank you,” she whispered.
“You never have to thank me for loving you and keeping what’s mine safe,” he murmured.
Those words drew a warm feeling from her.“Right back atcha.”
Her eyes grew heavy, too heavy to keep open.
Hours later, Starla woke.It was dark outside, but she could see just fine with her shifter vision.Hell, her Fey side probably could as well.She blinked, pushing rational thought to the side, figuring it didn’t matter which gave her the ability.
She’d felt Scepter moving away from her a short time earlier, but thought he’d be right back.Her crazy mind assumed he’d slipped into the en suite and would return shortly.
If he’d gone to the bathroom, he’d have returned in minutes.She swallowed a snarl in her throat and kicked the comforter off.She wouldn’t sleep a minute longer without knowing where her bonded mate had gone.
Starla’s body showed signs of Scepter’s possession.She looked down, running her hand over the marks on her breasts where he’d bitten her.Her wolf whined, feeling betrayed because Starla refused to allow her beast to mark him.There wasn’t a doubt in her mind that Scepter was theirs, but she wanted to wait and claim him on the full moon, which was coming up on the night of lovers.Or, as humans like to celebrate, Valentine's Day.
She grinned, thinking of surprising Scepter with a sexy little outfit and some chocolate-dipped strawberries.Who doesn’t love chocolate and fresh strawberries?
The wolf in her gave a happy yip.Thank fuck wolves weren’t like dogs.She’d have thrown a fit if she couldn’t eat yummy chocolate.Aurora, her older sister, was the disciplined one.She could live without sweets, while Starla couldn’t remember a time she didn’t love all things sugary.Aurora used to joke that Starla had a sweet tooth since the day she was born, just like their father.
“He’s not coming back, is he?”Her hand went to her stomach to calm the rolling sensation.“No, he didn’t leave us for good,” she said with more determination than she felt.She twitched her free hand, imagining herself freshly showered and wearing a new set of clothes she’d seen yesterday.
She bit her lip, wondering if that was technically theft if she hadn’t paid for the items on her body.“No, since these are not the same as the ones from the store.”At least she hoped that’s the way it worked.She really needed to ask Lula or Jenna.
Starla wished she knew more.She wished life as a human didn’t seem so foreign to her.That’s what her world tumbled down to, a big, huge, confused series of unknowns.In high school, other girls acted like they always had their shit together.She was one of those awkward teens.Pretty, smart, and athletic, but didn’t quite fit in, yet she had friends.She did everything she could to be like the other girls.She didn’t date, though.She wouldn’t fit in with her old friends today.They would be preparing for graduation, while she’d aged and become a woman.
She left her room, veering away from the safety of her sister’s quarters.She huffed a laugh.Aurora and Savage’s rooms filled more space than their old home.She froze.What happened to their house?
Why hadn’t she thought of her home in all the time she’d been gone?Where was Yukon?Thinking of her childhood things and all the mementos she’d cherished sent a pang of nostalgia through her.The images played on a loop, over and over again.The desk she’d insisted she had to have with the laptop, just like all her friends, with the fruit on the back.All the cool kids had them, Sissy.And of course, Aurora, being the best big sister, made sure she had a pink one to go with all things pink in her bedroom.She realized her sister must have designed her room in this home on the same color scheme as her old one.“She’s truly the greatest sister in all the realms.”
Starla breathed deep, trying to see if she could get a sense of Scepter out in the hallway.Like her, he could move without being seen.The lack of his signature hit her hard.She didn’t like the way it made her feel.Goddamn, the male made her a freaking needy bitch in all the wrong ways.If she couldn’t handle him being away from her for a few hours, although he left after making love to her and promising to sleep with her, then she needed to reassess her shit.Starla rolled her shoulders, feeling better after her mental boost.
What if he changed his mind?Stop that.He can’t.He bit her.But she hadn’t bitten him.He’s a vampire.They bite lots of people.“Stop it, Starla.”
She needed to get out of this dark house before she drove herself crazy with wild thoughts.She closed her eyes and thought of her old home, praying her sister hadn’t sold it to some new family.That would be just her luck—to pop in and find herself face-to-face with some young girl sleeping peacefully in her old bedroom.
Instead of flashing inside the house, she decided to err on the side of caution and materialize on the outskirts of the home.The pathway lights lit up, revealing overgrown flowerbeds.She walked along the familiar flagstone path around the side until the back patio came into view.The dark interior looked foreboding.Starla walked up onto the deck and punched in the alarm code.She swallowed hard as the red light flashed to green.
“Woohoo,” she cheered.The lock clicked open, making the robotic sound as she waited for it to fully disengage before pushing the door open.The house smelled different.Stale air hit her.It was obvious her sister hadn’t been visiting their home.Nor had she sent anyone back to take care of things.She found that...sad.
Starla walked through the kitchen, running her hand along the island as she passed by.They’d lived a lifetime here.How had her sister not come back to grab any of her favorite things?
She inhaled a ragged breath.In her bedroom, a rush of nostalgia washed over her as she looked over the girlie things.She wouldn’t fall apart over the silly little parts of her old life, like the pink and white computer chair that looked straight out of a gamer girl episode.Starla chuckled when she remembered begging Aurora to let her buy the dang thing off the internet, then the struggle she’d gone through to put it together.
Walking over to the end table beside her queen-sized bed, she stared at the framed photo of her family.Goddess, they were such a happy, perfect family back then.Her hand trembled as she held the silver eight-by-ten.
