Winter Wolves Series
Dark Wolf Chapter 12

Electricity shot through her, igniting her entire body. She arched her back and groaned as her pussy clenched. She'd never felt so much pleasure. Even when she'd been alone with her vibrator in moments of solitude in the darkness of night. This was better than any of her fantasies had ever come close to simulating. Her love for Damian exploded from the center of her ch3st and all she wanted was him. She pulled him toward her and kissed his l!ps, tasting her on his tongue. She felt his hardness against the wet throbbing of her s*x.

He care*ssed her cheek and kissed her forehead.

"You're so beautiful when you cl!max," he said. "It's the most gorgeous thing I've ever seen."

She wanted him inside her more than she had ever wanted anything. She wanted to feel the power of his h!ps thrusting and his cock sliding deep. She wanted the two of them to become one. She tilted her h!ps, angling his cock against her entrance. The phone rang and she groaned, reaching for her cell phone to turn it off, but then she noticed the caller ID.

"It's my mother," she said.

"Leave it," he said, kissing her gently on her face.

"I need to know what she wants," she said, fear suddenly gripping her ch3st.

"Okay. But don't let her upset you," he said, rolling away and lying beside her. She sat up and grabbed the phone and flicked the button to answer.

"Hello?" she asked, holding the phone to her ear.

"What took you so long?"

"I was busy," she said, standing from the bed and slipping a bathrobe around her shoulders. "I was in the gym."

"You're supposed to work out in the morning. Not the afternoon."

"It's my second workout," she said. "I ate a piece of pizza, and I wanted to work it off."

She bit her l!p, hating the sound of her own lies.

"I am sitting on the plane. We are about to taxi out onto the runway. I'm going to be in Selkie by tomorrow afternoon."

"Mother, you don't need to do that," she said with deep alarm.

"It was you who decided to stay in Alaska when you should have been leaving tomorrow. Now I have to go out of my way to make sure that you're safe and staying on track. Who knows what kind of trouble you could get into on your own up there." "I'm absolutely fine. I'm an adult. I can take care of myself."

"Clearly, that's not true," her mother said.

Venus cringed. She hated how her mother made her feel. Like a small, vulnerable child who had no choice and no options. She looked back at Damian. He had a deep frown on his face. "What is it?" he mouthed. She shook her head, too ashamed to respond.

"I'm going to bring you back to New York with me. If you insist on staying in Alaska, I will just have to come out there to take care of you while you are on your vacation."

"I wish you had spoken to me before you made this decision."

"You left me no choice, Venus. I have to go now. We are about ready to take off."

Her mother hung up the phone and the line went silent.

Venus collapsed on the bed and buried her face in her hands with a deep groan.

"What happened?" Damian asked, rubbing her back.

"My mother is coming to Selkie. She insists on staying with me during my vacation."

"That's crazy. You don't need a babysitter."

"She doesn't like letting me out of her sight if I'm not working. I should've known something like this would happen. I'm never going to escape her."

"It's okay," he said, massaging her shoulders. "I'll be here with you. I'll help you with whatever you need."

"It's probably better if she doesn't know about you," she said without thinking.

"Oh," Damian said, pulling away.

Venus suddenly realized what she'd said. She reached out to him.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that."

"I'm here for you no matter what. That will never change. I will offer you whatever support I'm capable of giving. I wish I could do more." "You've done more for me than anyone else ever has. Now I know what it feels like to be loved. I understand what real loyalty feels like."

"If I were a better man, there would be no question."

"I don't think you understand what a good man you truly are, Damian Winter. I've never had anyone love me for who I am. They always want my beauty or my fame or my status. No one has ever really wanted my heart. Not until you."

"You have the kindest, purest heart," he said, kissing the back of her hand. "Anyone who doesn't see that and cherish it is a fool. Not just a fool, a complete monster." He looked down at the blankets slung over his lap. "A greater monster than even me." "There's nothing monstrous about you, Damian. You're kind and noble and good."

"Perhaps. I want to do the right thing, but I don't know what that is. Right now, I'm afraid the right thing is stepping back and letting you work things out with your family. I don't want to put my own needs in the middle of the situation with your mom." "That may be wise for now," she said with a lump in her throat. She couldn't even imagine what her mother would think of Damian.

She could see the sadness welling in his eyes like tears. He nodded once and stood from the bed before he pulled on his pants and shoes.

"I am here for you, for anything you need. Just call me and I will come running. I promise you. You're all that matters to me. I will go to the ends of the Earth to make you happy. Right now, I will leave to give you space."

The last thing she wanted was for Damian to leave. They had been about to make love. The change of events was giving her whiplash. She wanted him to stay, but she also knew that she didn't want him in the middle of the wrath that would come from her mom. It was time for her to stand up for herself and to make a real choice, and until she did, Damian was better off as far away as he could get.

