Loving Lucius (Werescape)

by Moncrief, Skhye

  The world exploded into blinding whiteness.

  Mine! Wolf howled.

  She yelled, yanked her hand away, and sank to my lap.

  The world jerked.

  Over and over. With my hips, pushing her weight upward.

  Wolf snapped my head from where it hung.

  My eyes popped open, focusing on her thrown-back head and closed eyes.

  Wolf won't be rough. Slow down, Wolf. Easy.

  Wolf bared his fangs.

  I struggled to hold him back. To slow him down.

  But Wolf yanked her bulges of breasts against his and sank his teeth into her sweet-smelling shoulder.

  A salty-metallic liquid rolled across my tongue as the rattle of her pulse tapped in the ear he pressed against her throbbing neck. But Wolf couldn't wait to finish relishing his mark. No, he had to pump her mindless expression senseless while she tore at the hairs coating his shoulders.

  She snaked her arms around us, holding us with her head lolling backward.

  Wolf lunged and plunged inside her hot Well. His movements graded into erratic thrusts. Then faded into jerks. Our cock going limp. I sucked down a breath and shoved him back into the chasm.

  So I could take care of my mate.

  We sat motionless for a breath.

  "Oh," she groaned, rolling her head sideways until she could get her neck to support it where she faced me again. "That felt…" Her gaze locked onto mine with deadly intent. "Let's do that again."

  Good. I planted a kiss on her soft lips, leaned back, and chuckled. "You're addicted to touching."

  The most heartfelt grin consumed her features. "Oh yes, Lucius. I think I am."

  ****

  Lucius left me behind when departing to send the telegraph. I was supposed to twiddle my thumbs while dealing with Drea's fears and the brooding Josie. He promised to be home before sunset, winking that we could practice chair sex again. But I just have this feeling something isn't going to be fun about today. That I'd rather him be here. Protecting me. Or distracting me. That's what he did. Even though I hadn't admitted my fears or I would have blamed me for wasting the morning because his Wolf would have had to have mated. My fault? It's his Wolf. I'm merely the focus of Wolf's affection. And being the focus while lying nude on one's back with Wolf licking every highly-sensitive spot on one's body isn't bad at all. Who cares if that meant my legs are spread and a whole lot of wiry Wolfen fur rakes gooseflesh from my skin? My gaze caught Drea's where she stood across the outpost yard.

  She waved me toward the side of the log cabin next to her, out of the shade.

  Here we go again. I suppose I need to think about something other than my mate. Like where Drea is leading me. I fell into beside her.

  Headed somewhere. Hopefully not to the stinking location where someone boiled down animal fat to make bio-fuel. But the choking odor intensified too much with each of our footsteps. I really should have stayed in bed. Standing over a vat of boiling stinking fat is no fun.

  "Just a little farther," Drea smiled at me. "I wanted to show you the garden."

  Gardens are better. I always wanted to garden. Back when my tutors kept me focused inside. Learning.

  "It's past this horrible smell." She shot me a knowing smile.

  Well, at least I'm not the only person despising this choking stench. "I had worried it was just me. That I had been pampered all my life."

  "No." She laughed, wagging her head. "I've hated it every day of my life as well. I'd worry about someone who got used to it."

  We passed a Shifter youth of about fourteen years who clutched the end of an oar near the steaming iron pot, watching us as if taking a break from stirring the steaming oil or maybe he was just dreaming he was anywhere else. Then we angled toward a low length of fence that almost stretched around a section of the land, not completely though. The gap in the fencing had to be for people to pass between the sections of fence.

  "Here we are." Drea stopped near the gap. "This is it." She scanned the tiny tufts of leaves and stalks.

  Young plants. Spring hadn't been warming here long enough to grow a garden.

  "I was hoping you would enjoy helping here." She turned a warm smile my direction.

  "I don't know anything about gardening."

  "Then you're perfect." She grinned.

  I must have looked at her like she was insane.

  "Everyone needs to learn how to survive out here in The Wild, Elise."

  Fine. I'll garden. "Are you going to teach me? I'd hate to be the one everyone whispered about killing the plants."

  "I'll show you." She waved at me to follow her. "First you need to familiarize yourself with the appearance of vegetation associated with different vegetables. Then you know which plants are weeds. You pull the weeds. And when the weeds are gone, you water the plants. Some plants need more water than others…"

  Don't pull out the good plants. Oh no. I'm in so much trouble. I followed her fading words at her heels, stepping carefully between the rows of small green leaves and steams.

  But I'd learned so much in science classes. Surely weeding a garden is simple. Doable. I kept my eyes on where Drea stepped among the tilled soil and young vegetation.

  "This is simple, Elise. The rows have all you need to do your job. You merely look at the plant adjacent to the one you're studying. If the two look the same, you're probably looking at the planted vegetable. If not, look at a few more plants. They're spaced equidistantly." She winked.

