Page 50 of The Fate of Black Hearts

“Ah, his name is Dom. Figures. He looks like a BDSM fanatic. Of course, I’m jealous. I wondered who it was you lusted after. Don’t give me that look, Evie. I know you. You’ve been mooning over someone for a long time. Now that I see him and, believe me, I noticed he has one hell of a body and he’s hung, fuck yeah, I’m jealous. Even I’d be interested in something that beautiful and dangerous. I get it.”

“It’s not about how beautiful he is. This also sounds like you do want me.”

“It’s not sexual. We tried that once, remember? It was…”

“Not our finest moment.” She chuckled. “It was awful. We agreed to forget.”

“I’m not used to sharing your attention in this way.”

“He is…a lot.” She nibbled a fingernail.

“Then sleep with him. Get the mystique over with. Maybe he sucks in bed.”

“It’s getting him to see me in a way that might get him into bed with me that’s the problem.”

“He sees you.” He cleared his throat. “I’d sell my left nut to have someone look at me like I was the center of every fantasy he’d ever had. From my view upstairs, he tried to get up to get you away from the monster. His attempt was pitiful. He seemed to decide you were okay and respected you enough to let you handle yourself. I got the feeling if he felt you were truly in danger he would’ve risen and protected you.What is he to you?”

“We are…” She didn’t know how to explain what they were. “I think other mages keep him in a level of incarceration because they fear him. He’s so alone and has been for a long, long time. I don’t know how to get him free.”

He rolled his eyes. “Just like you to fall for a villain. I got the feeling in Afghanistan that wasn’t the first time he showed up. Was he the one there that day Willem threw you to the hunters?”

“Yes.”

“Did you know him before then?”

“I’ve known Dom a long time. Our past is complicated, but we have yet to have our moment. He refuses to have sex with anyone he cares about.”

“Maybe he can’t get it up.”

“That’s not the issue.”

“Any male who likes females would want you.”

“You really suck at compliments, you know.”

“Love, you’re the sexiest person I’ve ever met. You’re also the most closed off to intimacy. You haven’t been with anyone since Willem. That’s a hell of a long time for a lycan I’ve tried to get you interested in someone…anyone. Our kind needs sex. Lots of it. Denying yourself isn’t healthy. I worry. Is it because of that mage that no one else interests you?” He pointed over his shoulder to the back seat.

She shrugged.

“Are we going to talk about you glowing to distract that monster? What kind of new skill is that?”

“Glad it worked.”

“That’s a no, you’re not discussing it. I’ll let that slide for now. Tell me what happened in the church ofthe Madonna. Why did you drag us out here?”

She watched the passing lights of houses in the distance. “I consulted with someone about the curse.”

“In a human church? Why didn’t I know about whomever this was?” He waved a dismissive hand. “Anything new?”

“I may have a new angle, but the Christian God is not going to be able to do anything to reverse it. I’m going to take a nap.” She closed her eyes and rested her head against the seat to feign sleep and avoid more questions she couldn’t answer.

Chapter Fifteen

1981

Everything around him was still when Dom awoke. Soft light filtered into the room from a nearby window. For a moment, he thought he’d only rested for a few hours. Then he realized he felt too restored for that to be the case.

“Damn it.” Stupid of him to allow a significant passage of time to slip through his fingers.