BOXES littered Lucia’s floor, but only a few actually had something in them. She decided that if she was going to start a new life, then she’d go to it with only the things she cared about. Unfortunately, there wasn’t much.A knock on her door dragged her attention away from the empty boxes. And she wasn’t surprised to see Mandy standing there. “Hey. Come on in.”“Hey.” Mandy walked into the room, moving some of the boxes out of the way with her foot, and sat on the edge of Lucia’s bed. “Dad made the formal announcement to his inner circle. At least he had the courtesy to tell his family first. I was surprised to see you weren’t there.”Lucia shrugged. “He didn’t ask me to be. Anyway, it’s not like anything could be done to change the circumstances.”“Does that mean you’re unhappy with this?”Lucia paused in packing a box that was on her desk. “I…. Well, I can’t honestly say I’m thrilled with what he’s done, but I guess if it hadn’t been Sooner, it would’ve been somebody else.”“Just
AT the appointed hour, Lucia was dressed and ready to go. She was wearing a black hugging dress that shows how curvaceous her body is.She also brushed her blond hair into a gleaming waterfall and left it loose. The doorbell rang as she finished putting on her heels. And after a last glance in the dresser mirror, she hurried downstairs.Solomon stood in the entrance with a servant waiting near him. Lucia’s pounding heart stumbled in her chest. Solomon’s long hair was pulled into a ponytail at the nape of his neck. Damn, he looked good even in his coat. Lucia tried to get her heart under control before everybody in the pack house heard it. Wasn’t much she could do about her desire. Solomon froze, sniffed, and then turned to where Lucia stood. A small smile graced his lips. “Good evening.”Lucia swallowed. If her voice squeaked, she was going to turn around and walk out. How could he be so sinfully handsome? “Hey.”“You look very beautiful tonight. Are you ready to go?”“You too, and y
“AS you please,” Solomon said, as he move forward.“Yes, please!!”Unable to ignore the pleading in those words, Solomon finally threw caution to the wind and slammed his mouth down on Lucia’s. Electricity danced up his spine, and his beast gleefully pounced, taking over. Unable to stop his other nature, Solomon gave in.The need to conquer, to have, flowed through his veins. The damn creature wanted to hear Lucia moan in pleasure. The urge to wrap her up and protect her was slowly driving Solomon insane. Mine, mine, mine.His beast chanted relentlessly in his head, in case the human side of Solomon didn’t get it. His mouth plundered Lucia, ceding nothing. Lucia was his—his to have, his to take care of. His to protect.The heat from Lucia was scorching. And Solomon wanted to get closer. Lucia might not have much experience kissing, but she was a fast learner. Their tongues dueled, and Solomon and his beast moaned happily when Lucia gave up the battle.He pushed inside Lucia’s hot, we
LUCIA seriously thought about digging in her heels so she could explore the courtyard, but Solomon seemed to be a man on a mission. As he pulled her along, Lucia glanced up at the sky. The moon was nearly full, an imperfect circle in the starry nighttime sky. A cool breeze teased the scarf wrapped around her neck.They cut through the courtyard and came to a large field. Acres and acres stretched before them. Behind the open area were woods. Thanks to Mother Moon’s bright light and her keen eyesight, she could see quite a distance in the dark.“What are we…?”Solomon stopped and faced Lucia. “This is where I’m going to shift for you."Oh Gods, now she wasn’t so sure her ability to see so well on such a clear night was a good thing. Nerves marched up her spine. She swallowed. And for the first time, she understood how humans felt when they found out paranormals existed.Her breathing shortened and her heart raced. Dammit, she knew Solomon cand hear her body’s reaction to the news, but
With the moonlight still shining down upon them, Lucia slowly crouched down amd started scratching Solomon’s belly, and the ground trembled from his tail thumping happily.“Oh my, and here I thought only pups did stuff like that.”Solomon snorted, twitched, and then one of his back legs began to cycle from the belly scratches.Lucia laughed loudly and tried to reach every part of Solomon’s belly she could. “Feels good, right?”If someone had told Lucia a week ago that she’d be in an isolated field, scratching a Lycan's belly, she would’ve insisted they check into a mental hospital. But here she was, doing just that.The power rolling off Solomon was unlike anything she’d ever felt before, including every Alpha she’d met. It danced along her skin, little pops and tingles that tickled. She realized then how much Solomon kept his power under wraps when in human form. If he didn’t, damn near every person he met—human and paranormal alike—would probably drop to their knees under its influ
WHEN the next morning came, Lucia woke up to the birds chirping happily outside her window. It was early, so she spent most of the morning packing and going through her belongings kne more time. Around noon a servant knocked on her door, reminding her that lunch was soon to be served.When she finished eating, she wandered around the pack house. After tonight, she probably wouldn’t be here too often. When that thought materialized in her mind, it made her a little sad, but she honestly couldn’t tell if that feeling was because she was leaving the place she called home. She sort of thought it might be.She ran across other pack members and nodded to them but kept going. Why had she never noticed how empty her life seemed? Everybody scurried about, taking care of their business or assigned chores. People spoke, but it was rushed.The people around her saw her, but they didn’t really truly see her. Not a single person among them knew anything outside of the very basics about her or her
