Chapter Four
Three Weeks Later…
After waking, Lucien double checked his injuries to make sure everything had healed properly. Their healer, Cordelia, had done a wonderful job patching his body up. Coming out of his lair, he needed nutrition and substance to help his body fully recover from his near-fatal wounds.
Before the sun set, he’d risen from his resting place. He couldn’t stay inside another minute. Too long already to be away from his people, Lucien needed to check on everyone. Thankful to the earth for healing his body, his resting place consisted of a secured chamber under his home in the Cascade Mountains. The properties in the chamber helped his soul, his mind and body heal completely. The Bolnav had torn open a wound the size of a baseball in his abdomen as well as shredded a few intestines. Looking down at his body, nothing was apparent now, not even a scar.
Putting his jeans on and a white t-shirt, he didn’t use spells and magic every day like the others did. He wanted to be different. To discover how it was to be human without any special abilities. Simple was better for him. Besides, this way he did something to move around, testing his body’s abilities.
The only regret about the battle a few weeks ago was killing his childhood friend, Dominion. The ancient vampire had turned a long time ago. He regretted not hunting for him after his disappearance years ago. It had taken some time for him to become such a powerful Bolnav. He’d been a worthy opponent. If the man had held on a while longer seeking his mate, maybe things would have turned out differently, but the coward in him had taken control, turning him into a soulless evil, bent on killing. Lucien had no choice, so he executed his old friend. He almost felt his friend had betrayed him.
He walked upstairs into the main house, as he was starving and needed blood. He didn’t want the stored blood in the refrigerator…he needed fresh. An animal would have to do. Standing by the rules he’d made a long time ago, humans weren’t an option. At this point in time, he wasn’t sure he could control his urge anyways. Without the vampires and lycan out there to protect these poor souls that were human, they’d all be dead from the evil that crept among them.
His mind wandered to the petite waitress in Shades Run, Najha. That woman made his blood boil and his cock strain against his zipper. Lucien had desired her for some time now and wondered if this obsession could mean something, maybe she was his forever mate. Many times a vampire would find their mate among the humans. The only way to know would be to kiss, touch, and fuck her. So far, that had been impossible with her being the damn ice princess of Shades Run.
Seeing Najha would have to wait, he had too much to do, including nutrition. Not many hours left in the night before he would be forced back inside. He hated the curse of his people. Sunlight would cook them and turn them into to dust. Going out into the sun meant instant death.
The darkness of the night sky surrounded and welcomed him. It moved in and around him to protect him from the human eye.
Stripping before leaving the house, his body completely nude, Lucien shifted as he bounded off the front steps. A large black wolf landed on his front paws, and then on all fours, he ran swiftly into the woods. He could shift into several forms, and this made him special among his people. He always figured it was the fact he could shift to a wolf was part of the reason why he got along so well with the lycans.
His lungs burned and stretched as he inhaled the thin, cold air in the altitude of the mountains. Pounding the miles away as he made his way toward his goal through the forest high in the mountains, his search for game ended quickly. He stopped running as he stood and was forced to pant to cool down his hot body as he watched the large buck.
This large male deer would help sustain him and replenish after he lost all that blood a few weeks ago.
The ancient blood of Kaden and the healer he’d gotten before his healing sleep had long ago faded, now his cells needed more nutrition.
‘Come to me, I will only take what you offer,’ Lucien whispered to the deer.
Snorting, the buck pawed the ground. He nodded, his large rack of horns bobbing up and down as he raked the ground with his hoof. ‘I give to you freely from my body, take as much as you must, you’re my king and I honor you.’
The animals knew Lucien, and his people protected them as long as they lived in these mountains. The vampires protected their own, including all life that trusted them to survive. Washington State had become Lucien’s home over four hundred years ago, and he’d lived through many, many generations of bucks.
The buck reared up and pawed at the air before running toward him.
Lucien shifted to a human, his canines extended as he walked easily toward the deer. He punctured the vein in the neck of the large animal. He only drank to his fill, sealed the holes with his saliva, and patted the side of the deer’s neck in thanks. “Go, my old friend, eat and drink water. I thank you from the bottom of my heart.”
