“It’s just that when we were separated before, I could picture you somewhere safe and happy. I can’t do that if you get hurt, or worse, here at the tournament.”
He shrugged. “All I can tell you is I would never be happy without you. Especially if I knew you were with someone else who couldn’t make you happy.”
She grinned shyly up at him. “So you think you’re the only one who can make me happy?”
He gently moved his thumb over her chin. “I’ve always thought so. From the moment I first saw you.”
She looked away and leaned against him. “Then I think I can tell you my secret.”
He froze. “Secret?”
“Well, not so much. You know my sister. Laurel.”
He thought back. Yes, he did remember a much younger sister. She’d been shy, seemed too frail for martial arts, but had come to watch Lily a couple times. “I think so. Why?”
“Back when we… you know. I was planning to run away with you. I wanted to. The night I meant to, I was confronted by my father.”
His heart twisted. “What do you mean?”
“He told me if I left, he would simply find another alpha female to take my place. My sister.” Lucas growled, but she ignored him and kept talking. “He’ll never stop with his political matchmaking aspirations. If he can’t get what he wants with me, he’ll get what he wants with my sister.”
Lucas was quiet. He hadn’t known that had been holding her back. He’d been an ass. It all made sense now. “Why didn’t you tell me before?”
“I thought you wouldn’t understand,” she said, twisting her hands in her lap. “I thought you’d judge me for not taking the leap. But my sister is a minor. There’s nothing I can do to take her with me. It’s illegal.”
He snarled. “Your dad’s plans should be illegal.”
“He’s alpha,” she said.
“He doesn’t deserve to be.”
She nodded. “Still, I think you’re proving to everyone that alpha-ness is something you do, not something you’re just born with.”
He felt pleasure flood through him. When she believed in him, it seemed like he could do anything. “I’ll make sure your sister is safe.”
“Can you?” she asked. “With all the wealth and power my father has, can you really protect both of us? Are you willing to put your family dojo in jeopardy?”
Lucas thought about it. He’d possibly be taking everything that meant the world to Asher. No, he couldn’t do that. But he’d figure out a way through this. He needed to keep Lily safe, and he also cared for Laurel. No one deserved to be forced to mate.
“It won’t put the dojo in jeopardy. I’ll get her out, and we’ll go to the Tribunal if we have to.”
She shook her head. “You can’t get her out. I’ve tried. He has a whole guard on her.”
Lucas grinned. “And I have two brothers that are some of the best fighters on the planet. Don’t worry. I got this.” He knew it would be difficult, but at least he knew what he was up against, what he had to do to make it possible for her to run if she needed to.
She sighed. “I feel like I’ve just laid more at your feet. Now, not only do you have to beat up a bunch of men to be with me, but you also have to solve my sister’s problems.”
He tilted her face up to his again. “And I can do that. I just need to know that you believe in me. If you tell me what you need, I’ll do it. If you tell me what will make you happy, I’ll do it. You say the word and I’m there, at your every command. Do you understand that yet, Lily?”
She blinked. “I’m starting to.”
“Then promise me you won’t give up on us,” he said, looking into her eyes seriously.
“I don’t want to see you hurt.”
“Promise me,” he said.
“Fine,” she said. “I won’t give up on us.”
“Good,” he said, tilting her lips up to his for a light kiss, just a graze of their lips together.
Lily sighed. “I’m sorry I panicked the other night.”
“I’m sorry I let you think I would leave.”
Lily looked up at Lucas, and Lucas enjoyed the sight of her dark eyes radiating the ambient light from the room.
“Come here,” he said, scooping her into his arms and placing her on his lap. He liked making Lily feel safe in his arms. She was so beautiful, and like this, he could feel every soft curve, every luscious part of her next to him.
It was getting hotter in here by the second.
Lily seemed to be feeling it too.
Lucas leaned down and kissed his love. It started slow, romantic. Each kiss an expression of the years of undying love he’d held for her. And with every kiss, she reciprocated those feelings back to him.
Lucas brought a hand to softly cup her face while they kissed, holding her close, never wanting to let go.
Soon the kisses went from romantic to passionate. Lily opened her mouth and Lucas went inside. Slowly, intentionally, he stroked and explored every sensitive spot. He was in complete control, and he wanted her to know he was. Wanted to know he would do anything for her.
While he made love to her mouth, Lucas instinctively brought a hand up to her breast, fondling it and feeling the luscious softness there. Lily moaned, which only turned him on more. Every sound from her drove him crazy with lust. But he wanted to keep things fairly inconspicuous still.
Lucas moved from Lily’s mouth and went to her earlobe, tasting it slowly, biting it gently, kissing the tiny spot behind her ear that made her body tense and brought a small sigh from her.
“You’re so hot, Lily. Everything about you is perfect,” he said quietly into her ear.
“Everything about you is—” She was cut off when he took her in another deep kiss. He loved the soft feel of her lips on his.
When he ended the kiss, Lily looked up into his eyes. “So does this mean make-up sex?” Her voice was husky, tantalizing.
Lucas chuckled softly. That sounded amazing. But it wasn’t the right time. Not while they were still hiding. No, that would happen when he’d won this thing and made the world safe for them. “Not tonight. But soon.”
