Chased By The Light: Scion Series Book One

by L. P. Dillon

"We can't do this Chase. I love you, and I won't be able to handle watching you be with her. I can't put myself through that!"

  "I'll leave her!"

  "What?" I asked, shock making me stop with my leg in the air poised just above my pant leg. I’d expected him to come up with excuses as to why he couldn’t call it off with her, but that had caught me off guard.

  Chase walked over to the closet, and I sat on the bed and bit my lip as I watched his naked ass walk across the room. After he pulled some sweatpants on, he stepped back to the bed and took my hand. I followed him down the stairs, sitting on the couch while he made coffees. When he came back in, he took a seat beside me.

  "Right. Mine and Olivia's future marriage have been solely arranged by my parents and hers. Her family is traditional, so Liv has always known that she's a Scion. My father knows her Father, so they got talking and struck up a deal."

  "Do you love her?" I asked, really not wanting to hear the answer.

  He burst out laughing and I couldn't help but scowl at him. "No, and she doesn't love me either. I'm not exactly her type."

  I furrowed my brow, wondering how Chase could not be a girl’s type. Then a lightbulb went off in my head and my eyes grew wide. "She's gay?"

  "Yes," he replied with a chuckle.

  I sighed with relief, knowing that the man I loved wasn't in love with someone else. Then sadness filled me and changed my expression. "Poor Olivia. Won't her family accept her being with a woman?"

  "No, but we have thought up a plan. See, Olivia is in love with a shape shifter, and they are a rare type that can shift into any human form they want."

  "So, they can shift into a guy form and trick Liv's parents?" I said excitedly.

  "No. That was the plan Olivia and Claudia had, but sadly for them, her father had already spoken to mine and set up a deal."

  I sat back and held my coffee in my hands, listening to him intently.

  "See, Olivia's father is the Alpha of their pack, and he had no sons. His plan was for me to marry Olivia and make her my mate, then I would be his son and would be able to fight for the right to take over his pack."

  I crossed my legs onto the couch, took a sip of my coffee, and placed it back into my lap.

  "My father offered me up as a potential mate because he knew we had broken up, and he wanted me to make sure that I had a Scion with me when I take over as Alpha. Also, he thought it would be the perfect opportunity to expand our pack."

  I tried to concentrate on Chase’s words, but I felt bad for Olivia and Claudia. They should have been able to be in love and show the world. Chase told me that in their culture, regular werewolves, vampires, and shifters were able to be in love and settle down with anyone they chose. Alpha's, Sire's, King's, and Scion's had a duty to their people and their families to carry on their bloodlines.

  He continued to tell me that some chose to abdicate, but Liv loved her family and her pack, so she didn't want to hurt them, and Claudia understood completely. Her family were more accepting, but that was because she wasn't a prince in her shifter tribe, so it wasn't an issue who she fell in love with. But Olivia's father wanted her to be with a strong Alpha, someone strong enough to defeat the challengers and takeover his pack, keeping his bloodline at the top.

  Claudia wouldn't be able to reproduce with a Scion, even though shape shifters had both sets of reproductive organs, because she would never be King of her tribe, so her seed wouldn't work with Olivia. So, they both knew that Olivia's father would never except them being together.

  "So, what's the plan exactly?" I asked curiously.

  "Well, we will get married," he said with a shrug.

  I lowered my head in disappointment, and even though I knew he had to help them, I wished it didn’t have to be at the cost of losing him forever.

  Chase leaned over and picked me up, placing me on his lap. Lifting my chin, his gaze met mine. "Don't be sad, baby. We have a plan. We're not really getting married. Claudia will marry her, but she will look like me," he said softly.

  "What? How? You said her father would be able to smell a shape shifter."

  "Yes, but we have help. The witches will perform a cloaking spell, and it should last long enough for them to have the ceremony, then when they have to mark each other to seal the bond, it will be too late for anyone to stop it. Once bonded, it's for life," he said while sweeping my hair out of my face.

  "Why couldn't you have told me?"

  "I didn't know how you felt. I didn't know if you would ever love me like you loved Jesse. But being away from you made me realize that I'm okay with that. He was your first, and you will always love him, but can you find room in your heart for both of us?" Hope sparkled in his eyes.

