Blood Moon (10 page)

“I didn’t ask you to lie. It's not lying if you just don’t tell him about it.” She didn’t need to deal with Lukas babying her. She’d allowed him too close already. Besides, they needed to focus on the war with Haemon and the safety of the Pack.

Thaddeus groaned. “You’re splitting hairs, but I’ll make you a deal. I won’t tell him if he doesn’t ask.”

Aria nodded, grunting at the wave of pain that rolled through with the movement. “I suppose that’s as good as it gets.”

Everyone crawled out of the car, three different pairs of hands offering to help her out. She waved them off, clenching her fists as she trudged back to the house on her own. Instead of going upstairs, she headed for Lukas’ study, crawling onto the sofa bed and curling into a ball.

Ella trailed behind, hovering anxiously. “What can I do?”

“A hot compress sometimes helps.”

Ella disappeared and returned quickly, carrying a hot water bottle wrapped in a kitchen towel. Aria took it and draped it over her eyes, resting her head on the back of the sofa bed. Thankfully, the heat relieved some of the throbbing.

“Anything else, Aria?”

“You’ve already helped a lot, Ella. I’m just going to try and sleep a little more.”

“Just call out if you need something. I’ll be in the den with the little ones if you need something.”

“Thanks. I really appreciate it.”

She waited until the door closed and then sighed, willing herself to relax and let sleep take the heavy pounding away. It took several minutes to clear her mind of stray thoughts. She’d been without real rest for so long, she had a lot of catching up to do.

Chapter Nine

“How do you feel?”

Lukas’ large hand stroked the side of her face. Slowly, she stretched and smiled at him. Her headache had been reduced to a dull throb. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Thaddeus and Aaron slide into the room. “Much better.”

“You attract trouble like honey attracts bears.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

Off to the right, someone snorted. Probably Aaron.

“I found out what happened. Do you have anything to add?”

Irritated, she smiled just to irk him. “Your Pack is amazing?”

“Flattery will get you nowhere, my dear.” His grimace made her gut clench. It stretched tight on his lips. A pulse throbbed on the side of his thick-corded neck. Oh yes, he was definitely ticked. “Aria, what would possess you to tell Thaddeus to lie to me?”

She glared at Thaddeus and crossed her arms. “I didn’t tell him to lie. I asked him to omit part of the adventure.”

Thaddeus held up both hands. “Don’t look at me like that, I kept my promise. I didn’t tell Lukas anything. I told Aaron and he told Lukas.”

Aria rubbed a hand over her face. Aaron didn’t need any help thinking the worst of her. “I didn’t want you to get upset, Lukas.”

Lukas’ gaze pinned her down. His appearance was calm, but she could see anger and fear swirling in the depths of his eyes. She was not looking forward to talking to him when they were alone. “Tell me the truth, love. What else do I need to know about you?”

She lifted one shoulder, dropping her gaze to his knees. “Nothing.”

His hand curled around her palm and tugged her until she sat up next to him. His hands pushed the scrunchie down her arm, revealing the bruises. He spread her fingers, lacing his own with them, and then stared pointedly at her wrist.

“Sure you don’t want to rethink that?”

She tried to extract her hand from his grip, but he only tightened his hold. “No one got in, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

Lukas snorted. “I’m worried about you. I leave you for two days, in my bedroom, and someone hurts you. You didn’t do this, and I sure as hell didn’t.”

She watched him trace the bruises lightly with his other finger, then sighed at his gentle touch. “Haemon is a Dreamwalker.”

His body jerked as if she’d slapped him. “Dreamwalkers can’t affect the physical world.”

“Haemon’s been parading around in my dreams for awhile. He apparently established enough of a connection to do just that.”

Lukas frowned. “It isn’t supposed to work that way.”

“Well, it does.”

Her Mate paused, his throat working. Not being able to scold her was killing him. Oh yes, she would catch hell later.

“Tell me everything, Aria. I need to know what your father knew, and what Haemon knows. I can’t make a plan or argue the case with the Council unless you tell me everything.”

Aria knew she had to, but still didn’t want to say out loud what she was capable of. Most of her talents were unpredictable at best, and made her feel like a teenager again, embarrassed and without control. And it had been drilled into her head early on to never allow anyone know her secrets. It was a hard habit to break.