  Like Augustus is standing here. Fine. I'll just start weeding. If they blame me later for what I'm about to do, it's not my fault. "Where should I begin?"

  "Right here is fine. I can work along beside you."

  She smiled so sweetly I couldn't be uncomfortable. Besides, she's not abandoning me to destroy the vegetable patch. "Let's go."

  Weeding really wasn't that difficult. There's only a stray opportunistic invader here and there. I pinched out those foolish plants, working along one row and back down another.

  "You're good at this. It's simply a form of patterning. We bring the children up two days a week. They learn early how to help and care for the garden. The adults take turns the other days. I'll bring you with me on Wednesday mornings if you like. Until you feel ready to go alone."

  Good. I won't be responsible for doing anything wrong here for awhile. "Thank you. I'd appreciate the supervision and guidance."

  Drea smiled graciously. "And in a few weeks, the foraging season will begin. I'll take you out with the women."

  Why isn't that phrased as an invitation? They have to think I know nothing. How embarrassing. At least, Drea had the sense to say she'd teach me. One way or the other. "Thank you. I know nothing about foraging either."

  "Oh," she smiled and waved a dismissive palm, "it's simple. There are so many things to eat in the forest, and nearby on the prairie, that you will appreciate knowing. In case anything happens."

  What could happen? "You say that like all could change in a heartbeat."

  She nodded and studied the ground as if she didn't want me to see her eyes. "It can."

  That's when I heard her tone. Felt her sorrow. This was about losing her family. "I'm sorry. I hadn't made the connection. Thank you for taking the time to share your knowledge with me. I've been so worried about Lucius leaving today that I don't know where my mind went."

  She forced a smile beneath her glistening eyes. "It's alright. Sometimes I feel like we're all children. Learning. Never learning enough. At least I can do something for you. But, Josie is so withdrawn." She sighed and diverted her gaze to the next row of taller plants with long broad leaves.

  Maybe having her talk about her sister would help. "Hasn't she always been like this?"

  Drea nodded. "She's obstinate." She met me gaze, almost laughing. "And when she decided she loved Hostillian, Gods help us all." Her face stretched with humor. "She decided when she was eight years old that a thirteen year old Shifter was the only mate for her." She smacked her forehead and scann
ed the garden. "My sire almost choked when he learned of the madness. Josie didn't just go and inform Hostillian. She started competing with all the boys his age or younger. Mastering everything they did with tools and weapons. This only made Hostillian more hostile."

  She grew very still, facing me with her arms snaked across her chest as if in deep thought. "Augustus thinks the Shifter was just intimidated by her. She'd confront any male who told her to do women's work. Argue for her right to learn. And Hostillian has always been the largest Shifter in these parts. Larger than Tacitus. He operates on silence as his best weapon for intimidating others into behaving. Augustus said Josie just scared Hostillian away."

  How sad. "And now she refuses to mate?" Poor thing. She's as lonely as I was.

  My heart sank again.

  Deeper and deeper. Bouncing into the mysterious well of tears inside us all. Splashing them up toward my eyes. I gulped down the burning sensation and met Drea's gaze. "I feel for her. Trapped in a corner she'd placed herself. Where is Hostillian?"

  "He's running our crop site."

  Crops? "I don't understand."

  "We have community fields two days ride from here. Hostillian has seven Shifters out at the site to help him maintain the crops and guard it from Normals as well as nuisance animals."

  So many Shifters? How many are there altogether? Even more so, what crops? "How interesting. What crops are grown?"

  "Corn if we have the heirloom variety seed in the spring. Mostly wheat though. And soybeans. There are two crop areas. Another capable Shifter male runs the other site. Augustus almost sent Lucius to manage it though."

  If he had, would I have even met Lucius? Maybe Tacitus would have been the warrior leading the group that crossed Langston's path. Maybe he'd have marked me right there in front of Langston.

  My gut twisted.

  Not good. But I have my Lucius now. And I can't ask for anything other than him to return safely to me. I loved him. Or loved him as much as I could love any man. But what about Josie? "What about your sister?"

  Drea looked over her shoulder as if worried someone might have approached without our notice then stepped to my side, leaning closely like she showed me something while looking at her palm. "Augustus is going to send her to deliver a message to Hostillian after he has his test results."

  Perfect. Or not. "What do you think will happen?"

  Drea chuckled softly and stepped away, studying the overturned dark soil. "We can only guess. Either World War III or a truce and a marking. But only Lucius, you, and I know anything about Josie's love of Hostillian and Augustus' plan. My mate would teach me a lesson for speaking a word of what his cousin--my sire--told him in secrecy. Please, speak of this to no one. Or Josie will learn of Augustus' meddling and take off."

  "She'd just leave?" Josie can't. She's strong. I need to be as strong as her.

  "She can't fight Augustus. He's alpha. She'd just leave," Drea said matter-of-factly.

