Sexting With A Vampire
Chapter 129

Nora

I texted Rebecca if she wanted to pick me up from Leo's place to head out shopping. I didn't tell her that I had some ongoing drama with Leo. All I want is to breathe, and heading to the mall for some clothes and coffee will be good for me. Sighing, I head out from Leo's kitchen, only to run in with his mother, Gloria, who frowns upon seeing me. Her angry eyes size me up from head to toe, burning like embers.

"You..." Her voice is a hiss. I back away from her while her eyes flash with inner rage. She doesn't look happy to see me and resembles Medusa, ready to attack.

Every piece of cloth she wears is light pastel. Expensive and screaming with an old upper-class lady atmosphere. But Gloria isn't old. She is beautiful, blonde, tall, and thin. "You're not a werewolf, not a vampire, but a human. And you have disgraced this family by marrying my son. You don't deserve him and will never be good enough!" Before I can respond, her nails turn into claws, and she scratches at my face, making a perfect lone of blood splat on the floor.

My cheek burns in response, and I place my hand over it, cradling the painful area. Gloria appears ready to go ahead. She lifts her transformed hand, and adrenaline slouches in my veins.

"Hey, why don't you calm down?" I lift my hands in surrender at Gloria, meeting her gaze. "You might not like me, but violence isn't the answer here. Why don't we sit down and-" "Don't talk back to me! You're filth! Dirty! Disgusting! Not even beautiful! Why did the moon goddess choose you? It makes no sense!"

The angry werewolf woman strides toward me. Yikes. I should probably get away from this crazy person...

I avoid Gloria like the plague. I'm backing until I bump into something hard and look up, meeting Leo's eyes. His gaze bounces between his mother and me.

"Is there a problem here?" Leo asks in a tired voice. His left hand gently squeezes my shoulder.

"Leo!" Gloria's eyes widen in surprise. She is trying to smile, but her lips are quivering. "Glad to see you're up!"

"I've been awake for a while..." Leo says, focusing his intense eyes on his mother. "What are you doing here?" "Oh, I just came to say hello!"

"Uh-huh..." Leo doesn't look convinced.

His fingers brush through my hair, pulling it back until he notices the blood on my cheek. I don't say anything. I don't think he would believe me if I told him what happened.

Hating on your mother-in-law is cliché, and Leo and I aren't in love. There is no reason for him to take my side. Gosh. This situation sucks. A knot of anxiety is already growing inside my chest. "Where did the blood come from?" Leo asks me in a soft tone.

I almost cave right there and then. I'm not used to people caring about me, and here Leo stands. His head is tilted, and his fingers stroke my back in a slow pattern.

"Hey?" He whispers. "You can talk to me, you know that, right?"

His gentleness surprises me since we were fighting not too long ago. He must have pushed it aside because my injury seems to be the only thing he is paying attention to.

"She fell," Gloria shrugs, the lying snake. She is even wearing this grimace, pouting, really. "Nora fell when I came inside the kitchen, and I helped her stand."

Leo ignores her. "Nora?"

I find his eyes and part my lips but get interrupted by Gloria throwing out more lies.

"I'm telling you that Nora fell! There is no more to this story! She is clumsy; all humans are!"

This time, Leo lifts his chin. His eyes focus on his mother, but his gaze is chillier than snowstorms.

"There is blood on your fingernails," Leo points out, nodding at his mother's hand. "I can already guess what happened here, judging by the smells and what I heard. But before jumping to conclusions and throwing you the hell out of my house and banishing you from the pack, I want Nora's confirmation that you, my mother, inflicted damage to your luna and my beloved wife."

My jaw slacks to the ground, and so does the one belonging to Leo's shocked mother. I can't find words and search Leo's face for any hint of untruth, but possessiveness is the only thing I see.

Leo pulled me closer to his firm chest during the exchange with his mother without me noticing it. The back of my head is leaning against the top of his abs. His left arm is wrapped around me, and everything about our stance feels romantic. "You can't possibly pick her over me, Leo! I'm your mother. I've been around your entire childhood while this woman-"

A choking sound leaves her lips, and I stare at Leo. His eyes are glowing, and his mother's movements are suspended. Fear has washed over her features.

I don't blame her reason for fear. Leo is insanely powerful, and my heart thumps quicker inside my chest.

It frightens me that Leo seems to have stopped everything from functioning in his mother's body. She is no longer breathing, and her face is turning purple.

"What happens next is your choice, Nora. You're the luna, and even though my mother is family, she has disrespected her luna. Normally, that would result in immediate death."

Leo grips hold of my eyes with his intense gaze. His arms are still around me, gentle even though they are huge, which is a shocking contrast to how he treats his mother.

"What do you want her punishment to be?" Leo speaks again while searching my face. "Death? Pain? A few broken ribs?"

My heart picks up more speed. I can tell Gloria is suffering. The only thing she can move is her eyes, and I shut my eyes as I deliver the final verdict. "A few broken ribs!"

There is a cracking sound, and then Gloria falls flat to the carpet while Leo moves away from me. "You should be happy, mother. I wouldn't have been as kind if I had been in Nora's position. After all, nothing keeps you from coming at her again." Gloria grasps for air. "I can't believe that you... That you hurt your own mother, Leo!"

