Chapter Twenty-One （Youre Mine, I’m Yours）

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE (YOU'RE MINE, I'M YOURS)

HAZEL

I thrashed in Gonzo's hold as he paraded me through the halls of Verfallen. Was it his intention to make me feel like a prized catch? Because that's what it felt like as people catcalled as we passed. His large hand gripped my thighs tightly, and if I wriggled a little too much, he'd reward my ass with a sharp spank. His firm spank inspired hoots from other inmates who looked far too excited.

"What are you doing?" I hissed. I fisted the back of his shirt. My hair was hanging down to his ankles, nearly dragging across the floor. His hand caressed my thigh, brushing high between my legs.

"The better question is, what were you doing?"

"What? My brother? You know why I'm here. You were helping me—"

"I'm not helping with that anymore," he said matter-of-factly. I was speechless. What was going on? He carried me back to my room and dropped me on the fluffy bed. His tongue dragged across his lips as he stared down at me. The look he gave me caused my eyes to widen.

Gonzo gave me one of his famous smiles when he saw my thighs press together. It felt like he was a moment from holding me down, but he turned away, closed the door, and dragged my desk chair over. I watched him sit down in it backwards. His eyes had never left me—glued onto my body as if looking away was impossible.

Something was different.

"You won't help me anymore?" I asked.

"Not with your brother." The finality in his serious tone deflated me.

"Why?" I asked. I wanted to be mad, but despair was trying its damndest to breach through instead. I felt alone again.

"I'm not helping you kill yourself." Dark eyes dragged lines up my legs before settling on my neck. My skin tingled in all the places he looked.

"Kill myself?" I asked in confusion. "That's not—"

"I'm not helping with whatever demand your shitty uncle has placed on you," he continued. I jerked in surprise.

"My family is weird but—"

"And I'm not helping you do something you'll regret." Gonzo pushed his dark bangs off his forehead. I was speechless as I stared at him. Gonzo wasn't smiling. Every word was dead serious. This wasn't the same man who agreed to help me. Something had changed since I'd seen him last and it was confusing me.

The weight of his dark eyes was powerful. Had I forgotten this intensity, or was it new?

"Regret?" I forced out a sad half-laugh. My mouth felt dry as the argument got clogged in my throat. I did want to kill my brother. I had to. This was my life's purpose. It was my way to make amends for my sins. Baz didn't even care about me—he'd left me alone with our uncle, hiding here.

All those words refused to come out. I ground my teeth as my eyes stung.

"Where were you for the last three days?" I asked. Gonzo reached out, settling his hand on my ankle. His thumb brushed my skin as my heart fluttered. His body relaxed the moment we connected but his expression was conflicted. I kept waiting for him to explain away his absence but he was stalling. It made a knot form in my stomach.

"Well…" He trailed off. I held my breath as he took his time. Finally, he sighed, looking disappointed in himself. "I was dealing with some stuff."

"Some stuff," I deadpanned. That's not what he was going to say. His hand tightened around my ankle like a shackle. The powerful intensity was back—shining in his eyes and corded in his muscles. Despite not moving an inch, the space between us was disappearing.

"Something changed about you."

"Hazel, you have no idea." His thumb rubbed circles into my skin as his eyes settled on my mouth.

"I'm going to kiss you," he said. Whenever Gonzo wanted to kiss, my will crumbled.

"You haven't done me any favors to earn a kiss," I responded. A smile stretched over his mouth.

"I could argue that, given I just saved you from a wardrobe filled with corpses." He tugged on my ankle, dragging me to the edge of the bed. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up. Getting up from his chair, he looked down at me. My heart was pounding.

"No more favors for kisses. No more deals. No more tricks."

Something was definitely different about Gonzo. Before today, he was polite and playful. This felt different. This felt like more. My body tingled as his eyes started to glow. The anticipation was making it hard to breathe.

