Page 42 of Dark Bonds

Before Matteo can offer any further explanation, a wave of dizziness washes over me. My knees buckle, and the world begins to tilt sideways. Strong arms catch me before I hit the ground, and I find myself looking up into Leo’s concerned blue eyes.

“Easy there,” he says, his voice surprisingly gentle. His arms tighten around me, and for a moment, I allow myself to feel safe in his embrace. Leo’s eyes meet mine, filled with concern and something deeper, something that makes my heart skip a beat. “I’ve got you, Frankie,” he murmurs, his breath warm against my cheek. “You’re safe now.”

The next thing I know, the world dissolves into a blur of rushing lights and hushed whispers.

Chapter 13

Leo

The bass thumps through me,each beat syncing with my pulse. I can’t help but grin as I take in the scene—spilled beer, sweaty bodies, and the electric charge of possibility in the air. It’s your typical college rager, but tonight, I have other plans. I scan the crowd, searching for one person in particular—Matteo. Just thinking his name sends a shiver down my spine. We’ve been apart for way too long, and I’m itching for some alone time.

It’s been an eternity since we’ve had a moment alone, and need claws at me like a ravenous beast demanding to be fed. We spent our entire break up north, caught in the suffocating embrace of family obligations. Now, all I crave is the taste of his lips and the heat of his skin. Maybe I can also convince him to apply for a pack house to convince Frankie to accept us both.

A guy can dream, even if those dreams are stained with shadow and sin.

The beat drops, the crowd roars, and I finally spot him. Matteo leans against the wall with a predatory smirk on his lips as his eyes scan the room. Our gazes lock across the surging mass of bodies, and electricity shoots through me, sharp and dangerous. I fight my way through the sweaty throng, my mission pulsing in my veins like a drug I can’t resist.

A familiar wave of nervousness washes over me as I close the distance between us. The music thumps, the crowd screams, but all I see is Matteo. His smirk deepens into a full-blown smile as I reach him, and I swear my heart skips a beat, tripping over itself in its eagerness to please him.

As I approach, I finally get a good look at him. His tight black T-shirt hugs every muscle, and his jeans cling to him like a second skin. My shadow shifter perks up, growling in approval. Mine.

“Hey, handsome,” I purr, sidling up to him and slipping my hand into his, relishing the heat of his skin against mine.

“You clean up well,” he says with a smirk, raising an eyebrow at my emerald green button-up and black trousers. “Trading in your usual for something more… formal?”

Heat creeps into my cheeks as I chuckle nervously, hating how easily he can reduce me to a fumbling mess. “Yeah, well… thought I’d try something different for once.” The truth is, I’d torn through my entire closet, desperate to find anything that might make me worthy of his gaze. My stomach does a backflip when he leans in close, his breath tickling my ear. Damn, the effect this guy has on me.

“It suits you,” he says before his hands snag my hips, pulling me close with a possessiveness that makes my breath catch. “Took you long enough.” His words are a dark promise that send shivers down my spine.

“I was held up, rough crowd at the soda station,” I quip, brushing my lips against his earlobe, tasting the salt on his skin.

He laughs, the vibration against my neck sending jolts of electricity through my body. “Well, I’m glad you made it. I was starting to think you’d stood me up.”

“Not a chance,” I say firmly, tugging him by his shirt collar, needing him closer. “Come on, let’s find someplace quieter.” Henods in agreement, and we slip away from the chaos of the field, two shadows merging into one.

We weave through the crowd until we find a tree large enough to shield us from prying eyes. The moment we round the trunk, Matteo’s lips are on mine, hungry and desperate. We crash together like we’re making up for lost time. It’s all lips, teeth, and tongue and exactly what I’ve been craving for months.

My hands fist in his shirt, pulling him closer as our tongues dance in a familiar yet electric tango. His hands roam over my back, leaving trails of fire in their wake. I can feel the heat radiating off him, even in the cool night air, and I want to burn with him.

My heart pounds in my chest, both from the adrenaline of being out in the open and the overwhelming desire for more. I’ve missed this—missed him—with an intensity that frightens me. We’re both panting when we finally break apart, breathless and flushed, desire burning in our eyes.

“Gods, I’ve missed you,” Matteo whispers, his lips mere centimeters from mine.

“Me too,” I manage to say, my voice hoarse with longing. “It’s been too long.”

He nods in agreement, his eyes swirling with unspoken words and dark promises I long to hear. “Yeah, it has.” He brushes a stray hair from my forehead, his touch sending shivers down my spine, igniting a fire low in my belly.

Just as our lips are about to meet again, a sharp exchange cuts through the music like a knife. I whip my head around, my playful mood dissolving faster than fog in sunlight as it’s replaced by a cold dread that settles in my gut.

“Stupid bitch,” someone spits, venom dripping from the words. Amanda and Chloe. Like a bad penny, they are always turning up where they are not wanted, leaving chaos in theirwake. I glance at Matteo, a silent conversation passing between us.

This isn’t good. You could cut the tension with a knife. Everyone’s on edge, like we’re one wrong word away from a full-on brawl.

It’s on the tip of my tongue to tell Matteo we should find somewhere more secluded when I hear Frankie’s voice, barely audible over the bass.

“Let’s go get our girl.” Matteo bites my lip hard enough to draw blood before he takes off, leaving me to trail behind him with the taste of copper on my tongue.

Oh hell no. I want to get to her first, so I dart past him, my heart pounding with fear and anticipation. I arrive just in time to see a shield snap out of Frankie, black as night and pulsing with power.

---