Both Eden and Sunny remain supernaturally immobile, as if stagnation were some kind of defense mechanism. Julian's smile grew wider, but Jax was the first to speak.
"You promised not to disturb my guests, Julian. I need them here. You better fix this, you big nuisance."
Julian's gaze landed on Jax, anger burning inside them, but only for a moment before he stared at Ray. "I'm sorry I made you feel unwanted, Alpha." His eyes shift to Jona. "And you, Sigma." According to me. "And for making you pass my little test." Back to Ray. "But I will not apologize for protecting those under my rule. This is my highest duty. Of course you can understand that, Alpha."
Ray's shallow breathing tickles my neck." I can do it," he said through his teeth.
"Fine. Then let me fix the situation by cooking you a 'Welcome to Laurel Cove' dinner. There's plenty of room for you to clean up on campus and we can make a fresh start."
Eden finally took a breath, his movement caught my attention. "Oh, you're all in for a feast. That's how Julian won me over thanks to his food."
Do vampires eat? I ask my mind to Ray.
Obviously.
"We're going to have dinner with you," says Ray. "But this is your last chance. If you insult my people again, we will not hesitate to leave your beloved city." Ray utters the word "city" like it's a curse.
We spend the rest of the trip in almost amicable silence. The tensions are as thick as feathers, the looks too matchy to be truly friendly.
"Rory will show you your room. I assume you want to share?" "As Ray, Jon and I approach arm in arm the flamboyant double doors of his downtown campus." Eden and Sunny are also arm in arm behind us, and for a moment I wondered if these two were more than just friends.
Jax stands next to Eden with a slightly confused expression.
"Yes," Ray and Jon said in unison, without hesitation.
A big, square-faced man—Rory I think—opens the doors, taking us into a decidedly cold, open-concept space. I brought Ray and Jon closer to keep my teeth from chattering as they gripped all the different gaps. Multiple seating areas divided by plush rugs and different variations of the warm color scheme made the large space feel warm and inviting despite its unholy warmth and imposing size. Are vampires supposed to keep themselves in the fridge or something?
I could not have imagined that I would keep such a clean and tidy place.
But then, I guess Eden doesn't have to imagine that either. Vampire Queens absolutely does not dust or make windows.
"Dinner is at nine in the formal dining room." Julian nodded toward a corridor that showed us where to find the dining room. "I'll let the three of you clean up and explore as you see fit. Rory will be waiting for you if you need anything.
"This way, please," Rory says as Julian, Eden, and Sunny go in the opposite direction.
"Are you coming, Jax?" Eden calls the wolf begging us to come here.
Jax nods and catches up with his vampire best friend. "If they go, I blame that lame you call friend," he said in a low voice as they rounded the corner.
We follow Rory up at least seven stairs, or so it seems, she announces that we've finally reached the drawing room.
The guard or the butler or whatever opens the door and gives us a quick tour outlining the living quarters, sleeping quarters and bathrooms. Yes, I said bathrooms. Like more than one.
God, what must it be like to live like this? Sharing no less than a thousand square feet and fighting for dominance over who showers first.
I glanced over the living space, which was larger than my entire hut, and sighed. "We have to get out of the cabin," I muttered.
"If you need anything, press zero on the phone and I'll send it to you."
Oh, thanks, I said, and suddenly I realized how different our two worlds were. Maybe Ray was right in his concerns about coming here. Compared to these humans, they wear small wolves.
Rory was out the door, about to close the door, and I was about to breathe a sigh of relief and voice all the quirks in my head when she stopped and made direct eye contact with me.
Ray lets another low, booming growl echo in his chest.
"I don't mean to be disrespectful," he told Ray as he stared into my eyes. "Just to show you my seriousness. They are not as bad as they seem. No dear." He slammed the door shut behind him, and the clumsy footsteps getting farther and farther away gave me a second to come to my senses.
"You want to move out of the cabin?" He asks quietly as we all get undressed and go to the shower. We really smell like vomit.
Well yes. I think it's time. Marih is nagging me and I guess I wasn't even ready to think about leaving before. For example, thinking about this is the first step to completely turning my back on my healer side.
I stopped as soon as I opened the bathroom door.
"Big Wolf." Rail marble and chrome tipConfused by her concern, she ran her hand through her hair. "The shower alone can fit in our entire package."
I don't know about it, but there are four large showerheads hanging from the ceiling and countless other showerheads placed up and down the three marble walls of the pedestal shower. There's a big row on the back wall where I can see a lot of bad stuff going on. And somehow, the glass door is completely frameless, suspended in midair with no support.
Jon grins and makes a frantic leap towards the nearest shower head.
Ray and I grin at each other and do the same thing.
After rinsing and lathering ourselves for the sake of formality to get rid of the air sickness, we begin to run into each other.
Ray slides a soapy washcloth down the middle of my back. "Turn around and let me see my mark, Omega."
My lady parts attract all the attention only when my assignment is mentioned. Not because I like being told what to do or being unable to do so. The distance between me and Julian was proof to the contrary.
But I absolutely loved bowing to my Alpha Pack.
Willingly giving it control, digging deeper into our definitions, and playing with these power dynamics is like a little slice of heaven.
I did as I was told, turned around and leaned my shoulders forward to get the best of her.
"Mmm, she's recovering nicely." He caressed the mark, and a shiver of fiery pleasure swept through me.
I gasped and hugged Jon tightly in front of me.
Ray instantly walks away. "Does it still hurt to touch? I didn't think they worked like that."
The grin in Jon's voice is enough to make me smile too. "It wasn't a sound of pain, dude. It was pure pleasure."
Ray put his hand under my chin and lifted my head and pulled me towards him. "Is this true?"
As the proof was placed right on my ass, I nodded, not missing how much he appreciated that little voice of pleasure.
"Omega, is that true?" Ray's words were harsh because I didn't respond quickly enough, and despite the water rushing all over my body, I don't miss the slippery flood of water that he evoked dominance.
"Yes," I say softly, the sex is now seriously ready to go.
"What do you think, Akoklu?"
Jon's smile grows as usual. "I don't know. It may not be ready."
My heart is stuck on its own, fluttering like a fish between my ribs. "Ready for what?" I ask nervously, but completely open.
Ray pulls me closer, hitting the small of my back with his hard dick, and his free hand turns my face so that my ear is on his lips.
He blows his next words into the delicate shell of my ear. "Ready for both of us, sweet Omega."