by Leslie Chase
With a roar, he toppled, and Emily thought that was the end. But Lucas had another trick in mind. Rather than the slow fall of a wounded animal he threw himself down hard and fast. Rolling, he trapped a wolf beneath his great bulk with a crunch and scattered the rest. Emily leaped to his side, trying to hold them back with the knife and knowing it wouldn't work. But she had to try to give her bear time to recover.
One of the wolves snarled and pounced at her. His teeth filled her vision, and she couldn't see anything else but that as she tried to bring the blade up between her. Even as she started to move, she knew she wouldn't be quick enough.
Then something smacked into the wolf's head, knocking him aside.
Emily blinked, for a moment unable to understand that she had survived. Someone said something, she couldn't make out what, and as she looked on, her attacker was driven to the ground by a pool cue snapping across his back.
Shocked, she looked up to see who'd come to her aid. Dominic stood unsteadily by the pool table, the remaining cue in his hand and all the wolves' eyes fixed on him. "I said, I challenge."
His voice was ragged and his face black and blue. His shirt torn and bloody from his fight against Lucas. But his eyes were clear and focused on Victor.
"Everything the bear said is true," he said. "You led us to disaster, and you're going to get the pack killed fighting here. Win or lose tonight, we all die tomorrow. So for the good of the pack, I challenge you."
Victor glared at him. "You can't challenge in the middle of a fight. And even if you could, you know you're no match for me."
Dominic shrugged. "Maybe not. But I'm not dying in a fight for you. Not when Lucas has reminded me what a real warrior is."
He pushed off the table and stood straight. Victor growled and faced off against him, limping from his injuries and looking confident. The other wolves looked uncertainly between the two of them. They didn't look happy with the choice they had to make, but they weren't advancing on anyone anymore. Emily clutched at Lucas, trying to follow what was happening, trying to draw reassurance from his presence.
Victor glanced around, eyes flicking across the rest of the pack. All eyes were on him and Dominic. He sneered. "This isn't a challenge. This is treason. Get the traitor!"
The pack bounded forward at their Alpha's command. Some looked reluctant, but most seemed glad of an easier target than a bear as dangerous as Lucas. Dominic swept the pool cue from side to side in a whistling arc, keeping them at bay for a moment. As Emily watched, the pack spread out around him and she knew it wouldn't be long before he was surrounded and doomed. She found herself looking away; despite the fact that he was one of the wolves who had tried to kidnap her, part of the group that had threatened her, he was standing up for what was right. She didn't want to watch him die for that.
Neither, it seemed, did Lucas.
The great bear rushed forwards, into the rear of the pack, scattering them in a confused panic. His teeth and claws tore at them, blood flying in arcs where he struck. Dominic took the chance that gave him to launch forward himself, throwing the cue into the face of the nearest wolf and shifting into his wolf form. He snapped and bit at the panicking pack, keeping them trapped between him and the towering bear.
Stuck between the two of them, the fight quickly went out of the wolves. They dropped to the ground, bleeding and injured, unable or unwilling to fight on. Victor watched from the back, and she saw his face pale from a furious red to a frightened white as the pack dissolved into chaos. Before Lucas and Dominic could win completely, he shifted back into a wolf and bolted for the door.
"He's getting away!" Emily cried out, and Lucas turned, rearing up on his hind legs to tower above the fray, a wolf in his paws. He flung the limp shifter with all his force, knocking Victor to the ground, and before the Alpha could get to his feet again, Lucas was on him.
The triumphant bear smashed the wolf to the ground, and raised a paw high. His claws dripped with blood and Emily knew with a terrible certainty that if he brought it down, that would be the end of Victor.
She turned away again, not wanting to see that. But before Lucas could act, a voice cut across the room. "Stop!"
Dominic had taken on his human form again and stood there, panting and covered in blood, hand outstretched. Around him, the few wolves who weren't incapacitated whimpered and pulled back, cowed and out of the fight.
