“But—”
“I mean it,” he said, kissing her forehead. “You have been through a lot today. So much has happened and you’ve gone through a myriad of emotions in such a short span of time. Please,” he took her hand and kissed her knuckles. “Say it back only if you mean it. And only when you have had some time to think.”
She sighed and nodded, and snuggled deeper into his chest.
Looking down at her made Daric’s chest ache. Did he want to hear those words from her? Of course, he did. But he meant what he said. He didn’t want her to say the words if she didn’t feel them. And if she never said them? The thought made his insides churn. Because there was something he suspected, something his instinct had been telling him all this time.
Meredith was his True Mate.
It all made sense, and all clicked into place the first time he made love to her, though he ignored it that time.
Meredith’s body grew heavy and her breathing became even as she gave in to sleep. He shifted her body, gently moving her to her side so he could press into her back. Did he dare…? His hand slipped to her front, over her belly. Flat and smooth now, but maybe, if his suspicions were correct, soon it would swell and grow with his child. Their child. Pride filled him. He had never thought he would have one of his own. Sure, Stefan had been trying to breed him, but he knew any offspring born of such a mating would have been taken away from him as he continued to stud with a suitable partner. But now, with Meredith, a spark of hope grew in him, and he pulled her closer.
He was selfish; he knew that. Stefan could take them away from him. While he lived, Daric would have no peace. And when the master mage found out how precious Meredith was to him, he would stop at nothing to try and destroy him. He kissed the top of her head. No, he wasn’t going to let that happen.
***
It was morning by the time Meredith woke up. The events of yesterday, combined with the jet lag, drained her and she’d never slept so soundly. She felt better. Good enough to face the day? Maybe.
A soft knock on the door shook her out of her thoughts. Moving Daric’s heavy arm off her, she stood up, slipped one of his discarded T-shirts over her head and opened the door.
“Meredith!” Jade cried as she embraced her friend. “How are you? Are you okay? How are you feeling? Did you—”
“Slow down, Jade,” she said. She stepped out of the room and closed the door behind her. “Shouldn’t I be the one asking questions? What are you doing here?”
“I wanted to check in on you,” the other Lycan replied. “A lot has happened since yesterday.”
Remembering Rodrigo, Meredith felt the anger rising in her again. “What did they do with that scumbag?”
“Don’t worry,” Jade said, smiling. “He’s in custody. Currently, a guest in Fenrir’s basement levels, but,” she lowered her voice, “if he doesn’t end up in the Lycan Siberian detention facility, then he might be put down.”
“Good,” Meredith said, gritting her teeth. She was only disappointed that she didn’t get to kill him, but Daric was right. It wouldn’t have brought Archie back. “So, why else did you come up here?”
Jade bit her lip. “The Alpha asked me to come get you and Daric. We’re having a meeting. Everyone, I mean.”
She let out a sigh. It would have happened sooner or later. “I’ll wake Daric up and get dressed. We’ll be up in 20 minutes.”
Jade crossed her arms over her chest and gave her a look. “Just to get dressed?”
“Fine,” she said. “Fifteen.”
As Jade walked away, she crept back into the room. Daric was still asleep, a sheet over his hips. Damn, he really was the hottest fucking thing she’d ever seen. She wanted to bite every inch of him, especially that delicious Adonis belt. “Stupid meeting,” she growled as she walked over to him. Hmmm, she wondered if she could finish him off with a handy in five minutes. She climbed into the bed, and her hand roamed over the semi-hard bulge under the sheet.
“No…” Daric moaned.
“No?” she asked. She looked up at Daric with a frown, which quickly disappeared when she saw his eyes were closed. “Daric?”
His arm reached out into the air. “Stefan! No!”
Was Daric having a nightmare? She crawled up to him, placing her hands on his face, caressing his jaw softly. “Shhh…baby…you’re having a dream.”
His sea-colored eyes flew open. “Stefan.”
Meredith brushed a lock of hair out of his face. “A nightmare?”
He shook his head and sat up. “No. Stefan broke down my walls and sent me a message.”
“Of what?”
