Page 44 of Call of the Ride
If I’d made it to adulthood under mybaba’scare, I never could’ve pulled the trigger. Only because her love was taken from me so tragically, replaced by harsh indifference and mindless bloodshed, was I able to shoot my own father in cold blood. That man had implanted more than a tracking device in me—he’d also infected me with a blind hatred so insidious, it would probably take years to fully erase it.
All for the greater good.
Anthia met us with a second car outside the tower walls, ready to return the shifter to her pack. She was a wolf, apparently, and luckily, her injuries weren’t life threatening thanks to her healing abilities. Outwardly, the swan seemed to have gotten over her run-in with Jarilo’s vines. She briskly promised to bring word of Matthew’s death to the clan leaders before speeding away into the night.
Through it all, I could feel Vasi discreetly sending me comfort through our bond, clearly aware of whatever mess of emotions I was still picking my way through. Nobody spoke as we drove away, and I took one last look at the White Tower before it disappeared from sight. There was nothing to say. My father was dead, and I knew the world would be a better place without the stain of his presence.
So why do I feel like shit?
“We’re going for a walk,” Tan abruptly announced once we reached our hotel room. From the look on Asa’s face, this was news to him, but my brother was quickly hustled back into the hallway before he could protest.
“Nox.” Vasi’s clipped tone snapped me out of my daze. “Sit down. Now.”
I was too numb to argue, or fully appreciate her bossiness, so I simply collapsed into a large armchair instead. My dick took notice, however, as she straddled me and began wrestling with my jacket, muttering curses under her breath.
Smirking at her frustration, I finally found my voice. “What the hell are you trying to accomplish, witch?”
She huffed, deliciously salty, as always. “I amtryingto get your clothing off so we can...cuddle.”
Hopefully she needs more from me than cuddles.
I shrugged off my jacket and holsters before peeling off my shirt. All the while, I was careful not to jostle Vasi from her seat because fuck if her ass didn’t feel good right where it was. She removed her shirt as well, making me groan when she pressed those glorious tits of hers against my skin and wrapped her arms around me.
“You’re a good man, Nox,” she murmured in my ear, and I tensed, not at all prepared for this turn of events. My instincts were going haywire, our safe word on the tip of my tongue as I panicked. “Matthew deserved to die, not just for everything he did, but everything he intended to do,” she stubbornly continued. “Theonlygood thing he ever accomplished in his life was to createyou—a good man with a good heart.”
Ah, fuck.
Every emotion I’d attempted to bury suddenly rushed to the surface, and before I could stop myself, I was sobbing like a goddamn baby in Vasi’s arms.
I’d been conditioned over the past two decades to not feel anything, not for others or even for myself. I hadn’t realized until this moment how much this had stopped me from becoming the man my grandmother would have wanted me to be. But this witch—this amazing woman—was giving me permission to feel things again, to just be...sad.
So, I allowed myself to cry for the life I’d lost when mybabawas taken from me too soon. I cried for the fact my father was gone now too, along with the harsh truth that he never loved me. The cold realization of just how little I meant to him had stayed with me ever since he pulled the trigger at the Facility. And I knew it would be a long time before I fully recovered from all his betrayals.
But now I have someone to help me carry it.
My body was violently shaking, but Vasi continued to hold me together as I sobbed. I cried for my brothers—for Tan and Ace and all the hurt they’d experienced as well since our journeys began. Our collective loss was a heavy burden to bear, but I would gladly help carry it for them.
Just like they’d do for me.
The tears intensified as I thought of my witch, and how long she’d been alone before we found her. I cried for every horrible thing that had happened to Vasi during her long life, including the trauma of losing her child. She’d once mentioned she couldn’t have kids anymore, and my heart broke further as I wondered if that also still hurt.
I hope she’ll let me heal her too.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered, unable to articulate anything more than that from the hot mess of everything I was feeling.
“It’s not your fault, my Darkest Midnight,” Vasi soothed, sending me so much love through our bond that she may as well have said the words. “And I’m here. I’ll always be here, because you deserve it.”
Vasi’s belief in my worthiness destroyed me then rebuilt me from the wreckage. Needing to show her how much this meant to me, I rose from the chair, wrapping her legs around my waist as I swiftly carried her into the bedroom. Laying her down on the velvet comforter with a hell of a lot more care than usual, I kissed my way from her luscious lips to every inch of her neck. Then I nipped and licked around each perfect breast countless times before traveling down her soft belly to the waistband of those magical butt lift yoga pants.
I slid the pants down her legs, smiling when I saw she was back to wearing no goddamn underwear, even the crotchless kind. Without giving her a moment to protest, I threw her legs over my shoulders and feasted on her pussy until that demon honey of hers drenched my beard. Once I had her bucking beneath me, claws raking through my hair as she screamed my name, I rewarded myself with dessert.
Spartak cake.
It wasn’t until she came a second time that I got undressed and finally crawled back up her body. Pausing with my throbbing cock poised at her entrance, I slowly exhaled, attempting to get a hold of myself before I continued.
“Before you ask,” Vasi gasped, adorably breathless as she ran her claws down my horns. “Yes, I remember the stupid safe word.”
I smiled down at her. “You’re not gonna need the safe word this time, witch. Although, I promise, I’ll be back to ruining your pussy soon enough.” Then, I slowly inched my cock into my salvation, and for the first time in my life, I made love to someone I cared about more than life itself. Thrusting slow and deep, I kept my eyes locked on hers, the staggering waves of emotion passing between us—the entire experience—completely fucking mind-blowing in how incredible it was.
