BlackWolf Preserved

by Sydney Addae

  She turned and looked at him. “Why are you here?”

  He smiled, slightly. “Alpha asked me to come.”

  She looked at her father. He didn’t look at her. “I hope you’re not still thinking there will be something between me and him.”

  Her father didn’t answer.

  “I’m very serious about this. If you don’t stop pushing him at me, this will be a long six months,” she said.

  “What’s wrong with him? He’s strong, honest, loyal, well off. Not rich like the Queen but he owns his land, has a large home. I like him.”

  She almost told him to date Thiago but bit her tongue and stared out the window. They drove along the highway in silence for several minutes before turning off the highway onto feeder roads and then he stopped. “If they have not moved the markers, I buried them in the field ahead,” her father said in a ragged voice.

  “I am the worst daughter in the world,” she thought looking at his hunched shoulders as he moved slowly in the direction he pointed moments earlier. Running, she caught up to him, took his hand and inhaled. “I’m scared. This is a memorial of a very dark, violent time in my life and I have nothing to compare it to. Don’t let go of my hand, please.”

  He wrapped her in his arms and held her close. “I promise I won’t let you go, not this time. I failed you once, never again.”

  “Thank you,” she whispered.

  He placed a kiss on her forehead and with their arms around each other they made their way to the small gated graveyard.

  Zoe didn’t know what to expect. Seeing two headstones rising from the earth surprised her. She’d never seen anything like it. In Lyrill, when citizens transitioned, they completely decomposed in three days, leaving nothing behind. There were no graveyards, nothing was placed in the earth and there were no memorials like this. Moving close, she traced her sister’s name with her fingertip.

  “Suri. Pretty name,” Zoe whispered.

  “Si. She was beautiful like her mother and sister,” her father said as he stared at his mate’s grave.

  “Did you ever find out why they went after Mam? What did they want?” Zoe didn’t look at him, instead, she stared at her Mam’s headstone.

  “To hurt me because I beat the Alpha in a fair fight. They killed her to hurt and destroy me,” he said.

  “No, Daddy. There’s more, has to be. You said they took me while I was standing there waiting for you to finish fighting. Based on how long Mam and Suri were dead before you found them, someone else attacked them before you won the fight.”

  Staring down at her, he opened his mouth and snapped it shut.

  “You said she had been dead for hours,” Zoe reminded him.

  “Yes. Yes, she had,” he said, his gaze distant. “I never thought about that. Anger clouded my thoughts but you’re right. She was attacked before the outcome of the fight.” He looked at Zoe. “They wanted something?”

  Zoe was sure of it but had no idea what.

  He grabbed her arm and pulled her along at a brisk pace back toward the car.

  “What’s wrong?” she asked looking around. Had he seen something? Were they under attack? Fear caught in her throat.

  He didn’t answer or slow down.

  Zoe snatched away from him. “Stop. Talk to me. What’s wrong?”

  Chest heaving, he looked around. “They took you too. I don’t know what they wanted but they won’t get you again.” He reached for her again.

  Tired of being manhandled, she escaped his grasp. “I’m not 10 years old. No one will make me go anywhere with them and you can take that to the bank.”

  Eyes wild, he reached for her again.

  She jumped back and held out her hand. “Daddy. Stop and listen to me for once. You’re letting fear cloud your thoughts.”

  He blinked several times and shook his head. “You’re right.”

  Zoe’s beast stirred and went ballistic. She shuddered and lost her train of thought. Something, no someone smelled incredible. The scent hooked her nose and turned her 90 degrees. Tall, dark and scrumptious walked toward her in long strides. Their gazes locked. Her beast panted in anticipation of getting to know him a whole lot better. Her Prince.

  Thoughts scattered; she took in every inch of his being. He walked with authority, purpose, her beast liked that. This man was no light-weight, a good match. Mouth-watering, fingers tingling, she inhaled more of his tantalizing scent.

  He was almost to her when he flew sideways.

