Authors: Casey Elliot
*****
Justine woke up feeling deliciously sore and warm the next morning, and she smiled as she recounted the sexy things she and Lucas did in the kitchen… then the floor… then her bed, twice… then the shower… and finally in bed again as he took her from behind. He was practically insatiable, and she let him use her over and over, coming over and inside of her, and it felt incredible.
She didn’t regret a thing that happened between them, but she was worried this was just a one-time thing, despite their multiple performances last night. She didn’t know how she’d feel if it was.
She turned to her side to look at him and she was startled to find him already awake and staring at her sleepily. He pulled her closer to him and he placed a sweet kiss on her forehead before placing his forehead to hers, staring deeply in her eyes.
“Hey,” he said, and she smiled.
“Hey…,” she trailed off and her eyes widened as she realized something very important. “We’ve had sex for about a million times, and I still don’t know what your name is,” she said.
Lucas blinked before laughing loudly, realizing she was right. She let him laugh his heart out before glaring at him.
“Lucas. My name’s Lucas, beautiful,” he said.
“My name’s not beautiful. It’s Justine,” she said, and Lucas nodded, liking the sound of her name. “I don’t want to ruin the moment but… I’d really like to know where we stand now,” she said.
Lucas would be lying if he said he wasn’t expecting her to ask that question, but he wasn’t afraid to answer it. He was terrified of how she’ll react, though.
‘Oh well.’ Lucas thought. ‘In for a penny, in for a pound.’
“I want you,” he said, and he watched as Justine’s face broke into a smile. He paused, staring at her smiling face before he continued. “I want you as my mate,” he completed, and she frowned, not comprehending. “You’re forgetting that I can turn into a bear. It’s not just me who can do that. We’re a pack of bear-shifters.”
“Okay, hang on,” she said, sitting up and wrapping the sheets around herself as she looked at Lucas seriously. “You need to give me a play by play because I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
Lucas sighed and began to tell her everything about himself and his clan, and his heart clenched painfully in his chest, as he watched Justine’s face grow more and more troubled.
“I need to think about this first,” she said finally, and he bowed his head, already knowing she wasn’t going to accept. Justine frowned at the hopeless look on his face and she cradled his head with both of her hands to look her straight in the eye. “I’m not saying ‘No’, Lucas. I’m just saying I want to think about it, okay?”
Lucas gave her a half-smile before nodding. He looked at his watch and told her he had to go back, and she let him go with an awkward hug.
Putting all of that on one plate was tough, Lucas knew, but he felt something strong for her the moment he kissed her last night, and he was sure the feeling wasn’t about to disappear anytime soon, if at all.
He just wished that Justine really was considering the thought of being with him; being his mate instead of offering him a sorry kind of rejection.
*****
A month had passed since Lucas gave her space, and he was dying to see her. They had exchanged phone numbers before he left, promising to keep in contact, and she hadn’t sent any messages to him since. Granted, he wasn’t making an effort to contact her either, but it was more because he wanted to respect her wishes and give her what she wanted instead of forcing what he wanted to her.
The Elders were still dead set on marrying him off to a member of another clan, and he was running out of time. He needed to know if he had some sort of future to look forward to with the woman he chose or if he was doomed to be a puppet of the Council.
His phone rang and his heart leaped, as he saw Justine’s name flashing on the screen; he answered.
“Can I talk to you?” Justine asked as soon as he picked up. Lucas frowned. “It’s really important.”
“Sure,” he said.
Justine bit her lip and fidgeted in her seat nervously as she waited for Lucas to arrive. Today was not only the day she answered Lucas’s proposal, but to tell him something else that would change their lives forever.
She heard the bell ring and her head snapped up as Lucas entered the café, searching for her. She raised her hand and Lucas smiled upon spotting her, making his way over to the table.
“Sorry I’m late,” Lucas said, and she shook her head.
“It’s okay. Thanks for coming,” she said, and he smiled. “I’m not going to beat around the bush because I owe it to you for making you wait this long,” he opened his mouth to protest, but she continued.
“Before I answer your question, I need to tell you this one thing, and that this is partly the reason why my decision is the way it is.” She took a deep breath before nodding. “I’m pregnant, Lucas,” she said, finally.
Lucas froze as he heard her say those two words. He wasn’t about to ask her if he really was the father because he knew he didn’t use protection all those times he’d been with her that night. He also wasn’t an idiot to understand what she was telling him.
She wanted him to know that whatever her decision was, it was partly because she was pregnant with his child. He waited for the feeling of cold feet to possess him, but instead, what he felt was unadulterated joy over her carrying his child, and he felt an overwhelming urge to kiss and worship her.
“Lucas? Did you hear me?” she asked, worried because he hadn’t said a thing at all.
“Yeah, I heard you. Does that mean what I think it means?” he asked, and Justine sighed.
