“Don’t you dare!” Lily warned, but there was a hint of humor behind her threat. “You’ll regret it, Thomas.”
The sound of my name so easily rolling off her lips warmed me and only encouraged me to press on. I snapped the rag, just missing her. She retaliated quickly, the sting hitting my upper arm this time.
“Oh, it’s on now,” I told her.
She squealed as I made my attack and bolted for the next room. The chase was on. It made my wolf excited to see the playful side of our mate. I had visions of him happily wagging his tail and yipping in my head.
Lily tore off down the hall. I heard door after door slam shut. I laughed. She was fast, I’d give her that. When I caught up, every door in my house was shut. Two can play at this game, I thought. Taking a deep breath, I called my wolf to the surface. My senses immediately heightened, and I followed the trail of our mate.
Slowly, I opened the door to my bedroom with a grin, but Lily was nowhere to be found. I turned on the lights and looked around. There was no sign of her. I moved to another room, checking each of them. I couldn’t find my mate.
Confused and getting frustrated, I tuned back into my wolf. He led me to my bedroom once again. I walked in and sniffed the air, following her scent up the ladder to my loft, but Lily wasn’t there, either.
A scratching just outside my window drew my attention as I was heading down the ladder. I climbed back up and examined the area closer. The window was not quite closed. My wolf was anxious, fighting to shift. I could feel fur starting to sprout on my hands as I opened the window and looked around.
“About time. You really suck at tracking, don’t you?” Lily said.
I took a deep breath before peeking my head out the window. Lily was sitting on the roof, looking up at the stars in the sky. She patted the space next to her in invitation to join her, so I climbed out of the window and sat next to her. Her proximity began to calm my wolf.
“That was kind of cheating, don’t you think?” I asked.
She turned and grinned at me. Her eyes were full of mischief, and I knew life with Lily would never be dull.
“There were no rules, Thomas.”
I grinned back at her. “I do much prefer Thomas to douchebag.”
I watched her cringe.
“Yeah, about that. Look, it’s just . . .” she started, and I raised my hand to cut her off.
“You don’t have to explain. I’m sure you have your reasons.” And I wasn’t certain I was ready to hear them all. Her parents had already given me plenty to consider. “Tomorrow I have a few things I have to do. You’re welcome to tag along if you want, or I’m sure Maddie or Sydney would be thrilled to spend the day with you.
“I won’t lie and say I’d rather hang out with you, because we both know that’s not true. But, I did make a promise, and if nothing else, that means something to me. If we’re going to give this a go, I think we should stick together, get to know each other, and try to put aside old judgements. Besides, I would like to see the territory and meet the people here, too. After all, I could be their Pack Mother someday.”
Lily sighed and laid her head on my shoulder. I turned and kissed the top of her head like it was the most natural thing in the world. “Someday,” I whispered.
I wasn’t sure how long we sat there in comfortable silence staring out into the night’s sky. After the turmoil I’d felt when she’d left, I didn’t care. I needed her near to comfort my wolf. It scared me just how much I needed her.
My dad once told me that your mate was your biggest treasure, your greatest weakness, and she must always be protected. I scoffed at him at the time. No woman would ever weaken me, I had told him. I truly believed it then.
Lily shivered, and without hesitation or even thought, I wrapped my arm around her and tucked her close to my side. In that moment, I knew exactly what my father had meant about a mate.
Much too soon, Lily wiggled away from me and stretched, yawning.
“Come on, let’s get you to bed, slugger. It’s been a hell of a day,” I said, trying to keep things light between us, but not really wanting the day to end.
The sexy way she moved when she stretched was making me uncomfortable in all the right places. I had made huge steps in the last twenty-four hours with her and I didn’t want to scare her off by acting rashly. If she stretched again and her shirt pulled up one more time, exposing the smooth skin across her stomach, I wasn’t sure I could be held responsible for my actions. My body still vividly remembered how soft her skin was and how perfectly my large hand fit in the curve above her hip.
She begrudgingly agreed, not seeming to want the night to end either. I sniffed the air and smelled the nerves wafting off her. Perhaps my little slugger was just nervous about what happens next.
She led the way back through the window and down the ladder from the loft into my bedroom. Crossing her arms over her chest in a defensive move, she waited for me to descend behind her. I wasn’t sure how I knew it, but despite her act, I knew she was checking out my butt.
Lily
Chapter 13
One thing that equally bothered and excited me was just how well Thomas had filled out over the years we hadn’t seen each other. If I were honest he was never that hard to look at. But the kid I remembered was tall and lanky with big teeth he hadn’t quite grown into yet, nothing like the man before me with his bulging leg muscles and that firm ass . . . I had always loved a nice butt, but dang if his wasn’t the best I’d ever seen in a pair of nice tight jeans. It made my hands twitch to reach out and touch him, but I quickly clasped my fingers together behind my back to fight the urge.
Thomas jumped down to the floor, skipping the last few rungs of the ladder, and turned to me with a smirk on his face like he had known exactly what I was thinking. Don’t blush, don’t blush, I scolded myself even as I felt the heat rising in my cheeks.
