by Flynn, Donna
“Mmm…” he moaned against her lips.
“Don’t stop,” she whispered. “Please don’t stop this time.”
Her words registered in his brain almost immediately and he realized just how far he had gone. “Hell,” he said, pulling his hand from under her shirt and turning away. He sat up at her side, cursing himself for allowing his emotions to take over what little common sense he had when she was around.
Mercy sat up behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist, laying her head against his back. “Alec, I love you, and soon we are going to be bonded, so what are we waiting for?”
“Your brothers would kill me,” he growled, barely able to get the words out of his mouth.
“I know! You promised my brothers that we would wait,” she cried out in frustration. “But guess what, Alec? I don’t care! I am my own person and I make my own decisions. This is my life, not my brothers’!”
Alec groaned, biting his lip so hard he drew blood. “You’re asking me to break a promise that I made to your brothers and I just can’t,” he told her, hating himself for making the stupid promise in the first place. Of course, it was at a time when he hadn’t really anticipated how hard it would be to resist her. How could he have known that she would tempt him at every turn, or become the vision of loveliness that now sat with her arms wrapped around him?
“Ugh!” she groaned, lying back on the ground.
Alec turned and looked down on her with a wan smile. “It’s not forever: another few months and I will make love you to anytime you want, but for now I can’t.” He lay next to her resting on his elbow as he looked down on her. “What kind of Alpha would I be if I couldn’t keep my promises?”
“You know, most guys would give anything to have their girlfriends begging for them to have sex.”
Alec grinned. “But, most guys aren’t in the kind of relationship I am. Can you imagine the rest of our existence with your brothers despising me?” He knew he had won the argument when she closed her eyes and sighed. “Besides, a part of me has this need to make everything perfect for you our first time, and I promise you it will be worth the wait.”
Mercy turned towards him and propped herself up on her elbow to stare into his eyes. “Will this be your first time too?”
Alec took her hand and looked up at her solemnly. “From the moment, I met you, I was bewitched. Although the feelings were very different back then, I knew they would change and that one day we would be here, having this conversation, and I wanted to be able to look you in the eye and say, you will be the first and only woman I have ever been with.”
Mercy leaned to him and brushed her lips across his. “I love you, Alec, and I am so glad you waited for me.”
“You are truly a miracle to me, Angel. I could do nothing else.” He lay back on the soft moss and pulled her down so her head rested on his chest as he held her in his arms. “When the right time comes, you too will be glad we waited.”
“I’m holding you to that,” she murmured savoring the moment alone with him, knowing that soon things would be very different for them both.
*****
“I suppose the Elders will be glad they have not anticipated their bond,” a dark-haired sprite of a female said to the male who stood with her as she watched the couple who lay along the bank of the river.
“This is all so stupid, Jaden. Why should we care what they do?” he asked, bored with his new assignment to watch over the couple before them.
Jaden turned and pierced him with her ice-blue eyes, aggravated he had been the one the Elders had sent with her. “The Elders care, and you should too. Our laws were made by our ancestors to protect us and keep us safe. They are the rules all Werewolves live by and our job is to uphold them. If she is indeed the Born Were we have been waiting for, it is the Elders job to protect her, and prevent another disaster like the one that happened to the last. ”
Wren blanched. He had often been on the end of her fiery temper and knew she was just getting started. “I’m sorry…” he offered, but could see by the tic of her jaw she wasn’t pleased.
“Let’s go, I have seen enough to report back to the Elders.” She took one last look at the couple and turned away, stalking through the forest to where they had left her car parked on an old service road on the other side of the forest.
“To bad,” Wren said as he looked to the couple. “Wonder if he knew how close he was to losing her, if he would care so much about that stupid promise?” He turned quickly to follow Jaden, knowing if he didn’t keep up she would leave him behind, which would mean a long haul into the next town where their hotel was located.
*****
Mason dropped out of the tree he had been hiding in after following the dark-haired Were and her cohort. He looked to where Alec and Mercy lay, knowing he should confide in them about what he had heard, but decided the best thing he could do was to follow the other pair and find out what they were up to. Normally he would have scented them and followed their trail at a later time but neither one had any identifying smell, which he figured was why Alec’s pack had not picked up on their presence in the forest. Quickly he turned and ran through the forest, keeping himself hidden as he followed the pair to a small, sleek sports car parked on the side of the road the forestry service guys used, then followed them in wolf form to their hotel.
Chapter Four
By the time Saturday night came, Mercy was a bundle of nerves. Earlier that morning Alec had stopped by to deliver two dozen blood-red roses, but he hadn’t stayed long, telling her he had some things to see to for their big night. She wondered what he had planned and felt her hands trembling as she anticipated the night ahead. She wasn’t exactly sure why she was so nervous. She was going to her senior prom with the only guy in the world who mattered to her and she had brought the perfect dress for what should be a great evening, but, something inside of her warned that everything was just too perfect. She couldn’t help but think that soon the other shoe would drop and all of her nightmares would come true.
