Live and Let Lionel (Zodiac Academy, #8.6)

by Caroline Peckham

He would love with a passion rivalled by none and felt by all, he would fall hard and fast, painfully and inescapably into a love so great that it would rock the foundations of the world we knew and beyond. His life was the most important thing I had ever heard called to me on the voice of the stars. Gabriel.

“Our son will change the world, he’ll be the greatest Seer of his generation,”

“For a time,” he agreed. “But he will know all the best kinds of love in the end. Even if he never knows ours.”

“On the darkest day and longest night, I’ll guide you home with love so bright,” I whispered.

Yeah, the chances of the Vegas rising up from the dead and returning for their throne was as likely as the peace sign making a solid comeback.

"I very much doubt you have the skills required to know when a lady is about to orgasm, you vulgar ruffian. So kindly take your eyes off of my visage and return to your lollygagging with the other mutts on the reject pile,”

I was doing this for her on some level. Being a better man, making the better choice. But why? Because of some inane delusion I had about claiming her? My mind was always ripe with thoughts about her, forbidden thoughts that I knew I could never act on. Not again, anyway. Not unless she wanted it too.

“You're not drinking?” she breathed. “No.” I inched closer, resting my hands on the couch either side of her. You free my mind more than any drink ever has.

If he touches her, I’ll slice him open and bake all his innards into a pie. I don’t even bake, but for him, I’ll don a little pink apron, make the pastry from scratch, and cook up a pie so damn good that I win first prize in a local baking contest.

“Do you ever feel like the stars are against you?” I asked her, and her eyes widened at my sharp tone. “Because I’m starting to think they have my name on the top of their shit list, Francesca, because they take away every good thing I set my sights on.”

“I’m Leon,” I said around an intense purr. “Leon Night of the Nights, the best thieves in Solaria and your new brother.”

“I brutti momenti generano i bei momenti.” “The bad times sire the good times,” Elise translated, her grasp on my language almost perfect these days. “To the bad times.” Gabriel raised a glass of Arucso wine and we all lifted ours in kind. “May they sire the good ones as soon as possible.”

Deep down, I knew why I liked this place so much. Even more than because I was a Werewolf and I worshipped her every night. It was because Cal had been the one to buy the moon for me. And somehow, I would find a way to buy him the whole world in return.