  My heart melted. I couldn't believe that after everything that had happened, he still loved me, still wanted me, and he was willing to accept my love of another man. He really was perfect.

  "You're right. I won't lie to you. I will always love Jesse. But he is gone, and I need to move on with my life. I love you and I can't lose you again. It broke me in half seeing you with Olivia. I don't ever want to feel that way again. I will spend my life making you feel like you are the only man for me. That you are my one and only," I said tearfully, while holding his face in my palms.

  He leaned closer, cupping my face as he touched his lips to mine. We spent the rest of the day making love and planning our future together. I was so happy to have him back and couldn't imagine my life with anyone else. I had accepted that Jesse would always hold a place in my heart, but there was now a larger spot there for Chase. He was my love, my future, and I couldn't wait to start our lives together as husband and wife, and as mates.

  The next few months were difficult. Chase and I had to sneak around, spending time alone whenever we could. Olivia was great because she was sneaking around seeing Claudia, but for her, at least she could be seen in public. All Claudia had to do was shift into Chase, and as long as they didn't get too close to werewolves, they could be together anywhere in town. We worked out a system. When Chase and I wanted to get away for the weekend—or even just for a night—Olivia and Claudia would come too. Chase and Olivia would leave together, as not to raise suspicion, and then Claudia and I would meet them there.

  It was exhausting and sometimes confusing, but I couldn't lie, it was exciting as hell. Sneaking around made us lust after each other even more, and the sex was even more mind-blowing. I did find myself getting jealous a lot, though. Sure, I knew it was all an act to keep everyone in the dark but seeing Chase and Liv's public displays of affection had me fuming. Angry sex was how I dealt with that, and I could have sworn Chase started deliberately pushing my buttons to see how mad and jealous he could make me. He definitely loved the angry sex, plus he seemed to also love watching me squirm. The jerk.

  Their wedding plans were going good, and I even helped out with some of it, suggesting things that I might have picked out for our own wedding, and sometimes guilt and sadness washed over me when I remembered how little effort I had put into planning my own wedding. I wished that I'd had sorted myself out long ago. If I had, we would be married already.

  The school was about to be out for winter break, and the wedding was less than two weeks away. We had managed to and keep this up for nearly three months already. Although, I was growing tiresome of the game.

  I sighed, tracing my finger around Chase’s abs as he laid on the bed, his hands tucked behind his head.

  "I can't wait for this all to be over," I said in a quiet voice while rolling onto my back and staring up at the ceiling.

  Chase rolled over and placed his head onto his hand, holding it up by his elbow. His eyes met mine. "I know baby, and it won’t be long now. Then we can get married ourselves and begin our life together."

  A smile crept across my face at the thought of finally being together. But then that smile faded. "Are you nervous about today? How did you even get him to change his mind? I asked while looking up into his emerald eyes.

  "I
'm not nervous, I'm excited. I wasn't expecting to be Alpha for another three years, but I'm ready, and it means I can finally be with you. My mate," he said as he stroked my cheek with his thumb, and the gesture was so gentle and loving it took my breath away. "My uncle couldn't say no since my father told him I could potentially expand our pack with Olivia's, and he knew that he couldn't pass up that chance. Our union would make our pack the largest in America, and that’s an extraordinary opportunity. It's what's best for the pack."

  "How’s your uncle going to react when he finds out that you didn't marry Olivia?" I asked cautiously, not really wanting to hear the truth.

  "He will be fine. They all will. We have organized for Claudia's family to barge into the wedding after they finish the bonding ritual. They are going to rough me up a bit, and then I'll say they drugged me. After that, I can tell them that I tried to go through with my father's plan, but it didn't work and now I will marry who I choose. You," he finished his speech and then pecked my lips.

  We heard a light tap on the door and he groaned into my mouth. I just smiled at his frustration.

  "Chase, we have to leave soon. Your ceremony is in an hour. Oh, don't forget to shower, or they'll smell, Brie all over you!" Liv shouted through the door.

  "Ugh, yes, Liv, I know." He climbed out of bed naked as the day he was born and headed to the bathroom.

  He slammed the door behind him, and I could hear him muttering some curse words.

  I got out of bed and headed towards the bathroom. He was already in the shower, body soaking wet, water droplets glistening as they glided down his silky soft skin. I bit my lip and quickly opened the door to the shower before the steam obscured my view.