Daric rubbed his face with his palm. “My mother. We must talk to the Alpha now.”
“Well, you’re in luck, then. We’ve been summoned upstairs.”
***
When Jade said everyone was waiting for them, she meant everyone. Grant, Frankie, Nick, Cady, Alynna, Alex, Sebastian, Jade, and even Liam and Lara were waiting for them in the Alpha’s office. Killian, Quinn, and Connor were also there, quietly talking amongst themselves.
There were mixed reactions to Daric and Meredith walking in hand-in-hand. Nick’s face was grim, but then that was his normal expression, while Cady flashed them a wary, but curious look. Frankie had a knowing smirk, while Lara and Liam seemed to be in complete shock. Meredith shrugged. They were just going to have to deal with it.
“So, now that you’re all here, let’s get everyone up to speed first,” Grant said, eyeing Meredith and Daric. “And then we’ll move on to other business. Rodrigo Baeles is now sitting in our basement detention facility. He’s been stripped of his membership in the Council, as well as all privileges. As you know, he confessed to collaborating with Stefan for the last two decades. Quinn,” he nodded to the other Lycan, “has given us some valuable intel from the Council servers, which, as a sign of good faith, we will return them so they can use their own resources to see how far and deep Rodrigo’s treachery ran.”
“From what I’ve seen, though,” Quinn began. “Rodrigo was not only keeping tabs on the Lone Wolf population but ensuring they grew. He would find especially vulnerable children and adults, and push them into becoming Lone Wolves, whether it was through bribery, kidnapping, or murder.”
Someone in the room gasped, and Meredith felt the bottom of her stomach drop. Her biological father. Was he murdered so she and her mother would have been left vulnerable? According to Quinn, Rodrigo also bribed her old Alpha to make sure no one took her in. The revelation was devastating to her and her brothers. Would their lives have been different if they had stayed in their families and clans? She glanced at Daric. Would she have known Daric? Or Jade or Lara or any of them?
“But what would he have done with the Lone Wolves?” Alynna asked.
“The spell,” Lara deduced. “I bet with some modifications, Stefan could use the same spell he used with the humans to control the Lone Wolves.”
“I see,” Jade said. “He couldn’t use it on just any Lycan because we’re wired to obey an Alpha, one that we’ve pledged to. But Lone Wolves don’t have an Alpha, and thus can be manipulated by the spell.”
“The Council will be tracking down all the Lone Wolves in Rodrigo’s files to make sure none of them have fallen to Stefan. And speaking of the council, Lljuffa and the rest of council have decided to leave Sebastian alone. I convinced them that Sebastian is very much in control, plus, since he’s neither a Lycan or pledged to me, he’s his own man.”
“I don’t need a pledge to protect what’s mine,” Sebastian said in a gruff voice. “That means all my people, not just Jade. I’ll do what it takes to protect this clan.”
“Good to know,” Grant nodded gratefully.
“What about Daric?” Meredith said. All eyes in the room zeroed in on her. “Does the Council want him locked up?”
“We haven’t gotten to that subject yet. It’s still under negotiations.”
“You can’t let them take him,” Meredith protested. “Pleas
e!”
“He needs to go.” Nick’s voice was as cold as ice, and his words had a deadly edge. “He can’t stay here.”
Meredith looked to Grant. “Gr-I mean, Alpha,” she began. “I know Daric has done a lot to all of you and I can’t understand because I wasn’t here before. But he’s changed, and you all know that Stefan forced him to do all those things. What if it was your mother Stefan held as a prisoner?” She looked at Nick. “What if it was Cady? What would you do or wouldn’t do to keep her safe?” The Beta remained quiet, but his eyes remained steely.
“Meredith,” Grant said. “Daric and I have an agreement, as long as he keeps it, he’ll stay here at Fenrir.”
“What?” Nick’s head whipped towards Grant. “You have got to be kidding. After what’s happened, you’ll let him stay here? No, I won’t allow it.”
“Nick—”
“No!” The air in the office grew thick, and Nick’s eyes glowed. “It’s him or me, Grant. If you let him go, that’s it. I’m done.”
