It was a statement, as if he could read my mind. I supposed he was just reading the look on my face. “I still don’t know your damn name.” His friend, who was no longer bowing down, and now stood next to us, started laughing again.
“Go on, tell her your name, Majesty.” The snicker continued.
“I am Evan De’Lune.”
A gasp escaped my mouth before I could even stop it. Holy shit. Holy fucking shit. This couldn’t be happening. He had to be joking. There were two races of werewolves. There were the Ancients, the ones whose bloodlines were pure by birthright, and never tainted with human blood. Then there was the one I belonged to, we were made one of two ways, either by a male Ancient breeding with a human woman, or by one biting and turning a human. Both of those ways to create a werewolf were rare. The chances of a human surviving either instance were slim. The chances of an Ancient leaving them alive long enough to change or birth a baby made it damn near improbable. If it weren’t for the fact that we were used as a slave race for a while, a millennia or so ago, the vast majority of us wouldn’t even exist. And here, this man that stood before me - claiming me as his own - was not only an Ancient, but one of their princes.
“Impossible,” my mom whispered.
“I assure you, it is entirely possible.” Evan’s friend answered, although he didn’t appear overly thrilled with divulging that information.
“How is it…” I stopped myself. I wasn’t sure how to word what I wanted to ask. My wolf was nipping at my insides, begging me to shut my damn mouth. She liked the powerful man before her, she keened inside me, trying to get closer to his wolf spirit. “I mean,” I took a breath and looked up at those eyes, so blue. “Why me?”
“Do you question my judgment in choosing you?” He asked, with a smirk on his face, then he continued, “You do seem to be quite a bit of trouble. Maybe, I should reconsider.” The smirk never left his face as he said this, but I still narrowed my eyes at him.
“That’s not what I meant.” I spoke softly, and seriously disappointed my wolf when I tacked on, “but I understand if you’re having second thoughts on the matter.”
“Leave us.” Evan gave the command, and everyone took off for the front door without question. “Asi, make sure they are back far enough that they don’t hear.” Evan’s buddy nodded, and left the house behind the others.
My hands were shaking, and Evan took them in his own. “Do you fear me?” He asked.
“Not in the way you’re thinking.” I whispered.
“Oh?” He looked way too interested in my response. “Do tell, what shape does your fear take when you look upon me?”
“I don’t fear you in the way that I fear for my life or harm coming to me. I, um, well, you are very powerful. My fear is in losing myself somewhere in the middle of all that.” I swished my hand around in front of Evan, to show that I meant everything that he was.
He laughed, that startling, hauntingly inhuman laugh I’d heard in the club last night. “All this, hmmm?” He continued laughing for a minute and then motioned for me to come sit with him on the couch. He sat first, and then as I was attempting to sit beside him, he grabbed me and pulled me down into his lap. “If you don’t mind, I prefer you close.”
“And if I did mind?”
“Then you would be free to choose whichever seat you’d like.”
“I’m fine.” His smile melted me somewhere inside.
“Let me clear a few things up for you.” He was quiet for a minute, thinking, and I sat there patiently, which was not an easy thing for me. “First, I am not some boy who thinks too highly of his power. I know exactly what I am capable of, and I also know that if I need to force something to happen, it’s not worth having. I felt what that boy tried to do, and were you a lesser wolf, he would have succeeded. You have my word, that I will never do that to you.”
I understood, he was telling me nothing would ever happen against my own will. That was a relief, although, just being near him had enough of an effect on me to tell me I still had valid concerns to work through. It wasn’t just his hotness I was attracted to. His scent called to me, his wolf was calling to mine, and she was all kinds of trying to respond.
“Second,” he continued on, “Do not underestimate yourself in this equation. I am a terrific judge of power levels. Yours is blowing the roof off this backwoods little clan. Once you found a mate worthy of you, the bond would have heightened your natural abilities, and made you more powerful than your pack leader, Marcus.”
“What?” I questioned him, because he had to be full of shit.
“I think that perhaps you haven’t been thoroughly trained, because a certain leader didn’t want to be shown up by a girl, but the natural energy rolling off of you, is an addictive thing. That’s probably why he thought the match between you and that boy was such a good thing. Pairing you with an inferior would temper the kind of power you’ll have a year or so from now. Whereas, pairing you with someone like myself will amplify it exponentially.”
Surprise hit me. I knew paired couples could draw strength from each other, but I never knew it went quite that far. Hell, I nearly crippled myself. If I had given in to my parents about Zach, I could have… I didn’t want to think about it.
“And thirdly, I need you.” He took a deep breath before he continued on. “Our race is dying.”
“What? No. That can’t be right. There are more werewolves out there than I can count.”
“Your breed, is flourishing, although weakening at the same time, thanks to diluted blood. Mine is incapable of continuing on any further. I am 28 years old, and I have never even had a chance at a mate. The last two females of our kind were gifted to my older brothers.”
I had so many questions rolling through my head from that one statement, but I kept my mouth shut, because I honestly wasn’t sure how he’d react to some of them.