“If what you’re thinking is, have I agreed to be your mate, then yes, it’s exactly what you think. But, I need to tell you the rest of why I made this decision,” she insisted, and Lucas nodded, letting her continue.
“I don’t want you to think that I’m just taking advantage of you because you got me knocked up; it’s not like that, although partly it is. I want to be with you because the moment I woke up that morning and you were right next to me, I knew then that I wanted this thing between us to last. Sure, you turning into a huge bear complicated things, and knowing that I’m about to become the wife --,”
“Mate,” Lucas corrected softly, and Justine glared at him.
“Wife of a leader of people who turn into bears at the drop of a hat, and I’d probably be way over my head, but…,” she reached over the table to hold on to his hand. “I don’t feel lonely anymore because of you. I don’t want to feel that way again,” she admitted. Lucas took her hand with both hands and kissed it softly.
“You didn’t have to explain anything, Justine,” Lucas said, and she looked at him uncertainly. “I would’ve just been happy that you said yes. You don’t seem to realize it, but you’re already saving me. I’m not going to end up with someone I don’t want to be with or someone who was chosen for me and not the other way around.”
Lucas got up from his seat and knelt on one knee in front of Justine, making her look nervously at the other customers in the café.
“I promise you, baby. I will take care of you both for as long as I live. I will never let anything or anyone hurt you, I swear,” he said, and Justine felt tears start to fall from her eyes and she smiled, putting one hand on his cheek.
“Thank you,” she said, and she bent her head down and gave him a kiss, the other patrons giving them a round of applause.
The transition from living all alone for most of her life to living as the wife of a clan leader was difficult for Justine, to say the least. Ever since Lucas had brought her to his village, she was accosted by the stares of everyone who lived there. The whispers followed her wherever she went and, although Lucas tried to be with her whenever he could, most of the time, he had to leave for an urgent mater or another; a lot of which were ordered by the Council.
That was another thing she had a problem with. The Council wasen’t at all pleased with Lucas bringing her into their fold and declaring her as his mate, as they wanted him to forge an alliance with another clan. They didn’t think she had anything to offer to the clan that would be of great advantage other than the child she was carrying, and they made it obvious to her that they despised her.
The only one who seemed to have shown at least a modicum of civility was Elder Graham, a long silvery-haired man who knew Lucas’ parents when he was still a baby. He helped her know her way around the village and taught her everything about their history and traditions. She had hoped that he would’ve been able to influence the rest of the people to change their thoughts about her, but sadly, it was not possible.
“They’ll get over it, Justine,” Lucas said, watching her pace their room that night. “They can’t do anything about it if I imprinted on someone they didn’t think I’d choose, but it’s too late for them to do anything about it once it happened. Just let them talk.”
“Yes, but I don’t want to walk around every morning with everyone looking at me like I took away their candy and gave them poison instead,” she muttered.
Lucas smirked and stood behind her, putting his hands around her and placing them on the slight bulge of her stomach. Justine leaned against him and she stared at their reflection in the mirror, a picture of a couple in love.
“Soon, they’re going to realize why I chose you, all of the reasons why I want to be with you, and then they’ll love you almost as much as I love you,” he said, putting his lips in her hair and inhaling her scent. Justine froze at his words.
“You love me?” she whispered, and Lucas looked at her reflection with eyes filled with warmth and something she’d never seen before.
“I do. I have for a while now,” he turned her so he could see directly in her eyes. “The Council can keep trying to force me away from you, but I know one thing; I love you, Justine. I love you so much it hurts sometimes,” he said.
Justine smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck in a hug, and she wept on his shoulder as he held her tighter.
“You have to keep saying that. You have to keep saying you love me, again and again, until I get tired of hearing it,” Justine ordered.
“Oh, I plan on doing that for a long, long time,” he kissed the tears of her eyes away before kissing her fully on the mouth. He bent down and carried her like a bride, and made their way to the bedroom, smirking at her. “Now, how about I make you say my name over and over tonight?” he asked.
She raised an eyebrow at him in a challenge.
“I’d like to see you try,” she said.
Justine left their house with a new resolve that morning, leaving Lucas a note that she was out in the village, so he wouldn’t look for her once he woke up. His words last night had given her courage to face the people who thought ill of her, and she was determined to change their minds.
She started off with the children, playing with them and watching over them while their mothers went off to shop and buy some groceries. Afterward, she knocked on every door and gave them a batch of the cookies she made early this morning. A few of them were grateful while some merely took the treats before shutting the door in her face, but Justine considered it progress, nonetheless.
*****
She told Lucas about her endeavors when he met up with her later that afternoon, and he praised her for her efforts before telling her not to overwork herself.
