by Quinn Loftis
“Nicu, do not come near her,” Vasile said coolly, not raising his voice, not snapping his teeth but with completely composed wrath that promised reprisal if not obeyed instantly.
Nicu must have submitted because the Alpha’s attention was once again on her. Fabulous, she thought.
“You will not deny me, Mina. I have waited a century for you. You are young, but not so young that you do not know what is happening. Sixteen? Many human females are married with a babe on the way at this age.” Her eyes widened in surprise at his bluntness. “However, we are not human are we? We are Canis lupis; we have one true mate designed solely for us. Some of us wait hundreds of years before they find their mate. I can wait a little longer if I must. Do not use your age as an excuse to avoid what is. You are mine. Something tells me you are not a fool, but if you think that I will let you go, then a fool you have become.”
“You certainly know how to make a woman feel revered,” Alina bit out. Her tone of voice shocked him, and it gave her the opportunity to knock his hand away and step out of his reach. He started for her but stopped when her father’s voice boomed through the air.
“Alpha! Welcome.” Petre and his wife walked over to where Alina and Vasile stood. They both bared their neck to him and then were careful to keep their eyes anywhere but on his. “I see you have met our daughter, Alina.” When Vasile did not answer, her father glanced up to his face, blanched, and quickly looked away. “Perhaps, we will take your warriors in and give them a drink.”
Alina started to call out to her father but her mother caught her eyes and shook her head one time. The stern look and tight lips told her that her mother meant business. As she watched her only hope of getting away from the wolf at her door, so to speak, moving further and further away, she bit her lip trying to think of an excuse to follow them. Her thoughts were interrupted when a large, warm hand enveloped hers. She looked down and saw her fingers interlaced with Vasile’s, and it felt so good, so right. He pulled her over to a bench where she and her mother often sat to talk after the day’s work was done. He sat and nodded for her to sit next to him. So she sat; what else could she do?
“Tell me why you do not want me,” he said bluntly.
Her brow drew together as she looked up at him. “I never said I did not want you. I am just young.”
“That is not enough of a reason to turn your mate away. Tell me the true reason you deny me?”
She looked away, not wanting him to see the shame on her face. She wished desperately that it was not there. “We are not the same,” she finally admitted.
“I would hope not,” he chuckled. “I very much like our differences and hope to enjoy them more in the future.”
She blushed at his insinuation. It was as improper as it was bold.
“It is not improper for me to desire my true mate,” he told her hearing her thoughts. “Bold, perhaps, but not improper.”
“You should not say such things to me.”
“I assure you that it is better at this point that I say such things instead of do such things,” Vasile said smoothly.
“Are you always so brazen with females?” She glared up at him attempting to use her anger to cover up her embarrassment at having such an Adonis of a male so very interested in her.
“Would it make you jealous if I was?” He grinned wolfishly at her.
She wanted to scream yes. She wanted to tell him that if he ever looked at another female again she would―
“You would what?” he purred.
Somehow he had moved without her noticing. He bent down closer to her face with his lips only inches from her own. He was reading her thoughts again.
“What would you do to a she-wolf, if I looked at another female?”
Alina’s eyes dropped to his full, sensual lips and clamped her own together to keep from leaning forward and seeing if his were as soft as they appeared. She looked away quickly out into the forest where there was not a desirable male staring back at her. She cleared her throat before she answered. “Nothing, I would do nothing. You are free to look at whom you wish. There are no mate marks on you.”
Vasile gazed at the beautiful steel eyed beauty sitting beside him. She didn’t know it but he had seen her before in the market place about a year ago. He had been drawn to her, but he had chalked it up to the fact that she was exceptionally beautiful. She had been arguing with a merchant, her fierce eyes flashing as she demanded the merchant give a fair price to the older woman who had been trying to buy fruit. He could tell she was still fairly young so he had not allowed himself to dwell on her too long. Now, a year later, she had matured quite a bit. She was perfect with shiny brown hair, fine delicate features, and a mouth that called to him as a siren called for her next victim. He wanted to wrap his arms around her and carry her off to a den and bed down with her and make her his, blood, body, and soul. His wolf was pacing inside of him snarling at him to claim her, she was right there, just claim her. Age did not matter to the wolf; as far he could tell she was no longer a child. A child could not bear children, a child would not stir the man in him, and she definitely did not act like a child. The only thing that stopped him from taking her then was the look in her eyes. It was one of longing but also of doubt. She truly did not believe she was his mate, and he did not think it had anything to do with her age. Despite the mental bond, she continued to deny him. He released her hand and did not miss the slight drop in her shoulders that revealed to him her disappointment. She need not have worried. He reached up and brushed her hair over her shoulder revealing the elegant line of her neck. As he leaned closer Alina stilled; even her breathing stopped. His lips paused only centimeters from her ear and he took in a deep breath. Her scent hit him like a runaway carriage, and his hand slipped under her hair and wrapped around the back of her neck.. The skin to skin contact steadied and grounded him and kept him from doing something rash, like sinking his teeth into her.
