Conquering Theana (15 page)

"Thank
you for your help," Rafael said. He signaled with his hand, and the
security wolves removed the woman from the room.

"We
can't let her leave," Walter said then.

"Of course not.
And it seems the government is against us now."

"Maybe, maybe not," Gregori stated.
"We've had a
treaty with them since we went public. They wouldn't be too quick to move
against us so blatantly. This could be a small group."

"Or
a large one," Camden added. "Either way we have military personnel
who are gunning for us."

"What
do you want to do to her, Isaac?" Rafael asked then.

"Give
her to us. We will see if we can find out more for you," Isaac answered.

"Agreed.
We will need to find out all we can. My people, it seems we have
dangers brewing on the horizon that we hadn't been privy to before. We will
have to prepare for this. We always knew that there were humans that didn't
like that we existed, for good or for ill, but they hadn't had much opportunity
to harm us. But if military trained combatants are now to be our enemy things
can change. We must be careful," Rafael said then.

"I
will let you decide how you want to safeguard within your respective areas, but,
however,
Convel
and
Rendall
clans,
I want you to coordinate a twenty-four-seven
perimeter around Seurri until we have decided otherwise. It may just be
important that we prepare to make Seurri a compound to keep us safe. Camden,
get me schematics on what that would take and how long."

"On
it," Camden said, popping his jaw.

"As
for now, the meeting is dismissed."

Chapter Nine

Theana
really enjoyed the soothing bath. It served the purpose of
relaxation, but mostly taking her mind away from being sandwiched between the
firm bodies of delicious Gregori and exotic Rafael. They had left her to
continue her exploration of the grounds, while they went to Council to discuss
the killing of one of
Seurri's
own.

Theana
wrapped a towel around her body, and then she noticed a door in
the back of the bathroom. Once she entered, there was a small hallway that was
about five or six feet long with two entryways on each side. She moved the dark
drapes that cloaked the door frame to the side and entered one of the rooms.
The closet was filled with racks of expensive suits and tuxedos. Designer shoes
were buffed and shined, stowed away in their own compartments that encompassed
the wall at the end of the room. There was a tie carousel in the middle of the
room that sat atop a cabinet that housed watches, pocket squares, and
sunglasses.

She
ran her fingers past the sleeves of each suit jacket on one side of the room.
There was a chest of drawers beneath that caught her attention.
Theana
opened the top drawer revealing the carefully folded
boxer briefs that were colored only in black and slate. The next drawer was
filled with socks in the same colors with the bottom drawer filled with tanks
and undershirts with a similar theme. She picked up one of the laundered,
creased undershirts and placed it to her nose. Even though it was clean, the
aroma of running in the woods gave her chills over every inch of her flesh.
Rafael had a spice to him that made her toes burn, sending pulses of
electricity up her legs.

Theana
had never had an urge to bed Camden even though he was an alpha,
but Rafael was different. Not only did she want to bed him, but she wanted to
mate him under the moonlight as it sparkled over the lake. She dropped the
towel and slipped the shirt over her damp hair. The feel of the smooth cotton
over her pert nipples made her body respond immediately. Her hands began to
travel the material. She danced in the scent of him.
Theana
was lost in his fairytale of midnight runs when she stumbled upon a different
climate on the opposite side of the room.

There
was not much difference in appearance. Suits, tuxedos, drawers in similar hues,
but it had a coolness that contrasted with the heat from the opposite side of
the room.
Theana
opened the top drawer to find the
boxer briefs that were identical to the pairs in the other chest. The dark gray
color almost blended with the cocoa tint of her fingertips. She buried her nose
in the material, and the rare days of winter entered her memory.

Gregori's
scent had a chill that blanketed
goosebumps
over her flesh. Playful days of burying his cinnamon coat in snow, then shaking
it against the cool air were written in his aroma. She carefully stepped into
the legs of his boxers and continued her dance around the closet. The perfect
mix of seasons touched her body as she swayed near the ties.
Theana's
keen sense of smell directed her to one of
Gregori's
ties that she looped around her neck, and then she
flitted to Rafael's side of the large room. A pair of his black dress socks
tickled her satin skin.
Theana
was encompassed in her
own fantasy world dressed in their undergarments, as if she living in a part of
their memories.

Completely
covered in their wares,
Theana
sauntered across the
hall into the other room that she presumed to be another closet. When she
entered, her mouth fell open when she saw all the beautiful dresses, pumps,
boots, coats, jeans, too many for her to fathom. The closet was set up in the
same fashion as its male counterparts, with the shoes covering the back wall.
They were color coded and arranged by season. Dresses lined an adjacent wall,
while the opposite wall was covered in racks of jeans and blouses. A separate
corner held coats, jackets, and sweaters. She was drawn to the glass case in
the center that held not only accessories, but jewelry.
Diamonds.
Pearls.
Precious stones.
She
picked up a string of pearls and looped them around her neck.

On
the same wall that housed the dresses there was a vanity with a mirror affixed.
Theana
checked out her mashed up outfit and undid her
ponytail. Her damp mane flowed over her shoulders and down her arms. Her heart
began to warm inside her chest, and her pulse increased when she looked at her
image in the mirror. She would've never thought the day would come that she
would be trapped between a commanding alpha and his bonded beta. The past few
years of her life had been spent running away from that very thing.
Shying away from her clan and from her nature.
A question loomed
in her soul, and it frightened her to think of the answer—was she done running?
Was she ready to accept her nature and submit to the two men that were more
than stronger wolves who only wanted to dominate her?