Lily folded her arms in mock protest. Lucas couldn’t disagree with her, but he wanted to keep things discrete until it was over.
“That doesn’t mean I can’t do some nice things for you.”
Lily tried to speak but was interrupted by the feel of his hand under her dress, moving across her center. Lucas liked it when her eyes went wide with pleasure and her body tensed, building toward release. Seeing her go was always heaven. He looked forward to the day when he could make her come again and again and again.
“Lucas…” Lily moaned as she leaned into his shoulder, holding him tightly with her arms as he continued to stroke gently. He was so turned on, having her here in his lap, all by themselves, just the two of them.
Lucas could feel the intensity of her pleasure building with each passing moment, her breathing getting more intense. He couldn’t wait to see her come…
With one final stroke of his finger, her entire body went rigid, then released as she came. Her hands dug deep into his shoulders, and Lucas held her tight against him, embracing her as she rode the cascade of pleasure coming over her. She moaned something, but it was muffled by his shoulder. The rapid succession of tensing and releasing ebbed, and her body relaxed entirely against him.
Lily turned and looked up into his eyes, her dark skin glowing and radiant. Lucas ran the back of his hand down her soft cheek, making a line down her neck with one finger. She sighed happily, which was probably the most bliss-inducing thing he’d ever heard.
That and the sound she made when she came.
Lucas nuzzled her. “We should probably get you back. Last thing we want is someone raising questions. I’m sorry.”
Lily voiced her displeasure at this but then nodded in agreement. Lucas picked up her up gently, then placed her standing on the ground. She fixed the ruffles in her skirt and fixed her hair while Lucas enj
oyed appraising his luscious soon-to-be mate.
Only a few more days, he thought.
“I’ll go out first,” she said, giving him one last, slow look that made him burn inside.
“Just two more rounds,” he said, holding up two fingers. “And you’re mine. I won’t let anyone stop us.”
She nodded and left through the door.
When she was gone, Lucas pulled out his phone and dialed a number as he exited a side door and strode out over the lawn toward where his car was parked. He didn’t know what would happen tomorrow, but he knew one thing that needed to be taken care of ASAP, and he wouldn’t let Lily down.
“Hello? Yeah, I need a favor,” he said. “A big one.”
He told his brothers what was needed and then headed home to get rest.
6
The second-to-last day of fighting saw the arena with more fans than ever before, despite there being less fighters. Word had spread through different shifter clans and there was a certain bloodthirstiness in the air that Lily was sure her father would enjoy, but which made her particularly ill.
Lucas had just this last match to win if he wanted to participate in the finals.
Tim and Tom were off today and she was alone on her couch in the VIP room as Lucas’s match started.
She tried not to watch. Fighting wasn’t sexy when the man you loved could possibly get hurt. Instead, she thought about what they’d done last night, how hot he’d been, how protective. How he’d made an insurmountable obstacle like rescuing her sister seem totally in reach.
Perhaps for his family, it was. Especially with her father distracted by the fights and the parties.
Now she just had to hope he got through a couple more fights and won before her father could catch on to who he was.
She clenched her hands together as she saw Lucas deliver the first hit. She put her face in her hands, trying to knead away the stress at her temples, and froze when she heard a voice behind her.
“Interesting competitor, that one,” the voice said.
She felt weight on the couch that meant someone had sat next to her. She looked up to see Bruce McGavin, the man who’d been gross her on the first night of the tournament. He was also the alpha everyone expected to win. She tried to scoot back away from him, but the side of the couch closed her in.
“What are you doing up here? This is the VIP box,” she said.
He sipped champagne calmly from a glass. “Well, it’s a good thing I’m a VIP, then. At least according to your father.”
She swallowed and tried to act unaffected, turning her attention back toward Lucas’s fight. He was easily winning. His opponent appeared to have alpha strength, but that didn’t seem to be a problem for him anymore.
He looked up toward her and she flashed him a grin, hoping he didn’t look beside her.
“What do you want?” she asked Bruce. “Or did you just come to ruin my enjoyment of the fight?”
Bruce laughed and gave her a long, slow look that made her feel dirty. “Enjoyment? You always look ill when watching them. I would know. I’ve been watching you.”
The thought made her a little ill, but she tried not to show it. She didn’t want to give any of herself to this shifter that made her skin crawl.
“Anyway, if he wins this match, I have something that might interest you,” he said. “We’ll see.”
She said nothing, simply waited with the sound of her heartbeat in her ears as the match went on. When it ended, Lucas’s hand was raised as the victor, and she let out a sigh of relief.
“I wouldn’t celebrate just yet,” Bruce said, handing her a large envelope.
She made to open it, but he clicked his tongue and shook his head.
“I wouldn’t do that,” he said, looking around them. “Not unless you want everyone to know the contestant they think is Asher Vale is actually Lucas Vale, an ineligible half alpha who wasn’t even invited.”
She glared at him with wide eyes. “What do you mean?”
“What do you say we meet somewhere private?”
She didn’t want to. She wanted nothing to do with him. But if Lucas were in danger, she needed to know what Bruce knew and what he planned to do about it.