  “No!” her father yelled as he knocked the man down. They rolled a few times before her new prince jumped up and flew at her father, landing a few blows. Her father got in a few punches as well and shifted into a two-footed black wolf.

  Zoe had never seen anything like it and stared. Her prince shifted into a larger two-footed beast and hit her father so hard he flew backward and hit a tree clearing the fog of lust that had cocooned her. Concerned, she ran, kneeled down and cupped her father’s cheek as he morphed to human.

  Thiago stood behind her. “Is he alright?”

  “Back up, Thiago,” she said without looking at him. Her beast didn’t like him being close.

  “What?” Thiago said just before he went flying backward and hit the ground with a bounce.

  “She said back up,” her prince said. The deep timbre of his voice rolled down her back and settled in her core.

  Zoe’s beast liked him standing close just fine but wasn’t ready to see him. “Why did you attack my sire?”

  “I didn’t know he was your sire, but he attacked me.”

  There wasn’t a lot she could say about that. “Daddy?” She patted his cheek a few times to wake him.

  He opened his eyes, glared up at the man behind her, rolled to the side and stood. “Come on, Kira, let’s go.”

  Seriously? She hadn’t wanted to come to Honduras, now she didn’t want to leave.

  “No. Not yet.” She turned to face the man behind her and her beast panted like she hadn’t had water in months. Make that years. They stared into each other’s eyes for several moments before her father stepped between them.

  A low growl of warning rumbled from her chest; her fingernails lengthened as she glared at her father for separating them.

  His brows raised as he looked down at her, really looked at her, possibly seeing her for the first time. “Kira?”

  “Zoe,” she corrected and stepped to the side so no one stood between her and... what was his name?

  “Who is this man? Who is he to you?” her father asked, sounding suspicious.

  “Alpha Lucian and Zoe is my mate,” Lucian answered before Zoe could speak.

  She rolled his name on her tongue, liked the taste of it and placed her hand on his. “Hello, Lucian, what makes you think I’m your mate?”

  He covered her hand with his and pulled her close. “My beast is trying to break through my skin to get to yours. I’m sure yours is doing the same.”

  She allowed him to hold her close to ease the ache. “This is my father, Alpha Sacha.”

  “Sir,” Lucian said without releasing her.

  “My Mam and sister were buried over there.” Without moving her head from his chest, she pointed in the direction of the graves. “We have a lot of questions regarding what happened to them, can you help us get answers?”

  He squeezed her waist and released it. “If you can think clearly about that when my mind is all but fried, you are indeed a worthy Bitch.” He brushed his lips against hers.

  Zoe looked up at her sire, read the pain and sorrow in his gaze. “He’s my mate, Daddy. The pull to him is stronger than anything I’ve ever experienced before. Don’t be mad or disappointed that I want him.” Their gazes locked for a few moments.

  “This Alpha is a Saldivar, nephew of the Alpha who killed my mate and pup. Does the Goddess laugh at my life, heaping coals upon coals onto my head? How can I accept this? Innocent blood stains his house and hands,” her father said and spit onto the ground.

  That gave her pau
se. Zoe leaned back and looked up at him. “You? Your Uncle killed my Mam? Had me kidnapped and taken away?” It made no sense that he would be her mate.

  “You were the one kidnapped? Where did they take you?” Lucian asked.

  “Does it matter?” she snapped and stepped back from him. Her beast and mind battled over what to do. Mates wasn’t something that crossed her mind, but her beast made it clear Lucian would be a part of their lives.

  “It matters to me. I want to find and execute them for what they did,” he said in a low growl.

  “Your uncle stole me from my father. Took me away. How can I respect the house, the people responsible for the death of my Mam and sister, let alone what was done to me?” She stepped back and crossed her arms over her chest. The one thing she wanted above all was to respect her man, whoever he was.

  Jaw clenched, Lucian held her gaze as he stepped close to her and placed his finger beneath her chin. “I am Lucian Saldivar, an Alpha of honor and your mate. My uncle is dead. His reign is over. I had nothing to do with any of his actions. Do not judge or compare me to any other and I will give you the same courtesy. In time I will earn your respect, I don’t expect you to give it to me blindly. But that does not change the fact that you are mine.”

