Forever Changed (The Mystic Wolves) (19 page)

“He was sent by Zane after hearing reports of a crazed and out of control vampire. His orders were to assess the threat and, if he couldn’t bring me into submission, destroy me.”

“Well, obviously it worked.”

“It almost didn’t. I was used to being wild, answering only to myself. I tried to kill Devlin, believing I could overpower him. I was hell bent in my mission, and no one was going to keep me from it. It was a brutal fight; and I realized later, he held himself back. He could’ve eliminated me within seconds, but he was also testing me. To this day he won’t tell me what he saw in me that changed his mind, but as he plunged his fingers into my chest, his hand wrapping around my heart, he gave me one more chance to yield. If I’d refused his offer of pledging my fealty to the King, it was goodbye world. All I had to do was agree, and he’d spare me.”

Tears misted my eyes as I heard the reverence in Christina’s voice. It was no doubt a painful memory to share, one that showed a more ruthless side to her nature; but I couldn’t help marveling over Devlin’s mercy. There were similar tales to this told amongst the supernatural community, of people who’d turned their lives around because of him. Now I could see why she loved him and why she felt she needed to atone.

“So, you’re trying to make up for the damage you did before becoming an Enforcer.” It was more a statement than a question.

“With every extra day I’m given. I may never be able to undo the sins of my past, but I can ensure I never repeat them.” Underneath the grief she still felt for who she once was; there was also a strong conviction.

“For what it’s worth, Christina, I think you’ve done more than enough.” My words seemed shallow, but they still needed to be said.

“It won’t ever be enough, Darcy. Ever. And I’m okay with that.” Letting out a sigh, she slapped her hands over her thighs and stood up. “I think we’re done for now. Why don’t you go get changed and we’ll meet up later?”

Giving her a brief hug, we parted ways; her story still lingering in my mind. She may not think she’d ever be forgiven for what she’d done, but I prayed that, in time, she’d realize that her benevolent actions defined who she was, now. And who she was . . . was amazing.

Chapter 20

Slipping into the walk-in closet, I stretched out my neck muscles. The steaming hot shower had worked wonders on my tired body.

A sliver of a thought floated through my mind along with images of a future where Mason and I could simply relax—where the only thing we had to worry about was making sure neither of us stole the bed covers each night. The constant threats that had plagued us, pretty much since we met, were certainly taking a toll. But, as I tugged a pair of jeans from a hanger, I didn’t entertain the idea very long. There was no point. Life was what it was.

It felt good to be back at home after traveling across the country. Even though I enjoyed flying, I was looking forward to sleeping in my own bed. Letting out a sigh, I squealed with surprise when an arm snaked around my waist, pulling me into a hard body. My training instantly kicked in and I readied myself to attack.

“Easy there, tiger.” Mason’s soft chuckle tickled my ear. “It’s just me.

“You scared me.”

“So I see.” He didn’t release me; instead he encircled me completely with his arms. “It’s okay, you’re safe.” Resting my head back against his chest, my heartbeat slowed back to its normal rhythm.

“What are you doing in here? I thought you’d be busy overseeing everything?” The heat from his hands against my stomach felt like heaven, stabilizing my nerves. He kissed my shoulder briefly, his breath tickling my skin and causing goosebumps.

“I came looking for you. I have a surprise.” I couldn’t see his face, but I could hear the smile in his voice.

“You do? Why?” Scooting around, I looked up into his beautiful blue eyes, curious.

“What’s today’s date?” His mischievous grin gave nothing away.

“Umm, I don’t know.” The more I thought about it, the more I realized I’d totally lost track of what day it was.

“Sweetheart . . .” Digging into his pocket, he pulled something out; and, brushing my hair to the side, the cool feel of metal touched my skin. “Happy Birthday.”

It was my birthday. With all the recent drama, I’d completely spaced that I’d turned twenty-five. I was embarrassed as Mason laughed at my forgetfulness. My fingers picked up the diamond teardrop pendant that delicately hung in the hollow of my throat. It was exquisite. As the light above shimmered off the gem, I let out a happy sigh.

“This is gorgeous, Mason. I love it! Oh my gosh, I can’t believe I didn’t remember.” I was too busy admiring my new gift to truly feel bad.

“Well, in your defense, you’ve had a lot on your mind.”

“But to forget?” I dropped the necklace and buried my burning face in my hands. “That’s kind of mortifying.”

“Hey, we all understand. Everyone’s been preoccupied lately—what with Amber, the Fates, our wedding, and now Julian. As long as you remember you’re mine, you’re fine.” He winked at me, earning him a slap on the arm. It was hard to feel silly when he said things like that. Smiling, I threw my arms around his neck and kissed him.

