Mafia Beasts: The Complete Series, page 75
I made it all of two steps inside the door before, in a blur of motion, Analyssa collided with me. She squeezed me with her vampire strength, nearly cracking my ribs.
“Oh my Gods, you’re safe! I didn’t know if I’d ever see you again. I’m so glad you’re alive!” She squeed in my ear, the sound deafening.
Aya and Nalanie came up on either side of me and folded their arms.
“What are we, chopped liver?” Aya huffed. “She hasn’t greeted us like that.”
Nalanie cocked her head. “We’re obviously not as important as Emma.”
In a flash, Analyssa was on the two of them, shrieking her delight that they, too, had survived.
“Ugh, get off me, pup,” Aya mock complained.
In retaliation, Analyssa licked Aya’s cheek. Nalanie laughed and earned a lick of her own. “Ew,” she said, wiping saliva from her chin.
“You have got to tell me everything,” said the teenaged vampire. “Who killed Bryon Vexx? What was the prince like? Did you see the queen again?”
Knuckles rapping on wood interrupted our reunion. “Nalanie, some visitors are waiting for you in the parlor,” Beau said. “Impatiently.”
We all turned toward the closed parlor door when it suddenly burst open and two suit-clad, livid men emerged. They had a dangerous air about them. Aya growled, teeth bared. Magic crackled between my fingers as it surged to the surface.
Quickly, Nalanie stepped forward, placing herself between us and these two strangers.
“Nalanie Zorra,” one of them growled, his eyes flashing with an amber light. “We’ve found you, pet.”
Wolf shifters, interesting.
Nalanie’s dusky skin heated to a deep scarlet. Acting as if there weren’t two glowering wolves at her back, she turned to us and introduced them. “This is Caesar Marrok, and his business partner, Weston Hughes. My, uh, mates.”
My interest was even more piqued at that confession. So these were the two wolves who had claimed Nalanie’s heart, but were waiting for the enchantress’s curse to be broken before they could be together. Nalanie told us she’d given them the slip in order to help us with 5th Circle. That would explain why they were so angry.
She continued. “These are my friends, Aya, Emma, and Analyssa.”
The fairer of the two wolves, Weston, had the decency to nod in greeting, while Caesar continued to glare at the back of Nalanie’s head as she pointedly ignored his bad attitude.
Beau, arms crossed and leaning against the wall, watched the situation with amusement. No doubt he’d gotten an earful from his guests already.
“Please excuse us.” Nalanie looped an arm through each of her mates’ and dragged them back into the parlor. The door slammed shut, leaving us all staring after them. Instantly, hushed voices erupted on the other side.
“They’re not taking her from me,” Aya stated, then stormed off up the stairs.
Analyssa rushed off with an excited sound as soon as she spotted Claire.
I glanced at Beau. “Thank you for your hospitality. We’ll be returning to Penumbra mansion soon, and be out of your hair.”
“This is technically your house, my lady.” He bowed with a flourish. “Come on, let’s have some lunch.”
I followed him into the dining room, where Cade, Lucas, and Zane caught up to us. Jace and Henry delivered platters of cold lunch options and we dug in. It would be our last meal with Beau for a while. We’d only stopped here to organize the travel arrangements for the rest of our people, and say our goodbyes to Cade’s cousin.
Beau swallowed a mouthful of sandwich. “Our bit of violence at the High Fae Ball made quite the impression. The short time you’ve been away, much of Lochart estate has been restored. Of course it helped that I made a personal visit to Judge Heathwood’s office.” Beau’s grin was vicious.
Cade nodded. “Good. I’ve been thinking about it and I want you to manage the estate’s affairs.”
“Really?” Beau asked. “You’re not coming home to manage everything yourself?”
Cade glanced at me, then at Zane and Lucas. “Not yet. So for the foreseeable future, I’d appreciate it if you’d handle everything.”
Beau beamed. “It would be my pleasure, cousin.”
“Good. Because we have a wedding to plan.”
