Chapter 31

Piper

The aftermath of Zander's breakdown felt acidy going down my throat. His wolf panicked knowing the voodoo queen—Priscilla—came to me in a dream. Which told me what he hid from me scared him. He was afraid for me to know what he did, and that twisted my stomach into knots.

It was in the depths of his eyes.

The lie.

The truth.

He wanted to say it, but it wasn't making it to his mouth. Something stopped him from telling me what happened between the two of them. Besides her son being involved. His grinning—though it looked evil—that night in the bayou—held all the secrets the Nancy Drew in me wanted to know. I craved it, but I wouldn"t push. Not after that meltdown.

I needed to take it easy, and lure the truth from him. Or find it for myself.

But I wasn't the girl that searched for ghosts.

That was a different story.

A much different main character.

That didn't mean I wasn't nosey, and wouldn't try to find out what happened. I just wouldn't pull Zander's arm to get the answers.

A veil seemed to cover Zander's face as he tried to push back the unwanted memories. "I'm starving," I said loudly, turning my back to him, I began to gather myself a plate. I felt the heaviness of his gaze on me, but I didn't turn around.

"You want me to make you a plate, too?" I asked, without looking back.

Zander's warm fingertips trailed down my spine. "Are you scared?" he whispered in my ear.

I stilled. "I wasn't until you asked me that," I said, turning to face him. "Is this the part where you send out the other people in the house, bring me down to a secret torture chamber, and kill me? Because I'm really regretting the pain of that mark, and not leaving with my family now."

Zander smiled, a twinkle of mischief in his eye. He seemed to be in control of his wolf now, and it relaxed my heart rate. "Would I tell you if that was my plan?"

"If you were stupid, maybe."

Zander slid his fingertip against my collarbone, and along the outside of my nipple, teasing me. "I could have a torture chamber put in one of the rooms if you like. Perhaps a red room. In case I decide to keep you around, and not knock you off before William and Vivian come back."

I took a big unladylike bite of a scone. "I guess we'll see if I make it or not."

Zander snatched the scone from my hand and inhaled it. My gaze lowered to the fact we were both naked in the kitchen, and I laughed. "Do you think the castle manager would approve of us having our genitals out around the food?"

Zander smiled, showing a perfect row of white teeth. "Doubtful. Vivian took it upon herself to take over the role of my mother after mine died. She is very ... strict, but now that I think of it, so is William. He can be a real stick in the mud."

"That leaves plenty of room for you to become the laid-back tease that you are, right?"

Zander flashed me a sheepish look and turned me around to face the counter. Taking my hair into his hand, he twisted it into his grip, angling my chin upward, his mouth a hairbreadth away from my mark.

"A tease? I'm not the one that stripped in my bedroom, and then slammed the door in my face."

Warmth spread over me like an invisible blanket. "I wanted you and you wouldn't give it. Sue me."

"I'd rather eat you, Little One. What"s that bedtime story? The big bad wolf? I think we fit nicely into that one. How about you hop on the counter, and I'll have my breakfast."

It wasn"t the fairytale that I had in mind, but he wasn"t too far off.

Not knowing what to say didn't happen to me often. But my body stilled, and my pulse throbbed between my legs.

He chuckled. "Cat got your tongue?"

Roughly, though I loved it, he turned me around and sat me on the island. He slid the food to the side and shoved me back onto my back where I stared up at the small chandelier above us.

Zander wasted no time, bending down, he spread my thighs wide, and he feasted.

On all of me.

Until I was shivering against his mouth, riding out an orgasm my body almost feeling the oxytocin releasing into my bloodstream. My fingers tangled into the length of his auburn hair, and I tugged, loving everything he gave me.

The delicious moans of this man as he pleasured me seared me into my place on the counter. Could he possibly do anything wrong? Because this wasn"t it. This was so, so right.

