by Juniper Hart
“You’re young and stupid.” Duke didn’t seem bothered by his son’s emotional outburst. “You didn’t know any better. I did the same thing to my father before I took the throne.”
Reuben hesitated, obviously confused.
“Really?”
“Really. It took me fifteen years to figure it out and go back to my own father. I was ready to wait another few years before I came after you, but I was never going to let you go. You’re my son. You’ll always be welcome in my home.” He took a more serious, almost protective, tone. “So who’s after you and Cara?”
“Ezekiel put a bounty up on us the day after we first met. Adrianna was the first to show up.”
“I thought I saw her with you. I’ve never liked that woman. Do we need to kill her?”
“No! No, don’t kill her. She promised she’s on our side. I offered her a fourth of Ezekiel’s treasury if we won. I mean, now that I have you to help me I don’t need her, but I’m not going back on a deal like that.”
“An interesting bargain. Not a wise one when the pack was so close. The pack defends itself.”
“I know.” Reuben looked down. “I was stupid.”
“You’re learning.”
It was striking to see Reuben and Duke together. Duke was clearly Reuben’s father. He shared the same features and even the same mannerisms. Reuben had this funny little thing he did every time he was uncomfortable: he’d mess with his ear for some reason. Just tickle it a little with his fingers. Duke did the same thing.
The van finally came to a stop. Cara didn’t want to leave the van; she wanted to stay and get to know Duke better, but that changed when she saw where they were going. It was a huge, old manor with towering marble columns and magnificent glass windows that reflected the sunlight with such intensity that the building almost looked like it was on fire. There were dozens of expensive cars parked in a loop in front of the house with a carefully manicured garden looping all the way around the house into an expansive, wild country behind it.
Cara whispered, “It’s beautiful.”
“Welcome to my home,” Reuben replied, helping her out of the car and putting his hand on her lower back as he led her across the stone driveway.
Duke went ahead of them to talk to the armed guards outside that were wearing stoic expressions and sunglasses.
“Impressed?” asked Reuben.
“You could say that!”
Cara marveled at the monumental building. It looked like the kind of place that didn’t exist in the real world, but was instead on some billionaire dating show.
“This belongs to the pack?”
“Well, it belongs to my family,” he told her. “Other families in the pack have places like this across this mountain. Well, this one is admittedly the best, but the other ones are close.”
His hand descended further down her back onto her butt. She felt a tingle start where his fingers were gently running across her body. She batted his hand away. She hated herself for doing it.
“Not here, Reuben. This isn’t a good time.”
“It’s always a good time,” he replied with his deep, powerful voice. “You’re so beautiful. I love you, Cara.”
Reuben grabbed her hand and pulled her behind some tall bushes, shielding them from the guards and the other people in the driveway. Reuben placed his mouth on hers as she welcomed his advances. She took in his scent as he moved his lips onto her neck. His lips were smooth and inviting, and his hot breath warmed up her cold skin. She wanted nothing more than to allow him to take her right then. It took all her willpower to pull away.
“Just hold on,” she pleaded. “I love you so much, but we can’t here. You have no idea how much I want to do this, but let’s get inside.”
“Your wish is my command, dearest…”
They rushed into the huge manor. Reuben moved with memory – up a spiraling staircase and into a huge bedroom.
Their faces were inches apart. Ever so gently, Reuben placed his hand on her hip and slowly moved it up across her skin. He gently directed her to the four-post, canopied bed and laid her on her back, as she relaxed on the soft sheets. Reuben stood before her and removed his shirt to show his muscular torso. Cara slid off her hoodie and unbuttoned her pants as Reuben slowly slid them off of her legs.
“No panties?” Reuben asked with a sly smile.
“Are you complaining?”
“Definitely not.”
Not wasting any time, Reuben removed his shirt and pants before joining her on the bed, pinning her while looking passionately into her eyes.
She curled her leg around his back as he grabbed her thigh passionately before stroking her skin sensuously, ushering in a wave of chills that spread across her entire body.
He kissed her shoulders, moving towards her chest and between her breasts. He was toying with her. Slowly, he removed her bra. Cara couldn’t hold back a pleasurable shudder as his tongue circled her nipples.
Their gaze met for one precious moment as he grinded up against her, prompting a pleasure-induced sigh. Reuben reached down and worshipped the center of her femininity, inflaming her passions. She moaned, shuddering and grabbing the sheets.
Cara slid a hand around his manhood, stroking his erection playfully. He let out a gasping moan as she stroked his increasingly long rod. She led him off the bed. Reuben seemed surprised, but impressed by her willingness to take control.
Reuben pressed her back up against the wall and lifted her with one powerful movement. He looked her in the eyes and gave her a bold smile. He penetrated her, filling her completely. Cara moved her hips back and forth, kissing him across his broad chest. Her nails dug into his back, creating long scratches as they both climaxed.
She felt his muscles relax. He gently let her to the ground, still kissing across her breasts. She felt a shudder of unexplainable joy pulse through her body. They made their way back to the bed to lie down, intertwined, and bask in the gratification they both felt.
