Chapter Three

“Lucas?” Aria peered at him through Marin’s window. “What are you doing here?”

“I thought I might escort you ladies, wherever you’re going. It isn’t safe for you to run around out there without protection, Aria. You should have at least one male with you at all times. Two or more would be better.” He braced his hands on the door. “I’ll ride in the back, but I’m not taking no for an answer. Whether you want to admit it or not, you need me.”

Aria nodded. “You’re right. I do need you. I’ll feel better knowing you’re with us.”

Marin looked at her. “Are you sure? We could have a girl’s day, hit the spa, do some shopping. I’m sure you’re safe right now. Surely it will take your pack some time to figure out where you went.”

“I’d rather not take any chances,” Aria said. “Besides, I like having Lucas around. I’ve known him since I was two.”

“Very well,” Marin said. “Hop in, Lucas.”

Lucas slid into the backseat and shut the door. As he fastened his seatbelt, Marin backed out of the driveway and pulled away from the house. Aria really did feel safer with Lucas around. If he hadn’t left their pack in Monroe, she might not have ever ventured into her uncle’s territory, but without Lucas, her home pack had lost its shine. Not that she blamed him for what happened to her.

When they reached the mall, Lucas jumped out and opened Aria’s door for her. It was the type of thing he used to do for her before he disappeared from their pack. She understood that he’d wanted to explore, check out new opportunities, but it had hurt when he’d left her behind. She’d known since they were kids that he was the one for her, her destined mate. Apparently, he didn’t feel the same about her. She knew that she wouldn’t have a chance with a guy like Lucas now, not after everything she’d been through. He deserved someone above reproach.

He took her hand and looped her arm through his, escorting her into the building. Marin glanced at them and smiled, a knowing look in her eyes, but Aria knew it wasn’t what the woman thought. Lucas was just being kind and taking his guard duty seriously. If it were more than that, he would have come looking for her sooner. Not that he would have found her.

Marin kept shoving outfits Aria’s way, but the were-rabbit turned most of them away. Not because she didn’t like them, but because she didn’t have money of her own, and she didn’t want to accept too many things from someone she’d just met. But to her surprise, when they went to check out, it was Lucas who pulled out his wallet. She knew he couldn’t be making much money, and it made her feel horrible. If she had to bet money, she’d guess that he was working at the garage she’d seen across the street from the Victorian. He’d materialized today far too quickly to have come from anywhere else. She didn’t know much about small town mechanics, but she figured he was probably earning just enough to get by.

“Lucas, it’s too much,” she argued. “I can’t let you pay for all of this.”

“Aria, just let me take care of you, okay? It’s the least I can do. If I’d brought you with me when I came to Ashton Grove, you never would have been through the beatings and mistreatment from your uncle. Buying you the few things you need will make me feel a little less guilty about the whole thing.”

“You have nothing to feel guilty about, Lucas. What happened to me wasn’t your fault. It wasn’t anyone’s fault but my uncle’s. No one could have guessed what he would do.”

Lucas handed his credit card to the woman behind the counter and Aria couldn’t do anything but watch as he spent his hard-earned money. She swore that somehow she would pay him back one day. She hated being at a disadvantage and having to rely on other people for her basic needs and vowed that she would change that as soon as possible. There had to be something she could do in Ashton Grove to earn some money and make her own way. It just wasn’t her nature to be dependent on other people, especially someone as kind and generous as Lucas.

Lucas carried her packages to Marin’s car, and they piled in. It didn’t take long to get back to the Victorian and Aria noticed the alpha sitting on the front steps, his hands clasped between his legs. She hoped he hadn’t been worried about her, or worse; she hoped he wasn’t angry with her. Marin had assured her it would be okay, but she still had her doubts.

She approached the alpha cautiously, uncertain what to expect from him.

“You shouldn’t have left the house,” Gabriel said as she neared. “I’m glad you took Lucas with you, but if someone is after you, you’re going to need more protection than that. I’d like you to have at least two wolves with you at all times.”

