The Wolf Who Fought for His Soul Mate (8 page)

building up, adding and pursuing another climax that threatened to

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shatter his mind. At the same time, Paris sensed Jace’s emotions

flooding him through their bond.

Paris couldn’t take it anymore. He’d have liked to prolong the

moment, but the ecstasy was too much, too perfect. He felt that he

would lose his mind if he didn’t come in the next five seconds. In his

perpetual need for Jace, he bit down on Jace’s throat.

Blood flooded Paris’s mouth, the very essence of Jace’s being

bursting on his taste buds. Instantly, rapture swelled inside him and

the pleasure that had been gathering exploded, Paris’s world melting

into a rainbow of colors. Their connection pulsed with thoughts,

emotions, and sensations, and as the climax rolled through Paris, Jace

came as well, filling Paris’s ass with streams of hot cum and doubling

the intensity of his orgasm.

In a way, Paris was surprised he even remembered to release his

hold on Jace. Sometimes, Jace bit him. Other times, Paris bit Jace. But

whatever the case, it always felt amazing, like they were no longer

separate people, but two halves of one entity. Alas, they couldn’t

cling to it forever, and after Paris licked the wound, he slumped

against his mate, enjoying the lingering pleasure until it started to fade

away.

All too soon, the water began to cool, alerting them they were

taking far too long. Jace groaned, finally slipping out of Paris’s ass.

He was still half hard, and Paris would have loved pleasuring him

again. Unfortunately, they couldn’t afford to lose themselves in their

passions. They still needed to get acquainted with their hosts. In the

end, Paris and Jace hadn’t come here for an exotic vacation. They’d

taken on a task, and they would not fail.

With twin sighs of regret, both men quickly cleaned up and left

the tub. Paris winced when he saw the state of the bathroom. The

floor had been flooded, and the tub was dirty, the remnants of their

seed floating over the surface of the water.

“I’ll clean up,” Jace offered. “You get some new clothes for us, so

that we can go exploring afterward.”

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49

That sounded like a great idea. Honestly, Paris didn’t feel

comfortable with having staff cleaning their mess, especially after a

sexual activity. The vampires had been so very hospitable so far, even

if the circumstances of Paris and Jace’s arrival were less than ideal. In

a sense, they had forced themselves on Kaname Yamamoto,

something which Paris realized was his own mistake. But he would

show the vampire elder that his heart had been in the right place. He

would help find his mother and prevent her from harming anyone

else.

With that in mind, Paris tackled the first task. He and Jace didn’t

have too many bags, so Paris quickly dealt with finding two outfits.

He put the rest of the clothing and apparel in the large wardrobe,

making a mental note to ask Reed and his father for a good place to

shop. It might have seemed trivial, but really, Paris didn’t want to

embarrass himself in front of the largest coven of vampires in the

world.

As Paris dressed, Jace emerged from the bathroom, still naked,

and Paris couldn’t help himself from scanning his mate from head to

toe. Jace was simply too gorgeous for words, and if it were up to

Paris, he’d spend the rest of his life just kissing those full lips, licking

those taut abs, and fucking himself on that long, thick cock.

“If you keep thinking that, Paris, we’ll never get out of this room,”

Jace said in a husky tone.

Paris laughed shakily, a bit uncomfortable at having been caught.

He loved his bond with Jace, loved how Jace always knew what he

needed. Even so, it sometimes made him uncomfortable that Jace

could hear his every thought and read his every weakness. In his

heart, Paris still couldn’t see himself as worthy of Jace’s affection. He

was afraid that Jace would soon realize that, too. “Sorry,” he said

quickly, trying to push aside the thoughts. “I’ll stop.”

The arousal in Jace’s gaze melted into concern. The other wolf

came to Paris’s side and brushed a brief kiss against Paris’s lips. As

they kissed, Jace’s voice slipped in Paris’s mind.
“Hey. Don’t ever

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think stuff like that. You’re the best thing that ever happened to me.

You’re so beautiful, brave, and kind, and I fall in love with you more

every day. I don’t want to hear you ever thinking you don’t deserve

my feelings.”

It was so very intimate to talk like this, and to a certain extent,

Paris felt ashamed of his doubts. He realized all too well that Jace

loved him. Revisiting the emotions that had plagued him during his

stay with the Marrow pack didn’t help either of them. He needed to

let go of his misgivings, but it wasn’t easy, not when everything he’d

considered true had suddenly become false. Hell, he’d even found out

that Alpha Marrow had been the one to warn Jace’s father of Aria’s

plans.

Sometimes, everything seemed so chaotic, and Paris’s only anchor

was Jace. He was so afraid of losing the other wolf, so afraid that his

life would once more turn upside down, and this time, he would be

separated from the man he loved most.

“That won’t happen.”
Jace broke the kiss, but still spoke in his

mind.
“That won’t ever happen. We won’t ever be parted.”

“You don’t know that,” Paris answered out loud. “How can you?”

Jace caressed the side of Paris’s face. “I just do,” he replied. “I’m

your mate. We’ve found each other, and I won’t allow anyone,

anyone
to tear us apart.”

Paris hated and loved his weakness and his need for reassurance.