I coughed, choking on a breadcrumb, having almost forgotten about that big event looming in our future. I fingered the enormous red diamond ring hanging safely from a chain around my neck. “Right. We should get home.”
25
EMMA
The original wedding plan was to keep it a small event, but these things had a tendency to get out of control. So when the day came, in mid-November, I shimmied into my wedding gown and mentally prepared myself to face the horde of guests waiting in the glass encased winter garden.
My white wedding dress had long sleeves, hugged my hips, and the hemline swept the floor. The low swooping, open back revealed every inch of my phoenix tattoo—especially with my hair up.
The professionals had already been in to do my makeup and place tiny white flowers in the mass of artfully arranged hair atop my head. I wore my engagement ring on my right hand, the blood red diamond catching the faint winter light.
“Are you ready, kiddo?” Teo—Dad—asked on the other side of the door.
I slipped into the white satin designer heels. Today I was wearing thousands of dollars in clothing alone. The dress, of course, was one of a kind.
With a deep breath in to steady my nerves, I opened the door. “Ready.”
“You look amazing, sweetheart.” Dad leaned in and kissed my cheek before offering me his arm. Giddiness welled in my stomach. He was giving me away. My dad was walking me down the aisle on my wedding day.
I took his arm, and we headed along the hallway that led to the winter garden. The space opened up, revealing high glass walls. Snow drifted down in huge, fluffy flakes outside but in here it was comfortably warm.
The music started and the procession began. Everyone stood up as we stepped into the aisle. I noted all the members of Penumbra, including Nalanie and her two wolf shifter mates who now lived in nearby Seattle. Most of the Sinful Saints had shown up, as had Beau, with a bunch of Fae that I’d never met before. It felt like half of Seattle was here, from business associates to Penumbra employees.
Then there was the Council Queen, her four consorts, and what had to be half the queen’s court. Hell, those sitting in the row behind the queen looked like the entire Supernatural Council.
A small, quiet gathering it was not. Hell, we were the wedding event of the season—or at least that was the rumor I’d heard. Seeing this, I believed it.
Dad rested a reassuring hand on mine as we neared our destination. Cade, Lucas, and Zane waited for me at the altar, wearing matching tuxedos. They looked good enough to eat.
We had managed to keep the wedding party to a minimum. Claire had agreed to be my maid of honor, Ash was the best man. And for today at least, they agreed to get along.
Dad halted, kissed both of my cheeks, then placed my hand in Cade’s. He then stepped away and took his seat.
My focus settled on my men. They were my wolf’s fated mates and my soulmates. Today I officially married all three of them before hundreds of witnesses, the Council Queen, and the robed officiant.
The witch priest’s words and our exchange of vows went by in a blur, as I was captivated by the unspoken words between me and my mates. Love flowed in our connection, untainted by worry, fear, or loss. Today was for us and the start of our future together.
Finally, I slipped a metal band on each of their ring fingers, each one humming with magic. In turn, they slid slim rings onto mine until I wore three bands of different metals all on the same finger. Lucas gave me one of white gold that looked like silver, reminding me of the strengths and weaknesses of being a wolf.
Zane’s was yellow gold encrusted with tiny diamonds. He slid it into place with unveiled adoration swimming in the black pools of his eyes.
Lastly, Cade placed an ornately carved rose gold ring on, it warmed with Fae magic. Then he sealed our vows as he swept me up into an earth shattering kiss that stole my breath away.
He passed me to Zane and Lucas who did the same, and the crowd’s cheer was a deafening roar in my ears. This was it. We were married.
Now we could live happily ever after.
We made it through the reception dinner, toasts, and the first dance before Lucas tugged me into a dark corner. His lips came down hard on mine, feasting.
Heat pressed against my back and a large, rough hand clasped around my neck as Cade’s breath teased my ear. “I think it’s time for our wedding night,” he said in a deep rumble that made my knees weak.
Zane stole my mouth from Lucas, who nipped at my other ear. The three of them crowded me, pressing their warm, firm bodies against mine. It was bliss. Heat pooled between my legs and I broke away from Zane’s kiss.