“There are no more. I have searched. You would not believe how far and wide I have searched for one that has enough power to make a match. On the same damn night I resigned myself to give up the quest to find a suitable mate, I sensed you in that bar.” The look of wonder that crossed his face made my insides pull tight, and sent heat flashing all the way down my body. I wasn’t stupid, I knew he could sense the change in me, but he didn’t let it show. Instead, he reached over to place me down on my feet in front of him as he stood. “Now, you know why I am here, and why I chose you. You know it was not a choice I made light of, and hopefully that brings some comfort to you. As I said earlier, I will not force anything, you are free to make the decision.”
“It didn’t seem that way when you marked me last night.” I spoke, wanting to kick myself in my own teeth for saying what I did. Sometimes, I just wished I could teach my mouth to stay shut.
He chuckled anyway. “Yes, well, I got a little carried away. The power, rolling off of you unchecked as it was, proved to be my undoing.”
“Wait, you’re saying you were unable to stop yourself from marking me, because I made you power drunk?”
“That is exactly what I am saying, though I wouldn’t admit to that in front of anyone else.” He winked at me.
“There’s no way, because that’s definitely how I felt last night. I mean, I don’t normally let a man walk up to me and sniff, or scent me, or anything else for that matter.”
“I remember. I was coming to take care of the guy who tried last night, but you beat me to it.” A growl rumbled deep in the back of his throat. “I have never wanted a woman more than I did right at that moment.”
I was not the blushing type. I left that to Ashley, since her pale complexion and red hair made her especially prone to it, but I was definitely full on blushing now. Evan inched a bit closer, placing my chin between his thumb and index fingers, lifting my reddened face back up towards his. Another growl came from the back of his throat, and an excited whimper escaped mine in response. Oh shit, I was completely done for where this man was concerned.
He grabbed me then, and pull
ed me close, doing the same thing he had the night before. His face was buried in the line of my neck, just behind my ear, rubbing his cheek against me there, scenting me, again. This time he was doing it on the opposite side as he had the night before. Then the rain of tiny kisses started, all along my hair line, traveling to the lobe of my ear, and down the line of my jaw, until his lips hovered over mine. He was hesitating, waiting for permission. I didn’t even realize my hands had gone to is chest, pulling what little give there was in his shirt into my clenched fists. I brought him in closer, and made myself a little taller, standing on my tip toes, to make sure he didn’t stop there.
And boy, he did not disappoint. His lips trailed feather light kisses across mine. Each one sent a tingle of pleasure from where they landed down an invisible rope that ended somewhere in the middle of me. Everything was on fire. I was on fire. I burned on the inside for more. He stopped, pulling away slowly, and holding me out at arm’s length. “Not yet, little wolf.” My face must have crumpled with the disappointment I felt, because a soft laugh escaped his lips, before he planted them on the top of my head. “Soon,” he whispered, and that definitely sounded like a promise.
A NEW ORDER
“What exactly is going on here?” I had to hand it to my father, he had a lot of balls to even presume to ask a Prince of the Ancients for explanations. Technically, the guy could have just snatched me up and run off with me straight from the bar. The Ancients were different from us, at least that was the theory. None of my pack had ever met one of them, until now. We were always told about their deeds though. They were the things horror movies were made of.
“I have chosen your daughter as my mate, and she has accepted.”
“It’s not that simple.” My dad huffed.
“Actually, while I’d like to think it is that simple, you are correct.” He was silent for a moment, thinking his next words over carefully. “My family will not like this anymore than yours does.”
“What?” My father was on his feet now, pacing the living room. “She’s my daughter,” my dad said as his voice slipped, and caught on a ball of emotion. “You need to explain further.” He ran his hands through his hair, a gesture I rarely saw from him. It was a calming gesture that was meant to settle his wolf. I’d only seen him do it a handful of times since I was little, but I knew it well.
“What do you mean, your family won’t like it?” I added.
“Our last two females were each given to my older brothers, and with that, a decree was handed down that if they did not successfully produce any female offspring our breed would be forced to die out with our generation being the last.” No one said anything. Evan had already told me about his brothers and the last two females, but he’d left out the part about the decree.
“Wait, doesn’t that mean you’d be going against your father’s decree by taking me as a mate?”
“Yes, and no.”
“It’s complicated,” Evan’s buddy, Asi, stated.
“Well, how about we uncomplicate it, because this is my daughter we’re talking about, and if you’re dragging her into a mess that could get her hurt or killed…” Asi bulked up at the implied threat behind my dad’s words, but Evan threw his arm out, palm down, in front of him to calm everyone.
“I understand your concern…” Evan started.
“No! I don’t think you do. Clearly, your kind hasn’t been able to produce any young for quite some time, so how could you understand?”
