by Flynn, Donna
“It’s because I refused to break the promise I made you,” Alec said sharply as he rose to his feet and swiped the blood from the corner of his mouth.
“It didn’t look that way, she was all over you when I arrived,” Lucan accused, his breathing heavy, adrenaline pumping through him urging him to beat the hell out the guy who dared to touch his sister in such an intimate manner.
“Nothing happened!” Mercy screamed, pulling away from Cade, coming to stand between her brother and Alec. “He kissed me, that was all. You have him so brainwashed he wouldn’t even think of having sex with me until you agree I am old enough.”
“Is that true?” Lucan demanded as he glared at Alec.
“Well, in part. I’m not brainwashed, thank you very much,” he said giving Mercy a dark look. “But I promised I would wait until she was ready and I won’t break that promise.”
Lucan shook with rage, but felt the truth of his words. “I suppose I will have to believe you, but I swear, Alec, if I ever see this kind of thing again I will….”
“You guys are idiots!” Mercy yelled in frustration. “I am certainly not going to ask for your permission to have sex.”
“Of course not, but Alec is honorable. He won’t break his promise,” Lucan told her with a satisfied smile.
“You just accused him of taking advantage of me, and now he is honorable? Besides, maybe it won’t be Alec I have sex with, did you ever consider that?” she asked, unprepared for the swiftness of Alec’s rage. He had her backed against a tree before she could utter another word, his face flushed with anger his arms locked around her, holding her captive.
“What do you mean it might not be with me?” he commanded, his eyes moving from liquid brown to amber so quickly that if she blinked she would have missed it.
“I was just saying…” Her lips had become suddenly dry, and she saw the hurt in his eyes, despite his aggressive state. “I didn’t mean anything by it. I was trying to prove a point.” She reached up to place her hand on his cheek. “I’m not ready to have sex with anyone, but when I am, it’s my choice. I won’t have you all pushing me around deciding my life anymore.”
He leaned closer, the heat of her palm soothing his fury. “We only want what's best for you.”
“No, you want to rule my life, and I can’t allow that, not anymore. I know what I am now, and I want to learn, but I won’t be dominated by anyone, not even you.” She ducked out from under his arm and went to Cade’s side seeking an ally and he placed his arm around her in a show of support. “Now, if you two are done playing macho Alpha male, maybe we can find out who this black wolf is and why he keeps coming after me.”
“What is she talking about?” Cade asked, his jaw twitching trying not to laugh at how she effectively quieted the two strong males before her.
“I left her to shift, so she would have privacy to change and the wolf attacked her.” Alec said looking pointedly at Lucan.
“How is that possible, you should have sensed its presence?” Lucan asked.
“I sensed nothing. I heard a loud yelp and ran to save Mercy, but she was running towards me by the time I got here.” He looked to her for an explanation. “What exactly did you do to it that it cried out like that?”
“It had me on the ground, so I lifted my knees into its belly and threw it off, hitting the rock was a bonus,” she explained with a grin.
“You could have been killed,” Lucan said harshly.
He was stating the obvious, and she rolled her eyes. “I wasn’t going to die without doing anything to save myself.”
“Good job,” Cade told her giving her a high-five.
“It only worked because I took it by surprise, next time I might not be so lucky,” she told him.
“There is not going to be a next time,” Alec said next to her, opening his cell phone, dialing, and speaking briskly before snapping it closed again. “Lucan will you take her back to the house; I sent some of the pack there to keep it guarded after the attack. Cade and I will take a look around and see what we can find.”
“I want to stay with you,” Mercy argued.
Alec paused and looked down on her, wanting nothing more than to hold her and reassure her, but until the rogue wolf was found and the threat to her ended, that couldn’t happen. “I need to focus and I can’t do that until I know you are safe.”
His eyes beseeched her to do as he asked. She wanted to argue, but she was smart enough to know he wasn’t going to give in. “Fine, but I want you to tell me everything when you get back.”
“I will,” he agreed, kissing her softly before turning to Cade. “I think we should split up. I’ll follow the path the wolf took when he left, and you search the forest around here for any clues.”
Cade nodded in agreement.
Lucan took Mercy’s arm to escort her home. “Be careful,” she said as they passed Alec.
“I will,” he told her before walking into the woods, following the path the wolf had taken upon leaving.
Chapter Eight
Lucan walked an unusually silent Mercy back to the house. As they approached, he nodded to the other pack members who surrounded the house keeping watch over the property as Alec had requested, stopping only to talk to the one Were in charge.
“We have checked the area around the house, everything is safe,” a tall blond male with vivid green eyes told him when they stopped before him.
“Thank you, I appreciate your help with all of this,” Lucan said, turning to Mercy to introduce her. “This is Rich, he’s a good friend of Alec’s and someone we can trust. Rich, this is Mercy.”
“I am glad to meet you at last,” Rich said warmly happy to meet the girl he had heard so much about from his best friend.
