by S. Young
He smiled into the mirror above his desk. He liked the sound of that. “Oh?”
“The girl and the leader are becoming attached.”
“You know this for certain?”
He clenched his fist, knowing she was insolently rolling her eyes. She thought he couldn’t see. “Yes,” she said evenly. “My eyes and ears are everywhere.”
Despite her impudence, he felt his shoulders relax. This was good news. “What about the others?”
“Except for one or two, they seem to be rather taken with the little abomination.”
“Good. We are depending on that.”
She chuckled. “Yes, we are. How’s my little pet faring, by the way?”
“Don’t you mean my pet?”
“Well, of course, my lord.”
“I’m enjoying it. I find it an excellent outlet for all my pent-up aggression.”
“I’m sure.”
In fact, he rather felt like visiting it. Bored with her now, he commanded, “Call when there is no doubt about their alliance. We’ll move in for Phase Two.”
“Of course, my—”
He hung up before she was finished and stared into the mirror again. His eyes narrowed on his unkempt hair. Smoothing it with his hands and straightening his collar, he grinned, thinking of the pet his spy had gifted him. It was just a bonus in this tense and frustrating business.
He strolled through the house until he came to the large kitchen. At the end of the kitchen was a pantry, and in it another door. The door led down old wooden stairs to a deep, dark pit. At the bottom, he stopped and breathed through the thin air. He winced at the damp earth that attacked his nostrils.
Damp earth and fear.
With a snap of his fingers, a flame appeared, dancing in front of him, lighting the room, awaiting his instruction. It followed him as he strode to the end of the dark dungeon-like basement and came to a stop in front of a large cage. He bent down, eyes lighting up with delight at the creature inside.
“Hello again.”
The fear roiling inside it hit him full force. He shivered in delight at the tingling warmth of excitement spreading through his body.
“You didn’t think I’d forgotten about you, did you?”
13
First … Everything
A dark cloud hovered over Caia’s head for the next week. She would fall out of bed in the mornings and go through the routine of washing and dressing, having breakfast, and then sauntering off to school.
And then she’d see Alexa’s triumphant face, and whoosh! The dark cloud burst, drenching her in a self-pity she had only ever read about.
“I don’t like this,” she’d muttered to Jaeden during their study period.
“What?”
“This.” She indicated herself dramatically with a wave of her hand. “This person I’ve become … dear goddess, I’m like one of them.” She flicked her pencil at the humans in the room.
Jaeden laughed under her breath. “Caia, it’s called a crush. Believe me, Ryder makes me feel the same horrible mixture of happiness and despair. Add a pinch of lykan volatility and you’ve got yourself the teenage hormonal party from Hades.”
She snorted, but Jaeden’s comforting words didn’t make her feel any better about the fact that all she’d been doing for the last few days was moping about Lucien. Last night at dinner, she’d even been reduced to monosyllables in his presence.
“I heard Alexa’s visiting his store after school.” Jaeden twisted her face in disgust.
“Who told you that?”
“Sebastian sees her when he’s coming home from Yvana’s.”
Caia cupped her chin forlornly in her hand. “I can’t even imagine what my life will be like if he actually mates with her.”
“If who actually mates with whom?” Sebastian whispered, sliding into the seat beside her.
“If Lucien mates with Alexa,” Jaeden answered.
“Why would that bother you, Caia?” Sebastian looked suspicious, pulling his chair closer to hers.
Her heart picked up tempo as her eyes flew to Jaeden. Sebastian couldn’t know. No one else could.
“Uh.” Jaeden swung her pencil about as she tried to think of something. “Because… Alexa hates Caia. If she were to become Lucien’s mate, I mean … she could cause trouble for her.”
Sebastian smirked and put his arm around Caia’s shoulders, his tawny eyes twinkling as he looked into hers. “You don’t have anything to worry about. I’ll protect you.”
Caia grunted and pulled from his embrace as the bell rang. She gathered her things and stood before them. “Thanks, Sebastian, but if worse comes to worst, I’ve always wanted to go to China.”
