Authors: Quinn Loftis
Peri rolled her eyes. “Not wolves, just you. Geeze,” she glowered, “dramatic much?”
Alina laughed as she sat across from Peri. She leaned back in the chair looking relaxed and composed, as usual. Peri had always admired that about the she-wolf. Here this woman lived in a mansion full of possessive, bossy werewolves and she rarely even raised her voice.
“Alright, Luna,” Peri finally said, “what’s your take?”
Alina’s head tilted ever so slightly to the right as she took in the high fae before her. Her lips twitched as she seemed to fight the grin that threatened to bloom at any moment. “Before we begin I just want to know one thing. What’s driving you crazier, the fact that you are mated to a wolf, or the fact that you want to, I think Jacque put it best, jump his bones?” she spoke at last.
Peri let out an exaggerated huff as she met the Alpha female’s eyes. “Why are you and your mate suddenly so interested in my sex life?”
Alina laughed. “So Vasile went there, did he?”
“Oh yes, but he was much less crude than your daughter in-law, or even myself.”
“Consummation?” Alina asked knowingly.
“The one and only,” Peri answered dryly.
Alina sobered and her voice grew serious as she leaned forward in her chair. Peri could see that the Alpha wanted her to listen, and to hear what she was about to say.
“There is no walking away from your mate. I’m not saying that to challenge you Peri and I’m not saying it to scare you. I’m telling you because you need to fully grasp how permanent a true mate is. You, who have been alone for so long, will never be alone again. I only know
Lucian from the stories that Vasile has shared with me. But if he is anything like Vasile, then he will do anything to take care of you, to provide for you, protect you and love you. That doesn’t mean it will be easy, but you don’t have to fear losing him.”
“What about all the bossiness and broodiness?” Peri asked. “You yourself said it. I have been alone a very long time, doing my own thing. I don’t take orders. I won’t be caged and the word ‘submit’ is pretty much a death sentence to the one saying it.”
Alina smiled at Peri as if she was a cute little dog that had performed a trick. “For one so wise, Perizada, you can be awfully dense.”
Peri pointed a long finger at the she-wolf. “See, that is why you should all be turds.”
“Any relationship is give and take,” Alina continued as if Peri hadn’t spoken. “Sacrifices must be made by both parties. You both will have to make changes and allow the other to make mistakes. As for submitting, well, you know what pack life is like. There has to be a balance of power. There has to be an Alpha, and those beneath him must submit. But your mate will never ask you to submit to him, not unless he truly felt it was necessary and a compromise could not be met.”
“And I would just have to do it?” Peri snapped.
“I would hope that your relationship at that point would be one of deep trust and love. I would hope that if he was asking that of you, then you would trust his judgment, and trust him to take care of you. Submission was never meant to be a negative action. Submission is an act of love and service because someone must lead, and the others must follow. Your greatest act of love to your mate is when you submit and that comes in many forms. Think of it like this,” she scooted forward and laid her hands on the table between them. “For a wolf to give another his stomach is an act of ultimate submission, right? The stomach is the most tender and vulnerable place on the body and puts the wolf at the greatest risk. So what do you think it means to Vasile when I, his werewolf mate, lie in bed with him? How much trust does he see from me when I sleep on my back, vulnerable to him? Are those not forms of submission? Do they demean me in anyway?”
Peri sat speechless across from Alina. The air from her breathing seemed too loud in her ears as the words the she-wolf had just spoken ran through her mind. She had never looked at the relationship between true mates in quite that way. They were wolves, she got that. But then, she realized that she totally didn’t get it at the same time, because, once again, she was not a wolf.
“I’m going to blow your mind one more time,” Alina interrupted her epiphany moment. “Now that you realize what it means to submit and what it means to your mate, ask yourself this; how much trust and love must he feel when he gives his stomach to you? You have the greatest treasure of all, Peri. Lucian will only ever fully submit to you. He will only ever lie in your bed on his back, exposing his stomach and neck to you. He will only ever trust
you
with that. How great his love and trust must be for one so proud, so strong, and so dominant to yield to you.”
