by Ines Johnson
"Oh my Goddess, look at you."
Standing nearly naked before Karyn, Lucia saw concern in the older woman's eyes, not the judgmental glint she was used to. The other woman tsked at the red bruises on Lucia's skin that must've come from her tumble on the railroad tracks.
Karyn brought Lucia into her warm embrace once more. They were the same height, and Lucia fit perfectly in her arms. Karyn patted Lucia's back, sending her back to her childhood when she'd fallen out of a tree. Her mother had held her the same way and made the same nonsensical cooing sounds. Lucia wanted to curl up in Karyn's arms and never leave. A tear escaped and was followed quickly by a sob.
"There, there, precious girl," Karyn soothed. "You've had a trying day, but you're home now."
Lucia's arms came around the older woman and she held on for dear life.
"Everything will be right as rain in the evening. Pierce will wake up and then we'll have a proper mating celebration."
Lucia gulped. She'd nearly forgotten about the reason for her easy acceptance into this home.
Pierce's kindness and instant acceptance of her had warmed her heart. Well, his acceptance hadn't been instant. More like momentary. But after his initial, moment's hesitation, he'd been nothing but kind to her. And what had she done to repay his kindness? She'd nearly kissed his brother and then lied to his family.
The looming figure of Jackson flashed in Lucia's mind and a shiver went down her spine. The two brothers looked similar with minor differences. Jackson was taller and broader. Pierce was more lithe and trim, likely from his time traveling in the wilderness. She sensed that Jackson was commanding and possessive where Pierce was considerate and thoughtful. Pierce had an easy smile where Jackson smirked.
Unlike Pierce, Jackson had taken an instant interest in her. He'd also made his interest plainly clear. I want to know what to call you besides mine.
Even the thought of his words, his large hands, his piercing gaze, made her shiver.
"Here, dear. Let me get something to cover you up." Karyn brought out a sweater and pants for Lucia to put on.
Lucia focused on the clothing instead of on either of Karyn Alcede's two sons. The sweater was easy; three holes that came down from the top. But Lucia had never worn pants, jeans they were called. She had trouble balancing on one and then the other leg as she shoved herself into them. And then she had trouble with the metallic teeth at the front.
Kayla hopped up out of the chair she'd been sitting in and helped Lucia with the mechanism. "Was that your only dress? What happened to your luggage?"
Lucia meant to answer, but she was too busy sucking in her stomach to avoid the teeth of the metal Kayla tugged upwards.
"Oh my moons," Kayla grinned once she'd finished the zipping job. "We're the same size. I can't wait to go shopping. It'll be like getting two for one because we can share."
Lucia looked into the girl's earnest and excited eyes. Though witches were communal, they coveted their items. Lucia wouldn't have minded sharing her mother's hand-me-downs, but no witch had ever asked. They'd likely expected that she'd insist on the same arrangement with their clothing. Kayla Alcede had grown up in a big family where sharing appeared to be the norm.
"I'd love that," Lucia said.
Kayla squealed, clapping her hands. "This is the best. I've always wanted a sister."
Lucia had more Sisters than she ever needed in her life. But she knew that being Kayla's sister would be different than the catty behavior of her coven. Maybe wolves were different from witches in that respect. But then she thought of her new friend, Nurse Clara. She had taken a genuine interest in Lucia. She hadn't shunned her after sensing her attraction to her fake fiancé's brother.
"It's so funny," Kayla continued. "I always thought Jackson would get mated first."
Her mother nodded as she folded Lucia's tattered dress. "He's showing all the signs."
"What signs?" Lucia asked.
"He's started nesting," said his mother. "He bought a cabin near the city's limits. He's been fixing it up the past few months. The only reason a wolf does that is to mark territory for a family."
"Has Pierce bought a home?" Lucia asked.
Both women paused. Lucia felt the energy in the room change as the joy of a moment ago was arrested by tension.
"Well, no," said Karyn. "He's been traveling so much."
"But he said this was his last trip," Kayla said hastily.