Saturday morning arrived quickly. The nervous energy in the house was at breaking point as Ella flew between Irini’s and Caia’s rooms to make sure their preparations for the mating ritual were going well. Eventually, Caia decided to leave Irini in the capable hands of her mother and Lucia, who was fixing her hair, and stay out of the way in her bedroom.
She’d changed already, her slender figure wrapped in the dusky-pink satin dress they’d chosen. It was floor length and figure hugging, creating the illusion that she was taller than she was. She was a little self-conscious of the thin straps and low cowl neckline, but Ella assured her she looked perfect. Lucia had sculpted her long, pale hair into a French twist and placed tiny pink rosebuds into the style.
Caia sighed, turning to make sure the dress wasn’t wrinkled from sitting. She didn’t care what Ella said—this certainly felt like a bridesmaid dress.
Someone cleared their throat from the doorway, and Caia spun around.
Lucien.
Tall and wide-shouldered but oozing masculine elegance in a dark three-piece suit.
Oh my, he’s so hot. Her heart fluttered at the vision of him.
“You look …” Lucien stepped into the room and stopped a few feet from her, his hands jammed casually into his trouser pockets. His eyes traveled up her body until he met her gaze. “Wow. You look beautiful.”
Thrill shot through her and she could feel her cheeks burning. “Thank you,” she said, cursing herself when it came out all breathy. She cleared her throat. “So do you.” She flushed again and stammered. “I … I m-m-mean, you look very nice.”
Lucien laughed and she felt instantly tangled in his eyes. They weren’t as silver today, more of an intense dark smoke. “Don’t be nervous, Caia.”
“Nervous? Why should I be nervous?”
He shrugged. “Because you’ve never been to one of these before.”
“Oh. Right.”
“Why aren’t you with the other females, primping and fawning over Irini?”
Caia snorted. “Ah, no thank you. I’m safer here.”
Lucien smiled softly. “No, I guess primping and fawning isn’t really you. Life in a pack is mostly predictable. Not you though. You’re definitely not predictable. Or easy to read.”
“Is that a bad thing?”
He took another step toward her, his voice hoarse as he replied, “No. Definitely not.”
“Caia, there you are.” Ella bustled into the room, unaware of the electric tension that miraculously sparked around the pair. She brushed by Lucien with a distracted smile thrown his way before she grabbed Caia’s wrist. “You’re needed for pre-ritual photographs.”
Caia docilely followed, but Lucien held her gaze until she was out of the room. Her mind whirred. Had they just had a moment? It’d certainly felt like a moment.
Her mind was on the Alpha for the rest of the morning and into the afternoon as they hurried about, preparing the house for the post-ritual party and settling Irini’s nerves. The backyard had been set up with white lawn chairs for the ceremony, all facing the woods where Irini and Aidan would stand before Magnus. The ritual would take place as darkness fell, when the moon was out, and they could call upon Artemis to bind their souls.
By six thirty the driveway was full of cars and the pack was settling in
their finery out back. The thrum of their voices floated through the quiet house. Caia took a deep breath. She would sit in the front row beside Ella, Lucien, Ryder, and Yvana. As Ella had already mentioned, her seat with the family and the fact that she was wearing the same color as Irini and Ella was deliberate, so that the pack viewed her as family as much as they themselves did. She would sit between Ella and Lucien, since Yvana, although she had apologized for her outburst, was clearly still affronted by Caia’s presence.
“It’s time.” Ella took hold of her hand and led her through the kitchen behind Lucien and then Aidan’s family.
“Ella, are you crying already?” she whispered, aghast at the tears in the Elder’s eyes.
“I’m just so happy and yet so sad. I just got her back, you know.”
Caia squeezed her hand. “You still have her. She’s not going anywhere.”
Ella squeezed her hand in retun then as they walked in silence to their seats. The arrival of the family of the mating couple caused the pack’s conversation to lower into silence.