Feeling like it was safe to let go of my own hands, I crossed my arms back across my chest. As Thomas’s eyes dropped lower, my body felt like a live wire sparking with electricity.
I cleared my throat. “Where would you like me to sleep?” I asked.
His pupils dilated as they met my own eyes.
“I have five sisters. I know a loaded question when I hear one. I’ll tell you what your options are and then you have to choose,” he said, his voice deeper than it had been previously. “The couch in the living room. Either of the two guest rooms. Or, my bed,” he said, like he had just issued me a challenge.
I raised my chin in defiance and looked him straight in the eyes. “Fine. I’ll take your bed then.”
Turning on my heels, I left him in shock while I went to the living room to retrieve my suitcase. When I walked back into the room, Thomas was pulling up a pair of sweatpants and his shirt was nowhere in sight.
“What are you doing?” I squeaked.
“Getting ready for bed,” he informed me as he sat down on the big king-sized bed.
“I told you, I’m sleeping there,” I said defiantly.
“And where did you think I was going to sleep?” he challenged.
I hefted my suitcase onto the opposite side of the bed to retrieve my stuff.
“I don’t know. The couch? Either of the two guest rooms,” I said in my snarkiest voice.
Thomas rose from the bed and walked around to me, placing his hands on either side of the bed, effectively trapping me as I turned to face him. I gulped at the look of desire in his eyes. “That’s not what’s going to happen here,” he said, lowering his head and kissing my neck.
“That’s not fair. You aren’t playing by the rules,” I said in a shaky voice.
Thomas pulled back and grinned. “There are no rules, Lily,” he said, throwing my own words back at me.
I started to laugh and push him away, but not fast enough. His lips crashed down on mine possessively. I stiffened in surprise, but my body quickly took over before my brain could even register what was happening.
He gently lifted m
e on to the bed. I wrapped my legs around his waist, pulling him closer to me. My fingers wound through his hair. But then my brain engaged as reality set in like whiplash. I jerked away abruptly and breathlessly.
My palms were now flat against his chest, his hard, rigid bare chest, so I shook my head, trying to clear my thoughts as I unwrapped my legs from around him and gave him a slight push.
“I’m sorry, Thomas. I don’t know what came over me. I’m still confused and unsure about us, and I don’t want to lead you on,” I told him honestly. “This mating pull is just so damn strong sometimes.”
I saw the hurt in his eyes, but it quickly disappeared as that crooked grin appeared on his face. He stepped back. “Don’t worry about it, slugger. It’s been a long day. Go get ready for bed and we’ll call it a night.”
My mouth was dry and my nerves high, but I managed to smile and nod as I turned and pulled out my pajamas and travel case and took them to the bathroom, closing the door behind me.
I stared at my reflection in the mirror. I still looked like me, but I definitely didn’t feel like me. I had no clue what had come over me to make me act so, well, primal towards that kiss. It wasn’t like I’ve never kissed a guy before. My fingers felt my swollen lips as I remembered. God, Thomas knew how to kiss.
I considered a quick shower, but my wolf protested, enjoying the scent of our mate on me. I was too tired and confused to argue. After changing, I brushed my teeth and washed my face before quietly exiting the bathroom.
Thomas lay on top of the covers, his arms tucked behind his head. When the hell did he get all those muscles? I wondered as I tried not to stare.
The only light remaining was the lamp next to my side of the bed. He had pulled back the covers for me, though he remained on top of them. I acknowledged for a brief moment what a sweet thought that was as I slithered in and pulled the sheets up around me. Reaching over to the nightstand, I turned off the light. “Goodnight,” I whispered.
“Goodnight Lily,” he said in a husky voice that made my body tremble.
I scooted a little further away and turned on my side so my back was toward him. We didn’t say another word, and as his breathing began to even out in a steady rhythm, I was lulled to sleep.
My next coherent memory was the unique and intoxicating scent of my mate. A smile tugged at my lips before my eyes even opened. Thomas. There was a part of me that still didn’t trust him. The part that wanted to hate him, but I had seen a different side to him already, and it was waging war with everything I thought I had known about him.
A loud snore rumbled through Thomas. It surprised me, but even more so that I actually felt it. I stretched alongside his hard body and froze. I slowly opened my eyes and realized I was using him as my own personal body pillow. I lifted my head and looked around.
Great, I thought. He was in exactly the same position and I was on the wrong side of the bed. Me, not him. To make matters worse, I was horrified to see a small puddle of drool on his chest where my head had just been. I quickly wiped it off as he continued to snore loudly, and I tried to roll back to my side of the bed. With any luck he’d never even know I’d breached the gap between us in my sleep.
As I moved, so did he. He rolled to his side, and without opening his eyes, snagged me mid-escape and pulled me back to him. He nuzzled my hair, taking a deep breath like he was memorizing my scent.
“Good morning,” he said.
I wiggled to try to get away, but he just wrapped his arms around me even tighter, pulling me flush against him as he spooned me from behind. I could feel every inch of him, including the hard erection poking me in the backside.
“Oh my God!” I squealed, trying to pull away from him.