Gonzo dropped to the bed, climbing over top of me. He pressed his face to my stomach and inhaled, dragging up from my navel to between my breasts. My hands trembled so I gripped the blankets. His nose dragged across my collarbone as I felt his knees spread my legs apart. The weight of his hips weighed mine down as his teeth pressed against my throat as if he were an animal going for the kill. I was splayed and trembling beneath him.

"Gonzo?" He pulled back and licked wet lines where his teeth had been on my throat. It was vulgar, making my nipples harden against his wide chest.

"I won't bite you."

"Why would you?" I asked.

"To make you mine forever," he whispered, the words feathering over my jaw. His mouth sought out mine, kissing the corners. Forever? What a thing to say to an immortal. What a thing to say to me—who kept losing the people meant to stay with me forever.

"I missed you," I admitted, wrapping my arms around his neck. I wasn't alone.

His weight settled on me entirely, the down mattress accepting me further into its body. Gonzo held my face with both hands, staring at every feature before his mouth finally gave me a real kiss. He groaned as my tongue touched his. My body bowed as his hips ground mindlessly between my legs.

"More," I begged. There was no hesitation—his hands went up my shirt, trailing over my ribs and pulling it over my head. He looked down at my bare chest before giving each nipple a gentle kiss. My back arched.

"Have you ever done this, Hazel?" His tongue flicked over the nub.

"No." I thrust my chest up and sucked in a mouthful of air.

"You like it though, don't you, princess?" He moved to the other nipple, sucking it into his mouth.

"Yes," I moaned. My heels dug into the sheets, mindlessly pushing myself up the bed. Gonzo followed eagerly. His hips fit with mine and then weighed them down. I could feel his thick, hard cock through our clothes.

"More," I begged again. His hands dragged down from my hips, pulling the scrub bottoms and panties off entirely. Soft kisses trailed up my calf and thigh. I hummed, liking his peppered attention. He kissed the top of my pelvis, his eyes holding my gaze as his tongue pushed between my pussy lips and dragged up.

My fingers twisted in his hair, pulling it too tight. A half-choked gasp left me as his lips pressed against my skin. Gonzo's tongue licked me obscenely again and again. It was so wet and warm. The hair on his jaw tickled the inside of my thighs as he flicked his tongue in amazing patterns.

I moaned and writhed, entirely naked beneath his mouth. I pushed any thoughts away that I wasn't supposed to do this. I didn't want to think about that anymore. I was so tired of denying myself everything. Plus, I'd already broken my promises, hadn't I?

I needed to tell Gonzo about Zero, but it was hard to find my words while his tongue played me like an instrument. Moans were far easier than sentences. Gonzo's fingers dimpled my thighs as his soft tongue brought me closer to the edge. Hurry and tell him , I chided myself. The closer release came, the more pressing the matter felt. He needed to know.

"I… I… Oh," I broke off in a moan, my fingers wrapping around his shoulders. Gonzo watched as I tried to form coherent sentences—his tongue licking again and again.

"I had sex with Zero…" I sighed, feeling the euphoria of release wash over me. Gonzo didn't stop like I expected him to. His strong arms wrapped around my thighs, and he tugged me harder against his mouth. I felt his tongue push inside me as if he meant to taste the truth of my words himself.

I'd never had an orgasm like this. It felt like each sexual act produced its own special subtleties. This one was warm, wet, and fluid. The euphoria ran through me, carving out pleasure. By the time the orgasm was finished, I felt half awake. Gonzo drew up, pulling his clothes off and settling between my thighs naked. He was chiseled and warm—soft lips and hard muscles. His hands were rough and calloused. There was a scar here and there—a sprinkling of violence tattooed between his ink.

My hands pressed against his shoulders as he rocked against me. His naked cock ground against my wet center.

"I want you," I whispered. With half-lidded eyes, he decided to torture me.

"How am I to believe that?" He asked.

"I'm telling you," I said. His cock slid across my entrance and I whimpered.