“Breathe, Mina,” he whispered when he realized she still had not taken a breath. She inhaled sharply and then began to breath normally but somewhat unsteadily. Not quite sixteen, Vasile, he growled to himself. The reminder helped him to tone down his influence over her. Being near your true mate for the first time, especially one as dominate as he, could be overwhelming.
“Do you know that a female has a scent that only her true mate can smell?” he asked her quietly. She nodded. “Would you like to know how you smell to me?” She shook her head making him grin at her obstinately. “Good thing I do not usually do as I am told,” he murmured as he breathed her in again. “You smell of the calm morning air when the dew still rests on the leaves and the grass, pure and untouched like the dawn, before any has awoken to taint it.”
Vasile absently rubbed with his thumb just below her ear with his hand that still held onto her. He felt her lean into his touch and the movement flooded his senses with another smell, one of desire and need. His wolf growled victoriously, but the man knew it was time to back off. He stood up abruptly to put some space between them. As he looked down into her vulnerable eyes, he knew that he could not have her, not yet. He was a patient hunter as a wolf and just as patient as a man. His initial reaction to her denial was possessive rage. He wanted her, needed her, and would have her. Look where that had gotten him. Now that he had calmed down, no doubt from her skin on his and her scent washing over him like a waterfall of bliss, he could think a little clearer. She was his, of that he had no doubt, but she would need time to grow and mature into the woman she needed to become. Eighteen was not so far away, two years and he could have her. Until then, he would have to court her and somehow keep his wolf under control. The latter seemed impossible, but then, to have Alina, he would move mountains, destroy fleets or crush nations as long as she ended up by his side.
He would give her some space and time, though his wolf was snarling wholeheartedly at him for it. He had work to do in the village anyway, so he would not be far. That would give him time to consider what to say to her fath
er. She was still under his household and Vasile would have to have his permission to spend time with her, Alpha or not, mate or not. He wondered if the bond would work the same for them as it did for mates who found each other once fully mature. Would it be painful to be apart? Would the ache to be close to her become debilitating? And what of her? Would she be in pain? That was something he did not like the thought of. He never wanted to be the cause of his mate’s suffering.
Feeling better about the situation, more in control, and not on the verge of marking her right there in broad daylight, he pulled her to her feet and pressed his lips to her forehead. Not enough for the wolf, but it would appease the man. She sucked in a breath as her pulse increased, causing his own heart to speed up. Now it was he who needed space because if not he was going to take her and run. He wrapped her in his embrace and she came willingly, as if she needed his touch as much as he did. He wanted to feel her against him, but more than that he wanted her saturated in his scent. Until she was marked with his bite, the only way for other males to know who she belonged to would be by his scent on her. When he finally released her and stepped back, he smiled down at her rosy cheeks.
“I have business to take care of with the pack here. I know that this is a shock to you, as it is to me as well. So I am going to give you some space, a little breathing room if you will.” Her eyes widened in surprise and she let out a small sigh of relief. He bit back the snarl at her obvious desire to be away from him. For that he added, “If you run from me, I will follow you. No matter where you go, I will find you and I will not stop until I do.” He pressed his lips to her forehead again, postponing leaving her for just a few seconds more. “Think about that before you do something foolish.”
Romanian Proverb # 5
Sãrãcia nu-i rusine.
Poverty is no disgrace.
Her mouth was dry, and her hand shook as she raised it to touch the place on her neck where Vasile, Alpha of their pack, had only moments ago caressed her gently with his thumb. Something so insignificant, and yet it was the most precious touch she had ever received. He was gone now, along with his two warriors and her father. Females could attend meetings, but really there was no point. The males would be too busy trying to protect their mate if they were there, and then they would not get anything accomplished.
She had not moved from the place where he had left her. Her shoes were suddenly filled with lead too heavy to lift. Her eyes stared, not seeing anything in front of her as her mind raced, and she battled her will. She wanted to flee, to hide from the male who had affected her so. She also wanted to throw herself in his arms and make him promise never to leave her again. But instead of doing either, she just stood there frozen with indecision, doubt, and, to her surprise, curiosity. While he had been next to her, she had felt as if she could fly, but now her body felt heavy and uncoordinated.
“Alina,” her mother called to her yet she still could not move. She heard her footsteps coming closer and knew that her mother would want to know what was wrong, and for once she was afraid to tell her―afraid she would insist she pack and leave with him at once and afraid she would not.
“He is the one, no?” she asked.
Somehow Alina managed to get her head to perform a wobbly nod. Her eyes finally shifted as she looked at her mother. “How could you tell?”
Georgeta’s lips puckered. “Tsk, girl, I know a male on the hunt when I see one. He was staring at you as though you were the ripest fruit plucked from the harvest and dropped in his lap. I might have even seen a tad bit of salivating.”
That finally made Alina move as she laughed at her mother. The thought of any male salivating over her, especially one such as Vasile, was indeed ludicrous. She was no great beauty, she knew that, and usually that did not bother her. “You must not have seen him clearly, Mother. Had you seen his expression from a more direct position, you would have seen the scowl plastered on his handsome face as he glared down at me.”
“He is quite lovely, is he not?” Her mother beamed at her.