“Nick!” Cady admonished. “You can’t mean that.”
“I do,” Nick replied. “I’ll step down as Beta if you keep him around. I want him gone by the end of the day, or I walk.” Without another glance, Nick walked out the office, slamming the door behind him.
“I’ll talk to Nick,” Cady said apologetically to Grant. “And, if it’s any consolation,” she continued, looking at Daric. “I agree with you, Meredith. Daric, if you’re sorry for what you’ve done, then you deserve a second chance.”
As Cady left his office, Grant turned back to Daric and Meredith. “You two,” he shook his head. “I don’t even know where to begin. I knew you’d be reckless,” he said to Meredith. “But, you Daric?”
“You couldn’t have stopped it. She is mine,” he said. “Made for me. As much as the Lupa is yours.”
“What?” Grant frowned.
“She is my True Mate.”
“What?” Meredith exclaimed. “I’m your freakin’ what?”
Daric gave her a small smile. “Mine. My True Mate.”
“Holy shitballs!” Meredith threw her hands up and began to pace. “Motherfucker!” She walked in circles, her left eye twitching. “And you knew? All this time?”
“I only suspect it, but after yesterday, I think I’m pretty sure,” Daric confessed. “But even if you weren’t, it doesn’t matter. I’m not letting you go.”
“I…I…” Meredith held a hand up, took a deep breath, and then ran to the potted plant in the corner where she threw up the meager contents of her stomach. Lara and Jade immediately ran to her, and the witch held her hair aside, and the Lycan gave her a handkerchief so she would wipe her mouth.
“Hold on, hold on,” Killian said. “What the fuck is going on here? What’s a True Mate and why is Meredith throwing up?”
“Er,” Grant stammered. “It’s kind of a long story…”
“Basically,” Meredith said weakly as she walked back to the rest of the group. “As the Brits would say, I’m up the duff. Thanks to this guy,” she said, jerking her thumb towards Daric. “And—Fucking hell, Connor!”
Connor lunged for Daric, sending them both toppling to the ground. Quinn, Alex, Sebastian, and Liam immediately jumped in, pulling the two men apart as best they could, which was no easy task. The huge Lycan seemed determined to keep his hands around the warlock’s neck.
“You motherfucker!” Connor growled, his eyes glowing. “You fucking asshole! You got her pregnant?”
“Hooooo boy,” Meredith slapped her palm on her forehead. “For God’s sake, Connor, he didn’t get me pregnant. I mean…I don’t know yet, but if I am, I did plenty of the work to get us there, too.”
“Meredith was meant to bear my child,” Daric said. “We were destined to be together.”
“But you’re not even married!” Connor exclaimed.
“Oh, don’t start, please, Connor,” Meredith groaned.
“Alpha,” Killian said to Grant. “I think my brothers and I should go back to our rooms. Connor will need some time to cool off.”
“Of course,” Grant replied. “Take as much time as you need.”
“Let’s go,” Killian sighed. “Mer, come down as soon as you can.”
“Fine. But no murdering my possibly-baby-daddy, ok, Uncle Killian?” she smiled.
Killian gave her an affectionate pat on the head. “We’ll try.” He gave Daric a warning look. “And you, we will be talking about this.”
“Whatever you want,” Daric said.
With a last nod to Grant and the others, Killian left the room with Quinn and Connor in tow.
Grant rubbed his palms over his face and looked at Frankie. “I swear, someday I’m gonna pack us up and go back to our villa in Positano where no one can find us. Is there an early retirement option for Alphas?”
Frankie laughed. “You’d get bored and start driving me crazy in two days.” She kissed his cheek.
“Alpha,” Daric’s voice turned serious. “I have more news.”
Grant groaned. “I suppose it’s one of those days. All right, what is it?”
“I’m afraid in the excitement, I almost forgot to tell you that I have received a message from Stefan.”
“A message?” Grant asked. “How? I thought you’d been keeping him out of your head?”
“He broke through last night, and I’m afraid…” He shook his head. “He has sent me a vision of what he plans to do. He’s going to go to the New York coven compound and kill Signe if I don’t go back to him.”