“Thank you!” He returned my affection, my heart racing as he added a little heat to it. All other thoughts fled as I focused solely on his body pressed against mine, his hard muscles holding me close as his mouth devoured mine. Although I would never admit it, moments like these were ones I cherished. All the diamonds in the world couldn’t replace the way I felt as pleasure took over. Not just the physical sensations, but also the soul connection we had—knowing that even though we joked about it a lot, he truly
was
mine, forever. We should have been looking toward a future filled with sweet lessons in how to bring happiness to the other, not preparing for yet another attack.

Focus, sweetheart,
the soft rebuke filtered through our link. He’d overheard my musings and, judging from the slight teasing in his tone, he wasn’t amused that my mind had wandered.

Give me something to focus on, then.
It was a blatant challenge and I all but purred as he increased the kiss’s temperature—taking it from hot to downright smoldering. Stealing my breath, his tongue danced with mine, wiping away any notion that anything existed but him.

He pushed me back into the hanging clothes, items dropping to the floor; but I didn’t care. I couldn’t; the only thing that mattered was his hand reaching for the button on my jeans as he fumbled to get it undone. Fire lit in the pit of my stomach because I knew where this was heading. In a matter of seconds, we’d both be naked—the perfect way to spend my birthday.

“Can I just say I hate these jeans?” He grumbled, as the button finally gave way and the zipper slid easily down.

“Consider them gone.” Shimmying out of my pants, I was reduced to bra and panties. With a satisfied growl of approval, Mason slid his finger underneath my bra straps, dropping them down by my elbows, as he reached around for the clasp.

“And this, too. All of it. I hate all your clothes.” Hunger consumed his voice, his eyes feasting on my bare skin, and his tongue briefly flicking over his lips as though he couldn’t wait to taste and savor.

“And have me walk around naked?” Reaching for his belt buckle and tugging his shirt out from his pants, it was hard for me to focus, knowing what was about to happen. My fingers grazed over his tight abdomen, the muscles twitching at the contact.

“It’s fine with me.” Mason gave me little room to undress him with all his attention centered on touching as much of me as he could as one time. His hands were everywhere; his mouth swiftly following, each blessed nip and lick causing a frenzied tension to build within me.

With his shirt finally off, all that was left was ridding him of his boxers. His tanned skin seemed to glow beneath the closet light, a faint dusting of hair over his chest reminding me how truly glorious and masculine my husband was. He was the sexiest man I’d ever known and I couldn’t wait to start worshiping every inch of him.

“Darcy,” he growled, grabbing my butt and hiking me up around his hips. The movements almost made me lose my mind, my body winding tighter and tighter with each passing second. “Bed. Now.”

“Please,” I begged.

Walking out of the closet, my gaze locked with Mason’s; there was a quick knock followed by a loud, “Oh crap.” Devlin stood in the doorway, his face blazing red as he abruptly turned around and retreated. The door clicked closed, but he’d seen enough. I couldn’t help it. I burst into laughter, even as Mason groaned in frustration.

“Guess I forgot to tell you we planned an impromptu birthday dinner outside.” Mason didn’t put me down, holding me in place as he stared longingly at our bed.

“You think?” Resting my arms over his shoulders, I shook my head lovingly at him.

“Rain
check?”

“Definitely.”

With one last lingering kiss that threatened to have me lock our bedroom door and ignore the world, we quickly redressed and left to join our friends.

****

We entered the garden to a round of applause, Daniel, the obvious ringleader, stood with a large grin on his face. “Well done. I guess payback’s a bitch, you two. I’d never seen Devlin so mortified. Whatever he walked in on proves my point!”

“That being?” Mason held my hand as we walked over to the small dinner table someone had arranged. Holding out the chair for me, I sat down, glaring at Daniel. Mason had been right—it was an intimate meal—Christina, Devlin, and Daniel the only others joining us. Everyone was casually dressed, leaning back in their seats as Daniel took center stage in harassing his best friend. If looks could kill, Devlin was on the verge of maiming hi
m, as well.

“You guys need a sign for your door or start locking the damn thing. I’m surprised I haven’t gone blind from the amount of times I’ve caught you and Darcy in compromising positions. And to think, poor Devlin is forever scarred now.” Lifting the water glass in the air, he toasted my uncle. “Welcome to club, bro. Send your therapy bill to the Pack, care of the Alpha.”

“Sit down and shut up,” Mason joked, tossing a napkin at Daniel. “Keep this up and your future lucky someone will be in for a rude awakening. I have no problem highlighting all your delightful flaws and weaknesses.”

“Pfft, she’ll be too infatuated with my captivating charm and rugged good looks!” Daniel beamed, puffing out his chest in mock pride.

