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“I’ve never actually been ill,” she mused thoughtfully.
“Another benefit for our species is that we’re rarely unwell and don’t often catch human diseases.”
“I see…If we live to such a great age, are your parents living around here?” she asked.
“Sadly no. They too were murdered by the sect, using silver bullets.”
A thought suddenly struck her. “My real parents—”
“I’m afraid so. They survived the induced car crash and were shot. Killed the same night my own parents were slain. It was a planned operation where they hit several shifter families worldwide. It was that catastrophe that led to our kind uniting as we never had before. With modern communication we are in constant contact with groups around the world and we have our own spies and network of informers. Since that day, we have been able to stay one step ahead of them.”
“How do you know they were involved, the Reyes, I mean?”
“We don’t know that they carried out the assassination, but we know he leads their high council in Britain. The group adopted a symbol from the seal of Tribunal of the Holy Office of the Inquisition in Spain, a branch from an olive tree. There is a stone shield that remains on a wall in Spain depicting the emblem. An olive sprig was discovered on the rear seat of their mangled car. It’s meant as a symbol for their warped sense of justice. They leave one at the scene of every murder they commit.”
“Why didn’t the police see that and look more closely into their deaths?”
He snorted. “Believe me, they did. Your parents’ deaths were finally closed as an unsolved murder, remaining as a cold case—Don’t forget they have people high up in law enforcement across the globe. However, so do we, but in far fewer numbers. It is our up-to-date technology that keeps us so well informed nowadays.”
“I’m struggling to take all this in…”
“I suggest you take some time to process what I’ve said. How about we take a nice hot shower together and then we’ll go get something to eat? Take one thing at a time and let yourself acclimatize to all this change gradually.”
“Ok-ay.” She wasn’t sure that was going to happen any time soon.
“Good girl. Once we get this nasty business out of the way, I want you to marry me, Selene.”
“What?” she spluttered. “I don’t know… I mean maybe, but not until everything has sunk in.”
“The claiming is our mating for life, but the marriage is for bureaucracy’s sake. Surely, you’d like to change your surname from Reyes? Their surname originates from Spain, it comes from “rey” which means king. Our research shows they have an unbroken family history which leads all the way back to King Ferdinand II of Aragon and the start of the Spanish Inquisition.”
“They are connected to Spanish royalty and the Inquisition?”
“Loosely yes, from a very a long time ago. The Reyes have a definite connection to the Inquisition.”
“Shit, now I know I want to change my surname to yours. I was born a Hemming. Does that name hold any significance?”
“Absolutely. Hemming is from Old Norse in origin, it means “werewolf” or “shape-shifter.”
“Wow, so the clues to my family history were there all along?”
“Yes. Perhaps you’d rather not marry me, but simply change your name back to Hemming?”
She shook her head. “No, it is too obvious a clue to those haters. I want to be your mateandyour wife. The claiming has changed my priorities, or maybe it was discovering my true identity. Anyway, I agree, let’s get married.”
He caught her to him and pressed his lips to hers briefly. “That’s my girl. I promise you shall have the wedding of your choice. It’s your special day. You decide on whatever kind of wedding you’d like.”
“Hmm, well I’d like something low key with lots of flowers. I’ve had enough excitement to last me for quite a while.”
“Sounds perfect.” He kissed her again, this time parting her lips with his tongue. She met his eagerly and heat flared white hot between them. Just when she thought she’d die if he didn’t touch her, he pulled away, leaving her panting and frustrated for more. “I need to get you into that shower—I have very dirty plans for you, my girl, that’ll require a shower to clean us up.”
Full of need, she watched him move across the room and disappear through a door. It shocked her that all she could think of now was hot and filthy shower sex with him when she had so much else to absorb. There was some invisible knot between them which left her bereft now that he was no longer in the same room with her. Perhaps this is what it meant to be claimed? An increased awareness of your mate with an overwhelming need to be by his side and fucked by him at every available opportunity? Somehow that didn’t seem too much of a hardship. Examining her feelings, Selene knew she’d changed. There was a deep inner knowledge that she and Rolf were now irrevocably tied.
“Macushla?”
“Coming, Rolf.”
“You certainly will—”