He hated it, because he didn’t want to be a liability for anyone, and

loved it, because, really, hearing Jace saying those words with such

certainty brought him a pleasure that was almost sexual.

Jace snickered. “I’m glad I can please you.” He snatched a pair of

pants Paris had prepared from the bed and pulled them on without

bothering with underwear. “As much as I’d love to explore that, it’s

time for us to go.”

They finished dressing in silence, although Paris couldn’t help but

notice that it took them far longer than it should have. Then again,

who could blame them if they brushed against each other from time to

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51

time? Who could blame them if they stopped in the middle of

buttoning their shirts to kiss or caress the patches of skin still left

exposed? They were recently mated, and by rights, this should be a

honeymoon trip of sorts. Instead, they were getting acquainted with

people outside their own species, who may or may not be hostile to

them, while hunting down Paris’s mother. It wasn’t exactly ideal, but

Paris could brave anything that came his way as long as he had Jace

by his side.

When they were at last ready, they slipped out of the room,

looking around to see if there was anyone they could ask.

Unsurprisingly, they spotted the servant who’d helped them before

waiting a short distance away, just far enough to give them privacy,

but still available for anything they needed.

“Could we talk to Yamamoto-sama?” Jace asked politely.

The servant bowed lowly. “Of course, Wade-san. He is waiting

for you. Right this way.”

Why didn’t it surprise Paris that Kaname expected them to seek

him out? The vampires seemed to have a system in place to anticipate

their guests’ every need. Paris wondered exactly how many surprises

waited for them there.

* * * *

“Ah, my new guests.” Kaname Yamamoto waved them forward,

the perfect picture of absolute hospitality. “Please, sit, sit.”

Unlike before, they hadn’t been taken into Kaname’s private

office, but rather, into a larger room filled with various members of

the coven. Reed and Anson were also there, seated next to the

vampire elder. They were in a sort of nest of comfortable pillows

thrown over tatami mats, a low table with various drinks in front of

them.

Jace and Paris obeyed Kaname’s instructions, and Jace wondered

how in the world they were going to approach Kaname about the

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issues on his and his mate’s mind with so many people around. Even

more surprisingly, there seemed to be a stage of sorts in the middle.

Currently, it was empty, but Jace would bet that the situation might

change soon.

The vampire elder smiled at him, and Jace wondered if Kaname

could read his mind. “You’re just in time,” he said. “The show is just

about to begin.”

The show? What show?
Jace hadn’t really come here for

entertainment, but he couldn’t deny his host, so he stood back and

relaxed, insofar as he could, at least. Paris gave him an uncomfortable

look, also glancing toward Reed and Anson, seeking an answer there.

When the older wolf and the swan looked just as puzzled, they could

do nothing but wait and see what happened.

Finally, a group of men and women entered the stage. Some

carried instruments, and all were dressed in traditional Japanese garbs.

The hairstyles and makeup resembled those of geishas, although there

were some differences strong enough to note but with a certain

subtlety that prevented Jace from pinpointing them exactly.

A small number of the new arrivals, both male and female, slipped

through the room, zeroing in on certain areas. A man and a woman

made their way to Kaname’s table, therefore ending up in Jace’s

proximity. The female sat next to Kaname, her posture impeccable

and demure. She seemed ready to serve him at any time. Meanwhile,

the man seemed somewhat more approachable and less shy, smiling

and offering Jace some sake.

Not wanting to be rude, Jace took a sake cup the man gave him

and took a small sip. The alcohol burned through his system, stronger

than anything he’d ever had. However, shifters were notoriously good

at resisting the effects of any type of beverage or hallucinogen that

had the potential of clouding the senses. Jace continued to drink, all

the while keeping a close eye on the stage.

The rest of the group was now gathered in a semicircle, with two

women kneeling and holding shamisens, presumably ready to play.

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53

The other girls were waiting, also on their knees, while the men stood

farther back, large drums in front of them.

At a sign from Kaname, the performance started. The clear voices

of the singers rang out through the room with a soothing quality,

startling Jace. They plucked the chords of the instruments with nimble

fingers, and the resulting melody was gentle, almost sad, with a sort

of hypnotizing effect.

The other women got up as one being. They moved slowly and

gracefully, their bodies swaying with the music like tree branches

with the wind. Jace had seen many dances, but this one had a

particular surreal quality, as if the dancers were reaching out to his

very soul. He squeezed Paris in his arms, the flow of the song making

him aware of just how much he loved the other wolf and how lucky

he’d been to find his mate. He realized why he was so affected by the

melody. Even if he didn’t understand all the words, the singers

crooned an ode to love, something Jace could truly empathize with.

Paris relaxed in his arms, watching the show with half-lidded

eyes. They’d been subconsciously stressed ever since they’d realized

their arrival hadn’t been communicated to Kaname, but the tension

drained out of them both as if the slow, whirling dance of the geishas

was coaxing him into a state of complete relaxation.

And then, all of a sudden, the slow melody stopped. A brief

moment of silence followed, during which Jace wondered if the

performance was over. But Jace didn’t have time to experience any

disappointment. The sound of powerful drums erupted, as powerful as

the emotional melody had been, but in a completely different way.