  Turning around, he grabbed my arm and pulled me in. "Come here, you're letting all the cold air in."

  He closed the shower door behind me and lifted me up. As soon as I straddled his waist, he slammed me against the tile wall. Usually I would have moaned about the pain, but I'd been feeling a lot friskier lately, and to be honest, I loved it when he was rough. With little effort, he held me against that wall, and in one swift motion, he slid his cock inside me. I bounced up, then slammed down hard on his member. My hand scrambled to find something to hold onto to steady myself, and finally I grabbed hold of the metal corner shelf. His hands gripped my ass tighter as his thrusts came faster. The feel of the water running down my body added to building pressure inside me.

  All of a sudden, Chase stopped thrusting. I glanced down at him, shooting him a scowl, and he just chuckled, pressing me against the wall with his chest. Grabbing the showerhead, Chase twisted a knob, changing the stream settings while I angled my head at him. Before I had a chance to figure out what he was doing, he shoved it between my legs. The sudden pressure of the water jets hitting my already throbbing clit made me jolt, clenching hold of the metal shelf for dear life. He chuckled again, grabbing my ass with his spare hand. The position was a little awkward, but he quickly made it work, pumping into me while the water jets blasted my clit. It didn’t take long for me to explode.

  "Chase! Oh, holy hell!" I screamed out, pulling myself up by the metal shelf.

  Crack!

  The metal shelf came off the wall and into my hand, before smashing to the floor of the shower. Chase ignored the commotion and pounded into me a few more times, growling out into his climax. The shower head fell from his hands as he buried his head into my neck. We stood there, shampoo leaking all over the place and water squirting every which way, like an escaped fire hose. Once we'd both caught our breath, we looked at each other and started laughing.

  We cleaned up and finished in the shower. After we got ready, we left the secluded house that Chase had bought for our secret getaways. I kissed him goodbye and watched him get into his car with Olivia, ready to continue the charade. I got into Claudia's car and sighed as I sat down. She shut off the engine and turned to face me.

  "What's up chick?" she asked while shifting her body and resting her head on the headrest.

  "I'm just so ready for this crap to be over!" I said with a huff.

  "Wanna get rid of us already?"

  I leaned back in my seat and faced her, giving her a smile while rolling my eyes.

  "I'm kidding. Look, I hear ya. I'm shitting a brick. Liv and I have been trying to find a way to be together for over four years, and now that there is a light at the end of the tunnel, I'm so scared something will go wrong," she said as tears built up in her eyes.

  I patted her arm. "It will be fine, babe. You guys have planned everything. You have thought of everything that could go wrong and made sure you have things in place, so nothing does. You have checked and double checked so many times that there is no way anything can go wrong."

  She sighed. "Yeah, I know, I can't wait for it to be over, to finally be with my girl without having to sneak around. I know it's gonna cause a full-on war, but I don't care. I can't live without her."

  "Maybe her family will surprise you?"

  She stared at me with her eyebrows raised, and we both just burst out laughing. It wasn't very funny, but I guess it just relieved the tension. What they were doing could get them both killed, and involving Chase could get him killed too, or at least cause a pack war if they found out that he knew everything. I hoped to God they could pull it off, for their sakes and ours.

  I wasn't allowed to go to the Alpha ceremony because only pack members or future pack members were allowed to attend. But while I laid there on my bed, in an empty Sorority house, I thought, screw it.

  Throwing my black hoodie on, I headed downstairs. Once I reached the front door, I pulled it open.

  "Where you off to?" Bear asked, his mouth filled with half a sandwich. He was holding the other half in his hand as he walked out of the kitchen.

  "What the hell William? You scared the crap out of me.” I placed my palm on my chest, hoping it would calm my racing heart. “Why are you here, anyways?"

  "Chase asked me to watch over you," he replied, taking another huge bite.

  My eyes went one way, then another as I avoided looking directly at him. "Um, why would he do that?"

  "Oh, come on, Brie. I've known for ages that you two have been at it."

  My mouth fell open, and just as I was about to speak, he continued.

  "How?" He winked at me and I nodded my head in reply. "Well, I'm the best tracker the pack has. No matter how much he showers, or how much cologne he puts on, I can still smell you on him."