He reached for her hand, ignoring her attempt to pull it away, and raised it to his lips. She let him, not wanting to make a scene as the other VIPs were milling around, but her mouth twisted up in disgust as he grinned and ran his tongue slowly over the back of her hand in a mocking gesture meant to show her he was the one in control.
She longed to slap him but restrained herself. “Where are we meeting?”
“Tonight. In the garden, where you met up with the mongrel,” he said. “If you bring the mongrel or you don’t show up, I’ll make sure copies of that info get to everyone in the competition. And then we’ll see what happens to your precious Lucas.”
“If you want him out, why don’t you just send them now?” she asked.
He laughed. “I don’t want him out. But I do want something. Come to the garden, alone, and I’ll tell you. And if you agree, you get the files.”
“Fine,” she said. She didn’t have a choice.
She looked down at Lucas, who was now frowning up at them. She gave him a wave, hoping to calm him.
If Lucas were discovered now, he’d be immediately thrown off the premises. With the remaining alphas against him, she doubted even his brothers could help him get her and her sister out if that happened.
No, the best thing was to go along with whatever Bruce wanted, just for one more day, and give Lucas time to get her sister out so they could escape as soon as possible.
Lucas was already doing so much for her. This was the one way she could protect him, and she’d do it herself.
Bruce waved and gave her one last grin before going out of the room. “See you tonight.”
Lily waited a moment before going out behind him. As she went toward the stairs that led down to the ring, she saw Lucas coming up to meet her. Her heart beat faster just seeing him, his dark hair sweaty and pulled back from his handsome face, green eyes gleaming from the triumph of victory.
He held up one finger, one more match, and she grinned and put up a finger to shush him and then nodded toward a side door, motioning for him to follow her.
A moment later, they were alone and he was pulling her into his arms. She sighed and let him kiss her, wishing she could tell him about Bruce. She hated keeping secrets, but she couldn’t let his identity be leaked before they had an out.
He pulled back and looked at her in concern. “What did that asshole want?” he asked. “I saw him talking to you in the VIP room.”
She opened her mouth and then closed it, resisting the urge to blurt everything out. “Nothing. He’s just… persistent.”
“Most people are predicting him to be the winner, so I guess I’ll be facing him tomorrow. I can’t wait to stomp him into the ground and prove them wrong.”
She couldn’t wait either. “Are you getting my sister out tonight?”
“Yes, it’s all set to go down during the party.”
She nodded. “Good.” She wanted badly to tell him what she’d be doing in the meantime, but she couldn’t risk it. If she did, he’d insist on coming with her to meet Bruce, and then everything would fall apart. He’d be thrown out, she and her sister would be trapped, and she’d end up with Bruce anyway.
“Meet me after the party, then,” he said. “I’ll come for you when it’s finished so you know she’s safe.”
She swallowed. “Okay.”
He took her hand, and she cringed, thinking about Bruce kissing it. Lucas rubbed his thumb over the top, and it felt calming, almost like he was rubbing Bruce away. “He shook you up, didn’t he?” he asked. “I’ll give him an extra punch for that.”
“That’s good,” she said, putting on her best smile. She just wanted to go lie down and rest before this evening. She’d been stressed during Lucas’s fight and more stressed during the encounter with Bruce.
She’d need her wits about her if she wanted to pull off what she needed to tonight.
The closer they got to succeeding and being together, the more afraid she got that something would come along and mess it up. Lucas kissed the top of her head and told her not to worry, that everything would be fine, and she nodded vacantly.
She hoped he was right.
* * *
That night, Lily cautiously headed out from the party, finding a lull in the event that would work for her meeting with Bruce.
She informed Tim and Tom of the rendezvous, telling them to stay nearby and undetected so she could call for help if needed. Just because she was handling this on her own, it didn’t mean she was going to take unnecessary risks.
She waited until she was sure they’d had time to get into place before heading out into the garden. She’d given them a code word, warning them not to come out without her giving it, because she couldn’t risk Bruce getting rattled and spilling the secret unless things were truly dire. She could put up with almost anything if it meant getting safely through to tomorrow. She’d told Lucas she wouldn’t give up on them, and this was part of it.
The garden was dark and shadowy, and it only increased her feeling of unease as she walked farther away from the house. When she reached the bench where she’d first met up with Lucas, a grinning Bruce McGavin stepped out into her path.
He wore a white suit with a black shirt, and high polished shoes that gleamed in the moonlight. His dark-blond hair was slicked back and his pale-blue eyes seemed to glow.
He carried a bottle of champagne and two glasses and held them out as he got closer.
“Champagne for the lady?” he asked, stepping closer.
“What do you want, Bruce?” she asked tersely, taking a step back to keep her distance.
“Why all the rush?” he said smoothly, taking another step forward ominously. “Why not enjoy yourself a little?” His smile didn’t hide his underlying malice.
She stepped back again. “Just tell me what you want so we can be done with this.”
“Please, have a drink first,” he said. He was close to her now, lifting his hand to offer her a glass filled with sparkling, pale liquid.
Alpha Champion (Wolf Fighters Book 1) Page 6