Authors: Donna Flynn
“Hey,
how are you feeling?” She asked sitting
in the chair next to
him
. Automatically h
e reached for her hand
and she gave it to
him willingly hoping for some spark that would persuade her she had made the right decision
,
but none came
.
“I’m good thanks to you and my sist
er.” He pushed he tray away,
tugged her hand, so
she moved to his side
,
sitting on the bed next to him. “A good morning kiss would
certainly make my day though.”
He had woken with very little memory of the night before
,
but one thing he knew was that he did not get his goodnight kiss
,
something he wanted to remedy immediately.
Mercy bent to
him finding h
is k
iss
warm and nice
,
but
nothing like Alec’s
whose
incited a riot of emotions ins
ide her and made her long for
more. She reminded herself to forget about Alec and concentrate on Kirk
,
but unconsciously she had already begun pulling away and when she sat back
,
Kirk looked bewildered
by her hasty retreat
.
“I need to eat it
’
s almost time to head to school.” She told him rising from the bed and grabbing her things before he could react. “I’ll call you later.”
She rushed out of the room and headed down the stairs to the kitchen surprised to find Lucan sitting at the table with a
stunning
woman who could only be Kirk’s si
ster. They were both smiling happily,
his h
and on top of hers as they spoke, making
her uncomfortable
,
but before she cou
ld back away
,
Lucan looked up,
saw her.
“Good morning how a
re you feeling?” He rose from the table and pulled a plate from the oven
placing it on the table
in front
of an empty chair. “I made your favorite.”
Mercy placed her bags on the
counter and walked to the table
feeling sick to her stomach
,
but
unwilling
to hurt his feelings by not eating.
“It looks great,” s
he said reaching for t
he syrup and pouring it over the
pancakes
piled there
.
“
Mercy this
is
Nina
, Kirks sister.
” He took his seat once more and grabbed his coffee mug
his eyes pinned on the pretty blonde across from him
.
“It’s good to meet you at last
,
I hear about you all the time from my brother.” She sm
iled and the wa
rmth that radiated from her
,
put
Mercy instantly at ease.
“It’s nice to meet you too
.
K
irk tells me all the time
how amazing you are.” She took a bite of her pancakes and swallowed nearly choki
ng when Alec walked in staring at her with an intensity that made her feel exposed
.
It was as if he read her every emotion and knew how she felt for him
, which would not help things
.
“We
ll Kirk is sweet
,
but really healing is
a god given talent
,
you just have to know how to use it.” Nina told her noting the look that passed bet
ween Mercy and Alec before
glancing
to Lucan pointedly. “Of course I had a great teacher and if you want I will be more than happy to work with you.”
Mercy heard her
,
but could not take her eyes of
Alec as he grabbed a plate from the oven and prepared his pancakes
. The smell of him, the way he moved
,
and the
slow
smile
s
when he loo
ked her way all held her attention
and she was helples
s to do anything more than to stare
.
Lucan cle
ared his throat to bring her
back to the conversation. “I am sure Mercy would love your help right?” He nudged her under the table with his knee and she looked to Nina with a slight pink blush.
“That would be
great if you really don’t mind,
”
s
he
answered feeling suddenly
warm when Alec sat next to her.
“Good
morning Angel,” h
e said softly
.
“Good morning.” She stared
down
at her barely eaten pancakes
a
void
ing
everyone’s eyes
afraid someone m
ight see her desire for
Alec there
.
S
weat
beaded
her brow as she forced herself to
concentrate on her breakfast trying to
ignore the
rush of emotion that threatened her composure
now that Alec was close.
It had bee
n easy to dismiss them
when he was not near
,
but now that he was so
close,
she was finding it harder t
o deny her feelings for him
.
His hand dropped under the table and he patted her knee as if sensing her unease
,
but it only fueled her already crazed hormones
. Her
fork
dropped from her shaking fingers
on
to
her plate and
she
stood abruptly
,
positive she needed to get away befor
e she began to babble
her feelings for him
.
All eyes
turned to her
,
Lucan’s questioning
,
Nina’s surprise
d
,
and Alec
’s so sheepish
it
left no doubt he had known how she would react
to his touch
.
“Are you ready
to go?” h
e
asked standing and
tossing down his napkin on his now empty
plate.
She wondere
d how he could eat with so much tension between them
,
but said nothing
.
“Mercy?”
Lucan looked perplexed
,
but Nin
a watched knowingly which only m
ade Mercy more remorse
ful
.
“I have to go,” s
he reached for her bags
,
but Alec was qu
icker grabbing
them
from the
counter, taking her hand
,
and
pulling
her towards the door.
“See you later,
” Nina called out smiling as the door closed behind them.
“That was odd,
” Lucan
,
said still staring at the door unsure what had set Mercy off.
“Not really
,
she’
s torn between a guy she
likes
and a guy who makes her feel alive and draws her to him.” She stood and took the plate
to
the sink leaving him to think about her words
.
“You should be ang
ry
. S
he’s going to hurt yo
ur brother.” He said
,
so clo
se
behind her
she felt the heat of his body
warming hers
.
“I warned him and my father
not to interfere
,
but they would not liste
n.” She turned suddenly coming
face to face with him. “When a
B
ond
M
ate is found no one should come betwee
n them
.”
“I agree
,
it is
sacrilege
to force someone to suffer without their intended mate.” He pulled her into his arms and
kissed her as he had been longing to do from the moment he laid eyes on her
.
*****
“Are you alright?” A
lec asked
as he drove
to school
.
Mercy turned and
looked at him with a lost stare
that reminded him of the fi
rst time they had met
. It
tore at his heart,
he wanted to find the words to take that
look from her face
, but he could not allow himself to say them. If
he
explained why she felt the way she did,
he would have to explain what they
were
,
w
hat she was going to
become one day
soon
.
How did you tell someone they were goin
g to become something they feared
?
“Alec what is happening between is?”
Her voice was desperate
,
he wanted so badly to make her understand
,
but he knew he could not.
If he told her
everything,
he would be exposing not only himself
,
but also
her brothers and his pack it was a chance he could not take.
“I can’t explain it
right now
,
but I would never hurt you
. P
lease believe me the only thing I want is your happiness.” He tightened his grip on
the wheel and waited for her to argue
,
but she surprised him by reaching out and placing her
hand on his arm
.
“I
f you can’t tell me the truth
,
how can you expect me to trust you?”
Her f
ingers tightened on his arm, she
look
ed almost desperate,
but he knew it was not the time for disclosure. Once
she found out
what they were and how it would affect her
life,
the chances were great she would run
. I
f she
did,
he would not be able to control his beast
,
it
wou
ld
su
rface, force her to bond, and she was in no way ready for that to happen
.
“Please
don’t do this
,
not now
,
I swear when the time is
right I will tell you everything
. U
ntil then just trust me when I say you are the girl I am meant to be with, the only one I want
,
and when I see you with Kirk it makes me …” He bite down on his lip figh
ting to keep his wolf in place
. He needed to clear his head
,
needed to forget how he
felt when he saw her with Kirk.
“Alec
?” She scooted closer looking
into his now amber eyes feeling unsure and more than a little afraid.
“Don’t
…
stay in your seat,” h
e warned afraid her proximity would only enhance the change.
“Pull over Alec,” she pleaded
moving closer
p
lacing one hand on the wheel
turning
it
towards the side
of the road
as he slowed down
. He was shaking
,
so she moved close enough she
was able
to hit the brake with her foot, stop
the car
, then
slid
e
the gear into park.