Page 134 of Magic of the Damned

“She’d give it more consideration, but my mother has never had feelings of maternal obligation. If it is a sound decision, it will be granted.”

“She was very insistent that you not kill your sister.”

“Yes, she values our lives as an extension of who she is. If she doesn’t feel that my retaliation toward Helena is satisfactory, she’ll exact her own because Helena attempted to kill me. No one kills my mother’s creations without retaliation.”

“Well, hopefully she’ll be equally invested in my life.”

“She won’t have to, because I will.”

Dominic decided to seek his mother’s answer the next day and took me to the shower, where we attempted to wash away the savagery of the day, his touches a desperate need as they slid over me. He was ravenous. No matter how many times he found some satisfaction in me, he remained unsated. Curled up in bed, in the apartment he’d either claimed for the night or was his own since he showed a great familiarity with it, Dominic held me. Last thing I heard was “My Luna,” before I drifted off. I was okay with being his Luna, but I was left with a vestige of apprehension that I wasn’t going to be the same Luna any longer.

But if his mother agreed, I would do it.

CHAPTER 21

Ileana’s stony eyes took me in, running them over the slip-on ballet shoes I had on from the day before and the billowy yellow dress Dominic had given me that morning to wear. My face was a vibrant glow from the endless night of sex. He had been a lustful distraction, but it was only a matter of time before the sex would be interrupted by my stomach growling. It was. The apartment had a meager supply of food. I ate a bagel and fruit and then we searched for his mother. He was greeted with a kiss on the cheek, me with a look of apprehension. When asked if she’d considered his request, the seconds of silence stretched to minutes.

“Will you do this for me?” he asked.

She frowned. I was treated to more scrutiny.

I was hyperaware of her every movement and the tension-laden silence as she stood and headed for the door.

“Luna, come.”

Dominic shot me a warning look, urging me not to suggest she ask me to follow rather than demand. I met the challenge and followed her.

She led me into a garden. Passing the beautiful gold-color lilies, black-and-white dotted roses, striped tiger lilies, and an array of florals I’d never seen before, we approached a small cottage suite where we were greeted by a man. Or rather another one of her man-like. A combination of panther and human, he stretched to a height close to seven feet. Silky black fur and taut muscles covered his anthropomorphic form. My eyes were drawn to his arm where I saw fur-covered digits instead of a paw. He wore shoes, so I assumed he had feet. It was like standing face to face with a panther.

“Hello, Luna.”

I responded with a start, surprised by his clear, deep, euphonious voice. He smiled.

“Expecting me to roar?” he asked, airy laughter in his tone.

“I don’t know what I was expecting,” I admitted.

“That’s understandable.”

Okay, Luna, be normal. Don’t try to scratch the panther-man behind his ears. And you damn sure better not rub his belly.

Forcing a tight smile on my face, I tried not to be weird, but it was a task. Chatting with a panther-man was nowhere on my life’s bingo card.

“It was nice meeting you, Luna,” he said, gracefully moving past us after giving Ileana a reverential bow.

Food was set out: an assortment of berries, grapes, cheeses, chocolates, and bread. After seeing flowers move, anthropomorphic animals, and all the oddities of Ileana’s world, I wasn’t in a rush to try the oversized strawberries that looked like they were staged for a commercial. Blueberries plumper than I’d ever seen. Large, bright green grapes. The strong scent of chocolates that looked as delectable as they smelled.

It wasn’t until Ileana started eating the strawberries that I took one, chomping at it with caution. Ileana remained standing, so I did. She roamed around the suite, slowly eating the strawberry, carefully watching me.

“You intrigue me,” she said. Demonstrating the same eerie grace of movement as the others, she devoured the distance between us in a breath of movement. Would I share similar abilities once I was recreated? Peter moved normally. But then, I’d only seen the version of him that he wanted me to see.

“What is it about you that draws my son?”

Dominic’s admission yesterday felt intimate. A confession meant for my ears only. Among those like him, it could be perceived as a weakness. He wanted to be grounded to a humanity he didn’t possess. For me to be the voice of reason and anchor him to humankind. Refusing to reveal our tacit secret, I remained silent under her continued inspection.

“This problem could be resolved by destroying the vessel and killing the Dark Caster, as he did with the others.”

“He kept him for questioning to find out if there were others.”

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