Cato walked up the steps and came toward her, stepping well outside her personal space. He seemed reluctant to touch her and there was a kind of distance in his eyes. She knew that she had caused that, and it hurt. After seeing Kian and Everly together, she knew more than ever that she wanted to be with Cato.
"I started the synthesis process," Cato said. "It should be done later this evening. Then we can begin the transfusion."
"Come and eat," Everly said. "All the science talk can wait for later."
Cato and Penelope followed Everly and Kian out onto the patio where the clan was dishing up their barbecue ribs, hamburgers, potato salad, grilled corn, chicken skewers, and fruit filled Jell-O onto brightly colored plates. Ember squealed happily as Winnifred offered her a bite of Jell-O.
The crystal-clear pool glinted in the evening sunlight as crickets chirped in the balmy spring air. It was a scene of such happiness that Penelope almost wanted to run away. Her breath choked up in her throat and she stopped in the doorway. Kian and Everly took their seats around the table. Cato stopped and turned to her, a concerned look in his eyes.
"What's wrong?" he asked.
"I want this for my sister. For both of us. We haven't had a family like this since… Since our parents died. Our auntie was great but after we lost mom and dad, all we ever did was try to accomplish things. I think it was our way of coping with the loss. Now I'm here and she's that thing. I just don't know if I can…"
"You don't know if you can eat dinner?" Cato said, gently cupping her elbow.
She laughed, looking down at her feet, her shoulder slumping.
"You're right. What's wrong with me? It's just dinner. I'm not bathing naked in champagne while laughing hysterically about her demise."
"Um," he said, the corner of his mouth corking up. "That is an interesting image."
"You know what I mean."
"Let's eat. You want ribs, steak, chicken or hamburger?"
"Do I have to choose?" she asked, realizing she was famished. She hadn't eaten since that half a bagel this morning.
"Of course not," he said.
"Good. I want a little of everything."
Chapter 18
Penelope sat at the picnic table with the clan of the House of Flames, feeling more at home than she had in so many years. It was unsettling at first, but then she relaxed into the comfortable embrace of Cato's family.
The banter and good-natured competition between the guys and the warm sisterhood forming between the women was a breath of fresh air. After she'd eaten several servings of Kian’s delicious barbecue, and a huge slice of Everly’s chocolate cake with chocolate frosting, and two glasses of white wine, she was feeling much better than she had at the start of the meal.
The sun began to set behind the mountain to the west and the patio lights came on, illuminating the family’s faces and twinkling in the glassy water of the swimming pool. She slipped her fingers into Cato's hand, tucking them into his palm. He looked up at her and smiled, squeezing affectionately.
"You look so lovely in fading sunlight. How it glows on your in your hair and brightens your eyes."
She leaned in and kissed him softly on the lips, inhaling the scent of his body. She wanted to throw her arms around him and thank him for everything he had done. But she knew that the eyes of the crew were on them, as much as she was growing to love these people, she had never been a big fan of public displays of affection. She sat back in her chair and took one more sip of wine before setting down the glass and clearing her thoughts.
"What is the status of the blood synthesis?"
"The synthesis is taking longer than anticipated. It will probably not be done until morning."
"What about Flora?"
"I gave her some of the blood from the meat we cooked tonight, to ensure she will remain strong enough for the transfusion in the morning. It is the best we can do."
"I understand," Penelope said looking off into the distance.
The beautiful view from the patio across the grounds of the estate belied the horrific secret hidden in the basement. Her very own sister was a monster who would haunt Penelope’s dreams until she was either cured or ceased to be. Penelope rubbed her temples with her fingertips and gritted her teeth.
"You should get some rest," Cato said. "Tomorrow will be a challenging day."
"I don't want to be alone," she said.
"You can sleep in my room," he said as the rest of the family disappeared through the patio doors, taking the dirty dishes with them.
Dax, Aria, and Everly came back a moment later to retrieve the rest of the dirty dishes and Cato stopped briefly to tell Everly he was taking Penelope upstairs.
