Chapter 16 #2
“It can wait, Eli, till we get out there. I don’t want to risk her getting hurt, and it is better with an audience, is it not?” Cyrus says, looking at Emery, who nods.
Maverick nods to his son, who growls at him before walking off toward his room.
Maverick looks just as huge as Eli, just as menacing, making me wonder what the hell they are doing and why everyone seems so calm.
My heart is pounding in my chest. Cyrus motions me toward him with his hand.
I walk over to where he is sitting on a stool at the island bench.
Eli watches me before shifting back to his normal wolf form, not his Lycan form. I prefer this form; he isn’t as intimidating. He is terrifying in both, but the Lycan one makes a cold shiver run up my spine.
Eli comes over to me, pulling on the shirt I am wearing, tugging me toward the couch.
Cyrus sighs, dropping his hand off my waist and letting Eli pull me away.
I sit on the couch, and he jumps up on it, rubbing his furry head all over my chest and face, licking me like a normal dog just wanting attention.
“Eli, gross. What are you doing?” I ask him as he continues to rub himself all over me.
“Just let him do it, Addie, or we will have to put up with him in that form the entire trip,” Cyrus says as I try pushing him away.
I huff, annoyed and grossed out at his licking. He keeps sticking his head inside my shirt, licking my neck and chest. I shake my head when he rubs his face on mine and nearly choke on his fur.
“Enough, please. What are you doing?” I snap at him before smacking his nose.
Emery laughs when he shakes his head before nipping at me. I smack him again, harder.
“Stop, or you can get off me,” I tell him, glaring at him, when he suddenly licks a straight line from my chin to my hairline.
I jump up, disgusted, and his tongue rolls out the side of his mouth. His body heaves like he is laughing at me.
“You are disgusting,” I tell him, wiping my face on his shirt to get the slobber off.
“He is scenting you,” Emery says, taking a sip of her coffee.
“He is what?” I ask, staring at Cyrus and Emery.
“Scenting. Something male Lycans do to stake their claim, show whom you belong to,” Emery explains.
“What? The bite mark on my neck isn’t enough?”
Eli grips the hem of my shirt with his teeth, yanking me back on the couch before lying across my lap. He is so big, his body runs the full length of the four seats on the couch.
“No, it is different. The mark shows you are his mate, and you belong to him. Scenting is different. It masks your scent from other Lycans by giving you his scent. It is also a dominance thing, which will stop them from getting too close. So basically, any other scent that gets on you that Eli doesn’t approve of.
Eli would see it as a challenge even if I hugged you and transferred my scent.
It is disrespectful to touch someone who has been scented.
His scent will last on you for a few days.
Then he will probably demand he does it again,” she tells me.
“Why is it disrespectful?” I ask, clueless about their laws.
“Because by scenting you, it is a warning not to touch. Anyone that does is deliberately challenging his claim.”
“So, you can’t touch me then?”
“I am female; therefore, I can. So can Cyrus because he’s your mate. Anyone else, god help them,” Emery says.
“So, why is he scenting me then?” I ask, looking at Eli, who pushes his head underneath my shirt.
I try to push his head out. “So, is he going to do it to Cyrus?”
Emery laughs, making me look at Cyrus, who does not look impressed.
“I was stuck on the couch for an hour already while he did the same shit. Endure, Addie. I did,” Cyrus says, and I chuckle.
Maverick suddenly walks out in jeans and a t-shirt, looking rather normal. He sees Eli and rolls his eyes.
“I have told you, Eli, none of them will touch your mates,” Maverick says, making himself coffee. Eli growls at him when I remember their tiff earlier.
“So, why were you two fighting in the living room?” I ask Maverick when I hear bones snapping as Eli pulls away from me before I feel rough hands run across my belly, turning my attention to Eli in his Lycan form. I grit my teeth at the sound; it always makes them ache when he shifts.
“Geez, please go get clothes on and shift back. You know I hate it when you are in this form,” I tell him.
He nods toward his hands, and I look down at his rough clawed hands, pushing my shirt up to reveal a bump. How have I not noticed that? No wonder I feel different when I move. I place my hands on it, the skin smooth but hard.
Eli runs his hands over it, amazed, making sure to keep his claws away from my skin when he leans forward, running his tongue over my hard little bump. I look months pregnant, not a couple of weeks.
“Told you. You would wake up, and bam, baby bump,” Emery chuckles, and Cyrus gets up, walking over. He leans over the lounge, his hand outstretched before placing it on my bump. His eyes flicker red, and Eli looks up at him.
“Ours,” Eli tells him.
“Go get dressed so we can go,” Cyrus tells him, and Eli nods, removing his hands from my belly and walking off.
Cyrus walks around the couch before pulling me to my feet. “Come, we should leave soon,” Cyrus tells me, and I look to Maverick, who sends me a wink.
“We are going with you?” I ask him, and he nods.
“He agreed?” I ask, looking at Cyrus.
“Yes, under a few conditions,” Cyrus says, and I hear Maverick growl. Cyrus shoots him a look.
“What conditions?” I ask, looking between them when Emery speaks up.
“Eli challenged my father for Alpha. That’s why they were fighting when you came out. Dad doesn’t agree.”
“It is my pack,” Maverick says.
“Well, you have been challenged, old man, so suck it up,” Emery tells him, dropping her hand on his shoulder.
“Challenged?” I ask, looking at Cyrus just as Eli walks out.
“Yes. When we get there, I will challenge him for the position,” Eli growls at his father.
“So, you will fight for it then?” I ask, horrified they would fight their own family for a pack.
“Yes. They will either fight to the death or until one submits,” Cyrus says, which scares me more. Eli would never submit to his father, so that would mean his death if Maverick wins. The same with Maverick; he doesn’t come across as one to give up.
“What? No, you can’t,” I tell him.
“Don’t worry about me, love. It won’t even be much of a challenge,” Eli says, and Maverick growls, getting to his feet.
“If you think I am just going to hand my pack over, boy, you have another thing coming.”
“I know you won’t hand it over, father. That’s why I am going to take it,” Eli snaps back at him when Emery rushes out, standing between them.
“Settle down, save it for the arena. My apartment has suffered enough. You want to kill each other? Fine. But not in my house,” she says, placing a hand on both their chests. They growl at each other but turn away.
They can’t be serious.