by Ava Mason
He paused for a moment, thinking about his answer. I turned to study his face. I wanted to be able to tell if he was telling me the truth.
“The truth is, Aria…” For a second, he looked like he was going to tell me something. His face changed, and he looked… vulnerable. As vulnerable as the day he told me about his sister. But then his face closed off and he swallowed his water, looking away from me towards the front living room. “Aria wants me to settle into a clan. And when you claimed me she thought that this would be a good opportunity.”
I thought about his words. “And what do you think about this opportunity?”
“I kinda like it.”
“Really? Tell me the truth.”
He bit his lip, thinking. I took a drink of my water, giving him a moment to gather his thoughts. He sighed and ran his hand through the top of his hair. It pulled a little bit of it out of his pony tail, and a wisp of his bangs hung across his face, hiding his eyes.
Then, suddenly, he slammed his water on the counter and stepped in front of me, stepping so close that his deep blue eyes pierced mine.
“The truth is, Lizzy…. I don’t usually give a fuck about other women. I’ll screw whoever, it’s been ingrained in me since I was a kid. I’ve got royal blood. I need to do my part to help the race. All that shit. And so, I never took women, or clans, seriously. I’ve done some things, Lizzy, some things I’m not proud of. I’ve fucked several women in one night; women who owed my family money. I didn’t give a shit about them except for the pleasure they could give me. I’ve taken married women. I’ve taken married women and their daughters together.”
“You did?” That just felt icky to me.
He shrugged. “When you come from where I come from, people throw themselves at you. And I got to the point where I quit caring.” He focused on the lump from my necklace, but I didn’t think that he was actually looking at it. His thoughts were elsewhere. “Honestly, I was selfish. I took what I wanted and threw away what I didn’t want.” He closed his eyes and his thumbs began to dig into my side. “And my lifestyle didn’t give me room to care about women.”
“What do you mean, your lifestyle?”
His eyes opened and they focused on mine. “Nothing. Just that I didn’t care much.” He shrugged.
“That sounds like a lonely life.” I wanted to be truthful with him, even if what I had to say might not be what he wanted to hear.
“You’re right.”
I was so surprised with this confession that I didn’t know what to say next. I put my water on the counter to do something with my hands.
“And I have to admit, when I saw you that first night, and even a few days afterwards, I was just… flirting. I thought that maybe I could have some fun with you and the rest of the guys. But when you turned me down, it made me see you differently.”
“How’s that?”
“I saw that you actually cared about your guys. I could tell that you weren’t just screwing them all, but that you were taking your time to get to know them all first. That’s rare. At least for Aerwyna anyways. The women I’m surrounded with are all selfish, ambitious… fake. They’ll smile at you while they dig their hands in your pockets to find what you can offer them. They don’t care about me. Not really.”
“Wow. That seems…” I didn’t know what to say. Harsh. But at the same time, sad if that was the truth. And sad that he could see it.
“It’s true. I’m sure not all women are like that, just the ones who end up around me. It’s always been that way.”
“So do you feel differently now? Do you feel like you could settle down? Join a clan. Be a dad?”
His eyes widened. “I’ve always wanted to be a dad.”
“Oh.” His words surprised me.
“But I don’t know.” He ran his hand through his hair. “Fuck, sometimes I think we’re all sterile. I doubt I could ever give you that, Lizzy. I’ve never gotten a woman pregnant, not ever.” He looked into my eyes. “Is that a deal breaker for you?”
I shook my head. “No.”
His lips thinned into a firm line. “Cuz you’ll have the team of men? You don’t worry about it because you think at least one of them could get you pregnant, so it doesn’t matter if I couldn’t?”
I shook my head. “Honestly, I always wanted a family. But we don’t think about these things as much as you guys do. We breed like rabbits around here.” He smiled, laughing softly, and it sounded nice. “But what matters most to me, is how you’re going to treat me. And how you’re going to interact with the guys. I can’t have people fighting and acting stupid and reckless.” I swallowed hard. “I need you to actually care about me. About them. If you’re going to be a part of our family, then that’s a requirement.”