The deer reared up then took off at a run toward his own herd. Lucien connected with him, ‘Thank you, my friend.’
‘May I be of assistant to you for anything else, King?’
‘No, you’ve given me far more than I have to offer.’
With his body full of nutrition, Lucien decided a run would do his body good. Shifting to a wolf again, he tore through the forest climbing higher into the mountains. Once he reached the top of a cliff, he stopped to look over his entire territory.
Shifting back to a human, Lucien chose a rock to sit down on. He needed a few moments to gather his thoughts.
Najha had taken hold of his mind yet again, and he couldn’t get her out of his thoughts. Why was this tiny slip of a girl driving him insane? It wasn’t fair, she was too young and inexperienced to be with a man such as him, or was she? He remembered their short conversation a few weeks ago right before the healer made him go to ground and sleep the healing slumber of their people to heal. Najha had been sassy, rebellious, and there’d been a glimmer of something in her eyes. He liked how she never backed down, and the one time she did, he had grabbed her up and told her to not submit. What had he been thinking? Still, when he did that, she didn’t look a bit afraid.
Lucien shook away the image of her lovely face as he rose up and decided to run until he grew tired. Maybe then, he could think about other things besides the woman who’d driven him crazy over the last year. He couldn’t believe she wasn’t his mate. Their connection had been so strong, but each time he was in the same space as her, nothing changed.
As he ran through the woods, he knew when he’d arrived onto his estate as the area had been groomed perfectly to his desires. His own world was sufficient enough that if the entire world came to an end, he’d still be happy living right where he wanted to.
He tried to reach out and touch Najha’s mind. But like usual, she’d tightened up her mind and threw up those damn walls of hers. It was impossible to penetrate her memories or thoughts. He still wondered why her abilities to block him were so powerful for just an average human.
If she’d been a lycan or vampire, then it would be easy for her to protect herself from him, but this girl was a normal human who lived an average life. She was a little older than high school and too young for even him to think about, but a vampire didn’t have a choice who his mate was. If she were his chosen female, then he would claim her as he’d promised. But so far, there’d been no sign to him she was anything but a young woman who refused to be nice to him.
Only when she let her guard down was he able to sneak in and talk to her. But she’d always maintained those damn barriers even when he’d crept in when she was sleeping, and she believed him to be a dream.
He tried one last time, as he sat down on the steps of his large home. He leaned up against a large pillar, closed his eyes and found her. ‘Won’t you please talk to me?’
‘Get away from me!’ She slammed him out with a strong wall of defense. She was a telepathic and extremely powerful. She could keep him at bay with little effort. He’d been unsure though, he had to believe she was unaware of these powers.
Lucien wanted this woman worse than any other female he’d ever encountered in his hundreds of years existing alone. He’d always been strong, never having a problem before entering, searching, and reading another’s mind. Najha had always been a challenge, and he knew eventually he would conquer her vast power. There was no way she’d be able to withstand his love for her.
There, he’d said it. He was in love with this little slip of a woman, and it was driving him crazy. Well, if he had to admit it, he was just plain horny and wanted to fuck her. That’s what he was going to do. Go fuck the waitress, put her to rest once and for all. No way in hell was he in love. He couldn’t be, for as long as he could remember there’d been no emotion in him. He knew she wasn’t his mate because if she had been, he would have been able to get rid of this ever-present darkness encapsulating his heart and soul.
He had to wonder where she’d been. He only found out a few years ago the girl even existed. Where did she come from? He was about to find out. This couldn’t keep on, or he would have to seek the sun and end the pain.
He remembered the day Sheriff Mills brought Myra, his new bride, home and her daughter. Najha was a wild child who did whatever the fuck she wanted. Carrying that damn sword around town like she owned it, pissed him off to no end.
When he’d asked around, his men found out Najha had been homeschooled most of her life. She’d lived in the mountains, and they were told her mom had issues with a past and they needed to keep themselves hidden, or the bad people would come and get them. He’d asked around, and nobody seemed to know her. She’d begged her parents to work outside the home. Apparently, her mother was overprotective and controlling. He still didn’t know exactly how old she was. Barely an adult, this he knew for sure.