Irini and Aidan approached Magnus from either side. He stood with his back to the woods and smiled at the couple before formally welcoming the pack. When he stilled, so did everyone else, and Caia felt her skin prickle at the hush that fell over them. Magnus tilted his head and stared up at the moon. Caia followed his movement, but then looked back at him when she realized that was what everyone else was doing.
“Artemis,” he called in his brandy-warm voice, “Potnia Theron,” he appealed, using the lykans’ “mother” title for the goddess. The rest of his recital was in Greek—the mystery of those words floated across Caia’s skin, as gentle and awakening as the night’s breeze. “Artemis,” he finished, taking Aidan’s hand and placing it on top of Irini’s and holding the two in a bind. “Potnia Theron,” he continued in English, “bind these two souls together in eternal devotion to each other and to you, their mother.”
Caia gasped as Irini’s and Aidan’s eyes widened, watching as a moon-colored light emanated from their clasped hands and rushed exquisitely through their bodies. Magnus’s expression stayed unchanged, but Caia was in awe. No one else seemed as astounded as her. Instead they remained still as statues while Magnus studied the light as it burned brighter before it abruptly extinguished.
Magnus grinned and released the couples’ hands. “Artemis has blessed this union.”
Aidan grinned and pulled Irini into a heated kiss that made Caia cheeks hot. Irini laughed and pulled back but only to smile happily at her mother. The pack jumped to their feet, whooping and cheering as they rushed toward the mated pair with congratulations.
Caia stepped aside to let the others by.
“Amazing, huh?” Jaeden appeared, resting her chin on Caia’s shoulder, draping an elegant arm over the other.
“It was beautiful,” Caia whispered.
“I remember when I saw my first. It was for Christian and Lucia. Pretty awesome … to know that Artemis is really out there, watching over us.”
Caia glanced over her shoulder at her friend. “If she hadn’t bound Irini and Aidan together, that would have meant they weren’t soul mates?”
“Yeah. But supernaturals rarely confuse these things.”
“But it happens?” Caia bit her lip, sympathizing with lovers who had gone before Artemis, believing themselves to be in love, and then having Artemis refuse to mate them. “Artemis says no, and a couple can’t … have children together?”
Jaeden nodded distractedly, her eyes on the happy couple. “Yeah, exactly. Come on.” She grabbed Caia’s hand and pulled her toward the kitchen. “Get your head out of the dark clouds of ‘what if land’ and into the house. We need to choose the music before someone else destroys the night with ABBA or something.”
“I like ABBA,” Caia mumbled, glancing back at the crowd around Irini and Aidan. She was glad for them. They seemed safe and happy in their little world. She hoped it would always be so for them.
His house was filled with laughter and warmth—people in the sitting room, kitchen, hallways, all drinking, dancing, and celebrating. It was a fantastic atmosphere, and he really should be more into it than he was. But he was distracted.
Lucien leaned against the stairwell in the hallway, beer in hand, watching the festivities. Aidan was dancing to Jeff Buckley’s Hallelujah with Irini in the sitting room. Her face was flushed with joy and excitement, and Lucien was more than glad for her. One of his biggest regrets was that Irini had to leave her pack behind. Eleven years was a long time to be away, but she was home and in love, and she was safe. That was all that mattered now.
His eyes were drawn to Caia laughing with Jaeden and Daniel in the kitchen. His gaze kept finding her. Had been ever since their “moment” in her bedroom this morning. The sight of her standing in the dress as the sunlight filtered across her face just … ah, it was like he’d been punched in the gut—the force of the feeling was that strong. He almost kissed her. He knew he would have if his mother hadn’t walked in. That woman had good timing; kissing Caia would have been a mistake. The timing wasn’t right.
“Why are you standing out here by yourself?” a familiar voice brushed his ear.
Lucien’s hand tightened around his beer.
Alexa.
