CHAPTER FORTY-ONE

S ofia dropped her purse on the kitchen bench moments before Craig and Brianna teleported onto the balcony. Lance opened the door and invited them inside.

She observed with interest as Lance and Craig did a male version of a hug; a shoulder slap combo that looked awkward as hell.

Brianna took a small step in her direction, hesitation in her eyes. “Hey.”

Sofia smiled at her, and the floodgates opened. Brianna rushed toward her and pulled her into her arms. Warmth spread through her body at the kindness this female was showing her.

“Oh God, Sofia. I’m so sorry,” Bri cried, holding her tight. “I’m going to kill that motherfuc—”

“Bri, what did I tell you!” Craig growled quietly.

Brianna released her tight hold and turned to glare at her mate. “You said I couldn’t kill him; you didn’t say I couldn’t tell anyone I wanted to.”

Sofia let out a small laugh as Craig muttered semantics and shook his head, turning back to Lance. As the two males chatted, Sofia turned back to Brianna. “Would you like a drink?”

“Let me get it.”

Sofia grabbed her arm. “Bri, I’m not broken. Sit, please.” She smiled and indicated she should sit. “White or red?” she asked, holding up two bottles.

“White, please.”

When she had handed the males a bottle of beer each, she sat next to Bri, and they clinked their glasses together. “To delicious mac ’n’ cheese,” Sofia said. “Thank you for your kindness, Bri.”

She shrugged off the compliment as Sofia knew she would and drank the wine. “I didn’t know if you’d like it, but I figured you were Italian, so pasta would be your comfort food.”

Fortunately, Sofia had swallowed her wine; otherwise, she would have made quite the mess. Pressing her lips together to keep from laughing, she kept her thoughts on authentic Italian pasta to herself. “Yes, like I said, it was very kind and very delicious. Just what the doctor ordered.”

“Soul food, my mother used to call it,” Brianna said.

“Indeed,” Sofia agreed.

“When my husband died, it was pretty much all I could eat.”

Sofia’s eyes widened. “You were married?” Her eyes flicked over to Craig, who was watching Brianna out the corner of his eye. “Before...”

Brianna downed more of her wine. “I’ve only been a vampire for a little while. Willow met Brayden when we were living in LA. While I was still human, I followed her to Maine and unbeknownst to me, drove up to a castle full of vampires.”

“Wow.”

“And my mate.” Brianna grinned, glancing at the huge vampire. She sobered. “A year earlier, my husband had been killed in Afghanistan. I’ll tell you the entire story one day. Right now, I want to know how you are.”

Sofia gave her a tight smile. “I’m okay, Bri. Thank you for asking.”

Brianna shook her head and reached out her hand, rubbing Sofia’s arm. “No, I’m not being polite. We’re friends. I want to know how you are really doing.”

The same warmth rushed through her again. A friend. They were friends? She glanced at Lance and saw he was watching her. Turning back to Brianna, she placed her glass on the bench and twirled it with her fingers.

“It’s hard. I don’t want to think about it, but I need to, to be able to heal,” she started. “I was terrified.”

Flashings of Stefano’s face filled her mind as she remembered that night. She closed her eyes and felt Lance behind her a moment later.

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have asked,” Bri said.

When Sofia opened her eyes, Craig was towering over Brianna, his hands on her shoulders.

“It’s okay. As I said to Lance, it’s going to take time to heal, and pushing the memories away is not how I want to deal with it. It would only make me bitter and closed off.” She let out a laugh. “Still, it’s not exactly the most fun dinner conversation.”

As Brianna frowned and shook her head, Craig held out his palm.

“This isn’t a social visit, although we appreciate the drinks,” he stated. “The king has asked you both to come to the castle tomorrow night. I’m here to deliver the invite.”

Lance coughed. “A summons, you mean.”

“Yes,” Craig acknowledged unapologetically.

“Well, then,” Lance said. “I guess it’s time for some important conversations.”

Brianna glanced at Craig, as if waiting for him to say more. When he didn’t, she looked at Lance. “He also said you could come back to the castle whenever you are ready.” She added, “Both of you.”

Sofia turned to Lance, but his face was unreadable. She felt his grip on her hip tighten for a moment before he became aware of what he was doing, then he mumbled an apology and rubbed the area.

“Thank you,” Sofia told them.