"You told me differently before. Aren't you celibate, Hazel? Don't you want me to stop?" Each question was infuriating since he paired it with teasing thrusts.

"Gonzo, please," I begged. He looked down at me with glowing eyes and clicked his tongue in disapproval.

"I won't," he said. I felt like crying as he ground his length against my clit. "Make me believe you want it," Gonzo demanded. His eyes dragged across my lips as his shoulders tensed and relaxed with his movements. Bangs fell in his eyes as he let out a soft sigh of pleasure.

I reached down, wrapping my hand around his cock. I squeezed him, running my hand up to the head.

"Hazel," he groaned. I guided him between my legs, pushing my hips up as I pulled him closer.

"Oh, princess," he groaned. His words hit me between the legs. I notched his thick cock to my entrance and wrapped my legs around his hips. His cock sank inside me an inch and I tightened around him, whimpering.

Gonzo's resolve broke. His hips pressed forward. I felt every inch of his cock spreading me apart. The gold in his eyes kept burning as his blunt teeth turned sharp. His attention went to my throat as he pressed in. Slowly he went as deep as he could. Gonzo had patience, as if every stretched second was one to enjoy.

"Don't let me bite you," he rasped, settling his chest against mine. "And don't let me knot you," he whispered into my ear.

"What's that?" I asked. A gasp was pulled from me as he started to move. His breath was heavy and hot in my ear. Steadily, his thrusts became longer, dragging himself out before pressing deep between my legs. He filled me gloriously, building his power to no end. I wrapped my arms around his neck and moaned against his shoulder as his thrusts grew faster and stronger.

Gonzo's hand spread over one of my thighs, pinning it to the bed so I stayed open for him. Teeth dragged across my throat, teasing me with the thing he said was forbidden. I didn't know why he shouldn't bite me. I began to want it as he rubbed deep inside me—crave it, need it. He growled as his teeth dimpled my skin. He was going to do it.

A moment later, he ripped his mouth away from my throat and kissed me. His tongue dominated mine as he barrelled into me, fucking me desperately. The moments we had before were all slow patience and tender touches.

This was an entirely different beast. Gonzo was showing me something needy and demanding. He nibbled my lip and ground deep inside me, trying to find more space to fill. My body was giving him everything it could. He gripped my hair and tugged, licking a line up my neck.

"You fucked Zero?" He growled into my ear. I was filled to the brim.

"Yes," I gasped. He groaned and circled his hips, making me see stars. I thought he'd be angry or jealous. Instead, he shuddered and fucked me harder, pressing his mouth to mine and kissing me through his rumbling groans.

His fingers slid between us and he played with my clit. I tightened around him and the veins in his neck stood out.

"Fuck, princess," he growled against my mouth, fingers working faster. "I'm going to love the way it feels when you come on my cock." I squirmed around his relentless fucking and determined fingers. Clawing at his back, I finally gave him what he wanted. Gonzo sucked in a sharp breath and lunged for my neck, teeth holding my throat as he pumped, fucking me through my orgasm.

"You said… don't bite."

He shuddered, and I felt his teeth dimple my skin harder. When I stretched my neck, giving him better access, he pulled back quickly with a sharp inhale.

"I'm going to come inside you, princess." He reached down and gripped himself at the base as he groaned in my ear. Curses spilled from his mouth, desperate and lost. His forearm tightened as he squeezed his base harder. I felt him throbbing between my legs as he came.

Gonzo began to talk in another language—smooth, tender words gushing from him. He sounded in disbelief and awe. I felt the bulbous base of his cock press against my entrance, too big to fit inside me. It had swelled, and he was gripping it in his fist.

Italian, I realized. He was speaking Italian. It tickled my brain as if that was important for some reason, but I couldn't see why. Perfect Italian rasped in a frantic prayer over my skin. After he finished, his mouth peppered my forehead and cheeks—tender, desperate, and filled with worship.

