Chapter 134

We’re still standing in his kitchen as I cradle a bottle of champagne in my arms.

I roll my eyes and blow the dust off the bottle. I'm starting to feel a little lightheaded as the effects from the beer-chugging slowly kick on. I twist the foil off the neck of it. “Was this for something special?”

He sighs. “It doesn’t matter."

“Then why does it look old?”

I clumsily fumble with the wire bracket near the top of the bottle in an attempt to open it.

He eyes me warily. "Ardal, darling," he says, "Just drink to our ill-fated romance and try not to aim that-"

Before he can finish, I wrench the cork free from its home and it shoots across the room. Kadeem dodges it like he's in The Matrix, but it ricochets off the cabinet behind him and collides with the base of his skull as champagne bubbles out of the bottle and I dissolve into giggles.

"What's one more head injury," he asks, rubbing his head, but then he's laughing with me, even as he's wincing from pain.

I raise the bottle to my lips without hesitation and down it like water while the bubbles rocket to my brain. I hold it out to Kadeem. He scowls at me, but reluctantly takes a swig. I grab it back and take another lengthy drink, and then this time, he takes it from me.

Outraged, I yell, but he says, "You've sucked down half the bottle already, for Christ's sake."

"If you'd had my week," I hiccup, "You'd be very drunk."

"Now that your inhibitions are down," Kadeem shoots back wryly, "Why don't you tell me what's up with you lately?"

I make an ineffective grab for the bottle, Kadeem yanking it away before leveling me with a look of annoyance I can now feel, thanks to the supernatural bond.

He pours out the remainder of the champagne in the sink, allowing me enough time to stumble into his bedroom, the world swaying as I do.

Kadeem follows me there soon after. He grabs me gently as I trip over my own feet near the bathroom door.

"What do you really have in your medicine cabinet," I ask, spinning around, almost losing balance again.

He doesn't even try to fake it. His arm goes out, blocking the door. "Uh-uh," he says.

I duck under him, laughing my head off. He lets out a long, exasperated sigh, and I open up the mirror and start reaching for pill bottles.

"What's this?" I blink blearily at the label. "Quil-"

"Migraine," he says, taking it from me and setting it back on the shelf. He gives me a resigned look and points to the two neighboring bottles. "Same for this one, and this one."

I reach for one on the lower shelf. "And this?"

"I don't know," he growls. He snatches it from my hands to read it. "Cough suppressant, expired," he pronounces in disgust. He slams it down onto the shelf and sends me a warning glance. "Feel better now?"

Despite his efforts to hide it, there's a tiny bit of apprehension inside of him shining through. My hand glides past him to pick up the only remaining medicine bottle.

"Val- valium," I say, my voice softening when I realize. I look at him in surprise, but he rolls his eyes.

"Read the rest of the bottle.”

My eyes glaze over it, but it's a little blurry. He guides my finger down to the prescribed amount.

"2 tab," it reads.

"Well, that never did anyone any good," I declare, feeling offended on his behalf. I shake the bottle. Still one in there.

"It was just for a situational thing,” he says. “Otherwise, I don't need shit like that - although, you're really pushing it now," he adds in an exasperated tone.

"Would it be so bad if you did?” I want to burst in frustration over his ridiculous ego, "Would that be so wrong?!"

I sink down to the toilet seat, feeling heavy and loopy, ready to lie down.

He pulls me up. "No.” He walks me out of the bathroom and to the bed. "Needing help isn't wrong."

I collapse onto his bed. The world is still swimming around me. "Then why try to hide it? What was the situational thing?"

He sits down next to me, a smile playing at his lips. "I'll tell you another time."

I lay my head in his lap, my hair spilling across his thighs. He sighs, a mixture of contentment and irritation, and strokes my hair.

"I'm still furious with you," I say. But my fingers are tracing across his skin.

Sometimes I would give anything to be human. I imagine the simplicity of a life without supernatural links and wolfish instincts that are louder than my own.

Kadeem beams at me. "That's no secret. I got it, loud and clear."

"Good, you deserve it." I fix my eyes on him, trying to bore my gaze into him like laser beams.

He starts to chuckle and tucks a strand of hair behind my ear. "What are you doing," he asks, eyebrow raised.

"I'm radiating all my hatred so that you feel it scorching you." I furrow my eyebrows in determination.