A
small crystal bottle that contained a pink liquid was set on the vanity
surrounded by various articles of makeup.
Theana
lifted the jeweled top from the bottle, and then she inhaled the aroma then
misted a fine plume of the scent behind her ears. The floral aroma completed
the perfect mix of summer, winter, and spring. The smile that she had tried her
damndest to hold back slowly crept onto her face, and she decided to allow it
to remain.

Theana
was curious to discover what else the
Ulric
compound had in store for her while the head wolves in charge were away, so she
rifled through the new clothes to find her look for the day. It was nice and
sunny out, so she opted for a simple pair of jeans, a white wrap blouse, and a
pair of earth tone leather sandals. She found a small pair of platinum hoop
earrings, with matching bangles for her wrist. After she fingered some setting
lotion into her hair in order for it to lie right, she combed it over to the
side and slid in place the new comb given to her by Luna. Normally she would
put an extra layer of clothing on to shield her from unwanted attention, but
for some reason she wanted to expose her skin to the warmth of the sun.
Theana
wanted to open herself to the love that she was sure
to receive from the entire
Ulric
pack.

After
applying some light makeup, she left out the closet and bedroom completely. She
skipped down the stairwell with the lightness of a young, eager pup. The aroma
of spices and sauces simmering in the kitchen almost made her rethink her walk
in the sun. Spending the day sampling what was hiding in the several pots
cooking on the stove was where she wanted to be. Then the young wolf from
earlier, Tim, approached her from the common area crushing her hopes to be full
and fat by the time the alpha and beta returned. The light from outside that
was shining through the windows in the kitchen made the gold flecks in his eyes
shimmer. His smile was so inviting that
Theana
couldn’t help but return the gesture.

"Hey.
I see you found your new clothes," Tim stated, checking her out in a
playful manner.

"Yes,
I did. I’m still trying to figure out how you guys were able to purchase all
those things in such a short time frame."

"Never
underestimate the members of the
Ulric
clan. We have
a pretty hefty benefits package, so watch out. There will be more to come. This
is just the beginning," he said.
Theana
couldn't
believe that she was getting excited wondering what new gifts she would have in
store. "Do you feel like taking a walk around the grounds? I was
instructed to show you the remainder of the compound."

"Sure
thing," she answered.

The
two left out the glass doorway that led to the wooded area behind the large
house. The warmth and earthy scent of the outdoors gave her inner spirit life.
She was pleased with her choice of the light blouse and sandals since the
breeze was cool and pleasant. Once they passed the end of the house,
Theana
noticed a wooden set of stairs that reached to the
second level.

"What
are those?" she asked.

"That
is the stairwell that leads to Rafael's deck. There are a set of French doors
in his bedchamber that lead out to it. Rafael loves to run right before dawn
right as the moon is setting," Tim said, while they continued to walk
toward a tree lined area.

Theana
looked back at the deck before it was lost in the distance. Her
mind traveled back to the night when Rafael had first encountered her near the
lake. They had that commonality of running at night. She, too, would use the
deck to free herself for nightly runs...maybe with a partner or two.

They
entered into a small thicket of densely packed brush. "A few feet beyond
these trees we will come upon the smaller homes and the community garden,"
Tim announced.

"So,
tell me about yourself, Tim. You seem highly honored by the alpha of this
clan."

Tim
shrugged. "Not much to say. Rafael took to me when I was a pup. My mom and
pop died when I was younger, so Rafael took me in and made me one of his go-to
guys."

"It
appears that you are little more than that in my opinion,"
Theana
admitted. "Rafael seems to trust you as much as
his beta."

Tim
stopped walking for a breath, and then he looked to
Theana
as if he had just realized something in his mind and heart. "Rafael is
like a father to me. He basically raised me into the man that I am now. If it
wasn't for him and Gregori, I wouldn't be so skilled in battle and the
management of the main house."

"Wow.
You manage the entire main estate?"

"Yes.
I know it is unheard of in a wolf as young as I, but I have been managing the
house affairs for a few years now. At first under the supervision of Gregori,
but now I work independently,"
he .

They
continued their walk. The shade from the tree canopies was concealing the
sunrays, but the cool covering started to dissipate quickly.

"You
say a wolf as young as yourself. How old are you? You have to be early twenties
right?" She chortled knowing good damn well he wasn’t that old.

Tim
chuckled. "Miss
Theana
, I am only eighteen soon
to make nineteen years old."

Theana
stopped on a dime and nudged Tim. "Are you kidding? You’re only
a baby," she blurted making him grin and shake his head.

"I
am not a baby, but a man, with all due respect."

Theana
gave a quick nod of acceptance. "So, where are you taking me
today?"

"We
are coming upon the communal garden that has a plethora of fruits and
vegetables for the clan kitchen in the main house and individual homes if need
be. After that, we will walk around and meet some of the elder wolves who chose
to stay in their homes to give the youngsters a chance to greet you when you
first arrived."

Just
then they stepped into a small clearing. There were no trees for shade, so the
light was blinding and hot, but the dampened grass quickly cooled her down. A
wooden fence was on the border of the clearing with a beautifully carved gate
that had flowers and ribbon interlaced in the handle. Tim opened the gate to
guide
Theana
through. The vision of the different
hues of oranges, yellows, and greens, which glistened with droplets of water in
the sunlight, took her breath away.