by KD Jones
“Lucas!” The other wolf fighting Kilian was Lucas. She moved to help, but the vampire Stefano pulled her back to a safe distance.
“I believe your mate has a few things to settle with the other wolf. It’s best we keep our distance.”
She pressed her hand to heart as she watched Lucas and Kilian going at each other. They were both wounded, but it was clear that Lucas was the better fighter. He lunged at Kilian and his fangs bit into Kilian’s throat. She looked away from the blood, feeling a little woozy.
“Are you okay?” Stefano asked with concern.
She nodded, but that made things worse. “Lucas,” she whispered just as she collapsed. Stefano caught her, but then it was Lucas holding her in his arms. She wasn’t completely unconscious, listening to what was happening around her.
“Easy, baby. I’ve got you.” Lucas sat down and laid her across his lap.
“She should shift and heal her wounds.” Stefano suggested squatting next to them.
“She’s a soothsayer, part gypsy and part werewolf. She can’t shift.”
“I offer my blood then. It will help her heal faster.”
Lucas growled. “I don’t know you.”
“I’m Stefano, a friend of Adrian’s. He sent me here to help. I offer both of you my blood.”
She could tell by Lucas’s protective hold that he wasn’t thrilled with her taking another male’s blood. She reached up to touch his face. “It’s okay. I’ll heal in a few days. I need to tell you—”
“What, honey? What do you need to tell me?”
“I love you, Lucas.”
He squeezed her closer to his chest. “That’s good to know, because I am hopelessly in love with you.”
“Guess that’s good, since you claimed me. Now you’re stuck with me. Lucas—”
“What is it?”
“I may pass out. Just thought you should know.”
She heard him sigh. “Thank you, Stefano, we accept your offer of blood.”
Diana felt something drip on her lips. She licked them and knew it was blood, powerful vampire blood. It tasted good, but it wasn’t what she or her wolf wanted; they wanted Lucas.
“Drink, honey, so you can heal.”
She drank at Lucas’s insistence, just to get him to be quiet. She was tired, so tired. “I’m going to take a little nap.”
“Okay, honey, you rest. I’ll be here when you wake up.”
Diana closed her eyes and let her body relax. Everything faded away.
Chapter 18
Five hours later
Diana woke up feeling better than she had in a long time. Her body didn’t ache one bit and when she reached up to touch the bruise on the side of her face, it wasn’t there.
“Vampire blood has its benefits,” Lucas commented next to her.
She opened her eyes and looked around. She was on a plane with Lucas next to her and Roxanne and her mate Connor sitting in front of her.
“Where are we?”
“We are on Adrian Belliveau’s private jet heading to Strange Lake Falls.”
She sat up straight. “What about Kilian, my father, and Councilman Dolf?”
“Kilian is dead, your father is being held and tried for treason, and Councilman Dolf escaped with some of his lone wolves.”
“The council needs to hunt him down. He’s crazy. Kilian said that he has been recruiting lone wolves for years and plans to take over the werewolf nation.”
Lucas shook his head. “The council took a huge loss and won’t be able to function like it has in the past. There was talk of disbanding the werewolf council and having a representative join a new council made up of a variety of paranormals. They asked Ric to be the representative.”
“Wait, what about Ric being the Alpha?”
“He’ll always be alpha, but I’ll be taking over as active Alpha of the Strange Lake Falls pack.”
“A lot has happened. How long was I out?”
“Five hours. We’re about to land in Strange Lake Falls.” He looked at her with a serious expression.
“What’s wrong?”
“Do you remember what you said to me before you passed out?”
“Um . . .” What was he getting at? Then it dawned on her. “I told you that I loved you.”
“Did you mean it?”
“Did you mean it when you said it back?” She turned the tables on him.
He frowned. “Of course I meant it. I mean it. Damn it, Diana, I love you so much, it hurts to think I might have lost you.”
She smiled at him as she unbuckled her seatbelt and climbed into his lap. “I love you more than anything, Lucas. You fill my heart with such joy. I would have died if something had happened to you.”
He gripped the back of her head gently and pulled her down to claim her lips. “I love you, Diana, and I am going to claim you in every way possible as soon as we get off this flying tin can.”
She smiled as she laid her head against his shoulder. Life would never be the same as it was before; it would be better, filled with love and laughter and one day, their children. She finally had something she had always wanted but never had: a home. Lucas was her home.
Epilogue
Two months later at the full moon
Diana smiled up at Lucas as they exchanged vows at their mating ceremony. The pack would shift and run during the full moon as part of their celebration. Diana will be running with the pack on the hunt, but in human form, running next to her mate. Lucas was heading the hunt as the new Alpha of the combined Strange Lake Falls pack.
Her father had been taken into custody and put on trial in front of the new paranormal council consisting of shifters, vampires, witches, and a wizard. Ric had accepted the position as the werewolf representative. He had to travel one weekend a month to meet with the council in various locations.
The Paranormal Allegiance Council, or PAC, that’s what they are calling themselves after two days of debating. The PAC issued a warrant for Councilman Dolf and his followers. No one had seen or heard from them, which was making everyone uncomfortable. They were out there and they were planning something. The PAC was going to have to do everything in their power to get ready for it. The soothsayers had decided it would be safer to spread out amongst the different packs rather than all staying in one location. None of them had been able to have visions of the lone wolves or what they were planning to do. That was a scary thing for Diana. Lucas’s voice broke into her heavy thoughts.