“It’s nice to meet you too,” she replied, unsure what else to say. Alec had of course mentioned Rich many times in conversation, always followed by some story about how much trouble they got into together, but she had never actually met any of his friends before. Meeting him now only made her more aware how much Alec had separated her from the rest of his life, keeping her in a place far away from the reality of what he truly was, and that made her sad. He had done so much to protect her, and she had caused him nothing but grief.
“Alec has spoken of you so many times, I feel like I already know you,” he told her grinning widely.
He looked into her eyes, and she held back a gasp of surprise, seeing clearly his wolf reflected in the almost golden color there, but then he blinked and his eyes quickly became green once again. “He has mentioned you too, but most of what he told me, I won’t repeat in front my brother,” she answered with a smile.
“Ah, always diplomatic, just as Alec told me,” he said before turning back to Lucan. “I will be setting up some of the pack around the house on rotating shifts. Alec also expressed concern for Mercy’s return to school on Monday, so I took the liberty of placing a few others and myself in the mix of students. She will be well guarded no matter where she goes, I can guarantee that.”
“I appreciate Alec’s concern, and your diligence in making things happen so quickly.” Lucan told him, taking Mercy’s arm once again. “I will escort her inside, so you can continue.” He gently pulled her behind him, closing the door after them and turning to answer the questions he knew she had racing in her mind.
Lucan pulled out a chair and she sat dumbly for a few minutes before looking up at him, questions already on the tip of her tongue. “How can they just come here and take over? I mean, won’t people question why so many new students are joining the school?”
“Gregory has taken care of that. He has the paperwork to prove each one of the new students was adopted by him, and since he has made this his home here for the foreseeable future, his children must attend school,” he explained patiently.
“Is there any situation you guys are not prepared for?” she asked, stunned by how quickly her life had changed.
“From the time we found you after your parents’ murder we have
planned for any contingency. We knew one day we would have to move to keep the peace in the pack and when that day came we were ready.”
“Why did we have to leave?” she asked.
“Once you were attacked it became too dangerous to stay. If we had stayed there was always the chance another male might try to take you again.”
“I don’t get it, are you saying any male werewolf that wants a female can just take her?” she screeched, panic filling her eyes.
“No, no,” he said loudly. “It’s just that you being a female who is a natural born werewolf, means you carry a different sort of scent. It calls to all males of our kind and unmated ones might try to court you. Unfortunately, some more aggressively than others.”
She had a moment of clarity and her mind opened, allowing her to recall the attack that had triggered their leaving so quickly from the home she had so loved. She realized instantly that it had not been a wolf that attacked her at all, but a male werewolf who wanted her for his mate. She could still see the raw desire in his eyes when he had looked at her and the way he had fought to keep her from Alec. She felt his touch on her skin as if she was there again and wrapped her arms around herself, trying to remain calm.
“Most males have more control, but he was young and your scent caught him off- guard. I will warn you, though, as long as you remain unclaimed you will attract other males of our kind.”
“Like Kirk?” she said, earning a nod from him.
“Most will have Kirk’s control, they will desire you, but they will court you as any human boy would do. Others like the one that attacked you might not have learned to control their instincts so well.”
“I don’t understand, you told me that we had to leave because of my scent, but now you are telling me it will still be a problem no matter where I am.” She was confused and could tell there was something more he wasn’t saying.
Lucan sighed wearily. “If we had stayed with the pack it would have caused problems for Alec because you are his mate, whether you like to admit it or not.”
“Shouldn’t that keep the others away? Alec is strong, he is the future Alpha of his pack, surely that would be intimidating to others.”
“There are those who seek to usurp him, and by taking you, they could achieve their goal. Would you want Alec having to fight constantly just so you can roam freely?” he asked, trying to keep censure from his voice.
“There is so much I do not understand.” She lowered her head on her arms, tired of the pack ways she was slowly coming to learn more about.
“There is time, as long as we live here, away from the pack. We will teach you everything you need to know, Mercy,” he assured her, patting her back.
“This whole mating thing is too much. How am I supposed to know that Alec is the one? I just started dating, and everyone wants me to commit to something I do not even understand.”
“No!” He thundered, unintentionally scaring her. “I mean, we do not want you to commit to anything. That is the reason we moved, but that night you were attacked to save you Alec had to…” The door burst open and Cade walked in followed closely by Alec, cutting him off before he could tell her about Alec claiming her before his pack. “What did you find?” Lucan asked thankful they had saved him from telling her everything.
“Nothing, but a few prints. Dad is checking them out,” Alec told him before turning to Mercy. “Are you alright?” He noted the shaking of her hands and the loss of color in her cheeks and worry blossomed.
“I’m fine, just …” She looked to Lucan and lowered her head again.
“I was explaining why we had to leave so quickly from our old home.”
Alec picked up on her fears and rushed to calm her. “Angel, no one here wants to push you into anything. I will make sure you have the time you need to decide your future,” He knelt before her, taking her hand in his.
“Even if it isn’t with you?” she asked, hating the hurt she saw on his face.
“Even if it isn’t with me,” he said softly, even though the thought of her with another tore at his heart.
