To Love a Shifter: A Paranormal Romance Boxed Set (42 page)

Because he was afraid of what he would see them doing?

Misty pulled her hand away from his. “That’s not a good joke,” she said shakily.

He reached up to thread his fingers through her hair. “It wasn’t one.” This time, he heard leaves rustling, the slice of claws in the air as if Domenico had momentarily shifted, creating tension in the air.

And then the tension was gone, and Lysander knew his time with Misty was about to come to an end. He smiled up at Misty, asking in a teasing voice, “Do you think your prince will get mad once he finds out about this?”

She smiled back at him uncertainly, protesting more out of habit this time. “He’s not my prince.”

A voice that was not Lysander’s answered quietly, “Is that so?”

Domenico Moretti stood at the entrance of the cave, dressed in just a plain round-collared shirt and jeans, and yet – he had never seemed so beautiful and powerful in Misty’s eyes. Not a flicker of expression betrayed his true feelings, his handsome face unreadable, but even so Misty sensed the pain that her careless words had caused.

Lysander moved away from her and she scrambled to her feet, knowing all the while she was making it worse by acting like she had something to be guilty about. “Domenico, I---”

“I’m sorry to intrude on your…date.” His voice became flat as he said the last word.

Before she could answer, Lysander was chuckling, ruffling her hair as he said, “It wasn’t a romantic date, Your Highness.” His voice was perfectly bland, but somehow that only made him sound glib instead of honest.

But Domenico wasn’t looking at him. He only had eyes for Misty. That was supposed to make her feel good, but it didn’t. It felt wrong. “A missive from Aurelius arrived. A few pack leaders would like to meet with you today. Do you think it would be possible for you to leave?”

A part of her knew that she shouldn’t be leaving with Domenico, shouldn’t allow herself to be alone with him because it would change things between them forever. But another part of her remembered the flatness of his voice as he spoke to her, the dull look in his green eyes as he saw her with another man’s head on her lap---

She blurted out, “Yes.” She watched Domenico exhale after that, and she realized that he had been tensely waiting for her answer, as if expecting Misty to reject him. That did not feel right either.

Domenico was an Alpha, the heir to the Moretti pack, a legendary prince among his kind – it just didn’t feel right that someone like her would be causing someone like him so much pain.

But…
this was what she had wanted, didn’t she?

“Misty?” Domenico was offering his hand.

She glanced at Lysander behind her shoulders. “Next time?” she asked hesitantly.

The smile he gave her didn’t reach his eyes. It puzzled her, but right now Misty didn’t have time to think about it much longer. “Go on, have fun.”

Turning back to Domenico, she took his hand and he immediately clasped it tightly between his fingers, pulling her to his side. And then he was kissing her without any warning, his lips demanding and conquering as it covered hers, his tongue slipping in as if to immediately reclaim what he considered his.

And she let him.

Because somehow she instinctively felt
this
was the only way to make up for the hurt she had just caused.