Peri didn’t hear Alina leave. She sat in stunned silence as she considered her words.
Lucian submit to her? It was nearly laughable. But then, how did any relationship survive if not for the bending of two wills? Alina had said there was no getting around it. She was Lucian’s true mate. It was a bond that would not be denied, one that no one walked away from. After several minutes of thought she stood, straightened her shirt, and let out a deep breath.
“The way I see it, I have two choices,” she told the empty table. “I can accept that I’m going to be mated to a werewolf, or I can accept that I’m going to be mated to a werewolf.” She shook her head as she turned to leave the room. In a final huff of resignation she mumbled to herself, “Damn if I don’t like either one of those.”
“When I gave my creation free will, I worried that they would never fulfill the destinies that I had planned for them. I was sure that they would turn their own way and disregard the path I had laid out for them. My one defense against this was love. Love is what helps them make the tough decisions, what guides them when they’ve lost their way. True, unconditional, selfless love can soften the hardest heart, cleanse the filthiest soul, and quench the driest spirit.” ~The Great Luna
“I don’t understand why you need so many square boxes that do all the same thing,” Lucian said as he held the contraption that Costin had handed him. A
cell phone
was what he had called it and Costin said he could use it to speak to people all over the world. Lucian had laughed.
“Well you don’t want to attempt to carry a television around with you, and a tablet is too big to use as a phone. You see, even though they do similar things, it’s having various sizes for various circumstances that matter.”
“Okay, when I walk into a room and hear one dude talking to another dude using words like various, sizes and matter, I have to admit I’m a tad intrigued,” Jen said as she strolled into the library with a burp rag slung over her shoulder.
“Quit being modest Jen,” Costin laughed. “You’re more than intrigued, you’re practically salivating at the sexual innuendos coming together in that wicked head of yours.”
She shrugged. “What can I say, it’s a gift.” She motioned to Lucian who was still staring at the phone in his hands. “Since we know you guys weren’t really talking about the size of your junk, what exactly were you talking about?”
Lucian
’s eyebrows rose as he looked up from the phone to pin his stare on Jen. “I truly do not understand most of what you say.”
She laughed. “Neither does my mate, but he’s learning and so will you. Now as interesting as I’m sure that cell phone is to your poor, neglected mind, I want to know how things are going with you and your fairy.” She plunked herself down on the couch and pointed across from her indicating for him to sit.
“Jen,” Costin started.
She held up a finger to stop him and turned her head slowly to look at him. “I’m going to meddle so don’t bother telling me not to meddle because, frankly, it’s a waste of oxygen. You know as well as I do that they are going to have to complete the bond because at some point his darkness is going to take over. What happens if another male makes advances on Peri and he doesn’t have the darkness under control?”
They heard a crunch and looked over at Lucian who now had a crushed cell phone in his partially human hands. He looked down at it and frowned.
“What male are you talking about?”
Lucian asked with calmness that Jen knew all too well.
“I’m not saying that there
is
one, Lucian. I’m just saying that if there was one, things could get messy.” She groaned dramatically, “Ugh if there was just one person here that could appreciate the things I could do with that sentence.” She looked back at Lucian and motioned once again for him to sit. He walked over and took the seat she indicated but he held her gaze the entire time. Jen finally relented and dropped her eyes. “Stupid Alphas and their power games,” she muttered.
“I am not an Alpha,”
Lucian pointed out.
“Maybe not, but you have the dominance to be one. Now, about Peri…,” she prompted and then waited.
“She is coming to terms with it,” Lucian finally spoke. “She just needs time, and that is something I can give her.”
“You know that she wants to leave, to go after her sister?” Jen asked.
Lucian nodded.
“And you’re okay with her going?”
