Page 56 of Cardinal House

“Luna, baby, I love you.”

There’s this adorable little divot between her furrowed black brows as she looks at me, her hands coming to either side of my neck, resting there as she strokes the bitemark she put in my throat.

“It’s okay if you don’t feel it,” I tell her, meaning it. Sweeping a stray lock of her hair off of her brow, I glide my thumb across her bottom lip, “I love you, and I’ll take care of you for as long as you want me to.”

Even if it kills me.

She jerks her chin up at that, her eyes the most expressive I’ve ever seen them, “It’s not that,” she says quietly, stroking my throat and sending goosebumps across my flesh. “It just doesn’t feel right for us.”

Us.

Her eyes flicker between mine, and she leans in to press a kiss against my mouth.

“We’re more than love, Wolf,” she says it as easily as breathing, her lips imprinting the words into my own. “What are the words you say to someone that you want to be buried with, same coffin, same headstone, same consecrated earth?”

“I don’t know,” I whisper, our mouths still touching. “That how you feel about me, baby?”

“Yes.”

That’s it, that’s all she has to say. And I’m kissing her mouth and she’s grinding herself back down on my rapidly hardening cock, and fucking me into the leather seats with nothing but pants and moans and love between us.

Chapter 25

Wolf

Idon’t know why the thought of Luna in my bedroom is such a big deal. It feels almost like a holy experience, walking her, hand in hand, through the dark, cool halls of Cardinal House into the newer wing of the single level building.

The gloom embraces us, the shadows guiding us with cold hands and haunting fingers, like a cloak of darkness enveloping its monsters and welcoming them home.

My bedroom door is at the end of the furthest hall, leaving the heart of the house and moving into the bowels. The heavy mahogany door swings open with an eerie creak when I push down on the brass handle, and slip us inside.

The curtains are open, as they always are, because I rise with the sun, waking up with its rays on my skin, its warmth, when you live a life haunting the living before bringing them their death, you’ll take any sort of light you can get.

The walls are painted a deep royal blue, a bright splash of aqua in the almost black colour that seamlessly melts into the dark mahogany flooring. A large, decoratively carved, sleigh bed sits in the centre, dressed in navy and rich gold. Washed out vintage rugs cover the floor surrounding it, and there are floating, industrial style bedside lamps attached to the wall on either side of the bed. Doors leading to a walk-in wardrobe and the en suite are opposite the bed. No tables, no dressers, just a mantle over the fireplace topped with cream pillar candles that smell like jasmine.

The only reason I chose this space was for the view. Perhaps that’s why I’m so nervous about showing her my room, I’ve never let anyone in here before, not even my brothers have seen this. It is unshared with anyone, until now.

Luna leads me in as I shut the door at our backs, her soft, padding footsteps heading straight towards the huge arched window.

That’s the view.

Headstones and trees, grassy hills and wildflowers as far as the eye can see. It makes me feel like I’m outside even when I’m inside, and I need that.

Space.

Fresh air.

Freedom.

‘I’m not free.’

“It’s beautiful,” Luna whispers, drawing my attention back to her.

Her fingers squeeze in mine, and I feel a little burst of excitement expand in my chest.

“You like it?”

Slowly, she turns to me, both of us standing side by side, hand in hand, like we’ve been doing this for centuries. I feel as though my soul knows her more than any other. Familiar and warm and full. Like a total eclipse, the moon obscuring the sun, that’s how she’s come into my life.

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