Lanie changed Nellie and brought her into the living room. She was astonished to find a picnic in her brother’s living room.
“I need to make her bottle. Can you hold her for a minute?” Lucien nodded and she showed him how to position his arm to cradle the baby. She gently placed Nellie in the crook of his arm and her heart squeezed at the sight of Lucien holding her tiny niece. Lanie quickly made the bottle for her hungry niece and returned to the living room.
Lucien motioned for her to sit on the floor and she did. He returned the baby to her and she fed Nellie. Lucien went into the kitchen to wash his hands. When he returned, he sat next to Lanie and removed some containers from the picnic basket. He made a plate of fried chicken, potato salad and corn on the cob. He took out a fork, picked up some potato salad and held the fork in front of Lanie’s mouth. She opened her mouth and he gently slipped it in.
“Chicken?” he asked and she nodded. Lucien picked up the drumstick and held it to her. Lanie took a bite and Lucien smiled with contentment. His wolf was pleased, satisfied with his ability to feed its mate. Lucien continued to feed Lanie, occasionally leaning over to lick potato salad from the side of her mouth then placing light kisses on her lips.
Once Nellie finished her bottle, Lanie burped her and soon after, she fell asleep. Lanie gently placed her on the blanket and moved closer to Lucien. He refused to let her feed herself, so she fixed him a plate and they fed each other. During their meal, she filled him in on the previous night’s events. The three of them had been up all night with Jules and Bella. The girls kept crying and none of them had gotten much sleep. Mike and Devon had taken the two sick girls to the hospital early that morning. She yawned suddenly and Lucien noticed how tired she looked.
“Let’s clean up this mess and you can take a nap with Nellie.” Lanie gave him a grateful smile and they cleaned up.
Lucien tossed a pillow onto the floor so she could lie on her stomach next to Nellie. He straddled her and began massaging her shoulders. Lucien’s strong hands on her shoulders and back was soothing. Within minutes, Lanie was fast asleep. His wolf growled low in satisfaction. His wolf enjoyed caring for its mate.
Nellie began fussing. Not wanting to wake Lanie, Lucien picked her up. He sat on the couch and growled low. The pup recognized him as an Alpha and whimpered softly. Lucien lay back on the couch with Nellie on his chest. He continued growling in a low, soothing tone as he stroked her back gently. Nellie burped loudly then fell asleep.
Sometime later, Lanie woke up from her nap and panicked when she noticed Nellie wasn’t on the blanket next to her. She sat up and turned to the couch. Lanie’s heart melted at the sight of Lucien, asleep on the couch with Nellie on his chest. She realized at that moment that she had fallen in love with Lucien.
Lanie sat there for a long time watching Lucien sleep. Could they have a relationship? Lucien was an Alpha werewolf and she was a human. Her heart filled with joy when she realized Lucien must think a relationship was possible, or he wouldn’t be here, babysitting her niece while she rested.
The front door opened quietly and Lucien woke up. Mike and Devon entered, each carrying a baby carrier containing a sleeping child. Both looked exhausted and they were surprised to see Lucien in their home, with their daughter asleep on his chest. Neither one said anything, but the shock was evident on their faces.
“Well? What did the doctor say?” Lanie asked her brother.
“Stomach flu. They need lots of fluids and rest. They should be fine in a few days.”
“Thank goodness! I was really worried. Let me take care of them while you two take a nap. I just woke up and I feel refreshed.”
Grateful for the reprieve, they readily agreed. They set down the baby carriers and headed to their room for a much needed nap. Lucien sat up and carried Nellie to her room, gently placing her in her cradle. He went back to the living room to help Lanie with the other children, even changing their diapers when needed. He was determined to show Lanie what a good mate he would be.
Lanie was surprised at Lucien’s ‘domestic’ side. Though changing diapers was obviously not his favorite thing to do, he did it without complaining. Lucien would keep changing diapers as long as Lanie kept rewarding him with a kiss each time he did so.
