Devour (26 page)

I hurr
y over to the pile of discarded clothing and pull my underwear on. Then I work on getting the dress on, Cody never taking his eyes off me. His eyes flared glowing amber once again and I know he is appreciating the view.

“Come on, it’s your turn.
I already feel like we are going to be doing the walk of shame.”

“I guess, but only if you help me button up my shirt.
I think you were pretty sexy unbuttoning it last night.”

Now it is my turn to chuckle.
Everything with him just feels so natural, even our playful banter. Every second that I’m with him, I think I fall in love a little more if that’s even possible.

Five min
utes and many kisses later, we’re ready. Cody slowly opens the door to find two figures standing there. They are the same guards from last night, at least my guy is. He holds up the blindfold and I nod, acknowledging that he is going to put it on me.

I risk one last look at Cody before everything goes black.
He pushes through our mental connection and a smile forms on my face.

I love you
, princess. I will be over in a few hours to help you pack.

The follo
wing minutes proceed like last night. We make our way through the maze of the building and I feel the summer breeze wash over my exposed skin. I inhale deeply and smile.

I’
m a woman now. I’m mated to the most amazing man in the whole world. I love him so much. I get to spend the rest of my immortal life with him.

The whole ride home, I can’t stop think
ing about Cody. Warmth floods me and an aching in my heart is present. I don’t know if this is my love for him or his love for me. Our thoughts and feelings are now intertwined forever.

We eventually come to a stop and my focus returns to reality.
The car door opens and I’m helped to my feet. Soon, I feel fingers untying my blindfold and I sigh in relief. Once it’s off, my eyes adjust to the night and I see my house come into view.

A touch of melancholy fills me as I realize I will be moving tomorrow out of the only house I’ve ever known.
I’ll be on my own with Cody. A delicious heat stirs within me and I struggle to keep a blush from creeping into my cheeks.

As soon as I thank my chauffeur, I bound up the front steps and fling the door open in excitement.
After scanning my surroundings, I find my parents in the study. Not even bothering to knock, I barge right in.

At first, I’m nervous that they will judge me for what I did last night.
Then I remind myself that they did the same thing when they mated and probably still do. Oh gross, I didn’t need that visual at all.

Mom
is standing beside my Dad and they appear to be looking over some documents. Both of them look up at me as I shut the door behind me.

“Oh
, honey, it’s so good to see you back home,” Mom states.

“Thanks
Mom. What are you up to in here?” I ask, trying to steer the conversation away from my mating.

“Your mother and I were just going over some council paperwork.
It’s nothing really exciting. Jane and Lana are already up in your room and impatiently awaiting your arrival.”

“Oh
, good. I can put them to work helping me pack! I have to be ready for the movers tomorrow.”

“Have fun
, dear,” Mom says, dismissing me.

I nod and exit the study, shutting the door behind me.
Taking a deep breath, I practically skip upstairs towards my room. I’m absolutely thrilled Jane and Lana are here. I may not be looking forward to the inquisition, but I’m thankful for the support.

I don’t even make it all the way into the room before I’m practically knocked over by Jane and Lana.
They throw their arms around me and squeal in delight. Grinning from ear to ear, I return their embrace.

“Okay, before the third degree
starts, I need to change. I’ll be right back.”

I hurry towards the closet and place the dress on a hanger.
It will always be special to me and I will keep it forever. I pull on a pair of cotton shorts and a tank top. I don’t need to be fancy to pack. I will shower and change before Cody gets here.

They tug me towar
ds the bed and we all sit cross-legged on it. I sigh in resignation for the upcoming, rapid fire questioning.

“You’re my sister now!
I can’t believe it. I’ve always wanted a sister. We’re going to have a blast. We can go shopping and watch movies and hang out in the castle. Oh, and you’re a princess who will rule us someday. That’s awesome sauce!”

I chuckle at Lana’s enthusiasm.
Whoever mates with her is going to have their hands full. I’m truly excited that she’s the sister I never had, besides Jane. We’re going to be like the three musketeers, I just know it.

I can’t even squeak out a reply before Jane is grilling me.

“How does it feel to be mated? Was Cody amazing? I bet he was. He’s a pretty great catch. Where did they take you? I wonder what it will be like to mate with Chase. Hmm, he’s really hot. I bet it will be unbelievable.”

“I love being mated to Cody.
He is my partner in every way. I feel like I was missing a part of myself and now I’m whole. It’s surreal. I wish I knew where they took us. They blindfolded us and locked us in a room.”

“You didn’t answer my question.
Was he amazing?”

“Gross
! You’re talking about my brother. That is an image I would rather not have.”

“Jane, I didn’t get a chance to thank you for what you did for me.
I know I told you, but it needs to be said again. You are the most loyal friend a girl could have. You gave me a life free of the guilt of Chase’s death.”

“I told you
, girl. He’s sexy and I would have gone after him that night if you didn’t have dibs. This could have just as easily been me. I think getting to sire him and mate to him is going to be nothing short of a fairytale. I didn’t just do it for you.”

