Chapter 27
IN COMPLETE AGREEMENT
NIA
I slam my fists into the mud and Luke stares at me, trying to stay impassive. We’ve been out here for hours and all I’ve done is turn the ground beneath me into a complete mess.
That, and I’ve lost my temper.
My scream pierces the quiet of the forest and birds fly into the air, shocked off their perches as my anger boils into incandescent fury.
“IT’S NOT FUCKING WORKING.”
Lyall howls and I sense Lawson’s frustration merging with mine. Lyall and I are trying but we’re not getting anywhere. She’s at my throat and we can’t find a way of letting her break through, leaving us both irritable and thoroughly pissed off with each other.
“Very few wolves shift the first time they try, Nia.”
My eyes narrow and spit venom at Luke.
“Don’t try that with me, sweetheart. It might intimidate lesser wolves but I’m your fucking Alpha and the pair of you will show me some goddamn respect.”
Luke steps closer and I know he’s using his size to intimidate me. The fact he’s still clothed and I'm stark naked isn’t making this any better. He’s trying to conceal his annoyance from me, and it’s damn hard to do it with the bond that exists between us.
He’s disappointed.
He’d hoped I’d be the exception, not the rule.
He’d thought my wolf would find a way to make this work and that Lyall and Lawson would be running wild by now.
“I didn’t,” he sighs, taking a step back. “You’re trying to turn my thoughts into your thoughts. I know you’re infuriated but this is going to take time, Nia. I did not expect you to shift today. Not when you and Lyall have been held back for so many years.”
Luke bends down and his hand reaches for me, and I turn my head away. He growls and I turn back, surprised he’s got the nerve to push me when I’m this upset.
“You don’t get to be a bitch about it, Nia.”
“Pots and kettles.”
His hand moves so damn fast I miss it and it’s wrapped around my throat before I blink. Luke’s fingers squeeze just tight enough to let me know he has complete control and he isn’t afraid to use it.
“You don’t take your frustrations out on me, sweetheart.
We’re a team, not each other’s punching bags.
” His eyes darken and Lawson’s in absolute agreement with his host. “And we agreed that we were moving on from what happened, not bringing it up every time one of us wants to score some fucking cheap points.”
“He’s right, Nia.”
I roll my eyes at the pair of them and Luke has the audacity to smirk. His audacity riles Lyall as much as me and my wolf and I come together, deciding he’s being a cunt.
“See,” he says, grinning like he’s impressed with himself. “You and Lyall are figuring each other out. It’s progress, Nia. The pair of you are doing pretty well.” His smile widens and his grip releases. “All things considered.”
Luke steps back leaving me in stunned silence.
My wolf’s temper rises and I urge Lyall to calm, pleading with her not to lash out again. I don’t want another fight like the one when she first emerged and my panic catches Luke by surprise, making him pause before he says anything else.
“He’s walking all over us, Nia,” Lyall says, trying to take control. She tears at the barrier between us and I shake my head, holding her back as I force her to stay in the shadows. “He won’t respect us if we’re weak.”
Luke’s head tilts. “I’ll respect you a damn sight more if you exercise control.”
I draw myself upright and exhale, clearing my mind of any more thoughts Luke can use against me. He’s rarely intruded and never spoken through our bond before, and I’m not sure how I feel about it.
It’s comforting.
It’s unnerving.
I think I hate it.
I think I fucking love it.
He tips his head back and laughs, pulling me against him and throwing his arms around me.
“Get used to it, pretty girl. You’re mine and I’m going to claim every part of you. Body and soul, Nia. You belong to me and you’re going to give me all of it.”
“Why can’t you be nice about it?” I giggle, making Luke and Lawson laugh harder. “Other girls get flowers and jewelry and shit like that. I get kidnapping, torture, and being fucked until my legs stop working.”
Luke’s head drops as he lifts me off the ground, kissing me so dominantly that he steals my breath.
“First, you love it when I fuck you. Second, you don’t want that other shit,” he says as his tongue plays with mine, claiming my mouth and making my body beg for more. “And this, Nia, this wouldn’t happen if you weren’t improving. You’re getting stronger and you’ll be ready to shift soon.”
