“None of us,” he murmurs. “You don’t trust any of us, do you?” he asks the bump.
The baby kicks again and with a grim determination he places his hands back on Aefre.
“You can trust me,” he whispers as once again he senses distrust from her. “I will only ever protect your mother. I promise you that.”
He feels a small sense of relief in his head now that the baby isn’t so Hell-bent on disliking him. She believes him. It’s crazy that he has such a connection to her seeing as she isn’t his, but perhaps that will all change when she leaves her mother’s body. He strokes Aefre’s belly reassuringly and this is how Constantine finds him moments later.
“Bold,” he says with a raised eyebrow. “In my own bedroom, no less.”
“It’s not what it looks like,” Lincoln says, unashamed of his nudity, taking his hands off her. “I needed to know.”
“And?” Constantine asks.
“She is distrustful of everyone,” Lincoln says, looking him straight in the eye, because yes, her father is included in this.
“Everyone,” Constantine says flatly. “Interesting.” He peers down at Aefre and squints his eyes.
Lincoln has no idea what he is thinking, and he doesn’t want to know. He just wants to leave, to Shift back into Wolf form and run. The air has changed somehow. A feeling of darkness has crept into the room and it is making the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end.
Without another word, he takes his leave and quietly makes his way down the stairs and outside. Once the cold air hits his skin, he Shifts to his big, black Wolf form and then runs. He needs to find himself a quiet place on the grounds to think about what he has learned and what that means for him.
Ponte, Italy, November 2014 - Aefre
“Ugh,” I say as I try to open my mouth, only to find that my tongue is glued to the roof of it. I push my hand into my hair and tug on it slightly. It is all matted and disgusting. I look to the side but CK is nowhere to be seen. With a sigh, I reach over for the glass of water on the nightstand and take a small sip.
“Better,” I mumble and swing my legs over the side of the bed. I am still naked, and a chill goes over me.
I make my way to the bathroom and glare at myself. “Ergh,” I say, turning away to turn the shower on. I think better of it and start to run the bath instead. My lower back is aching, and I could use a good soak.
I lower myself into the steaming water a few moments later and summon up a hot cup of tea. Bliss.
It is only after I have taken a couple of sips that I remember what today is. I sit up suddenly and blink. Shit. How could I have forgotten? CK is meeting the Vampires today. It must go well, absolutely nothing can go wrong because we need them.
A soft knock on the door interrupts my thoughts. “Yes?” I call out. It’s unusual for someone to knock around here. I place my cup on the side of the bath as Ramon opens the door with a smile. His lustful gaze goes over me lounging in the bath and it makes me feel good. Damn good.
I crook my finger at him, and he wastes no time in coming closer.
“You are beautiful,” he whispers to me in stilted English. “Touch?”
I shake my head and his face falls. “Take your clothes off,” I say to him in Italian and his eyebrows go up, but he does as I say.
I want to look. I want to touch him. I have been dying to since CK sent him to me all those months ago. He is gorgeous. A mountain of a man with a body that appears to have been carved out of stone. I lick my lips and stand up. He helps me out of the bath, and I drip all over the mat as I send my gaze raking over him. I do not intend to fuck him, but I am going to touch him, CK’s wrath be damned.
I slowly lift my hands up to his chest and I hear him gasp as I circle his nipples with my fingertips. I trace my hand down his rock-hard abs and go straight in for the kill. I circle his enormous cock, which has his heart beating faster.
“Yes,” he whispers to me as I pump gently.
I let him go to his disappointment and turn him around. I run my hands down his smooth back and over his hard ass. He hisses as my hands come back around to the front, lightly brushing his cock before I roll his balls in my hand.
“You are beautiful,” I say to him now, turning him back around. “I want you, know that. But I can’t. This can never happen between us.”
“Why?” he chokes out.
“My husband would disapprove,” I say sadly.
He grabs my wrist as I make to walk away. His tight hold startles me, and he guides my hand back to his cock.
“No,” I say loudly.