“I’m sorry, alpha,” she said, bowing her head. “Marin thought it would be okay. She said I needed clothes and seemed rather insistent.”

“She’s right, Gabriel,” Marin said, coming to stand beside her. “Don’t blame her. I couldn’t very well let her run around in the same outfit all day every day. She needed a few things to get her by for now.”

Gabriel gestured to the two bags Lucas was carrying. “It looks like you got more than a few things.”

Marin shrugged. “She needed a pair of shoes. The flip-flops she’s wearing aren’t very practical, so we bought a pair of tennis shoes and some casual outfits. Lucas paid for everything.”

The alpha’s gaze sharpened on Lucas and she wondered what he was thinking. He wouldn’t be angry with Lucas for buying her clothes, would he? He didn’t seem like the type to be angry over something like that, but then, she didn’t really know him. In her experience, alphas could be volatile, especially when their rules weren’t followed. Did Gabriel fall into that category?

“Why don’t you go inside, Aria. Your bedroom is the first one on the second floor. After the day you’ve had, I’m sure you’d like a bath and time to relax. From the shadows under your eyes, I guess you haven’t slept well in a while. If you’d like, you can take a nap until dinner. My mate should be home by then, and I’m sure she’ll be anxious to meet you. When I called her, she was excited that we had company.”

“Thank you, alpha.” She reached for the bags, but Lucas held them out of her reach.

“I’ll carry them inside for you and make sure you’re settled before I head out. I also want to give you my cell number in case you need anything. I don’t doubt that Gabriel will take good care of you, but if you need a friend to talk to, you know I’m here for you.”

Right. Friend. Because that’s all he’d ever be to her. It saddened her that her mate didn’t want her, but there wasn’t much she could do about it. She’d once thought of seducing him, but had tossed the idea away, not wanting to run him off. If Lucas wasn’t in her life, she didn’t know what she would do. He’d always been her rock, the one person she could turn to no matter what. It seemed that the years apart hadn’t changed that, and she was grateful.

Aria walked into the house and up the stairs, Lucas trailing her. When she reached the second-floor landing, she pushed open the first door and smiled. The bedroom was welcoming and quite pleasant. It had been a long time since she’d had a room half as nice and she looked forward to sleeping in the big bed.

Lucas set the bags down beside the bed and turned to her. He looked like he wanted to say something and he ran a hand through his hair, making the blond locks stand in disarray. The mussed look was cute on him, and she fought the urge to move closer. It had been so long since she’d felt his arms around her, even if he’d only offered comfort as a friend. She missed the closeness they once shared and wondered if they would ever get to that place again.

“Michael told me to take off as much time as I need to make sure you are safe,” he finally said. “I’ll see who else can spare the time to help guard you. Gabriel is right. The more wolves surrounding you, the better.”

“I can’t ask you to take off from your job, Lucas, especially after costing you so much money today. It isn’t right.”

“Let me worry about that. Michael mentioned that the pack might waive my rent this month. If they do that, I should be fine, at least for a few days, and something tells me the pack will track you here quickly. I’m hoping this whole thing will be over within a few days’ time.” He folded his arms over his chest. “Will you stay in Ashton Grove if we’re able to free you from your uncle’s pack?”

“I’d like to, but it will depend on whether or not I can find a place to live and a job. I can’t rely on everyone here to take care of me.”

He smiled. “You always were the independent type. And you’re brave as hell. You’ll make someone a fine mate, Aria.”

Why did he look a little sad when he said that? Was he worried she wouldn’t have time for him when she found a mate? If only she could tell him that she didn’t want anyone but him, but she was too scared of what he’d say, of how he would react. What if he didn’t want her in return? Surely, if he’d felt something for her, something more than friendship, he’d have claimed her by now. It wasn’t like she wasn’t old enough for a mate. She’d turned twenty-one just the previous week, more than old enough to have a mate and start a family. Her mother had only been nineteen when she’d found her mate, her first mate. The man Aria called father wasn’t actually her father. There wasn’t much Aria knew about her real father, except that her mother had said he was kind and would have done anything for her. She’d often been told that her birth was a miracle, that she shouldn’t exist. It made her wonder what type of shifter her father was. She didn’t know of any shapeshifters who weren’t compatible with rabbits. True to their animal half, they could breed like crazy. It wasn’t uncommon for a were-rabbit family to have six or more kids.

