Bound to Her (7 page)

Luka buried his mo
uth in her hair, enjoying the feel of her sweat-soaked skin against his mouth. Nuzzling, fucking her harder, he pumped until he’d spent himself.

The tremors continued rolling on for what seemed like forever, until at last she stopped shuddering. Her body quaked in tiny spasms against his for a few moments afterwards.

Walking them both to the couch, Luka sat down with her still clutching his body with her thighs. He ran a hand through her hair, smoothing it over her cold skin. “I love this.”

The sparkles disappeared, but he felt renewed, powerful. Even now, the anger and vehemence he’d felt before she arrived were gone, replaced by something deeper, darker and mightier. That same force also calmed him, now.

She pulled herself from him and looked into his eyes, the intensity of her stare still arousing him.

“How do you feel?”

She let out a breath with a whoosh and sighed. “Tired, but like a million bucks. It’s like there’s calmness, stillness inside of me, now.”

He nodded. “That’s part of the binding ritual. It instils that tranquil feeling that lets us be Alpha and not Alpha, at the same time, for a better understanding.”

“What’s going to change, now?”

He shook his head.
“Nothing.
In a few days, you’ll appear beside me. We’re equals, okay?”

Her lip twitched. “I’ve heard that line before.”

Luka chortled. “I’m not my brother.”

Michele tried to stop the grin that curled her pout upwards. “So I’ve noticed.”

He wiggled an eyebrow. “Seriously, you won’t change. I don’t go into this without you being an equal. I don’t need you to love me.” He left out the unspoken word, hoping she’d let it go.

“Yet.”

He cringed but threw his arm over the back of the couch and touched her shoulder. She still had the robe on but had adjusted it to cover herself. He could smell his scent on her.

Her lip curled. “What? You were thinking it.”

Slouching forward, he patted her thigh before sitting straight. He met her stare. “Yeah, I was. The pack and your sister are the most important things to me. Both have given me a renewed desire to live for the greater good, but even your sister has pressed me to find someone.”

Michele chuckled. “Yeah, she would. She’s like that.”

Dropping his head back against the wall and the top of the leather couch, he sighed. “True. I’ve gotten the sense she wants a family from me.”

Turning to face him, Michele tucked a leg underneath her.

He licked his lips at the sight of exposed flesh.

Slapping his thigh, she snickered.
“Pervert.”

Luka gave her a wide grin.

“Anyway,” Michele brushed wisps of hair out of her face, “Tiffany has longed for a family forever. I hated and still don’t approve of her submission to you, but it makes sense, I suppose. She embraced what I was before I did. She just did it.”

He nodded. “I know. She’s taken great care of me and my business and if I could, I’d reward her somehow.”

“I feel the same way.” Michele looked deep into his eyes, appearing to search for something.

He caught her chin in the palm of his hand, stroked her flesh lightly. “What are you searching for?”

“Comfort,” she mouthed the word so only someone with a wolf’s hearing would hear it.

Luka leaned forward. “Maybe love becomes part of that.”

Michele inclined her head.
“Perhaps.”

Extending his hand around her other shoulder, he pulled her to him so she shifted against his body. Sitting in his lap now with his arms around her, she snuggled in closer.

She turned her face upwards. “You’re really nothing like your brother if this is how you behave all the time.”

“I don’t like to rule with an iron fist. Much better for everyone involved if the humans think we’re legend, the wolves think we’re a gift, and nobody gets an over inflated ego.”

She nuzzled him with her head.

“So, you’re staying the night?”

Crossing her arms over her chest, she took his hands in hers. “Yeah,” she yawned. “I guess.”

“Will you help me?” The lump in his throat was harder to swallow than he’d thought.

The question hung in the air between them in a deafening silence that became palpable.

Reaching out, she stroked his chin with her fingernails.

The movement sent a frisson of excitement and pleasure through his body.

“Maybe.
We’ll see. Let’s take this easy, okay? I need to find my centre.”

He nodded and stroked her belly with his hands. “Least you admit what you need.”

“Hey,” she chuckled, “if I’m nothing else, I’m direct!”

Her smile warmed his heart. She was definitely different than her sister, comforting with more fire than Tiffany. His fingers found hers, lacing together while she leaned back against him. “True. Let’s get some dinner and then sleep.”

She nodded. “Who cooks, here?”

“Most of the time,” he nuzzled her neck with his cheek, “I do. Your sister has a life outside of being my submissive, and I vowed not to interfere. She said it was no problem, but after learning of her resentment, I really feel bad.”

Her voice remained calm. “Good Alphas understand the balance in all things, huh?”

He nodded. Her scent was killing him. The wolf could go again. For that matter, so could the human. “Don’t get me wrong, I do love your sister as I previously stated. But she’s meant for something deeper, better than what I could give her.”

Michele nodded.

Her smile reached his heart.

* * * *

The mood around the house was sombre the day of the big meeting. All the wolves were set to gather at the Coliseum on the east side of Oakland.

The previous two days had been filled with lovemaking, going over protocol and grooming of both the wolf and the human by Tiffany.

Luka could sense Michele’s discomfort at having her sister bathe her in wolf form and decided to groom her in her human form himself to save face. Besides, as much as he loved Tiffany, he felt the help should understand their place.

Michele still hadn’t reciprocated his love, but she hadn’t refused it, either. This was a good sign.

When it was time, the three piled into the car and began the long drive from Marin to Oakland. Luka kept a hand on Michele’s thigh while Tiffany sat in the back and stroked his shoulders.

