Delevan

by Catherine Lievens

  It’s possible to find love even in a time of war.

  Delevan has seen almost everyone in the pride find their mate and live happily ever after, and he’s tired of waiting for his turn. He might be happier than he’s ever been before, but he’s still missing something, and he wants to find it.

  The last thing Blair expected when he moved to Whitedell to train was to meet his mate, and he certainly didn’t expect to be paired to Alpha Dominic Nash’s son. Not only is Blair a bit intimidated by Alpha Nash, but he’s also committed an unpardonable faux pas—before meeting Delevan, he slept with Benjamin, one of the few single pride members.

  Before Delevan and Blair manage to dissipate the tension between them, the mole finally reveals himself and puts Delevan’s life in danger. Delevan survives, but how will what happened to him, and the mole’s identity, influence his relationship with Blair? Will Delevan finally find the piece he’s been missing, or will he lose everything to the hunters?

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  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  Delevan

  Copyright © 2016 Catherine Lievens

  ISBN: 978-1-4874-0701-8

  Cover art by Latrisha Waters

  All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher.

  Published by eXtasy Books Inc or

  Devine Destinies, an imprint of eXtasy Books Inc

  Look for us online at:

  www.eXtasybooks.com or www.devinedestinies.com

  Delevan

  Whitedell Pride Book Twenty

  By

  Catherine Lievens

  Dedication

  To Tanya and Kathy again, to Laura, and to my family.

  Chapter One

  Delevan mixed the sauce again, and the scent of garlic and basil wafted up from the pot. Someone entered the kitchen and he turned to look. It was Adan, and as much as Delevan might like the guy, he didn’t really feel up to chatting. He couldn’t tell Adan to leave, though, so he kept his mouth shut and turned back to his pot.

  “That smells good,” Adan said.

  “Thanks.”

  “Is it lunch?”

  Delevan nodded and added a bit more basil to the sauce. In his opinion, there was no such thing as too much basil. “Yeah.”

  “I thought lunch was everyone on their own?”

  “It is, but I like to cook. Helps me relax.”

  And most of all, the pots and pans didn’t want Delevan to talk. He guessed that even if they did, his whining would bore them. He’d tried to stop, but how could he when people kept pairing off while he remained pathetically alone?

  Delevan loved his dad, and even Ani, his dad’s mate. He loved living in the mansion, even with all the people in it, but that didn’t mean he felt like he belonged. He didn’t, most of the time. He hadn’t found out he was a shifter until he’d been thirteen and had shifted in his room. He’d had no idea what was happening, and most of the time he still didn’t.

  He had friends, but they were all mated, so Delevan spent most of his time on his own, when he wasn’t working or swimming. He hated it. He was also jealous as fuck, but more than that, it made him sad. Would his turn ever arrive?

  “Can I sit?” Adan asked, reminding Delevan of his presence.

  “Sure.”

  Delevan knew he wasn’t making things easy for Adan, and it made him feel guilty. The guy had just woken up after spending a year in a catatonic state. He probably wanted to make friends, and Delevan would usually have been nicer, but he was bitchy these days. He didn’t think Adan wanted to hear him whine, so it was probably a good idea for him to keep his mouth shut, if anything to avoid offending Adan.

  “You’re Dominic’s son?” Adan asked, breaking the silence.

  Delevan smiled at his pot. He loved his dad, so much, and that wasn’t something he’d expected could happen only a year before. “Yeah.” The best thing Delevan had ever done was leaving his mother to find his dad. He’d not only found an entire family in the pride, but also the man who was the most important person in Delevan’s life right now.

  “That’s...”

  Adan sounded like he didn’t know how to finish that sentence. Delevan took pity on him. “It’s cool. I didn’t know he was my dad until a year ago.”

  “Oh?”

  “Yeah. My mom never told me my father was still alive. Well, I’m not sure she knew where he was, but she did know who he was. She should have told me.” She definitely should have. That was the reason Delevan hadn’t talked to her ever since he’d left home—her house.