Lying on his back on the cold wood deck, he stared up at the moon and enjoyed the light from it. He hated the fact he couldn’t go out in the sun. It was the one thing he’d always craved and couldn’t have.
‘Shit, man, you better fucking get your brain together and get a grip.’ Kaden’s voice had the effect he surely wanted.
‘Fuck you!’ Lucien shot pain back at his number one man.
‘You fuckin’ prick! That hurt.’
Kaden’s words stung. ‘Sorry, man, this girl has me turned inside out.’
‘Go fuck her. What the hell are you waiting for, an invitation?’
‘Shit, her dad is the town’s fucking sheriff. I can’t fuck a baby and walk away.’ Lucien knew she just wasn’t his. There’s no way she could be. Then why was she special to him and he couldn’t keep her out of his mind? His thoughts of taming her made his blood sing but at the same time boil. The nervous energy she created each time they’d been in the same place. Every time he even got close to her, his heart pounded, he sweated, and his cock hardened to the point he thought the damn thing was going to explode.
‘So what?’ Kaden asked.
‘I’m not going down that road. No fucking way! Get out of my head, or I’m going to seriously beat the snot out of you!’ Lucien pushed up his walls and blocked his solider and man o’ arms out of his head. The other’s laughter still echoed in his head until he pushed that away too.
Closing his eyes, with his hard, naked body lying on his deck, he pictured Najha’s perfect legs, her hard but larger ass, so round and perfect for his hands. Her long, black hair that he knew could cover him with its thickness like a heavy blanket, her dark green eyes and high cheekbones, strong but feminine face, and those tits. He could spend days rubbing his face, hands, and cock in the middle of those babies. He couldn’t stop himself, he gripped his hard shaft with a fisted hand. His mind wrapped warmth around the even harder and tighter satiny skin of his cock.
He rubbed up and down, faster and harder. He loved the way her eyes softened, and her full, lush red lips were made for him to kiss. ‘Damn…” he moaned then exploded, thick white cream shot up and out. He came with a vengeance as his body cooled and came down off the high that crazy woman created, realizing he was far beyond satisfied. He needed to find this wench and fuck her until she disappeared from his head.
He still didn’t have his answers of who the fuck she was. Lucien needed to find out everything about her. When he first saw her, Thorn Andreiko had just about kicked his ass. He remembered the conversation. They’d been at the cafe when Lucien had risen from his seat at their table to go get her number. The lycan had nearly lost his mind. But why? Protection for the humans? The other mystery remained, who in the hell was this woman who’d haunted him ever since?
His need to claim Najha overwhelmed his senses. Nothing made sense to him. With all of his pent-up lust and anger regarding her, she’d better be prepared to submit, or they would have a major problem. When in the past few weeks, his near-death experience and his need to command to seriously lead his people had torn him up, he figured the only way to keep this up was to fuck Najha, or stop fighting—either find a mate or walk into the sun.
His needed to figure it out, or the darkness would overwhelm and consume him. He had to be prepared to find out if she was his true mate. With her by his side, he knew he could lead his people and not worry about the darkness taking over his soul. Not bothering to dress, he decided a flight would do him some good.
He pushed himself to stand up and shifted to a large bird, the Raven. He unfolded his wings then lifted off the ground and sailed through the air. He wanted to check the landscape out and make sure his entire estate was well.
*****
Finally, getting rid of the job, she needed to go help her brother, Jonas. Najha maneuvered her motorcycle down the lonely highway. It had been far too long since her last journey to Puget Sound, an entryway to the North Pacific Ocean on the West Coast.
The wind in her hair whipped the long tresses and tossed her large, thick braid back and forth like a whip would. It was both refreshing and exhilarating. She’d needed this after the month from hell she’d just suffered. She loved how the wind caressed her body, face, and soul. A bandana held down part of the braid but having hair to your ass was actually giving yourself abuse. She’d chosen not to wear her helmet, because today, she just needed freedom. Being a lycan, wearing it was a gamble she didn’t care if she won or lost. Besides, the lycan in her would keep her from dying if she accidentally lay her bike down, hard.
Today was just one of those times she ignored common sense and let herself just have her moment. A pair of tight riding goggles provided her with enough protection to keep from damaging her sensitive eyes.
