Truth.
King Zeller’s lush lips lifted, and I saw the briefest flash of fang. “What a pair we are.”
I snorted, walking to my bed and flopping down on it, staring up at the ceiling. “We don’t trust each other. We have no reason to. We met only a week ago because I was trespassing not only into King Shadow, but into your home. And then there’s the tiny part where you,” my hand flittered, “tortured me.” I chuckled quietly, the action getting a smidge easier, if still sounding unused. “It wasn’t exactly the prime setting for starting our dysfunctional family.”
“Family,” King Zeller murmured in a soft tone, testing the word on his tongue. “I never would have guessed this was what I was mind raped for.” He stood for a few moments by Isa’s crib, then moved so he was standing where my knees hung over the bed.
I lifted my eyebrows, staring up at him. “Remember what I said before you entered.” My eyes went back to the ceiling, so I didn’t see temptation staring me in the face. “I may have had a temporary moment of insanity by starting that kiss earlier,” I paused, then stated begrudgingly, “which was fucking hot as hell,” I sighed heavily, “but it doesn’t mean we’re going to travel down the same path we did before. We’re both changed from this past year. That man and woman on those videos may be able to love their child, but when it comes to others…” I sighed, not bothering to finish.
He did it for me. “When it comes to others, love inevitably brings pain, which we both suffered immensely during this last year.”
I pointed at him. “Exactly.” Placing my hands under my head, I glanced at him where he stood like a huge helping of all things brutal and wild, fanning the flame of attraction and arousal low in my gut. I scowled, not appreciating where my thoughts continued taking me. “Maybe you could wear a sack over your head or something.”
His nostrils flared, and he blinked before he crossed his arms, making his shirt fabric pull tight, muscles showing plainly thanks to the golden sparks that contrasted shadow and light on his body. A purely carnal grin etched his features. “I can help you with that itch.” His gaze roamed my features, sliding down my body. “Because I have to tell you, now that I know why I was mind raped, and seeing some of my past I don’t remember, I’ll shortly be in the right place mentally to have sex.” He saw how my lips thinned even if I tried to hide it, the man appearing not to miss much, and his attention lifted from my mouth to my eyes. He bent slowly until his hands were on either side of my shoulders as he stared down at me. “And as you stated before about loyalty, the same has always held true for me. I am extremely loyal to those I care about, and fidelity in a committed relationship is a quality I have always respected in others.”
His head cocked as he watched me. “I hold no respect for those that cheat on their spouses, and I believe they should be held accountable for their actions…and not nicely.” He bent slowly, speaking softly, being blunt and honest. “So, with that said, and the fact you and I cannot divorce, when I want sex — and believe me, I will — I will be coming to my wife for it, even if I don’t particularly like or trust her.”
I tried not to show I had been holding my breath, so I breathed out shallowly, and stated just as bluntly and honestly, “I’m not a damn blow-up doll, King Zeller,”asshole, “as much as you may wish I was, so I seriously hope you have enough intelligence in that brain of yours to realize that sex unavoidably leads to stronger emotions, which will lead to us taking that same damn path to the same mistakes…and risk another spelled mind sweep and separation. All of those things are unbeneficial to Isa and ourselves.”
His grin was predatory as he lowered his face to a few inches from mine, his heat now surrounding me even if he had no weight on me, his feet still on the floor and upper weight on his arms. “Ah,” he chuckled, the sound cruel, “you’re forgetting something,” a slow drawl, “sweetheart.”
My gaze narrowed further. “And what is that,” I flashed my teeth, “baby?”
He rumbled quietly with forbidding humor, the sound oddly…comforting and nice. “It’s what you’ve already stated. We’re no longer those idiots from a year ago. Both of us have learned many manipulative skills and evasive tactics.” He bent his head, brushing his bristly, warm cheek against my own soft cheek to place his lips against my ear, and I felt his shadow of a beard. “Even if feelings become involved — and you’re correct, they might eventually — who better to hide an affair than the cruel, jaded, and merciless?”