  “But you found him.”

  “Yeah.”

  “And now you’re happy.”

  “Yeah. I’m happy.” Mostly. Delevan liked his job, loved his family, but he still felt like a huge piece was missing from his life. He knew it was his mate, and it still stunned him. He’d never been one for dreams of family and kids, but ever since he’d found out about mates, he’d wanted to meet his. He still hadn’t, and it made him sad every time he thought about it.

  Silence fell again, and Delevan decided to make an effort. “So, you just woke up?”

  “Uh, yes. I was in a catatonic state.”

  “I have no idea what that is.” Jared had tried to explain, but Delevan’s mind had checked out when he’d started talking.

  Delevan added a pinch of salt to the sauce and checked whether the water in the other pot was boiling. It was, so he dumped the pasta in and stirred it so it wouldn’t stick.

  “It’s, well, I was there, but not really. Like I couldn’t move, even though I was awake. It’s kind of hard to explain.”

  “You don’t have to.”

  “It’s a great conversation topic, though.”

  Delevan frowned and looked at Adan. He couldn’t really think catatonia was a good topic, right?

  Adan grinned, and Delevan smiled back without thinking about it. “Right. That was sarcasm?”

  “More like I was trying to get your attention, and since I’m not a pot...”

  “I don’t think you want that, not if you want to eat lunch.”

  “Oh, you’re right. Check the pots, please.”

  Delevan smiled again and did as he was told. The sauce was ready, so he turned off the heat under it and stirred the pasta again. “Do you know who’s eating with us?”

  “Yanis and Ira for sure. I’m guessing Shad, too, but I don’t know about the rest.”

  “Dad and Ani will probably come down, and maybe Gabriel.” Delevan was relieved he’d dumped enough pasta into the pot. It was true that lunch was everyone for themselves, but he was cooking, and he didn’t want anyone to have to cook and eat something else just because he hadn’t cooked enough.

  “Should I go fetch Yanis and Ira?”

  “Yes, please.”

  Adan left the kitchen and Delevan left a pile of plates, silverware, and glasses out on the counter for the others to set the table.

  Adan was back al
most right away and he started setting the table, so Delevan went back to the stove. The kitchen door opened again, but Delevan didn’t turn, not until someone asked, “Can I do something to help?”

  Delevan jerked toward the voice. “Who are you?”

  The man blinked. “Blair Stanley.”

  Delevan put his spoon down and cleaned his hands on the towel he kept hooked at his belt. “You’re not a pride member.”

  “Not exactly, no. I’m a council enforcer. I’m here to work with Ira.”

  Blair was gorgeous. His long black hair was tied behind his back, showcasing his face. The dark stubble on his jaw made Delevan want to rub his cheek against it, but he stayed where he was, at least until Blair took a step forward. Delevan went backward until his back hit the counter.

  Blair stopped only a few inches away from Delevan and blinked at him again. It was endearing and cute, and Delevan wanted to do something. What, he didn’t know, and that was the problem.

  “Uh, guys? Everything okay?” Yanis asked, worry obvious in his voice, as though he thought Delevan and Blair would start wrestling in the middle of the kitchen.

  Blair broke eye contact with Delevan to look at him. “I think so. Maybe.”

  “Maybe?”

  “I’m dead.”

  “What? Why? What’s wrong?”

  Delevan never looked away from Blair, and he didn’t even know why. He didn’t know Blair, had never seen him before today, so why did he feel the need to be so close to him? A conversation he’d had with his dad flashed in his mind. He’d been thinking about it earlier, but it was too big of a coincidence. It couldn’t be.

  Blair’s voice wasn’t steady when he answered. “He’s my mate. I’m his mate. Shit, Dominic’s going to kill me.”

