Her heart raced as he returned the kiss and she felt drunk on his taste. She opened her mouth and enticed him to do the same. The kiss deepened, and she pulled him closer. She couldn’t believe how good he tasted. It’s all yours, she heard a little voice say, and a sense of possession washed over her. This amazing smell and delicious taste is all yours! This perfect man is all yours! He’s your mate, the voice told her. Lily froze at the words “her mate.”
Her mate? Her mate! Lily’s anger rose as she realized the fact that it was the beast telling her these things and making her kiss him! Lily pushed the beast back down deep inside her as quickly as she could, then reached up and grabbed James’ hair. She pulled his hair and pulled him backwards, breaking their kiss. “God damn you two,” Lily cursed. She stood up and chastised the animal within her.
The next morning, James sat at the long wooden table in the Roberts’s home, absorbed in eating the wonderful breakfast Sandy had given him. So much so he didn’t even notice Tony come into the kitchen. Tony slapped him on the shoulder, causing James to jump, and Tony laughed. “That was awesome. The first time I got the jump on you, literally speaking too,” he teased, and James got a sour look on his face.“Funny, very funny. Did you want to say something before I kick your ass or should I just get started now?” James threatened good-naturedly.“You’re not going to kick my ass. I’m the future alpha and my ass is un-kickable. To answer your question yes, I wanted to say something. Dad is holding a meeting at the meeting hall, of all places, so it must be something important. We’ve got to get going if we&r
“I warned the alpha not to take her in,” Hunter started and James wanted to tell the man to shut the hell up, but he kept quiet. “But of course, my brother is a charitable soul and didn’t think she was anything like her parents,” Hunter went on and James decided to pump him for information instead of pummeling him.“How were her parents, and why did the alpha take her in?” he asked, anger in his voice, but Hunter misunderstood it to be against Lily and not himself.“I know it doesn’t make much sense, does it? Her parents moved to the house next door when she was about four. I was still an enforcer for Andrew at the time. At first they seemed okay, for humans, but it didn’t take long for them to show their true colors. The mother was a complete slut. More than once she tried to get Andrew or I to sleep
Several hours had passed before James could get free of the persistent flattery and blunt insistence from Hunter that he should become an enforcer. It was nearing eleven at night and James hadn’t seen Lily return, but it didn’t surprise him. He figured she climbed through the window to avoid Hunter and probably James, too. James walked up the dark staircase and knocked on her door, just wanting to check on her.He knocked again when she didn’t answer, and when silence was his only greeting, James opened the door, surprised it opened with ease. She always kept it locked. He looked around the empty room. The window was closed and her bed made.It wasn’t until he saw the note on the battered wooden desk that he knew something was wrong. He picked it up and read it even though Andrew’s name was on it. With a growl, he went to find the
“I am sorry Tony, I really am,” Andrew said apologetically. “But this makes her a rogue and there is nothing I can do. The laws stand for everyone. I will repeat, I can’t make exceptions.”“This is wrong dad and you know it! She isn’t going rogue! Lily is doing what has to be done,” Tony shouted at his father. Andrew’s head snapped up, and he gave his son a heated glare.“I decide what has to be done, Tony and no one else! Don’t you forget that, don’t any of you forget that!” Andrew growled at them, using his alpha influence on them. Tony and Chris were silent, but both were giving the alpha icy glare.“If you won’t help her, then I will,” James demanded, and Hunter gave him a look of disgust.
