*Sasha*
“Co on, now. You must know I don’t usually co and recruit young interns personally,” Stone Hamline said, leaning in the doorfra of Lucas’s house.
I was glad Lucas was gone, for Stone’s sake. “I really would like to work for you,” I replied honestly. It would be a wonderful opportunity, after all. “But I have to go visit my mother in the Winter Forest.”
“The Light Realm?” Stone’s eyebrows nearly hit his hairline. “That’s quite a journey. Is she sick?”
“Well....” I pushed my hair behind my ear. “No....”
Stone clucked his tongue. “Such a sha. I hope you’re not leaving us because that Lucas Black has you all twisted up. Honestly, not every Royal Engineer is like him.”
I frowned at Stone. “No, I would never leave because of Lucas.”
“Again with the Lucas.” Stone grinned at .
I shifted from foot to foot, flustered by his attention. “Sorry. Mr. Black.”
“Don’t worry about it. I’m just teasing. Childhood friends should be able to call each other by their first nas,” Stone said.
“Well, I suppose... anyway, it’s not because of Luca–Mr. Black that I’m visiting his mother–” I stuttered.
“Ooo, visiting HIS mother now, too. Is there a happy announcent in your future?” Stone teased.
I must have gone redder than an apple because Stone’s smile faded. “Oh dear, Miss Wentley, I would caution you against soone like that. He will absolutely ruin your career.”
“It’s... not....” I pushed my hair behind my ear again.
“This is about that temple at the northern library, the one the Lycaons wanted you to bury–and lo and behold you did,” Stone cut in.
I took a step back into the house. “I just rembered I have an appointnt. I have to say goodbye, Mr. Hamline. And thank you for your generous offer. I hope we’ll both be in a position for to take you up on it when I return.”
“What was it?” he asked eagerly, putting his foot in the door when I tried to close it. “What did you find? It was an ancient temple of the White Queens–say those who were there–with hundreds of bodies. But there was sothing else, sothing that’s made all of you cagey and erratic. Sothing... valuable?”
“Mr. Hamline, I’m afraid I can’t discuss–” I said sharply.
Soone ca up behind and kicked Stone’s foot out of the door. “Miss Wentley told you to get lost. Now get lost before I track down Lucas Black and tell him you were harassing his guest at his house.”
Stone had the sense of self-preservation to pale at that. He turned to and bowed. “I am sorry for disturbing you, Miss Wentley. It is my hope that you will be able to work with when you return as well.”
He turned and walked back to his expensive car, the kind n got when they were lacking in... other areas.
Lucas was never going to need that kind of car.
“You just seem to have a gift for attracting the bottom-feeders.” Brady sighed as I turned around.
“He’s not a bottom feeder. He’s a well-respected Royal Engineer,” I said. “Though, thanks for the help. I didn’t know what to say to him.”
“Anyti.” Brady stepped back so I could get back into the house. “Hate for Lucas to go to prison over a creep like that, anyway, especially when things in his life are just getting interesting.”
“Interesting?” I echoed.
“You. The orb. You,” Brady said with a shrug.
I followed him into the kitchen, still marveling that we lived in a world where vampires could now survive on snack cakes. “What about ?”
“Please,” Brady replied, puncturing a snack cake bag with his fangs. “It’s obvious. He wants you, two-and-a-half wolf pups, and a white picket fence around this place for all of you.”
“Oh, that’s not–” I flushed bright red.
“It’s very true,” Brady said before I could even finish my sentence. “He’s had a thing for you since we were all running around the Winter Forest together.”
I snorted. “Alright, that one you’re never going to make believe. He was a bully and a complete asshole to .”
Brady was looking at my sternum, where I was playing with Lucas’s gift. It had beco even more precious to than the bracelet he’d broken. “Well, he’s neither of those things now, is he?”
“No,” I mumbled.
“Besides, he was only a bully because he wanted to toughen you up. Lucas knew you were different, and he was always worried sothing was going to happen to you,” Brady went on.
I looked at Brady askance. “Really. Sothing worse than him?”
“MUCH worse,” Brady said. “You had no idea how tough the world could be, all sheltered by your mother and bookish and–”
“The worst thing that happened to growing up was him,” I grunted, taking the plastic bag from Brady so he’d stop playing with it and throwing it in the trash.
“Yeah. Lucky you,” Brady said.
I turned and frowned at Brady. “Are you going to tell Lucas had so kind of terrible thing happen to him while he was growing up that I didn’t know about, and he wanted to toughen up so it didn’t happen to ?”
“Not exactly.” Brady licked frosting off his lips. “He got his act together later. Though he still had terrible taste in won until... well... you.”
“That’s... good? Flattering?”
“Besides, you’re not going to try to tell nothing bad happened to you growing up. I can sll tragedy on you a mile away,” Brady inford . “It’s a wonder Lucas doesn’t try to pry it out of you.”
I twirled the erald between my fingers. “He’s... feeling a bit guilty.”
“About the bracelet,” Brady guessed.
“Ugh. Why do I even bother having an independent thought? EVERYONE can read my mind!” I complained.
Brady grinned. “You’re very expressive when you’re angry.”
I stabbed a finger in his direction. “I swear if that leads into so smartass remark about make-up sex, I am going to stake you.”
