Chapter 147 Cursed fangs
I gazed up into his eyes, running my tongue across my bottom lip as a fractured breath escaped me.
“Ok.”
Short of killing Finn, there was nothing more I could do. The day I had always dreaded was here. Hale would learn the real reason I left him four years ago.
Finn went quiet, his eyes tracing something in mine. “I’m not gonna take that from you though. You've gotta tell him yourself.”
I gave my head a tired shake, unable to keep the exhaustion at bay anymore. Mental, physical, bone deep.
“You'll simply be giving me an opportunity to extend my lie.” My eyes were pinned on his as he closed the distance between us. “I cannot…” I whispered as he caught my chin between his fingers. “Tell him,” I swallowed hard.
“You torment me,” he whispered.
“What?”
“You torment me, Lys.” His eyes were glaciers, pools of torment searching mine. “This is so fucked up… the world is crumbling all around us, and all I can think about… “ Warm breath ghosted over my face, my neck. “wish for… is you.”
My eyes were shut now, my hands bunched into fists by my side because I could not trust myself. Not when he was standing so close that I could feel the heat from his chest against mine, so close we shared one breath.
“It's cruel to hide this from the man I love.”
“Don't.” My breath hitched as I felt his finger lightly brush against my neck. And then he palmed me from behind. I whimpered, but added, “Take it from me, don't ruin this beautiful thing you now have.”
“For your sake… “ He took a quick step back. We were both breathless, our gaze locked. “I’ll hold a lie for you, Lys. Fuck it… I'll damn well kill for you.”
A shiver ran through my body right down to my toes. I pulled his jacket tighter around me now, as the wind picked, making our clothes dance. I felt terribly sorry for Hale now, as guilt crushed my bones. Mordaine was dedicated to Nymphaea, Finn was proving he would prioritize my happiness, and me… I loved Hale with my very soul, but I could not honestly tell anymore who I felt the most loyalty towards.
“This is my burden, Finn.” I shook my head quickly. “I cannot pull you…”
“Too late.” He reached out and yanked me to himself. I gasped. He lowered his face to mine, teasing the tip of my nose with his. “This is not working, angel.”
“Finn...” a damp heat was spreading between my thighs.
“I tried…” his voice shook. “I swear I tried. I even believed I had mastered it after spending so many days away from you.” That husky deep voice in my ear, whispering, was sending sharp jolts of sizzling current to my pussy. My toes curled in my pumps as his warm breath fanned my neck.
“Friends?” he let out a hollow laugh. “I can't be friends.”
“I can't either,” I said in a tortured whisper, and immediately considered chewing my tongue off. Why was I encouraging him when we could not be together, when my torment over him was in fact the least of my problems at this point. “Finn… We cannot… oh fuck.”
His lips were tracing fire along my ear now, making me sigh and moan as we pressed together. My hand shot up to grab his bicep, as if to keep a grip on reality. To keep my legs from melting under me.
“I… we can't, Mordaine…the men will not like it.” My words were a string of incoherence. His hand on my back was making a slow journey to my hip, his tongue licking at my earlobe.
“My feelings remain the same, pumpkin. I don't care.”
At this point, my whole body was literally on fire. Just from the ghost of his lips across my ear, along my neck. This was what Finn did to me, from that very first night.
Just his nearness sent my blood heating up, turned my legs to jelly, and right now, his hand on my back was the only thing holding me up.
Kiss him, selfish Lys came alive. This was ample opportunity. We were sheltered in darkness, a spot nobody ever passed. And if I was lucky, Mordaine would be too busy with his husband at the moment to monitor my own activities.
“No,” I said loudly, tearing myself away from him.
The separation was as painful as if I actually tore my flesh away from his, ripping muscles and spilling blood.
We rode back to the hotel in silence, him leaning against the backseat with his eyes shut, me sitting upright and cradling my purse that had somehow found its way to our car.
I shared a secret with all three men now, something we could never tell each other.
In the suite, the men were having dinner at the table by the balcony, laughing at something just as we walked in.
Hale looked up and winked at me. I smiled tightly. But Mordaine’s eyes were cool suspicion, running up my stained dress and lingering on my face, searching.
“Finn.” I shrugged his jacket off and held it out, not meeting his eyes, and deciding to keep my gaze from the others as well. “Excuse…”
“What’s the price?”
I froze. Then I peeked up to find Finn staring at Mordaine, who was at the moment teasing a bunch of grapes with his tongue.
“What?” Hale narrowed his eyes at Finn, his cutlery hanging.