When Greg told Lily that her father refused to follow the trail of Xavier, she was so pissed that she nearly shifted right there. She stomped over to his office and burst in without a second thought or knocking. Andrew looked up from the papers he was reading. “Hey Lily, how are you feeling?” He asked, and her temper flared even more. How dare he even ask such a question?“Why are you being so stupid?” She barked at him and his eyes flashed gold as his face hardened.“Watch that tone of yours, Lily,” he warned her.“No, I will not! Not while you ignore Xavier,” she demanded.Andrew’s face turned angry, and he growled at her. “Lily, it is not your place to question me. You now are a member of this pack and I’m your alpha, you’ll follow my orders no matter what!” Andrew told her with a harsh tone and she could feel him trying to do his alpha thing on her, but even now it didn’t have any effect on her. “I’m doing what I deem best for this pack and, most of all, for you,” he added. Lily s
“Why do you want to see King Silvano?” Dorin asked, sounding at least interested in what Lily had to say.“I want to talk about to Xavier Thompson, the one who caused all this,” she started and Dorin nodded. “The alpha won’t do anything and ordered all the other werewolves to do the same, but I can’t drop it. I know I’m strong, but I don’t think I can do this on my own,” she explained.“Do you have a plan or an idea where to start, or are you going to just start walking and hope you bump into him?” Dorin asked with sarcasm dripping from his voice.Lily rolled her eyes at him and gave him a nasty look. “What do I look like, a dumbass?” she shot and Dorin smiled a small smile that seemed to scream “yes.” As he opened his mo
Lily knew the man’s free will was gone, and he was persuaded to let them feed off of him. She knew it was wrong, and she wanted to pull away and tell Bianca so, but she bit down harder into his arm. The taste of the blood was intoxicating, so warm, and so delicious. She wanted more!“Now, now Lily, don’t take too much,” she heard Bianca tell her, but Lily ignored her. She wasn’t ready to stop. She had to have more! Bianca gave her a hard push, but Lily didn’t budge. She pushed the red head away from her as she continued to drink from the man.“What are you doing?” she heard Dorin bark, and he grabbed her hair and jerked her head back. She cried out in surprise and in anger, but something else replaced her anger. A pleasant sensation ran through her body and euphoria filled her, causing goosebumps to break out all
Lily found it odd talking about a person who was born in the eighteenth century as young. She huffed, but turned her attention to the huge old television and waited until six to call Greg and get an updated on the situation. When the hour crawled past, she dialed his number. “Hey Greg, it’s me. So what’s the situation?” she asked once he picked up.“Nothing new from Xavier,” he replied.“How about Andrew and the others? How’d they take my leaving?” She asked, feeling worried.“Things have gone to hell,” he admitted, and she felt a little guilty. “Thanks to your uncle, the alpha has declared you as a rogue,” he told her, and Lily gasped as if someone had smacked her. Even she knew rogue werewolves were something vile and dangerous. How coul
“Sort of. Maybe in time we’ll manage friends,” James replied and noticed a brief look of disappointment on the ex-alpha’s face.“Well, that’s good. Spending time with her and A.J. seems like a good start to get the ball rolling,” Andrew told him and James nodded in agreement. Lily came down with A.J. soon after, both ready to go.“We can take my car,” Lily told him as they walked out of the house. He recognized that rusted death trap as the one Chris had driven to talk to him.“I’d rather not. That car looks about a hundred years old. I drove my truck. There will be enough room for all three of us,” James replied, and Lily looked like she was about to argue when she shrugged.&ldquo
James stood outside for a moment; he still couldn’t shake the feeling that there was more to the way they were acting than the fact that Chris had a new mate. When he arrived at his apartment that night, he tossed his keys on the coffee table and walked into his bedroom, wondering about the events of the day.Were Lily and Chris hiding something else? If so, what? He thought about A.J. and for the first time since he started working for Freddie; he wished he didn’t have to go to work tomorrow so he could spend the whole day with him, but he couldn’t leave Freddie hanging like that. Friday was usually their busiest day besides Monday.They were slammed with work all day; James hardly had time to think as they rushed from one house to the next. So by the time he finished for the day, the only thing he wanted to do was crawl into bed despite his original idea of going over to see A.J. It didn’t help that since Lily came back he hadn’t been sleeping too well either. He kept thinking about
“So,” she said slowly, and he was sure she felt as awkward as he did right now. “What brings you over here today?”“Besides the fact I want to spend some time with my son?” James asked, a little bitterly, and he saw her wince even though she tried to hide it. He knew it was wrong, but it made him feel a slight feeling of satisfaction. “I came here to let you know I want to spend Saturday with him.”Lily seemed to think about something, then nodded. “That sounds good. I heard the weather is going to be nice then, and I saw a cool park on main street,” she said and James was again a little surprised that not only did she have any problems with it but thought it was a good idea.“Good, so I’ll be here around ten?” James asked, and she nodded.“I’ll have him ready by then,” she offered. He returned her nod and stood up, about to leave, but Sandy insisted James stay for dinner, not that he put up a fight to leave. Her cooking was the best he had ever eaten, pl
