Page 36 of Marcello
Mazzi chuckled. “No, he doesn’t. It can be helpful in that it gives him insight into how to help take care of you. But no, he doesn’t need to know everything. We’ll discuss the nothing from Marcello later. To answer your question about what you are sharing and projecting to your mate, you need to think about him, but in a way, tell your brain to not share everything with him.” Mazzi sighed. “I know it’s difficult to understand, and even more confusing to explain.”
I nodded. “Yeah. It is.” I took another cube of cheese and gave it a try. I really needed to get into the habit of having a midmorning snack now that I was pregnant.
“Right now, you’re completely open to your mate, and you need to change that. You are, without a thought, sharing and projecting everything. Close your eyes and think about your mate.”
I did as Mazzi said and thought about Marcello. Immediately, he reached out in return.“Are you finished being mad?”
I growled a bit, then looked at Mazzi, who raised an eyebrow at me in question. “He asked if I’m done being mad.” I sighed. “I have no doubt he knows all about this conversation.”
“Most likely,” Mazzi said. “Think about your mate, but then tell your brain to shut off thoughts to him.”
I did that. And when I did, Marcello pushed back again. I told my brain to ignore him, to not listen, and then to not tell him everything I was doing. The man truly didn’t need to know when I had to go to the bathroom.
I felt a sudden shift in my mind. There was a shout in the house, but I didn’t think anything of it until Marcello came into the kitchen a minute later. He looked like a thundercloud though, and I was actually a bit surprised at his expression.
“Is something wrong?” I asked innocently as I popped a grape into my mouth
“You shut off the bond,” Marcello said.
I glanced at Mazzi quickly before looking back at my mate. “No I didn’t,” I told him.“See? Still here,”I said through our bond.
Marcello glanced from me to Mazzi before he pointed his finger in Mazzi’s direction. “This is your doing. You cannot interfere with mates.”
“I haven’t interfered in the least,” Mazzi said. “You forget that I was the one who brought Abel here in the first place. Interfering would be taking him back to Montana. Interfering would be keeping the two of you apart in some way, but that’s not what I’m doing. Have you thought about why it is that your beloved’s aura is tinged blue? He’s newly mated. He should be happy. Especially with news of twins arriving next month. Why is your beloved sad, Marcello? Why is he coming to someone else to ask about bonds?” Mazzi was up from his stool now and poking Marcello in the chest with a slender finger. “And tell me why it is that your little beloved feels not much of anything through your bond?”
“What’s going on in here?” Master Vincent asked. He glared at the three of us, and I suddenly very much wanted to return to Montana. I slid from my own stool and moved around the island, putting as much room between me and the others as possible. I wanted to go home to Montana more than anything, despite Marcello being here. I couldn’t, though, because he needed me. I was stuck, because without me, he would die, and then I would as well.
“What’s going on is your second is an asshole and needs to think about his beloved outside of what it is that Abel can do for his dick,” Mazzi said. He turned and stalked toward me. My eyeswidened as Mazzi approached. Was he going to hurt me? Were the others?
I felt a very familiar tickle in my stomach when Mazzi reached me, and then I looked around and found myself on a gorgeous beach.
“Wow. Where are we?”
Mazzi sighed and sat down with a plop. He was much further along in his pregnancy than I was. “We are on a deserted island just off of the coast. There is no one here but us.” Mazzi waved his hand, and there was suddenly a blanket under him and a full spread of food in front of him. “Sit. We will discuss your mate and how I promise I do not dislike him, but you need some pointers on how to handle him.”
I grinned at the warlock as I sat down with my legs crossed in front of me. Marcello suddenly started hounding me through our bond though.
“I know that look,” Mazzi said. “Think in your mind about a light switch as you would see on the wall. Seriously. Believe me on this one.” I thought about a light switch and waited. “Once you’re thinking about that switch, flip it off. Think about your bond and flip it off. Done. Closed.”
I tried. I saw in my mind an actual giant switch, and I chuckled because it was actually my little fox that jumped up onto it and started hopping up and down like he would if he were hunting prey in the snow. Once the switch was down, there was suddenly silence in my mind. I looked at Mazzi with wide eyes.
“Yep. You found it,” he told me. I nodded. “Now, there will be a very pissed-off vampire once we return to the coven, but I’ve already reached out to Naldo and let him know what was going on.”
I sighed. “I’m falling in love with him, Mazzi. But he won’t trust me enough to open up to me, and it’s painful. I miss home and my friends, and I’m trying not to become resentful, but Igave up so much to stay here, and it’s frustrating because he’s not opening up. I know he’s killed people. So have a lot of the enforcers, and I know that probably all of the created ones have at some point in their long lives.” I swiped at my eyes, which had started leaking. “But I know he wouldn’t hurt me. I’m not so sure about Master Vincent, but I would hope he wouldn’t either.”
Mazzi pulled me into his side and gave me a partial hug. “You are perfectly safe at the coven house. Everyone there would protect you because you are not only a coven member, but you are Marcello’s beloved.” He growled. “Your mate is very stubborn, but he’s also one of the most ruthless men I’ve ever known. He got his position because Master Vincent could count on him to do any and everything without fail.”
Mazzi handed me a tissue. I wiped my eyes and blew my nose before I sighed. “I’m not a fan of Master Vincent. And to be honest, I didn’t necessarily like you all that much either.”
He laughed. “I can understand that. I would apologize for kidnapping you if not for the fact that you have been united with your mate.” Mazzi sighed. “I truly did have your best interest in mind. That and Master Vincent sent us to look for you.”
I nodded. “I figured as much.” I tried to smile and make light of the entire situation. “I just miss home. I’ve not left the room, really, and yes, the sex is absolutely amazing, but is that all I’m going to do? Hang out in the room and be there to have sex with Marcello?”
Mazzi snorted. “No. You’re going to start leaving the room in the mornings and come hang out with me. We’ll walk the grounds, enjoy the gardens, eat snacks because we’re pregnant.” Mazzi picked up a sandwich that was cut into a tiny square and took a bite. “I have certainly been in your shoes, Abel. Not too terribly long ago. I would very much like to be your friend,” he said.
I smiled. I would like that too.
Chapter 13