Moments turned to minutes, and my body relaxed, and Zander reluctantly pulled away. My juices glistened on his mouth, and he slid his tongue out to capture it. "It's a yes," I whispered.

"A yes to what?"

"To the red room," I said with a sleepy smile. "If that will happen in there ... I"m all for a red room."

Zander grinned. "Why don't you go wash off? I'll bring our breakfast to my bed. I've been dying to lay with you there."

Sliding off the cabinet, I cupped his face, watching the honey color dance in his irises. "Can I repay the favor after breakfast?"

He slid his thumb against my bottom lip and offered it up to my mouth. I licked it slowly, showing him just what I wanted to do to him. "I can't wait," he whispered.

We spent more than half of the day eating and screwing. My body felt numb and sore from all the different positions the man put me in. For a brief moment, I wondered what it would have been like if I had forgiven Henry, and gone back to my tiresome life with him. Would we have got married, and had boring Saturday night sex for the rest of our life? Something told me yes.

My body responded differently to Zander. It was animalistic and magnetic.

My body craved his, and it fed my soul with everything I didn't realize I missed. When evening came, I took a shower, due to the layer of sweat covering my body.

I slipped into one of his t-shirts and walked down the hallway toward the staircase. My door was ajar, so I slipped inside to grab one of the books I planned to read before bed.

My vagina needed a break. She hadn't had so much action since ... never.

My skin tingled remembering him mentioning this was our honeymoon. It wasn't typical by far. I'd thought my parents would be there to see me get married, but I didn't think my dad would appreciate watching Zander sink his penis and his teeth into me.

He'd thank me for it later. If the curse was ever lifted, and we beat it, maybe Zander would have a ceremony with me. This castle was big enough to hold hundreds of guests. One issue at a time, Piper.

I snagged a book from my nightstand. An icy breeze settled over my skin, raising goosebumps against my flesh. I was no paranormal investigator, but I'd watched enough TV to know the room chilled when you weren't alone.

I pressed the book to my chest.

My gaze bravely—against my will—traveled the corners of the room, into the crevices and along the shadowed walls. A soft whisper hit the base of my neck. "Don't be fooled."

It was sweet like a woman's voice, but it held malice, and I found myself standing in the midst of one of those paranormal investigation shows, where the friendly ghosts had moved on, and I was stuck with whatever the devil rejected.

"I'm no fool," I whispered back.

The cold disappeared, and for a second I thought that my response scared her—it—away.

Then Zander poked his head into my room with a tray full of food. It must have shown on my face—the fear—because he stopped. The masculine curve of his jaw tightened, and he glanced around.

"What's the matter?"

"I—I thought I heard something."

Zander pushed my door open with his foot and gestured me out into the hallway. I happily followed and stood beside him. "What did she say?"

He knew it was her, but then again, I was positive he didn't have any more curses over his head. "It doesn't matter—,"

"It does," he snapped, his fingers curling over the edge of the silver tray.

My gaze dropped, unable to stare him in the face and repeat it. "She told me not to be a fool."

When he didn't respond, I glanced up at his hardened face. The lines were sharp, and his full lips were lush but pressed together in annoyance. I could feel the heat coming from his body.

"Why don't we go on a walk tonight?"

He gave me a deadpan look. "With the beast?"

"You were walking that first night if I"m correct. I don"t think I imagined the beast carrying me here. I bet he—you—need some fresh air. We could just go to the steps."

"Is this your opportunity to make a run for it?" he asked. "Because I can't promise that the beast won't chase you."

I chuckled. "After the way you made me feel on the kitchen island today—you don't have to worry about that, Zander."

A sly smile tugged at his mouth, and I noticed the tension ease out of his shoulders. "There is plenty more where that came from, Love."

"I'm banking on it."

Zander led me down the hallway, and I felt a chilly breeze brush against my skin once more before I made it to the sanctuary of his room.

Some fresh air would do us good, but I was also banking on seeing something that would fit another piece into the puzzle which was Zander Blackwood.