She thought of what else she could do to help the people in the village, and through Lucas and the Elder, she learned that the village was still a little behind when it came to modernization of the village hospital. So, she went and hired lawyers to write up the proper documents to donate some of the inheritance she was living off of in upgrading the equipment of the hospitals and the quarters.
The effect was instantaneous.
The Council was delighted of her charity and applauded Lucas for choosing such a fine woman as his mate. They immediately started suggesting some ‘lucrative projects’ to her, and Lucas was seething by the middle of the meeting.
“They’re treating you like a bank,” Lucas growled, clenching his fist in anger. Justine rubbed his arm to placate him.
“It’s okay,” she said, and he looked at her incredulously. She quickly clarified what she meant. “I know what they’re doing and I’m not about to invest in their schemes. I’ve been handling most of my accounts since I was a kid. I think I know which projects to fund and which to ignore.”
“I just don’t want them to use you the way they planned on using me before. I promised to protect you, didn’t I?” he asked.
“And, you’re doing a spectacular job, Lucas. Don’t worry, I’ll be alright,” her gaze turned worried as she placed her hand on her stomach and caressed it lovingly. Her belly was growing faster than the normal rate; something Lucas and the Elders told her was normal for children possessing the ability to shift into bears, but that fact only added to her worry. “What about our cub? I mean, I’m barely two months in and I already feel like I’m a baby whale. Are you sure I’ll be able to deliver him safely?” she asked.
Lucas smiled softly at his worried mate, reaching down to hold her hand. “The fact that you’re more worried about him when you know he’s ten times stronger than you makes me love you more,” he said, and Justine looked at him weirdly. “It’s true. Giving birth to our kind poses a lot more danger to the mother than the child. Most of the women here don’t live after they give birth, but because of you, the upgrading of the hospital facilities might just give them a fighting chance at life,” he kissed her forehead softly, making her sigh. “And you, as well.”
“Promise me you won’t let anything happen to him if something goes wrong,” Justine whispered, and Lucas looked at her, horrified she’d consider something like that. “Promise me,” she pleaded.
“I won’t promise anything because nothing wrong is going to happen,” Lucas said firmly, and Justine shook her head. “You’re going to get through this alive, Justine. Don’t ever think you won’t,” he said, looking away from her and letting go of her hand.
Justine stood up abruptly, effectively bringing the conversation to a halt and walked away, ignoring the members of the Council calling her back. Lucas sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose before standing up and going after her.
He found her standing in the veranda looking out into the forest. He approached her cautiously, treating her like a volcano about to erupt, and he didn’t want to risk irking her any further.
“It’s natural for mothers to be worried, you know, especially when they don’t exactly know what’s going to come out of them,” Justine said, keeping her back turned to Lucas.
“I know that, and I’m not taking your right to worry about it away from you,” he sighed, scratching the back of his head in frustration. “I just… my mother died giving birth to me,” he admitted, and Justine slowly turned her head to look at him. “My father fell in love with my mom and, at first, they were ecstatic to finally have a child of their own. But, when my mom died and I was all that was left, my father blamed me for her death. I blamed myself, too,” he said.
“But Lucas, it wasn’t your fault,” Justine said, her heart breaking for what she imagined he’d been through growing up.
“I know that, but when you were asking me to make a promise earlier, to take care of him I… I was afraid I might turn out the same way my father did to his son, and a part of me thinks it might happen if you…,” Justine covered his mouth with her fingers, stopping him from speaking any further.
“Okay,” she said, and Lucas blinked at her. “Nothing is going to happen to me. I promise I will survive, and your son and I will come out of this unscathed, okay?” she said, and he nodded reluctantly. She then smiled at him teasingly before saying, “Besides, I’m pretty sure you’re going to want a daughter as soon as I pop Junior out, right?”
Lucas’ booming laugh made her smile brighter.
Nearly five years later…
“Dad, I don’t want to do this anymore. I’m not going to transform,” Lucas’ four year old son, Alex, said, and Lucas chuckled, ruffling his son’s hair.
“You came out of your mother with fur. I’m pretty sure you can transform, kiddo.” Lucas replied, and he ducked his head as a flying Frisbee flew right over him.
“Whoops! Sorry, Dad!” his eldest son, Caleb, apologized as he chased after his dog, Loki.
“Caleb Matthew! You better come back here and help me and your sister with the plates!” Lucas’ smile widened as he watched his mate and his youngest and only daughter, Samantha, come out of their house carrying food to the table.
Alex immediately forgot about his training and scampered off to the table, and for once, Lucas let him go. He watched as his family gathered around the table and he looked up at the sky, sighing in happiness.
“Lucas! You know I can’t come over there with your spawn pressing down my bladder, so you get your big butt over here and help set the table!” Justine called, partly annoyed at her husband.
Lucas shook his head, but heeded his mate’s call. After all, why ruin such a lovely day with her screaming in his ear?
The End