In the prior chapters, Catalina had battled two vampires, including a vampire elder. She had killed them both and survived the battle, but not without injury. After word, Caterina recollects about the burden of being a Villalobos and heads home to the man whom she loves, but who refuses to love her . . . until the last chapter (21) when Ramon and Caterina finally allow themselves to explore the feelings they share.
In this chapter, Hemmerich – the villian of the piece — is spying on Ramon and Caterina, watching as they make love. WARNING: This scene is in Hemmerich’s point of view and he is one nasty villian, so expect some nastiness in the scene.
Chapter 22
**For those over 17 years of age only**
Using his handheld, Hemmerich broke into the video signals with the password he had stolen from Selena’s PDA. She had trustingly left it for him to search. That had allowed him to hack into the secured sections of the Villalobos network. It had helped that they had played right into his hands by giving him the desk job. Now he had all the time in the world to search out the Villalobos secrets while fulfilling the mundane tasks given to him.
He flipped from one channel to the next, surprised at the extent of the video system. From the front doors of the lobby to nearly every office in the building, each area was under surveillance. But then again, what should he have expected at a company that prided itself on being the tops in security?
Each entrance and exit was protected, but that was useless now that he had gained access to not only their computer system, but their private areas. Even now, Selena waited for him in her bed, unsuspecting of the reasons why he was there.
He continued moving through the channels until he got to the ones he wanted to see most — those watching the top ten floors of the skyscraper housing Villalobos Industries. The lower of those floors were used as a common place for the pack and had an assortment of meeting rooms, a cantina, and an infirmary for taking care of the pack’s sick and wounded. There were even a few small apartments for the older members who could no longer hunt or maintain themselves in the outside world.
The next floor up from the common area had belonged to Hembra’s mother, Marti, when she had been Rafael’s wife. That hadn’t lasted long beyond the birth of yet another daughter and then Marti had fled in shame. Her floors had been empty for a few years before being added to the common ground for the pack. Now, a few of Rafael de Villalobos’s most trusted advisors and Catalina’s human shared part of the space. The remaining area was reserved for visitors from other wolf clans.
In keeping with the hierarchy of the pack, Helena’s floor was next, followed by Selena’s, Catalina’s and finally, that of the top man himself.
Rafael de Villalobos had the entire penthouse floor of the skyscraper, fifty floors up with views that would have been envied by Manhattan’s wealthiest denizens. But then again, the Villalobos riches were likely as great, possibly even greater.
And one day they would be his, Hemmerich thought as he imagined when he would ascend to the leadership of the group.
He paused but for a moment as Selena came into view in one camera. She lay in bed, waiting for him. Stupid little cunt, he thought. She didn’t have a clue that she was just a stepping stone on his way to the top.
With a quick move of his thumb, he shifted to the next channel and found Rafael’s bedroom, only it was empty, although it was clear he had been in bed at some point. The sheets were disheveled, as if he hadn’t been sleeping well. Did he sense that his time was nearly over? Hemmerich wondered.
Another flick and Catalina’s bedroom came into view. She was in bed naked, the human beside her, partially clothed and above the sheets. Disgust curled his lip a moment before other emotions gripped him. Desire. Jealousy.
Catalina had never shown him anything other than disdain, but once he led the pack . . .
He watched as the filthy mortal touched her. Moved his hands against her back, stroked the long perfect line of it. Bent his head and tasted the lips that should have been his to taste.
His anger grew, but so did his need as his body sprang to painful life. Tightly gripping the PDA with one hand, he shifted his other one beneath the waistband of his pajamas. Encircled himself and stroked as he spied on the couple tenderly kissing and holding one another.
He couldn’t see beyond the line of the sheets at their waist, but as Ramon moved, he caught a glimpse of Catalina’s breast with its creamy pale skin and the darker caramel tip. Imagined touching her there. Tasting her. The human finally dared, raising his hand to cup her breast.
Hemmerich groaned and stroked harder. Faster. Wished he could sample her. Imagined her kissing him and that he might soon roll her beneath him. Enter her damp warmth.
The sheets dropped away as Catalina pushed the human to his back. She straddled him, her hips shifting back and forth, searching for a completion that she wouldn’t get from her filthy mortal. He wasn’t wolf enough to face the condemnation of the pack and take her.
Hemmerich would have dared.
And he who dares wins, he reminded himself.
The human grasped her hips with his hands and then rolled, bringing her down onto the sheets once more. Ramon slithered his body down Catalina’s until his head was between her legs . . .
A fine film of sweat covered him as he stroked, just a bit harder, but Hemmerich realized it would be an empty release without a woman’s warmth encircling him. Without Catalina’s heat bathing his body.
He shut down the PDA, tossed it on Selena’s coffee table and rose, intent on fulfilling his needs.
When he stepped into the bedroom, Selena eased up in bed and seeing his condition, smiled. “I can tell you’re happy to see me.”
He battled back his disgust at her lame comment. At the neediness that made her so weak, she couldn’t see that his only desires were first for control of the pack and second, lust for her older half-sister.
Forcing a smile to his lips, he slowly approached the bed, easing off his pajama bottoms and kicking them aside as he neared. “Kiss me,” he said and met her gaze, confirming what he wanted.
He took the final step to the edge of bed and Selena rose to her knees, bent her head, and took him into her mouth.
I don’t know why, but toward the end of the summer I developed a taste for sangria again. Maybe because it was a delightful way to cool off on those hot summer days and nights. I’ve been playing with the recipe and have created this refreshing variation on the traditional mix!