I know she did, but I don’t argue.
I’m hopeful he can make her happy. Siring a new vampire creates a special bond in addition to the mating bond. I think they will be alright.

“So
, besides giving you the third degree, we’re here to help you pack so you can spend time with Cody later on. See, we are sort of awesome!” Lana explains.

“Who would have guessed I would have such a fabulous sister and totally
rockin’ best friend. I really am lucky to have you both. Don’t worry, when I’m ruler, I’ll still be the same Callie.”

Jane snorts and I narrow my eyes at her.

“What’s so funny about what I said?
I love you both.”

“It’s not that
, Callie. You’ll never be the same again. That doesn’t mean you won’t be an amazing friend, sister and ruler. It just means that you’ll grow up and that’s alright.”

“Thanks
, Jane. Now let’s get this place packed up. They must’ve brought these boxes while I was gone. Lana, you can start with the wardrobe boxes and clean out the closet. Jane, you can work on my desk and dresser. I will collect everything else and all my paintings. We should be done in no time.”

They both nod at me and we break off.
I turn my speakers on and plug my iPod in. I flip playlists until I find my workout list. We could all use the motivation to get this done quickly. I can’t wait to see Cody.

As I take down my pictures, I feel a touch of sadness.
I’m packing up a lifetime of memories and it just doesn’t seem real. I take great care with my paintings and soon my sorrow has bloomed into something more. This is my whole life and it is just being packed up in a series of boxes.

My phone buzzes and I know it’s a text message from Cody.
I smile and pull it out of my cotton shorts.

Hey
, princess, is everything alright? I already miss you like crazy. I love you and I will see you in a few hours. Xoxo-Cody

I take a minute to respond back before shoving the phone back into my pocket.

I’m just getting sentimental.
I hope you like art, because I have a million paintings. I miss you too. Jane and Lana are keeping me company. See you soon! -Callie-xoxo

I can feel his happiness through our bond and take that to mean he will accept my artwork and crazy taste in decorating.
I couldn’t love this man any more than I do now.

We’ve just about finished up when I hear a knock on the door.
I panic, thinking that it is Cody. I really wanted to shower and change before he got here. Sighing in resignation, I fling the door open to see who it is.

I’m not thrilled to see Chase at the door, but I try
to give him a warm smile. He’ll be mated to Jane so I’ll have to get over our past and look towards the future. Chase deserves a clean slate.

“
Hey, Chase. Come in. Jane’s just over there.”

“Thanks
. And Callie? I’m glad everything worked out the way it did.”

“
Me too, Chase. Me too,” I reply sincerely.

I really am glad things ended up the way they are.
I get to keep Cody forever and Jane gets her happy ending.

Dark thoughts of the consequences threaten to surface.
I don’t want to think about the breeding law or my future stint as ruler. Grinding my teeth, I choke the thoughts down and focus on the here and now.

Chase reaches Jane and sweeps her up in a swoon worthy hug.
He lightly kisses her forehead and she giggles. I’ve never seen Jane so happy. Suddenly, all my repercussions seem worth it.

“Alright
, Callie, I’ve packed up everything in your desk and dresser. I can’t believe you’re moving to the castle tomorrow. What a bizarre twist of circumstances. Anyhow, I think Chase and I are going to head out.”

“Thanks so much for helping me so I can spend time with Cody.”

“No problem, you’ll be helping me soon enough,” she replies with a mischievous grin.

“So when’s this big change going to happen?”

“The change will be Wednesday at the castle. Alexander is going to oversee everything to insure there are no issues. I’m actually grateful. I don’t want to end up on trial for doing anything wrong.”

“I hear you there
. Have fun you two.”

“See you later
, Lana.” qct Then she turns to me. “Later babe.”

Lana and I give them a wave and they are gone.
The door shuts behind them. It’s quiet for a beat and then Lana speaks up.

“I’ve got most of your closet packed up too.
I know you still need to shower and get dressed before my brother comes over, so I’ll follow Jane’s lead. Have fun tonight, Callie.”

She crosses the room and gives me a huge hug
. I can’t help but grin.

“Thanks
, Lana. I don’t know what I’d do without you guys.”

We break apart and she leaves
the same way Jane did. Soon, I’m alone with my thoughts. I look around and realize that my whole life fits into boxes. I feel a little sullen thinking that and quickly change course. I don’t need Cody worrying over nothing.

I hurry to the bathroom and take a shower.
I make sure to shave my armpits and my legs so I can wear shorts and a tank. We’re just spending the night in, but he will be staying over.

Excitement fills me even though we are under strict rules tonight.
No funny business my Mom says. She normally wouldn’t let him stay over but she gives in because of the bond. It’s hard for us to be apart for long periods of time now.

I throw my hair up in a messy bun and don’t bother to put makeup on.
I also don’t want Cody to see me looking like a raccoon in the morning just yet.

I’m just pulling my tank top on when I hear a knock at my door.
Barefoot, I pad across the room to open the door. A big goofy grin blossoms as I see Cody. He looks super sexy in his thin, brown tee shirt that leaves nothing to my imagination. His jeans are faded and low slung.