“So, she’ll be blind, huh? Good to know,” Mason retorted. “Now, quit hogging the limelight and wish my girl a Happy Birthday. It seems she forgot what day it was.” This earned another round of laughter and I lightly punched his leg.

“Thanks for sharing. Whatever happened to privacy between married couples?”

“Oh, honey, I think it’s a little late for that. In all my time knowing Devlin, I can count on one hand how many times I’ve seen him blush that deeply and be rendered virtually speechless.” Christina rose from her chair and offered me a small hug. “Happy Birthday. It’s nothing much, but I hope you’ll like it.” She handed me a small gift folded in tissue paper. Unwrapping it carefully, I gasped at the beautiful green gem lying in my palm. “It’s called a bloodstone and it blesses the owner with strength and protection. It seemed fitting this would be your first, since your powers were released.”

“I love it,” I exclaimed, turning the stone over in my hand, studying
the red veins through it. “This is so thoughtful. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” Sensing Devlin was behind her, Christina stood to the side before returning to her seat.

I tried not to smirk at him as he stammered softly below his breath. I’d seen different sides of him, but this one was completely adorable. Pulling me into a bear hug, I returned Devlin’s embrace, his lips briefly kissing the side of my head. “Happy Birthday, dear niece. Sorry for the interruption.”

“I’m sorry you got an eyeful,” I whispered.

“I’ll live,” he answered, chuckling gently. “I have something for you, too.” Letting me go, Devlin bent over and retrieved something from his seat. “Once everything settles down, I’ll give you lessons on how to use it, okay?”

I gasped as he presented me with a beautifully fashioned leather sheathe, an intricate design etched into the soft casing. With shaking hands, I unfastened the clasp and slid out a throwing dagger, the sharp blade gleaming from the nearby lanterns surrounding our dinner party venue. It was a thing of beauty, fitting perfectly in my grip.  Teasingly, I pointed it at Daniel, with a cocky grin on my face. “Anything else to say, Mr. Smarty Pants? I’m fine with testing out my aim.” Poking my tongue out, I turned back to Devlin, grateful for his present. “This is incredible.”

“I made the sheathe myself. See, there’s a small inscription on the inside.” Sure enough, burned into the leather were the words, “May your aim be forever true, little warrior.” Tears blurred my vision as I deposited the knife on the table and gave him another hug.

“I love you so much!” It was his turn to pat my back reassuringly now, our emotions at the surface.

“I love you, too. Now let’s eat.”

“Umm, excuse me? Don’t I get to kiss the birthday girl?” Daniel complained, snorting his disgust at being overlooked.

“Haven’t you said enough?” Mason laughed.

“Never!” With a roguish flourish, Daniel bowed before me, every bit the charmer. “I don’t have a gift, per se, but what I can offer is just as priceless. For one week, I will be at your beck and call.”

“Aren’t you already?” Mason chimed in.

“Shush, don’t interrupt me. What was I saying? Oh yeah. For one week, I’ll be your slave. Your wish is my command, milady.”

I couldn’t keep from giggling. “Anything?”

“Anything within reason.”

Mason barked out a snort. “And there’s the loophole.”

Daniel rolled his eyes, ignoring him as he focused solely on me. “And any mocking of your idiotic husband is a freebie. Because that’s how much I love you.”

“Easy, second-in-command. I’d hate to ruin Darcy’s special night with a death.”

My head kept bouncing back and forth between the pair like a tennis match. “I accept, Daniel. Thank you.” I gave him a small curtsy, inwardly looking forward to what antics he’d conjure up and excuse away as part of his gift.

“Any time, love. You know I have your best intentions at heart.”

With the birthday wishes and gifts done, it was time to eat. Mason explained that later on, the entire pack would gather for an official party or BBQ; but I was perfectly content with the meal they’d put together tonight. Breads, cheese, salads, and cold cuts adorned the table, making my mouth water. I was starving and didn’t wait for anyone, as I filled my plate. Because we were still under threat, we all sipped on juices and iced water, needing to keep our minds unclouded.

“Ugh, I’m so full,” I moaned shortly afterward, my eyes clearly bigger than my appetite. “I don’t think I could eat another bite!”

“I hope you left room for dessert,” Mason asked, ignoring Daniel’s rude comment about keeping it to the bedroom. “Let me go get it.” Minutes later, he returned from the kitchen with a tub of ice cream with a candle sticking out of the top. “Remember, it’s the thought that counts, sweetheart.” Christina lit the wick with her magic and everyone watched as Mason placed it in front of me.

“Make a wish!”

It was a no-brainer. Taking a short breath, I blew out the flame; the only thought in my mind was I wanted this business with Julian to be over. Closing my eyes, I let the silent hope sink in, believing it with all my heart.