He pulled my hair behind my ear. “So you’d consider adding me to your clan?”
I shrugged. “Maybe. It depends.”
A grin spread out off his face. “That’s the first time you’ve ever said you’d give me a chance.”
“And this is the first time I feel like you’ve told me the truth about how you felt.” I swallowed hard.
He leaned closer and I was painfully aware of how close he was. He closed in until his cheek was next to mine, and he rubbed it against mine softly. “And you like it when I’m like this?”
I nodded. “I like it… I like it when you’re honest with me.” I couldn’t say anything else because I was afraid that my voice would betray how fast my heart was beating.
His hands moved up my side. “So do I have a chance with you?”
“Yeah. Maybe. I don’t know.”
I could feel his smile at my indecision. His hand moved up my side to grip my rib cage and a slow sensuous feeling shot into my chest.
Fucking dragon powers.
I didn’t think. I only reacted. I punched him in the face.
He staggered backwards, his hand on his cheek. “What the hell was that for?”
My heart raced and nerves slammed through my body as I thought of Ember and how she’d used that power against me. “I don’t like that.”
“Like what?” He genuinely seemed not to know.
“I don’t like that power.” I stepped into his face, scowling. “And if I ever feel you using that on me again, I’ll send you packing so fast the back door will hit you on your way out.”
He dropped his hand to try to take mine, but I jerked it out. “No. Don’t.”
He backed away, holding his hands up by his side. “Absolutely. You don’t want me to touch you, I won’t.” He stared wide-eyed at me; my breath was coming in and out in short bursts and panic climbed up my throat. I stepped back until I felt the counter at my back and took in a deep breath.
His eyes focused on mine, as serious as I’d ever seen him. “What’s wrong? Are you okay?”
I growled. “What’s wrong with me? What’s wrong with you? You don’t use that on women, just to get your way.”
“Shit, Lizzy. I didn’t mean it. I swear. It just, it just works on its own, like it just reacts to how I’m feeling and I don’t even realize I’m using it. I wasn’t trying to manipulate you or anything. I just wanted--” He paused, looking away. Then he looked back at me. “I just wanted to kiss you. And I feel like the biggest idiot. I’ve never had anyone turn me down the way you have. And I’ve never, ever had to beg anyone for a kiss.” He rubbed his hands over his face. “I feel so stupid.” He moved his hands from his face and his cheeks burned with embarrassment. “I wasn’t trying anything bad, I swear. I didn’t even realize that I was using my power.”
I nodded, thinking of how Christian’s powers worked that way and believing the honest and earnest expression on his face. “Okay.” I took in a deep breath, calming down. “Fine, okay.”
He didn’t get any closer. “What the hell? I’ve never seen a reaction like that before.”
I crossed my arms across my chest, narrowing my eyes at him. “Maybe not everyone wants you to kiss them, James.”
He shook hi
s head. “No. That— that wasn’t normal. What the hell happened to you?”
I looked away and took my water off the counter, then gulped down the rest. “Nothing.”
Now he narrowed his eyes at me. “Don’t give me that shit. I’ve been honest with you.”
“Yeah, today, but what about before?” The moment I said it, I regretted it. He’d told me something that he’d never told anyone else; Sophia’s weakness. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that.” I turned around, rubbing my face and sighing. Being with James was always so… complicated. I decided that I needed to get back to Avery and Christian. And I needed to change my tampon. And plus, I just didn’t want to think about Ember. I tried shoving it down where the darkness could hide it. “I need to go.”
He grabbed my arm and pulled me towards him. “I’m not accepting your brush off. What happened to you? Tell me.”
I stared into his eyes; they looked so… concerned. Like he really did actually care.