"Try to sleep, hon, you're going to need it. I'll send Kian up with some relaxing tea for you."
"Thank you, Everly," Penelope said. "You've been so gracious and welcoming.”
"It's nothing. You are now a part of our clan now. Our family."
Penelope turned away, tears welling in her eyes. It was what she wanted more than anything. To belong. To have people to rely on. These amazing, talented, strong men and women had all welcomed her with open arms and had even risked their own safety to rescue her sister. Her emotions were overwhelming, and she couldn't speak as she made her way up the stairs.
Once on the second floor, she realized she had no idea where Cato's room was and turned to him, waiting for him to come up behind her. She wiped the tears away and sniffled.
"I don’t know where I'm going," she laughed.
"Come with me. Let me take care of you." He took her hand and led her down the hall.
They went to the far wing of the house where he opened the door into a rather large suite. There was a sitting room with simple but comfortable living room furniture and a computer desk with multiple screens. Beyond a pair of doors, she saw a large bed with a gray comforter and a padded gray headboard.
Cato certainly wasn't one for frills, but then again, neither was she. His rooms were tidy, which she couldn't say for her own apartment. And there was an air of comfort and security in them that she hadn't felt at home since Flora had gone missing.
They walked into the bedroom and he opened another door that led into the bathroom. Inside, he turned the faucet in a deep basin bathtub and squirted sweet smelling bubble-bath into the running water.
"You take rose scented bubble baths?" she asked, raising an eyebrow and smirking.
"A guy needs to pamper himself once in a while, don't you think?" he said standing and kissing her forehead.
"Definitely," she said wrapping her arms around his neck.
She loved how comfortable he was with his masculinity. As the brains of the crew, Cato wasn't a fighter by nature. He was the analyst of the House of Flames. But everything about him was pure man. And she adored the parts of him that were soft against her own hard edges, it made everything work just right. There was a knock at the bedroom door.
"That's probably Kian with your tea," he said. "You get in the bath, and I'll bring your tea to you."
He disappeared through the door, closing it behind him to give her privacy. She undressed and slipped into the sweet-smelling, bubbly water. The heat felt like heaven on her skin as she sank to the bottom of the tub and rested her back against the smooth slanted surface behind her. The water tipped up over her breasts, covering her in bubbles. When the tub was full, she used her foot to turn off the tap, and she let out a long, contented sigh, closing her eyes.
Cato peeked into the room a moment later, carrying a big mug of herbal tea. The smell of the relaxing herbs and the sweet bubble-bath was a delicious combination that made her feel like everything would be okay. She let herself sink into that, trying not to think of anything else.
She took the mug and sipped carefully, enjoying the flavor of chamomile and honey.
"This is so nice," she breathed. "It's not often I experience such luxury."
"It's nothing more than you deserve every day of your life."
"Than
k you, Cato," she said, reaching up to him with her bubbly wet hand. He leaned down to her, allowing her to cup his cheek. He moved lower as she guided him toward her, their lips pressed together in a searing hot kiss.
"Too much of that and I'll get in there with you," he growled.
"There's room," she giggled.
He stood, looking down at the bubbles that disguised her curves, his eyes widening. She looked up at him, her lips curving into a mischievous smile. She wagged her finger at him, drawing him toward her.
"Okay," he said, unbuttoning his shirt. "You convinced me."
He pulled out of his clothes, revealing his gorgeous, toned body and hardening manhood. Penelope bit her lip, drinking in the sight of her awe-inspiring boyfriend. Yes, boyfriend. Mate. He was hers and she was his.
He dipped his toe into the water and sank carefully inside, making grunting noises as he descended. He sat awkwardly on the other side of the tub, trying to give her as much space as possible. She giggled and stalked toward him, straddling him as she pressed her breasts against his chest.
"What are you doing all the way over here?" she said. "I was getting lonely."
"I don't want you to feel lonely," he said running his hands up and down her back.
