308
Lucy
The locker room air felt sticky against my skin, clinging to me even though I had cooled down a lot. My body was thrumming with his presence. My fingers trembled slightly as I wrestled with the combination lock, the metallic click a welcome distraction from the thrilling heat that lingered in me.
"I can't believe he has any interest in you."
I frowned and turned my head, looking at the young woman standing a few lockers down.
"Me either."
She blinked, and I pulled out my bag and headed out. Emerging into the hallway, I found Tom, David, and Duke already waiting, their silhouettes bathed in the warm glow of overhead lanterns. Despite the casual banter bouncing between them, I couldn't shake the feeling that things were different.
"Ready?" David asked.
I nodded, slipping my hand into his and walking with him. We got into one of the Escort SUVs and rode toward the Blood Moon Estate. Tom and Duke were chatting behind us, and it made me smile, listening to the easy way Duke was talking. Whatever would come of their relationship, he felt at ease with Tom, and that was more than I ever could hope. We got to the Estate and headed down the corridor.
"I'm going to go check on Amos and Blue," David said. "Duke, think I can trust you to get them to the private dining room?"
"Sounds good."
David headed upstairs. The Estate was oddly quiet but thrumming with energy. I followed Duke into the private dining room next to the second kitchen and smiled. Then, I went looking through the pantry.
"You're cooking?" Duke asked.
"No," I scoffed. "I wouldn't do that to us, but I wanted to see if the ingredients were here..."
"Ingredients for what?"
"Cinnamon rolls."
Tom groaned. "That sounds so good. Admittedly, I'm starving, so everything sounds good."
I turned as Duke went to the fridge. "How do you feel about steak?"
I looked back, and Tom's lit up. "I love steak."
"Great. It's about the only thing I can make with confidence."
My eyes bulged, but I turned back to the cabinet to hide my smile. Seemed like Duke was more than warming up to Tom.
David came down. "Blue says that you'd better be eating whole meals. She won't be bedridden forever, and if you aren't at least a few pounds heavier, there will be problems."
Duke groaned. "That's impossible! What does she expect me to do? Eat my weight in cookies or something?"
David chuckled and came up behind me. I felt his hand on my back, and he lowered his voice.
"Can I help you find... whatever you're looking for?"
I looked at him. "No."
He cocked an eyebrow. "You found it?"
"No, but it's a surprise."
His eyes lit up, and he grinned. "I look forward to it."
He reached into the pantry and grabbed a few things before pulling back. He kissed my cheek and went back to talking with Duke and Tom. Soon, I heard the sizzle of something in a pan, and I pulled all the ingredients I needed. Luckily, they were mostly all together. Then, I went looking for a bowl. I didn't know how I knew exactly which bowls I would need, but I felt David's gaze on me.
I turned back and found him watching me. His gaze swept over the ingredients briefly before darting back to me. I smiled.
"No peeking."
His eyes went misty. He cleared his throat, and he turned back to cooking.
I prepped the bowl of sugar and cinnamon and left the dough to proof, whatever that meant. Then, I sat down to eat with Tom, Duke, and David.
Tom had us all laughing, loud and carefree. He tore into his steak with more gusto than I expected, and Duke was practically glowing. I had no idea what on earth was going on, but I found it adorable. Tom and Duke headed out to the training grounds. David cleaned up since Duke had done most of the cooking, and I finished preparing the cinnamon roll. I put them in their individual baking papers to rise some more when David pulled me close, his arms around me. Before I could speak, his mouth was on mine. I was careful not to get cinnamon sugar in his air, but I wrapped my arms around his shoulders eagerly. I shuddered, trembling at the way he kissed me and devoured me. A soft growl escaped him. I moaned. My whole body lit up as I kissed him back, just as eager.
More.
I wanted more. A tight, hot tension was building in me, pulling me closer. Couldn't we be closer? Couldn't he give me more? His hands ran down my back, pushing our hips together. I was dizzy with it, desperate. He lifted me. My legs wrapped around his waist, and the kiss turned hungrier, greedier. I clenched my hands in his hair, holding him against my mouth. He grunted against my mouth.
"Fuck, Lucy," his voice was low and gravelly.
I whimpered, biting my lip and pressing closer. "D-David..."
He nipped at my lip. A bright red light surfaced in his eyes, taking over all the other colors. I panted against his mouth.
"Me too, princess," David whispered. "Me too."
"Then--"
"Not in the kitchen."
I whined, tightening my legs around his waist. "B-But..."
"You knew what you were doing," he whispered, pressing his forehead to mine. He let out a soft, watery chuckle. "I-I can't believe you met my mom... Dad... Dad told me she'd never hand over that recipe to anyone who wasn't meant to be my wife..."
My heart leaped into my throat. Our gazes met. "M-Maybe it won't taste right."
He smiled and nipped my lips."Are you saying you don't want to marry me one day, love?"
I worried my lip. "And be your luna?"
He smiled. "How about my queen, hm?"
I chuckled at that, remembering the dream. "I... I might be okay with that."
He hummed and kissed me gently, drawing me closer. His body was hard and warm against mine, filling me with heat and want. The room faded away, the time and place. All I could think about and feel was his presence and how perfect it felt.
"What do you say... we pick this up after training?" David asked.
"And after cinnamon rolls?"
"If I have to choose, I want you." My stomach jolted, and he drew back, kissing me slowly. "But only as much as you want. I'll take cinnamon rolls, too. Ice cream? Tea?"
I leaned against me. "You're going to be the death of me."
He laughed.
* * *
After we'd cleaned up, and I put the cinnamon rolls in the oven on a timer, we headed outside. Moonlight painted the training grounds silver. Tom and Duke were on the ground grappling. Tom was giving Duke instructions about how to break out of the hold. Duke struggled, pushing and wiggling before he finally broke free and tumbled away. Hunter chirped from his perch on the bench.
"Good," Tom panted. "That was much better."
Duke looked up. Tom grinned and pulled him to his feet.
"If I'm not careful, you might actually break my arm."
Duke flushed. "I think I have a long way to go for that."
Tom leaned close, his eyes flashing as he leaned close. "You'll fix it, right?"
Duke stammered.
"I'd hate to interrupt," David said. "Should we go elsewhere?"
Tom cackled. "As if you can talk. You reek of cinnamon sugar."
He looked at me, his eyes still glowing. "And you..."
My face heated. David chuckled.
"Leave my princess alone," David said, his voice warm as he led me onto the training grounds and to the other side, facing the forest. A pair of stone statues materialized out of the ground.
"I'll teach you a spell that's guaranteed to get an attacker off you, but you will be exhausted right after you cast it, so you have to be ready to get out of wherever you are."
I bit my lip and nodded.
He stepped back and murmured the incantation, blasting a hole in the statue's chest. My heart jumped into my throat.
"They take a lot of power for someone who hasn't been cultivating it. I think you may have two shots, maybe three if you're desperate, but after that, you'll be completely tapped out."
Our gazes met. "Only use it as a last resort."
I bit my lip and nodded before he stepped closer to me and started to teach me how to gather the magic required for the spell.
As I felt the spell humming through me, the way the magic seemed to burn and cut, my gut clenched. I let the spell go and slumped against David, exhaustion dragging me to the ground. Sweat trickled down my face. I felt dizzy, not necessarily exhausted, but wrung out as if the spell had plundered something in me.
"I feel sick," I whispered. My eyes burned. He wrapped me close. My stomach turned over and over again.
"I never want you to have to use it," he whispered.
But something told me that I would have to—one way or another.
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