If she did have an accident, the most she would probably suffer would be a bevy of broken bones and some meat missing from her body. She would heal if she had a little help from Layla, Taraji or her mother, all three healers. She couldn’t help the smile at her thoughts of her overbearing mother and father. Taking a deep breath in, she stopped smiling for fear of catching a few insects. She gazed around and enjoyed the passing scenery. Although today, she only wanted the space and feel of the air and aroma of the freshness in the spring day.
The most important thing she’d set up today was her hair appointment to fix the mess it would surely be after her ride. Her hairdresser was going to kick her ass, but she didn’t care. Her rebellion had always surprised her, but Najha didn’t want to care and didn’t particularly give a fuck because she didn’t feel any emotions now anyways. After realizing she couldn’t have the man she wanted she’d given up on caring about anyone besides her family.
Only there was a feeling in her, and it had been there strong for the last year. She shook her head, trying to dislodge the vampire, Lucien, from her memories. She didn’t want to think about him, not on her ride to freedom. He’d brought back something to her heart. She missed the asshole. Finding out he’d been severely, almost mortally, injured had fucked her up. The emotions had overwhelmed her while he was put in his lair to heal. His thoughts, smart ass comments, and that damn smile missing from her life for weeks until last night, he’d shown up and tried again, to penetrate her memories. Yes, she now knew it was him invading her mind. Her wolf had practically told her this.
Why couldn’t he be happy just connecting with her? When he joined her and didn’t push her thick walls down she’d guarded herself with, she felt safe, warm, loved and yes, horny as hell. Then the fool pushed harder and tried to worm his way into her thoughts, memories, and entire being that she had to shove him out for fear of him finding out she was a lycan.
That alone was fucking up her emotions, thoughts, and hormones all in one. She couldn’t have her life mate, Lucien. It actually felt as if she was spinning so far out-of-control, it was driving her insane. This trip had to renew her or she would be forced to ask one of her brothers to end her life for her.
Clearing all thoughts of the dreadful man from her mind, she thought about what this trip meant to her. When Jonas called and asked for her assistance, she didn’t hesitate in agreeing. Leaving Shades Run had been selfish, but she truly wanted to help her brother. After she’d fought and killed those Bolnav a few weeks ago, it had taken her weeks to fight the severe infection and buried poisons in her body.
Finally, her dad, Thorn, had come to visit and forced her to call Layla and Taraji. It had taken them hours to heal her. The poisons in her bloodstream were something new. Nothing had prepared the lycan for what it had done to her. Dane, as well, had gotten sick from the blood that had sprayed all over him during the fight. Even though they had used a spell to clean up the thick oily liquid, it still had somehow penetrated their cells and made them super ill.
The first symptom, the high fever had warned her. Then her health had deteriorated so rapidly, she’d been forced to connect with Thorn and beg him to come to her as quickly as he could. She thought about that night. She, at first, wanted Lucien and only him. Fighting the facts, Najha had swiftly sent her mind out and connected to Thorn to pull her out of the lull the vampire had caused within her.
Had he bitten her? Their connection was so strong, she wondered if he’d sneaked into her home when she was sleeping and taken her blood. If he’d done that, she would have surely woken and kicked his ass.
Or would she have?
A vampire could lull a human to be as if they were a zombie with no brain, having only a need to feed them. There was no way, but why were they so connected? She alone knew for sure, the why. But there wasn’t a damn thing she could do about it.
When her dad had come to her house, he only stayed a moment before he picked her up and carried her downstairs into her healing chamber they’d built together with their own two hands. That had been a special time between her and her father. The chamber beneath any lycan’s house was built for the wolf when they were injured and needed the healing sleep of their people. The earth surrounding the chamber was specially created, magically turned into the only way a mortal injury could be healed for its own specific individual.
She remembered after Thorn had put her in her own pickup, he’d driven quickly to Taraji’s, where her mother and other healers had come together to do their healing spells and draw out the sickness poisoning her body. It helped speed up the healing process, and after, Thorn and her mother had taken her back home then put her downstairs.
