Chapter 18
Jasper followed Ryan into the bedroom and closed the door. He looked over at the broken bathroom door and quirked his brow.
Ryan chuckled as he slowly lowered Lucie down in front of him. “We had a spider incident earlier.” He rubbed his hands over Lucie’s shoulders gently as a warm smile rested on his lips.
This was a bit awkward for Lucie. Ryan being touchy and Jasper not ripping him apart didn’t make sense to her.
She wondered what was talked about before they came back.
Jasper seemed to be well aware of the fact that Ryan was her mate.
But he was Derrick’s cousin and right-hand man.
Wouldn’t he be opposed? Or did Ryan really have something that would allow them to be together?
She looked over her flour-covered self. She needed to get a quick shower, but there was no door. And the evil killer could still be in the bathroom.
“What is it, Lucie?” Jasper asked, seeing her staring toward the bathroom.
Lucie inched away from Ryan’s touch and waved her hands over her white-powdered self. “Look at me!” She giggled. “I have flour in places flour should never be.”
Jasper chuckled. “Well then go get cleaned off real quick. It isn’t like I’ll peek in on you.”
Lucie gnawed on her lip and Jasper released a thunderous laugh that ripped through the air.
“You’re still afraid of the spider in there, aren’t you? Oh Lucie, you are too much.” Jasper wiped the tears from his eyes.
“I’ll just use someone else’s shower,” Lucie said simply.
“You aren’t showering in another room,” Ryan said, growling slightly. “I’ll stand watch for you.”
Lucie scoffed and planted her hands across her chest. “I bet you will. No thanks. I don’t need an audience.”
“Are you sure? Having someone to shower with is more fun … and I could use a shower too.” Ryan let his voice drop low.
“Okay, time out.” Lucie looked up at Jasper. “If anyone else had said something like that, you would kill them. Shoot, you were ready to murder Kyle when he tried to kiss me.”
“WHO TRIED TO KISS YOU?!” Ryan roared. He walked into Lucie and gripped her shoulders.
“That’s not the point.”
“Oh no, that is the point now.” Ryan growled, glaring at Jasper.
“Ryan is your soulmate, Lucie. That is sacred. Its sanctity is absolute. There is no one who will object to that,” Jasper said, seeing the confusion in her eyes. “And Lucie was going to stop him from kissing her, but I just beat her to it.”
“What did you do that made him think it was okay to try to kiss you?” Ryan asked between clenched teeth.
OH, HELL NO! Lucie shot daggers at Ryan.
“What did I do?” She scoffed loudly, stepped toward him, and poked a finger into his chest. “How dare you talk to me like that? What did I do? Who the hell do you think you are? Obviously, if someone tried to kiss me, it was because I led them on, right? I guess unhooking my bra and tossing it to the side might have been too suggestive, huh?” She listened as he growled at her.
“You know what? Forget it. I’d rather take my chances with the spider than talk to you. ”
She shoved him and turned, marching toward the bathroom. How could he say that? She flipped on the shower and huffed angrily.
Jasper had said that she could accept Ryan as her mate because they were soulmates.
But what about the treaty? Even if the vampires would understand Ryan taking her as his mate, what would this mean for the treaty?
And right now, she was irritated with him, so she could think more rationally.
When she was next to him, it was as if her body was drugged, slowly being consumed by him.
No … that wasn’t right. She was the one who wanted to consume him.
The real problem was that she didn’t trust herself with him.
He was the one in danger of being devoured, though she didn’t think he would mind.
She had to keep the treaty in her mind at all times.
It was the only thing she had to grasp on to in order to control herself.
That and her current irritation. However, she had other ideas about how to release her frustration.
She reached out and turned the water temperature to cold. Yeah, she needed a cold shower.
From the doorway, she could hear Ryan’s soft, baritone chuckle. She looked back and could see part of his shoulder as he leaned against the doorframe but looking away, toward the wall.
“You know, Lucie … that spirit of yours only makes me more hot for you. I could wash the parts you can’t see.”
Ugh. She could almost hear the smirk in his voice. And damn her if she didn’t want him.
She clicked her tongue loudly. “Jasper, would you put your friend on a leash?” She listened as Jasper snickered, and she heard his back plop on the other side of the door frame. She also heard Ryan grumble at him for being too close to where she would be showering.
“Sorry. If Lucie wants me to protect her from you, then that is exactly what I’m going to do. Mate or not.”
Lucie smiled as she heard the seriousness in Jasper’s voice.
Ryan sighed loudly and flopped his head back, banging it on the doorway. “I’m sorry, Lucie. Don’t be mad at me. I got really jealous, and I was wrong. I never should have questioned you.”
“Thank you, Ryan. But you still aren’t joining me.”
“You want me. I want you. You heard yourself that it’s okay to be with me. You’ll accept me as your mate, right?”