"Is that knotting?" I asked, reaching down to touch his fist wrapped around himself. He looked up at me with adoration in his eyes. It took my breath away. I threaded my fingers behind his neck, trying to drag him in for a kiss. His expression closed up, and the golden glow dried as he pulled away with dark eyes.

"I don't think I'll survive you hating me," he said. There was a heavy feeling in my stomach. I thought about his reluctance to tell what he'd done the last few days, the secrets between him and Zero, and the realization that I didn't know much about this man.

Something was going on, and that something felt far more important with his cum painting my thighs and warm inside me.

"What's going—" before I could finish my sentence it felt like I was falling. I grabbed at the bed, yelling. The room was melting. The wardrobe dripped away like a surrealist painting. I saw glowing eyes floating in the room. So many eyes, opening up in the air. They were red.

In my head, I felt something—something that shouldn't be there. It was dark and wriggling. I screamed, dragging my nails down my face. Gonzo grabbed my arms and forced them away from my face, stopping me from hurting myself. He yelled my name and demanded to know what was wrong.

The thing in my head squirmed, shifting like a slug finding just the right spot to sleep.

"Hazel," a voice said in my head.

"Zero," I gasped. Then I was falling again—deeper and deeper, red eyes watching until everything was black.

I woke up in Zero's office with Gonzo holding my face. Panic was etched into the lines of his face.

"Hazel?" He asked desperately.

"I'm okay," I said. Gonzo bent over, wrapping his arms around me. He was trembling.

"Did I die?" I asked, sitting up once Gonzo finally released me.

"No," Zero said. I peered around Gonzo and saw my evil scientist looking at me. My face burned. I'd had sex with both these men. I sure knew how to end celibacy. Just wait till I told Elvis about this. He was going to find it hilarious, the asshole.

"What happened?" I asked. There was silence. I looked up. Zero's attention was going from me to Gonzo.

"Tell me," I insisted.

"When I fucked you—" Zero began. I choked on my own spit and fumbled off the examination table.

"Careful," Gonzo hissed, grabbing hold of me. For a moment, I relaxed into him like he was a warm bath. Then I ripped myself away, remembering he was hiding something. What had he said? I was going to hate him. The weight in my stomach was back, making me anxious and angry.

"The result of us having sex…" Zero trailed off.

"The result?" Gonzo asked him.

"The finish," Zero said.

"Can you speak plainly?" Gonzo asked in growing frustration. He took a step towards Zero and then quickly jerked back, his eyes widening. Well, that wasn't weird.

"My cum, so to speak," Zero replied. I sucked in a shocked breath.

"Oh my god, you've given me a magic STD!" I wailed. Gonzo's eyes bugged.

"It's not a disease… per se."

"Per se!" I screeched, backing my way into the corner behind Zero's desk as I eyed both men. A virgin's worst nightmare was unfolding before me. First time I fucked, I caught something.

"Am I pregnant too?" I asked as a bad joke.

"I don't procreate that way," Zero said.

"What?" Gonzo asked, looking horrified. "What does that mean ?" That was a very good question. What other way was there! Zero sighed, his eyes rolling.

"Can you both please calm down. It's making it hard to answer the question." He played with one of the straps on his black doctor's coat while staring at us. We both remained quiet.

"We're mentally connected," Zero said. I blinked in confusion and then I felt the edges of my vision swim.

"Are you saying that what I experienced was your mind?" I gaped at him. I could still feel it too, the presence in my head. It was a dark mass, shifting like an animal in the recesses of my mind. If I concentrated on it too hard, and closed my eyes, I could see it. Red eyes slowly cracked open along its spine. With a gasp I opened my eyes. Weird didn't cover it. It felt like… like madness.

"Yes, that's me." Zero smiled in pride, and despite it being a very nice smile for once, it was even more disturbing than normal. For the briefest, most illogical moment, I felt happiness. He couldn't leave me even if he wanted to, right? He was immortal, he was in my head.