“But how?” Lara interjected. “How does he know where she is?”
“I don’t know,” Daric said. “He must have figured it out.”
“Grant,” Liam began. “We must protect the coven. We need to go there and stop Stefan. This might be our last chance.”
“Agreed,” Grant said. “Alynna, let’s figure out a plan.”
“What about Nick?” Alynna asked.
“If he’s around, let him know. Cady will talk some sense into him, and if anything she’ll ask him to help if it’s to protect her family.”
“What if it’s a trap?” Sebastian said. “You know it must be.”
“Of course it is,” Daric said. “Stefan’s plans were very clear. He knows where she is and will do what it takes to get me back.”
“Get you back?” Meredith asked. “And then what?”
“Probably kill me.”
“No!” Meredith protested. “You can’t!”
“But, if I don’t, he’ll kill her.”
“I don’t want you to die. Not now. Not ever,” Meredith wrapped her arms around his waist.
“Meredith,” he said, unwrapping her arms around. “I must do this.”
“Fine, but I’m going, too,” she pouted.
“No. You will stay here where it’s safe.”
She gave him a shove. “Are you fucking kidding me? After all that? I’m your True Mate, plus you know I’m invincible.”
“That’s not the point. And we’re not sure yet if you are with child.”
“You’re such an asshole,” she said, narrowing her eyes at him. “You said I was.”
“I said, I suspected you were,” Daric clarified. “And if you are, then you still cannot go. Stefan will find out and take you, and I can’t be distracted.”
“Alpha,” she turned to Grant and Alynna. “You know you need me there.”
“She can’t go, she must stay here where it’s safe,” Daric interrupted. “If she’s not pregnant with my child, then she’s still vulnerable.”
“So, I can’t go because I’m possibly pregnant, but I also can’t go because I might not be. I swear you make me want to hurt you sometimes!” Meredith exclaimed.
“I’m afraid Daric has a point,” Grant said. “In any case, we might need you here to protect Fenrir.”
“This isn’t over,” she said, turning on her heel. “Jade, Lara, c’mon, I need you girls.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
“So,
” Lara began as they entered Jade’s lab. “I sure did miss a lot.”
“Don’t worry,” Jade said dryly. “Meredith’ll fill you in. She’ll even act out parts of it for you. Maybe even use puppets.”
“Jade, you need to start keeping some vodka in here,” Meredith said as she began rooting through the cabinets.
“Mer, one sniff of alcohol will send you running to the nearest potted plant again,” Lara grinned.
Jade walked to one of the freezers and took out three large cartons of ice cream. “Here you go, girls. My secret stash.”
Meredith’s eyes grew wide. “Jade, you’ve been holding out on us.”
“I’ll say,” Lara chimed in, grabbing three spoons from the nearest drawer. “Hey, chocolate chip mint is mine.”
“Hey, is your boyfriend about to walk into a trap and possibly be killed by his former boss?” Meredith asked as she hopped up on the table and hugged the carton to her chest. “Yeah, I didn’t think so.” She tossed the cover and dug into the cold treat.
“Is that what you call Daric?” Lara quipped. “Your boyfriend? Daric and Meredith, sitting in a tree,” she singsonged.
Jade joined in. “K-I-S-S-I-N—“
“Oh, shut up,” Meredith grumbled as she stuffed her mouth full of ice cream.
“Is it true? Are you and Daric True Mates?” Jade asked as swallowed a spoonful of chocolate chip cookie dough.
Meredith shrugged. “I can’t be sure. I mean…do your mates smell good to you guys? Like, not just pleasant, but like, really, really good? I can’t think when I scent him.”
“Yes,” Jade and Lara said in unison.
“And your wolf?” she turned to Jade. “She knew?”
“Pretty much,” Jade confirmed. “And yours?”
“She practically peed on him to mark her territory,” she grumbled.
“You know, there is one way to find out,” Lara said.
“You are not cutting her up like you did me,” Jade warned.
“It would be the fastest way,” Lara countered. “And it worked, right? Do you have a scalpel around here?”
Tempted by the Wolf Page 20
