Page 63 of Awakening the Dhampir

Damon whispered in Lorna’s ear, and she rolled over to face him. I caught a glimpse of her irises flickering from hazel to black, then back again. I didn’t wait for an invitation to slide into the bed right behind Lorna. Her closeness made my magic flare to life. She didn’t shy away from me when I ran my fingers along the curve of her hip.

“Just like last time, little d’laej,” Damon murmured.

I continued caressing Lorna’s bare thigh, while wrapping my magic around the three of us. Our girl brushed her lips against Damon’s skin, right beside the mark she’d left on his chest. My cock hardened when she ran her tongue over the same spot, then sank her teeth into his flesh. Damon’s skin pebbled, and his magic swelled, mixing with mine. Heat warmed my chest where my own little bird fluttered beneath my shirt.

My dick throbbed as I watched her mouth suck on his skin. How I would love to feel those lips on me. Lorna’s hands slid around Damon’s waist, pulling him closer. She whimpered, and I assumed Damon healed faster than she liked. She bit him again, and the demon groaned.

It took all my willpower to not grind my hips against her ass. I squeezed my eyes closed, but it did nothing to subdue my desire. Not that I thought it would. I wanted nothing more than to bury myself in her heat, but Damon was right. She didn’t need to feel like sex was expected. So, I lay there silently wrapping my magic around my soulmate.

A rough hand on my bicep had my eyes popping open a few minutes later. I immediately searched Damon’s face for signs of distress, but he just smiled at me and dipped his chin toward Lorna. She no longer had her lips pressed against his skin. Her long eyelashes brushed her cheeks as her eyes slid closed. A deep flush spread across her face, but I suspected it was from her meal. The smell of her desire faded, replaced by the soft floral scent that was all Lorna.

Her slender fingers made small circles on Damon’s pectoral, but her eyes remained closed. Her breathing slowed, and all the tiny wrinkles on her face faded with the tension that had built around her. She was beautiful awake and even more so when she slept. All her worries, fears, and insecurities left her alone, at least for a few hours.

I wished mine would do the same, but I doubted I’d be that lucky. After my conversation with Nathan regarding Brance’s questions, I couldn’t shake the feeling that he was somehow involved in Lorna’s kidnapping. No matter how much I wanted to ignore my suspicions, I’d be a fool to not do some digging of my own.

In the meantime, I’d enjoy being close to the other half of my soul.

Chapter 24

Nathan

Istood at the window watching the waves crash along the shore far below. The moon’s broken reflection on the rough waters mirrored my own tumultuous emotions. I couldn’t stop thinking about Lorna’s impact on my team—my friends. My mind created all kinds of scenarios where she tore us apart and handed our bleeding bodies to the fae.

Then I remembered the look on her face when Elliott carried her out of Conrad’s. She was so scared and completely traumatized. We still didn’t know the extent of what happened to her while she was there. Even after everything she endured, she allowed herself to be claimed by two men. Kenrid said that she wasn’t physically abused, but would Lorna really admit that to him?

I would never claim to understand a woman’s mind, but the way she accepted Damon and Kenrid so easily surprised me. I expected her to hate all men for years, but she embraced the compassion they offered. I couldn’t figure out what it meant.

Just like I couldn’t figure out the connection between the fae and Lorna’s kidnapping. After talking to my team and Conrad’s own admission, it sounded like the fae were the ones who wanted her. If they really knew what she was, it wouldn’t be hard to see why.

Based on the information from Kenrid, the Summer and Winter Queens certainly had the wealth to fund the contracts to find Lorna. But how did they know she was still alive? Or were they guessing? Was it possible that they didn’t know until Lorna showed up at The Fanged Prince?

I’d made numerous enemies over the years. I knew there were spies hanging out at my establishment. I never would’ve expected spies for the fae, though. It was possible that one or more of the vampires in The Fanged Prince that night saw Lorna and recognized her dhampir traits. They could have given that information to the fae, or one of the many groups who frequently accepted those contracts.

At the same time, my intuition said that the Exiled were somehow involved. Brance’s comments were a little too specific. He showed more interest in Lorna’s dhampir than he should have. The video of Lorna ignoring a cell full of vampires hadn’t even been out for a full day, yet Brance was already questioning it. He’d completely ignored my perfect explanation of Lorna’s heritage.

I’d learned long ago to listen to my intuition, and Brance’s comments were surrounded by red flags.

The rumble from the elevator pulled me from my spiraling thoughts. I put my back to the window to see which of my men returned. Elliott strolled through the doors as soon as they opened. He had a slight spring to his step and a smirk on his face. His day with Lorna must have been good.

“Make yourself a drink.” I nodded at the bar, then turned back to my window.

“I forgot you had such an awesome view,” Elliott said. “When was the last time you opened the curtains?”

I couldn’t remember the last time I’d pulled back the blackout curtains that protected me from the sun, so I didn’t answer. Instead, I asked, “How was your day shopping?”

“Good.” Elliott finished making a drink and came to stand beside me. “Lorna yelled at me for spending too much money.”

I shook my head at the stupid grin on his face. It was good to see him happy, but I had so many reservations. Reservations that only I seemed to be holding on to.

“Ya know humans have soulmates, right?” Elliott’s smile faded as he met my gaze. I narrowed my eyes at him, and he raised his glass. “Just saying. There are a whole lot of shifters with human mates. I was thinking about it while I watched Lorna try on a hundred different outfits today.”

He downed half of the whiskey in his glass then looked back at me. “I don’t think humans find their soulmates with other humans. I’ve never heard of it, anyway. But I’ve sure seen a bunch of supernatural creatures with humans as their mates.”

“I used to be human, Elliott,” I said. “Your argument isn’t really helping Lorna’s case.”

“Isn’t it though?” He pointed his glass at me. “You’re human—or used to be—and she’s not. We don’t know for sure what she is, but maybe one of her supernatural genes is calling out to your humanity.”

I turned back to the window and the choppy waves below. I hadn’t thought about it that way. Could it be possible that she was my soulmate? Would the fates give me that gift? I huffed and shook my head.

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