My nostrils flared, and I scented he was already turned on. “Not that I don’t agree with your thought process, but I still believe it unwise for us to be involved sexually.” This was about self-preservation, an absolute must. “Why risk it?”
His chuckle was still soft, even with his lips still at my ear. “One question: do you want to spend our verylongexistence together thinking about your spouse, your husband,me, fucking other women?”
I know I froze under him. Something inside me — not my wolf and not my Vampire, just a primal part of my soul, possibly pride or greed — revoked at the thought that what wasmine, and he was mine even if chosen by the young and inexperienced me, being touched by another woman, or him touching someone else. And the feeling was strong…so strong that my wolf woke and growled quietly. It was the sound of death stalking back and forth, waiting to pounce on anyone who so much as glanced at the asshole King. Miraculously, I loathed him, but I wanted him all for my own because…he was my husband, and he would be forever. A Mystical’s life was extremely long.
His Vampire responded in kind, his growl just as soft and deadly as mine, and it wasn’t a threat. It was more of an understanding of predators, a basic harmonized necessity to guard what was our own. Pushing back his Vampire, he lifted so he could meet my gaze, and he specified, “You hadn’t thought about this yet.” It was a statement.
I answered anyway, pushing my wolf back. “No, although I did think it odd you wanted to know if I had slept with anyone during the past year.” My lips pinched. “I get it now.” My head swung to Isa and stayed there, my gaze on her quietly babbling tiny form. “But still, I don’t know if it’s worth the risk. She deserves to know you. Abstinence may be our only option.”
King Zeller stared down at me, eyebrows raised. “You’re serious?”
I shrugged, turning my head back to face him. “Yes.” I paused. “Well, we would probably have to get together once every five years or so, since it could actually make me ill not to have intercourse.” Shifters, I swear we got the rotten end of the deal compared to other Mysticals.
He blinked slowly. “That’s…not really going to work for me.” He was starting to appear a little wide-eyed. “Other than this past year, I normally have an…overabundance…of sexual energy.”
It was my turn to stare as I put the puzzle pieces together, remembering his earlier comment about orgies. “I married a man-whore?”
His eyebrows snapped together, a bit of anger flashing in his green eyes. “I’m sure you weren’t complaining when we were together before we were caught.”
I blinked. “That’s a hell of a lot of confidence there, bucko.” I patted his shoulder. “And I doubt you were complaining, either.” I rubbed at my temples, staring past his head to the sparkles on my ceiling, and asked seriously, “Will you be in physical pain if you abstain?” Not that I wouldn’t mind him being that way, but he would probably be a bit of an annoyance the grouchier he became.
He hesitated, then he stated plainly, “Not like a Shifter can become, their need driving for physical contact, but a Vampire…” He paused. “I’m not sure why you don’t know this.” His head teetered back and forth, periodically cutting off my view of the sparkles. “You see, a Vampire is all about the capture and seduction. If I waited as long as what you’re stating, I would,” he paused, then he stated steadily, “well before that time, I would literally hunt down the object of my needs and seduce her with unrelenting mercy until I had her, and it could possibly end fatally for the female.” He stared into my wide gaze. “You.”
My jaw was hanging open. I knew it was. And I didn’t really care.
“Don’t give me that look.” He stared pointedly. “You know damn well — what you didn’t mention a minute ago — that if Shifter doesn’t become ill from abstinence, it’s because they’ve gone all primal during their sexual hiatus, and those matings normally end in death.” A thoughtful pause. “Statistically, Vampires kill less in those periods than Shifters.”
I choked. “If they go primal. There’s always the flip of the coin of becoming ill.” I closed my eyes, sighing heavily. “Well…fuck.” There weren’t any other options, unless we had sex with other partners…and yeah, I could already feel my mind going to that nice, velvet haze of red fury at that thought, which still astounded me.
“Yes,” King Zeller drawled slowly, “that’s the point. We fuck. Exclusively.”
Another heavy sigh as I rubbed my eyes. “I’m not ready for that yet.” I stared up at him tiredly, exhaustion creeping in. “Can I speak honestly with you?”
