Chapter Four
Vaughn had never been one to entertain people, and he’d worried that having Tulip in his house would be tiresome, but she was actually very good company. She’d been fascinated with movies but had fallen asleep during the second one. He’d let her nap on the couch, and when she’d woken, they’d had dinner. Shortly after, she’d asked to go to bed. Now she was tucked into his king size bed in his bedroom, her scent filling the room. His pants tightened as he thought about how sweet she’d looked lying there.
He'd picked up the house a little after she’d gone to bed, had checked on her a few times, and now it was nearing midnight, and he knew he needed to get some sleep. Vaughn made sure the alarm was still engaged before checking Tulip one last time. He paused in the master bedroom doorway. A swirling mist of bright lights surrounded the bed and he growled low in warning. Prowling closer to Tulip, who slept soundly, he swatted at the twinkling lights.
The lights slowly faded until the room was dark once more. He sniffed the air, trying to figure out what had almost taken Tulip. Fae. But not like her. Light fae? How had they found her, and what did they want with her? The thought of someone wishing her harm was enough to make him want to tear something apart. It was irrational, but as he gazed at the woman lying in his bed, he knew he’d do anything to protect her. And now, just because Gabriel had declared that she was to be trusted, there was something about her that pulled at him.
Vaughn looked around the room again, not trusting the lights. They could come back if he left her alone, and then what would happen? Would they take her? Kill her? He kicked off his boots and stretched out next to Tulip, pulling her tightly against his chest. No one was going to harm her as long as he was around. She snuggled against him, her breath soft against his chest as she got comfortable.
The hours passed but Vaughn didn’t dare close his eyes. He needed to tell someone about the fae coming into his home, but he knew the family was with Autumn at the hospital, which meant both alphas were there. Pulling his phone from his pocket, he sent a text to Aislinn, asking for the wizard to please come to his house in the morning. Vaughn was certain he could keep Tulip safe until then. At least, he hoped he could. He’d never taken on a bunch of fae by himself, but it didn’t mean he wouldn’t fight to the death, if it came to it.
As the sun crept through the bedroom windows, he finally closed his eyes and allowed his body to relax. Just an hour of sleep. That’s all he needed. Holding Tulip close made his beast feel at peace, something that had never happened before just from holding a woman. It made him wonder if perhaps Tulip wasn’t just any woman. What if she was his mate? Gabriel had said she belonged to someone in the pack. What if that someone was him?
The next time he opened his eyes, Tulip was watching him sleep, her body still curled against his.
“You slept with me?” she asked softly.
How much did he tell her? He didn’t want to frighten her.
“I was worried about your safety,” he said.
She looked around the room and back at him. “They came for me, didn’t they? The dark fae came, and somehow, your presence frightened them off.”
“Light fae, I think. There was a mist with yellow twinkling lights. I don’t know what they wanted, and I didn’t ask. I tried to scare them off so they would leave you alone, but I didn’t want to go upstairs to sleep in case they came back.”
“I should shower.”
He sniffed along her neck and his beast rumbled in pleasure. “You smell good to me.”
“You’re just being nice.”
“No. I’m not.”
He watched her lips, wanting to taste them, but not wanting to frighten her either. Tulip leaned a little closer, and then slowly brushed her mouth against his. Vaughn growled and held her tighter. His lips moved against hers and when she opened, his tongue slipped inside for a taste. Honey and vanilla. Tulip clung to him as he deepened the kiss and took everything she offered. Her hands pulled at his shirt and he swiftly removed it before taking her in his arms again.
He wanted her. His beast wanted her.
Her small hands caressed his skin, fanning the flames of his desire. The dress she’d worn yesterday rode up to her hips and his hand slid down to cup her ass, pulling her tighter against him. The wolf inside begged him to claim their mate, to make her theirs in every sense of the word. There was a hum to the air and then a cool breeze caressed his naked flesh. Vaughn drew away from her sweet lips, a smile on his face as he realized her magick was working again, and had divested them of their clothes. It seemed she wanted him as much as he wanted her.
He rolled her so that she lay beneath him, her thighs spreading to cradle his body. The tip of his erection brushed against her. She was so damn wet; he groaned a little as he ravaged her mouth with his. Her legs wrapped around him, her heels digging into his ass, as if she were urging him on. Vaughn thrust his hips, entering her in one stroke.
“Yes!” Tulip cried out.
She was so damn tight that he wanted to stay inside her forever. He pulled out and pushed back in, her body welcoming him. Tulip dug her nails into his shoulders as he took her harder, faster. Soft cries escaped from her as he nipped her neck, his teeth lengthening. A haze came over him as he took her with a ferocity that should have scared him, but just felt so incredibly right. With a savage growl, he bit into her shoulder, marking her as his for all of eternity.
Tulip gave another shout of pleasure and then she was coming hard, covering him with her cream. It triggered Vaughn’s release and he let go of her shoulder, lapping at it to heal the wound. A cloud of white and purple lights surrounded them, a yellow haze wrapping around their bodies. Vaughn knew it was Tulip, could feel it in his bones.
“You bit me,” she said, no accusation in her eyes, merely wonderment.
“I should have asked.”
“I’m yours?” she asked.
“Forever.”
“Forever’s a long time,” she said softly, a smile on her face. “But it no longer stretches out into eternity.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