  Delevan sucked in a breath. He had thought it, but he hadn’t wanted to believe it. What were the odds that he’d think about not having found his mate yet only to find him in the same day, only moments later?

  Adan laughed and Blair scowled at him. “Oh, I’m glad you find this funny. Remind me not to invite you to my funeral.”

  Nysys chose that moment to come in, and Delevan knew the trouble had only just started. “What funeral?” Nysys asked.

  Adan laughed harder, and Blair pouted. “Mine.”

  “Why?” Nysys’ eyes widened. “Are you sick? Are you dying? You can’t die!” He cocked his head and peered at Blair. “Who are you, anyway?”

  Adan looked like he was about to collapse. Delevan understood why he was laughing, and he probably would have been right there with him if he weren’t the one in the middle of everything.

  Nysys looked at Adan. “Why is he laughing like that?”

  “I think the situation is a bit too much for him,” Yanis told him as he tried to keep Adan upright.

  “What do you mean? He thinks funerals are funny?”

  Delevan rolled his eyes. Of course that was what Nysys would think.

  “No, he doesn’t. He just thinks the reason why Blair thinks he’s going to need one is funny.”

  “What is it? And who’s Blair?”

  “Blair,” Yanis said pointing his thumb toward Blair, “is an enforcer who’s staying here for a bit.” Yanis looked at Blair and Delevan. “I’d tell him, if I were you. He’s going to find out anyway, and if you don’t tell him he’s just going to hound you until you spill the beans. Believe me, you don’t want him popping into your bedroom at midnight while you’re about to get down and dirty with your mate.”

  * * * *

  Blair didn’t want to tell Nysys about Delevan. Nysys didn’t even remember Blair, so why should he tell him anything? Maybe Blair should tell him he was a Komodo dragon shifter, just so that he could see Nysys squeal like a little piggy again. Mmm, maybe he could even hint at the fact that Ira was teaching him to shift only his mouth. Nysys had been scared to death of him when they’d first met. He’d thought Blair would bite him. Maybe if Blair snapped his teeth at him, he’d go away.

  “I wouldn’t do that,” Nysys said.

  Adan snorted. “Sure, you wouldn’t.”

  “Oh, I definitely would shimmer into their rooms in the middle of the night, but how could I stop them from boinking with their mate if they don’t have one? Or is Blair mated?”

  “Blair is right here,” Blair muttered. “And he happens to have a mate, although he’s not sure boinking is on the list of things to do just yet. Or ever.” How could he make Nysys go away? Was it even possible? Would anyone notice if he suddenly disappeared?

  “And why is Blair talking about himself in third person?” Nysys inched closer to Adan and stage-whispered, “Is he okay? Did he take too many hits on the head?”

  “He’s fine. He just had a revelation,” Adan said, laughter still obvious in his voice.

  Nysys looked at Blair, his eyes narrowed. “He did? About what?”

  Delevan moved, and Blair forgot about everything else. Delevan reached out and grabbed Blair’s neck, pulling him close. Blair didn’t even think of resisting, and once Delevan’s lips pressed against his, he even managed to forget about Nysys. Well, almost. His screech made it impossible to forget him completely.

  “Oh my god, they’re mates?”

  “Yeah,” Adan answered, sounding smug.

  “Oooh, now I see why Blair thinks there’ll be a funeral. I wouldn’t want to be in his shoes.”

  And Blair wouldn’t want that either. He was the only one who could kiss Delevan. He wrapped both arms around Delevan’s waist and pulled him close, plastering the front of their bodies together. Delevan’s tongue probed at Blair’s lips and he opened them, messily licking into Delevan’s mouth.

  “Wait, scratch that. Right now, I’d really like to be in his shoes. Or in Delevan’s. Damn, they’re hot,” Nysys said, sounding breathless. “Damn.”

  “You want me to leave?” Yanis asked.

