by Sam Crescent
“Good, me too.”
She nodded. “Of course.” Licking her lips to moisten their sudden dryness, she took the lead and went toward the front door.
Stepping out, she breathed in the clean air. Lucas stood close beside her, and together, they made their way down the steps and headed toward the sand.
As they got to the softness beneath her feet, she quickly toed off her sneakers as Lucas did the same.
Holding them within her hand, she waited for him.
He held his, and he offered his other hand to her.
“Seeing as we’re both trying. Why don’t you give it a go?”
“You want to hold hands?”
“Why not? My parents do it all the time.”
“Mine do as well.” She looked at his hand, trying to see it as a friendly offering rather than the way she knew deep down he intended. They were destined to be mates. Any hand-holding could lead to something more.
Last night, the mating heat had been so strong. Even as she tried to run as far away from him as she could, she’d still been drawn to him. Finding him masturbating hadn’t been what she was expecting.
Lucas had a tendency to surprise her. She wasn’t sure she liked it.
She took his hand, and he locked their fingers together.
It was fine.
More than fine.
She could handle anything he had to offer.
Still, her body ignited beneath his touch. Deep breaths, Mabel. You can do this.
There was no room for talking to herself now. She had to be in control.
In and out.
“It’s beautiful weather,” he said.
She hummed her agreement. “I do love the sunshine.”
“You do?”
“Yes, is that a surprise to you?”
“Not a surprise. I seem to recall you smiling a lot when we had snow, and if my memory serves you well, you were the first one to throw a snowball.”
She opened her mouth and closed it. “How did you remember that? We were like fifteen.”
“And it had snowed nearly three feet and we were all struggling to walk around. Everyone was moaning, and you did no more than gather up some snow, roll it into a ball, and launch it screaming, ‘Snow fight.’”
She chuckled. “Wow, I haven’t thought about that day in a long time.” The school had been shut down and she’d ended up in the town square for whatever reason. She’d spent the entire morning falling down with how deep the snow had been. Seeing how miserable everyone was, she’d fought against it.
“I remember.”
“Anyway, I love the snow. I think sunshine and snow are the two best weathers.”
“Not a fan of storms?”
She wrinkled her nose. “Nope, hate them. They freak me out.”
“How?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know. I think with all the lightning and the rain, it’s too unsettled and too dangerous. Give me snow and sunshine any day.”
“Snow can be just as dangerous.”
“Yeah, so can heat,” she said.
Lucas chuckled. “This conversation is taking on a really morbid turn. You love snow and sunshine. I love storms and the rain. I don’t know why, I just do.”
“We’re complete opposites,” she said.
“Or we’re a complete unit.”
He was trying to get to know her.
“Tell me something about yourself,” she said. “Something no one else could ever know.”
“If I answer this, you have to answer one of mine.”
“Sure.” She didn’t see the harm in answering questions. They were all quite easy.
“Let’s see, I have a really weird hatred of frogs,” he said.
She stopped. “Really?”
“Yes, really. They’re weird.”
“They’re frogs.”
“Yeah, and have you seen them? Slimy and making weird noises, and the way they move.” He stuck his tongue out and shuddered. “Freak me out.”
She giggled. “Okay. I know how to freak you out now.”
“Don’t even think about it.”
“I won’t. I promise. As it happens, I’m not a big frog fan either.” In fact, whenever one crossed her path, she’d develop sweats and freak out, screaming. He didn’t need to know that. “What’s your question?”
“Have you ever been with someone?”
“What do you mean?”
“Before the mating and after it? Have you had a boyfriend?”
She hesitated in answering. “No. No boyfriend for me.”
“None at all?”
She shook her head.
His hand tightened around hers. “Does that mean you’re a virgin?”
“That is a second question, and I haven’t asked you another,” she said.
“Ask away.”
“How many women have you been with?”
“Do you really want to ask me that?” he asked.
“If you want to get an answer to your last question, then I get to know the answer to this one.” They had stopped. He hadn’t let go of her hand.
“I know what you’re trying to do.”
“I’m trying to get to know you,” she said.
He snorted. “Since I discovered you were my mate, there hasn’t been anyone.”
“Not one person?”
“Nope.”
This did surprise her.
“And before?”
“That’s another question.”
“No, it’s not. You’re avoiding the answer because you don’t like it.”
“Can we just leave it?” he asked.
“No. I’ll give you an answer as soon as you answer mine.” She saw his jaw clench.
“I didn’t count. There were a lot, probably more than ten girls. I didn’t care, Mabel. I know why you asked that questions. You don’t want to give us a chance, so you’re going to find any ways and means to keep us apart. To put this void up. I’m trying here, but I can’t change what happened before you.”
“Yes.”
“What?”
“I answered your question.” She tried to pull her hand away, but he held on to it even as she pulled at him. He wouldn’t let her go, and they finally started to move again.
“You’re a virgin?” he asked.