He pulls away and I lose him, aware his presence is gone, leaving me aware of a void of where he and Lawson used to be. Lyall whimpers a little and my heart sinks and we worry we’ve disappointed him again. Or worse, done something that’s offended him and made him withdraw.
“It wasn’t you,” Luke says. “Cole grabbed me through the pack bond. There’s a problem and we need to return. I hate to say it, but you need to get some clothes on.”
His tone leaves little room for doubt and I dress quickly, confused and wondering what could be so important that we’re needed back immediately. I’m adjusting my sweater when I decide to try to reach for the pack and Luke tsks me, shaking his head vehemently.
“They’re your pack but this isn’t how you want to meet them, sweetheart.” He takes my hand and pulls me behind him, setting a brisk pace. “It’s not how I want them to meet their new Luna either.”
Luke’s being an authoritative asshole and Lyall doesn’t like it. I’m not enthralled either and he moves faster, dragging me behind him. He’s not fucking around and his playfulness disintegrates, replaced with something much more dangerous.
He’s serious and that means the threat is real. It means his pack—our pack—is in a shitload of trouble and I shake my hand free so I can break into a run. Luke grunts an acknowledgment and jogs beside me, a little calmer now it won’t be so long before we’re back with the pack.
“Are you going to tell me what’s going on?”
Lyall and Lawson growl in unison, both unnerved and on the defensive. Our wolves prowl as we weave through the trees and Luke stays silent, refusing to answer me until he’s ready.
“Your father went to The Council.”
My chest tightens and my heart judders into an unnatural rhythm, shocked into spluttering on.
The Council has never enforced the law that prohibits the abduction of high-ranking females.
It’s never had either the inclination or the nerve to deal with this, mostly because it would condemn too many packs to brutal punishments.
And those packs will include some of the wolves who sit on The Council itself.
“They won’t do anything, Luke.”
“They already have, sweetheart. Bastan persuaded them to send the Elite Guards. It was only a matter of time before they found us.”
Fuck.
Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck.
Every wolf knows the Elite Guards are vicious assholes. They’re ruthless killers and they’ll stop at nothing to make sure they uphold their reputation. Or the law or command they’ve been ordered to follow. Mothers warn their children about them and fathers pray they won’t descend on their pack.
Their involvement is a catastrophe and we’re in deep shit.
“Why would my father involve them?”
Luke growls. “I assume he thought you’d be used as leverage against him and didn’t want to take the risk of leaving you alone.
He knew the wolfsbane and silver would wash out and the Elite Guards will either kill you or return you to him.
Both solve his problem, assuming you didn’t die and solve it yourself. ”
Shit, that’s cold.
Logical, calculated and flawless.
The Elite Guards would hunt me down and if I tried to fight back they’d kill me.
If I didn’t, or couldn’t, they’d take me back to my father and he’d be back in control.
And even if I tried to convince the Elites about the poison, they’d put it down to the ramblings of a girl who’s gone insane after being taken from her pack.
Fuck, my father’s ruthless.
There’s almost no way out of this. Not when it’s the Elite Guards and The Council have set them loose.
“We’ll show them my mark.”
“It won’t matter, Nia. I broke the covenants when I took you.”
I stare through the trees, catching sight of the house lights as they guide me home.
I don’t know this place well but I’m more comfortable here than I ever was in my father’s territory and it feels right.
It feels safe. Luke’s territory is where I belong and a wave of an unfamiliar emotion washes over me, leaving me struggling to place it.
“Possessiveness,” Luke says, letting me encounter the extent of his pride. “You’re beginning to experience the sense of ownership you’ll come to know as Luna.”
Lyall snarls and lets me feel her rage. She’s incandescent and her protective instincts have kicked in hard.
Damn hard. My wolf’s prepared to do almost anything to defend her own and Lyall has claimed this pack as hers.
Her anger is quick, and she won’t hold back, and my stomach tightens, remembering the last time she unleashed on someone who threatened her.
“Even the Elite Guards will respect our bond, Luke,” I say as I emerge from the trees and sprint through the garden. “They wouldn’t go against the Moon Goddess.”
Luke keeps pace and doesn’t reply until we reach the house, throwing open the door and ushering me inside. He fastens the locks and exhales, letting his shoulders drop as if they’re too tired to take the strain anymore.
