Chapter Four

Aria startled awake the next morning, her heart racing as she took in her surroundings. For a moment, she’d thought she was back in the cabin, waiting for more pain. Instead, she was in Ashton Grove with the pack, and in a different kind of pain. Lucas had been so close, and yet not close enough. She’d wanted to hold his hand, to reach out and hug him…she’d wanted to kiss him and beg him to make her his in every way possible. The moment she’d seen him again, all of the feelings she’d thought she’d buried came rising to the surface. Even after all these years, she still wanted him.

The mating pull was almost more than she could bear. That it was obviously one-sided made her heart ache. If she couldn’t have Lucas, she wouldn’t take a mate, no matter how many wonderful wolves he said were in the pack. She didn’t want just him. She wanted her childhood friend, the guy she’d had a crush on since she was five, and the guy who had always been there for her. He was still there for her, even after all this time, but she was selfish and wanted more.

Aria brushed her teeth and hair, splashed some water on her face, and got dressed in a pair of shorts and a short-sleeved shirt. She pulled her long hair over her shoulder and frowned at it. She’d always had long hair, but it had been a while since it had been cut. It had gone from beautiful to having split ends and looking unhealthy. She wondered how reasonable it would be to ask for a haircut in the midst of everything going on. Probably not. Her vanity would have to wait. Even if she was doing it for Lucas, in hopes he’d see her in a different light.

As she went downstairs, she heard voices in the kitchen. Her eyes widened a little when she saw Lucas, the alpha, and two other large males gathered around the table while the alpha’s mate made breakfast. Aria hurried to her side, hoping she could be of some assistance.

“Morning,” Autumn said. “Did you sleep well?”

“Better than I’d thought I would. I guess the tonic Cassie brought over last night really helped.”

Autumn reached over and ran a hand down Aria’s arm. “Looks like Aislinn’s healing worked too. You’re good as new.”

If only. She doubted any amount of magic could ever make that happen again. Not that she was going to say so in front of the alpha’s mate. If the woman chose to think a little healing and a potion would make her whole again, she wasn’t going to argue. They’d done so much for her already; it would just be rude to snap that she would never be whole again.

Well, maybe not never. But the only thing that would make her feel complete would be Lucas claiming her as his mate, and she didn’t think that would ever happen. Even if she did feel his gaze on her, she knew it was just concern. Friendship. And unfortunately, it was nothing more.

She felt heat press against her back and turned. Nose to chest, she knew it was Lucas before she even looked up. She’d recognize his scent anywhere. Although, she didn’t remember his pecs ever being quite so large before. Or his biceps…or really any part of him. He’d grown a lot in the years they’d been apart, and she was more than aware that he was a very capable wolf.

“Morning, Aria.” His deep voice rumbled and sent goose bumps racing down her arms.

“Morning, Lucas. Did you come to check on me before work?”

He shook his head. “I’m part of your guard detail until things are settled with the other pack. Come sit and listen to what the alphas have planned. You’ll feel better if you know what’s going on.”

She let him guide her over to the table, where all of the men stood. Gabriel gave a slight smile, and the other two gazed at her in curiosity. The largest of the two held out his hand.

“I’m Ramsey, the pack recruiter, and enforcer.”

Aria slipped her hand into his. “It’s nice to meet you.”

The other unknown wolf cleared his throat. “My name’s Cain.”

As she shook his hand, his scent rose, and she wrinkled her nose. “What are you?”

He laughed a little. “Tiger shifter.”

“And Cajun?” she asked.

He nodded. “Cain Boudreaux. No relation to that nasty pack you’re running from, but I’ve heard of them. That’s a different line of Boudreaux’s, and they’re all a bunch of assholes.”

It was Aria’s turn to smile. “I couldn’t agree more.”

The men sat, and Lucas pulled her down onto his lap. She tried to hide her surprise and leaned into him, reveling in his strength. His arm curled around her waist, his hand splayed against her ribs. It felt so incredibly right, if only he could feel it too. She tried to focus on what was being said, and one word caught her attention.

“Council? What council?”

“There’s a paranormal council that convened last year. Two of each kind of supernatural being. If we put your case before them, they could put a leash on that pack that’s chasing you,” Ramsey said.