So sick, she didn’t care what they did to her, her lycan blood had fought and nearly lost the battle to keep her alive. Taraji, Layla, and her mother’s perseverance had helped her fight to stay alive. She’d given up hope and begged them to let her die. She couldn’t admit to anyone that Lucien was her true lycan mate and this belief kept her from wanting to live. Her wolf knew but had sunk into depression, as even she didn’t want to live any longer.
Najha reached up and wiped the wetness from her face. The wind blessed her today. Najha didn’t want to cry over that vampire any longer. They couldn’t be together, and that was that. The sunshine beat down on her body. So welcome, instead of being in that bed she’d lain in for the past few weeks. To be healthy was a gift to her, but she didn’t appreciate it. Wanting to die, now for a while, was slowly killing her anyways.
Maybe this trip would renew her senses, and she would be able to focus more on protecting her people than having a man to love and be loved by. Right? She was kidding herself. Not ever having a mate by her side was a fate worse than dying and being stuck in the in-between.
‘I need you,’ Lucien’s whisper crept in her mind.
‘Get away from me and stay out of my head.’
‘No.’ His smile was there for her to see. This time, he didn’t push any further, he only stayed with her but respected her privacy.
She immediately renewed the spell, moving her lips, but not thinking or saying the spell in her memories. There was no way she could let him see those thoughts which were securely sealed away behind the wall she refused to let him past.
Her father and mother were maddening. Why couldn’t this great, honorable, and best friend to Thorn know who she really was? She’d fought with her parents for years to tell Lucien. ‘What do you mean no?’ She sent laughter his way.
The deep maleness in his thoughts touched her softly, giving her a warmth she really needed. ‘You’ve been ill.’
‘How do you know what I’ve been?’
‘Because I know some stuff about you. Even though, you push me away every time I come to you. Why?’
‘I don’t want a man crawling around in my head, it’s rude.’
‘It might be rude, but I belong there.’
His purr pushed at her and softened her a little more. She’d always felt safe whenever he did this. He still hadn’t pushed against her natural walls of defense in her mind.
‘Well, I do know who you are now. I finally figured it out. You are a great man. Leader of an MC, a life I couldn’t ever see myself in, to tell you the truth. Why do you believe you’re that special that I’d want someone like you?’ Najha had to push him away from her. Maybe making him think she was just a human woman who could join with him in their very own mind path would satisfy his curiosity. She didn’t want her mom or dad ever to find out she spoke to Lucien this way. Thorn would kick her ass and well, her mom would…
‘I don’t want to marry you; I just want to fuck.’
The crude comment sent her anger boiling, and for a second there, Najha almost forgot who she was talking to. He’d been known for killing a grown Bolnav or rogue lycan with just a single blast to their mind with his own.
She needed to be more careful when talking with him. ‘Well, I guess you tell it true. I don’t want to be an Ol Lady or whatever it is you men call your fuck buddies.’
‘I want more than one fuck.’
She chuckled in her mind, sending him her light, warmth, and healing power only a mate could for her true life partner. Very carefully and slowly, she didn’t want to alert him of what she was doing. There was something so sinister inside him, the darkness seemed to be eating him alive.
He spoke again, ‘Do you realize, every time I come to you like this, you do something that makes me feel… Something―’
‘You think so? How could I do that?’
‘It’s as if we belong together. I want you, Najha. Let me show you…’
Driving the motorcycle, she gave it more gas and shot forward at a higher speed. If for only a few moments, she could have all of him and it would be worth it. His voice had revved her up. The lust, thoughts of his hard cock buried deep inside her wet pussy, had her underwear soaked, the vibration of her Ninja and the gas tank between her legs as she laid further over the machine helped her aching clit rub against the heat of the bike. He continued his assault on her senses. She sent her lust, thoughts of her hot, wet, and aching body back to him. She felt his moan while seeing his thoughts as he made it possible for her to feel what he was actually doing, feeling and creating the picture in his mind.
He laid down in his lair, his eyes open as he shared with her their moment together, just him and her. He never once tried to push his way back to her memories or thoughts. No, he just shared his side. His hand gripped his hard cock, and she could see it in his mind.