“I don’t want a mate right now,” she said. Which wasn’t entirely true. If Lucas was that mate, she’d gladly tie her life to his. Even with danger pressing down upon her, she’d let him claim her. One night in his arms would be better than never having known what it was like to be loved by him. “It wouldn’t be fair to drag someone into my problems.”

“The right man wouldn’t care about your problems, Aria. He would gladly take them on just to have you by his side, in his life. I can vouch for every male in this pack. If you were to choose one of them, you’d never regret it.” His jaw firmed, and something flashed in his eyes.

“What is it, Lucas? There’s something you aren’t saying.”

“Now isn’t the time. You’re tired and need to rest. Gabriel was right. It looks like you haven’t been able to sleep for a while. While you’re taking a shower, I’ll call Cassie. She’s a witch that’s friends with the pack. She may be able to come up with a tonic to chase away the bad dreams. And I’ll call Connor’s mate, Aislinn, to come and heal you. I can only imagine how much pain you’ve been in today while we dragged you through the mall.”

“I’m fine, Lucas. You’re right, I’m overtired, but it’s nothing a good night’s sleep won’t cure. I don’t think the pack will find me this soon so I can sleep one night without worrying about them. Tomorrow I’ll worry about what’s to be done about them.”

“I’m sure Connor and Gabriel came up with some ideas to keep you safe,” Lucas said. “Trust in them, Aria. They’ll do everything in their power to make sure that other pack doesn’t get their hands on you again. We take abuse seriously in this pack. Anyone who harms a woman is given the harshest of punishments.”

“They have no authority over my uncle. There’s only so much they can do. I can only hope, that maybe, they can buy my freedom, or that my uncle will decide going up against two alphas isn’t worth his time.”

Lucas moved closer and brushed a loose strand of hair away from her face. “We’ll discuss it later, Aria. Right now I want you to take a long, hot shower, then take a nap. Your body needs rest more than anything else. I’ll ask Cassie and Aislinn to come by after dinner.”

“Thank you, Lucas.” She took his hand in hers. “You’ve always been there for me, and I can’t thank you enough for being here for me now. If I had to face this alone, I don’t know that I wouldn’t have given up. I’m tired, in body and spirit. I didn’t realize how much I’d missed having the support of a pack. It’s been so long since I left home.”

“I’ll check on you in the morning.”

She nodded and watched him walk out, pulling the door shut behind him. Aria rummaged through the bags until she found a pair of panties and the shorts and tank pajamas Lucas had bought for her. She laid them out on the bed before stripping out of her clothes. In the bathroom, she unbraided her hair, ran her new brush through the long mass, then started the shower. The hot water felt like heaven, and she thought she’d never come out. It took washing her hair three times before she felt it was clean, and at least four times scrubbing her body before she felt the pack had been washed from her skin. She’d always feel their hands on her, but at least she’d cleaned their filth from her body.

Aria got out and dried off, untangled her hair, and donned her pajamas before crawling between the sweetly scented sheets. Her head had barely hit the pillow before her eyes closed and exhaustion overtook her. Later, when she’d awakened, she wouldn’t even remember falling asleep.

* * * *

Lucas pulled his phone out as he exited the Victorian. He supposed, by calling Aislinn and Cassie, he was overstepping his bounds, especially since he hadn’t claimed Aria. If he’d mated her already, he’d have more say in what happened to her. He’d have to come clean with Gabriel and explain the situation. He only hoped his alpha wouldn’t ask Aria to mate someone before Lucas could make his intentions known. It had crossed his mind that the best way to keep her safe was to ensure she was mated to someone in the pack, giving the Ashton Grove pack leverage when Aria’s uncle showed up.