“Don’t sound so surprised. There was no one in high school, and as much as I’ve tried to avoid this mating, there hasn’t been anyone since.”
“Why?”
“It’s my turn to ask a question.”
“Damn it, Mabel.”
“Did you think of being with other girls?” she asked. “Since our mating?”
“No.”
“You didn’t even hesitate.”
“I don’t need to. Now tell me why.”
She glanced at his chest, and she couldn’t resist laying her hand on him there, feeling the rapid beat of his heart. “There was no one I wanted, Lucas, and after everything you did to me, do you think anyone would even risk being seen with me?” She removed her hand.
He opened his mouth at the same time a rumble of thunder could be heard.
Mabel looked up and frowned. Within a matter of seconds, the skies opened up, and down poured the rain.
Staring at Lucas, she laughed. “It’s your favorite weather.”
Another crack of thunder shook the ground, and she yelped as a strike of lightning shook the sky. Any humor she had faded.
“Come on.” Lucas squeezed her hand tightly, and together, they ran back toward the house. She didn’t realize they’d been walking for so long.
As another strike of lightning shook the sky, she stumbled, tripping over her feet. She nearly fell to the ground, but Lucas grabbed her, helping her to her feet as they ran for the house.
“I’ve got you,” he said.
They continued to run even as pain shot through her foot.
The sudden change in the weather scared her. What also unnerved her was the fact one touch from Lucas was all it took
for her to feel safe.
****
After rushing into the house, Lucas closed the door, then went to the sitting room to quickly close the windows he remembered opening up.
He’d just finished the last one when he heard Mabel’s whimper.
Quickly, he returned to the hallway to see her holding her foot on one knee and wincing.
“Does it look bad?” she asked.
He bent down and looked at her foot. A shard of glass poked out of the ball of her foot.
Drenched through and soaked. The dress she wore today was also plastered against her skin and proving to be a distraction.
“It does.” He stood up and without waiting for her, lifted her into his arms.
“What are you doing?”
“You can’t walk on that foot.”
“I’ve got another foot, and I can walk on my toes of my other. Put me down, Lucas.”
He held her even tighter as she started to wriggle against him.
“Lucas, damn it, put me down,” she repeated.
“No.”
“Ugh! I can walk.”
“Not now.”
He carried her through his bedroom, going straight toward his bathroom. He sat her on the counter beside the sink.
“Do you know what you’re doing?” she asked.
“Between the two of us, I think we can figure it out. How did you manage to step on a piece of glass?”
“Not a clue. Running and not watching where we were going?” she asked.
He grabbed a first aid kit, opening it up. “At least we don’t suffer from infections,” he said.
“That’s not funny, and just so you know, we do.”
“No, we don’t.”
“If we’re exhausted and frail, we can succumb to fevers. I read about it. It’s rare, but it does happen.”
“You feel exhausted and frail?” he asked.
“No, I feel stupid that I managed to stand on a piece of glass. I hope it doesn’t have shards.”
He turned on the bathroom light. “I’m getting a chair.”
“I’m not going anywhere.”
He returned seconds later, holding a chair. She took a deep breath, and he wondered what she was feeling.
“You okay?” he asked.
“Totally.”
He lifted her foot, placing it on his lap. “We’ve got to get the glass out.”
She gripped the edge of the counter. “Go right ahead.”
“Do you want to tell me something?” he asked.
“Er, well, I don’t like pain, nor the sight of blood. Both have a knack for making me pass out or vomit.”
“Oh,” he said.
“Yeah, and right now we’re going to have blood and pain. Kind of freaking out.”
“I’m here.”
She nodded. “Yes, you’re here.”
“Does that offer you any comfort at all?”
“A little.” She squeezed the counter, and he watched her close her eyes. “I’m ready.”
He looked down at the glass. Blood spread around the wound, and from the way she was acting, she was in pain. The tightness of her lips, the tension in her shoulders.
Great.
Why did he have to be the one to cause her pain?
He blew out a breath. There was enough of the glass sticking up for him to use his fingers to get it out. He hoped to whatever fucking person was watching, nothing happened to his woman. This had to be the worst timing in the world.
“I’m ready, Lucas,” she said.
He glanced up to see an eye was open.
“Do you think I am?” he asked.
“You’ve got to pull it out. I can’t.”
“I know. I will. I just…”
“What?”
“I don’t want to cause you any pain, okay? I’ve done enough damage. This is— I don’t want to hurt you.”
Silence fell between them as he stared at her foot. Why did her calf have to look so damn sexy?
“Lucas, this isn’t your fault. I was careless. I need you to do this because I can’t, and I don’t know how long it will take for them to send someone, seeing as we’ve got to wait for a phone call to even alert anyone that we’re in danger. You know, I think this is a highly fucked-up situation.”
“Oh, yeah, why?”
“Think about it, we could have fallen and broken our necks or something. We have no way of contacting them. Kind of reckless.”
“It takes a lot to kill us, Mabel.”