AROUND dusk Lucia finally walked outside. Although her nerves jumped everytime she tried to appear as relaxed as possible. She scanned the area, noting the backyard was filled with fellow pack members. Well, well looked at that, it seems everybody in the pack had come.With a sure step, she walked over to where her father and mother stood. Off to the side was Solomon. Lucia’s heart leaped happily. As excited as she was for the Chase, she wanted it over. Because the truth is, she was more interested in what was to come.Lucia joined her parents but held her hand out to Solomon. “Solomon?”Solomon’s powerful strides brought him next to Lucia. Once they were together, he took Lucia’s hand. “I missed you today.”Lucia smiled. “I missed you too.”Alpha Salvatore cleared his throat as the sun sank below the horizon. “Sunset Creek Pack members, I bid you welcome. As many of you know, my daughter, the Omega Lucia Salvatore, and Solomon Romano are here to mate. As per our laws, I now announce
Solomon leisurely walked through the woods, following his mate's scent on the air. He’d dressed in warm black clothes to help fight the chill, but the coldness that lay heavily upon the land didn’t bother him for once. Because right now, excitement thrummed through his body, heating his blood and keeping him burning with need.He chuckled softly to himself when he remembered the look on the werewolves’ faces earlier. Maybe he’d been showing off, but he wanted to make an impression. Once the hour delay was over, Alpha Salvatore nodded at Solomon, telling him it was time. He couldn’t shift into his beast form, but that didn’t mean he was incapable of making a statement. Instead of immediately walking into the woods, Solomon had stripped off his heavy, fleece-lined sweatshirt and tied it around his waist. Under the sweatshirt he wore a black sleeveless T-shirt with extreme dropped armholes.He cleared his mind, closed his eyes, and reached toward his other form. There was a slight tingl
AN hour before sunset, Solomon noticed the increased tension in Lucia. During dinner, she fidgeted and didn’t eat much. She was in constant motion, either tapping her foot, scratching aimlessly at her arm, or irritably shoving her hair out of the way. When Solomon asked her what the problem was, she said it was because of the upcoming shift.It was fascinating. Since he wasn’t ruled by the full moon, he’d never experienced what Lucia was going through. Now that he had seen it, he was thankful nothing had the ability to command him to shift.At dusk they walked outside. His staff knew better than to disturb them during this time. He brought a duffel to leave their clothes in while they shifted, since Lucia had been upset when Solomon let his clothes lie on the ground. Together they cut through the courtyard and came to the large field with the woods just beyond.Solomon glanced up at the sky, pleased to see it was a clear night. “Are you ready?”“Past ready. I feel like I’m about to c
“Incredible,” Solomon whispered as he gently traced some of the lines. “But I have no idea how or why this appeared.”“I haven’t either, and it’s impossible to tattoo werewolves,” Lucia said, breathing hard as she watched Solomon trace the lines.“This can’t be a tattoo,” Solomon said, lowering his hand.“I don’t think it is either,” Lucia said, still unable to believe on what she saw on her arm. “I don’t know what it is.”Solomon bent and leaned closer. “Notice it starts right where I bit you last night.”“Yeah, I saw that.” Lucia gulped. Solomon was close enough that she could feel his breath on her skin. As usual, her body reacted. Shock and desire mixed together.“Do you…. Do you think it looks like a—?”“Like an abstract drawing of your kind?” Solomon straightened. “Yes.”“Holy… holy shit.” Little blinking lights danced across Lucia’s vision. She took a deep breath, then another until they disappeared. “You think this could possibly be something like a mating scar?”Solomon scra
IF Lucia could have reached her own ass, she would’ve kicked it already. What had she been thinking when she made that comment about a declaration of love? Then there was that comment Solomon made about loving smartasses.She tried to not to read too much into that, but it was hard not to. Did Solomon love her? Could she love him? Lucia was afraid she was well on her way to loving Solomon. Maybe she was already there. She had a bad case of lust, there was no denying that, but that wasn’t a bad thing either.But Solomon fascinated her. He had a soft heart, at least for those he cared about. And Lucia was pretty sure she fell in that group. They got along well together, but they hadn’t had a full-on argument either.Just because werewolves believed in fated mates didn’t mean the couple was perfect. No one was, paranormals included. Lucia did have faith that Solomon was right for her. Now she needed to convince Solomon of that.If that hadn’t been enough of a shock, Solomon surprised her