"Is it permanent?" I asked tentatively, trying to pretend I wasn't hopeful.

"Yes," he said. I bit my lip and turned away from them both, wrapping my arms around myself. Okay, so Zero was in my head and felt like madness itself. However… I giggled and slapped a hand over my mouth. Looking over my shoulder, I saw them both staring at me. I snapped my attention back to the books lining the wall. He couldn't leave me—not ever.

"What the fuck happened earlier? She was screaming ," Gonzo said. "I think she tried to claw out her own eyes."

Zero said nothing.

"Why aren't you talking?" Gonzo asked.

"I don't think he can," I said. I wasn't sure if it was him being in my head that helped it click or me finally realizing the obvious. "He's been gagged."

"A magic gag?" Gonzo snorted. "No one does that. It takes a whole coven and a blood sacrifice. He just doesn't want to tell us the truth." Gonzo gave him a shit-eating grin. Zero raised an eyebrow and then turned to me.

"I noticed La Volpe has consummated his mateship with you," Zero said. Gonzo's mouth dropped open as he stared at Zero. I blinked, and then swayed slightly as the words sunk in.

"I think I'm getting dizzy," I said, stumbling over to Zero's desk to hold myself up.

I felt chills on the back of my neck.

"What did you say?" I asked Zero. There was silence for a moment.

"Oh, he didn't tell you." There was a subtle hint of self-satisfaction behind the apathetic delivery. Gonzo turned to me—panic-stricken.

"Gonzo… what does he mean?" I didn't feel anything, as if all my emotions had been wiped away.

"I didn't consummate the mateship. Not really. I'd have had to bite and knot you…"

"You think the mating is the issue here?" I asked. Gonzo swallowed and cast his eyes downward. I felt numb. Was Gonzo even his real name?

"Hazel, let me explain—"

"Explain what? Explain fucking what!" The words burst out of me. They worked like a match, lighting an angry flame inside me. I marched around Zero's desk, getting in Gonzo's space. Who was this man? I thought of my list. I thought of the name. The one right under my brothers. The man I hated. The one who made a fool of me. The one I wanted dead.

"Are you becoming hysterical? Would you like treatment?" Zero asked. I shot him a look.

"Hysterical! I'm hysterical?" Both men were looking at me like I was a bear about to fuck them up in the woods. "You said," I started, pointing at Zero. I was so angry that I was shaking. "You said, La Volpe ." The floor felt like it had disappeared as my thoughts spun. The Italian, the lies, the hiding, the secrets between these two.

"Oh God," I whispered, backing away. I didn't think I understood what was going on here at all .

"You knew?" I asked Zero. Of course he knew, he'd just fucking told me.

"Hazel, please—" Gonzo interjected.

"Shut up!" I snapped at him. This man that I'd crushed on, liked, and let touch me… was the same man I'd furiously wanted dead for years. La Volpe was Gonzo. It didn't make sense, did it? Could it? La Volpe wasn't a shifter; he was something else, something more. La Volpe was old and tricky.

"How old are you?" I asked Gonzo. He grimaced and looked away from me. "How old are you!" I screamed.

"Hazel," he sighed.

"Tell me it's not true," I begged. My eyes stung. He looked at me like a doomed man.

"I won't lie to you."

"Fuck," I hissed. "Why not? You've lied so well up until now." His hands grabbed my face. I tried to jerk away but he held on with strength beyond mine.

"I realized I'd fucked everything up. That's why I was gone for days. I was trying to figure out how to fix it. What trick I could weave together to make this all right again because I love you."

"Stop," I hissed, turning my face away. He let me go.

"But tricks are what led me to this fuck up. I won't do it anymore. I'll just be honest and beg."

"Beg for what?"

"Forgiveness."

"No," I seethed. I pushed away from him, heading for the door. I felt Zero in my head drawing me back into the room, demanding I didn't leave.

"I want you both to leave me alone. I'm doing what I came to do, and then I'm leaving this fucking horror show."