CHAPTER FORTY

B rayden was aware Willow had used sex as a distraction from the heavy conversation. And hell, he wasn’t complaining. He would give her whatever she wanted in whatever order and time she required.

Goddamn his fucking brother and Kate for ambushing them. Sure, he realized they were trying to help, but Brayden was trying to manage her exposure to information—shocking information—in a way that stopped her from wanting to bolt.

They had no idea how delicate this situation was. Perhaps if they’d seen her meltdown the day before they would understand. He didn’t know whether she was now in total denial, the beginnings of acceptance, or overwhelmed.

As he watched her re-dress and give him a sexy smile, he really hoped it was acceptance. “Do you want to talk some more before we go back out?”

She shook her head and sat down on the edge of the bed to put her shoes on.

“Wil.” He sat up and kissed her neck. She immediately leaned into him. So reactive and sexy.

“Yeah?” She turned and her lips found his again, soft, moist, and welcoming.

“We go at your pace, okay? I’ll manage my family.”

She nodded.

He put his cock back into his pants, splashed water on his face, then opened the door, Willow ducking under his arm. Three, two, one...

“Nice chat?”

Seriously, was I this cruel to you when you mated Kate?

You have got to be joking, right?

Yeah, he probably was.

Okay, but she wasn’t human, so ease up.

Suck it up, buttercup.

He coughed, surprised by the enjoyment Vincent was getting from his angst.

By the way, I wiped Sera’s and Carlos’s memories of your conversation. You went too far with information about our blood.

Yeah, I know, but I had to give Willow some reassurance. Hopefully, she’ll be a Moretti soon and it won’t be a problem.

I hope so too.

“So, tell me about your transition. Was it painful?” Willow asked Seraphina, who nodded.

“I won’t lie; it was long and painful. I didn’t know what was happening, so I felt like I was fighting for my life.”

He watched Willow frown. “You didn’t tell her?” she asked Carlos, who shook his head.

“Not many vampires do. The common perception is, it’s easier to convert and then apologize.” The vampire gazed at his mate. “It took a while for her to forgive me, and I’ll never know whether it was the wrong or right thing to do, but I couldn’t live without her.”

“And you forgave him?”

“Eventually. There is a lot of grief in leaving behind your humanity, your human life, and your friends,” she said. “However, it becomes hard to fake it after a short time. All the lies you have to make up when you can only see people at night are a really small example.”

She reached over and took Carlos’s hand, then looked back at Willow.

“Your mate is your life. Brayden wasn’t joking when he said you can’t live without them. I know now I would never have loved again.”

“Is it true? Could I never love another man? Ever?”

The growl came out of nowhere, along with the fangs. Then all hell broke loose.

“Ah, shit. Willow,” the king said, standing up and reaching for her.

“Step away from my mate!” he growled, fangs on full display.

Kate stood up and collected her jacket. “Okay, folks, to the back of the plane. NOW!”

Brayden watched the four of them retreat, shepherded by the queen, while Willow moved as far away from him as she could in her seat, looking terrified.

He wasn’t surprised they’d all gotten the fuck out of there. There was nothing more dangerous than a mated male triggered.

“Brayden,” Willow said, fear thick in her voice.

Fuck.

He needed to get a handle on things.

Hearing Willow ask if she could love another man had tripped him up. That she could want it ripped at his heart and made him furious. Not at her. At the imaginary man.

God, he was so on edge. Was she in danger around him?

No. Fuck that. He forced his fangs to retract and stood to get some space. He began to pace. “I’ll never hurt you, Willow. Fuck me. I’m sorry!”

She tucked her legs up and wrapped her arms around them. If she began to rock, he was going to punch himself in the face.

“You looked like you were.”

He dropped to his knees, taking hers in his hands. “Just don’t fucking talk about being with another man.”

Willow dropped her face to her knees.

“Baby. Listen. What if I told you I had a girlfriend back home?”

He was playing with fire here. There was a whole raft of females who would be upset back home, and vampire females were not shy or bashful; they’d make their disappointment known loudly, so planting this seed could backfire on him. Yet, he needed to make his point so she understood his reaction.

It occurred to him her possessiveness had yet to be tested. Her head whipped up and she glared at him.

“Do you?”

“How would you feel if I did?”

“ DO you?”

He shook his head. “Answer the question.”

“I’d be furious. DO. YOU?”

He sat back on his heels and took a breath. “Yes. And no. I’ve had many women in my bed over the years. Some recently. None since the moment I met you.”

Anger pooled in Willow’s eyes as her mouth became taut. “When were you going to tell me, Brayden? Or were you going to invite them into our bed?” she seethed.

“In the past, I would have done so. I held many orgies.”

Her feet dropped to the floor. “Are you fucking kidding me right now?” She pushed against his shoulder. He smiled. “You think this is funny?”

He grinned.

“What is so fucking funny? You fucking other women?”

Brayden stood and sat back in his seat. He turned and pulled an angry Willow into his arms. “No, baby, I will never, ever, ever touch another female again in my life. Nor do I want you to be with another man. But please, do me a favor and don’t ask if you can love another man. Fuck, Willow, I nearly punched a hole in the side of this goddamn plane.”

