Chapter 32 Raid
Raid
After a quiet meal, the pack loaded up equipment in the truck. Elowen sat on the sofa, holding my hand, as we watched Cade and Luca pace back and forth.
Before they left, Luca kissed me soundly. “Relax, we’ll be back soon. No big deal.” He winked, and I rolled my eyes at him.
Only Holt was staying with us, and he busied himself reorganizing the pantry.
“What should we do to entertain ourselves?” Elowen asked, rubbing a hand over her belly.
“I’m not up for much. I’m so tired.” I emphasized my point with a yawn.
“Then go to bed early,” she said.
“I’m too nervous. I need them home safe.”
“Rom-com it is,” Elowen said, lifting the remote.
“Okay,” I said, nestling down onto the sofa.
After picking a silly movie, Elowen ran her nails through my hair, and I reveled in the affection. I loved how touchy werewolves were.
She didn’t ask me about the heat and all the things we did. Didn’t ask about my fight with Cade that ended explosively, even though half the pack probably heard. She just comforted me as we both waited for our mates to come home.
I jolted awake when the back door slammed open and the pack poured in. Holt had gone to bed, and Elowen was snoring softly beside me.
“They’re back,” I said, shaking her gently.
She popped up, her pale hair sticking up adorably on one side. Blinking, she swiped the back of her hand over her lips, wiping away a little drool.
Archer strode in, heading right for Elowen. Once he saw her, he visibly relaxed.
“Hey!” She pushed to her feet awkwardly and crossed to him. He kissed her soundly.
“Go to bed. I’ll help unload and be right up.”
There was tension in his jaw that made my chest tighten. Something was wrong. Elowen nodded and headed up the stairs.
I should have followed her and stayed out of the way, but fear had gripped me. Finn and Jem came in, holding bags of tech. They had been on van duty, surveillance and reporting, and they both looked fine.
As more people came in, Lux and Lana, Rhett, and finally my two mates, I looked for injuries, but everyone seemed untouched.
“What happened?” I asked Luca. His eyes darkened.
Cade rounded on me. “They knew we were coming. Not only was the nest cleared out, but they left booby traps for us. Luckily, we saw them and no one got hurt.”
My hand covered my mouth as it fell open.
“How?” I asked.
“I don’t know,” Cade said, slow and deadly. “The only way they could have known was if someone tipped them off. They had only been gone for a few hours at most. Convenient timing, don’t you think, when every other time we’ve attacked the day after a full moon?”
He stalked closer, and I clung to Luca. Cade looked ready for war, eyes furious, teeth bared. My hands started to shake, and Luca gently moved me completely behind him.
“And what’s worse? They left a message for us.”
Cade pulled an envelope out of his pocket. My heart stuttered as he withdrew crimson stationary and held it out to me.
You have taken the intended mate of my son, Prince Evrin.
She has been a part of our family for many years, and we are anxious to have her safely returned.
In exchange for her release, we are willing to relocate our nest outside of your territory limits.
You have until the full moon to bring her to this nest, and we will come retrieve our beloved Summer.
“I was right to not trust you,” Cade growled. “You want to go back to them.”
“You need to cool off. Anger and accusations aren’t going to get us anywhere. We can deal with this tomorrow.” Luca held his chin high, staring down his very angry and dominant mate.
“If I was working with the vampires, why would they request that I be given back to them? All this proves is that Evrin still wants me. But I don’t want him.” My voice shook but I was proud of myself for standing up to him.
With a snarl, Cade stormed off, back out to the trucks to get the rest of the equipment, or maybe punch a tree. It didn’t matter to me.
“It’s okay. He’ll apologize when he calms down. He just needs to think it through.” Luca’s reassurances sounded hollow, and he cringed as he heard them. “Let’s go to bed.”
He half-carried me up the stairs, the letter from the vampires still clutched in my hands. As soon as the bedroom door shut, I turned to him.
“You guys should give me up. You’d clear the territory all at once, war over. And then Cade wouldn’t have to deal with me.”
Luca’s brows furrowed, eyes narrowing and jaw clenching. “You aren’t serious.”
“I bet the venom would suppress the mate bond too, so he wouldn’t be bothered by it.” My inhale turned into a sniffle.
Anger sparked in Luca’s eyes. “Do you not have any loyalty to me?”
“Luca,” I squeaked. “I didn’t mean that, but I could solve everybody’s problems at once.”
“I will never let you go. I don’t care if I have to personally murder every single vampire on the continent. They’re not getting you. And don’t doubt for a second that Cade wouldn’t either. You belong to us.”
He had backed me up until my calves hit the bedframe. With a gasp, I fell backwards, bringing Luca with me. He pinned me down, nuzzling against my neck, right under my ear.
“I think you need a lesson on who you belong to.”
With an arm across my chest, Luca rolled us until I could see myself in the full length mirror. He yanked the strap of my tank top down, baring the claim scar Cade gave me.
“Do you still want it?”
I should say no. A claim mark from Luca would mean I could never leave. It was intentional, and he would never let me go.
It was weak, but I couldn’t help nodding.
“That’s my little mate” he said, his rough words scraping over me.
My shorts went next, and Luca ripped off his shirt and shoved his pants down so fast, my breathing hitched as he pushed my legs open and thrust into me.
My eyes closed, muscles tense as he began fucking me. The sound of skin slapping filled the room. Luca reached down and grabbed my hair, pulling my head back.
“Look,” he commanded, and my eyes fluttered open.
We were displayed in the full length mirror. My small breasts bounced as his muscles tensed and he pounded into me.
Angry Luca made my heart race, and each movement, each drag of that piercing, spiraled me higher.
“Who do you belong to?”
I gasped, unable to answer.
With a growl, Luca hauled me tighter against his chest, his thrusts shortening as his knot swelled.
“Answer me, Summer,” he rasped.
“You,” I ground out, yelping as his teeth closed over the muscle opposite from Cade’s claim mark. The skin broke with a sting, and he dug in, determined to leave his mark.
With a slow lick, Luca released me. He pulled us down, cradling me against him. My eyes stayed on the mirror, the way his body framed mine, invaded me, dominated me.
“You are mine and Cade’s. No one else’s. They can’t have you.”
“Okay,” I said softly. He kissed the nape of my neck and over the bleeding bite mark.
Still locked inside of me, he pulled the blanket over us, and ran his hands down the length of my body, finding my clit and playing me like an instrument. By the time I finished, I was a boneless mess, and his knot had receded enough he slipped out of me.
My breathing evened out as Luca wrapped his arms around me and held me tightly, like after the mission went sideways, he was afraid to lose me. I couldn’t blame him after what I had suggested. But the sting of his bite proved I was his, and I wasn’t going anywhere.