Her mother nodded vigorously. "He's taking a job with his father, working with the police department. It's something he's always wanted to do, both he and his brother, ever since they were pups they wanted to work alongside their father, like Harold did with his father."
Though her words came out rapid fire, pride shone in Karyn Alcede's eyes. Looking closely, Lucia saw the crack where worry crept through. Lucia tried to mask any cracks in her own smile. She remembered Pierce telling her he wasn't looking forward to fulfilling his family duties, and that he wished he could live his life as he dreamed. But it wasn't Lucia's place to say that. She wasn't even his real mate.
But she still wanted to be his mate.
Right?
She thought again to Jackson who'd been about to kiss her before his family barged in. Her body had come alive like never before under his gaze, even though he hadn't laid a hand on her.
She thought about Pierce who had caught her in his arms. He'd been about to kiss her before those humans attacked them. Wait, had he been about to kiss her? He'd looked confused as she'd leaned into him, offering him her lips.
Jackson hadn't looked confused as he'd leaned into her. He’d looked like he knew exactly what he wanted. His eyes had burned with excitement that he was about to claim her.
But if she had to choose, it would definitely be Pierce.
It would have to be.
There was no way Jackson would come near her now that he believed she was his brother's mate. So, she'd have to choose Pierce and hope, that when he woke up, he'd choose her back.
Guilt pulled at Lucia's conscious as she wondered if she was doing the same thing to Pierce that he'd accused of his family? Forcing his hand into a marriage she wasn't a hundred percent sure he wanted? She was no longer a hundred percent sure she wanted it.
"We're so happy to have you in the family, Lucia," Karyn said.
Both Karyn and Kayla Alcede grinned at Lucia. They looked at her with such admiration and acceptance. Karyn rubbed her shoulder with gentle circles. Kayla gripped Lucia's hand and laced their fingers together as no one but her father had done. It was a faded memory, but Kayla breathed new life into it. Lucia struggled for breath to fill her lungs as her heart swelled.
"You can call me ma,” said Karyn. "That is, if it's not too weird."
The air was forced out of Lucia as her heart burst. It was settled. She was a part of this family, and she was determined to keep it that way.
She would fix things with Pierce when he woke up. It wouldn't be a big deal. She knew he wanted her. He had started displaying the signs when they stood on the train platform. He had stared into her eyes. He had been about to kiss her. That would've sealed the deal, and he would've declared her his shortly after. Once he woke up, she'd get him alone and they would pick up where they left off. Simple.
Yes, that was it exactly. His family accepted her. They knew what was best for him. And they'd decided she was it.
She descended the stairs, sandwiched between her new mom and sister. At the bottom of the staircase she saw Jackson. Lucia's step faltered at the sight of him. His hair was wind swept. There was something wild in his eyes, but it dimmed as he looked at her. He blinked and the wild look was gone.
Chapter Eleven
Jackson slogged up the street to his parents' house. Neighbors he'd known since he was a child raised their hands to greet him, but their hands halted before they reached full mast. A few took a hesitant step towards him, likely to inquire as to the state of his health. But one after the other, they retreated, thinking better of g
etting involved.
Jackson couldn't blame their reactions. He was certain he looked nothing like the well groomed, even-tempered, charming man he typically presented himself as. After letting his animal run for untold miles for the last two hours, Jackson's wolf was still near the surface.
The world still tinted a deep shade of silver. His breaths still came out as pants. He felt a trickle of fluid in the palm of his hands that was too thick to be sweat. His claws poked out at the tips of his fingerpads, slicing the tender skin there.
Jackson circled the block once, twice, and then a third time until he wrangled the wolf into submission and he was himself again. It had never taken him this long to leash the beast before. But he'd never encountered a woman as tantalizing as Lucia.
She had a mane of thick hair a wolf would love to bury his nose in. Those curves of hers called out for a long, slow licking. And then there were those eyes. Jackson had gotten lost in their depths more than once earlier. He'd seen her hesitancy and anxiety. His wolf wanted to soothe both. And then there was the scent. It was like looking into a fog through his nose. It made his head spin with every shift of her hair.