“Or it could just seriously piss them off,” Gabriel said. “It’s hard to say which way they’ll go. They don’t sound like the law-abiding type.”

Aria snorted. “Not hardly, but if there’s a council, if they could threaten to wipe out the pack, and remove my uncle from his position of power, he might listen. It’s iffy, but I guess it’s better than sitting and waiting for them to show up.”

“Then we’ll contact the council today,” Gabriel said. “I’ll head over to Connor’s, and we can make the call.”

“What about Eric?” Lucas asked. “Do you think he could come up with some sort of spell or something that would protect Aria?”

“Eric? Who’s Eric?” Aria asked.

“Eric is the sorcerer. Or you could call him a wizard. Either way, he’s powerful, and with him on our side, we’re guaranteed to win.” Lucas hugged her tight. “I’ll do whatever it takes to protect you.”

Her heart warmed at his words.

“I’ll call Aislinn on my way to see Connor,” Gabriel said. “Like Lucas said, we’ll do whatever it takes to keep you safe. Ramsey is going to help guard you for part of the day, and so is Cain. Later this afternoon, there will be a shift change, and Colin and Levi will take over.”

“I appreciate everything you’re doing for me,” Aria said.

“You’re one of us now,” Gabriel said with a smile. “And we protect our women.”

Gabriel stood and excused himself, leaving a chair vacant. She made a move to stand up, and Lucas’ arm tightened around her. She didn’t understand why he didn’t want her to move, but she was content to stay where she was. When Autumn served breakfast, she claimed the empty chair.

“Everyone dig in. There’s plenty of eggs, bacon, and biscuits. I’ve seen how much Gabriel can eat, so I multiplied by five.”

Aria’s stomach rumbled and her mouth watered. It had been so long since she’d had a decent breakfast. At dinner last night, she’d nearly cried when she’d smelled the garlic bread and spaghetti. The eggs were light and fluffy, and the biscuits tasted so damn good she ate three.

Lucas chuckled a little. “Damn, Aria. Where are you putting all that? As little as you are, you have the appetite of a wolf.”

Her cheeks flushed.

“Lucas, you’re embarrassing her,” Autumn chastised.

She looked anywhere, but at Lucas or the others gathered around the table, as she slowly set down her fork. She hadn’t meant to eat too much. Her stomach still rumbled from hunger even though she’d eaten two spoonsful of eggs, three biscuits, and a handful of bacon.

“Aria,” Autumn said softly. “It’s okay.”

Tears gathered in her eyes. The comment wouldn’t have hurt so much if it hadn’t come from Lucas, but he meant everything to her. She twisted, trying to break free, but he wouldn’t release her. Ramsey came out of his chair and knelt beside her. He reached up and turned her face toward him.

“Aria, Lucas wasn’t trying to be mean. If there’s anything I know about him, it’s that he doesn’t have a mean bone in his body. He was joking, even though it was thoughtless.”

“I didn’t realize I was eating so much. I didn’t mean to.”

Ramsey’s gaze softened. “You eat as much as you want.”

“I’m so damn sorry, Aria,” Lucas said, his lips brushing her ear. “I never meant to hurt you. I was just teasing, like I used to do. I don’t care how much you eat. If you want, I’ll get up right now and make you a stack of pancakes. I’m sure Autumn has chocolate chips so I can make them just the way you like them.”

She sniffled and blinked her tears away. “You’d really do that for me?”

“You mean the world to me, Aria,” he said softly. “I would do anything for you.”

Anything except claim her. Her heart ached for him.

They finished their breakfast and moved to the living room. Ramsey prowled the lower level of the house while Cain guarded the outside. Aria hated that she was turning everyone’s lives upside down. It didn’t seem fair that one twisted pack could mess up so many lives. It felt like forever before the alpha returned to the house, and he brought another wolf with him.

“Aria,” Gabriel said, “this is Connor, the second alpha of our pack. We’ve spoken to the council, and they were outraged over all you’ve suffered. They weren’t just sending a warning to that pack; they were sending enforcers and witches. By nightfall, there won’t be a male in that pack who can shift. The witches will sort out who was to blame for what happened to you, and who was just too scared to speak up.”