“Tell me.” His voice was gentle, almost a plea and I softened.
I closed my eyes and took in a deep breath, bracing myself. “Ember. She had that power too.”
His hand on my arm loosened. “And she did that to you, when she took you?”
I nodded.
His hand came to my chin and he slowly pulled my head up. “Look at me, Lizzy.”
I opened my eyes. “If she used that and you didn’t want it, then she was a bitch who deserved to die.” His voice was bitter and angry. “You don’t ever use that power on someone who doesn’t want it. You did nothing wrong.” Suddenly tears sprang to my eyes and fell down my face. Fuck, I needed to hear that so bad. “And I swear, I have not, nor will I ever use that on someone who doesn’t want it. I’m sorry I did it before, I didn’t mean to use it.” His hand was still clasping my chin tight and I couldn’t look away. “And whatever I can do to help you get over that, you just tell me and I’ll do it. No questions asked. Okay?”
I nodded.
“Will you talk to me about it?”
I shook my head. “Maybe another day.”
“Anytime, day or night. You want to talk and I’ll listen. Even if someone is trying to kill me, even if I’m sleeping. Even if I’m screwing someone, okay?”
I nodded.
He nudged me. “Though, hopefully, the only person I’ll be screwing from here on out is you.”
I grinned and he released his hold on my chin.
“Now,” his other hand came around to clasp my side. “Can I touch you here?”
I nodded. “Yes.”
He put both his hands on my hips. “Now, I want to kiss you so bad that my dick is throbbing. If you don’t let me, I’m going to have to take a bathroom break.” He pulled me close and I could feel his hardness against me. “So tell me, can I please, please fucking kiss you?”
I hesitated and he closed his eyes, groaning.
“Yes.”
His eyes shot open. “Did you just say yes?”
I nodded. “Yes.”
He grinned, then his eyebrows furrowed and his face grew serious. His finger came to rest under my chin and he pulled my face close. I closed my eyes, giving in to my feelings, but instead of kissing my lips, his lips kissed my cheek, my eyes. Then he rubbed his cheek against mine again. “I’m here for you, Lizzy. I swear it.” He softly kissed the side of my mouth and I moved my head to meet his lips. He smiled, and then his hand on my back pressed me to him and he kissed me back.
His kiss was soft, sweet, and I melted into him as a warmth washed through my chest. Even though his hand was tight on my hip, I felt no power pulsing through it and I was certain that he was holding back. Then he pulled back and stared into my eyes for a moment.
Then, kissing the tip of my nose, he pulled me in for a hug.
I leaned into his body, feeling so safe and secure. Feeling warm and protected.
“Thanks, Lizzy. You have no idea how long I’ve wanted to do that.”
I didn’t answer him but just reveled in his warmth.
His lips went to my ear. “Easton and Hunter are going to be eating their words tonight.”
Smiling, I hit him playfully on the chest, but he just growled and held me tighter. I nuzzled myself into him, fully aware that he was still hard. But he made no move to take things any further, which I was grateful for because his words were a reminder that I still hadn’t worked things out with the rest of the guys.
So far, my theory about Garrett was holding up. We saw a lot of pack members come and go. There were several people I didn’t recognize, so there was a possibility that he was recruiting or that he’d taken out another pack or two. We easily saw between a hundred to a hundred and fifty shifters come and go. I kept my eyes peeled for Aaron but never saw him or anyone else in his family.
There were so many of them at Garrett’s house that I knew I would have to have some serious backup or find a way to challenge Garrett in public so that he would have to fight me fairly. I considered just walking up to the gate, but decided to keep that in my back pocket for now. I spent a lot of time with Avery and Christian, but we decided to switch things up.
The house next door had considerably more property and we couldn’t even see the house from anywhere. His fence was more imposing, not only built with wire, but electricity buzzed through it and several motion sensors and video cameras could be seen tacked to the trees.
