Page 101 of Only Human in Strangeville

I finished the last of my wine. The bottle was empty, so I set it on the coffee table. Nimbus had passed out after his steak dinner and was flopped over on his back, legs in the air.

Silence settled around us, full of anticipation, but also uncertainty.

Davin shifted before carefully setting his glass down next to mine. “You don’t have to do this, you know. You should be safe now, and everyone knows you belong to Beechworth. Katsuro’s mark is more than enough to protect you.”

“Davin, I know I don’t have to do this. Neither do you. You don’t have to accept my mark. You don’t have to tie yourself to someone who already has three mates. If you want a partner who will be focused only on you, that’s okay with me.”

He took my hand. “I do want you, Hannah. I’m drawn to you. My wolf adores you. I’m miserable without you. I do have some thoughts on our living situations, but we will have plenty of time to work on that in the future.”

I glanced around Davin’s living room. He had a very nice, but modest for what I had expected of a pack leader, two-level home on the edge of town. It backed up to the forest and had a huge porch and a walk-out basement. The back yard was simple but well maintained and had several vibrant flowerbeds. Davin admitted that a few of his pack members took care of the yard for him. He didn’t have a green thumb. The house itself was well furnished but a touch impersonal. As if he didn’t spend much time here.

“What were your thoughts?”

“We get you set up with a nice house with a vampire-safe basement on the edge of town but close enough that none of us have to travel far to reach it. It should have enough rooms so that we all have our own space if we’re staying over but be small enough that we’re never too far apart.”

“Did you have one in mind?” I smiled at him, thinking he must.

“I have a lot in mind. We’ll have to build the house.”

I raised my eyebrows. That thought was daunting. “Like, us build it ourselves? Or hire someone?”

Davin laughed. “We have a talented construction crew.”

“Okay. I was going to say, I have aspirations to write a book, not build a house.” I shoved my glasses up my nose and took a breath. “I’m certainly okay with that if we can figure out finances. I technically have a job, but I haven’t talked to Clare since the fight and she pays well, but not enough for me to buy anything.”

“I’m not dismissing your concerns, but you have no need to worry about money ever again. Katsuro and I will set you up with a healthy bank account that will be yours no matter what happens to the rest of us. It will be your money to do with as you please. We will all chip in for the house, and you will make it our home.”

“Are you sure? I am not taking you all as mates just so I have access to your money.” Truthfully, until Oliver had brought it up the other day, I hadn’t even considered it.

“We know. And we’re sure.”

Some of the stress I hadn’t realized I’d been carrying eased from my shoulders. I hadn’t exactly been worried about money. I had enough for a year or so still, but I hadn’t considered being able to get a house or any of that. The government would have paid for all of that, except I hadn’t felt right taking the money.

Davin smiled when I turned my attention back to him. “You smell more relaxed.”

“I guess there’s just so much still to sort out. I haven’t really had a chance to settle in, and so much has happened.”

“Well, take all the time you need, Hannah. Even for this.”

I leaned forward, putting my hand on his thigh and gently working my way into his space. “I’ve taken all the time I needed, Davin.”

He accepted my invitation, shifting until he could cup my jaw with his hand. “How do we do this?”

“We kiss, and you accept the energy that will surge between us.” I could already feel it building in my center, along with a different sort of needy energy building in my core as my arousal grew in anticipation. “What do we do for yours?”

“Sex,” he said. “And biting. Which I think you’re already okay with. Some blood exchange. More sex.”

I laughed. “That sounds excellent.”

Davin ran his thumb along my cheek. “I’m going to kiss you now.”

The butterflies that had started up earlier at my apartment had settled with food, but they exploded into a flutter of anticipation in my stomach, and the feeling went straight south and centered between my legs. The needy moan that escaped from my lips wasn’t even embarrassing. Davin touched his lips to mine. I scooted forward so that I could straddle his legs and deepen our kiss.

I parted my lips, and Davin responded, rumbling in pleasure and letting me lead the kiss as my energy rose. Our lips danced as my magic pressed against Davin’s. He allowed it to meld with his and as our kiss intensified, the bond snapped into place.

Lust surged through me. Davin groaned, his fingers digging into my back as he pulled me tightly against him.

“Perhaps we should have started this in the bedroom,” he said when he came up for air.

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