She dressed with the help of Nina and Hailey who had come to stay for the weekend. Excitement bubbled inside of her as they fussed and preened over her, both in awe of the gorgeous gown she had chosen to wear.
“Alright, it’s time,” Nina said, turning her so she could look at herself in the mirror.
Mercy gasped and stared at her reflection with amazement. In of the mirror before her was a female she had never seen before. One who was too beautiful for words, who would make Alec’s jaw drop, and his hands shake when he saw her for the first time.
“That dress was made for you,” Hailey said behind her.
Mercy looked down on the emerald-green silk and smiled at the way it hugged her every curve. The rhinestone belt twinkled under the bright lights and the slit up the side of the skirt revealed her silk-encased leg and the strappy rhinestone heels that graced her feet. Never had she felt so grown up and sophisticated as she did in that moment, and all of the anxiousness she had been feeling slipped away.
“Mercy, Alec is here!” Lucan hollered from downstairs.
Nina took her hand in her own and smiled. “You’re beautiful. Alec is so lucky to have you.”
“Thank you, Nina,” she said hugging her tightly, thankful her brother had found his Bond Mate and was planning his own Bonding Ceremony not-too long after hers.
“Cade said Alec has been calling all afternoon to check up on you. I think he is more nervous than you,” Hailey confided as Mercy hugged her and thanked her for her help.
“Well, why don’t we go and see how he reacts to all of this, then?” Mercy said, satisfied she had done everything she could to make herself irresistible for their big night.
*****
Alec stood in the front hall, waiting for Mercy to come down the stairs. His palms were sweating, and his heart racing as he anticipated seeing her for the first time. She had spent the last week tormenting him about the dress she would be wearing and now that he was finally getting to
see her in it, he was nervous as hell. He wanted the night to be perfect for her and had done everything he could to ensure it, but still he was worried something would go wrong.
“You need to calm down before we have to get you a paper bag to breath into,” Cade teased.
“I don’t know why you are so nervous, it’s Mercy, you have known her forever and she is your Bond Mate,” Lucan added with a chuckle.
“I didn’t do the whole prom thing when I graduated, so I’m a little unsure what she expects,” Alec told him.
“If it helps, I expect you to keep your hands off her,” Lucan growled.
“Luc, this is my night. You are not going to ruin it by threatening Alec,” Mercy said softly from the stop of the staircase.
Alec turned and looked to where his mate stood. His mouth fell open, his palms began to sweat, and his body shook with desire as he took in the vision before him. Dressed in a gown that was one of the most incredible dresses he had ever seen, she was sheer perfection. The emerald green of the silk sheath highlighted her beautiful eyes and the sparkling belt emphasized how tiny her waist was. When she moved to take the first step towards him the tempting amount of leg revealed by the slit up the side of her gown made his pulse race and his heart skip a beat. She was flawless, and he felt like the luckiest man in the world that he would be the one holding her in his arms all night long.
As Mercy glided the down the stairs she couldn’t help but smile at the look of unfettered desire on Alec’s face. He was ramrod straight and seemed to be having trouble catching his breath as she came to the final step. She placed her hand on his arm, felt his body shaking, and knew she had succeeded in surprising him. “Alec?” She looked up into his eyes and became lost in the emotions she saw there.
Lucan cleared his throat, glaring at Alec, bringing him out of his shocked state. Alec placed a small corsage of white roses on her wrist then lifted her hand to his lips and kissed the back of it. “You are stunning,” he said softly. Mercy stared up at him, saying nothing, her eyes locked on his and he pulled her against him, kissing her tenderly, careful not to ruin her hair or makeup.
“Ah hell,” Lucan said, turning away to walk into the kitchen, unable to stand any more romance between the two of them.
Nina smiled and followed him, wrapping her arms around him and laying her head on his chest. “You have to let her go, Luc. She’s not a child anymore and soon she will be part of a bonded pair.”
“I know that, but I can’t stand the way he looks at her, it’s unnerving.” His body shook just thinking of the longing he had seen in Alec’s eyes as he stared at Mercy coming down those stairs. If not for Nina’s arms around him at that moment, he might have gone out there and punched Alec for ogling his sister in such an unseemly fashion.
“I have seen you give me that very look before,” she told him with a grin.
Lucan sighed. “That’s different; we are adults.”
Nina looked up at him with a frown. “They are, too; you just don’t want to see it.”
“Luc?” Mercy said, walking into the kitchen looking upset. “Is everything alright?”
He wanted to roar that everything was certainly not all right. That she had grown up too quickly and that her mate was a jackass whom he wanted beat for looking at her so lustfully, but he couldn’t. Those words would crush her, ruin her night, and possibly their relationship so instead he forced a smile to his face and reassured her all was well. “Everything is fine. I just wanted to thank Nina for helping you.” She didn’t look as if she believed him, but didn’t call him out either, which he was thankful for.
“We are getting ready to leave. I just wanted to say goodbye to you,” she said, walking to his side.
Lucan let Nina go, and pulled Mercy into his arms, hugging her close. “You have fun tonight, but not too much fun, alright?”
Mercy rolled her eyes and pulled back, looking up at him with a frown. “You kind of made sure that couldn’t happen,” she chastised.
