Shifter style.
Inhaling heavily, I cautiously pulled my hand out of the blanket and rested it on his cheek. Then hit him with a dose of soothing Shifter magic. His growl sputtered as he blinked a few times. I whispered, “I was fine. I know when to run. And that wasn’t the time.” Brushing his finger from my mouth, I bent forward and placed my lips gently against his slightly parted ones. “Shh. It’s alright, baby. I’m right here. I’m fine.” I kissed him softly. Once. “Calm down.”
His breathing became pants against my lips as we stared one another in the eyes. Again, I hit him with another dose of soothing magic. His whole body trembled, his growling quieting, no longer loud enough to rock the air around us. Shakily, he stated, “You scared me. When I heard my dad order you off the phone…fuck, I was so scared.” His nostrils flared. “Promise me you’ll do as I said if your instincts tell you he’s too angry.”
That was a no-brainer. “I promise.” Cahal was one scary mother-fucker.
His eyes holding mine captive, Ezra’s growl turned into a purr, and he tilted his face into my palm, kissing it softly before rubbing his cheek against it, then he moved fluidly — like he floated — over me to lie between Jack and me, half his body resting over mine. With an arm and a leg firmly wrapping me tight under him, he rested his head on my lap. He closed his eyes, the glow disappearing even though his soft purr didn’t.
Pulling my other hand out, my heart melted as he shuddered once and buried his head further against me, his grip unbreakable, and I started softly petting him. Fingers moving slowly through his almost dried hair, I began working the tangles out, running my other hand over his muscled back. We’d had one hell of a roller-coaster ride between having ‘the talk’, our sexual frustration, and then the inquisition. Now, we were free to just…be.
His Vampire seemed to like the gentle motions, because when I stopped for the barest moment to peer at Pearl and Jack, the purr turned into an ill-mannered growl until I started caressing him again. Then he went back to purring. My lips curled at the badass Vampire’s churlishness. It was a bit adorable, which I never thought I would say about a powerful predator.
As I continued to stroke him, my eyes moved to Jack and Pearl. They were staring at Ezra. I decided they appeared a combination of freaked, confused, and a bit uncomfortable — as if they were witnessing something they shouldn’t. That last one was more than likely because they were observing what Ezra and I kept private, our more intimate discussions only ever happening when we were alone together — normally between lovemaking sessions.
After clearing my throat, I began to softly whisper to them what had happened. Skimming over the more physical details, and further skimming over our intimate discussion throughout our time in Antonio’s office, I got to the point of why Ezra was acting as he was. Jack’s and Pearl’s expressions varied from fear to wariness as I spoke. And all the while, Ezra gradually pulled me down lower on the bed until I was flat on my back with a heavy Vampire over me, his purring only diminishing when he actually fell asleep with his face in the crook of my neck.
“Do you trust what they said?” Pearl asked softly so she didn’t wake the troubled Vamp.
“Yes,” I whispered, still running my hands through Ezra’s hair. “Their answers were truth.”
Jack eyed me, having stayed quiet the longest. “What aren’t you telling us?” He slanted his head toward Ezra. “That was something else entirely.”
Resting my cheek against the top of his head, I inhaled his scent heavily. I wasn’t going to lie to them, and at the same time, I hadn’t told them initially because I wasn’t sure how they would handle it. But Jack had figured out something was askew. “I asked him to be exclusive. To have a real relationship.” Their expressions carefully stayed the same, not giving me much to go on. “He said he had already been thinking about it,” I rubbed my cheek against Ezra’s head, “This is him not hiding his emotions.”
Jack ran a hand through his hair. “I can’t say I didn’t see this coming.” He stared at the bedroom door. “But why did he fly in here the first time, pissed the fuck off, go immediately to the shower, only to come out in a mildly better mood?”
My lips pinched. “We have…a little issue…with jealousy and I told him we weren’t doing anything…intimate…until we figured out what we’re going to do relationship-wise.”
Jack’s lips twitched. “That explains the shower.”
Pearl cocked her head. “You sure about what you’re asking for?”
I sighed. “We’re practically already doing it. I just want it agreed on.” I wanted him to be mine.