“You’re not the one with a piece of glass hanging out of your foot.”
He grabbed the piece of glass and pulled as she ranted at him. She grabbed the edge of the sink and screamed.
The shard was sharp and deep, but he got it all out.
“I got it.” He tossed the shard into the sink and inspected her foot.
“Oh, God,” Mabel said, and seconds later, she slumped. He had enough time to catch her before she collapsed and nearly broke her neck.
Wrapping his arms around her, he held on. “I’ve got you,” he said. He didn’t know what else to say.
Stroking his fingers through her hair, he moved so he could hold her properly. Rather than try to finish repairing her foot in the bathroom, he carried her to his bed. Laying her against the sheets, he smiled, fanning out her hair.
He’d been imagining her in his bed for a long time. He didn’t exactly expect the first time they were together for her to be passed out. For now, he would live with it.
After returning to the bathroom, he grabbed the first aid kit and went back to her. She was still passed out. He didn’t give himself time to enjoy the sight of her. Grabbing her foot, he got to work making sure the wound was clear of glass.
Once he was sure it was, he wrapped it in a bandage to keep it clean. There was no equipment for stitches. Their bodies healed fast, and he hoped that would happen here.
With her foot wrapped up, he checked her other foot, then her knees. There were no other scrapes or damage. Dropping a kiss to each knee, then her foot, he stared at her, and saw that she’d opened her eyes.
“I passed out, didn’t I?”
“Just a little.”
She sat up and sighed. “I’m sorry.”
“No need to.”
She looked down at her foot. “Thank you.”
“I don’t think it’s the best you can get. I’m no nurse or doctor, but it should give you time to heal.”
He wanted to say so much more, but instead, he got to his feet. “I’ll clean up.”
Going back to the bathroom, he wrapped the shard of glass in a towel and threw it into the trashcan. Once he’d washed the sink and the floor of a few traces of blood, he went back to the bedroom to find Mabel balancing on the toes of one foot.
She held on to one of the posters of the bed. “I was thinking of going to make some food.”
“I can do it.”
“I don’t mind.”
He walked up to her so she had nowhere to go. Stroking her cheek, he wanted nothing more than to sink into her virgin cunt. As he ran his thumb across her lips, he was entranced by her gaze.
“Lucas?”
“You’ve got to learn to let me help you. You’re my mate. Let me do this.”
She put her hand over his. “Okay.”
Her lips beckoned him to kiss.
He controlled the impulse, lifting her in his arms and carrying her downstairs to the kitchen.
“I can walk.”
“And you don’t have to. Admit it, it’s good to have a mate who can carry you.” He winked at her.
She smiled. “You think too highly of yourself. You’ve got a massive ego.”
“Being an alpha’s son, you kind of have to. From a young age, you’re told how important you are. How you need to learn so much and be prepared for everything.”
“I bet you love it,” she said.
“Not always.”
“Really?”
He shrugged. “Wherever I go, people know me,
you know? Sometimes I had to wonder if people wanted me around because of me or because of who my dad is.”
“I had no idea.”
“Most people don’t. Don’t worry, babe, I learned to live with it, and I never went without.”
“Wow, here I was being all sympathetic to you.”
He snorted. “I’ve got a good life and I know it.” He opened up the fridge, finding a whole bunch of vegetables to throw into a pasta dish.
With Mabel’s undivided attention, he wanted to impress her, and he wasn’t ashamed to admit it.
“This is kind of fun,” she said.
“Being with me?”
“Hanging out. Big ego or not, you’re not half bad, Lucas.”
He winked at her. “Be careful, Mabel, I might start to think that you’re falling for me.”
“Not at all, but it’s nice to know there’s more to you than a bully.”
Chapter Six
“Not at all, but it’s nice to know there’s more to you than a bully.”
Mabel didn’t know what she was thinking, but it was true. Mate or not, Lucas continued to show her there was more to him than the nasty piece of shit he’d been back in high school.
Staring at the shower, she tried to lower her foot and screamed.
It had been one day. She should have been healing, but for some odd reason, her foot was being a pain.
Lucas had changed the bandage and said it looked better. She couldn’t bring herself to look at it. The very thought made her feel sick.
Gripping the edge of the sink, she gritted her teeth as the pain shot right through her body. She was determined to get into that damn shower. Her body had other ideas.
The door to the bathroom opened and she cried out, trying to cover her nakedness.
Great, Mabel. He’s seen you naked.
“I heard you scream. What the fuck, Mabel?” he asked. He helped her stand, and she went to her toes on the injured foot.
She quickly swiped a towel and held it in front of her.
“I’ve seen you naked.”
“Yeah, that doesn’t count.”
“Why not?”
“Because we were both naked and it was the full moon. Our wolves were in complete control. We can’t be held responsible, and there was distance, you know. This is a shower in a house.”
She sounded stupid even to herself.
“Right, that totally makes sense. I’ll let you keep working on that argument. While we’re at it, what are you doing?”