  I screwed my face up. "Eww, that's gross."

  "Never mind that. Where are you going?"

  "Um, to the Alpha..." I began but he quickly rushed over to me and slammed the door.

  "No, you damn well aren't. If you get there before Chase has taken over, Jesse's uncle will kill you, and then Chase will kill me. I'm supposed to keep you safe."

  "Why would he want to kill me? I mean no harm to him or your pack," I replied in a high-pitched voice.

  "All he knows is that you are a Scion. He is only giving up the Alpha position early because his hands are tied. This is an opportunity to double the size of our pack, and if he refused, there would be mutiny." He paused and guided me over to the couch. After I sat, he joined me before he continued. "Look, tensions will be high, tempers will boil red-hot, and all it will take is one wrong move or word and the Alpha will rip Chase's throat out."

  I gasped at his words, bringing my hand to my mouth while tears welled in my eyes. "He didn't tell me how dangerous the ceremony could be. I just assumed the Alpha handed over the reins to the new Alpha, and that was it."

  He shook his head. "It's brutal, Brie. They are both injected with a drug, one to strengthen Chase, one to weaken the Alpha. It makes it a more even playing field. Then they fight, and if Chase wins, he'll take over, if he loses..."

  He paused and looked away from me.

  I grabbed one of his thick muscular arms and shouted, "If he loses?"

  He turned to face me, struggling to keep his eyes fixed onto mine. "He'll kill
him, Brie."

  As soon as the words left his mouth, I shot up and bolted for the door. I knew he was a werewolf but with all the training I'd been doing with Arabella, I was now just as fast as the rest of the pack. He tried to grab my arm, but luckily for me, his bulk made him slow. I reached the door, flung it open, and sprinted into the woods. Chase had shown me a few days before where they were going to have the Alpha ceremony, so I knew exactly where I was going. I ran as fast as I could, and I could hear Bear sprinting behind me. The sound of fighting and a crowd roaring caught my attention, so I sped up and I headed in that direction.

  By the time I reached the clearing, I could see a huge crowd of people gathered in a circle. They were too preoccupied with the fight to even notice me pushing my way between them. When I finally got to the front of the crowd, I could see two huge blond wolves snarling at each other, and they were absolutely covered in blood. I gasped when I noticed the slightly smaller wolf had gaping wounds, and I couldn't be sure, but I was convinced that it was Chase. He lowered himself to the ground, and the larger wolf stalked forward, making himself appear even bigger while he loomed over the smaller wolf. Snarls and growls shot from him as the smaller wolf bowed his head so low it almost rested on the ground. He's giving up! No, he can't, the Alpha will kill him!

  "Chase!" I screamed out in a panic.

  The crowd fell silent and the larger blond wolf turned to stare at me, howling into the air, but I couldn't tell if it was a threat or if it was concern. Maybe the smaller wolf wasn’t Chase. I’m not sure…

  Uncertainty filled my mind, and I didn't know for sure who was who. Before I had a chance to work it out, the smaller wolf leapt into the air and sank its teeth into the larger wolf's neck. The crowd gasped as the large wolf yelped and fell to the ground. The smaller wolf pinned the large wolf to the floor, and I thought that would be it, but it wasn't. I watched in horror as the smaller wolf ripped the large wolf's throat out, spraying the crowd in its crimson blood.

  My stomach flipped and my heart sank, not knowing whether or not I'd just watched my boyfriend rip out another wolf's throat out like a monster, or if I'd just seen my Chase for the very last time. Either way, it was too much for me to handle, so I turned around and pushed my way back through the crowd. I walked through the woods, leaving the wolves behind me howling with triumph, and it sounded like excitement, too. I walked until I couldn't walk anymore, until I couldn't hear a single cheer or howl. Finding myself at my usual resting spot, I sat with my back against a large rock while swishing my hand around in the lake. I looked across the beautiful moonlit water and furrowed my brow when I spotted another blond wolf. He sat across the lake and stared at me. I stood up and, when I did, he howled at the moon. The sound of his howl was heartbreaking, so full of pain and sorrow it touched my heart. I attempted to move, thinking I'd walk around the lake to get to him. For some reason, I was drawn to the poor thing. But as I began to move, he ran off, disappearing into the woods.