“Yes, thank you for visiting and delivering the message. We appreciate it.”

Craig crossed his arms. “Keep an open mind, De Luca. I don’t know what the king has decided, but don’t jump to any conclusions.”

“He’s not the only one making decisions here,” Lance said firmly.

Craig nodded, glancing at his mate. “I know. I know where your priorities are now. If it makes a difference, I’ve voiced my opinion loudly.”

“Thanks, man,” Lance said, running his hand over his head.

Craig shrugged off the emotional moment, placing a phone on the counter. Hers. “Oh, and here, we found this. It’s dead now, but it was pinging away.”

“Thank you,” Sofia said, reaching for it. It was likely to be her family ringing after she had called them from Lance’s phone, and goodness knew how many other people she had previously trusted.

Not anymore.

She would delete all the messages once she recharged it.

Sofia was starting a new life. What it would look like, they were still deciding.

“Let’s go, big guy,” Brianna interrupted her thoughts, jumping off her stool. “I will see you tomorrow.” She gave Sofia a small hug as the two males nodded at each other, then they were gone.

Lance sat in the seat Brianna had just vacated and stared at her.

“What do we do?” she asked.

“We do nothing. We hear the king out, and whatever he has decided, we will accept,” Lance said, taking one of her hands. “I promise you a lifetime of happiness, Sofia. One day at a time.”

“Those sound like human wedding vows,” she teased.

“You want a fucking wedding, I’ll marry you. I’ll do whatever it takes to make you happy.”

She laughed and shook her head. “No, I don’t want a wedding...but maybe a honeymoon.”

“Done. Wherever you want.” He grinned.

Sofia let out another laugh. “You are so damn sexy, you know that, Lancelot?”

Lance grinned. “Really?”

She nodded as he leaned forward, and his warm lips landed on hers. Butterflies filled her tummy, and for the first time since she had returned home, she felt her body bloom with desire for her male.

Releasing her, Lance brushed the hair from her forehead, a question in his eyes. When she gave him a small nod, his lips found hers again with much more urgency. He lifted her off the chair, and Sofia wrapped her legs around his large body.

“Is this okay?” he asked roughly.

“Yes.”

Lance carried her into the bedroom and placed her gently on the bed. Slowly, he removed item after item of her clothing, gently kissing her. “You’re in control here,” he told her. “At all times.”

“I need you to go hard,” she whispered. “Lance, please just make me yours again.”

Lance nodded and ripped his shirt open. Sofia took in his hard muscular body, his chest and forearms scattered with sexy tattoos she had dreamed of touching months earlier.

Now he was hers.

If she just kept her eyes on him, she would know he wasn’t her abuser. She would know he was her mate.

His pants and shoes were discarded, and soon, Lance lay over her, tugging off her panties. Both of them were panting anxiously as their eyes circled each other.

“If you say stop, I’ll stop, baby,” Lance said, his voice gruff and sexy.

She nodded, reaching behind his neck. “Kiss me more.”

He did, his skillful tongue owning her mouth as he reached between her legs. It took longer than usual for her to relax enough to get wet, but soon enough she was, and then Lance was pushing into her core.

Her eyes squeezed shut.

“Baby?”

Sofia opened her eyes, and with a need and trust she’d never experienced before, she arched into him. “Please. Do it. My body knows it is you.”

“ God ,” he cried out and pressed into her.

Thrust after thrust, he filled her, and with it, a healing the likes of which she never would have expected. Lance totally owned her body, his loving arms wrapped around her with whispers of protection and love pressed into her neck, their bodies building toward an ecstasy only shared by them.

She felt him swell inside her. “Lance,” she moaned.

“I want you to—”

She shook her head. “No. Please, I need you to do this.”

His head lifted, and with long, deep thrusts, he growled and filled her with his seed. She wrapped her arms around him and closed her eyes. The feel of his heavy, large body filling her was exactly what she needed in this moment.

Later, as they were dozing off, Lance ran a finger down her face. “I didn’t pleasure you?”

“You pleasure every part of me,” Sofia replied, her small smile gently fading. “Female orgasms are mostly emotional. With healing, I will again.”

“I will make it my life’s mission,” Lance said, kissing her nose. Then he rolled onto his back, tucked his arm under his head, and pulled her against him.

She smiled, grateful for this strong and patient male, and laid her head on his deliciously muscular chest.