“So, it’s over?” she asked skeptically.

“As far as I know, it’s over,” Connor said. “But it doesn’t mean we won’t still be vigilant. Now would be an excellent time to take a mate though.”

Her cheeks warmed, and she fought hard not to look at Lucas.

“No one would want me,” she said. “I’m broken.”

“I understand that you were traumatized, Aria, but having a mate can help you heal,” Connor said.

“No, you don’t understand. I may never have children because of what they did to me. It wouldn’t be right to ask someone to give up their right to have children.”

“We could adopt,” Lucas said, looking surprised by his words.

“We?” she asked.

“I just meant if you were my mate, and couldn’t have children, then adoption would be fine. Not every wolf will consider it an automatic no. There are those of us who would just consider it an honor to have you as a mate.”

Aria reached over and took his hand. “And are you one of the wolves who would feel that way?”

His gaze burned her, as he skimmed her body before giving a nod. “You’ve always been important to me, Aria. I would consider it an honor to be your mate, to protect you, to care for you, and to provide for any children we might have, whether you give birth to them or we adopt them. There are plenty of shifter kids out there who need a family.”

“Lucas,” she said softly. “Are you asking to be my mate?”

“If I did, would you say yes?”

Her lips trembled as she nodded her head and threw her arms around him, hugging him tightly. It almost seemed too good to be true. Aria eased away from him and gave him a hesitant smile. He hadn’t just offered himself as her mate as a way to appease her, had he?

“Will there be a bonding ceremony?” she asked.

Lucas bit his lip and shook his head. “The council may say they’re going to take care of your uncle, but I’m not taking any chances. If you’re going to be my mate, I’m going to mark you.”

Her eyes went wide. “You’re going to bite me?”

“I’m sorry, Aria. I know it seems extreme, but I think it’s the best way to handle things. Once our DNA mixes, there’s no way your uncle could deny your mated to me. He’ll smell me all over you the moment he gets close, and so will any other asshole who thinks they can take you from me.”

“I trust you,” she said. “You’re the only mate I’ve ever wanted, even when we were kids, but you never seemed to notice me that way. It broke my heart when you moved away.”

“I never meant to hurt you, Aria. I’ve known you were mine since I was ten years old. I just never felt like I was good enough for you. I still don’t. You were the pack princess, and I was just some lowly wolf without a future. What did I have to offer you?” Lucas asked.

“What about love?” Aria said softly. “You could have given me that. It’s all I ever wanted from you.”

“I’m sorry. I ended up failing you, just as I’d feared I would. If I’d taken you with me when I left, then no one would have ever harmed you.”

She looked around and realized they were alone. “Lucas, you’re not at fault for what happened to me. I’ve never blamed you. I could have gone anywhere when I left home. It was my choice to go to my uncle’s pack.”

Lucas took her hands and pulled her closer. His hand cupped her cheek. “I’m going to kiss you, Aria. Something I’ve wanted to do for a very long time. Are you all right with that?”

She nodded mutely, not sure if she could speak or not. She’d never wanted anything as much as she wanted Lucas to kiss her. His lips brushed over hers, softly a first, then more demanding. Aria parted her lips, inviting him in for a taste. As his tongue swept into her mouth, she clung to him, wanting more. Lucas left her weak and dizzy. When he pulled away, she gripped him tight, for fear her legs wouldn’t hold her.

“What happens now?” she asked.

“Now, we ask the alpha if you’re allowed to come home with me, or if you need to stay here a little while longer. If you stay, so do I. It would be a little less awkward to claim you without an audience though. There’s no place in this house we could go where they wouldn’t hear us. Hell, even in my apartment there’s a good chance the neighbors will hear, but that’s a little less…awkward than the alpha and his mate hearing everything.”

Her cheeks flushed. “I’d like to see your place.”

He kissed her softly. “It’s our place now. And if you don’t like it, we’ll figure something out. If we ever decide to have kids, we’ll need more room, but for now, I think a one bedroom will be sufficient.”

“It’s more than enough.”

“Come on. We’ll get permission for you to come home with me tonight.”