Jackson had to pause and brace himself against the Davis' front gate before crossing the street to his parents' house. Just the sound of her name rolling through his brain aroused him. He still smelled her honeyed-almond fragrance on his tongue. He'd been so close to finding out if she was as sweet on the inside as she smelled on the outside.
But he'd been too late. His brother had claimed her. Jackson clutched the wood, and it crumbled beneath his paw.
If she'd been taken, then why in the hell hadn't she said so? Why'd she let him make a fool of himself and nearly take her against the door, with his sick brother lying prone behind them?
Jackson shook himself. He couldn't fault her for his behavior. She'd just been through a traumatic experience. And then she'd had a raging wolf cornering her.
But she could've run.
Why hadn't she ran?
Had she not accepted Pierce's claiming? But no, that made little sense either. The doctor had called her Pierce's mate. Lucia hadn't corrected the man. She'd been flustered, likely due to Jackson's assault on her, but she hadn't denied the claim.
Jackson came up to his family’s house. She was in there with his family. He could put this misplaced attraction behind him. She wasn't the one for him. His wolf was likely confused because his true mate was so close. Wolf brothers often had similar tastes. Sometimes the exact same tastes.
Jackson thought of the warring brothers he'd arrested earlier. That would never be he and Pierce. Jackson took a deep breath, preparing to play it cool. He was in control. He took one step, then bounded up the rest, and yanked open the door.
The first thing he saw was her coming down the stairs. Jackson looked at the jeans he'd bought for his sister for the last Harvest Moon Festival. They were a size too small on Lucia and left nothing to the imagination. Neither did the sweater she wore that he knew was his mother's. But hugging Lucia's chest the sweater looked anything but matronly.
Lucia caught his eyes and froze; the same deer in headlights pose as in the hospital when he'd cornered her against the door. Jackson had the urge to go to her, to pull her into an embrace, and kiss her startled eyes closed.
Instead, he turned from her and headed into his father's office. It was empty, which was good. Jackson needed the time and the space to regain control with that strong, sweet scent permeating the air of his childhood home. His father had left word he was headed to the hospital to check on Pierce before coming home to dinner. With his wolf near the surface, Jackson heard the man's footsteps come up the front steps.
Peering back out into the foyer, he saw his mother in her husband's arms.
"How is he?" his mother asked.
"The same," his father said. Harold Alcede's eyes went over his wife's head at the stranger standing on the last stair rung.
Jackson tried not to look in that direction. Instead, he clutched the office doorframe; afraid he would find his way to her if he didn't hold on to something else.
"You're Lucia?" his father asked.
"Yes, sir," her voice wobbled.
Jackson turned his head at the meekness of her voice. She'd lowered her gaze, like a good wolf, in deference to a male anyone could see was an alpha.
"They said you were on the scene," his father continued. His voice was that of the Chief of the PPU. "Can you tell me what happened?"
"Two humans," Jackson spoke up. "They said Pierce attacked them, but—"
"He did not. They attacked him."
All eyes turned to Lucia.
"They struck out at him," she continued, all trace of meekness replaced by indignation. "He landed on the train tracks."
Jackson's mother gasped and clutched at her heart.
"A train was coming, and I was able to roll him out of the way until it passed."
"You saved my boy's life. I don't know how I can ever repay you." Harold released his wife and came over to Lucia. He pulled the startled woman into a firm embrace. "I hear I'll have a lifetime because you'll soon be part of the family."
"I..."
Jackson's ears perked up. Was he the only one who heard Lucia's hesitation?
"And she's going to give us grandcubs,” said his mother.
Jackson watched Lucia's throat work as she gulped. She lowered her gaze, but not out of deference. There was something shifty in those hazel eyes. They darted to Jackson. Before he could latch onto what he saw there, she'd flicked them away.
Something was off, but he couldn't put his finger on it.
