Though, in reality he is my gift of life. The one who gave me a life, a shot at a normal future, one where I’m viewed differently. Zipporah joked how I might find a husband here and I let myself dream for a fleeting second. But I never thought it would come true.
I suppress that thought because dreams do not come true. The last time I felt happiness was the day I discovered my abilities were beyond those of others of my kind. The happiness abruptly ended when my mother took her own life.
You might say I’m superstitious and it’s for this reason I shut down the happiness. There is no love between Fiero and I. The only reason this feels good is due to our bond that’s now fully in place. Two supernatural beings, a chemical balance to let each of us know we are perfectly matched.
Nothing more, nothing less. Though, when I softly brush my cheek against his chest, I can’t help but release a little sigh of happiness. Maybe it’s okay to feel good for a handful of seconds. What harm could it do?
CHAPTER FOUR
– FIERO –
Noise rips me from the most perfect moment in time. Post sex, my woman laying on my chest, dozing off while the scent of our fucking is still heavy in the air around us. Every cell in my body is sated and yet I’m craving more of what I just experienced in overload.
With my enhanced vampire hearing I quickly figure out my parents have arrived. I was hoping they would stay at the gathering but with my woman being a fairy, they probably want to make sure everything is okay.
Maze jolts upright, a bewildered look on her face as she says in a soft voice filled with pain, “Don’t let them take me back.”
“What the fuck?” I growl, something I’ve said more than a few times since she stumbled into my life.
I wrap my arms around her and pull her down to drape her back over my chest.
“No one will take you away from me,” I fiercely promise and hold her tight.
A shaky breath flows from her. “Sorry. I’m a little spooked. I shouldn’t allow myself to live in the moment.”
I slide my fingers into her hair and gently tug to connect our eyes. “You sure as fuck should. Wait. Are you telling me you expect the worst from a situation so you’re at least prepared for failure?”
Her eyes rip away from mine and she buries her face against my chest. Yeah, that’s all the answer I need. How can this fierce looking woman have been nailed in place to let everyone else take control of every aspect of her life?
“Baby steps,” I mutter, more to myself than to her. Brushing my lips against the top of her head I tell her, “Come on, my parents are here and I’m pretty sure they’ll break the door down if I don’t pay them a visit to show them everything is all right.”
“Quite the contradiction from my father,” Maze whispers underneath her breath but I still catch the words.
“No worries,” I cheerfully quip in an effort to dismiss her past because it shouldn’t be something clinging to her since it’s already taking over every inch of her thoughts. “The crazy that is my family will take over soon enough.”
She gives me an honest smile and starts to move away from me. I reach out and cup her face to plant a hard kiss on her mouth just for the hell of it. The dazed look I get in return makes the corner of my lips twitch. I jump off the bed and reach for the closet to grab some sweatpants. I take a thick, fluffy robe from the hanger and hand it to Maze along with one of my T-shirts.
Her purple hair sways as she shakes her head. “I’ll put my dress back on.”
“No way.” I throw my shirt over her head and she struggles a bit while I take advantage to get her arms through the holes.
Grinning, I hold up the robe. “We’re getting comfortable. This is our house and my parents crashing our first night together.”
She rolls her eyes and huffs, “Fine.”
The robe is a bit too big for her but it doesn’t take anything away from her beauty. I can’t resist and brush my lips against hers once more just for the hell of it.
Wrinkles appear on her forehead. “Why do you keep kissing me?”
I lace my fingers with hers and guide her out of the room with me.
“I can’t explain it any other than you’re just too hard to resist.” I throw a look over my shoulder. “I’ll keep indulging myself unless you don’t like it.”
Her eyes land on the floor and a faint blush spreads across her cheeks. “I like it.”
It’s a soft whisper but it’s loud and clear enough to allow a huge smile to spread across my face. We walk down the stairs and meet my parents who are standing in the hallway along with my sister. Their faces look grim and I’m not liking the fact that Lucan is standing beside my father.
“What’s going on?” I question.
“Can we speak in private?” my father says with an edge to his voice.
My mother smacks his chest with the back of her hand. “Rude, Alrigo,” she says and steps forward to give Maze a warm and welcoming smile. “Kaleah Nissa Dravens. Welcome to the family. I’m–”
“Sisley Carmeline Leone,” Maze finishes for my mother and shakes her hand. “I’ve heard quite a lot about you, or rather, about your powers. Nice to meet you in person.”
They’re still holding hands and my mother’s eyes fall on the dermal piercing.
She points a finger at it. “Why do you have Celestine on you? The mineral weakens your abilities and it must certainly be draining to have it pinned to your body.”
A low growl rumbles from me and I turn to face my woman. “Why didn’t you mention those drain you when I took off the choker that was edged into your skin? I only thought it weakened your abilities.”
Maze looks uncomfortable and I hate I directed my anger at her, all while I’m angry at myself for not noticing and, yeah…also for her not mentioning this little fact.
I reach for the piercing, wondering how the fuck I’m going to get it out, but my father’s voice stops me when he snaps, “Leave them for now. We have to talk. In private.”
“Say what you have to say,” I grunt.
My father shakes his head and my mother bites her bottom lip. What the hell is going on?
I slide my arm around Maze’s waist and pull her close. “Whatever it is we’re going to be facing everything together from here on out. She’s my eternal mate, the bond is in place. There’s no damn way I’m going to keep the business side from her since she will be there for life.”
“Fine,” my father grits through clenched teeth. “Some people think your mate is a liability. A huge risk brought into our midst. They say there’s a legend about the born fairy who doesn’t have wings. Closer to the elders, a nymph, a goddess. Good that can easily be flipped to evil. And that’s what they are after.”
Maze’s body went rigid the second my father started rattling.
As calmly as I can muster, I ask, “Who the hell are ‘they’ you keep talking about?”
Lucan steps closer. “Dahna was chatting with one of Ramil’s female guards who was waiting by the limousine. She was rather chatty.”
“Dahna can be really chatty,” I mutter.
“That too.” Lucan grins.