A new paranormal council had been formed just the month before, and Lucas was fairly certain they would be interested in Aria’s treatment at the hands of her uncle. If all else failed, perhaps they could call on the council to intervene. Lucas would do anything to protect her, even if it meant asking a bunch of strangers for help. The council was formed of two werewolves, two non-wolf shapeshifters, two witches, two fae, and two vampires. Lucas would mention the council to Gabriel when he came back in the morning.

He quickly dialed Cassie’s number and hoped he wasn’t taking her away from her family. With a house full of kids, she had her hands full and didn’t really need to be dragged into pack business again. They’d tried to stop calling Matt and her quite as frequently as they once had, but there were some instances when they just really needed a witch.

“Hello,” Cassie answered, sounding breathless.

“I’ve called at a bad time.”

Cassie laughed. “Lucas, it’s always a bad time when you have five kids in the house. What can I do for you? Trouble in the pack?”

“I guess you could say that. My mate showed up battered and bruised with another pack tailing her. I know she’s been through a lot in their hands and I was hoping you would be able to brew her a tonic to help with the nightmares she’s bound to have.”

“Congratulations on finding your mate! And yes, I’d be happy to help.”

“I’ve known Aria nearly all my life. Her mother married the alpha of my old pack when she was two, and I was five. We bonded almost instantly. By the time I was ten, I knew she was it for me, but like a coward, I never told her how I felt, and I left home without claiming her. If I’d only done the right thing, she never would have been harmed.”

“Sounds like you need a tonic to ease your guilt. I’m sure she doesn’t blame you, Lucas. I know, if I were in her shoes, I wouldn’t. When are you claiming her?”

“I don’t know. I haven’t told her yet that she’s my mate. If Gabriel thinks she needs to be claimed before the other pack shows up, I’ll claim her first chance I get. I doubt that her uncle will believe we went through a pack bonding ceremony, and there’s no time for a wedding, which means I’ll have to do things the old-fashioned way.”

“You mean you’ll bite her.”

“Yeah. I hate to cause her more pain, but I don’t see any other way of handling the situation.”

“I’m sure you’ll do whatever is necessary to keep her safe, Lucas. She’s lucky to have you, and I’m sure she’ll realize that. Now, when would you like the tonic? It will take a few hours to brew as some of the ingredients have to soak in peppermint oil for an hour.”

“She’s resting now. I thought maybe you could stop by after dinner.”

“I’ll be there by seven. I look forward to meeting her.”

“Thanks, Cassie. I appreciate this. I know it isn’t easy to get away from your family.”

“Matt can handle the kids for a while. And if he can’t, my parents are always happy to babysit. For people who weren’t too thrilled I was pregnant that first time, they certainly made a fast turnaround once our first child was born.”

“All of your kids are adorable. I can see how they’d fall in love with them.” He smiled, just thinking of the little mischief makers. The last time he’d been there, they’d begged him to change into a wolf so they could ride him around the house. Thankfully, Matt had intervened.

“You wouldn’t say that if you had to babysit.”

Lucas laughed. “Thanks again for doing this. I won’t be there tonight, but Gabriel and Autumn will be home.”

“Good. I need to see Autumn anyway. I have a tonic brewed to help with her nausea. This pregnancy seems to be kicking her ass. I’ll send you a text after I’ve given Aria the tonic. You should see results immediately.”

“Sounds good. I’ll talk to you soon.” Lucas disconnected the call and sent a quick text to Aislinn asking for her assistance. He didn’t think he could handle another phone call about Aria just then. The more he talked about her, the more he felt the pull to return to her side. Being around her every day, and not claiming her, was going to be hard.

Aislinn sent a message back letting him she’d show up later that night to see what she could do for Aria, and Lucas turned and went back inside the Victorian. He found Gabriel in the living room, his feet propped on the coffee table, watching the sports channel. The vacant look in his eyes told Lucas he wasn’t really paying attention to the TV and was probably thinking about Aria’s situation.