Tiffany coughed. “I can feel it from here, your anticipation that
Lajon
won’t believe this is real.”

I hate that I cannot mask my feelings from you, little one. It means your sister can definitely feel me in spades.

Tiffany stroked his hair.

The motion settled him down, somewhat.

Michele held his hand in hers, keeping a death grip on it. She’d sworn she had no desire to deal with wolf politics and become part of a broken, outdated system, but Luka had managed to convince her that the two of them could change things.

His breathing picked up with each mile they passed. “This will be okay. It has to be. I need to remain in control of the pack.”

Michele’s fingers began circling his palm.

Her movement connected him to her on a deeper level that slowed his heart rate. “Thank you, my mate.”

Keeping his eyes on the road, Luka steered them towards Oakland and through the ghetto until they arrived in the parking lot of the Coliseum. Stopping his car up front, he pulled the keys from the ignition and let out a breath he hadn’t realised he’d been holding.

He and Michele looked at each other, and he saw the trepidation in her eyes. He had to keep it together, had to be certain of his next several movements much the way a chess player had to remain six moves ahead of his opponent.

Closing his eyes for a moment, Luka let out a long sigh then looked back at Michele. “My brother will be here, and he’ll probably not be entirely thrilled to see either of us.”

Michele smirked. “I know. It wouldn’t surprise me if he pulled some shit based on our past relationship.”

Inhaling slowly, Luka steadied his nerves and tried to keep his energy use at a minimum. It did no good to show off how nervous he was in front of thousands of wolves who were counting on him to lead them into balance and harmony because of his newfound mate.

Michele rubbed his chest with a hand. “You’ll do fine.”

She sounded confident even though he could smell the half truth.

She was just as scared as he was.

He swallowed hard and kept his expression neutral.

Jared would be there with the rest of the Rogues from Southern California, and they’d all be ready to start a coup if word got out that Luka hadn’t been honest about his mate.

Dressed in black slacks, a dark shirt to match the colour of his eyes, his longish hair flowing behind him, he remained steady when he stood.

Dressed in a long, flowing, grey dress that set off her eyes, Michele had curled her hair and left it hanging down so it bounced with each step she took. A lighter shade of red lipstick gave her mouth even more appeal and brought out her natural skin tones. Steel toed boots complimented the outfit.

Tiffany was dressed as a typical human, blue jeans and a pink dress shirt that fanned out around her hips. Her hair had been left down so she’d fit in with Prince Luka and the idea that he’d chosen a very feminine mate.

Michele opened her door and walked around to his side with Tiffany falling in behind them. The cloak Luka wore blew in the wind, wrapping around his body.

The scents in the air were mixed, with wolf and gasoline the most prominent. The area itself was the less desirable part of town, known for having a higher population of renters and lower class humans.

The stench of the poor hung in the air heavily amongst the many eighteen-wheel trucks and industrial vehicles that drove through town. Luka looked up at the sky. There wasn’t a single cloud.

He prayed silently for this experience to go smoothly, for them to accept Michele as his mate and for her to eventually fall in love with him. She deserved to have a family that would support her in everything she did, and he’d be proud to be part of that.

The various wolves standing guard at the gateway parted for him and his small entourage, keeping their heads bowed. Some of them greeted him with tiny smiles. Most kept their expressions neutral.

Michele kept pace with Luka, her soft hand in his.

Tiffany remained close behind the two for her own protection despite the obvious posturing.

Luka smelled the sour milk scent of Tiffany’s fear and wished he didn’t have to bring her to this meeting. Didn’t like the idea she was as involved as she was, but she
was
his submissive.

Pack law currently respected human
submissives
the same way vampires stereotypically had them, as property. But many in Luka’s camp knew he had feelings for Tiffany, had valued her more as a friend than as food. Many of those wolves turned up their noses at her presence.

The three stopped at the edge of the ramp just before two dark-skinned men dressed in form fitting jeans and long sleeved T-shirts intercepted them. “Prince Luka,” the one on the left said in a gruff voice. “The one who serves you cannot go past this point.”

Luka raised an eyebrow. “You dare challenge me now?”

The other guard stepped forward, crossing his powerful arms over a massive chest. His hair hid the expression in his eyes.

Raising his power, Luka felt energy flowing throughout his body, feeding his nerves, his muscles. His eyes must be glowing by now, and he could feel his fangs extending from his jaws. The scent of damp earth and sour milk grew stronger with his enhanced senses.

The guard took a step back, uncrossing his arms. His voice seemed squeaky with each word he spoke. “We don’t mean any disrespect, your lordship. But elder
Lajon
declared the humans must remain behind the guarded rails.”

Luka nodded. Turning his head, he looked around at the seats which were filling up while wolves piled in and around the stadium. Seeing the large crowd gathering upset his stomach, but he held himself together like a true leader.

“You should go find a seat over there.” He pointed to a nearly empty row that would normally be behind first base.

Tiffany nodded and made her way through the crowd towards the area Luka indicated.

Michele tugged his arm.

He glanced at her. Seeing the quizzical expression on her face, he said nothing. Facing the guards again, he took a step closer. “Where are we to go?”

The air around them grew thicker. “Over there, towards the dais, my prince.”

Luka nodded. Pulling Michele with him, he headed towards the large, white and grey dais sitting in the middle of the field.

Being led out there with three guards on each side, Luka and Michele walked carefully, cautiously. There were plenty of friends here, but more enemies.