Chapter 18

18

R om woke feeling more content and relaxed than he had in centuries. He couldn't hear the roar of the city in his mind and magic. The wolf was still asleep. As was the goddess in his arms.

Laverna had purple marks under her eyes that he didn't like, but she was alive even if she was exhausted. He wanted to stay curled around her. There was too much to do, and the sooner it was done, the sooner he would have the freedom to court her if she let him. She hadn't tried to kill him the night before after admitting that she was his mate, so he took that as a positive sign.

Rom moved slowly to try and free his numb arm that she had been sleeping on. Laverna pulled a face, one eye opening.

"What's wrong?" she mumbled.

"Nothing. Go back to sleep. I'll wake you up later," he said and kissed her forehead like he had done it a million times. He paused awkwardly. He wasn't affectionate except with members of his pack. He wanted to be soft with her, to rub himself all over her so that everyone knew she was his. That need was almost as pressing as his constant need to protect her.

Laverna only rolled into the warm spot he had left and went back to sleep. Rom tucked the blanket around her before going back downstairs to find some clothes. The apartment was still empty. He would have to find his phone and find out where Claudius was.

Rom showered and dressed and did his best not to think about having Laverna pressed up against the wall of the bathhouse. He was relieved she had recovered, but his anxiety and worry hadn't fully left him.

That was the last time he was going to let them be separated. If he had been with her, there was no way Remus would have been able to attack her.

How was he alive again? Canidia had necromancy powers centuries ago, but not enough to be able to bring people back from the dead who had been that way for centuries. How did she know where to find his body? If Remus was alive again, why was Romulus still cursed to be a part of the city?

Laverna had said Remus wasn't like he was before. What had Canidia done to him? Was he some kind of zombie? Or had she built a body and somehow stuffed his shade into it? Too many questions and not enough answers.

Rom went into the kitchen and made coffee before going to the table to look at the map, files, and photos that had been compiled so far. They had been busy for months, and Rom had been too focused on other things to notice what was happening right under his nose.

Rom tried to push down his guilt and think about how the witches operated in the old days. Memory could be a dangerous and messy place for an immortal, so Rom tried not to venture too deeply into it. This time, he had to. They were getting closer to the full moon every second, and he would have no choice but to turn. The wolf was a hunter, but Rom needed to have enough information to be able to point it in the right direction.

Rom closed his eyes and focused on the last time he had clashed with Canidia. What had gotten his attention last time? There had always been magic users, healers, necromancers, and witches in Rome. They had come in the beginning. Not all of them went out of their way to cause harm like Canidia did. Her coven had managed to ease their way into the upper classes with love potions, cosmetics, and...

"Posions," Rom said, opening his eyes again. He went through the files, but there was nothing there. He plugged his phone into a charger— how did she have electricity and reception down here —and called Claudius.

"Good morning, sir," he answered after a few rings. "How is the goddess?"

"Still sleeping. Where are you?" Rom replied, and there was a knock on the front door. Rom opened it, and his second-in-command was standing there with a small smile on his face.

"Have you been lurking all night?" Rom asked, opening the door wider and letting his wolf in.

Claudius shook his head."Not all night. Lucius and Eolus have been taking shifts with me."

"You were that worried about Laverna?" Rom asked, genuinely surprised.

"Yes, but I also worried about you. If you had lost control of your wolf because of how badly she was injured, we wanted to ensure you were contained," Claudius replied, crossing his arms like he was preparing to be yelled at. "The catacombs are full of Laverna's people at the moment because of the curfews she has imposed on them. Too many innocents."

Rom squeezed his shoulder. "It's okay, Claudius. You did the right thing. I wasn't myself, and you were wise to keep watch."

"And how are you this morning?" he asked, visibly relaxing under the touch.

"Much better now that she is awake. Worried about Remus being alive again. I've also been going through the reports and noticed that we have overlooked something."

Claudius frowned at the papers. "What?"

"Poisons. The witches used to make most of their money from teaching rich people to kill off their inconvenient spouses. I want you to call the Carabinieri and see about reports of suspicious deaths in the wealthy areas. They used to move in as servants sometimes or grieving relatives, and they could be living with a client," Rom replied, and Claudius pulled out his phone. His gaze fixed on the other side of the room, and Rom turned to see Laverna watching them from the stairs.

"I'll just take this outside where I get some better reception. Might take a bit," Cladius said with an innocent smile.

Laverna had showered in her ensuite and was dressed in black jeans and a dark red top that was tight enough to outline her breasts and cut low enough for him to see the suck bruise he had left on one of them. Her hair was a mass of curls that he wanted to bury his hands into. She was smiling at him like she knew exactly what she was doing to him.

"What is that grin about, goddess?" he asked as she walked towards him. "Planning my murder?"

"Not right now. You just look sexy when you're taking charge," Laverna said, taking his coffee from where he had left it on the table and sipping it.

"Really? You've always hated how bossy I am, and now you're trying to tell me you like it? Just how hard did you hit your head last night?" Rom replied, trying not to smile.

Laverna blew on the coffee with an innocent bat of her lashes. "You're right. It's probably all the orgasms talking," she said. Her arm brushed against his as she looked down at where he had been rearranging the information she had laid out. "What has you and Claudius all excited?"

"We forgot poisons," Rom said, and Laverna's face scrunched up.

"Fuck, we did too. They always loved killing off rich people and robbing them." Laverna looked about. "I don't suppose there's any food around." She went into the kitchen, taking his coffee with her. Rom followed, needing to make himself another cup.

"How are you feeling? Are you still aching anywhere?" he asked.

Laverna was going through the fridge and pulling out the fruit that had been left for them the night before. "I feel a bit tired but not sore. That fucker broke a lot of bones, and it takes more out of me to heal them than open wounds." She put her food on the counter and jumped up to sit next to it. She swung her legs as she watched him make espresso. He topped her cup up and then his own.

Laverna's eyes twinkled. "Are you going to try to feed me again, or is it okay if I do it myself?"

Rom moved closer so he was almost standing between her legs. "Would you like me to feed you? You only need to ask."

"I'm not an invalid. Look." She put a grape between her teeth and held it there with a cheeky smile. Quick as lightning, Rom swooped in and kissed her, stealing the grape from her at the same time. The look of shock and outrage on her face was worth it.

"You bastard!" she said, throwing another grape at him that he caught with one hand and ate as well. Rom didn't realize they had an audience until Claudius cleared his throat. Roberto was with him and looked freaked out.

"Roberto? What is it?" Laverna asked, her playfulness immediately turning to concern.

The slender man bowed. "Boss, I just got word about a major theft. One that wasn't authorized by us."

Laverna's eyes flared with power, and Rom almost choked on his grape. She was so pissed and so beautiful at the same time.

"What was stolen and by whom?" she demanded.

Roberto looked at Romulus. "They raided the Lapis Niger and somehow knew exactly where to dig for another artifact that hadn't been discovered yet. It was something about a meter in diameter and must have been easy enough for people to get out of the narrow entranceway."

Both Laverna and Rom said at the same time, "The black stone."