She began to relax slowly, then eventually melted into his arms. “This is so friggin’ hard.”

She wasn’t wrong.

A FEW HOURS LATER, they landed. Sera and Willow had sat talking while he and Vincent caught up on royal business. They had promised to catch up while she was staying at the castle.

“We’ll leave you to settle in and see you for breakfast tomorrow eve.” Kate gave Willow a peck on the cheek, and Brayden watched carefully as his mate allowed it, comfortable.

They were making progress.

He led her to his vehicle. The black Lexus LS 500 had been parked at the airfield for months while they were on the West Coast.

“Nice wheels.”

He opened the door, and she climbed in. It was so good having her in his life. They drove the forty minutes to the property, and as they neared, he felt it was time to prepare her.

“Willow, like any royal family, I’ve told you we live in a castle.”

“Sure, that makes sense.”

“Have you ever seen a castle?”

She shook her head. “I didn’t know we had them in the United States.”

He pulled up to a set of big gates, the system recognizing his vehicle and scanning his face. They began to open.

“No. Officially, we don’t. Although”—he glanced at her—“you probably know there’s one in Hawaii.”

She grinned. “Yes, I’ve been. It’s a palace, not a castle, but details, details.”

Brayden wound down the long and winding driveway. “Well, unofficially, we do, and you are about to see it. Prepare yourself.”

Willow laughed. “I think I will be fine—whoa. Holy mother...Jesus, what on...you live here?”

Yeah, that. Brayden listened to an abundance of expletives and shock pour out as he drove past the enormous gray castle set on seven acres of land. He followed the road through another set of gates, past the west wing, and then parked in his private garage. He currently had six vehicles and one motorcycle—a Ducati Testa Stretta.

Brayden turned to face the only human to ever set foot on their property. “Welcome to Moretti Castle.”

She gulped slowly.

They entered the castle through an internal lift which took them directly to his wing. The west wing belonged to him. Kate and Vincent were in the south of the castle.

The doors opened into a huge alcove filled with luxurious rugs and furniture. Above them, a balustrade formed a semicircle accessible from the sweeping staircase nearby. The walls were white stone, with glass doors and windows treated with a protective surface. Outside, it was still dark, the lawn lit up with little lights, and thick trees beyond for as far as you could see.

Downstairs, there was a large sitting room, a kitchen—even though there was a main kitchen with chefs in the castle who created meals for them—a dining room, library, and bar.

Willow silently took it all in as she followed him upstairs. There were four bedrooms, each with its own bathroom, to the right, but Brayden took her hand and led her to the left.

He opened the door to the master suite.

“Oh!”

The room was enormous. The size of half a normal house. In the middle was an enormous four-poster bed with white draped fabric. He’d had his staff change it from the red when he knew Willow was coming home with him.

“This is gorgeous.”

Classic antique furniture in rich woods were scattered around, and paintings hung on the walls. A set of beige sofas sat off in one corner with a small table. On one wall was a large fireplace with a plush wool mat in front just waiting for him to make love to Willow on.

Two double French doors opened out to a balcony where fairy lights blinked and sparkled. In the master bathroom, there was a large hot tub, an enormous open shower with over ten different jets, and a double vanity. One wall was completely made of mirrors.

He opened a door.

“Are those my bags?”

“Yes. I asked them not to unpack.”

The wardrobe was spacious, allowing for three walls of racks which were half filled with his clothing and shoes. In the middle of the room was a velvet-lined antique seat with enough space to fit four people.

“Well, I could do with a sweater. It’s much cooler here.”

Brayden lifted her suitcase onto the seat and opened it for her.

“Brayden, this is...I mean, I knew you were a royal family, but I’ll be honest, I thought it was more of a token gesture. This place rivals the English royals.”

He laughed.

“Actually, Windsor Castle is the largest in the world. Our Moretti castle in England is larger and much older than this one.”

“You have two castles?” she asked, her mouth gaping.

They had more than two.

“We have property all around the world. I was telling the truth when I said it was our business. Or at least, we own a lot of property.”

She nodded slowly then stepped into the bedroom.

“It’s incredible. Can we do a tour?”

Excitement shimmered in her eyes. Despite the fact that she was shacked up with vampires, her cheeks had a pinch of pink.

He nodded. “Tomorrow. The sun is rising, and we should sleep.”

As if on cue, the sun popped its nose above the horizon, adding an orange glow across the sky. “Close blinds,” he instructed, and the automatic blinds obeyed.

“Fancy,” she said and sighed. “I cannot imagine life without the sunshine.”

He pulled off his jacket and joined her on the end of the bed. “I know there will be sacrifices, Willow. These are the decisions you’ll need to make.” He shifted her up the bed and placed his forearms on either side of her head. “For now, let me show you one of the benefits.”

Her pretty eyes dilated as she stared up at him. “I think I’m familiar with this one.”

He made fast work of removing her clothing, lifting her arms to the bed frame and tying them with a silk scarf.

“Bray?”

He hadn’t tied her up before. She knew he was a dominant lover, and God, he needed this with her right now. “Spread your legs, Willow.”