Mike and Devon were still asleep and the triplets had finally settled down to sleep in their cradles. Lanie went into the kitchen and Lucien made a quick phone call in the living room. Lucien ended his call and went to the kitchen, finding Lanie at the sink, washing dishes. He moved to stand behind her, began massaging her shoulders.
“Mmmm…,” Lanie purred as she leaned her head back slightly to rest on his chest. Unable to resist her exposed neck, Lucien rubbed his stubble covered cheek against her neck and she gasped at the rough sensation. He nibbled and sucked on her neck and Lanie held onto the counter for support. Her legs felt strange, suddenly becoming weak. She was glad Lucien had wrapped his arms around her waist, keeping her from sinking to the floor.
Lanie began panting and her heart beat faster. Lucien slipped his hand down her hip and began pulling up her dress, all the way up to her waist. His hand found the waistband of her panty and he began tugging it down.
“Lucien, what are you doing?”
“Everyone is asleep, Lanie,” he whispered in a husky voice as he nibbled on her neck. Lucien pressed his erection into her and she groaned. He held her hips and rubbed against her, then slipped one hand around to her belly, lowering it until his fingers were nestled between her legs. He rubbed his fingers along her seam and Lanie bit her lip as she pushed back into him. His fingers caressed her harder and she began writhing against him.
“Lucien,” she moaned. He bit her neck gently, marking her again.
“Ohh!” she exclaimed when she felt his teeth close around the skin on her neck. Impatient, he again reached for the waistband of her panty and began tugging it down.
“Lucien, stop. We’re in the kitchen!”
“I need to fuck you, Lanie. You’ve already made me wait too long.”
“What are you talking about? We just met a few days ago!” Lucien was moving too fast. Much too fast!
“From the moment I saw you at Jack’s, I wanted you, Lanie. If you were a wolf, I would have carried you off and fucked you that same night.”
“What?” Lanie stilled and her desire instantly vanished. This is just about sex? Foolishly, she had thought he wanted a relationship with her. But all he wanted was sex. Anger surfaced and she turned and pushed him away.
Lucien scented her anger and saw the fury on her face as she turned.
“Love, what’s wrong?”
“Don’t call me that!” She crossed her arms and asked, “So If I was a wolf, you’d have treated me differently?”
Unsure of where she was going with her question, Lucien nodded slowly.
“So just how many wolves have you…bedded right after meeting them?” she demanded angrily.
FUCK. “None. Honey, it’s not like that. I just meant that…a female wolf would have understood my desire. A female wolf would never have run from me.” Would she understand the compulsion wolf mates had towards each other? Lanie was human. Could she feel the same way about him?
Lanie was livid. The only reason he had been nice to me, had ‘dated’ me was because I’m human? Not because he has feelings for me? What was I thinking? How could I have fallen for him? I’m so naïve. I should have known better than to fall for an Alpha. This will never work. We’re just too different.
Lucien was confused. Everything he said seemed to anger instead of soothe her. Perhaps he should treat her as a wolf, not a human?
“You’re mine, Lanie,” he asserted as he grasped her arms, pulling her closer. His wolf eyes flashing bright blue, he declared, “You belong to me, Lanie. I will kill any man that touches you.”
Lanie’s mouth dropped open in shock. “You’re unbelievable! How dare you? You don’t own me!” She pulled out of his grasp and moved away from him. “I’m not one
of your wolves. You can’t order me around! I’ll see whoever I want, whenever I want. Now, get out!” She pointed in the direction of the front door. Lucien growled when he heard the front door open and scented Riley. Hearing voices, Riley walked into the kitchen and Lanie turned in surprise at his unexpected arrival.
“What are you doing here, Riley?”
“I came to check up on my kid sister and nieces. Mom said they were sick and in the hospital.”
“Everyone’s asleep, Riley. You can wait. I’m sure Devon will be up shortly,” she said in a kind voice. Lucien growled a low warning at Riley. His wolf didn’t like the way Lanie spoke to the other wolf, the one she had desired only days ago.