Lucas' head turned and he fixed Dominic with a glare. Dominic paled slightly but didn't back down.
"He's my problem, Lucas," Dominic said. "Let me handle it. If you kill him now, the pack will have to avenge their Alpha. That’s wolf law. If you leave him to me, I promise that no one from this pack will ever bother you or your mate again."
Lucas hesitated. For a moment, no one in the room seemed to breathe. Then he lowered his paw and shifted back himself, stepping away from Victor.
"Alright, Dominic," he said. "You have your chance. But you and your pack owe us for this."
Looking relieved, Dominic nodded. He crossed the room to Victor's side, looking down at the fallen Alpha. Ex-Alpha, now. The rest of the pack didn't seem inclined to argue Dominic's control of the situation.
"You led the pack to disaster," he told the former leader. "Leaving the Compact, getting us involved in human crimes, and bringing this on our heads. Now that I'm in charge, things will be different."
He turned towards Emily and held out his hand to her. For a moment, she didn't know what he wanted, and then she realized that she was still holding the bloody knife. With a shudder, she handed it over – she'd be glad if she never saw it again!
Dominic nodded as he took it, as though he understood her feelings. "Thank you. And I'm sorry for the trouble we've caused you, ma'am. I promise, on my pack and on my life, you don't have anything to fear from us ever again."
He looked around at the other wolves, who all nodded agreement eagerly. They looked like they just wanted this to be over with.
"What will you do with…" Emily's question trailed off, and she glanced down at the prone form of Victor.
Dominic shook his head. "That's a matter for the pack. You don't need to know."
She shivered and huddled against Lucas, regretting asking. His strong arm folded around her, holding her close, and she drew strength from the feeling of his heartbeat against her. The warmth of his body made her feel safe, but he was still weak from his wounds and she felt the sheer will it was taking him to stay upright.
He growled, and she felt it echo through her. "You deal with him your way," he said to Dominic. "But if I see him again, he won't walk away from it. Now my mate and I are leaving."
No one contradicted him. Leaving the wolf pack behind them, they made their way out of the TannerTech offices. Outside, Lucas' van waited.
Emily started to go to the passenger door, but Lucas shook his head, leaning heavily on the side of the van. "You drive."
She looked at him, alarmed. Now that they were out of sight of the wolves, he didn't have to keep up the illusion of being unharmed. Finally, she saw how much the fight had taken out of him. How much he had given of himself to rescue her.
Quickly grabbing his arm, she supported him. His weight was almost too much, but she managed to get him to the van and into the passenger seat. It took all that was left of his strength to lift himself inside.
Hurriedly pulling herself into the driver's seat, she set out for home, where she could take care of her mate.
20
The drive home was stressful but uneventful. Fortunately, no one paid them much attention – Emily spent the drive worried that they'd be pulled over. She had no idea how she'd start to explain the naked, bloody giant of a man sitting beside her.
If Lucas was worried, he gave no sign of it. As soon as he was in the seat, he leaned back and shut his eyes. That worried Emily too, but there wasn't anything she could do for him until they were somewhere safe.
At least he was breathing steadily. And not all of the blood was his. She held on
to that thought as she drove.
Should I take him to a hospital? She knew he wouldn't like that, and in any case, what would she say had happened to him? Emily promised herself that if his wounds were serious, she'd insist he go – but she'd check him out first.
Pulling up outside the borrowed apartment she'd called home since this whole mess had started, she paused for a moment. For the first time, she realized that it was over – that she wasn't being hunted anymore. She didn't have to live here, she didn't have to work for Harry, she was free. All thanks to Lucas.
She leaned across and kissed him carefully on the cheek, not wanting to disturb him. His eyes opened at her touch, and he smiled at her. A slightly pained smile, but a happy one, she thought.
"Let's get you inside," she told him, and he nodded wordlessly. Before she could stop him, he had the door open and stepped down.