“How is it possible that each time gets better?” Reuben asked, tickling her cheek with his index finger.
Goosebumps formed all across her skin. “I’ve been waiting to get you alone for quite some time,” she breathed. “Thanks for taking the initiative.”
He gave her a playful wink.
“Always, babe, always.”
She snuggled up against him.
“I like your house. And your father seems like a nice man.”
“That’s the first thing you thought of? I mean, we just made love here and you—”
“Oh, just shut up,” she said before kissing him on the lips.
8
After a few minutes of lying in the magnificent bed, Cara asked Reuben where she could shower.
“You don’t want to see the rest of the pack?” Reuben had his arms up around his head in a relaxed position. “I know they’re eager to see you. And you still have to meet my mother.”
“I’d like to shower.”
He laughed.
“Okay, okay.” He raised a hand and pointed at a door in the bedroom. “Right there. There will be a clean robe inside.”
Cara had grown up with a modest family. They didn’t blow anyone away with their wealth, but they’d tried to put Cara through college as best as they could. It was hard sometimes. When they’d passed away, Cara had rented a small apartment she could afford, which wasn’t much. To see the inside of a house like Reuben’s was surreal. Everywhere she looked took her breath away, from centuries old oak dressers to golden-laced metalwork for decoration. She felt like she’d stepped out of her time and walked into the Victorian era.
Even the shower was absolutely stunning. Cara had always been rather fond of the shower back at her apartment. It was slightly cramped, sure, but it had a nice modern overlay to it. Reuben’s house was not like that. It wasn’t modern or cramped. Instead, everything she saw was made of marble, from the floors to the spacious shower.
For the first time since she could remember, she did
n’t have any trouble trying to get the shower to work. It made sense. It worked. It didn’t go from scalding hot to freezing cold. Almost like it was trying to help her, it immediately settled on the perfect temperature.
Cara was impressed.
She’d known that Adrianna had been casting her dirty glances. She knew the assassin was jealous of her, but Cara had thought it was because she had Reuben. She had no idea he came from such power and wealth. And apparently, this home was only a fraction of what the pack owned all across the mountain. Her mind was blown. Absolutely blown.
As she sat in the shower with the warm beads of water rolling down her soft skin, she wasn’t sure that going after Ezekiel was the best plan anymore. Reuben had an army. Well, his dad did, but Duke had made it clear that no vampire would harm any member of the pack and get away with it. Maybe they were safe holed up in the manor.
But was that really a way to live?
Eventually, Cara would find every little nook in the house. Eventually, it would lose the majesty and she’d want to explore the world with Reuben. There were so many things she still wanted to see. Were they safe hidden up in the manor with hundreds of werewolf guards? Absolutely. Even the small number of them that she had seen looked like they could handle themselves and more, and there was apparently a small army of them positioned all across the mountain. But Cara couldn’t make herself accept that she might stay there until she grew old, never taking the plunge, and never tasting life’s sweet fruits.
No, that made no sense. They’d have to take down the bounty so they wouldn’t be afraid of being attacked at every turn. If she went to the store, she didn’t want to have to wonder if the cashier would try to shoot her to collect the bounty. She didn’t want to have to worry about random strangers trying to do anything with either her or Reuben. And based off what Reuben had told her, and what she herself had seen, Ezekiel wasn’t the kind to back down. He was on a rampage. He’d devoted a huge portion of money for the bounty, and Cara wouldn’t be shocked if he put his whole life into taking them down for a mistake that happened so long ago.
She closed her eyes and looked up at the rainforest-style shower. The warm water splashed across her face, washing off all her worries of the last few days. They were actually safe for the first time since they’d met in that parking lot. How long had it been? A week of running and constant danger? Two? She couldn’t even begin to understand why Reuben hadn’t immediately taken them straight to the manor and why he’d gone to Eddy at all.
Eddy was a great guy and Cara thought he was a perfect godfather, but he was only one man. He could only do so much. Reuben, meanwhile, had all the protection he could ever need at the manor. He’d just been too proud, or too scared, to ask his father for help.
When she got out of the shower and pushed open the glass door, the full body mirror was cloaked in steam. She caught a blurry look at her naked body. After a second, she wiped the steam off the mirror around her head to look deep into her own eyes.
She had to make a choice.
Right then.
She could let Reuben fight her battles for her. It was honestly the smartest choice. The guy was more prepared for fighting in every possible way. And then there was option two. Option two appealed to her on a more gut level. She fought her own damn battles. Sure, she might not be as capable as Reuben or his werewolf pack, but she wasn’t a woman that would cower in the corner while her man did all the work. That wasn’t who she was anymore. She had a choice to make. One road was safer and would cement her as the meek, submissive woman she had always been. She knew that if she chose that road, she’d live that way for the rest of her life. The other choice was admittedly far more dangerous and it scared the living hell out of her, but she had a chance—a small chance—to become the bold, confident woman her parents would have wanted her to become.