Then she shared her mode of dress while she rode the bike at even higher speeds. Her lacy purple bra touching her sensitive nipples as they hardened and created friction against the soft backside of the material. Further down, she took him to her lacy black underwear she bought from Victoria Secrets™ to beneath the now irritating material because they were so wet from her passion only he could create in her body.
He moaned again, this time louder, longer, inside her mind. He only skimmed the surface and showed her again, by his eyes looking down at his large, hard, and definitely wanting cock, he gripped so hard the end of it was almost blue, a deep purple. He kept stroking it up and down faster, harder, gripping as he murmured in her thoughts, ‘Fuck, Najha, I’m about to come, help me. Show me your body,’ he begged her.
She obeyed. Her jeans fit tight over her ass. As she’d gotten dressed this morning, she pictured herself looking in her full-length mirror. The tight denim fit her like a second skin. Her ass always larger, fuller than most women. Now, instead of having no confidence in her looks, she strived to show him she was proud of her body. The tight black t-shirt curved over her upper body and fit tightly against the lacy bra. Her black leather jacket and chaps fit her well. All her leaning against the heat of her bike shared as she with him what her pussy was doing with all that vibration. ‘Lucien, how can we be together like this? I’m on my frickin’ motorcycle, and you’re lying in a king size bed naked and stroking yourself. I feel as if you’re inside me, balls deep.’
‘Because, love, I’m inside your head, respecting your privacy, I only want you to show me what that pussy looks like, so I can see it.’
‘How?’ Her body touching the gas tank rubbed her clit against the hardness of the machine again. The vibration riding on her clit caused all the sensitive nerves to strike at her from all angles while her body to reacted to his voice. She pictured herself laying in front of her mirror and looking down at herself. She’d done that many times in the past to learn herself as no other ever had.
His moan was the reaction she’d hoped for. Lucien was suffering, trying to maintain his grip on his cock as he handled himself with the expertise of years of practice.
Najha tried something new. Something she’d never even tried herself. She pictured and showed herself at the cafe, up against his table, she knelt down, crawled under it and unbuckled his pants.
He groaned in her mind then turned the thoughts on himself. He showed himself unbuckling his pants and letting out his long, hard cock for her to put her mouth over and suck the entire length to the back of her throat.
She surprised herself as well as Lucien, or so she figured because he was now screaming out loud and inside his mind, for her to see, hear, and feel.
He gripped her hair and pushed her mouth down even further, she deepthroated his hard cock, his size not bothering her as she pleased him like no other woman before could. She was shown, through Lucien’s mind, she’d been the only woman to give him this.
He’d open his memories to her, but Najha fought the urge to drown herself and let him in. She tightened her mouth around his cock until the friction she’d given him created an urge in Lucien only she could muster up for her and him.
She pictured her hand going down to her own, now naked body. In her mind, she rubbed her clit with her fingers, as she swallowed more of him and moved her hand surrounding his cock up and down right along with her mouth. She gave him the same as he was giving her. Their thoughts of each other giving themselves the feeling and touch they needed to create the mind blowing orgasms they both wanted.
‘Beautiful, whatever the fuck you’re doing, keep doing it. I’m about to come inside your mouth,’ Lucien urged.
She showed him the picture clearly, as she moved in to bury him further inside her mouth, the head of his cock hitting the back of her throat. She was able to take almost but not quite his entire length. He was too long, wide, and definitely, a well portioned heavy cock.
‘Baby, oh God…’ Through his eyes, he showed her his hand stroking harder, he leaned his head back, ‘No, look at yourself, I need this!’
She did as she peered down at her exposed pussy in her mind with her fingers shoved inside, stroking in and out.
Then he pushed into her mind his strong hand stroking himself with the same fast rhythm as her fingers.
Najha screamed. Her body reacting to him, as his cock exploded. His thick white cream visual as he came inside her mouth in her own mind. But her own orgasm was mind-blowing as the vibration was the perfect substitute for his cock buried inside her. Between the two of them, they were able to bring their minds together to have the ultimate sex fest she’d ever encountered. Her vibrator she’d used many times in the past couldn’t do what he’d just done for her.
‘You’re amazing, my man.’ Najha realized her slip far too late.
‘Just remember, I’m not just a Prez of an MC. I’m your man and only yours. You better, never, ever do that with anyone else. Najha Hills, you are mine!’