James put his tools in the back of Freddie’s truck, feeling famished and ready to eat. “Hey James,” he heard someone called after him. Damn it, he swore silently. Why did everyone bother him when he was about to eat? He turned to see Chris walking up to him. What was he doing there? How’d he even know where to find him?“Hey Chris, what’s up?” He asked as he grabbed his food and took out the large sandwich he made that morning.“Well, I was wondering if I could talk to you about Lily,” Chris offered, and James sighed with a shake of his head.“What about her?” He said with an edge to his voice, but honestly, he didn’t care. What more was there to talk about that woman?“I know things are a bit messed up and you’re mad, but I wanted to ask if you would go easy on her,” Chris said and James scoffed as he took a bite of his sandwich. “Look James, she’s been through a lot during the time she’s been gone,” he added, with a hint of anger in his voice. James was getting angry.“Yeah, yeah, y
“So what are we really doing?” Chris asked once they were outside.“Well, first I'm really going to check out the town so I can be seen. Remember, I got to make sure it’s well known that I’m back in town,” Lily told them as they walked to her old car inside the garage. She really hoped it would start considering the layer of dust covering it. “I also thought about visiting Lacey,” she said quietly as they got into the car. Chris shot a pained look in her direction.“That one you’ll have to do without me,” he told her with a frown and she returned his frown.“I think you should go with me, Chris,” she replied as she attempted to start the car.“No, Lily. I’m not going,” he said firmly. She sighed, knowing he wouldn’t change his mind and continued to coax her car into starting. Finally, it started and purred to life and Lily smiled. I knew I could count on you, baby, she cooed silently.“Alright Chris, I won’t ask you again,” Lily told him as she backed out of the garage and down the dr
“But you hate me,” James said, sitting up when she admitted to wanting to be friends. His look grew more intense, and her nervousness spiked. She almost demanded that he quit looking at her like that, but she knew the situation was already on thin ice and that would make it worse.“I don’t hate you, James, and I didn’t hate you…not really. You were just a convenient target for my anger,” she told him, repeating Charlie’s words almost word for word. For a moment he kept giving her that look, making her squirm in her own skin.“So you don’t hate me and you want to try to be friends,” he repeated as if he wasn’t sure what he was hearing was correct and she stated once more that was what she wanted. “Alright, we’ll let the past stay in the past and start new. Deal,” he said.“Deal,” she replied, not feeling as happy as she’d thought she would. James agreed to start fresh, try to be friends, and he hadn’t mentioned mates at all. He got up from the bed and started towards the door.“James,”
Lily walked over to the rickety old desk and opened a drawer. Digging through old papers and reaching way in the back, she found what she was looking for. Lily sat on the bed and looked at the framed picture. She brushed the dust away with a sigh as she examined the three smiling faces. The man was tall and strong, with long dark raven hair and a bronzed complexion. His hand was on the little girl’s shoulder. She had the same dark hair and complexion. He always seemed so strong, Lily thought with a small smile. She turned her attention to the woman.Her brunette hair was cut in a type of pixie style; she was wearing a black tank top with cut-off shorts. She loved to wear them when the summer heat came. This was the only picture she had that her mother wasn’t high, drunk, or looked like she’d rather be anywhere else but there. Maybe that was my fault too, Lily thought as she remembered one
That could have gone better; Lily thought as she closed the porch door and walked towards the fireplace. But when she thought about it, Lily couldn’t say she was surprised. Deep down, she knew he was right. She was being selfish and…a coward. With a sigh, Lily warmed her icy hands. She didn’t feel the cold while she gave her vampire more control than the lycan. Lily had learned how to play with the balance between them and herself to work to her advantage.“Hey Lily, I would like you to meet our new lead enforcer and his family,” she heard Andrew say, and she turned to her father. The new lead enforcer was a bulky and tall man. One that looked like he could crush a man’s skull just using his biceps and next to him was a smaller woman, smaller than she was, with curly brown hair and hazel eyes. With them was a little girl who eyed her with curiosity. “This is Darien Smith,” Andrew introduced him.“A pleasure to meet you, Ms. Nawassa,” he said in a deep, smooth, baritone voice.“Thanks,
James felt a sense of relief, knowing that the little boy didn’t have to face the duality of Lily’s existence, but sorry to hear he’d be like him, though she still hadn’t answered his question. “I understand why you didn’t tell me during the pregnancy and maybe even the first months, but that still gave you plenty of time to tell me,” he told her in a hard tone.She sighed and looked a little lost in what to say. “I don’t know James. My life got busy and time flew. I figured you would have moved on and wouldn’t care anymore,” she said with an exasperated tone.“Wouldn’t care? How the hell would I not care to know that I have a kid?” He demanded, his voice rising slightly, but he didn’t wait for her to answer. “Why don’t you just say the truth, Lily? You didn’t want to tell me, just as you didn’t want to tell me about that serum of Xavier’s,” he went on. “Only this is worse. Instead of trying to kick me out of your life, you’re robbing me of my rightful place in the life of my own son,