She stared into her own eyes, past the emerald iris and past the pupil. Deeper. Into her heart. Was she enough of a woman to stand up for herself? Or was she the same coward from before that wouldn’t say anything to her cruel boss when he told her to rewrite the same damned article for no reason?
Would she put her head down and submit like she always had, or, for the first time in her life, would she summon who she really was and do something?
She made her choice.
She’d fight.
She wouldn’t be going up against Ezekiel on her own. She’d have a small army of werewolves to back her, along with Reuben. The odds were that the werewolves would overrun the vampire fortress long before she even saw combat, but if it came to it, she’d fight. She felt a chill dash across her spine. She was going to take a stand. With this decision came a powerful rush of emotion, most obviously a swell of intense pride that blossomed in her chest.
She pulled on the luxurious bathrobe and left the bathroom feeling refreshed and empowered. Reuben was standing at the door, speaking to another werewolf. He glanced back over his shoulder at her before sending the guy off. He shut the monumental, expensive door.
“You look refreshed,” he said. He cocked his head at her curiously. “Are you okay?”
She smiled at him.
“Better than ever, actually.”
And she meant it. Deciding to take her life into her own hands, instead of quietly deferring to someone else, was an incredible feeling and one she had rarely felt. She normally let life push her around, from her job to her house to, well, everything.
“I’m glad to hear that,” he replied, looking just a tad unsure what she was talking about.
That was okay. It was within her. It was personal.
“You’ve been invited to a celebration.”
“Oh?” She looked around the room. “What am I supposed to wear?”
He walked to the wardrobe and pulled out a sleek red dress, like the kind that superstars wear on the red carpet. It was striking, and Cara could tell instantly that it would fit like a glove.
“That’s beautiful!”
“Nothing but the absolute best for you,” he replied, handing it to her.
She quickly changed and went to check herself out in the mirror. Cara nodded in quiet admiration of herself. All that working out, eating well, and general self-determination had paid off.
“How does it fit?” Reuben asked from the other room.
He hadn’t come in for some reason, though she would have been fine if he had.
“Do you look good?”
“I look damn good,” she replied before heading out to the main bedroom. “What are you doing out here? Why didn’t you just—”
She came out of the bathroom to find Reuben there, on one knee with a ring in his hands. Her words caught in her throat. A bolt of adrenaline shot through her. Oh God. Oh. God. He was proposing. Right there. She hadn’t planned on it. She hadn’t known what he was doing out in the bedroom. Oh God.
“Cara.” His voice was gentle and his nervous eyes were looking deep into her soul. “Would you make me the happiest werewolf on earth? Will you be my bride?”
“Yes! Reuben! Yes! A thousand times yes!”
He slid the huge diamond ring around her slender finger and grabbed her around her waist. Using his tremendous strength, he spun her in a circle, laughing and crying. Cara herself was tearing up. It had happened. It had finally happened for her.
Finally, he set her down. He slowly, passionately embraced her small frame. She rested her head against his strong, bare chest. She could feel his heart thumping way too fast. He was terrified. The werewolf, the powerful werewolf that could rip through solid steel, was petrified. His chest rumbled as he spoke.
“My grandmother gave me that ring,” he said. “It’s been in my family for hundreds of years.”
He looked down at her and brushed a lock of hair out of her eyes. “I could not have chosen a better mate.”
He kissed her once, then glanced towards the door.
“We better hurry. We’re going to be late.”
He found a professional-looking tu
xedo from the ancient wardrobe. As he dressed, he grinned the whole time, staring right at Cara.
“You don’t know how happy you’ve made me,” he told her with a twinkle in his eye.
She still felt like she was floating on a cloud. She was getting married to the man she loved.
“What’s the celebration?” she asked him as he fastened the last buckle on his top. “You returning?”
He took her hand and walked out towards the main hall of the manor. “Why, our engagement of course.”
“You set up an engagement celebration before I said yes?”
He gave her a knowing, happy look as they walked through the manor to the great hall. They came to two tall oak doors.
Reuben paused before he opened them and said, “I knew. I knew you were the one. From the moment I first saw you in that parking lot, I knew we were meant to be. You’re so special, so talented, and so beautiful, and now I can’t imagine life without you.” He laughed. “I’m rambling.”
“That’s okay,” she said, nervously.
His eyes were sparkling.
He kissed her once more and held it for a second. She swooned, letting herself go into the kiss. She felt like she was in paradise. Then he pulled away and pushed open the door.
“They’re waiting for us.”
The doors revealed a long table with dozens of male and female werewolves in their human forms, wearing suits and dresses. When they saw Reuben and Cara, they all raised their glasses and roared in congratulatory chatter. Their elation echoed through the hall as Reuben and Cara entered.
Cara’s eyes landed on Duke, who was standing at the head of the table. A beautiful woman was standing next to him: Reuben’s mother.
Reuben’s parents rushed to greet them. Duke introduced his wife, Sarah, as she embraced Cara and welcomed her to the family. Sarah then embraced her son as tears fell from her eyes. It was the first time she had seen Reuben in many years. She was just as excited as Duke to have him home.
That night, Cara was the happiest she could remember ever being. She was part of a family – a big family.