Emily jumped out of the van and ran around to support him, feeling how unsteady he was. "Let me help you."
"I'll be fine," he said, though he did settle some of his weight onto her shoulder despite his protests. "I heal fast. All shifters do."
"Not fast enough! Come on, you need to be inside before the neighbors see you."
Thankfully, no one seemed to notice them on the path to the door. The door which was hanging open, kicked wide by one of the shifters. She swore under her breath as she helped Lucas inside.
"Don't worry," he said, chuckling. "I'll get that fixed in the morning. Just push it shut for now."
After a couple of tries, she found that she could prop it closed. It wouldn't keep anyone out, but it looked shut – and she shouldn't need to fear an intruder tonight. Not with the wolves off her trail and Lucas here to protect her.
He sat heavily on her couch, and she fetched her first aid kit quickly. Biting her lip, she looked down at the blood and wounds covering him. Covering his naked body. She couldn't help looking at him, and his eyes sparkled as he caught her.
Emily blushed and looked away. "Can't a girl admire her savior?" she asked.
"I'm may not be at my best," Lucas replied. "But you can always look as much as you like."
The emphasis he put on 'always' made her shiver. It was clear to her that he was entirely serious – that he intended to be with her for the rest of his life.
The little disinfectant wipes from her first aid box looked tiny against the amount of blood staining her man, but she set to work anyway. Lucas' injuries weren't too deep, she found as she cleaned them. His bear's hide was thick and tough, and while the wolves had drawn blood and weakened him, none of the individual wounds looked serious.
"You'll never get me cleaned up with those little things," he said after a while, looking at the pile of discarded wipes. "And I don't think there's any real harm done. The cuts hurt, but not too badly."
"I guess you're right," Emily said, sitting back. "But we need to get you clean – so up you get, let's shower you."
His eyes twinkling again, Lucas heaved himself off the couch. He wasn't kidding about how fast he healed – now he didn't need her help to walk through to the bathroom. But he did stop at the doorway and look back at her.
"Come on then," he told her. "What if I need help?"
She burst out laughing. It wasn't that funny, but the tensions of the day needed some release, and that offered it. Lucas watched her, smiling patiently, until she got the laughter under control and followed him.
The bathroom was small, and with the two of them rather cramped. Not that Emily minded being so close to her bear, and as he turned on the shower, she felt her heart start to race. She was inches away from him, and it felt so perfectly right.
Lucas dialed the water's heat up high and groaned as it struck his body. Handing the showerhead to Emily, he stood still and let her scrub him. The blood and dirt of the day's fighting sluiced away, leaving his body clean and pink and beautiful.
The wounds weren't serious at all, now that she could see them properly. She was sure that some of them were smaller than when she'd cleaned them in the living room.
"You weren't kidding when you said you healed fast," she said, voice full of wonder. Lucas laughed.
"Anything but silver heals quickly," he said. "That's why I don't have scars. But that doesn't mean I wasn't in danger back there; that fight was close."
"Are you playing for sympathy?"
"Of course!" Lucas laughed, the sound echoing in the small bathroom. "Anything to get you closer."
Emily tried to glare, but she couldn't manage to make it convincing. His laugh touched something in her heart, and she couldn't keep the smile off her face. It was a laugh she didn't think she'd ever tire of hearing.
Lucas took the showerhead from her hands and rinsed himself off, before looking at her with mischievous eyes. Emily saw what was coming in time to raise her hands, but that didn't stop him from soaking her. She shrieked and swatted at him, giggling wildly.
"Oops," he said, not sounding sorry at all.
"I'll get you for that," she told him, grinning and stripping off her soaking clothes. "That wasn't nice."
"I'm not here to be nice," he shot back. "I'm here to protect you, and keep you safe, and make you happy."
"Well, you're doing a good job of those, jerk!" Emily swatted his arm again, stepping into the shower with him.