“Someday, when you have children of your own, you will understand,” he told her. “Go and have a good time, we will see you when you get back.”
“Mercy, you ready?” Alec asked at the doorway, devouring her with his hungry gaze.
“I love you,” Mercy told her brother, hugging him once more before walking into Alec’s arms.
“You look beautiful,” Alec told her as they walked out of the front door where a long black limousine waited to take them to the local inn for the prom.
“Alec, you didn’t need to do this,” she said as the driver opened the door for them and waited patiently as Alec helped her inside.
“You deserve the best. I know that recently I have made you feel unimportant by taking off every weekend and keeping you out of the loop about my father stepping down so I wanted tonight to be special. To do that I need to focus on you and not the road.” Mercy sat back in the soft leather seat and he placed his arm around her, pulling her to his side. “I love you, Mercy, and I want to do everything I can to make you happy.”
“Alec, you don’t need to do anything but be yourself,” she said. “Of course if you wanted to forget that little thing you promised my brothers I would be totally ecstatic.”
Alec growled and pulled her to him, brushing her lips with his own. She was wrong to think he didn’t want her as much as she wanted him, but he had learned to control that need, and he had done a good job of it too, until recently. Now that she was older and more confident in herself, she tempted him beyond his control. It seemed he was constantly torn between his desire for her and his loyalty to her brothers, and it weighed heavily upon him.
“Alec?”
Mercy looked up at him with worry and he stroked her cheek before lifting her chin and taking her mouth with his own. With gentle probing her lips parted and he laid siege to her tender mouth. To his shock as his hand moved down her back he met nothing but naked skin, causing him to groan loudly. He pulled his hand away and placed it on her lap, thinking it safer there, but his hand landed where the skirt split, exposing her silk-encased thigh to his fingers and he knew he had to get away from her before he lost it completely. “We need to stop,” he murmured, untangling himself from her arms before things got out of hand.
“Why,” she said breathlessly.
“The prom,” he choked out, pulling his hand from her leg, and moving to the other side of the limo trying to regain some semblance of composure.
Mercy lifted her head and met his tortured gaze, feeling immediate regret for ruining the wonderful evening he was trying to provide for her. “I’m sorry. I can’t seem to help myself when I am around you.”
Alec chuckled and straightened his clothing before reaching into the small refrigerator and grabbing cold water, handing one to her before drinking down an entire bottle in one long swallow hoping the cold would help calm his shattered nerves. It didn’t, but at least he was able to think clearly again by the time car came to a stop outside of the venue for their prom. While they waited for their turn to get out he moved across the car to her side, and pulled her into his arms, brushing his lips across her forehead. “Soon, Angel, nothing will keep us apart.”
“I know,” she murmured, burying her face against this chest.
The driver pulled forward and parked, got out of the car, and came to open the door for them. Alec got out, then reached inside, taking her hand and helping her out of the vehicle before wrapping his arm around her back, where once again his fingers met with her warm flesh. Grinding his teeth, he moved it, letting his hand rest upon her waist as they walked inside of the old Inn that had been taken over by loud pounding music and an even louder group of teenagers. They walked into the historic ballroom and found their friends already gathered around a large table waiting for their arrival.
“You look amazing!” Gina gushed as Mercy approached.
“You too,” Mercy said, eyeing the blue gown that shimmered and sparkled under the thousands of lights in the ballroom with a smile.
Alec looked to Rich, who was dressed in a tuxedo, looking uncomfortable and out of place, and couldn’t help smiling. “I’m not telling you how great you look,” he teased.
“Good, because I’m not saying it to you either,” Rich joked, pulling at the collar of his shirt.
Alec smiled. For the first time since finding out about the Elders learning of Mercy being the Born Were, he felt at ease around his longtime friend. They had been watching him closely and found nothing that pointed to Rich being the one who told the Elders about Mercy, which offered him relief. They had been friends for most of his life and if he had turned out to be the betrayer, it would have hurt him considerably.
“Want to dance?” Gina said to Mercy, as a fast-paced song that was currently popular began to play.
Mercy looked to Alec, who leaned down to speak in her ear since the music was so loud she wouldn’t hear him otherwise. “Go ahead, I don’t do fast songs.”
“Are you sure?” she asked.
Alec nodded. “I’ll wait for a slow song so I can hold you in my arms and whisper sweet nothings in your ear.” He pressed a kiss to her shoulder and she floated away behind Gina anticipating the next slow song.
“She has come a long way,” Rich said next to him.
Alec looked to where Mercy and Gina were dancing, laughing at each other’s efforts but having a good time regardless of their skills, or lack thereof. “She sure has,” he said, watching her body sway and move along with the upbeat tempo blaring through the sound system. A low rumble grew in his throat as he noted that every male around her was also watching her. Without thinking how it would look, he stalked to the floor and grabbed her by the arm, intending to pull her away, but she dug in her heels and stopped his progress, staring up at him with confusion.
Mercy looked up into Alec’s swirling eyes wondering what had set him off and frowned. “Alec, what is it?”