Lucian’s lips twitch in amusement. “She can go anywhere she wants,” he paused, “but I’ve made it very clear to her that where she goes, I go.”
“And how did Peri fairy respond to that?” Jen grinned.
“I would not repeat such language in front of a female,” Lucian told her with a gleam in his eyes that had Jen laughing.
“Oh man this is awesome,” she ground out with a clap of her hands. “Our little Peri is all wrapped up with the big bad wolf, totally priceless.” She stood and smiled down at the wolf. “Hang in there, brother wolf. She’ll come around.”
Lucian smiled and it was all teeth. “Do not worry, mate to Decebel. We wolves are very,
very
patient hunters.”
Jen cackled as she turned to leave and called out over her shoulder, “Don’t I know it.”
“Sorry about the cell phone,” Lucian told Costin as he stood and held out the plastic mess.
Costin chuckled. “You can imagine that we go through quite a few phones; we have really good insurance.” Costin tossed the phone in the trash and then glanced back to
Lucian who was now staring out of one of the many windows. “I’m headed to the training area to get in a workout. You can join me if you want. Sally’s with Rachel doing healer stuff so I’m having to figure out how to entertain myself.” He shook his head. “It’s hard to believe that for sixty years I was capable of getting through the day without her, but now,” he exhaled, “now every minute away from her is torture.”
Lucian
nodded. “Like you are seeing the world in black and white until she walks into the room and suddenly everything is in color; rich, vibrant colors that reflect her light.”
“Exactly,” Costin agreed.
“I appreciate the offer, but I think I had better bow out of training today,” Lucian said politely. “I fear I would be too aggressive to be safe.”
“As Jen said, hang in there. Peri is a proud fae, but she is not stupid. She will come around.” Costin left without another word.
Lucian glanced back out the window and his eyes landed once again on his mate.
He agreed that she was indeed proud, but he was beginning to question whether Costin was right about the not stupid part. She was on the very training ground that Costin had just spoken of and she was now wearing clothing that
revealed every enticing curve, every defined muscle. She was sparing with another fae female that he recognized as Elle. Peri landed a powerful forward strike, leaving Elle sprawled on her back. Lucian saw a male figure step forward from the group that was now forming around them. It was Sorin, one of the wolves, and also Elle’s mate. He looked about as happy as Lucian felt.
Elle waved him off and readied herself once again for Peri’s attack. They continued sparring, moving with a speed and grace that fae alone could accomplish and soon they had an entire group, female and male, circling around them watching the bout.
Lucian’s jaw clenched as Elle conceded, bowing to Peri and then stepping back. He watched as Peri motioned for someone else to step up to spar with her. After several seconds one of the younger males stepped forward. He didn’t remember his name, but he recognized the face as being one of the Serbian wolves.
“Mate, I am asking that you not spar with that male,”
Lucian reached to her through their bond as he tried to hold back his wolf. His hands trembled under the strain that it took to hold the phase back. He watched as Peri stiffened as she heard his voice and her head slowly rose until she was looking at him through the window. He knew his eyes would be glowing, but there was nothing he could do about that. All he knew was that if that male put his hands on Peri in any way, be it to harm or give pleasure, his wolf would kill him. There was no doubt in his mind. If he let his wolf out, he would not be able to control him.
“Perhaps you could take his place?”
Peri’s cool voice was like a refreshing breeze across the hot marshes of his mind.
“I do not think it would be wise of me to engage in any form of violence right now.”
Lucian tried to let her see just how difficult it was for him without flooding her with all of his emotions. He saw the moment she picked up on it because she took a step back from the male. She gave a low bow indicating that she was withdrawing from the fight and then disappeared.
“It’s only going to get worse isn’t it,” her voice came from behind him. She had flashed from the training ground to the library. Judging from the looks on the faces of the group still on the training ground,
they were still just as bothered by it as the first time Peri had done it.
He turned to face her and bit back the growl that wanted to pour out of him. She was beautiful—her face flushed from the work out, her hair shimmering in the light
, her form perfect on display in her training clothes.
