Page 14 of Master Botosoni

Her eyes widen, and her cheeks turn from pink to red. “I forgot it.”

My eyebrows lift. “The blanket?”

She laughs, nodding. “I left it on the bathroom floor.”

It’s hard not to grin, but I do try. “Whatever will Clara say?” I tease.

Her mouth gapes. “Stop! I’ll go get it,” she says, glancing down at my groin, but then quickly averting her eyes and looking up and into mine instead. “On second thought, you get it. And get dressed.”

I smirk. “I’ll be out shortly. With the blanket.” I leave her looking at her phone but feel the penetrating gaze on the back of my body as I walk to the door. “I can feel your eyes on me, Catina. If you’re not careful, you’ll find yourself tied to my shower, screaming for my mercy.”

I close the door grinning, and make quick work of getting ready. I’m anxious to get back to the club and find out if anything new has been discovered and take my turn with keeping Overmaster Descallia from losing his mind if they’re in the wind again. I grab the blanket from the bathroom floor and smile at the thought of Clara finding it on the floor. The poor dear has taken Catina’s presence with good stride, though, not ever having to deal with my bringing women to my home.

Except Catina, because there was no way she was losing her virginity in a club where other people go to have sex. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. It’s just not for her, a woman whose never before stepped into a club designed for couples to explore their boundaries and wildest desires. No, steppingstones are practical for a reason. Do not run before you walk, and all of those things. I will teach her all of the things in good time. But the real reason I brought her home where no other woman has ever been will not be pushed to the back of my mind. I wanted her to be the first woman besides Clara in my home, and in my bed. I want her to be mine.

Two firsts, one for each of us.

Catina looks up at me from the edge of the bed with a serious expression plastered all over her lovely face and has already pulled her boots on when I walk out. “Willow just sent me a text. She said Lucianna just messaged her and told her that she and Silver are on their way back to the club to give everyone an update.”

I glance down at an incoming message from Descallia that tells me almost the exact same thing. “Excellent. We should go then. We’re all tired of the waiting. If me and the other masters had our way, we would have followed them to the mountain range, but they rogues and shifters are known for setting traps, and with traitors in our midst, they’ve managed to keep two steps ahead of us.”

Her eyes close tightly, and she begins to gently rock in place. I stay still and quiet, trying not to break her concentration as I look on in fascination until she suddenly opens her eyes wide. “They’re drawing you in. They want the stones. And the women who wear them are not safe.”

My jaw tightens with angst. I take her hand and pull her to me. “We need to warn the others about what you know. Hold on to me, love.” She does not hesitate, trusting me to take us where we need to go. She places her arms around me while her body molds to me as though made just for me.

The ladies spot us the minute we arrive at the table, whispering to each other. The three of them come off the dance floor, flushed and out of breath. They barely take time to drink a few sips of water before they’re trying to convince Catina onto the dance floor before she’s even had a chance to sit.

She laughs good naturedly and allows herself to be dragged onto the dance floor. Campania pours himself a glass of water from the large vase on the table. “They’ve barely stopped while you’ve been out…” He gives me a dramatically confused look, trying to hide his grin. “What is it that you were doing all this time? While the rest of us have been dealing with our impatient leader?”

Descallia growls under his breath but doesn’t look up from his phone. “I’m sitting right here. At least have the common decency to wait until I’ve left to talk about me. Besides, I would hardly call a person who’s waited for centuries to get my hands on these filthy fucks impatient! When Lucianna gets back with Silver, we go hunt them down for the last time.”

I narrow my eyes at Campania who should know better than to anger Descallia up on a night like tonight when his mate is out in the night without him. Besides, Campania knows we can’t go storming in on the rogues and shifters, especially if they know we’re coming. We need to have a well laid plan to flush them out and send them back to hell, especially now that I know.

I lean forward slightly to make sure I’m not overheard. “Catina had another vision. About the ladies and their stones.”