Hearing his growl, Lanie announced, “Lucien was just leaving.”
Not wanting to cause problems with Ethan’s pack, he decided to leave. As he drove back to Last Hope, Lucien decided he would talk to her the next day. She should have calmed down by then.
Later that evening, during dinner, Devon noticed that Lanie seemed unusually quiet. Had she gotten over her infatuation with Lucien? When Devon recalled the earlier message from her sister-in-law, a member of the Tarchannen pack, she was glad Lanie was no longer interested in Lucien.
After dinner was over and Lanie was helping her with the triplets, Devon shared some information about wolves and their curiosity about humans. If Lanie had not already been heartbroken, she would have been after her chat with Devon.
Devon told Lanie that werewolves sometimes slept with humans. Devon warned her that they considered it something of a novelty. But they would never consider mating with one, as pack law wouldn’t allow it. Werewolf birth rates were very low, which was why so many wolves showed up to the triplets’ birth celebration. No one knew why their population had been declining. From an early age, wolves were taught to find their mate, in hopes of reproducing and increasing their dwindling population. As Alpha, Lucien had a duty to his pack to provide them with werewolf pups. Devon told Lanie that Lucien had returned home to choose a mate from the Tarchannen pack.
Chapter 5
Lucien drummed his fingers on his desk and tried to contain his anger. “You are thirty years old, Lucien. As Alpha of our pack, you need to take a mate, set an example for our younger wolves. Jordan of the Tarchannen pack has offered any of his single females to you as a mate. You must choose one of them,” Richard, one of the pack elders stated.
“I don’t want any of them,” Lucien declared.
“They have traveled a long distance to see you, Lucien. The least you can do is meet them. It would be rude not to greet them,” advised Stella, another elder.
“Fine. But I’m not mating with any of them.”
“Lucien, these are beautiful young wolves. You cannot make such a decision without at least fucking them,” David insisted.
“Enough!” Lucien slammed his hands down on the desk and stood, wolf eyes flashing angrily at the elders in front of him. “I’m not fucking anyone but Lanie. Lanie is my mate. My wolf will not have another.” The elders gasped in shock.
“Lanie is the...the human you brought here?” George asked with contempt.
“Careful, George. That is my mate you are talking about,” Lucien warned.
George lowered his eyes in submission. A former member of the Tarchannen pack, he disapproved of having a human mate. Their offspring, IF they had any, would be mongrels, half breeds. They would be hideous freaks of nature that would bring shame to our pack. Something has to be done to prevent their alpha from mating with a human.
“Why the hell is Jordan so interested in my finding a mate anyway?” Lucien asked the elders.
“Jordan wants an alliance with our pack. Our numbers are dwindling, Lucien. We need each other for protection, camaraderie. That is another reason you should choose a wolf. We need more pups. You owe it to your pack, to your kind, to mate with a wolf and provide pups.”
“No one knows why our population is dwindling, but I will not give up my mate to satisfy this council. The subject of my mate is not up for further discussion.” He paused and looked at each elder. They lowered their eyes in submission, acquiescing to his decision as their Alpha.
“As for an alliance with Tarchannen, I will have to think about it. Tarchannen are purists and old fashioned in their ways. I don’t agree with their practice of assigning mates based on an Alpha’s whims. If they have not found their true mate, couples should be allowed to choose their mate.” Some of the elders nodded in agreement.
Lucien took a deep breath and continued, “I will meet these Tarchannen females then you will send them home tomorrow. I will contact Jordan once my decision is made.”
Not wanting to scare the Tarchannen females, Lucien took several calming breaths. He went to Rae’s and met the single Tarchannen females. He apologized sincerely for their trip and informed them that he recently found his mate. Several of the females seemed disappointed, upset that they lost the chance to become his Alpha Bitch. Lucien spent some time with them to be sociable. Someone suggested they pose for a few pictures. Lucien sat on a chair, surrounded by the Tarchannen females. Once the photos were taken, he excused himself and went home.
