Devour (14 page)

“I’m sure you’re wondering why we wanted to talk to you this evening,” Nick adds.

I nod a simple response.

“Cody told me you were nervous about the transition.
We want to make it as smooth as possible for you both. What would you think about having a condo in the East village, just five minutes from campus?”

My eyes li
ght up. I wouldn’t have to live in campus housing? I didn’t even consider that possibility. “That would be amazing. I just want to be with Cody; wherever he is, I’m happy.”

Nick chuckle
s. “I’m glad you feel that way. We own a condo and Ginger and I want to give it to you two as a mating gift. Before you try to protest, I won’t take no for an answer.”

“Thank you
. That’s a wonderful present that we can cherish together.”

“Thanks
Mom and Dad. I know we will make some great memories together there.”

“Now
, Callie, have you decided when you want to have your mating pre ceremony? I hope you haven’t planned anything yet.”

“I haven’t planned anything.
Maybe we can do it Thursday, if that is okay with you. I’m sure my Mom and Jane will be fine with it.”

“
That’s perfect. I promise we’ll keep it small, just friends and family. You’ll get a lot of wonderful gifts to start your lives off together. I got some of the most fabulous things at mine. Lana and I will coordinate with your Mom.”

“I’d love that
, Ginger.”

Apparently, Cody’
s had enough. “I’m going to steal my mate away and show her the gardens now.”

He stands up and pulls me with him, never letting go of my hand as we say goodbye.

As soon as we are out the door, Cody grasps me around the waist and pushes my back to a nearby wall. I can’t help but laugh as he comes closer and leans down to kiss me. Familiar sparks light a fire in my belly as our tongues mingle.

I giggle again and pull away.
“We’re in the hallway, Cody. Behave yourself.”

“Mm, that’s not possible with you.
Let’s at least get away from prying eyes and make out in the garden like real teenagers,” he says in a teasing tone.

I’
m so happy; I hope nothing ever ruins this. I would do anything to keep this love. Cody’s my mate and the bond is getting stronger by the hour. I don’t know if I can survive until Saturday to make it official.

He senses what I’
m feeling and squeezes my hand. We don’t say anything until we exit through the back door and slip around the giant hedges, out of sight.

“This is much better.
Follow me. Let’s go sit on the bench.”

He guides me through rows of hedges and flower beds.
All the flowers are in bloom and the flower beds are a myriad of beautiful colors. The smell of Jasmine is heady and I stop to smell it. When we finally make it to the bench, I am in awe.

In front of me is a decorative concrete bench, but that’s not what holds my attention.
There is a giant fountain in the middle. Soft light reveals the glistening drops of water as they fall. It’s gorgeous and gives me a serene feeling.

As I take in the fountain before me, Cody wraps his arms around me and I just stand there enveloped in his arms.
I close my eyes and let everything but Cody and the sounds of the fountain fade away.

This is a little slice of heaven.
I’m so glad he brought me here. I can hear the water in the fountain and the smell of the flowers. I can hear the beating of Cody’s heart behind me. I take in all of this and stamp it in my memory to refer back to at a later time.

When I finally t
urn around to look at Cody, he’s studying me. I quirk a quick smile then tug him over to the bench. We sit, side by side, in silence as I take everything in. I’m enjoying this place and know it will be one of happiness for us.

I lay my head on Cody’s shoulder and sigh.

“I love you
, Callie. I never thought I could love someone as much as I love you. I’m so happy I found you. Now that I’ve found you, I’m never letting you go.”

“I love you
, too.”

That’
s all I can say because I can’t guarantee he will have me forever. Until Chase is dealt with, my future is uncertain. I wish so badly for this situation to go away tonight.

Just the thought of hurting Cody brings tears to my eyes.
It is the cruelest thing I could ever do to someone. Chase should have never happened. I’d give anything to go back to that night and change it. I would never have looked his way, never indulged in my needs with him.

Cody lifts my chin up and frowns.
“Are you okay, princess? What’s wrong?”

He sees my tears and it’
s so hard to hide my pain from him physically, but I can’t hide mentally. He can feel my remorse and I know I have to tell him something.

“I just can’t imagine you with any other girls before me.
It makes me jealous and sad to picture you taking blood and kissing other girls. How far you could have taken things is gnawing at my insides. I can’t help it. Pictures keep popping in my head and my imagination just runs away with me.”

It
’s not the whole truth, but it’s a truth. I can’t push the images away and as our bond grows stronger, my jealousy spikes. I can’t believe how emotional this mating has made me. My life, hanging in the balance because of Chase, hasn’t helped either.

Cody wraps his arms around me and I nestle against his chest.
I don’t bother to hide my tears. He can feel my sorrow anyways.

“I want you to understand something
, Callie.”

I look up into his hazel eyes and see his sincerity.

“There will never be another girl for me. It was you the moment my lips met yours. I don’t care about humans, in your past or mine. Of course, I am jealous as hell of your past with Jane. I know how you two picked your humans and all the hot guys you’ve seduced. It makes me crazy to think about.”

