"I can't mindlink with anyone outside of my father's pack because of the loyalty promises to my father's pack," Luca said, tracing his fingers to my jawline.
I caught his eye on the pulsing vein in my neck. "Do you want to drink?"
"It is not so much wanting to feed as it is wanting to taste you," Luca said, his voice hoarse. "Getting to know you on a deeper level. Seeing and experiencing what you are about."
"There is not much to me," I chuckled softly. His tender words caught me off guard.
The silence became unbearable.
"Get on with it then," he invited him to drink nervously, tilting my head to the side.
He traced his fingers over my shoulder, over my arm, tracing the vein to my palm. He lifted my palm to his mouth.
"Why not from my neck?" I asked.
"Too quick. Not enough time in a quick drink to get to know someone," he said before he sank his fangs into my palm.
It stung for a moment before his venom surged through my veins, intoxicating me.
I relaxed, allowing it to sweep over me. My find drifted to him. I wondered what he was seeing. How did he feel about what he saw?
I didn't feel him retract his vangs. I only realised he stopped drinking when his mouth landed on me. I welcomed his lips on mine. The faint taste of my blood in his mouth entered mine.
After the kiss, he snuggled into me, his head on my chest. I was still intoxicated, and his being on my chest added to the comfort.
When I woke up, I was alone. I reached out to his side of the bed. I never felt so lonely in my life. I grabbed his pillow and gave it a deep sniff. I knew he must have left to be with Xan. A hint of jealousy crept up in me, but I tried to shove it to the back of my mind. I tried not to think of them making love. I fell asleep again, snuggled up against his pillow. Instead of dreaming about Luca, I dreamt of Xan. Xan and I were making love. Me, loving Xan deeply. Passionately.
I woke up in a cold sweat.
'What the hell was that?' I wondered, sitting up straight. Daylight was breaking through the curtains. I dragged my fingers through my mob of hair standing up. I needed a cold shower after that.
After cooling down, I had some leftovers from the previous day. While eating, it occurred to me that I was in the human world. 'Where did Luca say the higher council was?' I tried to remember. "Hudson Heights. Perreli Castle," I reminded myself out loud. Maybe my sister was there. I hoped not.
I looked around for cash. I knew enough about the human world to navigate it. Nebra and I have been studying it over the past years, just like every other wolfless. I slapped the smart watch around my wrist and wondered if it would show my current location so that I could find my way back to Luca's apartment.
Yup. It was obviously top of the range. I didn't have to save my current location. Luca already did. 'Home sweet home,' is what he labelled it. I navigate through all the other saved locations. "Higher council?" I questioned out loud. He knew it was the first place I would seek out. I smile crept onto my face when I saw a few locations labelled with Favorite. Just as I wondered where I am going to get bus money, I saw the Uber app on the watch. I was thinking I will use a bus to get around, but on the Uber app, it showed a substantial wallet amount pre-loaded.
While exploring the watch, a message came through. It was from Luca. 'The PIN to the banking app and all payments is 0101. Have fun. Be safe,' with a little heart at the end.
I don't know why, but I felt lonely at that moment. I needed to be with Luca, but instead, he left me in the big world. With a depressing sigh, I tapped on the uber app and booked an uber to the higher council.
I guess Luca must have gotten a notification because the watch beeped.
'I know you are eager to find your sister, but there is no way you will gain access to the higher council. You need a supernatural to just see it, let alone enter it,' the message read. I didn't respond. I am going.
Arriving at Hudson Heights, I realized what Luca meant. There was nothing. Just a small part of the original castle. The Hudson River in the distance. I sigh in disappointment. I lowered myself under the nearest tree. A snow white owl caught my attention.
"You are way too big to be an actual owl, so why not just shift and show yourself?" I talked to it.
The owl didn't shift, but I knew it was supernatural. A were-owl.
I was just getting comfortable, not sure what to do since I don't have access to the higher council, when a young woman sat next to me. "Lindi," she introduced herself. She looked just like Luca, which was confusing since he said he was an only child. Or was he his mother's only child? I wasn't sure if Alpha Eric had children.
"Lumin," I shook her delicate hand.
"Luca let me know to come find you," she said with a warm smile.
"How are you two related?" I questioned, clearly confused.
"I am his mother," she chuckled. The same way Luca chuckles.
"You look too young to be his mother," I stated, my brain totally rejecting the idea.
"Vampire blood keeps me young," she chuckled again.
"Oh. Of course," I laughed. Of course, she shares blood with vampires. "Don't you belong to a Lycan Prince?" I questioned, wondering what she was doing with vampires.
"I do, but he wants me to stay young. Vampires don't drink from me, but I drink from them," she explained.
"So how do I get inside?" I finally asked, turning the conversation in the right direction.
She looked up at the were-owl in the tree. "If he was going to let you in, he would have by now."
"He?" I looked up.
"Prince Andre," she told me.
"A prince is the guard dog?" I chuckled, looking back down.
"He likes to know everything, and what better way than to know who comes through the doors?" she stated in a respectful manner.
"Come. Let's go explore the city," she said and stood up.
"I have to find my sister. She's been missing since the Blood Moon," I told her as I got up with her.
"Luca already made me drink his blood to show me what she looks like. She is not here. Nor was she," Lindi said with a sympathetic tone.
"He was here?" I questioned, wondering when it happened.
"Yes, early this morning," she said as we started walking toward the city.
"But how does he know what she looks like if he has never met her?" I could not help but wonder. It is not as if I carry a photo of her.
"Because he drank your blood, he could see what she looks like," Lindi explained as we crossed the street.
"But don't you see Alpha Eric's pack secrets if you drink from Luca?" I wondered. "And won't they see here his pack secrets if they drink from you?" My mind started to race with questions.
"Part of the sale agreement was that no one is ever allowed to drink from me besides Alpha Eric's pack, and only if I let them. I will never betray Alpha Eric's pack. You see, his pack will one day become Lumin's." It was clear she secured a future for Luca.
"This little restaurant is our favorite. We meet here often," Lindi said, pushing the door open to a restaurant that looked more like an old bookstore than a place you eat at.
I followed her to a corner of the restaurant.
After the waiter took our orders, Lindi wanted to know more about me. "So I saw from Luca's mind when I drank from him what he saw about you. It does not seem you had it that bad. I grew up in the same orphanage that you and your sister did."
"You did? I didn't know the place was so old," I said. I knew I was frowning because her face mirrored mine.
"I sure did. My life was not as easy there as it was for you and your sister," she said, the painful memories dancing across her face.
"My sister and I had it easy," I admitted.
"On my sixteenth birthday, I went to the Wolfless area. I didn't even get to know anyone there because that very night was a Blood moon," she told me. I could tell from her face that what she was about to tell me was good, and a smile crept onto her face.