Then sadness crossed Lucia’s face.Solomon struggled to swallow. He lifted his hand and touched where Lucia’s scar should have been. “I’m so sorry.”Lucia shrugged, then dropped her eyes. “We knew it was a possibility your mark wouldn’t take.”Solomon nudged Lucia’s chin up. “It doesn’t matter. Yes, I wish there’d been something there, especially since that’s an important part of your rituals, but it changes nothing. I don’t need a mark upon you to prove to others you’re mine. But still, I am sorry. Know that I’ll wear yours proudly.” Solomon held his arms open.“I know. You don't have to tell me...” Lucia moved into Solomon’s arms. “There’s no point in me getting upset over it.”“If you want to get upset, get upset.”Lucia buried her head in Solomon’s shoulder. “No. I wanted it, true, but like you said… in the end, it doesn’t matter.” Lucia lifted her head, then turned around and picked up the soap. She turned back around to Solomon and waggled her eyebrows. “Now, how about I clean y
SOLOMON swore hard as Lucia pulled him in. He was going to lose his mind. She was so hot and tight. She fit him like a glove. Lucia hands flew up and grabbed his arms.Solomon kept doing it slow, but when Lucia growled at him, he picked up speed. Little pricks of pain at his arms caught his attention, and he glanced over. Lucia’s claws had come out. He glanced back at her face. Her eyes were closed, but her mouth was open, and she was panting. He could see Lucia’s fangs had lengthened.“So good, so good. Harder,” she whispered.Still worried about hurting her since this was her first Lucia, Solomon kept the pace easy. Then Lucia opened her eyes. They were amber, and the look was more than a little annoyed.Surprised to see Lucia's wolf that close to the surface, he hesitated. Then her words replayed in his head about being a werewolf and not easily hurt. Lucia knew her body better than Solomon⁷. If she said he could handle more, who was to say she couldn’t? Taking Lucia at her word,
Delighted, Lucia laughed as Solomon swiftly led her away. The surroundings passed in a blur, not that Lucia cared this time. The sooner Solomon got them there, the better. Lucia’s heart pounded as Solomon pulled her through the open door and into the bedroom. Warmth swirled around her, and when she glanced over at the fireplace, she saw that it has been lit. Someone must have lit the fire. How utterly romantic!The covers had been turned down, and the lamps on the end tables were turned on low. Flames popped and hissed in the fireplace. As if drawn by an invisible line, Lucia walked toward the bed. She ran her hand across the finely made comforter. She would be waking up there from now on. She turned back at Solomon, who stood by the now-closed door, Lucia’s overnight bag by his feet.Lucia stood still, undecided what to do. Why was Solomon just standing there? Shyly she looked at Solomon, who stared back at her his purple eyes glowing slightly.Lucia’s eyes burned, but she blinked t
Lucia blinked, then blinked again. A million thoughts running through her mind, but she couldn’t grab a single one of them. What Solomon was talking about was… was…. Lucia wasn’t sure she could say the right words out loud.“Lucia?”“I-I-I, ah… I, ah….”“Does this mean you don’t want to be with me for as long as possible?”Lucia practically jumped out of her seat as she lurched closer and grabbed a fistful of Solomon’s heavy sweatshirt. “What? What? Holy shit, Solomon, you have got to stop making assumptions like that. Jeez, you dropped an atomic-sized bomb in my lap. Give me a second to get my head wrapped around it.”“So, you’re only shocked, that’s all?”Lucia was tempted to beat her head against the nearest hard surface. This man. Did he even have to asked. Of course she's shock! “Um, that would be a yes. A yes in big, capital neon letters with exclamation marks after it.”“Oh. Okay. You need a moment. I can understand that.” Solomon glanced away from Lucia.Lucia didn’t think Sol
IT seemed to take forever, but eventually they left the woods. Lucia’s pack milled around, waiting for them. As they drew closer, people began clapping. Someone had built a bonfire, and the scent of roasted meat lingered in the air.Lucia pranced in front of him, tail up and wagging, as she made a beeline straight for her father.“Well done, Lucia. A most excellent hunt.” Alpha Salvatore bent and hugged Lucia. He straightened as Solomon approached. “I see now why you asked if my pack could be trusted with your secret. It most assuredly will be kept quiet.”Solomon nodded, pleased. He held out his hand in a gesture of goodwill. After all, by tomorrow morning he’d be related to the Alpha.Laughing heartily, Alpha Salvatore pushed Solomon’s hand out of the way and embraced him. Shock caught Solomon off guard. Werewolves, as a rule, didn’t touch outsiders. This more than anything told Solomon he’d been accepted into the pack.As they hugged, Alpha Salvatore whispered, “Thank you for honor
Solomon leisurely walked through the woods, following his mate's scent on the air. He’d dressed in warm black clothes to help fight the chill, but the coldness that lay heavily upon the land didn’t bother him for once. Because right now, excitement thrummed through his body, heating his blood and keeping him burning with need.He chuckled softly to himself when he remembered the look on the werewolves’ faces earlier. Maybe he’d been showing off, but he wanted to make an impression. Once the hour delay was over, Alpha Salvatore nodded at Solomon, telling him it was time. He couldn’t shift into his beast form, but that didn’t mean he was incapable of making a statement. Instead of immediately walking into the woods, Solomon had stripped off his heavy, fleece-lined sweatshirt and tied it around his waist. Under the sweatshirt he wore a black sleeveless T-shirt with extreme dropped armholes.He cleared his mind, closed his eyes, and reached toward his other form. There was a slight tingl