“I didn’t even try to meet you, Nia. I didn’t approach your father or his Elders. I attacked his pack and didn’t even give you the chance to feel our connection before I took you.” He swallows and his sapphire eyes darken. “And that’s before everything that I did to you once you were here.”
I toss my head and the man stares at me like I’m a marvel. “And we agreed to move on. We agreed that both of us made mistakes and we weren’t letting them hang over us.”
Luke crosses his arms and the bulk of his muscles distracts me for long enough for him to smirk. The asshole flexes his biceps and my clit responds before my wolf does, and Lyall has the nerve to let Lawson know how thoroughly impressed she is.
“I meant it when I said I’d had enough of this shit ruling my life, Luke,” I seethe and catch Cole creeping toward us out of the corner of my eye. “I don’t care if we have to deal with the Elites. They’re a bunch of wankers and I refuse to let them tell me what to do.”
“You might want to think about that…”
My expression cuts Cole off, mid-sentence. He’s sizing me up, quickly working out if I’m ready to face whatever he thinks is coming. Luke’s Beta hasn’t seen me for almost two weeks and the look on his face tells me I’ve changed. A lot.
“She’s very pretty, Luke.”
“Now’s not the time, Cole,” he snaps back.
Cole shrugs. “You look good, Nia. Healthier. More alive.” His eyes flick down and linger over my stomach. “Are you pregnant?”
I stiffen and Luke steps between us. He’s protecting me as much as he’s protecting Cole from the outburst I’d have unleashed if he wasn’t physically stopping me.
My temper matches Lyall’s, and every fiber of her being is spitting with venom, ready to tear Cole to shreds for asking such an outrageous question.
He lifts his hands in the air and steps back, bending his knee and lowering his torso.
“I thought we could negotiate with the Elites if our Luna was pregnant.”
“Well I’m not, and I’m not discussing any baby of ours with those cunts.”
Luke looks over his shoulder and nods in agreement.
“Where are they, Cole?” I ask.
Cole’s dark hair blackens and his eyes turn the color of obsidian. He’s worried and I can feel it, despite his attempts to conceal his concern. I push through the barrier he’s put in place, forcing myself to connect with him and he stares at me wide-eyed, shuddering in fear.
“Fuck me, her wolf…”
“What did you expect, Cole?” Luke says, amused as he steps out of the way. “Nia’s my mate.”
“And she asked a question and wants a fucking answer,” I add, giving neither of them the time to catch their breath. They’re both assholes and my wolf delights in putting them in their place, depriving them of the chance to find a way to avoid telling me what is going on.
Cole sighs and stares at Luke. “They’re on the pack perimeter. At least a dozen of them and they know we have Nia. They’ve said they’ll spare the women, children and any men who weren’t involved if we hand her over by dawn.”
Lyall growls and Lawson rails against Luke as his aggression takes hold and I feel his posture shift. Luke’s wolf asserts himself as he threatens violence, raising his posture and raising his hackles.
“Do we have a plan?” I ask.
“I doubt they’ll keep their word if we give you up,” Cole says and I damn well believe him. “They won’t let us escape and neither of you are going to run from this. Which leaves us fighting them.”
“Or talking them around.”
Luke towers over me and I won’t let him use his height to intimidate me. Not again. Not when I’m right and he needs to listen. He stares at me and I refuse to cower, meeting the fire and fury in his gaze with a heat and anger of my own.
We’re equally matched and neither one of us is backing down.
“Nia, that won’t…”
My growl interrupts Luke and I see the turmoil swirling through his sapphire blue eyes before I feel it flowing into me.
He’s far from happy and every instinct is telling him to hold me close, to put himself between me and whatever threat comes for me.
The man who tormented me is torturing himself, terrified I’m going to be hurt as he decides that it doesn’t matter what happens to him.
Except it does, and I won’t let him do anything stupid like trying to sacrifice himself to keep me safe. I’m not having it, and for once, my wolf and I are completely aligned.
“It will if I do the talking.”
Cole whistles low and both Luke and I turn to face him so damn slowly that time seems to pause.
“She’s right, Luke. It’s a gamble but the only way we’ll survive this is if Nia convinces those fuckers that her father is a wanker.”