  Her beast mellowed at his show of aggression. He would protect their den and pups. Wait, where had that thought come from?

  Lucian faced her father. “Alpha Sacha, nothing I say or do will ever repay you for the losses you suffered. As Alpha, I have no problem defending my actions but I cannot and will not be held responsible for what a previous Alpha did. As an Alpha yourself, you know that’s not the way it’s done.”

  “The sins of the father—”

  “Alpha Ricardo was not my father. I am Alpha Josef’s son and I’m damn proud of that,” Lucian said, raising his voice at the end.

  The two men stared at each other for a few moments. “Alpha Josef was a man of honor, a good Alpha, and friend,” her father said.

  “Yes, he was,” Lucian said straightening his back. “Yes, he was a good Alpha and so am I.”

  Zoe glanced down at their hands and wondered when he had re-taken hers. The connection felt right, like a perfect fit. She smiled up at him.

  He stared down at her for a few seconds before kissing her. If she could crawl into his skin, she would. They broke apart on a gasp.

  Thiago laughed from a short distance. “Alpha find them a room or a place they can be alone quick or you’re going to see more of your daughter than you ever wanted to.”

  Lucian placed his arm beneath her legs, picked her up and started running.

  Heat beat against her flesh. Need, raw and urgent pulsed through her like an insistent drum. They stopped at a house. The door opened; an older man walked out as they entered. He closed the door behind him. Lucian didn’t put her down until they reached a room with a bed.

  “Mate,” he said in a guttural tone.

  “Mate,” she whispered, beginning to understand why her father never wanted anyone else. The intensity of her need for this man, a stranger, was bone-deep as if he was imprinted in her DNA or something equally scary.

  He kissed her with a desperation that inflamed her. No one had ever touched her like this, gentle and demanding at the same time. Liquid heat rushed through her body as she pulled off her clothes needing to touch all of him. Naked, she reveled in his strength. His long lean muscles, firm hips and legs. They fit perfectly as if made from one piece of clay, briefly separated by the tyrannies of time and now reunited.

  “Mine,” he said.

  Caught up in a basket-full of new emotions, she didn’t respond fast enough. He bit her shoulder, gaining her attention.

  “Mine.” There was an underlying demand that she agree before he continued. Her human side wanted time to think. This was happening too fast. Her beast vetoed the delay and forced the word from her mouth. “Yours.”

  He nodded.

  “Mine,” she growled as she pulled his hair so they could stare into each other’s eyes.

  “Yours.” He filled her, uniting them and easing the persistent ache that consumed her since she saw him. They rode the crest of passion over and over, going higher and higher, learning the shores and valleys of each other’s bodies until the sun left the sky and they couldn’t move.

  “Mine,” she whispered as she lay next to him.

  Lucian pulled her close to his side and inhaled her unique scent. The past two days his beast rode him hard to find their mate. Once Alpha Romano sent word of the general area of her sire’s Pack, Lucian had walked out of the house more than once to go for her. He and Silas both agreed it would be better for her to be on his lands. Once Lloyd told him he had spoken to Sacha and the Alpha would arrive today with others from South America, Lucian had been watching from daybreak. He had instructed Lloyd to prepare this house for him because he would never make it back to Alpha house, not after denying his beast for two days.

  He ran his palm across her smooth skin. Duke and Raven had been surprised this morning when he announced the reason he would be gone all day. After asking several questions he refused to answer, they congratulated him and waved him off.

  “Where did they take you?” Lucian asked in the quiet.

  “You might as well know I’m damaged and have no memory of the first 10 years of my life.”

  He frowned. She didn’t sound like she was joking. “What do you mean?”

  “Just what I said. You should’ve asked questions to learn more about me before we started this mating stuff.”

  He shook his head. “Wait. Slow down.” He took her hand when she tried to sit up. “Whatever happened doesn’t matter. You’re mine until we leave this earth. What do you mean “damaged?” You’re perfect.”