Domenico pulled away. Before she could say anything else, he said in a low fierce whisper, “I’m never going to give you up to anyone, Misty. I love you too fucking much not to fight for you with everything I have.”

~~~

The “Midways” was a highway of sorts that only appeared visible to non-human races. In ancient times, it had been used by non-humans to reach different realms, most of which had since been abandoned. Virtually every non-human race had learnt to adapt to living with humans, and only the Faeries had chosen to once again live apart from humanity.

It was an endless-looking bridge, and because Misty was entirely human, she wasn’t able to see the portals that the bridge led to. All she could see was a great yawning distance ahead of her.

Domenico had been tensely silent since leaving the realm of the Faeries, and it worried her. “I can’t imagine the Midways being so crowded,” she babbled. “But based on what I’ve read, that was exactly how it was in the old days…right?”

Domenico didn’t answer.

She continued determinedly, “And they said that…that evil ones wouldn’t be able to cross it. Is that true?”

Finally, Domenico answered, “Supposedly, that is how the Midways work, allowing it to be the first line of defense for the realms.”

“
Supposedly?”
She didn’t like the sound of that.

“A lot of things have changed,” he answered absently before lapsing back into silence.

Domenico wasn’t exactly brooding, and he certainly didn’t come across as furious but something was truly wrong. She felt it in her bones, and she couldn’t stand it. “I’m sorry,” she blurted out. “I’m sorry if you were mad because I went out with Lysander. But Domenico, there’s nothing…” She couldn’t make herself say the words, afraid to make a fool of herself if her suspicions proved false.

Domenico knew exactly what was going through her mind. For a moment, he struggled with his pride, which demanded that he take the chance to hurt her now as she had unwittingly hurt him with how intimate she was with the other man.

But in the end, his love for Misty won---like how it would always win because she was the most important thing in his life now. “I was jealous,” he admittedly flatly.

“But there’s no need to be!” she cried out even as her heart raced at Domenico’s unexpected admission. A year ago, Domenico would never have been able to say something like that. She added in a mumble, “He’s gay.”

“And you’re sure about that?”

“Of course! I even asked Daryl about it!”

His head turned towards her sharply. “And he confirmed that Lysander Allard is not interested in women?”

“Yes.”

Domenico did not know what to make of it. Her words relieved him, but at the same time he had a feeling something was incredibly wrong, and his intuition was almost always right.

“Nothing happened, is happening, or could ever happen between us because he’s gay,” she couldn’t help stressing.

“And he asked you to marry him.”

“A marriage of convenience---”

“A marriage to another man!” Domenico hadn’t meant to shout, but he was so fucking pissed and goddamn hurt to hear Misty talk about marrying another man – even if that man liked other men – so easily. “You didn’t even turn him down!”

She felt defensive all of a sudden, and she didn’t like it. “Don’t act like I’m the bad guy here,” she snapped. “
You
were the one who was contemplating marriage with a Lyccan princess while we were still married!”

“It was different then! I was an idiot. Are you saying you’re an idiot now?”

For a moment they stared at each other, both of them shocked at how completely unlike Domenico Moretti those words were. He usually had more, well,
finesse
when engaged in a verbal battle.

Domenico suddenly grimaced, as if unable to believe he had indeed said something so juvenile, and Misty burst into laughter. “I can’t believe the great Domenico Moretti, the one who prides himself for being the perfect diplomat, just called me an
idiot.”

“Your words, not mine,” he answered coolly.

That only made her laugh again. She continued gaily, “If it was in the past, you would have said something like...
imbecile?
A
dim-witted fool?
A---”

“Shut up.”

Domenico Moretti was not the type to say such a thing either, and this time she really did lose it, doubling over in her laughter.

The sound was infectious, and Domenico felt his grimace giving way to a smile. Right now, his love for Misty was near to making his heart burst and it killed him that he couldn’t tell her about it. He said gruffly, “We’re here.” He took her hand, feeling it tremble in his and ignoring it. He pulled her out of the portal, and he immediately caught her before she fell. It was a common reaction for humans who had the need to pass through the Midways.

This close to Domenico, his familiar scent wrapped itself around her. This close, her body was reacquainted with his strength. This close, she found herself looking into his eyes and realized what he had been doing his best to hide all along.

He was scared.

“Domenico, what’s wrong?” Misty whispered as she let him slowly help her back to her feet. But she didn’t move away, even reaching out to hold his face so that he would look at her. It was the first time that she had touched him voluntarily – or at least the first time she had done it when they were not in the middle of making love – and both of them knew it.

Domenico shuddered at her touch, couldn’t help capturing her hand with his, pressing her palm close as he turned his head sideways to kiss it.

The heat of his kiss made Misty’s knees go weak, and for a moment she remembered how oh so deliciously thrilling it was the first time his lips touched hers.

“What’s wrong, Domenico?”

“I’m so fucking scared I’m going to lose you.”

Yes. No. Yes. No.
She didn’t know what she should say anymore, didn’t know what she should be thinking or even feeling. Domenico had changed so much. In the past, he would never have admitted something like that because it wouldn’t have happened in the first place. He would have made sure of it, manipulating people and everything else he could control so that someone like Lysander Allard would never have gotten within ten feet of her.

Domenico saw the indecision in her eyes, and behind it lurked insecurities that he knew he was responsible for. Cursing himself silently, he slowly lowered her hand without letting go, saying gruffly, “Come on. They’re already waiting for us.”

Portals leading to the Midways were always hidden in dense forests and heavily guarded. Today, Domenico had used the one closest to the official residence of the Castellano pack, which was where the meeting with other pack leaders would take place.

Domenico held her hand throughout the ride and she let him. As the silence between them continued, it slowly dawned on Misty that this was basically the first car ride she shared with Domenico that nothing even the slightest bit sexual was taking place between them.

Was that a good thing or bad thing, Misty wondered, unable to help sneaking a look at Domenico’s profile. He was frowning at the scenery, his face bleak, his shoulders tense. The feeling that something was truly wrong became even more urgent, and she unconsciously tightened her grip on his hand.

Domenico looked at her in surprise. “What is it?”

Misty asked haltingly, “Can’t you tell me what’s wrong?” She expected him to brush her off again, or at least to tell her that she shouldn’t worry about him but this new Domenico didn’t seem to run out of surprises.

He did the least thing she expected him to do, and that was to tell the truth. “I’m beginning to question whether it is truly right to have you back, Misty.” His lips twisted in a smile filled with bitter regret. “I’m beginning to understand that loving you might not be enough to make me...deserve you.”

She paled at his words, her heart stopping mid-beat as the glass bubble that kept her heart safe started to crack. “Domenico---” But there was no time to answer. They had already arrived, and guards wearing the Castellano livery were already moving forward to open the car door for them and assist them out of the limousine.