Page 55 of Veil of Shadows

“How’s your day been?”

I grinned at her attempt to make small talk. “Good. And yours, darling?”

She giggled softly. “Darling? Is that what you’re going to call me now?”

“Unless you’d rather me call you something else.”

She shook her head. “No, no. Darling’s fine.”

We walked in silence a bit longer, and it wasn’t until we approached the steps leading up to my front porch that she spoke again.

“As Alphas of the packs, should we stay longer?” I asked.

I mean, the sun hadn’t even set yet. Maybe we needed to hang around a little while longer.

“Actually, in our pack, the Alpha gets solstice celebrations off.”

She paused. “Wait, really?”

I nodded. “Yes, really. It’s why my father loved the solstice celebrations so much.”

She smiled softly. “So he could spend time with his family?”

“No, so he could get drunk and be an asshole.”

Her smile faltered. “Voss, I’m so sorry.”

I studied her face. “It’s nothing to be sorry about. He’s dead. What’s done is done.”

“Voss…”

God, I hated how sweetly she said my name. It made me so fucking weak in my gut. “Yes, darling?”

She reached up and cupped my cheek. Her stare held mine. “I’m sorry.”

I nuzzled into her palm a bit. “Me, too.”

I pulled away from her hand and held out mine toward the porch steps. “After you.”

When she started up the steps, I don’t know what overcame me. But, I offered her my hand. Yeah, my hand. Like a goddamn pussy-whipped little boy. She giggled as she took it, leaning against me slightly as she made her way up the steps. And as I bounded to the porch, she kept her hand slipped in mine as she opened my front door, making her way inside, as if she lived there. It looked good on her, watching her walk into my house without permission. It looked so good, in fact, that the instant I followed behind her, I kicked the door closed.

Before whipping her around and pinning her to the door.

“Voss,” Bexley said breathlessly.

I wrapped my hand around her neck. “You look delectable in that dress, darling.”

She swallowed hard as I ran my thumb along her quivering lower lip.

“Sh, sh, sh, sh, sh,” I shushed softly, closing the distance between our bodies. Bexley’s eyes were wide and her body shivered as my chest fell to hers.

“Voss,” she whispered. “You’re choking me.”

I squeezed a bit tighter. My stare never left hers. “Does that frighten you?”

She nodded her head quickly. I leaned my face toward hers a bit more. “DoIfrighten you?”

Her wide, fearful gaze searched mine before she shook her head. I dragged my thumb down her lower lip, watching it bounce for me. I pressed my knee between her thighs. I pushed her back up the door, raising her up from the floor as her legs dangled haphazardly over either side of my leg. I slid my hand away from her neck, watching as she drew in a shaky breath.

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