“Are you sure you want to run with us? You could stay here with Jackie and Lila.” Lucas pointed to the two dark-haired vampire women fussing over a little toddler.
She smiled at him. “Are you afraid I’ll outrun you in human form?”
He chuckled. “You’re cocky this evening, my love. I promise to run slower than the rest so you can keep up.”
She growled at him, but it was all good-natured fun. She had never known life could be so interesting or so thrilling. She was thrilled to think she had her whole life to spend with Lucas, and she didn’t intend to waste a single moment.
*****
Sam ran through the woods, the scent of a rabbit just ahead of her. She was determined to catch it before any of the others. She might be the youngest werewolf added to the pack, but she was quickly learning everything she could.
She had been at a college for the last few years but now she was ready to come home. She just needed to find a job somewhere local. Of course, it was kind of hard to go to a job interview with two bodyguards following you around.
Her stepfather Adrian was being totally overprotective, assigning the guards for her. She didn’t mind Christian, but the male vampire guard was too much. He got on her nerves, always pushing her limits and frustrating her to no end. She knew she was just as annoying to him as he was to her. She couldn’t help but push his buttons whenever she got a chance. He was just so easy.
If it was just the teasing, she could put up with it, but there was an extra awkwardness that came from their extreme sexual attr
action for one another. No matter how hard they fought, it seemed to only get stronger. She wasn’t sure how much longer she would be able to resist.
The rabbit was stopped on the large roots of a nearby tree. Sam shuffled her paws, getting ready to pounce.
Snap! A heavy foot snapped a twig, making the rabbit scamper in the opposite direction.
Sam shifted to her human naked form and turned to glare at the vampire who had caused her to lose her prize. “Damn it, Brock! I almost had him.” She placed her hand on her hips.
Brock moved forward until the moonlight shone on his handsome face. “You wouldn’t have gotten it anyway.”
“Yes, I would have!”
“Nope, you hesitated. You need to learn, Samantha, when you have prey in your sights, you can’t hesitate for a second or it will slip through your fingers and others will take what should be yours.” His voice was deep and husky and his eyes traveled up her bare body.
Sam couldn’t help but shiver with desire. He always did this to her, get her aroused and then leave her untouched. Well, she had had enough of the celibate dance. She was ready for the full sexual experience.
She stepped closer to him, bringing her less than an arm-length away. “Maybe I need a good teacher, to show me how things should be done. The twins offered to acclimate me to the social scene in Strange Lake Falls.”
He growled taking a step closer. “You don’t need the twins.”
She couldn’t feel the coolness of his skin. She reached up and ran a finger down the shirt stretched across his muscled chest. “Really? What do I need?”
Brock surprised her by pulling her into his arms and against his body. “You need me.”
About the Author
Best Selling Author KD Jones
Science Fiction and Paranormal Romance
BIO: KD Jones has published over 30 books in five different series. She has been a huge fan of both romance novels and science fiction novels since she was 16 years old. Her favorite television shows growing up were Star Trek and Doctor Who. When not writing, she can usually be found curled up on the couch with a good book, working on her hobby of photography, or spending time with her family. As a single working mom, she wants to show her son that a person can follow their dreams no matter how old they are and where they are in life. Dreams can come true if you work hard and believe in yourself.
CONTACT Information:
Website: www.authorkdjones.net
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kdjonesauthor?fref=nf
Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @authorkdjones
Publishing Achievements: Has 5 main series, 31 individual books, 2 co-authored books, and 6 bundle books
Katieran Prime Series
Katieran Prime (KP Book 1)
Prime Commander (KP Book 2)
Prime Medic (KP Book 3)
Kiljorn Prime (KP Book 4)
Prime Deliverance (KP Book 5)
Prime Salvation (KP Book 6)
Colonial Prime (KP Book 7)
Katieran Prime Celebration (KP Book 7.5)
Kiljorn Commander (KP Book 8)
Katieran Prime Miracle (KP Book 9)
Colonial Commander (KP Book 10)
Galactic Cage Fighter Series
Rage (GCF Book 1)
Talon (GCF Book 2)
Taurus (GCF Book 3)
Zara (GCF Book 4)
Hammer (GCF Book 5)
Zen (GCF Book 6)
Torch (GCF Book 7)
Maxim (GCF Book 8)
Ronin (GCF Book 9)
Strange Lake Falls Series
Strange Lake Falls Vampire (SLF Book 1)
Strange Lake Falls Werewolf (SLF Book2)
Strange Lake Falls Vampire Mistress (SLF Book 3)
Strange Lake Falls Panther (SLF Book 4)
Strange Lake Falls Gypsy Wolf (SLF Book 5)
Earth Evolution Series
Desolation (EE Book 1)
Resistance (EE Book 2)
Atonement (EE Book 3 – Coming Soon)
Inter-Galactic Bounty Hunter Series
Inter-Galactic Bounty Hunter (IGBH Book 1)
Tempting Bounty (IGBH Book 2)
Leaving Triad Series
Leaving Triad (LT Book 1)
Patrolling The Stars (LT Book 2)