“Well, you know about the whole mind thing. I’m also very handy with plants.” She tried for levity but Lukas’ intense frown told her he wasn’t buying it. A blush stole from her chest to her hairline. “It’s not really any kind of power, but you’ve already seen what happens when I get too emotional.”

“You leak power.”

She nodded. “A little. But I’ve yet to learn to control it. None of them are very useful powers.”

Thaddeus shook a finger at her. “Not true. The mind reading was very useful.”

“But unreliable,” she added. No one could argue with that.

Lukas sighed, slid his arm over her shoulders and dropped a kiss on her mouth. “If you ever endanger yourself again, I may have to do something drastic.” Despite the casual tone, his body thrummed with tension.

“Lukas, I couldn’t very well let Sebastian follow Ethan out there and get hurt when I could easily prevent it.”

“His job is to protect you. You have to let them do their jobs, Aria.”

“I won’t have someone dying in my place, Lukas.”

Aaron cleared his throat. “If I may interject, that is our job. We, all of us who are bodyguards, have sworn an oath to die for you,” he said, with slight distaste.

Surprised, Aria studied him a little closer. A shadow around one eye told her he’d recently been in an fight. Obviously, they had had a “discussion” about her.
Great.
She shook her head. “You don’t understand. I haven’t earned that kind of respect. I don’t doubt that you would all do your duty, but I don’t want your protection, when I haven’t even proved myself worthy of it.”

Aaron surprised them all by laughing. “You have my respect, Aria. You’ve managed to stay out of Haemon’s reach for over a year. That is no small feat.”

“But you hate me!” She clapped a hand over her mouth.

“I don’t hate you. I just don’t trust you.” His gaze flicked to Lukas as his Alpha growled. “I’ll protect you with my life, because Lukas chose you. As Beta, and as Lukas’ friend, it is my duty.”

Stunned, she struggled for words. “I can appreciate that. But on the issue of people dying in my place, well, we are going to have to agree to disagree.”

“For now, you can at least promise me you won’t leave Pack territory without me.” Lukas’ tone brooked no argument.

“That I can do. At least for the time being.” Until Haemon found out she was here and the Pack realized the danger she brought, then they’d ask her to leave, and she’d do it. It would kill her, but she’d go.

“Good. Now, if you are willing, I would like to perform the Mating ritual this week.” He gave her a lopsided smile. “I had hoped to be more romantic, but I want to make our bond complete before Haemon has any time to prevent it.”

He must have been joking. She waited for him to laugh. “What?”

“I know. I didn’t do a very good job of proposing, but you did say you would stay.”

“I’ve only been here, what, three days? There are still a lot of unanswered questions between us.” Using his words against him had no effect.

“Aria, what other choice do we have? You have to become part of the Pack, and I’m going to be a jerk and demand it be through Mating. I have a better defense if we can tell the Council we’re mated.”

Panic and irritation warred in her chest. Mating with Lukas meant more than just marrying him. If Haemon came after her, Lukas could die. Their souls would be bonded. She wanted it, but could she take that risk? “That was so unromantic. I might just punch you.”

“I would deserve it. You don’t have to answer right away.”

Aria stood. “If that’s the case, then I am going to go shower and change.”

Lukas’ eyed her warily and sighed. “You win for now. You do look like you’ve been playing dress-up in my closet.”

She hiked the pants higher on her hips. “I’m aware.” Turning to Thaddeus, she waved a finger at him. “You, sir, I will get even with later,” she threatened and whirled around, leaving the men to stare after her.

Aria headed upstairs to take a quick shower. When she got out, she wrapped a towel around herself and flipped her hair into a second towel, twisting it up over her head. She opened the door to find Lukas sitting on the bed, arms crossed, waiting for her. He didn’t even nod as she stopped in the doorway. A frown marred his face like it had been carved from granite.

He rose off the bed in one fluid movement, his face suddenly inches from hers, his arms braced on either side of the doorway. His eyes glittered with a mixture of anger and fear. “You ever pull that kind of stunt again, and I’ll lock you in this room and throw away the key.”

