Out of the Darkness
Five
Lexie
Valerio's attack against Sophie, although understandable, was completely unjustifiable. Sophie should be punished for bringing Zombie back to life, that much is clear, but her life shouldn't be payment for it. What was Valerio thinking? It's pretty obvious he wasn't, but even still. He's known Sophie his whole life and has repeatedly said she's his best friend. There were times growing up that Valerio would be hanging out with her, when her family wasn't on an extended vacation, and I could see with my own eyes the friendship they have. I can't even begin to count the number of times that the two would spend all day in the swimming pool, or out on a hike, or even just hanging out watching a movie.
Is all of that over?
I know what she did crossed a major line, but to see Valerio act with such maliciousness is something I never want to see coming from my husband again. I'm not saying he doesn't have a right to be angry with her, hell I'm pissed at her, but I wouldn't go so far as to want her dead.
His rage overshadowed everything; even his love for me. It may have been for only a brief second, but it did. I knew something was going to get him to that point, and where I had hoped it would be something small, neither of us expected the news of Zombie being out there too.
Now, Sophie better hope and pray that I can calm Valerio down enough to where he doesn't want to kill her. I never thought there could be a situation that would have the two on opposite sides, and now that it's here, I don't know how to handle it. How can I convince Valerio that Sophie only wanted to bring herself, and every wolf who had a connection to Aunt Nikiya, some peace after what Zombie did? She could have just accepted that Zombie was dead to begin with, but that apparently wasn't enough for her.
Valerio's struggle with everything going on should make him understand why she did what she did; yet it doesn't seem to matter to him. I know he's wanting his own revenge against his brother for killing their father, so why does he feel Sophie doesn't deserve that too? I know he isn't sleeping much, but the few times I've seen him take even just a nap, he's ordering in his sleep, "kill him". I know what Valerio wants to do with The Warlock, and before a few minutes ago I wouldn't have thought he was capable of killing a family member.
Not that he considers The Warlock his "family" anymore.
As I manifest deep into the woods, I try to think of the best way to calm him down. It's not so much that he attacked Sophie that has him so upset anymore. Had he not poised to attack me, he would still be taking his rage out on Sophie. But the anger he's been dealing with is now flipped around onto himself. I knew he wouldn't actually attack me, and I just have to make him see that.
To the south, I can hear Valerio's paws hitting the solid dirt hard. I had hoped to manifest further into the woods so I had a moment to figure out what I'm going to say to him, but I hadn't anticipated his speed. At his rate, I have less than thirty seconds to come up with something, and I don't want to keep manifesting to other parts of the woods while I think. I don't know how to talk him down. He's never acted like this before.
As he gets closer, my mind races into overdrive. My breathing hitches as I do the only thing I can think of that will make him stop. I curl my fingers, making all of my clothes disappear. I stand in the thick woods, completely naked, hoping that this will make my husband listen to me. When I hear him coming even closer, I take a deep, nervous, breath. I've never been so bold like this before, and I honestly don't know if this is the right call.
When Valerio crashes through the trees and sees me, he tries to stop as fast as possible. Dirt is misplaced as all four of his paws dig into the earth. He comes to a standstill just in front of me, his eyes wide.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" He asks, his thoughts clearly angry.
I take a step forwards, and answer out loud, "Hopefully making you see some sense."
"And standing naked in the woods is supposed to do that?" He practically yells at me. "What if someone sees you?"
"We're miles from the sea of tents," I reply, trying to calm my own anxiety, "and most of the remaining wolves are at the main house."
Valerio huffs, knowing I'm right. His head lowers, and then his thoughts whisper, "I'm so sorry, Lexie." He lifts his head again, and continues, "I was so angry at Sophie that I couldn't get a handle on what was going on around me. I hadn't even meant to attack her, and then you put that barrier up between us and being able to think clearly went right out the window. I'm so sorry I almost attacked you. You know I would never hurt you in a million years. I love you."
I smile at him, and reply, "I love you too, Valerio, and I know you didn't mean to do any of it. I was only protecting Sophie when I put that barrier up."
"I know," he says, lowering his head. He sighs, "I don't know what's wrong with me."
"You've been through a lot recently; we all have. You just need time."
"I can't take time, Lexie!" He replies, snapping his head back up. "The Warlock needs to be dealt with, Zombie and Spencer are out there, and the humans know way too much. How can I take time for myself? The wolves are depending on me."
"And we'll figure it all out," I tell him as I put one of my hands on his head. "Not everything has to be handled this very second."
"But it needs to be," he replies desperately.