  “No, but you can’t deny that’s hot,” Adan answered, and why couldn’t all of them leave Blair and Delevan alone? Blair decided to try to forget about them and enjoy the kiss. He lost himself in Delevan’s taste, in the way his tongue felt against Blair’s, in the way his body felt. They were about the same height, and Blair loved it, because for once, he didn’t have to lean down to kiss.

  “Hey, Dominic. You want lunch?”

  Blair sprang away from Delevan, looking around the room as he moved. He couldn’t see Dominic. Where was he?

  “What the fuck?” Delevan said, his arms raised as if still around Blair.

  “Dominic?” Blair couldn’t see the alpha anywhere, but it didn’t mean he wasn’t there.

  Nysys laughed and Blair glared at him, because there wasn’t anything funny in the situation he was in. “He’s not here. Yet,” Nysys said. “But he usually comes down for lunch, so you might want to put some space between you and Delevan instead of trying to suck his tonsils out, just in case.”

  Delevan huffed. He crossed his arms on his chest and arched a brow at Blair. “You’re afraid of my father?”

  “Who isn’t?” Blair asked, because from what he knew, Dominic intimidated pretty much everyone.

  “Me. Ani.”

  “You’re family.”

  “Nysys. Keenan.”

  “That’s because we honestly don’t care what he thinks,” Nysys butted in. “My mate is rich as fuck, so I don’t actually need Dominic to survive, and Keenan’s like family, too.”

  Delevan scowled at him. “You’re not helping.”

  “I wasn’t trying to.”

  Adan shook his head and gestured at the table. “Come on, guys. Everything’s going to be cold if we don’t eat.” Blair was so thankful for the change of topic—he could have kissed Adan if Yanis hadn’t been there. And Delevan, because the last thing Blair wanted was to make Delevan angry. Who knew what Dominic would do to Blair if he did.

  Adan and Delevan worked on filling plates and handing them out, while Blair and the others sat at the table. Everyo
ne had just settled when Dominic and Ani came in, and Blair froze, his fork halfway to his mouth. No one noticed it, so he put the mouthful of pasta in his mouth and chewed as he tried to catch a bit of onion from the sauce in his plate. He wasn’t really hungry anymore.

  Everyone was silent for a while, the only sounds being the rattle of metal against ceramic and the sound of people chewing—god, Blair hated that.

  The door opened again and Blair snapped his head that way, glad for the interruption. Ira and Shad came in and Ira asked, “Hey, everyone. Is there still space for us?”

  Everyone moved a bit to the side to make space. Ira sat next to Blair and silence fell again. Blair tapped his finger on the edge of his plate, feeling the need to say something but unwilling to do so. He knew he’d just end up blurting everything out, and that was the last thing he wanted—or needed.

  Dominic finally put his fork down, after having looked at everyone around the table. “All right, can someone tell me what’s going on?”

  “Nothing,” Blair blurted out. He snapped his mouth shut and stared at his plate. He couldn’t believe he’d just put the spotlight on himself.

  Nysys snorted. “Yeah, right.”

  Dominic tapped his fingers on the table and looked at Nysys and Blair, because obviously Nysys would be in the middle of whatever was happening, and Blair had been the first one to speak, so he had to be guilty. And he was. “I’m waiting.”

  “Blair is my mate,” Delevan said, and everyone turned to look at him. Blair wondered if anyone would take offense if he hid under the table. He peered at Dominic, and bit on his lower lip when he saw Dominic was gaping. At least he wasn’t yelling—yet.

  “I’ve never seen Dominic speechless,” Nysys whispered loudly.

  Dominic stood up, the sound of his chair moving ominous to Blair.

  Blair prepared himself for whatever was coming and looked up. Delevan stood beside Blair and moved behind Blair’s chair as Dominic walked around the table. It looked like Delevan wanted to protect Blair, and Blair couldn’t help but being a bit offended. He might be scared of Dominic, but it didn’t mean he wouldn’t at least try to defend himself if the alpha decided to rip him to pieces.