Jackson spent the first fifteen minutes of the meal concentrating on the smell of the ham instead of Lucia's exotic scent. His entire family seemed to have fallen in love with the woman. She appeared to enjoy them as well. She listened intently as they told stories of Pierce growing up. She laughed at the jokes and oohed and awed when his mother brought out baby pictures. All the while, Jackson stared at the char marks on his ham feeling as though he were being roasted alive.
"How did you and Pierce meet?" It was the first time Jackson had addressed her. He hadn't planned to speak. No one had addressed him. They all had fawned over Lucia, seeming to forget he was even in the room.
It was clear that this woman was Pierce's. Jackson had been planning how to pull her to the side later and apologize for his behavior in the hospital room. But his wolf hadn't let go of the idea she was his. It pawed at his chest and knocked the words loose.
Lucia startled and jerked, likely at the gruffness of his voice. Inside his head, his wolf growled at him for making her feel discomfort. Jackson grit his teeth and silenced the beast.
"Oh yes, Lucia." His sister bounced in her seat. "Tell us how you fell in love."
Jackson didn't like his sister's phrasing. He didn't like the idea of Lucia falling, nor of her loving anyone but him. "Was it while he was off roaming?" he said.
"In Rome?" Lucia frowned.
Pierce had never been across the sea. Voyages on that large body of water were treacherous and airfare was steep. She would know that if they were truly mated.
Jackson gave his wolf another shake. Why wouldn't they be truly mated? She had no reason to lie about it.
But he watched Lucia as the wheels in her head turned. Was she trying to spin a tale that she and Pierce had met on the far-off continent of the Europas? If so, it would be the easiest way to catch her in a lie. Jackson and his wolf held still as they lay in wait for her response.
"No, we didn't meet in Rome," she said finally.
Both wolf and man's shoulders hunched in defeat.
"He said roaming," his mother clarified.
Karyn glared at her eldest child for bringing the matter up. Pierce's loner tendencies were not a favored topic of conversation and certainly wasn't a welcome discussion with guests at the dinner table. But Pierce's mate would know that he was a roamer, if she were truly his brother's mate.
Jackson t
urned his attention back to said guest. "Surely, you know that's what my brother's been doing these last weeks? Roaming in the outlands."
Jackson's eyes challenged Lucia. The edges of her eyes narrowed as though shading the inner workings of her brain. She was calculating, sifting through her knowledge for the right answer. His wolf cast him the side eye and now Jackson had to agree; something was off about this whole affair.
"Of course she knows he's been roaming," said his mother. "That's obviously how they met."
All eyes returned to Lucia for confirmation.
"We met while he was traveling," Lucia said carefully. "After he'd come back from the Canadian border. We met in Tahoe Lake, in the fae town."
Relief spread around the table and the joviality returned. But it didn't penetrate Jackson's steely gaze as he held onto Lucia's eyes. He wanted to tilt her head back so he could uncover the whole truth buried just below the surface. And while he had control of her head, he'd taste those lush lips.
Lucia swallowed and looked away from him. But Jackson couldn't let it go. He was a dog with a bone.
"Tahoe Lake?" Jackson said adding things up in his head. "That's near the Sierra Mountains."
He looked her over again, digging through his own memory. When he'd cornered her in the hospital room she'd been dressed in a sheath. More of the puzzle pieces fell into place.
"You're the witch."
Her face fell and Jackson's wolf kicked his ass from inside out to have caused her pain. He nearly rose and pulled her across the table and into his arms, but his family's glares kept him in his seat.
"Goddess, Jackson. Racist much," said his sister as she held a steak knife in one hand and shot daggers with her eyes. "I'm so sorry, Lucia. Jackson's usually the levelheaded one in the family. It must be the stress of seeing his brother hurt that has him behaving like a beast."
"He's right though," Lucia said to her empty plate. "I am a witch."
The silence in the room was deafening. Lucia put down her napkin as though she were ready to excuse herself from the table. But Karyn reached out a hand to stay her.