He shakes his head and laughs. "You look like you're having a stroke. Stop it." He tilts my chin up gently so our eyes meet. A wave of warmth washes over me at his touch - something that makes me both happy and frustrated simultaneously.

"The real problem for you is," Kadeem says, while still holding onto my chin and looking into my eyes, "You don't hate me at all." He lets my chin go and smiles affectionately, but I feel sadness in him as he returns to smoothing my hair. "I know you wish you did."

I shoot up immediately, but groan, regretting it - dizziness piling on top of anger within seconds. The room spins around me erratically and I feel seasick. Kadeem steadies me - no doubt, watching my pupils bounce around in my eyeballs.

"You took away my ability to ever truly hate you," I say, as soon as I can spit out the words.

"Even before the bite, you were never going to."

"How do you know," I snap. "How do you know I didn't before, either? How do you know the hatred I was capable of in the future?"

He laughs at the drama in my voice. "Because it's just not going to work like that between us," he says. "Regardless of what happens -"

"If you say 'fated mates,' one more time," I threaten, holding up my finger menacingly.

He captures my outstretched hand and kisses the top of it sweetly. His affection for me ripples through my body, like a wave of warmth on a chilly day.

“I never said it the first time,” Kadeem grins. “You did.”

"More like 'hated mates,'" I grumble.

"Let's go to sleep," he says. Then he adds with a small smile, showing one of his dimples, "Luna."

"Oh no," I argue, frowning, "Forget that. Color me uninterested."

He pulls the blanket over us and we click together like Legos, him spooning me.

"Hey," he says, "I forgot how... intense this is, especially right at first."

I stare at the wall. "I don't remember it ever dying down - not for me, anyway," I reply, not holding back the bite from my tone.

He rests his head against mine, a wordless apology. He wraps his arm tighter around me bringing himself closer. I shift in response, till we're about as close as you can be without being totally on top of each other - without becoming one being. We sort of are now, and it's almost painful not to mirror that physically, so we try.

"We can still try breaking up," Kadeem says slowly. His voice is stoic, but I sense the trepidation underneath. His lips are near my ear. His hand is gently caressing my arm. I can feel his every breath against me. "But give me a few days, if you would be so kind? I said I could stomach it, but I just-"

I roll over, turning to face him. "Deem, you were the one who brought that up."

"But it's what you want," he says, leaning in to kiss me gently. His lips are supple against mine.

"Yes," I whisper, lacing my fingers through his hair. "Bye, Felicia."

He rolls his eyes and his lips go to my neck. I find my fingers running along the dip of his abdomen - muscles contracting beneath my touch. His arousal strengthens like a wave against me. Our breathing quickens. I can't help but push my hips against his.

"Except," he says, reaching to desperately unbutton my jeans, "I'm not picking that up from you at all right now."

I flutter my eyelashes. "Maybe your Ardal-radar is wrong."

His eyes are cosmically black in the darkness. "No." His hand brushes my cheek and he lets out a small sigh. "But you are a tempest."

I throw my arms around his neck and bring my lips to his, almost touching. "And that's what you like," I purr seductively, giving him a coy smile.

"No," he deadpans. "It is not."

I start to laugh, but he quiets me with a steam-as-hell, Fonzie-level trick, stripping me of my jeans in one silky move, immediately followed by my underwear. Then his head goes in between my legs and his tongue sends tremors of bliss, leaving me breathless, a guttural moan escaping my lips.

He stops momentarily to look up at me with an impish smirk across his face. “Say you want to call things off now,” he teases.

“I - um - oh!”

Kadeem doesn't wait for an answer, and I fall back against the pillows, taken over with wild rapture.

“You're scary stubborn," he sighs after, shaking his head with amusement. “You were seriously going to try arguing with me?”

I’m still panting. “Do you find that charming?” My hand goes to his erection, gripping it.

“God, yes,” he says, inhaling sharply. “I wish I didn’t.” He runs his hand to my breasts.

I giggle. “Does that makes us a good match, or -”

“No - horrible,” he interrupts. “We’re absolutely toxic.” Then he winks at me.

I lower my face to his lap. “If we’re a movie, what’s our movie?” We’ve played this game a thousand times, but not since we were married.

“Alien.”

I break into a laugh with him. “You didn’t even have to think about that!”

I run my tongue along his shaft and then take him in my mouth as he moans. Enamored, my eyes flick up every so often to watch him. My heart is full of love.

After, I fall quickly to sleep. But I dream of Jack.