  She returned to his side and stroked his chest. “You sound like Mom.” She stopped touching him, rolled off the bed, grabbed her pants and pulled out her phone. “I’ve got to call her.”

  “Wait. Did you say, Mom?” He sat up, trying to make sense of what was happening. Her long braid had come loose. Thick dark strands covered her breasts. She held up her finger, the movement caused her nipple to peek out.

  His length hardened again as he stared at her gorgeous naked form.

  “Mom?” Her eyes lit with an excited gleam and then she laughed. The sound curled around him and settled. “Daddy already told you? I wanted to tell you.” She winked at him.

  Hungry for more of her, he beckoned her back to him with his finger.

  She grinned. “His name is Lucian. Alpha Lucian. He’s taller than me, even in heels he’ll still be taller. Very handsome and sexy.”

  He liked the way she sounded and how she described him. “Yes, we’re taking a quick breath and I wanted to tell you.” Her eyes widened. “Wedding? Um... I don’t know about that. I just met him. We haven’t talked much to be honest.”

  Hard and wanting, Lucian stood and moved behind her. He wrapped an arm around her waist pulling her close so that his cock made it clear what he needed. She leaned back and rubbed her butt against him. The friction made him want more.

  “Mom... Mom, we’ll talk about all of that later. I’ve got to go.” She disconnected, turned and leaped into his arms. Legs wrapped around his waist, she kissed him as he walked them back to the bed.

  THE NEXT MORNING, LUCIAN brought the tray of food into the bedroom Raven had sent for him and Zoe and set it on a small table. Maybe they would make it to the Alpha house later today so he could introduce his mate to his litter-mates and sleep in his bed. They would decide later.

  “Smells good,” Zoe murmured as she rolled to the side and opened one eye at him.

  Lucian fixed her a plate and took it to her.

  “Thank you,” she said and smiled at him. “You’re a good cook too.”

  He laughed. “No. My sister sent this.” He looked at her. “Raven.”

  The fork paused in her hand as she met his gaze. “How is Raven?”

  “She’s good. Better.�
� He broke off a piece of sweet roll and ate it.

  Zoe nodded and continued eating. When they were done, he removed the plates, took the tray to the front of the house and returned to the bedroom. Zoe was in the shower.

  He followed, remembered the shower they took last night and remained by the door. “Can I get in with you?”

  She held the showerhead at an interesting angle. “Not right now, I need a break so I can walk later today.”

  “You’re going somewhere today?” he teased.

  “Yes. Wherever you live, plus I need to check on my father.” She turned her voluptuous body to him and continued bathing.

  “He dropped your bag off, I’ll bring it for you.” Lucian had no idea when Zoe’s father sent her small carry-on. Security had been informed to keep everyone away. He didn’t know much about Zoe yet but something told him she would appreciate the clean clothes.

  “I’m a very lucky man to have such a loving mate,” Lucian said testing their link.

  “Yes, you are and never forget it.”

  “How can I? You’re in my thoughts constantly,” he said as she stepped out the shower.

  “Doesn’t change the fact you should never forget how lucky you are or stop treating me with the appreciation that revelation deserves,” she said as she stepped into the towel he held for her.

  He smiled as he wrapped the towel around her waist and dropped a kiss on her forehead. “Oh, I won’t. Believe me, I won’t.” He walked toward the shower.

  “Good, because you’re my King and no one will ever come before you.”

  He stopped and stared at her.

  She met his gaze with calm assurance.

  “You’re sure?” Why he asked, he had no idea. The last thing he wanted was her re-thinking their mating but lately, he had been second-guessing things and hated it.

  “My beast is damn sure. I haven’t ignored her advice or warnings for 14 years and I won’t now.” She walked over to him, rose on tiptoes and kissed him. “I’m very sure you’re the one for me.”

  Pleased, he kissed her again, deepening it as she wrapped her arms around his shoulder. When they broke apart, he was hard and leaking.

  “Take your shower and let me see the world you’re offering me,” she said as she slapped his butt and walked out.