Chapter 6
The next day Lucien showed up with a dozen white roses. “Whatever I said to offend you, my Love, I’m sorry. Please forgive me?” he asked. She would accept his apology and he would finally be able to fuck her.
Lanie’s throat closed tightly and she was unable to answer him. She didn’t want to be just a one night stand or a novelty lay. She knew she couldn’t resist Lucien, wanted him too much. Enjoyed the way he made her body feel alive. If she continued seeing him, she would give in to her desire for him. He would break her heart and it wouldn’t even mean anything to him. She meant nothing to him, now that he had chosen a mate. She wondered how many of those wolves he had slept with before making his decision. Why was he here anyway? Shouldn’t he be with his mate? Or was curiosity about sex with a human more important than his new mate? Angry and hurt, Lanie closed the door, leaving him standing there, roses in hand.
Lucien could scent her pain, saw the sadness in her eyes. Before he could explain, she closed the door firmly in his face. He banged on the door, rang the doorbell. After fifteen minutes, he finally decided to leave, growling in frustration. What had changed? He thought back to the time he had spent with her. He still didn’t understand why she was avoiding him, but he vowed he would find out. There was only one way to do that….
Later that day….
“Do you really think that kidnapping her is the answer? She’s going to be seriously pissed. Hell, she might even maim me for agreeing to this,” Michael stated with a worried look.
“I’ve tried everything else and still she refuses me. This is the only way to satisfy my wolf. She is mine. My mate. I claim her before you and everyone else. She just refuses to accept it. Your sister is more stubborn than I am,” Lucien said with a sigh.
“I swear to you, I will not force her into my bed. But I will force her to admit her feelings for me. I will keep her for two days, to convince her that she belongs with me. If she refuses me after that time, I will leave her alone. I only wanted you to be aware so that I don’t inadvertently start a pack war. The last thing I need is a pissed off brother coming after me to protect his sister.” Michael laughed.
“And who is going to protect you from her? You better know what you are doing, Lucien. It might cost you your balls. Literally.”
“She is everything to me, Michael. I only wished she hadn’t pushed me to do this. I do not wish to anger her. I am going to meet with your Alpha in the next hour, so he is aware of my plans. If you have any objections, state them now. I asked you to come here, to the forest, so we could converse in private. If you wish to fight me for your sister, you may do so without causing any issues between our packs. This is between two men. It is not a concern for either pack.”
Michael studied him for a moment. “You are full blood and an Alpha. I am a changeling
and have a low pack rank. Do you think this is a fair fight?”
“You would be fighting for your sister.”
“And you would be fighting for your mate. Nothing could stop you. I have no objections as long as you agree not to force her to your bed. If you hurt her, nothing will stop me from coming after you. Do we understand each other?”
“We do, brother.”
Armed with his future brother in law’s blessing, as well as understanding from the Second Chances Alpha, Lucien began to implement his plan.
Chapter 7
The next day, Lucien watched silently from the trees as her car pulled up and parked by the side of the road. Lanie got out and walked around, glancing around and seeing no one. She headed for the lake, as the note instructed her. As she neared the lake, he stepped out from behind the trees.
“Waiting for someone?” asked Lucien. Lanie froze. Slowly she turned around and saw Lucien standing behind her. Though she was still angry with him, some small part of her was elated to see him.
“You make time for Riley, but not for me,” he said angrily. Shit, she thought. He was seriously pissed at her. Realization dawned. “You wrote the note, didn’t you?”
“It was the only way to get you to see me.” He advanced and Lanie turned and ran, glad she had decided to wear sneakers and jeans. She needed distance between them otherwise she might give in to her desire for him. She would despise herself for sleeping with him when he already chose another woman. Lucien swore and took off after her. She didn’t get very far before she tripped and fell flat on her face.
“Lanie!” Lucien cried out in alarm. Within minutes he was by her side, pulling her up and checking her for injuries.
“Are you hurt?” More embarrassed than hurt, she shook her head. “No. I’m fine.”
Lucien's Mate Page 3