We’d decided to keep an eye on Garrett’s place for one more day, and then have a meeting to decide what to do next. Avery, James and Christian, decided to try a different position to see if they could get anything new.
I was relieved to be going with Easton and Hunter. I wanted to watch the front and see if I could recognize anyone who might give me an in to Garrett’s compound. Plus, sitting in a tree was giving me stupid menstrual cramps.
Easton, Hunter and I took up our position several yards from the front gate. We settled into it so early in the morning that the guards at the gatehouse, whom I didn’t recognize, were barely awake. No one else came or left.
“So.” I settled onto the ground in between the guys. We were covered by a copse of trees and tall monkey grass. “What did you guys tell James the other day?”
Hunter shrugged. “Not much.”
I looked at Easton. “Eastie? You’ll tell me the truth.”
Hunter grabbed my arm and forced me to face him. “Lizzy, don’t say that. I’ll tell you the truth, too. We just told him that it was up to you if he joined the clan. If you didn’t want him in it, that he’d be sent packing after this mission was over.”
“Is that all?”
Hunter shrugged. “He asked if we thought you wanted him here.”
“And what did you tell him?”
His lips spread from ear-to-ear in a grin. “We told him if you hadn’t kissed him by the end of the night, you probably weren’t interested and that he was just here for the show.”
“Oh.” I smirked, understanding why it was so important for him to kiss me. “Why’d you tell him that?”
Hunter shrugged. “We were just messing with him.”
I looked back towards the guard gate, chuckling. “Seems fair for all that shit-talking he’s done lately.”
The guys grinned in return and I noticed that Hunter seemed a bit more relaxed about the whole thing.
“You doing better with him?”
He shrugged. “He’s not so bad. Still annoying, but I’m getting over it.” He paused. “He’s kinda like an annoying, yapping, lap dog. Irritating most of the time, but sometimes nice to cuddle with.”
“And have you been cuddling with him?” I raised my eyebrow.
Hunter pinched my cheek, smiling mysteriously. “You’ll never know.”
I grinned. “And if I accepted him into the clan?”
He shrugged, sighing heavily. “He’s practically already a member already.”
Easton piped up. “As long as he understands his place.”
I sniggered. “What? As cousin to the
Queen? I don’t think he’ll ever consider himself under any of us, me included.”
Easton smirked. “There are ways of teaching him.”
I grinned, and was about to ask him for suggestions when a large truck barreled down the road. It slowed as it approached Garrett’s driveway. Our conversation about James was forgotten as we focused on it. There were two people in the front and I didn’t recognize either of them. After they turned, I looked at their tags. Florida license plates. So these were probably visitors.
They stopped briefly at the gate before they were waved through. From here I could see that there were about thirty cars parked in the gravel lot by the house. Plus, the house itself had a five-car garage, so there would be more in there. Through the binoculars, I could see four guys step out of the truck and the front door to the house immediately opened.
Garrett himself stepped out to greet them.
This was the first time I’d seen him since I returned. The hair on the back of my neck stood on end and a loud rumble escaped my throat. Without thinking, I stood up and began to march towards the gate, shredding my clothing. Both Hunter and Easton tackled me to the ground and I fought against them. Easton held my hands against a clump of monkey grass and growled into my neck. “Lizzy, calm the fuck down.”
“Let me go!” I screamed, kicking out at him but I was on my stomach and they had me pinned down. Suddenly, they were off me and Hunter flipped me over. “Lizzy, look at me.”
I was raging, breathing heavy and so angry that I couldn’t think. I needed that motherfucker. I needed him dead. Now. Blue magic pulsed from my necklace and my wolf paced inside, ready to be let free.
“Lizzy, look at me.” Hunter clasped my cheeks, forcing me to look at him. “Princess. Look at me.” My eyes focused enough to stare into his eyes. “I know exactly how you feel. Believe me. I know every single feeling going through your body right now. But, right now is not the time. Do you understand me?”