I shakes my head at him. "That's not how your father raised you." The words stumble from my mouth before I can stop them. Valerio's green eyes darken, and I know I've made him mad, but someone has to talk some sense into him.
Taking another deep breath, I give Valerio my best version of what Uncle Cauis would say to him. "A Guild Leader is patient, and waits for their moment. We don't just act and hope everything falls into place with a pretty bow on it. We find all the information we can, and only then, do we decide what to do. You're hurt, and angry, and you feel like your world is falling apart, but you need to suck it up. You have a job to do, people depending on you, so stop acting like you're the only one affected by what's going on around you."
The space between us becomes thick as the last vibration of my words echoes off the trees. The look Valerio is giving me makes me want to curl into a ball and ask for forgiveness, but I can't do that. I get that he's grieving in unimaginable ways, but that doesn't mean he can just roll over and let everything get even more out of control.
When he remains silent, I get a feeling in the pit of my stomach that my words are actually registering with him. If what I was saying held no weight with him, he'd be telling me to stop talking instead of staying muted.
Swallowing back the fear his look is giving me, I push even more. "Sophie made a mistake, she knows this, and before you try to kill her again, you should know that I've already sent her away to deal with the mess she created. She was trying to make it right before you summoned her back here in the first place. If she's not able to take care of the situation herself, then you should get involved, but that's not even what you should be focusing all of you energy on." I pause, but only so I know I still have his attention. When he raises one of his eyebrows, I finish, "The humans know about magic. They may not know about werewolves yet, but they're three steps away from figuring it out. Staying quiet and hoping the problem will just go away is childish thinking. You need to do your research an-"
"Enough!" Valerio shouts. His breathing is heavy as he takes a step back from me. "I get it, Lexie. Message received. Thank you."
The area becomes thick again as we both give the other a hard look. As much as Valerio would hate to admit it, he knows I'm right. Chasing down Spencer and Zombie is just as important as making sure the humans stay in the dark. Especially since Dr. McCoy has a PhD in Mythical Studies; meaning out of all the humans in the world, he's probably the only one who would be able to figure out the truth. And to a fault, he has.
The secret is out there and there's no calling take-backs.
Valerio sighs heavily, and then his body begins to shake as he starts to shift back. I hold my breath, worried I might have pushed him too hard. I've never told Valerio how he should respond to any situation. He was born and groomed to be Guild Leader. I wasn't. So as his frame settles, I wait on pins and needles for him to yell at me for being so forwards.
Instead, Valerio marches up to me, grabs my bare side with strong grip, puts his other hand securely on the back of my head, and says in a rough, needy tone, "You know what you're naked body does to me."
My ability to think is rendered useless as his breath brushes across my face. I try to swallow, but the sudden lump there makes it impossible. The longing and urgency in his voice is something I haven't heard since he came back to life. Before last week, it didn't matter what was going on around us. If Valerio wanted me, he would take us to our bedroom and have me.
Blush rapidly spreads across my whole face. I feel myself moisten, causing my thighs to rub against each other. I bite on my bottom lip, knowing that any second Valerio will begin to smell me. It doesn't seem to matter how many time Valerio and I make love during the day, or night; neither of us can get enough of the other.
Valerio suddenly growls, making a smile stretch over my face. He laughs humorlessly once, and then crashes his lips against mine. The kiss is hard, demanding, and all too brief before he drops to his knees. He keeps both of his hands securely on each hip, leans into me until I feel the tip his nose at the top of my fold, and then he takes a deep breath. He moans, and as I look down to him, I see his neck relax. Our eyes lock for a split second before his roll into the back of his head while he takes another sniff.
He lets the breath out through his mouth, causing hot air to blow onto me. I whimper as my hands grab the back of his head. It is a little cold for the beginning of September, but Valerio's hot breath warms me nicely. Before his entire breath leaves his lungs, he laps his tongue over me. Our moans fill the area; mine lasting much longer as Valerio's tongue returns.
He licks at me selfishly. His fingernails dig into my skin as he desperately tries to get me even closer to him. He shakes his head back and forth, wordlessly demanding I open my legs for him more. Awkwardly moving my legs to accommodate him better, my hands grip his hair tighter as he creates a seal with his lips around my clit. He sucks hard, nearly knocking me off my feet as I call out his name. If it weren't for his hands under my ass, I'm sure I would have fallen over. Within seconds of his harsh delivery, I explode. White, hot, blinding pleasure fills my senses as I ride the incredible waves.