Aria gulped.

“Sean called the moment he set out for the store, and all I got was that you were somehow hurt and under attack. Do you have any idea what it was like knowing I couldn’t get here in time to help you if I needed to?”

“Lukas, I swear, it wasn’t that dangerous.”

A low growl escaped him as he pressed her against the doorframe. His hips ground into hers, his warmth and nearness wrapped around her, and she melted into his chest, remembering the last time they’d been in the bedroom together. She suddenly had a difficult time concentrating.

“You have no idea what you’re talking about, Aria.”

Like ice water dumped over her, she jerked away from him, slipping out from under his arm and into the room, anger fizzing under her cheekbones. “No idea? Lukas, I realize I haven’t done much that would lead you to believe otherwise, but I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself. You are the one with no idea. You don’t know what Haemon is capable of. Dream-walking and bruised flesh are the least of the things he will do to me if he can.”

Lukas’ face registered surprise and then anger. He stalked toward her, but she raised a hand and glared.

“Do you have any idea what it’s like to be afraid to sleep at night—to be physically ambushed because he might visit my dreams? I’ve spent over a year dodging Haemon. I know it’s probably all a game to him, but I am not a cub to be sheltered. My father did enough locking me up to last a lifetime and I won’t take it from you.”

“I can’t help it, Aria.”

“You’ll learn to. You will not shut me in this house and make me feel like a burden.”

He walked up to her, stopping just before their bodies touched. “I won’t let you fight.”

She slapped his chest. “Stupid male! You will, because it’s my right as your Mate!”

“I can’t lose you again!” His roar surprised both of them. His eyes were suspiciously bright, and he grabbed her arms, pulling her tight against him. His hoarse whisper drained her anger as quickly as it had risen. “Until three days ago, I was certain you were dead, and on rare occasions, I entertained the thought you weren’t, I was equally certain Haemon would have made you into a hollow shell of the woman I loved. You can ask me for almost anything, Aria, and I will give my soul to see it happens, but you can’t ask this of me. I can’t give let you walk away.”

Her forehead dropped to his chest. She’d never really had a choice as his Mate. If Haemon didn’t kill her, walking away from Lukas would. “I don’t want to be a useless member of the Pack, Lukas. I will not allow anyone to fight my battles for me either. I’ve done enough cowering.”

Lukas kissed the top of her head and sighed. “We are at an impasse, honey. Right now I think you can agree that allowing you to fight would play right into Haemon’s hands, yes?”

Aria knew he was right. She was vulnerable in a way she hadn’t been before, and it could work to Haemon’s advantage. They needed some time to rethink things before she went jumping into any sort of altercation. “For now, I will let you do the fighting. I won’t
allow
it for long though, Lukas.”

He groaned in frustration, searching her face intently. “I’ll take what I can get at the moment. But you will remember to stay on the property.”

Her internal radar immediately perked up. “What else is going on?”

“It may be nothing at all, but I want to make sure you understand you cannot leave the boundaries.” Lukas released her, moving to the door.

“I said I wouldn’t run. I meant it.” What he omitted made her heart pound faster. She nodded, pulling the towel wrapped around her hair, which was already sliding off from her head. As he turned to walk out, a thought materialized.

“The Council threatened to take custody of me, haven’t they?”

Lukas stopped, a lopsided grin appeared. “You always could read too much of my thoughts. Go on and get dressed and I’ll see you downstairs.”

And then he left, closing the door behind him.

Slipping one of the shirts over her head, she sighed. She picked up her brush from the nightstand and pulled it through her damp hair.

Haemon always maneuvered the Council right where he wanted them even though the Council foolishly believed they had control of Haemon. A mistake that would cost them. Haemon was far more clever than anyone expected. Before this was over, he would bring the Council to their knees, and they would not enjoy the experience.

Pulling on a pair of jeans, she prayed Lukas and her new Pack would be able to get out of the war alive.

After braiding her hair, she stared at herself in the mirror. Dark smudges sat under her eyes, contrasting against her pale skin. For a brief second, she considered trying to cover it up, but remembered that she didn’t have any makeup with her, and they hadn’t bought any when at Wal-Mart. Vanity was the least of her problems.