Page 63 of His True Beloved

“Oh, Sunshine, I wish it were that simple,” he condescendingly spoke. It wasn’t the fun-loving voice he typically gave me. It was much, much darker. Not the Wyatt I had known. “I’ve been trying to find you, but you have proven that to be difficult,” he said darkly.

“If you just spoke on the phone, pretty sure that would have been easier, you twat. Now, what do you want?” I could hear his head shaking and his ear-piercing clinking hitting the phone.

“I didn’t know what to say.” His voice softened. “Really, Christine, I didn’t. If I could just hear your voice, know you are okay, even if you were yelling at me like a creep on the other line. I just needed to hear your voice.” My eyes narrowed, pulling the sheet off the bed as I walked to the window. Pulling away the curtains, the small children ran around with Suron, who was carrying one child on his back.

A wolf, assuming Pamela, had one child on her back as well. She nuzzled into another child with her maw. Both of their heads turned up to the same window where I stood, Suron waving and Pamela’s dark fur with hints of purple highlights glittered in the sun.

My fingers tightened around the phone. “You should leave me alone, Wyatt. We’re over. There isn’t more I can say about that. What you did to me was inexcusable,” I whispered. “You broke me, and now I have a mate that put the pieces back together. I’m happy now, more than I ever was. Please just leave me alone,” I whispered.

“Can’t do that.” He growled. It was much scarier than Sebastian. It wasn’t playful. There wasn’t that seductive tone to it. This was vicious and angry and made me pale.

“Christine?” Sebastian stepped out with just a towel around his waist. His hair soaked, water dripping down his abs. “Christine?” He huffed, stomping over and grabbing the phone from my hand.

“Listen here, fucker,” Sebastian began but was interrupted. Wyatt’s voice on the other end was so loud that we could both hear without having the phone next to our ears.

“I’m not done talking with her,” he spat. “I’ll get my time.” The phone clicked, and the call was dropped.

The lack of food and the exhaustion sweeping over me, I leaned against the wall, only to have Sebastian throw the phone to the floor and pick me up with one arm under my legs and one behind my back. “Bella, I told you to tell me if you got more of those calls.” He gritted his teeth. His jawline tightened. His perfect, beautiful jaw had me run a finger absentmindedly over it.

Laying me on the bed, he sat with his towel, water still dripping down his body. I couldn’t help but stare, watching each drop trail down his abs and finally disappear into the towel.

Sebastian grabbed the platter of food, scooped up spreadable cheese, and coated a piece of bread. “Christine, there are things you must know about the bond I have failed to tell you.” Raising my lashes away from his towel, waiting for him to smirk at my obvious gaze over his body, his mouth remained in a thin line.

“I may have been possessive before, but now it will be much worse until you have claimed me. If you were a vampire and hadn’t claimed me yet, it would be even worse on your end.” I pursed my lips in guilt.

He took a breath, sighing heavily as he pushed it toward my mouth. Trying to take it from him, he shook his head until he placed it on my tongue. “I’m taking the phone. I need to know when he calls. I’m having one of Elder Rowan’s men try and trace the call. I’m sure his abilities to understand this technology are far greater than what I can do with it.” Sebastian placed the plate down, standing abruptly until he punched the wall. I flinched.

Drywall, paint, and the pictures that hung on that same wall fell to the floor. “I can’t protect you here, not with all this technology I know nothing about.” He huffed, throwing his hands in the air. Dusting off his knuckles, he proceeded to punch the wall again and again. “I fucking hate it.”

Rushing from the bed, the sheet falling from my breasts, I held onto his arm to make him stop. It may not hurt his body, but it broke my heart. He was so angry. “I’m sorry I answered,” I muttered, wrapping my arms around him. My breasts touched his skin, and his cock immediately started to rise.

“It isn’t you I’m angry with, Bella.” He gripped me tightly. “This world, Earth, I’m not a part of it, and I feel like I can’t protect you like I can in Bergarian.” My nose sniffed, nuzzling closer to him.

Why did I answer that call?

“I understand the workings of magic, how to provide for you and our future family, but in this world, I know nothing. I am nothing here, have nothing to my name until we go home and retrieve my gold. I’m relying on Elder Rowan’s kindness to get me through, and I hate it.”

I squeezed him tighter, kissing his chest. Interjecting now would be pointless. He needed to let out all this pent-up anger. At least it wasn’t all me, but it still hurt to know that he felt helpless here.

“Keeping you safe is my priority, Christine. I’m going to do that no matter the cost. I can’t lose you, not ever,” he muttered.

“You won’t lose me. You are already showing me your strength by showing your concern.” My fingers trailed his jawline again. His eyes went glassy, not the normal crystal tears, but blood-red. It trailed his cheek, my finger wiping it away with my thumb. “And if it makes you feel better, change me so I can mark you.” I smiled. “How bad can it be?”

That was a dumb question. It will be a pain in the ass for at least a month, maybe a year.

Having my mom going through the change and seeing how she wasn’t prepared for it at all made me wonder if I would be able to do it. Going over the hurdle of drinking blood would be challenging, but if Sebastian was here to get me through it, I think I could manage. I wanted to be the same as him, so I could live immortally and watch our family grow and the generations after.

“Not yet.” He kissed my lips. “But soon, or it will drive me insane.” I smiled, resting my head on his chest. “We need to get through this mating mixer and have Rowan’s men figure out how to find the incubus. We will need to find a witch to put him back in his place in the Underworld. He shouldn’t be roaming Earth without a witch to hold him down. I can’t do any of that while you change. You will need my constant care.”

It all sounded complicated, but I was trusting it all to Sebastian. He knew the supernatural world far better than I did and him spouting nonsense about not knowing Earth well enough to protect me was all a bunch of crock.

“Earth isn’t so bad, Sebastian. We may have the technology, but the whole supernatural thing is different. If it makes you feel better, to get rid of it all, we can go live in Bergarian.” Sebastian stiffed the sway he had me in. The constant rocking has me lean further into his touch.

“Would you want to go to my world? If you wanted to stay on Earth, I would understand. I could retrieve my gold and have it converted. We would live comfortably here.” I shook my head.

The idea of going to a mystical world, one holding elves, werewolves, and who knows what else, had me brimming with excitement. There were more than a few nights I sat up dreaming and reading those books in the small library in the human home, and I’m sure Rowan put them there for a reason. Some vampires wanted to go home, only coming to Earth to find their mates.

“Is it like the books?” I asked. Sebastian hummed, leading me to the couch, wrapping me in the throw of a blanket.

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