Lucie stepped into the cold water and sighed.
She could hear the insecurity in his voice.
It broke her heart. But being allowed to be with him was only a start.
What about the treaty? The cloudy water dripped onto the floor below her as it washed the flour off of her body.
She grabbed the bottle of body wash and scrunched up her nose.
“Sandalwood? There isn’t anything less …
male in here?” Lucie squeezed the liquid into the scrunchy that was hanging on the wall.
She blushed slightly, knowing it was Ryan’s scrunchy.
“I hope this is the first time your loofah is seeing a woman’s body.
” She listened as Ryan groaned, and she heard the thud of his head against the door frame again.
“At least your loofah is getting some action,” Jasper teased with a snicker.
“I’ll make sure I have your own body wash for you for the next time,” Ryan said, trying to ignore Jasper. “And what are you accusing me of?” He smirked as she giggled. The shower turned off, and he heard quiet footsteps coming closer to the door.
“So … am I to wear a towel all day, or do you have something else for me to wear?” Lucie asked in the doorway.
“I think a towel looks good on you,” Jasper said with a shrug.
“Don’t look at her. TURN around,” Ryan said lowly.
“Relax, Ryan. Jasper is like a brother to me.” Lucie rolled her eyes and moved closer to Jasper to prove her point. She was completely comfortable with him.
“Lucie … he is a male. And you are a beautiful woman. And no matter what, he isn’t related to you.
There is no way I can be okay with this.
” He walked forward and shoved Jasper away a couple feet.
“I’ll get you something to put on.” He quickly walked to the end of the room and grabbed a shirt and a pair of drawstring pants. “Um … I have boxers and boxer briefs …”
“That will work for now,” Lucie said matter-of-factly.
She kept her voice level so she wouldn’t show how affected she was from hearing that.
When Ryan walked back to them, his cheeks looked a bit flushed as he handed her the clothes.
She smiled as she took them from him. There were some things he was bashful about too.
She quickly walked to the side of the bathroom and threw the clothes on. She rolled up the bottom of the pants, tied his shirt into a knot at her waist, and pulled the string as tight as she could, tying it in a knot as well.
“Well. At least I’m not covered in flour anymore.” Lucie giggled as she held her arms out. After hearing Ryan’s apology, she was no longer upset with him.
Jasper placed his hand on the top of her head and moved it back and forth. “Much better, Lucie.” He then leaned down. “What do you want to do about him? If you want me to steal you away from him, just say the word.”
Ryan chuckled darkly. “Just try it and see what happens.”
Lucie turned and looked at Ryan. “I’m sorry. It’s more than acceptance. I won’t abandon the treaty. I don’t want to risk there ever being a war between our species.”
Ryan sighed and rubbed his forehead with his hand. “I didn’t want to have to do this …”
Lucie’s eyes darkened as she stared at him. “If you think you’re going to force your mark on me, you have another thing coming.” A low growl escaped her throat as her eyes flickered with her wolf.
She watched him smile at her as his eyes danced in amusement. “Lucie, you’re my treasure. I would never EVER mistreat you. Come on. You can feel my feelings if you really try. Open your heart up to me, and you’ll be able to feel how I feel about you.”
She felt Jasper put his hand on her shoulder and she looked up at him. “Lucie, I’m right here. You know I would NEVER allow anyone to harm you or touch you if you didn’t want it.” He squeezed her shoulder and smiled down at her. “Oh, we need to send a messenger fairy to your parents.”
“I already sent one letting them know I was safe.” Lucie watched as Jasper nodded his head. She looked back at Ryan, whose possessive gaze was fixed on her. But in the possessiveness, there was also tenderness. And she could see that she was his center.
“Lucie …” Ryan glanced at Jasper’s hand on her, and he frowned. “Please … come to me. I need to hold you.”
She looked into his pleading amber eyes, then took a step toward him before she was pulled into his chest. He wrapped his arms around her and gently held her, sifting his fingers through her hair with one hand while the other lightly pressed against her back.
“I never thought I would ever feel this … ever. I didn’t think I could ever have this, but I do, and I can.
Lucie, I need you. You’re not optional to me.
I can’t live without you. My soul is connected to yours.
I can feel you and what you want. I know you’re fighting this because you want to protect your pack.
My Lucie … what if I told you that the treaty will stand between us? ” Ryan said in a soothing voice.
Lucie pulled back slightly and looked up at him. She could see his eyes were serious and that he meant what he was saying. She then looked over at Jasper, who also nodded his head.
Wait a minute … were they really telling her she could be with Ryan and still unite their species?
She could really have her fated mate? She felt her chest squeezing, and her eyes burned.
Was it really okay to give in to the mate pull?
She looked back into Ryan’s eyes as she waited for him to explain.