Part 21 (1/2)
”Or rendered me brain damaged.”
”You b.a.s.t.a.r.d!” She shoved the pistol against his chest and stomped away. ”Don't ever do that to me again. You know I love the werewolf!”
”Yes, but you were frightened of it just now.”
”Because I've never seen it during the day. I didn't know you could change like that. I thought it was only during the full moon.”
”Surprised?”
She rounded on him, but the boldness of him standing there, bleeding and naked and strangely apologetic, messed with her need to remain angry.
”Come look, Bella. Please, it's fine.”
She'd done it. She'd fired a weapon at another being. And if she could fire it at someone she loved, then she could sure as h.e.l.l fire it at some b.i.t.c.h of a vampire who wanted her dead.
The creep had done this for her own good, and d.a.m.n it, she was thankful for it.
”Let me see.” She stalked up to her lover, but by the time she touched his shoulder, the wound had already closed. She wiped away a streak of blood. ”That's cool.”
”I promise that'll be the only time I ask you to hurt me.”
”Did it hurt?”
”Course it did.” He kissed her. ”About as much as this might hurt you.”
He pinched her nipple and she jumped, slapping at him playfully. ”Stop it, or I'll try the throwing stars on you next.” He caught her and swung her over one arm, dipping her into a dramatic kiss that would have made a silver-screen rogue jealous.
”You make it so difficult to be serious sometimes, sweet. I like that about you. You allow me to remember what it's like to just be.”
”Have you ever laughed for the heck of it?”
”Yes, many times.”
”With Aby.” He nodded, and she decided that someday she was going to have to meet that enigma of a woman. ”Okay, what's next, naked werewolf dude?”
”Another kiss right-” he tugged up her s.h.i.+rt and bent to her stomach ”-here.”
And with more and more kisses, and the quick removal of her clothes, the weaponry lesson was postponed for a few hours.
Chapter 16.
T hey strode at Severo's quick pace through the marble hallway, checking windows and verifying security codes. Bella knew the routine, but she sensed it gave him greater peace of mind to do this than it did her. She trusted she would be safe, no matter what occurred, so long as Severo was here to protect her.
Not for a moment did she honestly believe she could wield that monster of a pistol, especially with a snarling vampire approaching.
If it came to that.
It was hard to imagine the war Severo sensed was brewing. One person had died. And while Seth was a sad loss, Bella couldn't see the matter escalating to gangs of vampires versus werewolves.
Not that she'd seen other werewolves. Severo was a loner who had left his pack years earlier. He'd said the packs were slimming down and seeking shelter in the northern areas of Canada and Europe. The werewolves were not particularly social creatures, which didn't surprise Bella, considering what she knew of Severo.
”And the security code is four-nine-zero-eight-five-two,” she repeated by rote when he looked to her.
The code increased by twelve with each door, starting with the front door, then the garage doors, the side doors, the patio door and various other exits. The windows were all on one central control, activated with a push of a b.u.t.ton in the bedroom or kitchen.
”But you said the protection wards would be the first line of defense, anyway, right? What are protection wards, anyway?”
”They're magical s.h.i.+elds, so to speak, against demons, vampires and other sorts. Designed by a witch for me when I moved in. I can't be too cautious. One never knows what those longtooth b.a.s.t.a.r.ds have up their sleeves.”
”I'm hungry,” she grumbled. ”I think I've got it. Let's see what Heloise has cooking.”
He grabbed her about the wrist with his usual forceful squeeze, but a second later he let up. ”Bella, you're not taking this seriously.”
”I shot you and you don't think I'm taking this seriously? Severo, this is a lot to take in.”
”You accepted vampires and weres easily enough. Why is it so difficult to want to survive?”
”I want to survive,” she said on a surprised gasp. ”I love you. I want to spend more time with you. As long as I can. Forever, or for the rest of your three-hundred-some years. I don't want to die, but...Just let me handle this my way, okay?” ”Yes. Sorry.” Occupied with security, he wouldn't come down from the command mode for a bit.
He strode off toward the kitchen.
She followed, loving his no-nonsense gait, fierce and solid despite the slight hitch in the left leg-due to being caught in a trap. A tear pooled in her eye when she imagined her lover suffering.
It was a good reason to hold a grudge against the longtooths.
”So tell me,” Bella said as Heloise motioned for them to sit and wait for the dinner she was plating, ”if you're not immortal, then do you just drop dead at the big three hundred?”
Now more relaxed, he dragged her onto his lap in what had become their favorite chair to sit in and snuggle and make out. Bella pushed a thick hank of his hair over his shoulder and laid her head at his collar, where the heat of his blood brewed a delicious man scent.
”I'm guessing at the three hundred number.” He skated a palm along her bare leg, inching up her skirt, but not so high that it was inappropriate in front of Heloise. ”Weres can live hundreds of years. I think the oldest was around three hundred twenty-five.”
”I can't imagine a life so long. It would be amazing.”
”I was born in 1935. I'm still but a pup, I guess. Though there are days I feel I've lived these nine decades and died a thousand times over.”
She palmed his abdomen under the brown sweater, which matched his eyes, and snuggled closer. ”What's going to happen with us? I'm not getting any younger. And you certainly don't want to be dating an old woman in another five decades.”
”You can't imagine how good that makes me feel when you speak of us in terms of decades, sweet. Doesn't matter how old or wrinkled you become. I'll always love you.”
”Oh, please. When I'm eighty, and you're still looking like a s.e.xy thing, you can't tell me I'll appeal to you. And when I die...?”
”I will wish to go with you.”
”Don't say that, Severo. Maybe we should just concentrate on the now.”