He pauses and then continues with his speech.
“The one thing that keeps me sane is the fact that at the end of the day, you’re mine. Soon, you’ll be coming home to me. You’ll only ever be in
my
bed. I’ll never share you where it really counts. The past has to stay in the past.”

Too bad my past won’t stay buried.
My past followed me home and I’m crazy with worry over it. I so badly want to share with Cody what has happened. I want to prepare him in case… I can’t even finish that trail of thought.

“Thank you.
I feel much better after hearing your perspective.”

“You’re welcome.
Anytime you want me to cheer you up, I will. It’s my job to make you the happiest mate ever. You’re mine and you will be the mother to our children. I can’t imagine anything different.”

I wrap my arms around his neck and place my mouth over his, effectively changing the subject.
He eagerly returns my kiss, ratcheting up the intensity. His kiss is slow and controlled. He is dominating me and I let him. It’s pretty hot.

Desire hits me full force and I struggle to keep it in check.
I want to do things to him and images flood my imagination. I know he can feel my desire because his kisses become more demanding and his hands begin to wander.

He settles them on my hips and pulls me onto his lap.
I let out a moan as I settle and that is all it takes. The dam breaks. We kiss and he plays with the hem of my tank top, running his hands softly against my bare skin. I shiver from the pleasure his touch brings.

He begins to kiss my jaw and then my neck
. Before I know it, his fangs have descended. I only have a seconds notice before I feel the pierce of them into the soft flesh of my neck. It takes a moment for the pain to recede and the euphoria to take over. A flood of pleasure rushes through me as he drinks.

My mouth waters at the feel
ing and my own fangs descend. He pulls away, finally, and I’m quick to sink my own fangs into his neck. He cradles my head as I drink. I am practically lost in the taste of him. He tastes so sweet, with just a hint of metallic. I know that I’m dangerously close to losing control.

As swiftly as I started, I pull away, breathing heav
ily. I seal the puncture marks and then lick the remainder of his blood off my lips while my glowing eyes find his. His have ignited and are full of fire. I know mine must resemble his because I feel the intensity between us. My eyes are probably glowing violet with an iridescent purple ring around my swirling pupils.

We’
re both breathing heavily and staring at one another. It’s then I realize that I am straddled across his lap. I know the blood high will hit me soon and I want to be someplace more comfortable with Cody.

“That was…um amazing.
Let’s go inside so we can actually enjoy our blood high.”

He lifts me up and sets me upright on the ground as he stands to his full height.
His fingers intertwine with mine and we make our way out of the garden. I’m happy that our licks seal the wound because sharing blood is a pretty intimate experience and I don’t exactly want to broadcast our activities to his family.

“How about watching a movie?
I’m sure I can find something we will enjoy.”

“I think that sounds perfect, but only if you snuggle up to me on the couch,” I reply.

“Deal,” he says as we open the back door and he leads me down a hallway and into a den.

The den is decorated tastefully and I know his
Mom has done it. I peer at the impressionist paintings lining the walls and smile. This woman has good taste. She has some fabulous pieces. I’m actually a little jealous.

Cody goes to a cabinet and pulls out a couple movies.
We finally settle on a classic, Alice in Wonderland. This is the darker, remade version that I happen to love so much.
Off with their heads!
I think and chuckle to myself.

“What’s so funny
, Callie?”

“Oh, I was thinking of my
favorite line from the movie, ‘
Off with their heads,
’ that’s all.”

“My favorite line is, ‘
I’m late, I’m late, for a very important date,
’ with the white rabbit,” he responds.

He pops the movie in and then pulls me down to the couch on top of him.
We spoon as the movie starts, my back facing him and his arms wrap possessively around me.

I sink into his embrace and let the movie carry me down the rabbit hole.

Soon
, I feel Cody’s breathing on my neck even out into a slow and steady rhythm. He’s asleep. It’s an amazing feeling to be in his arms while he’s so peaceful. I let his breathing slow down my own and before long, my eyes drift shut.

I wake to the feeling of someone tucking my hair behind my ear.
I look up to see Cody looking down at me. Smiling, I tilt my head up just enough for my lips to meet his. This kiss is slow and chaste. I feel his soft lips pressed against mine and I sigh. He is whom I want to wake up to every day from the rest of my life.

“I
like watching you sleep. You’re so relaxed, it is amazing to see. You’re beautiful, Callie. I’m the luckiest man in the world. I just wanted to tell you that.”

“Well then, I must be the luckiest girl in the world, because I s
eem to have landed you and I think you’re nothing short of amazing.”

He grins and I lean up for one last kiss.
It doesn’t last long, because there is a knocking at the door. We sit up and adjust our clothes to make ourselves presentable.

“Come in,” Cody says.

The door opens and his Mom is standing there. Her expression is neutral so I’m not sure what’s coming next. There is no smile and I shiver a little. Whatever it is, it can’t be good.

“Callie, your
Mom called and she needs you home right away. She said something about needing to talk about mating plans. It’s getting late anyways. Cody, can you drive her home now?”

“No problem
, Mom. I’ll get Callie home right away.”