‘Why, Lucien, did you have to ruin that moment for me? Get the fuck out of my mind!’ She blocked him, quickly shoving him out and throwing up the secured walls. She continued down the highway even more sexually frustrated than before that mind-blowing climax the man had just created with her.
Why did he have to ruin the moment by turning into the Alpha vampire he was? Because he was her mate and mates claimed each other, she answered her own question. She couldn’t let him in any longer. It couldn’t keep happening. Slamming her gloved hand against the handle of her bike, she wanted out.
Najha decided the time had come and she needed to tell someone. Jonas would have to end her misery, or she would have to go to a convent and commit herself to forever serving only her God. That’s what she would have to do, or her wolf was going to turn her into something evil. It would force her father to have to execute her.
Nobody else knew she was even a lycan. Why had her mother and father been so stubborn as to keep her true identity such a secret? Not wanting to cry, she tried to forget those stolen moments she’d just had with Lucien. So, she pictured her beautiful but gentle eldest half-brother, Jonas.
He’d done more for their people than they’d given him. With his sexual preference not to their father’s liking, he’d basically chose to leave the pack and become a private citizen and kept his lycan wolf buried. He refused to live as a lycan, he didn’t need to be a warrior. He’d made that very clear back in his pup stage. When he’d come out, his mother and Dante, their brother, along with herself, accepted him as he was. But Thorn couldn’t grasp that Jonas would never find a mate and would eventually be sucked up into his own darkness and evil. She remembered those fierce words between her father and brother. Thorn had raged on about how Jonas would never be able to find his mate because he wanted a man, not a woman.
When he’d told her father, Najha and Dante had been there to support Jonas. It hadn’t gone well with Thorn. He would have probably killed his eldest son if Najha and Dante hadn’t jumped in and convinced their father that Jonas wasn’t bad.
Najha wanted to forget the argument, as it’d always been something she never understood about her father. Jonas was a brilliant and loving man who’d given his life to serve the lycan, then had been treated so horribly by his own father and pack members. After many years of separation, Thorn had asked Jonas to forgive him, and he said he would try to understand what Jonas had to go through, to be out in the open as a gay lycan. It had to be the hardest on her brother, no one else.
His decision to remain in Washington, near Seattle had destroyed any chance of Jonas being a part of the lycan community. He’d chosen to live as a human in another place. To this day, Thorn and Jonas didn’t speak about Jonas’ sexual preferences because the older lycan couldn’t understand why he’d chosen men instead of women. It was a discussion better left closed for the two of them. Najha missed her brother every single day, and they tried to text and speak on the phone, or video chat with each other. She loved her brother and didn’t care who or what he was.
Jonas had called a few days ago to check on her and eventually told her she could still come up to Seattle as she’d promised months ago to help with his party if her mom cleared her health for the trip. Her love for him would never fade because he was different. She would be loyal to her brother and try to help him because she wanted to be happy for him. If this new male in his life did that for him, she would be happy. What if this new partner was his mate and it would take away the ever-present darkness from his soul? He needed that someone to give him lightness to overcome his darkness. She couldn’t imagine her gentle brother turning evil. Never.
She enjoyed herself way too much today, and the ride seemed shorter than normal as she reached the city. Slowing to a safer speed around the traffic, the highway was still flowing at a comfortable fifty-five mph. She handled the bike as a lycan would, with ease and expertise. Her strength making it easy to handle such a powerful motorcycle. She was tiny compared to the rest of the lycan bikers she knew.
It didn’t take her long to reach the exit leading to the ferry that would take her to her brother’s estate on the Bainbridge Island.
“Hey, Najha, how are you, beautiful?” The ferry captain, Marvin Wells, greeted her with a hug.
“Hi, Marv. I’m good, how are you?” She pushed her bike onto the platform and kicked the stand down.
“Good, good, you just made it. I was about to push off, heard the sweet sound of that beautiful motorcycle there,”—he pointed—“so I decided to wait for you.”
“I’m glad you did. Although, I wouldn’t have minded either. I love eating at the peer. I’m starving.” She rubbed her stomach. She couldn’t remember the last time she ate. Had it been two or three days ago when she and Dane had hunted together and taken down a deer?