“What?” he asked, on full alert as I dramatically motioned towards his lower half.
He laughed, brushing it off like it was no big deal.
“Don’t you ‘what’ me,” I protested.
He gave me that panty-melting crooked grin, but I was too embarrassed to be affected by it.
“You practically slept on top of me all night. What did you think was going to happen?”
“Go take a cold shower or something,” I demanded.
He laughed again, but got up and headed for the bathroom. I couldn’t help but watch how his pants tented. Jesus, how big was he? I wondered, immediately trying to remove that thought from my mind.
He turned at the bathroom door and his eyes locked on mine from across the room. “You’re welcome to join me,” he said, sounding cocky as ever.
“Eww, no way,” I said. “Make it a very cold shower,” I squealed, chucking a pillow at the door as he ducked inside, closing it behind him. I could still hear him laughing when the water finally began to drown him out.
Once he was done, I took my turn getting ready for the day. After I had finished, I went in search of him and found him in the kitchen. Bacon, eggs, and hot toast were waiting for me.
“Did you cook this yourself?” I asked.
“Yeah. I do know how to cook, Lily. This is a farming community. It often means long, hard days outdoors, working with the animals or tending to the fields. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, so eat up. We’re already running very late.”
As soon as I was done with breakfast we left the house, driving over toward town. I had promised Thomas I’d spend the day with him. I wanted to get to know the territory, the Pack, and the people. I also wanted to quietly assess just what kind of man and future Pack leader Thomas Collier really was.
I was a little surprised and disappointed when he pulled up in front of the Alpha house.
“I thought I was going to spend the day with you,” I said.
“You are,” he assured me.
“Then what are we doing at your parents’? I thought you were dropping me off to hang out with Maddie or something.”
“Nah. I have a meeting with Dad this morning. I’m afraid you won’t be able to sit in on this one, but I’m sure my sisters will keep you company.”
I stifled a yawn. “Okay.”
“Tired?” he asked.
“Yes. You snore.”
“I snore?” he asked with a snort. “You snore,” he said matter-of-factly.
He opened the front door and stepped aside for me to pass first. I was too busy arguing to notice the show of respect he was bestowing on me. An Alpha never let someone walk before him, except his mate, or an occasional elder Alpha or Grand Councilman. At the moment, all of that was lost on me, as I was embarrassed by his comment that I snore.
“I do not snore, Thomas. Take it back,” I demanded. “You snore.”
“Maybe,” he conceded. “But you definitely snore, too.”
“Do not!”
“Do too! And, you drool in your sleep,” he added.
My hands flew to my mouth as I gasped. “You did not just say that.”
His laughter infuriated me.
“What is going on here?” his mother demanded as we entered the kitchen.
“He started it,” I mumbled under my breath.
“No, I didn’t,” he denied. “You did.”
“Did not!”
“Did too!”
Maddie and Liam were sitting with Oscar at the table, having breakfast. Lizzy was, too, as she held a cooing baby Sara. They all looked to be enjoying the scene a little too much.
“Madelyn, tell him right now. I do not snore.”
“Yes, you do,” Liam said.
“I do not!” I turned pleading eyes to my friend for help.
“Um, Lil, I love you, but you snore like a freaking lumberjack,” MC said.
Betrayed by my best friend. I slumped down into the chair and crossed my arms over my chest. “Well,” I said to Thomas, “you snore, too.”
He smiled and leaned down to give me a quick peck on my lips, much to my humiliation. “It’s okay,” he said calmly. “Because you’ll certainly never be bothered by it over all the noise you make in your sleep.” He winked and walked away
as my jaw hung open.
I put my head on the table, cradled in my arms. I knew my face was on fire. I couldn’t believe he’d just casually kissed me in front of his family like that.
“Well, there certainly will never be a dull moment of life with you two,” Cora said, as the others cracked up laughing.
“Oh, Lily. Lily, Lily, Lily. Mating is the most natural thing in the world. I cannot possibly understand why you would ever fight it,” Liam said, throwing my own theories back in my face. How many times had I told my siblings that? How many times had I lectured them for being stupid and not just accepting their fate? I feared that each one of them would gloat in my turmoil.
Straightening up, I rose from the table, punching Liam as hard as I could in the arm. “Jerk,” I said under my breath.
Thomas
Chapter 14
I left Lily at the kitchen table. She could fend for herself against Liam and my family. Dad was already waiting for me in his office when I arrived.
“Thomas,” he said, sounding a little surprised. “I wasn’t sure you were coming today. I expected you and Lily would need a few days to get better acquainted.”
I smirked. “That’ll take a lot more than a few days.”
“She has always been a tad eccentric and impulsive. I had expected that would work in your favor for the mating,” Dad said.
“Except you forgot to add stubborn and the fact she hates me to the list, making it a very strange hot and cold effect,” I grumbled.
Dad threw his head back and laughed at my expense. “Oh yes, you’ve definitely met your match then. No one ever claimed mating was easy, but I promise you, she’s worth it.”
I smiled as warmth spread through me. “I know she’s worth it, Dad, if she doesn’t kill me first.”
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