Alina crossed her arms in front of her and narrowed her eyes. “I hardly think your mate would appreciate you saying so.”
“Did you notice how tall he was? And that hair was so dark and thick,” her mother continued completely ignoring her. “His lips were definitely worth a second glance.”
Alina stomped her foot, childish, but unavoidable. “Enough! How can you carry on so?”
“Feeling a bit possessive, dear?” Her mother’s knowing eyes sparkled at her.
Alina turned and walked towards the house needing to sit down in the shade for a few minutes while she gathered her thoughts.
Her mother took the chair while she sat on the edge of her bed. She looked around their tiny home, so simple, but it met their needs. So why was she embarrassed? “He lives in a castle. His wardrobe is probably the size of our entire house. I just . . . I do not,” she stumbled over her words as she ran her hands over her thighs repeatedly.
“Well,” her mother breathed out. “I never thought I would see the day that a pretty face and full purse made my daughter tuck her tail and run.”
Alina’s eyes snapped up. She could not believe her mother had just said that to her, but even in her wounded state she knew she was right. “I do not feel like myself,” she admitted. “Ever since I saw him standing there―confident, beautiful, and not appearing as if he needed anything from anyone―I have just felt inadequate. What could I possibly have to offer him?”
“Perhaps you need to get to know him before you pass judgment on either of you. I know you are sixteen in less than a month, but you are still young in many ways. Give him time to show you the man he is before you decide who he is not.”
A knock at the door had both of them turning, and before Alina could see who it was, her stomach dropped in anticipation but quickly righted itself when Sisily, her best friend, walked in.
“When you did not show up I was worried about you,” she said biting her lip in her usual manner when she was unsure of herself.
“I am so sorry, Sis.” Alina stood quickly and went to her friend. “I did not forget; I just got held up.”
“But what she really wanted was to be held down,” her mother muttered as she walked past the two girls into the kitchen.
“Mother!” Alina’s face flushed as she glowered at Georgeta.
Sisily was grinning from ear to ear as she looked back and forth between mother and daughter.
Georgeta shrugged. “I, unlike you, see no reason not to celebrate and enjoy the beginning of true mates joining, bringing hope to those still waiting.” She looked at Sisily pointedly.
Sisily was bouncing on the balls of her feet, too focused on Alina to notice the look. “You have met your true mate? Who is he? Is he from another pack? Is he handsome? Did he….”
“Sisily, stop,” Alina interrupted her exuberant friend. She glanced at her mother who now wore a smug smile. “How about we go to our usual meeting spot and talk,” she suggested.
Sisily happily waved to Georgeta as she rushed after Alina. “Are you in a hurry?”
Alina slowed immediately, realizing that she was letting her emotions get the best of her and taking it out on the closest thing she had ever had to a sister.
They sat by the edge of the river, picking at the grass and tossing sticks into the water. Alina knew that Sisily would not begin speaking until she started first. She had gotten her initial shock out of the way and was now willing to be patient. She was a good listener.
“Vasile, the new Alpha is here,” she finally said. Sisily nodded but did not comment. “He came by our house earlier this morning and had two warriors with him.” She paused drawing in a shaky breath. “I felt him in my mind. The pull to go to him was…was…strong, as though I had not felt or drunk a drop of liquid in ages and he was the rain. I wanted to run to him, to be covered by him, and to be drenched in his scent as he washed away everything that came before him.”
“Which one?” Sisily exh
aled as she fanned herself.
Alina nearly laughed at the sight of her friend flustered and breathless. The smile faded as she looked away back to the slow running water. “Vasile.”
There was silence for several minutes; only the chirping of birds and the rippling noise of the river pierced the quiet.
“He is very, very handsome,” Sisily crooned finally.
Alina chucked the stick she had been playing with. “Why does everyone keep saying that?”
Sisily heard the irritation in Alina’s voice and frowned. “Wait, are you not happy that you have finally met him? I mean, Alina, you have a true mate, and you have only waited sixteen years before he found you. Any other female in this village would be dancing like a fool and singing at the top of her lungs.”
“Deep, deep down, I am. I truly am happy. My wolf is preening like the fool you just described, and if I phased she would probably shake her tail shamelessly at him.” This brought a giggle from her friend. “But I am not of age yet. My father has already told me that he will not release me into my true mate’s care until I am twenty. That is a long time for him to wait. And, I realize how very shallow this is of me, but I do not feel adequate for him. I do not feel I am his equal. I know nothing of leading a pack. I have not been raised with fine things, and my skin is not soft and delicate as the females that surely live in the castle. I am no beauty on a good day, but standing next to him I am as dull as an unpolished gem left in the ground where it formed.”
Sisily gasped. “How can you say such things?”
“Uh, because they are true?”
“Alina you have never seen yourself clearly. First of all, you will learn how to be an Alpha female; that will come with time and experience. You are smart and mature beyond your years. How many times have others mistaken you for eighteen, or older, simply because of the way you hold yourself? There are males in this village who walk by your home every day in hopes that the mating signs will appear even though they have had no such luck in all the years they have known you. None of them have cared that you are not of age.”