“Come on, leave the bike, it’ll be okay. I got some salmon.”
“You’re the best. It’s good to see you, again.” She’d been coming here to her brother’s for over five years and each time, she had taken time to visit with her old friend.
Marv took her down to the employee's breakroom. The ferry was set up to house the employees for an entire twenty-four-hour shift. They each took an all around the clock rotation to transport multiple people back and forth from the islands to the city of Seattle. “It’s nice to see you too. It’s been far too long.” He pulled out a white wrapped package from the fridge.
“Yeah, it’s been busy. I got a job waitressing.” She grabbed a piece of fish and stuffed it in her mouth.
He frowned. “Why in the world did you do something like that? Sorry, may I ask?”
She’d known him on and off for years, and nothing had ever stopped him from asking what was on his mind. Why would she expect anything less? “Yeah. Boredom.” Ripping apart the smoked fish, Najha ate another piece and enjoyed her lunch.
“Bored? You expect this old man to believe you? That’s a load of crap,” he grumbled before turning back around, facing her and winking.
She chuckled. “Of course, why would I lie?”
He laughed. “Go on up deck now, you bored little girl.”
She gave him a hug and did just that.
As they traveled the thirty-five minutes across the Puget Sound, Najha stared out at the scenery. If she wasn’t needed in Shades Run, she might think about moving here and going to college.
“Hey, Najha, we’re almost there.” Marv walked up to her perch on the deck.
“Wow, that didn’t take long. By the time I finished that amazing lunch and the scenery, it seemed as if I just got on the ferry. You’ve done well with this old girl.” She patted the rail.
“I did. Fixed her up and gave her a new paint job and she’ll last me another ten years or so, at least until I retire.” He frowned.
It then occurred to her, his scent was off. She flared her nostrils and took in the strange aroma. She had to try to process what exactly could be wrong with him. A chemical or perhaps medicine smell, strong offensive mixed odors sank into her lungs. “Marvin…are you sick?”
“Why do you ask?”
Without exposing her true identity and special abilities, Najha needed to come up with some sort of explanation he would accept from her. “Umm, I don’t know, you look as if you’ve lost weight.” She could see more of his bone structure on his slimmer face, sunk in abs and thinning legs, his shorts and tank top seemed baggy on him.
“You caught me, young lady. Yeah, I’ve been a little under the weather.”
“And?” She tilted her head, reached out and touched his arm.
“Cancer, my sweets.” Marv had always called her nicknames and sweets seemed to be his favorite.
She’d allowed him because he was an absolute sweetheart himself and she adored him. Hugging him, she leaned back. “I’m so sorry. What can I do for you?”
“Nothing. I’m getting chemo, and they’re working toward getting my immune system back so I can have surgery to remove the damn thing.” Marv smiled. “Walk with me.” He led the way back to her motorcycle.
“Don’t you have to steer the vessel?” she asked, gazing out at the clear blue water, trying to fight the tears threatening to spill.
“No, my son is steering the old girl. I just come to work every day to do something. I can’t sit around the house all day and worry.”
Najha wanted to tell him she could possibly heal him. Not sure if it were allowed, she would call her father and ask if they could try to help him. This man was a person she called a friend. Not so much seeing him every day, but he’d grown on her each and every time she used his ferry to get to her brother’s. She reached out and touched his shoulder. “Marv, please call me if you need anything.”
Then the ferry bumped up against the dock in Bainbridge.
Pushing the bike toward the off-loading dock, Najha would be one of the last to unload and only because she had a motorcycle. The pedestrians then cyclists with pedal bikes would unload first, then she and the other motorized bikes, cars, and trucks were last.
“Remember to call me please, if you need anything.” She gave the older man a hug hoping to see him on her return ride.
“See you in a couple of days?”
She nodded. “You know it.” She started the bike before slowly moving along. She followed the others off the ferry. She turned around to wave to Marv, but he’d already disappeared. Saddened by her friend’s illness, Najha gave her bike some gas and cruised away slowly.
She prayed to her God for his quick and complete recovery. Najha then paused her bike and sent out a text to her dad to see if he could help her come up with a cure for her friend.