“Do they make
clothes that do not fit so snug?” He asked her, unable to hold it in any longer.
She laughed. “You want me to accept this bond between us? Well then you are just going to have to accept the clothes of this day and age.”
“I do not think that is a fair exchange. Why should I be alright with your feminine form being on display for other males to see?”
“The key word in that statement
Lucian is
your.
You have just stated that it is indeed my feminine form that is in question, and since it belongs to me I am the one in charge of it,” Peri said coyly. “Now if you will excuse me, I need to go shower said feminine form lest it becomes smelly. I don’t do smelly.” She turned on her heal and left without another word.
Lucian
wondered why she bothered walking anywhere when she could flash. He decided to tuck that question away along with others he had been forming to ask her. He would save that to ask while they were on their journey to find her sister. He hoped that during their search he would be able to get to know her better and for her to get to know him and, hopefully, to fall in love with him. He would have much rather completed their bond and blood rites before their departure, but she just wasn’t ready and he would not force it on her.
Laughter out in the hallway caught his attention and he walked over and stuck his head out. Jen sat precariously perched on the balcony railing that looked out over the entryway to the mansion. Her mate,
Decebel, stood several feet away holding their new infant daughter in his arms. Lucian’s lips twitched at the large male holding the tiny child with such care. But his shoulders tensed at the angry expression he saw on Decebel’s face. It was so inconsistent with the gentleness in which his arms held the babe that it caught Lucian off guard.
“Jennifer, get down from the railing.” He heard the Alpha say through clenched teeth. It was obvious that he was trying t
o stay calm because of his tiny burden, but his mate was truly putting his control to the test.
Jen dangled one leg over the edge, her balance perfect, her body relaxed. “But this is what I wanted to show you,” she whined. “Jacque and I have been seeing how many of our wolf traits we can use while in human form, and get this,” she held her hand out in excitement, “cats aren’t the only ones that always land on their feet.” And with that she pushed up with her legs and threw her body back high in the air above the entryway.
Lucian was out the door and running without realizing it as he watched in part horror and part awe as the female did a back flip off of the railing. As he and Decebel both reached the rail and looked over, he saw that she had indeed landed on her feet. She threw her hands in the air in celebration and then proceeded to dance to some tune that she was now singing.
Lucian
quickly looked away from the Alpha’s mate’s gyrating body. He looked at Decebel when he heard an exasperated huff leave his chest.
“You might want to check into a return policy before you complete the bond with your mate,” Decebel told him wearily.
Lucian shook his head feeling every bit as tired as Decebel looked. “I don’t understand her. I don’t like the way she dresses, her temper is legendary, and she is constantly threatening me with bodily harm, and yet I would rip out my own heart before I would give her up.”
Decebel chuckled and nodded knowingly. “And just to be clear brother, you
do
like the way she dresses, you just wish you were the only one who got to enjoy it.”
“I will never admit such a thing,”
Lucian said stoically as he fought to keep the smile from his face.
Decebel turned at the sound of his mate coming up the stairs.
Lucian watched as Decebel growled at her, his good humor seemingly gone.
“Dec babe, you know I don’t like you to threaten me unless there is going to be some follow through. So don’t be throwing around things like
spank you
and
over my knee
unless you got the gumption to back it up.” Jen leaned around Dec and gave Lucian a wicked wink as she grabbed her mate’s free hand and pulled him down the hall. All the while Lucian could hear the Alpha grumbling to his mate about trying to give him a heart attack and at least she kept her clothes on.
Bloody hell
, Lucian thought,
I do not even want to know what that is all about.
He supposed he should be thankful that Perizada didn’t dance in public or attempt to take her clothes off. He heard Jen’s laughing again and sent a silent prayer to the Great Luna on Decebel’s behalf. From what Lucian had seen and heard of Jen, the Alpha would need all the help he could get.