“Let’s go somewhere else,” I said. If we kept this up we were going to draw a lot of attention from our guests. I really didn’t need to have my dad catch me making out—or doing even more—with my new husbands.
“As you wish, sweetness.” Zane caught me up in his arms, then we were zooming through the grounds and Penumbra mansion to our shared bedroom on the third floor. Zane carried me over the threshold and my breath caught.
Our room had been transformed with dozens of flickering candles bathing everything in an amber glow. White and red rose petals littered the enormous bedspread and the floor. It was… romantic.
Zane set me on my feet at the same time as the door burst open and my other two mates walked in. With hungry gazes, they descended on me—and I on them. Paying little mind to our expensive clothing, we undressed each other with desperate fingers. I needed their skin against mine. Now.
When we’d been fully divested of our clothes, they sandwiched me between them, hands exploring, teeth and lips wandering. I gave myself over to the pleasure as Lucas dropped to his knees and devoured my pussy with his tongue.
Zane sank his fangs into my neck while I stroked his cock in one hand and Cade’s in the other. Pure, heated ecstasy raced through my veins. I came hard as Lucas thrust his fingers in my cunt.
Somehow, we made it onto the bed, flower petals scattering everywhere. Lucas knelt between my legs and rammed his cock into my sensitive pussy. He fucked me with brutal, pounding thrusts that had me seeing stars and screaming out my second orgasm of the night.
He flipped me around, so that we were on our knees, my back to his chest and continued to fuck me hard. Cade stood on the bed, his dick level with my face. Reaching for the base of his cock, I took him into my mouth and moaned. He threaded his fingers through my hair, taking control of my mouth.
Zane watched us. His fangs were on full display, his black eyes heated with molten silver as he leisurely stroked his own cock. Moving closer he slid his free hand between my thighs and teased my clit until I came, this time bringing Lucas over the edge with me.
Cade wasted no time in pulling out of my mouth, lying back, and impaling me on his huge dick. I gasped and shuddered as I took him all the way in. I barely had time to adjust to the fullness in my pussy before Zane was rubbing lube into my ass.
“You’re going to take us both, sweetness,” he whispered in my ear. “Just like the dirty sweet girl you are.” He eased into my asshole, filling me up. Cade hadn’t moved yet, his hands on my hips keeping himself fully seated in me. “That’s a good girl.”
I groaned, feeling so full I might burst. My inner muscles fluttered in anticipation, heat pooling low in my stomach again. I could feel my next orgasm already building.
Unlike Lucas, when they started to move Cade and Zane fucked me slowly. They moved together, in sync, to draw out my pleasure. Zane fed from my neck and Cade ruthlessly teased my nipples.
“More,” I moaned. “I need more.”
Zane chuckled. “Shh. We know exactly what you need.” His palm stuck my butt cheek and the pain stung so good. Cade leveraged his hips, somehow filling me even deeper, then pinched my clit.
Pleasure rocketed through me. As if that was the signal, they began to move faster, harder until we were slick with sweat. I gasped, coming apart between them. With a curse, Cade released inside me, wildly bucking his hips. Zane came a moment later with a guttural cry.
We collapsed into a pile, breathing hard. I reached behind me to run my fingers through Zane’s dreadlocks, and stretched up to caress Cade’s face. “I love you,” I said.
“I love you too, little witch.” Cade gazed down at me with such tenderness in his eyes that my heart melted.
Zane nuzzled my neck. “Love you, too.”
“And I love you, babe.” Lucas appeared beside me, capturing my lips in a sweet kiss. “Now and forever.”
“Now and forever,” I echoed back to him.
26
EMMA
I untangled myself from various limbs and slipped out of bed early the next morning. My body ached in the most delicious ways possible. Last night had certainly been a record for most orgasms. I’d snoozed briefly between rounds, but once Cade, Lucas, and Zane fell asleep from sheer exhaustion, I found my own sleep to be elusive.
Throwing on a thick winter robe and fur-lined slippers, I let myself into the hallway and went downstairs in search of the kitchen. I needed coffee and food. I was fucking ravenous.