She saw the pain in his eyes and knew she had hurt him yet again and rushed to make him feel better. “I’m not saying I don’t want you. I just have so much to learn.” She wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned her forehead against his. “I just don’t want to rush into anything and hurt you later, because of it.”
“I know, and I am trying to give you all the time you need, but I have waited a long time for you, it is hard to be patient.”
Lucan cleared his throat gaining both of their attentions. “Since we are discussing the two of you, I think we need to lay down some ground rules,” Lucan said taking a seat across from them, giving them his best fatherly stare.
“Luc, maybe we should let this wait for another time,” Cade said sensing Mercy was already at a breaking point.
“I just want to make a few things clear, so there won’t be any more misunderstandings like this afternoon,” he told his brother before turning back to Mercy and Alec. “I think it would be best if from now on if we limit your time alone together, and your bedroom is off-limits to Alec from here on out.”
“I can respect that,” Alec said despite his wolf’s howl of disapproval.
Cade was relieved at Alec’s easy response, but Mercy on the other hand, looked offended and angry, something he knew boded ill.
“You think by denying him access to my bedroom you’re blocking us from having sex? You can’t smother me, Luc. You have to trust us.”
“Things happen in the heat of the moment, decisions are made that can’t be taken back, and the end results can be disastrous,” he argued.
“It is my decision to make, not yours. If I make a mistake then I will suffer the consequences,” she told him angrily.
“You have no idea what would happen if you and he had sex Mercy. Such an action would end any chance you have to decide whether he is the one you want for life or not. Did he not tell you that?”
Mercy turned to Alec, taken aback by her brother’s words. “What is he talking about?”
“Once we have joined intimately you would be mine, I could never let you go after such an occurrence,” he told her honestly, his eyes never leaving hers.
“You never told me that.” Her voice trembled as the realization of just how much she didn’t know about their kind sunk in.
“We weren’t going to have sex, not when you are so unsure.” He pulled her close, wrapping his arms around her. “I would never take advantage of you that way. I want you to love me, to choose to spend the rest of your life here in my arms, but most of all I want to hear you claim me as your mate before my pack. That is the only way I would ever let anything intimate happen between us.” He brushed her lips with his own, and she smiled up at him adoringly.
Cade chuckled while Lucan threw his hands in the air and walked out of the room with a few good curses after his hasty exit. “That was good, man, even Lucan could not think of an argument for that.” He slapped Alec on the back and walked to find his brother, hoping to soothe his ego.
“I have so much to learn before I can make that kind of commitment, Alec, but I do care for you, and it is not just some stupid teenage crush either. I just need to know if I can handle being by your side. It’s not just your being a werewolf that scares me, you know. You are destined to be Alpha, and if I can’t be an asset to you, then I need to let you go, so you can find someone who can be.”
Alec shook his head and chuckled. “It does not work that way, but I can see I will have to prove to you that you are the only female I would ever consider settling down with.” He kissed her then, a long, explosive kiss that curled her toes and had her clinging to him for support when he finally pulled away.
“Is that how you plan to convince me?” she asked foggily, a big goofy grin on her face.
“Well I have other means at my disposal, but for now we’ll just take it slow.” He brushed his lips over hers again, and she smiled pulling hi
s head down to kiss him the way he had her.
Alec felt his heart pounding as her tongue invade his mouth, her every move was sheer bliss, and when she pressed her body to his he knew her brother had been right to insist they spend limited amounts of time alone together. He had the feeling once she knew what she did to him, she would want more and that he could not allow to happen, not even if she begged until he was sure she was ready to bond in the way of their ancestors. He moaned, and she pulled back, but he laughed and pulled her into his arms hugging her close. “Enough. It’s a miracle your brother is not already in here trying to toss me out.”
“Lucan means well, but I’m not a child anymore. I have a say in how I live my life and he may not always like my decisions, but I have the right to make them and learn from my mistakes.”
“He has been your parent far too long to just give up and let you control of your own life. Give him some time, he will come to see what I do every time I look at you.”
“And what is that?” she asked.
“A smart, highly attractive young woman, who will take her future in her hands and make it whatever she wants it to be,” he said, kissing the edge of her nose.
“Really?” she asked, awed that he felt so confident about her ability to adjust.
“Really.” He kissed her softly then backed away to take a seat at the table.
“So your friend Rich seems nice,” she said taking the chair next to him. “It’s good to finally put a face to the name.”
“He’s one of the most dependable of our pack, next to your brothers of course,” he told her taking her hand in his and brushing his lips across her knuckles.
“I realized when I met Rich how little I actually know about your life.” He immediately snapped to attention just as she thought he would. “I mean, I realize now that you had to keep me away from your friends. It probably would not have been good to have one of them slip up in front of me, but I feel like you have a whole life I know nothing about.”
“There is no other life,” he told her warily, hoping she was not going to start asking questions about his past. “I only existed until I knew you were old enough for me, nothing and no one I have met before you matters.” He squeezed her hand a little too tightly in his haste to reassure her, and she cried out. “I’m sorry,” he said kissing it gently.