“Why would I have to say anything? You’re the one putting it out in the open,” Brady laughed.
“Shut up. Hand a snack,” I grumbled, and Brady tossed a pack of cookies.
“Seriously, though, Lucas said that bracelet was supposed to protect you from your father’s pack...?” Brady said.
I pushed my hair behind my ear. “My... sperm donor... was Lycennian... and, well, if I had any power to speak of, my mother was afraid they’d co for . She’s very superstitious, and had this idea that the bracelet would protect from that happening. But then Lucas crushed it, and Mom went all haywire....”
Brady’s gaze sharpened. “What happened?”
I ran my tongue over my teeth. “Nothing. It’s not important.”
“I think it is.” But Brady shrugged. “I think it’s important you tell Lucas about it.”
“He knows the highlights,” I said.
“Doubt it. But, anyway, Lucas really was trying to look out for you,” Brady explained.
“Funny way of showing it.” I relented. “He’s not that way anymore, I know that. And we were kids.”
Brady patted on the shoulder. “I’m glad to hear you say that. I’d hate it if there was this childhood bitterness swirling between you along with everything else.”
“Everything else?” I asked.
“The orb, the old black witch, danger and mayhem around every corner....” Brady began ticking things off on his fingers.
“The question of whether or not we’re mates,” a new voice chid in.
I turned to see Lucas standing behind and jumped. “When did you get here?!”
“Figured, as it’s my house, I can co and go as I please,” Lucas chuckled. He wrapped his arms around from behind.
Even though we were still arguing with each other, I found myself leaning back into his embrace. “You want us to be.”
“You don’t?” Lucas asked, giving a puppy-dog look.
“Well... that’s not... here or there....” I said primly.
Brady burst out laughing. “Oh, you two are fun. By the way, Stone Hamline was here, sniffing around.”
Lucas, who had been nuzzling my hair, looked up suddenly. “Pardon?”
“I’m not sure if he was more interested in your girl or what we might have found at the northern library site,” Brady said. “But he was sure laying it on thick.”
I shuddered, feeling slimy again.
“He was, was he?” Lucas’s voice was all growly and sexy and I felt it in places I would never ntion to Brady. Lucas’s arms tightened possessively around . “The artifact, he’s welco to ask about.”
“Kind of figured you wouldn’t want him asking about even that,” Brady said. “But I catch your point. I’m sure Sasha does, too.”
I turned my face up so my cheek rubbed against the stubble of Lucas’s jaw. “Where did you go today?”
“I was sending ssages ahead to let New Dianny know we were coming,” Lucas replied. He licked the spot I knew he’d given a hickey on purpose and I could have died of embarrassnt in front of Brady.
“Oh, would you listen to that? I think I hear Phoebe calling ....” Brady whistled, downing what was left of his Ding-Dong in one bite and hurrying out of the kitchen. “Lucas, my man, not in the kitchen though, okay? We eat here.”
I groaned and covered my face with my hands. “We weren’t going to do it in the kitchen. That’s not where this was heading.”
“Speak for yourself,” Lucas rumbled, nipping the hickey on my neck. His hands rubbed over my hips, then over the tops of my thighs, leaving a burning trail beneath my jeans.
“We are not doing it in the kitchen,” I told him firmly.
“Mhm,” Lucas agreed. But he made no move to go anywhere else, just to pop the buttons on my sweater and push his hand inside my bra.
“Lucas!” I gasped.
“I’ll take you to the bedroom right now if you agree we are going to have sex,” Lucas murmured against the back of my neck. “Or I’m taking you quick over the table. Your choice.”
I shivered again, this ti with anticipation. If Brady and Phoebe weren’t also living here, I wouldn’t have stopped him from having a quickie over the table. But, as it stood, I threaded my fingers through his, pulling his hand out of my bra. “Upstairs,” I panted. “You can have ... any way you want ... but we’re doing it upstairs.”
Lucas nodded and actually flung over his shoulder in a fireman’s carry. I squealed as he brought to his bedroom, slapping on the ass on the way up the stairs.
“You just never want to walk again so I CAN’T go get the orb,” I muttered, reaching down to slap his ass back.
“Curses, you’ve foiled my evil plan,” Lucas chuckled. He dropped gently on his bed and started pulling his shirt off.
I knelt up and unbuttoned his pants. “I knew it.”
“Enough of orb talk,” Lucas growled, taking my sweater off and stalking onto my back. “Sex now. Orb talk later. Well, certain orbs.” He pald my breasts.
I shrieked with laughter.
***
It was dark, and I was sprawled across Lucas like he was a bearskin rug. That’s when I heard the sound again.
“Lucas...?” I murmured, but then his hand went over my mouth and anything else I might have asked ended in a squeak.
“Shh.” Lucas gently pushed off him and sat up, cocking his head.
I sat up as well, looking around in the moonlit darkness. However, the sound was not coming from inside the house. It was coming from outside. A low growl reached my ears, and I shivered despite the warmth of the room.
“I swear, if that old hag is back,” Lucas growled, throwing the covers off him and standing up, stark naked. In contrast, he pulled the covers all the way up to my chin and pressed my hands on the edge to hold them there.
“I’ll be right back,” Lucas whispered. “You stay here.” He kissed my forehead, then he disappeared from the room.
#
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