Undressing, he ran his eyes over her gorgeous body now spread out before him. Her brown locks flowed over his white linen while her body began to wriggle with need.

He stroked his erection eagerly. It had been too long since he’d felt the control over her body he desired. With all that had happened, the need was powerful. An addiction.

While she may never admit it, he felt her need for his dominance in return.

“I’m not sure...”

“Wider, Willow. Let me see the pink of your core.”

Coyly she spread her legs a little. He took another silk tie and wrapped it around one of her ankles.

“Oh, God,” she whimpered, making him even harder.

After tying the second leg, she was fully open. The view of his mate so vulnerable and ready for him to do as he pleased, hell, it made his cock so hard he was dripping in precum. He ran a hand over his mouth. God. He could plunge into her right now.

“Touch me, please.” Willow moaned, her need growing, her pupils flaring with desire.

Brayden ran his fingers across her soft abdomen and down through her freshly waxed pink pussy. He flicked her clit, and passion roared within him as her body responded. Moaning, Willow twisted within the restraints of the silk.

Kneeling on the bed, Brayden took a pink nipple in his mouth and sucked—hard—creating just the right amount of pain. The little cry that escaped her lips had his erection twitching.

Lifting her head, he directed his cock toward her mouth. “Just the end, Willow, no more.”

She opened her red lips and he pushed in. Obeying him, she took the tip of his cock, licking and sucking him. Soon she was stretching for more, and he tsked at her.

“Be a good girl. If you take it all, you’ll be punished.” God, he wanted her to take it all. He was punishing them both.

She muttered something incoherent, then thrust forward. He hit the back of her throat, and as she gagged, he groaned loudly. Working him skillfully with her mouth, Brayden fought for control. It would be so easy to cum.

He took two clips from the bedside cabinet and placed them on her nipples. She arched, opening her mouth with him still inside, and let out a delicious cry. Pulling out, he stroked himself, up and down, then slapped her lips with his cock.

“My bad girl, you are oh so fucking good.”

Making his way down her body, he flicked the nipple clips and enjoyed the way her body arched some more. He had to remember to be careful with his mortal. She knew he was a vampire, but he still couldn’t bite her. Doing so would trigger her change, and she had yet to decide. He couldn’t let his need to dominate and please her take the choice away. No matter how much he wanted to dig his fangs and cock into her simultaneously.

He ran his fingers through her drenched pussy, spreading her wide and licking every inch of her as if he were starving. Colorful groans drove him further, his tongue pushing in. He pressed two fingers inside, salivating at the way her body gripped him.

“More, more...I need...!” she cried out.

He retrieved a dildo from under a pillow and turning it on, he ran it over her pelvic bone and thighs, teasing.

Yeah, he had all the toys; he had the whole setup. He’d never claimed to be a virgin, and Willow would learn he’d had a lot of lovers over the many years of his life. She wouldn’t like it, he knew. She would, however, learn to love his skills.

“I’m going to fuck you with this toy, baby. Then watch you come. Relax for me now.”

He needed full and total control. He needed to possess her. Completely. Releasing the silk ties with speed, he flipped her over, her soft, round bottom now in the air. With his thigh, he pushed her legs wide apart. Moisture glistened, inviting him to take what was his.

Face buried in the pillows, she mumbled and pushed out her ass. Wet, swollen, and ready, he ran the fat round tip over her folds and began to push in. He was torturing himself as he filled her with the sexual device.

Reaching, he rubbed her clit, salivating as she panted and groaned. He pushed in further. “Take it all, Willow. That’s it, oh shit, good girl.”

He began to stroke himself again. Up and down, up and down, watching the toy go deeper and deeper into his mate. His erection was begging to be inside her. Deep now, he increased the vibration and fucked her gently, then faster, faster, changing angles to increase her pleasure.

His cock took over. Burning with desire, he could wait no longer. Would she allow him complete control of her body as she had before she knew what he was? Before she knew he was a vampire? Spreading her juices across her rear with his head, he nudged her puck. Willow let out a gasp.

“You’ll let me in,” he instructed. “That’s a girl. Oh God, fuck, yes.”

He pushed in gently, the dildo continuing to fuck her pussy. Holding her around the waist, he lifted her upper body against his chest.

“Bray, oh fuck,” she cried.

He wasn’t going to last. The glorious and addictive dominance sent pleasure roaring through his body.

Plunge, plunge.

“Willow, tug on your nipple clips.”

“I...I’m going to—”

“Do as I tell you. Now,” he growled into her hair.

She gripped her breasts and twisted the little clips, howling as the desire took her over the edge. Her muscles clenched tightly around his cock.

Yes! Ecstasy overtook him. He had to be inside her core. He pulled out, removed the vibrator, and tossed it onto the bed. Then finally, he was inside her.

“Bray, shit.”

“Keep coming, Willow. Come on my cock.”

As her muscle contractions continued to milk his cock, he pumped in hard and deep, roaring as his orgasm joined hers. Pleasure flashed through every inch of his body, and they collapsed on the bed.

He wasn’t done.