Anger was stirring under the surface of Evan’s cool mask. I could feel it, since I was sitting right beside him, every inch of our sides touching from my shoulders all the way down to my feet. If I could curl up in his lap without further offending my parents’ sensibilities, I would. Hell, my wolf was telling me to just do it anyway. The funny thing is, I’d seen females attracted to males like this before, and I always thought that meant they were weak. What girl in her right mind goes completely bat-shit, gaga, crazy over a guy? Well, I guess everyone could add my name to the list now.
Evan patted his hand down on my knee. I’m not sure what he was sensing from me, but he was definitely telling my wolf to reign herself in. Damn.
“I am not like my brothers,” Evan began. Asi was shaking his head no, but Evan continued on. “I owe it to them, if I’m to take their daughter away, Asriel.”
“Take our daughter away?” My mom tripped over the words as they came out of her mouth.
“No more interruptions.” Evan wrapped the words in power, so that he would get his way, and then he continued. “My father was mated to a woman from his own childhood. Together their union blessed them with two sons, Malachi and Mikael. Their mother, Anya, was emotionally touched after the birth of Mikael. She was never the same. It was late in her time when she conceived him, and avoiding the turn took its toll on her. My father couldn’t stand it. She begged to be put to death, but as a bonded pair, that would have meant terrible pain for him too, possibly even his own demise. I’m sure you understand how these things sometimes go. Anya tried numerous times to kill herself, and had to be kept as a prisoner, under constant guard for a time. Our people have never been fond of the witches, but my father sought Estella out. I don’t know what that witch did to make it happen, but she was able to break the bond between my father’s wolf and that of his mate’s.”
I was not alone in my surprise, judging from the nearly synchronized gasp coming from my family.
“The bond breaking did its job, it took Anya’s life to complete it, but left my father intact. Father took a new mate soon after that, a younger woman whose likeness was so close to Anya’s that no one questioned her as a replacement. Some don’t even realize that she is my father’s second mate. She is however, and that means I am the child of a second union. That is unheard of amongst our kind. And in having that designation, I am not bound as tightly as my brothers would be to the creeds that are handed down to our people.” With a nod of Evan’s head, I suddenly felt free to speak. For once in my life, my mouth stayed shut though. It had to be from the shock of everything.
“You are unbound?” My father asked. At that, my head perked up, because I wasn’t sure what he meant. The first thing that came to me was that perhaps I was going to be wife number two for Evan. Did he already have a mate?
“I am.” Sensing my question, Evan turned to me, “What your father asks is if I am able to disregard the King’s wishes. I am.” With a heavy laugh that held no humor, Evan continued. “The child of a second union cannot be compelled by anyone We are unnatural already. Truthfully, I should have been put to death upon birth, but my father’s arrogance wouldn’t allow for it. He thought having another son proved his virility.”
“So, what does this mean where my daughter is concerned?”
“It means, my family may not like it, but there’s not a damn thing they can do about it.”
“I beg to differ,” my mom said. “You may be untouchable, but my daughter certainly isn’t.”
“As my mate, she will be protected. You have my word.”
To my complete surprise my father tipped his head in agreement. I hadn’t realized my jaw fell slack the way it did until Evan reached over and put two fingers under my chin, pushing my mouth shut for me. Embarrassing!
“As I was telling your daughter before I called you back in the house, I have been searching for a few years now for my other half. I had given up, and chosen to settle here in obscurity. I was at the club last night, because I was in the middle of signing papers to purchase it.”
My mother was the first to speak. “You won’t be taking her away then?”
“No, not any time soon. You are aware that my family resides on the outskirts of Romania?” That was the accent I picked up in Evan’s speech. Evan’s hand found mine and squeezed gently. He twined his fingers through mine, and didn’t bother removing them afterward. “Eventually, I will take Jessica there to meet with them, but not until they’ve had plenty of time to adjust, and we will not stay there.”
“Will you be taking over the pack?” My father asked.
“No, hopefully, you will.” He let go of my hand and sat forward. “I do not understand why you bowed down before Marcus. He is clearly your inferior.” Again, to my astonishment, my father nodded. “Explain.” Evan commanded.
“I made a promise to my mate.”
“I see, and was the promise to always refuse your rightful position as Alpha, or was it conditional?”
“It was conditional,” my mother spoke. “We agreed that he would leave pack politics to others until Jess was mated.” Sadness swept across my mother’s features. “There was an incident with my sister, and my parents were gone before…”
Evan stopped her from having to relive her pain further. “I understand,” he said softly to her. Then he looked to my father. “Well, I would prefer that you take your place as pack leader now, if you are in agreement? Your previous leader seems to have done your pack no justice, if that boy is the strongest among his generation.”
“The only way for that to happen is through a challenge.”
“I don’t see that as a problem.” Evan added, and my father agreed, again. I felt as though I had just stepped through the twilight zone. One night out, and my life was somehow completely different when I woke up. How the hell does that happen? I looked down, and started pulling little lint balls from my sweat pants, tuning out the rest of their conversation about Marcus. These sweats were completely worn out, I definitely needed to trade them in for a new favorite pair.
Shadows of the Ancients Page 5