The space was too small for them, but neither cared. Their bodies pressed together under the hot water, its pressure pounding their skin and washing them clean of the pain and stress of the day. Lucas reached for the shower gel, squeezing it out over her, and ran his hands across her body. Emily shivered at his touch, the feel of his hands, so tender and careful as he washed her clean.
Shutting her eyes and leaning against him, she enjoyed the feeling. The closeness with him.
"What now?" she asked quietly, not sure if he'd hear over the sound of the shower running. But he folded his arms around her, holding her close, and answered.
"Now? We start the rest of our lives together," he said. "Like we're meant to be, like we're fated to be."
"So I'm your mate? What does that even mean?" Emily rested her head against his chest, listening to his heart. A strong, powerful beat that she could listen to forever.
"It means that I'll be there for you, and you'll be there for me. That nothing can keep us apart. I never thought that I'd find mine, you know. It was a shock when I realized you were the one."
"At least you knew you were looking for her," Emily pointed out, her fingers tracing along his body. She loved the feel of his skin under the warm water. "This is… all a lot to take in for me."
Lucas laughed, squeezing her tighter. "I know, love. I know. And I'll tell you everything you want to know, but it'll take time. We have all the time in the world, you know."
"Mmm, I like the sound of that," she said. "But some things I need to know now. Like what this mate business means."
"It means that you are the one and only woman meant for me, love. Shifters can tell, and I knew it when I met you even if I didn't believe it right away. But my bear knew, and he wouldn't let me be stupid enough to ignore it. We belong together, forever, and there's no doubt in my mind that we will be."
She smiled, enjoying that thought. Forever with her bear? She could live with that, happily.
"I like that," she told him, wriggling against him under the shower. Injured he might have been, but his body was responding to her anyway – she could feel him harden against her, and she giggled, blushing. "I like that too."
"I'd noticed," he told her, chuckling in return and brushing a finger down her spine. Emily groaned happily, her body responding instantly to his touch. "Emily, I love you. I want to be with you forever. Human, bear, and everything else in me knows this – you are the one and only woman for me. Will you be my mate?"
Part of her thought that she should object, but it was a small and cowardly part. Her heart knew what she wanted, and so did her brain. There was no doubt in her, just the habit of fear and caution which made her wa
nt to take time over this.
I won't let my fears rule me, she told herself. And to Lucas she answered, "Yes."
Looking up into his eyes, she saw that the anger she'd seen there so often was absent. He looked calm, joyful, but just as intense as ever. Her cheeks flushed, and she bit her lip before continuing. "I love you too, Lucas. I love the man and the bear and everything about you. Of course I'll be your mate."
His smile was brilliant, the greatest show of happiness she had seen from him. Hitting the button to kill the shower, he lifted her with his free hand, carrying her as he stepped out.
"Hey, be careful," she reminded him, worried about his injuries. But she knew he wouldn't listen to that caution, and he didn't. Instead, he kissed her, lips firm and loving on hers as he carried her through to the bedroom. Laying her on the bed, he stepped back and looked down at her, feasting his eyes. Normally, that would have embarrassed her beyond belief, but not today, not with him. Not with her mate.
Looking up at him, she examined him, first for his injuries and then for the sheer joy of looking at him. He was standing easily now, reinvigorated and healing fast. His wounds were closing of their own accord, and her small bubble of worry that he needed medical attention faded away. The second look was slower, tracing across his muscles and enjoying the view of the taught, massive man who had pledged his life to her.
Emily gasped as her gaze settled on his cock, already erect and standing proud, ready for her. So big, so powerful, and so perfect, she thought, feeling her own body respond to the sight. She did blush, then, as she realized just how badly she wanted him.
Reaching up, she stroked his thigh, feeling the smooth strength of him, the powerful muscle. Lucas groaned at her touch, and swung himself up on the bed, straddling her and kissing her. He was gentle but insistent, claiming her with his lips and tongue, and Emily moaned into his kiss, pressing herself against him.