The mansion was quiet, everyone still asleep after a night of revelry. Which was why a clanking from the garage caught my attention and I decided to investigate. Easing the door open the rest of the way, I poked my head inside and spotted a leather-clad Claire straddling a motorcycle.
Without looking my way, she said, “Those lords of yours won’t mind if I take this one, will they? It’s a beauty.”
I glanced at the black and red Ducati. “It’s not very subtle. Where are you going anyway?”
“Away.” She finally faced me. “Sorry, Emma, but I need to get the fuck out of here. You’re safe, and happy. Vexx and my brother are gone. My usefulness has worn out, so I’m going to hit the road for a while and see where it takes me.”
I folded my arms. “You promised me you’d stay.”
“I know. But that was then. Things have changed.”
Hurt pinched my chest. “You were going to leave without saying goodbye?”
“I left you a text message.” She shrugged. “I guess that’s kind of redundant now.”
I chewed my lip and considered her. “What if I don’t want you to go? You could be happy here, couldn’t you?”
Claire let out a bitter laugh. “Doubtful. Besides, we’ll see each other again. You’ll be off on your honeymoon soon, so there’s no reason for me to stick around here for a month without you.”
“What about Ash?” It was none of my business, but I had to ask.
The corners of her mouth dipped down in a frown. “That’s… over. Not that there was anything really there to begin with other than infatuation.”
My inner wolf yipped, we both knew that was a lie. But I couldn’t press Claire into seeing the truth, especially now that Ash was giving her the cold shoulder. It was just sad to see them both so unhappy.
“Okay. Just take care of yourself.” I hugged her for a long while. I knew why she had to leave, I understood the restless feeling after fighting so hard, only to have the emptiness settle in once it was all done. A lack of purpose and direction was, in some ways, worse than facing our own mortality in a fight.
“You take care, too.” Claire pulled away. “See you around. Have a great honeymoon, you deserve it.” She slid a black helmet over her head and started the engine. The motorcycle roared to life. Then she zoomed out of the garage and was gone.
The dust settled, and her scent lingered faintly in the air. As quickly as she’d dropped back into my life after all the years I thought she was dead, she vanished again.
I hoped she found her own happiness out there somewhere.
“Are you okay?”
I rounded on the man with the familiar gruff voice. “Teo. Dad. Hi.” I sighed. “Yeah, I’m fine. Claire just left.”
“I see.” His brows pinched together as if he could feel my hurt over temporarily—I hoped—losing her again.
“I thought you would have left with the royal court.” I pulled the robe’s thick collar closer.
“No, I decided to stay and see you off on your honeymoon.”
“You don’t have to do that.” I offered him a grateful smile.
“I know. But I want to.” He rubbed my arm. “I also wanted to invite you to spend Yule with my pack. You have family who want to meet you.”
“I wouldn’t want to go without Cade, Zane, and Lucas…”
He squeezed my shoulder. “Of course. They’re invited too. I know we’ve had our differences, but I would never want to separate you from your mates.”
“Okay.” I sighed in relief. “Though the queen said something about seeing me at Yule, so…”
My dad’s eyes lit with amusement. “You worry a lot, you know that? The queen will be at the Gran Lobo Yule festivities, too. It’s fine. I already cleared it with her, and she knows I’m inviting you and your mates.”
“Oh, okay.” I gave him a nervous laugh. “In that case, I’d be happy to spend it with you.”
He clapped me on the back, then pulled me into a crushing embrace. “See you later, kiddo. Have fun on your honeymoon and we’ll talk when you get back.”
“Sounds good. Bye, Dad.”
He smiled down at me, then left. Ugh, goodbyes were not my favorite thing in the world.
My stomach grumbled, and I continued to the kitchen. I needed to put some food in me before my tummy decided to eat itself. Luckily, Jace was up and in the kitchen with a couple of other Penumbra staff.
“How can I help you, miss—Mistress.” He jumped up from the table where he’d been enjoying his own breakfast.