She pressed her lips to his, drinking in his kiss. Groaning, he cupped her face, pulling her closer as his manhood rose hard under her core. He bucked under her and she pulled back, gasping as her eyes widened. His hand slipped over her slippery behind, cupping her ass and grinding her against him.
"Why, Cato," she teased. "I didn't think you had it in you."
"Oh, I've got a lot more where that came from," he growled.
He consumed her mouth, kissing her deeply, leaving her breathless. He trailed kisses down her neck, grazing his sharp teeth over her flesh. His hands gripped her breasts, tweaking her nipples as he pushed her back and sucked them into his mouth. Nibbling on her pebbled flesh, she groaned with arousal as she slid over his stiff shaft.
"I want to make you mine," he whispered. "All mine."
"To be your mate?"
"Mine forever. Mine alone."
"How?"
"I'll show you," he said, sliding her back and forth over his length. "Are you ready?"
The molten heat of his touch built in her core, leaving her ravenous to have it quenched. She was ready. She needed this. She needed him. And whatever it meant to be claimed, she was willing to let him do it.
"Say yes," he said, pressing against her sex and breaking her out of her thoughts.
"Yes," she breathed.
He pressed the head of his dick against her opening, sliding inside a fraction of an inch and then out again. He sank his hands into the water and pressed his thumb to her clit as he slid his hands between the cleft of her ass, rocking her back and forth on his hardness. The sensation was so intense, she had to break away from his ravenous kiss and take several deep, groaning breaths as the pleasure bombarded her from every side.
"Oh, Cato," she groaned. She knew this man had never been with a woman before. Somehow, Cato was handling her body with more expert skill than any man she'd ever known.
"I've done extensive research," he whispered, as if reading her mind.
Her mouth dropped as the pad of his thumb swirled on her clit and his fingers slid over her ass. His tongue darted in and out of her mouth, as her erect nipples pressed against his hard chest. She felt weightless in the bubbly water.
She threaded her arms around his neck, holding him close as her climax built up alarmingly fast under Cato's skillful ministrations. She threw her head back, groaning as the release tore her open. He gripped her chin with his hand, kissing her neck ferociously as her pussy clenched and throbbed on his shaft.
"I'm going to sink my fangs in your neck as I thrust my cock in your pussy," he rumbled against her throat. "You will be mine forever."
"Yes," she said. "I want you to claim me."
She wanted nothing more than to have his fangs deep in her neck, giving her the claiming bite that would make her his forever.
He pulled her forward and pressed the head of his cock against her soft core, slowly slipping into her body, inch by agonizing inch. She clung to him, wanting him to fill her. His arms embraced her, holding her tight against him. His hands gripped her back and then slid down cleft of her ass, guiding her slowly over him as her body enfolded his girth.
His thick manhood split her open as he glided deeper. The sweet torture of his slow pace made her moan as he pressed against her g-spot. All the built-up desire erupted like a geyser and she screamed. He caught her scream with his mouth. As her pussy clenched and throbbed over his shaft, he thrust all the way inside her. Holding her against him, his long thick manhood buried inside her channel, she sucked several long deep breaths, growing accustomed to his massive size. He cupped her face, kissing her and looking into her eyes.
"Does this feel good?" he asked.
"Oh yes," she groaned, kissing him hard as she slid up his shaft.
As he pulled out of her, he thrust her back down into his lap, burying deep inside her once again. The sensation instantly built another wave of pleasure, ready to crest and burst over into climax. She let him take control, moving her into thrusting waves. He guided her up and down on his lap as he thrust hard and fast into her core.
She didn't know where one climax ended and the next one began. Her eyes rolled up back in her head. Penelope, the smart, capable IT professional, became mindless with lust at the hands of her dragon mate. She completely let go, surrendering to the pleasure and passion Cato so generously bestowed on her. His fangs slid over her neck.
"Are you ready to be mine?" he asked, pressing his finger into her mouth. She sucked vigorously, groaning as she came again.