"Don't you dare try to guilt-trip me by saying that!" Leo's eyes flash dark, and he growls toward the floor. "You're a werewolf, mother. We follow a hierarchy. The lune and the alpha are like royalty, and I'm sure you know the usual punishment for raising a hand against your luna. Be grateful that I didn't chop off the hand you used to hurt Nora with."

Her lips part in surprise, but then she dips her head in defeat. She glares at the floor, and Leo straightens. He walks away from his mother, and I follow him outside of the room. Leo blinks down at me, perking up once he looks outside the window. "Rebecca is here," Leo faces me again. The anger vanishes from his face, and he smiles faintly at me. Still a tad bit insecure from all the drama that happened, but he tries to sound normal. "Are you heading somewhere with her? Going out for a coffee?" Guilt pierces me.

Why does Leo have to sound so sweet?

Now there is a massive lump in my throat. I was planning to leave and never return after drinking coffee with Rebecca. I intended to explain my situation to her and later move into my brother's mansion.

William and Evan are the two people I can always count on. I love my mother and Raphael to death, but the first two mentioned have always treated me like a princess.

But now?

Now Leo is making me want to give him a chance. He did pick my side over his mother even though we had fought. It means a lot since I'm not used to people sticking up for me.

Lily always threw snide comments my way growing up. And after she became betrothed to Leo, she always spoke about how pretty her future husband was. I disliked Leo from the first moment my sister bragged about him, but I'm beginning to realize there is more to him than a pretty face. It takes courage to stand up against your family members, and I admire that he stuck up for me without hesitation.

Perhaps he is worth getting to know?

"Yeah, I'm going to head out for coffee with Rebecca. Do you want anything from the mall?" I smile his way, which seems to surprise him. A little smile tugs on his own lips.

"You could buy more coffee," Leo stops walking as we enter the hallway. "But you don't have to. We are just running low on it."

"I see..."

"Yeah..."

There is buzzing in my chest as Leo peers down at me, and a strange silence presses on with neither one of us making a move. He is barefoot, standing there with just washed-out jeans and a t-shirt. Green eyes. Blonde highlights. Gorgeous.

I clear my throat. "Is the coffee expensive?"

He tilts his head. "Are you low on money?"

Yes, but I don't dare to admit that. "I could just buy the coffee some other time."

His firm lips go flat before he reaches into the pocket of his jeans. His tanned veiny hand digs for his wallet. "Here, take my card and buy anything you want."

What?!

I can't possibly use his money!

An excuse bubbles up in my throat. "Oh, you don't have to give me your card, Leo! We barely know each other!"

He peers down at me. Irritation ticks against his jaw, and a slight red color is on his cheeks. Is he blushing? Seeing such an expression on a big alpha werewolf is pretty endearing.

"Are you serious? You're my wife, Nora. What is mine is yours. I mean it. Tomorrow I will call my bank to have them set you up with your own card. We will share accounts." "What?!" I shriek. "But you can't do that!"

"Why not?"

I meet his green eyes. Leo looks entirely severe, and my heart squeezes inside my chest.

Damn.

Don't make me like you any more than I already do, I plead inside my head, knowing full well that it's already too late.

I give him a weak smile. "I like to be independent."

He takes a step closer, that smile still tugging on his lips. "Oh, you shouldn't have married me then."

"Why?"

Leo winks at me. "Because I will make you suffer by spoiling you rotten."

I laugh. "Please don't."

He is about to respond, but we are interrupted by a knock on the door. We both turn towards it and I take a deep breath. I'm happy again, and it's not because Rebecca is here. The flutters inside my chest have everything to do with Leo. "I should go," I smile. "Rebecca must be getting impatient."

"Yeah," Leo lingers, hesitating while looming over me like a lost, giant puppy. "But before I go..."

"Yeah?"

He wraps his arms around my body, tugging me close. My heart flutters, and my pulse kicks up a notch. He is so tall, and his chest smells like newly washed clothes and something fresh. I'm drowning in the fabric, liking how he presses a kiss to my head before leaning back from me. His smile is playful.

"I hope you have a great day."

There must be a better word than "sexy" to describe him...

"Yeah, I think it will be great to get some air."

Mischief dances in his eyes. "You won't miss me?"

"Uh, why would-"

He kisses me on the lips. It's quick and fast, yet enough to make my knees want to give under their weight. My fingers twist into his t-shirt, nest themselves in, but Leo pulls away before I can do something crazy like tackle him to the ground. Not that he would go down, but... I never wanted him to let go.

I meet his eyes. "You kissed me?"

His smile is naughty. "Yes, and... When you come home, I will eat your p***y more than once. I will go at it until your beautiful legs are shaking on my shoulders."

I stare at him, and his smile grows.

"After our drama, I concluded that if you refuse to admit that you want me, I just have to try harder to make you say it. You better be prepared, Nora, because I don't play fair. And I always win."

With that promise, Leo stalks away, and I'm screwed because my clean underwear is already wet.