  And with nowhere to go, Josie's journey wouldn't be easy. "You can trust me," I whispered. The last thing I wanted was for anything else to happen to Josie. She deserved some peace and happiness. And thank goodness Augustus wanted that for her. This is a good place to live within a caring family.

  ****

  The ride back to The Wire took a lot of patience, just so I could show my sire I could follow orders when driven by the Mating Fever. Nothing could have been safer than leaving my mate below ground in our quarters. But she'd be outside soon enough. I'd asked Drea to keep her busy. Gardening. Elise knows nothing about gardening. The lesson should eat up a good part of the day. And her worry.

  Paint caught his hoof on something.

  Dragging. Catching his shifting weight. We're almost to the house. Almost to the place I'd have to return to time and time again to send messages across country. To relive those few Gods-be-damned minutes I tormented my mate. Why did a lifetime of reminders seem like justice served?

  Maybe I should tell her.

  Someday.

  After a few children kept her so busy she'd just laugh and return to her chores. Because I don't want to stir up that fire again. She needs to feel safe. I like offering the protection. That's the way of things now. But what about the Elder gathering? I'm about to send the message and set the annual meeting's wheels into motion. How would Elise react when I tell her I have to go? Alone as Augustus decreed.

  Okay, she will most likely be pregnant. A pregnant mate can't ride halfway across the US Territories unless the circumstances are dire. But the journey would be with motors most of the way once I reached The Black Hills. We'd all load into tanks or onto motorcycles to follow Interstate 90, picking up a few Elders along the way. Besides, many Shifters took their mates. Mates who don't have babies or aren't pregnant. I can do that. See to it Elise wasn't pregnant. Preventing Wolf from having her when she ovulated would be extremely difficult though. But if Augustus can't smell pregnancy on Elise, he won't be able to tell her she can't go. He's too soft when it comes to females. And after Elise's traumatic introduction not long ago, he probably can't refuse her.

  Get ready, Wolf. You and I are going to be at each other's throats before long.

  ****

  Lucius walked through our door after supper ended, smiling.

  Violet and I just watched him.

  "You two are waiting there, together, lined up like two guilty females," Lucius teased, pulling the door shut at his heels.

  "We're just glad you're home," Violet blurted.

  His golden eyebrow arched. "Silly females." He winked at her. "I'm sent to The Wire almost every other week since my sire witnessed how easily I could squirm my tail up that pole. I've only encountered a Normal twice during that time. It's been almost fifteen years and only Normals afoot twice." He dragged a chair over to where we sat and settled into the metal seat to pull at the heel of a dusty combat boot. "I did see a brown bear. He thought I smelled." His eyebrows arched Violet's direction as if shocked. "Do I smell?"

  "Like a Shifter." Violet giggled. "He was just afraid of you."

  "Me?" Lucius scoffed like he couldn't believe her and placed the boot on the floor beside him. His blue gaze slid to mine, softening. "Did Drea teach you about gardening today?"

  Oh, a mischievous little spark danced in his eyes. "So, you're behind that."

  "Kept you busy." He set the other boot down with its mate, and began unbuttoning his long-sleeve camo shirt. "And you kept her busy."

  Yes we did. And Lucius had enough sense to make it happen. My loving Lucius. I couldn't have asked for a better mate. And to think Augustus almost sent my man the other direction. What madness this fate thing is. I couldn't hide the small smug smile growing on my lips.

  "That's what I like," he said.

  What? I waited for the declaration.

  "My girls smiling when I come home." He winked at each of us.

  He must be happy now. Although, he hasn't said he is. Not really. Just shoots off winks like they're another aspect of breathing. A sign of happiness hopefully. Hopefully he's happy with touching. Touching is incredibly medicinal. Healing. Expressive. Yes. He communicates so well with both touch and winks.

  ****

  My sire was happy to inform us at supper two days later that Josie's blood work returned clean. Nothing. Whatever the culprit had been apparently required Shifter DNA to move in. If the two affected clans weren't mingling with any other outposts, the fever would probably never bother another soul. If we're lucky, the microbe is one dead bug. Because the sleeping Violet across the room and my mate at my side in bed gave me a partial sense of completion. Maybe not absolute completion because Violet would hear her sister and I having sex. Well, we'd have to wait until she returned to school in the morning for that noisy melding of souls. But I can't complain about having a few needy females around requiring my help. It's kind of nice.

  The candlelight fluttered behind my back on the top of the narrow bookcase on my side of the bed.

  "So, do you thin
k it's safe for you to travel?" Elise whispered where she stretched her delicate curves along the length of my body where we laid beneath the soft blanket with me, her arm snaked beneath mine where she massaged my shoulder with one comforting hand.

  Always concerned. Did she fear I'd die and the mating bond would be broken? That she'd have to set out on her own again? Not the way Wolf intended to keep his mate around. I wriggled my fingers into her cool hair, where her mid-back began pinching into her slim nonexistent waist, and raked my fingers through the slick silk down to the base of her back. Down to where her lick-able hips curved outward.