"Yes. Take me. Make me yours."
He roared, tilting his head into the crook of her neck. His swift movements took her off guard as his mouth opened and he bit down on her neck. The breath caught in her throat and her eyes widened with shock. Pleasure mixed with pain as her pussy clenched on his thrusting dick. She could feel him inside her, ready to explode. She sucked harder on his finger, beyond the edge of control, her intellect and reason long gone. She’d become an instrument of pleasure for the man who would give her anything.
He came, deep inside her. His teeth clenched her neck. In that timeless instant, it was as if a thunderclap sounded all around them, plunging them together into one being, with one mind.
Penelope fell from conscious thought into an eternal moment where she awoke in a vision of her and Cato against the backdrop of the universe. Stars spread out above and below as they hovered weightless in the vast ocean of space. She wept, reaching out to him. He came to her pulling her into an embrace as they twirled together in the ocean of time.
And then in the next instant, she was back in the tub with Cato. Fangs slowly retracting from her neck as he slipped her off him and rested her gently against his chest. She quivered in his arms, the embrace of the warm water a comforting cocoon.
"I had a vision of us suspended in time, like two immortal souls becoming one."
"I saw it too," he said. "We will always be together in that space, a united duality, forever swirling together through the oceans of the cosmos."
"I love you so much, Cato," she whispered, cupping his cheek as she looked up at him.
"Love is not a strong enough word," he mused.
"It's as if you are now part of me. As if all the love I had for myself now includes you."
"Yes," he said kissing her forehead. "That is exactly how I feel."
They climbed out of the bathtub, and crawled into bed together, holding each other so close she could barely tell where one ended in the next began. She wanted it to always be this way, and she somehow knew it always would be.
Chapter 19
"Blood synthesis complete," Bethi chirped inside Cato's brain.
He sat up in bed, sucking a sharp breath as he blinked sleep from his eyes.
He
glanced over at Penelope who was tangled up in the sheets beside him. He wanted to let her rest, but he knew she would want to go down to the basement with him.
"Penelope," he said, gently shaking her shoulder until her beautiful hazel eyes blinked open.
"What is it?" she groaned.
"The synthesis is complete. We can begin the transfusion."
Penelope abruptly set up in bed, coming to full consciousness. She blinked drowsily and nodded.
"Let's go," she said.
The dusky light of predawn sat hazily over the grounds outside his window. He checked Flora’s vitals through the mental link, not wanting Penelope to face any shocks this morning. Now that they were mated, he knew there wasn't much he could keep from her. But he still wanted to protect her as much as he could.
"Patient Flora Baptiste remains unchanged,” Bethi chirped inside his mind.
"Prepare for the transfusion."
Penelope dressed in an outfit that Kian had brought for her from Everly's collection of pre-pregnancy clothes. Penelope was slightly slimmer than Everly, but a tracksuit fit her comfortably.
They made their way downstairs to the kitchen where Cato insisted they stop to get coffee and a quick breakfast before heading down to the lab. It would be a long and traumatic day for Penelope, and she needed to be prepared. They would both need their stamina for the transfusion and whatever came after.
With massive travel cups of coffee in one hand and bagels in the other, Cato and Penelope made their way to the basement where they were greeted with Flora’s vicious face. She pounded against the walls of her prison, screaming and grimacing at them relentlessly. Penelope looked away, biting into her bagel as she approached the computer and sat before the dashboard.
"How are we going to do this?” she asked.
"It's not going to be pretty," Cato warned. "You should finish your breakfast before we begin."
"Just tell me what we’re going to do," she said. "I want to be emotionally prepared.”
"Okay," he said, letting out a deep breath. "I have full control of the containment unit she is currently housed inside and can transform it in infinite ways. First, I will transform the unit into a transfusion chamber, handcuff her to one wall, turn the unit on its back, attached an IV to her right arm and another to her left. As we pump in the clean blood,we pump out the vampiric blood. When the blood has been completely transferred, we will know if we’ve succeeded."