Valerio and I have always had rougher sex, but this is something different. Other than when my monthly comes, the two of us have sex at least twice a day; most days it's more than that. But the way he's licking and nipping at me feels different than any other time. It feels amazing, don't get me wrong, just different. I know I could say something to try and get him to calm down or something, but I've been without his touch for so long that I don't care how he handles me right now.
As my orgasm ends, I start being unable to stand. My legs become weak, turning into cooked spaghetti. Valerio's mouth pulls away from me, and then he's helping me onto the ground. There are twigs and damp leaves everywhere, but neither of us seem to concern ourselves with them. It's as though we both realize just how long we've gone without the other. It's only been a week, but when you're having sex multiple times a day, it feels like years.
I lean back, laying down completely on the ground. I gasp at the coolness, and then I gasp again when Valerio's mouth goes back between my thighs. He licks me fervently, launching me into heaven three more times before his mouth falls away again. I'm panting and clawing at him, desperate for more. As Valerio kisses me, making me smell and taste myself, he slams himself into me fast and hard. I call out loudly against his lips, a little from pain but also from pleasure.
He fills me completely, and gives me almost no time to adjust before he starts moving. Valerio kisses me again, causing me to whimper as I hold onto his shoulders and back for dear life. His thrusts are demanding as he delivers one after the other with no intention of slowing down. Even as another orgasm overtakes me, Valerio continues to slam into me.
His pace is ruthless and stringent, and while I lie on the cold hard ground, gripping his torso tightly, I find myself both relieved that I'm with Valerio again; and praying he finishes soon.
Valerio
Coming into my office after leaving Lexie in the shower, I put clothes on myself, and then I pull Keegan in. I'm grateful Lexie had already sent Sophie away. I don't know if I could have seen her again after her stunt. I get it, I do, but she knew better. I don't know what I'm going to do with her honestly. I kicked Braelyn out for far less, but Braelyn didn't have the standing Sophie does with the packs. Most wolves would have chosen to be with Sophie over Braelyn, and that's not me being prejudiced against Braelyn.
It's simply a fact.
How could I possibly forgive what Sophie did, but not Braelyn? I don't even know where Braelyn is! And that's becoming a problem with my pack. I have two members who have vanished into thin air. I know it's more probable that Braelyn is dead than Gavin. No one remembers seeing Braelyn when we raided The Warlock's compound, but from what I heard, things were so chaotic that it's possible she didn't die.
And besides, I thought I killed Spencer and I was wrong.
As Keegan comes into my office, I say to him, "We need to find Gavin and Braelyn."
His eyebrows knot together. "Braelyn?"
I nod my head. "I know I shunned her, but Brianna and her parents deserve to at least know what did happen to her."
"I'll go back to the compound and use that spell thingy to recreate stuff," he stumbles. He clears his throat, and asks, "Can I ask Aquila to come with me?"
As I sit down in my chair, I nod my head. "Only if she's up for seeing Zombie," I reply. "And make sure you express that point. He was The Warlock's Second," I take a deep breath, "she'll see him if Braelyn was there."
Keegan nods his head. "I'll leave right now."
I smile at him, and tell him, "I'll locate Gavin while you're gone."
He dips his head to me, and then turns to leave the room. I look at him confused, and ask, "I thought you knew how to manifest?"
He looks over his shoulder to me, and replies, "I don't understand it. I've done it once, but that was an extreme circumstance."
Sighing, I look down to my desk. I feel horrible that Keegan doesn't even know the basics of using his magic yet. I'm letting everything get completely out of hand; just like Lexie said I was.
I look up to Keegan, and explain to him, "All you need to do is concentrate on who, or where, you're wanting to go. Just imagine them; their hair, or voice. If it's a place, just think of a big detail of it. Go ahead and try." I tell him, nodding my head at him. "Just think of Aquila, or anywhere you think she might be."
Keegan licks his lips as he raises his right hand. He looks at it for a second, and then me before he squeezes his eyes closed tightly. I stifle a chuckle, sucking on my lip so I don't make a sound. As Keegan fades from view, I wait until he's fully gone before letting my laughter out. He didn't have to concentrate that hard, but he'll figure that part out soon enough. I know Aunt Aquila will make sure he knows how to properly use his magic.
When my laughter is under control, I take a deep breath. I open my mind as it clears, and reach out to Gavin. I brace myself, trying to prepare myself to learn another family member is dead. As his voice fills my head, I nearly choke on relief.
"Where are you?" I ask him. "You haven't been home for a while."
"I'm in Prague," he replies, "with my mate."
Thanks for reading!
~Stefanie