“What price would Lys be paying for the uh… stuff tonight?” He took the jacket from me.
The suite fell silent as Hale and Mordaine shared a meaningful look, then Mordaine smirked. “First, I'd prefer to tell you about those fangs of yours.” He turned sideways on the padded leather dining seat. “I could have sworn I told you one time to steer clear of biting supernaturals.”
“You never said why.” Finn scowled and turned towards one of the couches.
“Fair.” I noticed the dragon appeared at ease once again, relaxed and conversational.
My eyes darted towards Hale and jealously lit up like a scorching flame in my lungs. Only Hale ever had this effect on Mordaine, could make him laugh and tease and relax.
“Your fangs are a curse but also a gift. If that chit hadn't died tonight, she might have become the strongest wolf you lots have seen in a century.”
My purse trembled in my grip, and out the corner of my eyes, I saw Finn freeze halfway into toeing his shoes off. “What?”
Mordaine turned his back to the room, staring out at the colorfully lit city as if he was bored with conversation already.
“What he is trying to say is,” Hale picked up, “When you, Finn, bite a person, they could either die, become nasty demons or get the gift of immortality and whatever peak ability there is for their species.”
“This is a bad joke.” Finn spat out.
“Then I'd be laughing, my love.” Hale rose from his seat and started to make his way towards me.
I unfroze, spun on my heel and dashed towards rhe bathroom. I was unprepared to look him in the eye just yet. Not after all that happened tonight.
I shut and bolted the door from within, and collapsed against the cool wood as my heart pounded.
The voices in the room were getting louder now, a cacophony of baritone in different emotional states, dry and amused, gentle and coaxing, vexed and querying.
…and you think it was best to tell me now, what else do I not know? Did not know my warning to keep your fangs was not enough. Come now, not everything requires a fight …boyfriend fucks that fire out of you, I'm trying …happens now, price, blood ritual, Gianna? We will know after a year.
I was breathing through my mouth as my thumbs flew rapidly over my phone screen, composing my text to Mom.
Dad was better at texting, used clever emojis and was up-to-date on all the abbreviations, while Mom, on the other hand, preferred well-formatted emails. But I needed a real-time response to be assured she understood me.
This moment could possibly be the only time I would be alone during this trip, with the men in a deep argument. I had to make sure Gianna was under control.
She was getting desperate, and I would be a bigger fool than I already was to ignore her threat tonight. The only people who could contain her tsunami were my parents.
So I came clean to my mother and told her Gianna had a video of Hale and me, what kind of video and its consequences if it ever reached Fentone. Then I re-emphasized the risk of Hale learning the truth. Rein her in!
The two check marks appeared at the bottom of my message, and then the three dots of response began loading.
I tapped my foot against the floor impatiently, reminding myself why I was doing this. This was the only way to keep everyone safe; Hale, my family, even Finn, who I had not pulled into my lie.
Finally, the thumbs up emoji popped on my screen and then mom went offline. I tossed my phone to the side, and hugged myself, shaking.
This coldness, single-minded ambition was so like my Swiss-German ancestors. I was not better than the other Grunders. And whatever was the consequence of all I had done this one night, I would have deserved it.
I could only hope it would wait till after I had finished the tournament.
Mordaine had a large food tray waiting for me when I stepped out, showered and sweet smelling in the hotel bathrobe.
“You ate nothing at the banquet,” that deep bass said.
I regarded him quietly, thinking again how he confused me. Dark, cold god one minute, loving husband the next.
“It's too much food.” I responded quietly.
“We'll help.” He snapped his fingers as I slid into the seat beside him. “Join us, Finn.”
The tension at the table was sizzling electricity. Despite all that happened tonight, we were all clearly hot for one another now that tempers had cooled.
Or perhaps, the adrenaline and burning words from earlier fueled our desires, and now sexual tension was like a fifth presence at the table.
Hale was sitting beside Finn, who had changed out of his bloody outfit, and they kept exchanging heated glances, like they were barely just managing to keep their hands off one another.
Mordaine appeared to be as jealous as I was over Hale, but the hottest flames were between Mordaine and Finn.
Perhaps it was because Finn was his queen’s reincarnate, or because they hated one another so much it could only be love. Whatever the case, I saw Hale was right about his prediction earlier.
It would not be long anymore before their fiery desire detonated into flames. Flames that can only be put out with kisses and friction between naked bodies.
Two large hands, velvet smooth, and callused landed on my thighs then. I jumped, upsetting the table and muttering apologies.