"I want you to know," she said, walking towards him and wrapping her arms around his shoulders, "that I am in love with you. And nothing she says or does is going to change that."

"I feel exactly the same way."

He kissed her forehead and then her lips and then slowly turned away and walked out the door. As it clicked behind him, Venus collapsed on the bed and burst into tears. She had never felt so trapped and so conflicted. She didn't want to think about what her mother would do if she found out about Damian and all the twisted, manipulative, unkind words that would follow.

She curled up in the bed and stared at the wall. Tomorrow would bring inevitable conflict. There was no way to prevent it if she ever wanted to break free.

She should have asked Damian to stay-to make love to her, claim her-but she knew the moment wasn't right. They needed to clear the air. They needed the space that would come once she had made a real decision. A decision she didn't know if she was strong enough to make.

She lay in the bed in her bathrobe, staring at the glow behind the curtains until the sun finally set. She was left in a dim, lonely room all by herself. Finally, she stood up and got herself dressed.

She had sent Damian away for his own protection, but she needed to fill the gaping hole inside of her. She needed to practice standing up for herself and following her own path; her own desires.

She pulled on a warm jacket and boots and headed downstairs. She remembered a River's Bakery was beside the bookstore where Damian's brother worked.

She was going to eat pastries until she was full, and she wasn't going to have one single guilty feeling about it. Maybe if she did, it would give her the courage to break free when her mother arrived tomorrow.

It was several blocks to the bakery and when she slipped through the door and inhaled the scents of butter, chocolate, frosting and sugar, she went weak in the knees and instantly salivated.

She went to the counter and ordered one of everything that looked good, along with a large pot of tea. She took a seat by the window and waited for the cashier to bring her order to her table.

When she bit into the first pastry, delectable chocolatey sweetness melted over her tongue, and she groaned with satisfaction.

She looked up and saw Luna wave at her from the other side of the window. Venus smiled and waved back. The woman walked through the door of the bakery and sat beside her with a giant smile. "What a lovely assortment of pastries," Luna said with a grin.

"I don't think I've ever tasted anything so good. Even in France."

The truth was she hadn't ever been allowed to eat pastries while in France. Or baguettes, or anything else besides salad and water and lean chicken bre*ast.

"I saw you sitting here in the window and thought I'd come to see how you were after yesterday."

"Better and then worse," she said, taking a sip of sweet tea.

"How's that?" Luna asked with true compassion in her eyes.

"Damian and I seem to be working things out, but truth be told, he is the least of my concerns."

"Oh?" Luna asked as she accepted a cup of tea from the cashier and took a sip.

"My mother," Venus said with a sigh. She shoved another bite of chocolate croissant in her mouth. "She's the definition of a stage mother."

"I see. Is she here?"

"She's in New York. Or she was. She just told me she was getting on a plane and would be here tomorrow."

"But you're an adult. At least you should be if you signed up for mate dot com."

"I'm twenty-four."

"You're so beautiful it's hard to tell," Luna said, taking a sip of tea. Venus offered her a pastry and Luna readily accepted it.

"She's been my manager all my life. I've been a professional model since I was thirteen. Before that, I was in all kinds of beauty pageants from the time I was three. She tries to run my life. Today was the last day of my shoot here, and I told her I was going to stay. But of course, she couldn't allow me to have even a few days of freedom without watching over me."

Luna scrunched her eyebrows together and clenched her teeth. She slowly shook her head and then took another bite of pastry.

"What does Damian think about all of that?"

"We've agreed to stay apart until after I've spoken with her."

Luna slowly nodded and tapped the crumbs off her flaky Danish.

"He should be beside you. Defending you."

"It's for me to do. I have to stand up to her once and for all."

"She's your mother. She's had all this power over you all your life. You're going to need help."

"Maybe, but I think this is something I have to deal with on my own."

"We are all here for you, Venus. Me, the Winters, even the Doolittles. We have your back. Don't let yourself get svcked back into her vortex. I understand what it's like to be the child of a manipulator. My dad was the same. I had no idea what it felt like to be truly loved and supported until I met Rex.

"It took a massive betrayal for me to finally break out of the slumber I was in. I understand exactly what it's like to be raised by a person like that. You spend your whole life trying to please them and nothing ever works. But you need to know you have the right to be happy. You're strong and beautiful and talented and kind. A world of love and community is waiting for you. Just don't forget that we're here for you."

Luna reached out and squeezed Venus's hand. She felt a tear welling in the corner of her eye at such kindness. Venus couldn't remember the last time anyone had been so genuinely understanding and helpful.

Now she had Damian and a friend in Luna. She wiped the tear from her eye with a napkin and squeezed Luna's hand back. She felt as if she had found a true kindred spirit. Someone who understood what she was going through, and what it was like to be treated so badly by someone who was supposed to love her.

"I won't forget. I'll stay strong. I promise."