She rounded the stairs to stand too close and he gave her a patient smile. Uncomfortable with the way she arched her back, trying to impress him with her low-cut dress that fit like a second skin, Lucien kept his gaze carefully fixed to her face. He wasn’t immune—and the girl was gorgeous—but her machinations were so obvious. She wanted him because he was the Pack Leader, and nothing more. She was just like her brother. And that hadn’t ended well.
“This is a happy occasion, Lucien. You should act like it.” She ran her fingertips up his arm. “I could make it happier.” The provocative comment was followed with a saucy grin.
Lucien stepped away, wondering how long his patience with her would last if she kept growing more obvious. He hadn’t minded her showing up with his lunch every Saturday because … well, he was usually hungry by the time she did. But the past week, her visits had become daily, and her flirtations more explicit.
The hope in her beautiful dark eyes made him uneasy. She would find out soon enough that even if he might have been interested, there was no way he could make her his mate.
“I’m gonna get another beer.” He walked away, pretending he hadn’t seen the petulant twist to her mouth. Wandering toward the kitchen, he frowned, realizing Caia and the others had left. Where was she? He strode in, dumping his empty bottle in the recycling in time to hear her familiar laughter.
Following that sound, he stopped in the kitchen doorway and watched as Sebastian pulled her along to the end of the right side of the back porch.
“Sebastian, what is going on?” Caia asked as the young male pulled her up short and pressed her into the back of the house. Lucien’s brows drew together. He’d had his suspicious about Sebastian’s feelings for Caia, the way his eyes followed her when she was in the room, his constant hovering and protectiveness. But Caia seemed oblivious.
Even now, when Sebastian had her positioned against the wall and was leaning into her, she was smiling up at him without a clue the boy was about to make a move. Agitation tingled in his blood. Sebastian was a good kid … he did not want to have to deal with him.
“I thought we should talk.” Sebastian’s grin was loopy, his eyes dazed.
The kid was drunk too? Goddess, it took a lot to get a lykan drunk. How much had he consumed?
“About?”
“You and me.” He leaned in even closer.
Caia tensed, pressing a hand to his chest. “Sebastian, how much have you had to drink?”
“Enough. Forget about that. I need to tell you something.”
“Well, tell me so we can get back to the party.”
“Caia …” He groaned and swayed into her. “Caia.”
“Sebastian?” She chuckled lightly. “Goddess, spit i
t out. I’ve never seen you like this before.”
I’ll bet she hasn’t.
“Okay.” Sebastian straightened, rolling his neck on his shoulders as if preparing for a fight. “Caia. I want you to know … I want you to know that I don’t care that you’re different.”
Uh-oh, where is this going? Lucien prepared to interrupt.
Caia glowered. “Different?”
He nodded, continuing on foolishly, “I want to be here for you, Caia, when things get rough … and they’re going to. I think we should mate, Caia, before your po—”
“Hey!” Lucien boomed, cutting the boy off before he said something they’d all regret. “What are you guys doing out here? You should be inside enjoying the party.” He smiled for Caia’s sake, but inside he was burning. He was going to kill this kid.
The boy at least had the good sense to look nervous.
“Sebastian, I think you’ve had enough to drink. Why don’t you go inside and help yourself to some water? And that’s not a suggestion.”
He nodded blearily, glancing at Caia before rushing off the porch and inside. Lucien watched him go and then turned back to her.
“Did you hear any of that?” she asked, her confusion clear.
He nodded and took a breath. He needed to be calm and smooth, and she would think nothing of it. “He’s drunk.”
Caia stared suspiciously up at Lucien. Her mind still whirred with Sebastian’s proposal for them to mate. She hoped Lucien was right and it was just the alcohol talking, but she hadn’t even realized Sebastian thought that way about her. And what the hell had he meant about protecting her when things got rough?
“What was he talking about?”
Lucien snorted. “Who knows? Just the ramblings of an inexperienced, underage drinker. You guys were supposed to be sticking to soda.”
Caia was unconvinced; his reprimand sounded like a tactic to throw her off the scent. “This whole ‘different’ thing keeps coming up in conversation.”