Sardinia, Campania, and Romano’s faces turn grim at the very same moment, while Descallia looks up from his phone, listening with intent. I shift the water vase from the center of the table. “Catina said the rogues and shifters are trying to draw us in. They want the stones. She also said that the women who wear them are not safe.”

Romano has always thought the reason the rogues return century after century is more than just a vendetta against our boss, a power play to keep things the same, but instead a deep-seated need to gather the secrets that are hidden deep in the base of the range where no one will ever find them unless they have the key. “Do the stones have something to do with the key?”

Descallia’s eyes narrow. “Maybe some sort of hocus pocus the witches conjured up centuries ago to take them to our stash?” I wouldn’t put it past the high priestess to have done just that on one of her Halloween night attempts to drive us into the ground.

Romano takes a pull of his drink and turns to me. “Raven and Willow talked to Devora while you were gone. She’s been helpful as far as we can tell. The ladies said Devora told them that the healer who helps brings the three stones together has more than vision of sight. She believes that Catina may be a healer but is also a fierce warrior who battles many shifters.”

My jaw tightens with the thought of Catina in harm’s way, no matter what that witch says about her being a warrior. “Devora has been known to be wrong. Need I remind you that she also doesn’t want us anywhere near those Carpathian Mountains. I know Raven will be your mate officially soon and that she is Devora’s niece. We seem to have developed an amiable truce, but not where the land is concerned, Romano. The entire war with the witches has been about that land.”

Romano is used to the underlying controversy about him and Campania mating with witches. He takes it in stride and grins. “Well, most of it. Some of it was because she just plain had it in for Overmaster Descallia.” He raises his glass to hide the smirk from our fearless leader whose eyes are deep black while listening to the exchange.

Descallia leans forward. “We may be at an amiable crossroads, but at this point in the battle, we trust no one until we know exactly what the rogues, Sheba, and the shifters have planned. Lucianna believes strongly that we are on a journey, and the Vade Mecum will not steer us wrong. She believes in Catina as a healer too. Whether she is a warrior is yet to be seen, but what is clear at this point is that she belongs with us, was meant to be with us,” he says, proving once again that our fearless leader does not miss a thing even when seemingly busy pounding on his phone.

My hand wraps around the beveled glass more firmly. They’re not really saying anything that inherently I did not already know, except about Catina battling a wolf. That can be dangerous for vampires who’ve battled for centuries, let alone a small wisp of a woman with no battling skills to at all. She was enlisted to help us answer questions and lead us around traps that the rogues may have set for us, not battle with wolves that could tear her flesh from limb to limb.

Catina and I were intended to cross paths. It was our destiny to meet. And no amount of denial on either of our parts is going to change my mind about that, especially when every neuron in my body wants her for my very own. Not just for another toss in the bed, but for good. Maybe the witches have it wrong, but regardless, I make a mental note to keep her closer to my side.

I scan the small dance floor to check on her and barely contain the possessive sounding growl that erupts from the depths of my chest as the asshole corners Catina by the side of the large stage. I push away from the table, parting the crowd as I stalk toward the lord known for his drunken philandering. Customers, dancers, and employees all scramble to get out of my way as I announce my presence with a low roar and my fangs descended.

The vampire lord brazenly has his hands on Catina’s shoulder as she shrinks into the side of the long, black curtained stage. I keep my voice low, calling on all my effort not to make a scene with the bastard who thinks he’s the almighty’s gift to any female who will listen to what he has to say. His uncle may be in good with Overmaster Descallia, but everyone knows he’s a no-good asshole that I’d boot right the fuck out of my region if my hands weren’t tied by his connections. He’s lucky he’s only gotten as far as touching her on the shoulder before I noticed. For that, I will let him live and save face in the crowd. “Remove your hands, now.”

The arrogant and more than slightly drunk lord removes his hand from his shoulder but continues to leer at Catina’s breasts. “The view is free? No?” he asks as his eyes scan over her sweater.

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