Bella:
I couldn't get the fact that Hazel came from a line of witches out of my mind. Could it be a coincidence? She was weird, and she had all these odd trinkets she brought from home. It was starting to add up.
"Are you still up?" I heard Kai's drowsy voice, causing me to turn and see him with his left cheek plastered on the pillow as he faced me. "Hazel is probably enjoying her life a million miles away, and you're trying to figure out if she is a witch by losing sleep?" he asked, sitting up and wrapping his arms around my waist.
It wasn't a big deal to him, but to me, it meant everything. What if Hazel knew I was a hybrid and kept it hidden all this while? But she was a wolf. A wolf couldn't be a witch unless she was a hybrid, too.
"Shoot!" I slapped my forehead, my heart palpitating.
"What?" Kai asked, and I realized I had panicked aloud. I quickly wrapped my arms around his neck.
"I thought I saw something in the sky, and I was going to say, shooting star... you know," I said. He kept his gaze on me like I was insane, prompting me to capture his lips with a kiss that would leave him wanting me.
He wrapped his arms around my waist, pressing me down onto the bed with our lips still locked. Then he pulled away, staring into my eyes as I searched his, hoping for answers.
"You are perfect, Bella, and it's too bad I have to share you," he said, and I forced a half smile.
He trailed kisses from my cheek down to my neck, his hands exploring my body, seeking the perfect spot. They finally rested on my bosom, cupping each one simultaneously while his lips continued their work. My whole body heated up, and I bit my lip to hold back a moan, uncertain if the rooms were soundproof. His hands slid up my nightwear, and I could feel him smile against my breast when he discovered I had no pants on, making it easy for his hands to slide in.
As he ran his hands over my core, gathering my wetness, I grabbed his back, digging my nails in as his thumb worked my clit. Before I knew it, he slid into me, causing me to throw my head back as my walls expanded to take his length.
**
The next day, we woke up and went for a run. Kai showed me the best parts of the city for him. Afterward, we returned to the mansion to take a shower. His grandma wasn't up yet, making it easier for us to go back to our room without having to chat with anyone.
"We should take a bath together," he suggested when we got to the room, and I wrinkled my brows at him.
"So you can fulfill one of your lifelong fantasies?" I asked, and he chuckled. I rolled my eyes before I took off my shirt.
Standing in front of the mirror, I couldn't resist checking out my perky breasts, which Kai grabbed from behind as he pulled me to him.
"Groping is wrong," I said, and he kissed my cheek.
"Not when you enjoy it. Tell me you want me to let you go, and I will." His hands circled my nipples, causing me to shut my eyes and throw my head back onto his neck. "That's what I thought." He pulled his hand away, and I cursed him under my breath.
He spun me around, allowing my bare breasts to graze his hardened chest.
"Having sex with you in the shower isn't part of my lifelong fantasy. I just thought it would be quicker for both of us so we wouldn't wait in our sweat," he said before pulling away completely.
I took off everything, including my jewelries.
We both took a shower together, and aside from the occasional teasing, like him slapping my butt, we got through it without having sex.
After that, we walked downstairs, following the aroma of freshly baked bread. As we neared the end of the stairs, we heard the children running around until they zoomed past us, causing me to almost fall.
"That is enough!" The strange lady we met the previous day yelled, causing the children to come to a halt.
Kai and I walked to the dining room to see the children standing still with their arms behind their backs while the lady scolded them. I noticed there were three this time, including a girl.
"That's my cousin Willow," Kai said, and I nodded.
"Your grandma is out there doing a sacred ritual, and you shouldn't be acting like this! One more time, and you will scrub the floors the entire afternoon!" the lady scolded.
This would be nothing short of a madhouse if they weren't called to order. They were rough, but they were just kids. "Do not be harsh on them, Halle," Kai's grandma spoke, and I turned to see her walking into the dining room, holding crystals and a basket that smelled of incense.
"Sorry, madam," Halle said, giving a curt bow and taking the items from the old woman's hand while the kids rushed to their grandma, attacking her with hugs as she smiled at them.
"Did everyone get a good night's sleep?"
"Yes, Nonna, but Willow wouldn't stop snoring from the next room," one of the boys said, and Willow smacked him hard on the head.
I still couldn't tell the boys apart.
"Ouch!"
"Cut it out now! Go to the table for breakfast!" The old woman's tone was stern, causing them to leave for the table. "How did you two sleep?" she asked, and we were about to answer, but she beat us to it.
"Judging by the sounds from the night, I can tell you had a splendid night. Reminds me of when I was newly mated to your grandfather, and-"
"We would like to have breakfast now," Kai cut her short, both of us trying to hide the heat rising in our faces.
As we sat at the long table filled with an array of dishes that made my stomach rumble, I cleared my throat to get the old woman's attention, curious about the cleansing she was doing.
"Do you always do a cleansing ritual every morning?" I asked, and she shook her head, putting some fresh bread on her plate.
"You see, my dear, the energy in this house is balanced. With a clean witch and only werewolves living here. But sometimes something shifts it, so I have to cleanse the unclean energy," she said, and I swallowed hard, trying to calm my mind and convince myself that everything wasn't about me.
"What do you mean by that?" I asked, and Halle, sitting directly opposite me, glared at me.
The old woman's statement replayed in my mind, and it clicked. Halle was the witch.
"She means that something or someone must have caused a shift. We woke up this morning feeling a strange energy, one associated with vampires."
My heart skipped a beat, and the sweet aroma of food turned sour. I rarely took off my necklace, but I did before the bath, and now this lady wouldn't stop staring at me.
"But vampires are extinct," I said, grabbing a salad.
"That is what they want us to think, but I believe they still lurk among us, waiting for the right time to strike," Grandma said, and I felt an enormous lump lodged in my throat.