“Got a minute?” Lucas asked.

Gabriel motioned for him to come in. “Have a seat. I take it Aria is settled for the time being?”

“I heard the shower start as I came down the stairs. Hopefully, she’s resting by now.”

“I take it you want to know what we’re going to do about her situation. The way you watch her hasn’t escaped my notice. Anything you want to tell me?”

“Yeah.” Lucas blew out a breath. “She’s my mate.”

“And you haven’t claimed her yet?”

“I didn’t feel worthy of her. She was the pack princess, and I was a nobody. Part of why I left was so I could make my way in the world and become someone she could be proud to call mate. I wanted to make something of myself before I went back for her; then I heard a few years ago that she’d left the pack and no one seemed to know where she was.”

“Do you know how she found Amber?”

“When she called to ask about joining the Ashton Grove pack, before the demon war, Ramsey put her in contact with Amber. He thought she might like to talk to a female in the pack before making her decision. But then things changed, and she wasn’t able to escape her uncle.”

“But Amber told you where she was?”

“Yes. She’s kept me apprised of what was going on with Aria. I wanted to go after her, but I knew I didn’t stand a chance taking on an entire pack by myself.”

“Did you ever stop to think that we would have backed you? I wouldn’t have sent you off alone to claim your mate. You know very well how highly we covet our mates. We would have done anything necessary to bring the two of you together.”

“I didn’t want to make it your problem. We were preparing for the war with the demons, and I didn’t think you’d have any wolves to spare.”

“I’d have found some extra men if it meant bringing your mate safely home.” Gabriel shook his head. “What’s done is done. All we can do now is give her our support and hope she decides to stay. If it comes down to it, if it means keeping her safe, will you claim her?”

“I’d claim her now if I thought that’s what she wanted. She’s been through so much, and I get the feeling I only know a small part of it. I called Cassie and Aislinn. They’re both coming to help her, after dinner. I thought Cassie could give her something to keep the nightmares away, and Aislinn could heal her physical ailments.”

“You don’t think that decision should have gone through Connor or me?” Gabriel asked.

Lucas nodded. “I know it should have, but she’s mine, Gabriel. It might not be official, but she’s mine in every way that counts, and I needed to do something to help her. All these years, I’ve never been able to save her, but maybe now I can give her the love and support she should have had all this time.”

“Very well. I think she’s safer here than anywhere else right now. I’m going to set up a security detail for her, and I’m going to guess that you want to be on it.”

“Yes. I won’t leave her side, although I may have to go back to work in a few days, if things drag out.”

Gabriel waved a hand. “We’ll take care of you. Don’t worry about your rent or utilities. If you need help with groceries, the pack will pitch in. It’s more important that you keep Aria safe.”

Lucas couldn’t exactly disagree with the alpha when all he wanted to do was stay by Aria’s side. And the only way he was going to be allowed to do that was as her mate or her guard. And since she had admitted she wasn’t looking for a mate right now, that left the position of guard. It wasn’t what he wanted, but he would do anything to keep her safe, even deny the intense pull he felt every time she was near.

“Get some rest, Lucas, and come back tomorrow at dawn. I’ll have a few more pack members in place by then.”

“Have you thought of contacting the council? I’m sure they’d want to know about her mistreatment. Maybe they would intervene and stop an all-out war from happening.”

Gabriel nodded. “It’s a thought. It will either make them back off or piss them off enough they make their move a little sooner. Either way, I’m sure we can agree that the sooner we put this behind us, the better. You’ll be able to claim your mate, and Aria will finally feel safe.”

“Would you…” Lucas shook his head.

“Would I what?” Gabriel asked.

“Would you put the word out that Aria is mine? I know I don’t have an official claim on her, but I don’t want to worry about other pack members sniffing around her right now either. I don’t think my wolf could handle it.”

“Consider it done.”

Lucas thanked him and let himself out. If he was going to protect Aria, he needed all the sleep he could get, and dawn came awfully damn early.