the kind with herbs, Augustus. The kind with psychic powers of touch."
His brow knitted.
Would he speak?
He waved me on with a thick impatient finger.
"That was the first time Elise panicked at the mention of aliens."
"And what about the second time?"
"We were alone. She wanted to speak with me alone."
He sat up in the chair. "Alone? Her? Did you know she's always had a Guardian with her? That she'd never been allowed to be alone with men?"
No.
"Lucius, don't you see? It's obvious?"
What is he rambling about? "You'll have to tell me."
"She panics when you're around. It's you."
"And I'm supposed to feel better because I intimidate women?"
His curving lips warned with a budding scowl showing how my reply was totally unacceptable.
"Alright. Why does she panic around me?"
He chuckled an evil laugh, watching me as if he fed off my reaction. Or purposely wanted to make me uneasy. Probably trying to teach me a lesson for my poor choice of actions on the trail.
"You can't think because she's got you all flustered. I can't believe my eldest son is as clueless as a young lady who couldn't tell the man she became smitten with was as clueless about her feelings as he was about hers."
No Gods-be-damned way. "You're joking."
He wagged an evil grin at me. "She as much confessed it in what she said as openly stated it, Lucius. So now we both understand the reason for her anxiety. Do you feel as stupid and asinine as you should?"
Sires shouldn't be this arrogant. But he's right. As always. "Yes."
"Does your Wolf still want her?"
I never said Wolf did. Why did he phrase the question that way? I studied his glinting eyes.
"Well, then, we'll tell Marcus he can have her."
Mine , Wolf growled, pressing up with his sharp claws, scraping ruthlessly at the underside of my ribcage.
I choked down Wolf's warning before Augustus laughed at the full growl.
"Well, we're done here." He waved me off.
No. We aren't. "Marcus better stay away from Elise."
Wolf fisted my hands so tightly that pain knifed through my fingers.
"Oh?"
The exaggerated "o" to his lips and his arched brow showed he enjoyed toying with me. Probably lied about Elise being clueless. A woman like her couldn't be.
Augustus' lips spread into a broad smile. "Then you have much work to do to make amends. Don't you?"
When I take the place of clan head, I swear I'll never do this to one of my sons. I nodded just so I could leave.
"I don't want to lay eyes on you again until she can stomach looking into yours. When she can sit with you at my table and treat you as if you've never done anything wrong, you are welcome to dine with me again. Until then, you better tuck your tail and kiss her ass. Because Marcus gets her if he wins her over first."
Mine , Wolf snarled.
"Mind where you growl, Lucius." He waved me off with two fingers.
Fuck Marcus. I bit my tongue to keep the words to myself.
Pissed. My sire was angered beyond belief. But Marcus could chew an arm off to win Elise. I'll be damned if his attention worked. Because she's mine. I almost leapt at the door.
A lot of trudging between the lodges helped clear my head of Augustus' mind games while Wolf scanned the area for any sign of my scrawny deceptive brother. But, in the end, Augustus made me realize the true impact of my actions. Made me understand how I'd attacked a weaker person who should have been protected. Gods. Rather, adored. And the biggest battle was yet to come. All I could do was prepare for her rejection.
Surely she'd reject me. I would.
****
We'd bathed and met the outpost's women. Not a bad morning. Really. But Augustus was right. My secret devoured me from the inside out. Spending time with the chatting women who stared only made me feel more self-conscious. I gladly returned to hide in my cabin.
Alone.
At least no one
His brow knitted.
Would he speak?
He waved me on with a thick impatient finger.
"That was the first time Elise panicked at the mention of aliens."
"And what about the second time?"
"We were alone. She wanted to speak with me alone."
He sat up in the chair. "Alone? Her? Did you know she's always had a Guardian with her? That she'd never been allowed to be alone with men?"
No.
"Lucius, don't you see? It's obvious?"
What is he rambling about? "You'll have to tell me."
"She panics when you're around. It's you."
"And I'm supposed to feel better because I intimidate women?"
His curving lips warned with a budding scowl showing how my reply was totally unacceptable.
"Alright. Why does she panic around me?"
He chuckled an evil laugh, watching me as if he fed off my reaction. Or purposely wanted to make me uneasy. Probably trying to teach me a lesson for my poor choice of actions on the trail.
"You can't think because she's got you all flustered. I can't believe my eldest son is as clueless as a young lady who couldn't tell the man she became smitten with was as clueless about her feelings as he was about hers."
No Gods-be-damned way. "You're joking."
He wagged an evil grin at me. "She as much confessed it in what she said as openly stated it, Lucius. So now we both understand the reason for her anxiety. Do you feel as stupid and asinine as you should?"
Sires shouldn't be this arrogant. But he's right. As always. "Yes."
"Does your Wolf still want her?"
I never said Wolf did. Why did he phrase the question that way? I studied his glinting eyes.
"Well, then, we'll tell Marcus he can have her."
Mine , Wolf growled, pressing up with his sharp claws, scraping ruthlessly at the underside of my ribcage.
I choked down Wolf's warning before Augustus laughed at the full growl.
"Well, we're done here." He waved me off.
No. We aren't. "Marcus better stay away from Elise."
Wolf fisted my hands so tightly that pain knifed through my fingers.
"Oh?"
The exaggerated "o" to his lips and his arched brow showed he enjoyed toying with me. Probably lied about Elise being clueless. A woman like her couldn't be.
Augustus' lips spread into a broad smile. "Then you have much work to do to make amends. Don't you?"
When I take the place of clan head, I swear I'll never do this to one of my sons. I nodded just so I could leave.
"I don't want to lay eyes on you again until she can stomach looking into yours. When she can sit with you at my table and treat you as if you've never done anything wrong, you are welcome to dine with me again. Until then, you better tuck your tail and kiss her ass. Because Marcus gets her if he wins her over first."
Mine , Wolf snarled.
"Mind where you growl, Lucius." He waved me off with two fingers.
Fuck Marcus. I bit my tongue to keep the words to myself.
Pissed. My sire was angered beyond belief. But Marcus could chew an arm off to win Elise. I'll be damned if his attention worked. Because she's mine. I almost leapt at the door.
A lot of trudging between the lodges helped clear my head of Augustus' mind games while Wolf scanned the area for any sign of my scrawny deceptive brother. But, in the end, Augustus made me realize the true impact of my actions. Made me understand how I'd attacked a weaker person who should have been protected. Gods. Rather, adored. And the biggest battle was yet to come. All I could do was prepare for her rejection.
Surely she'd reject me. I would.
****
We'd bathed and met the outpost's women. Not a bad morning. Really. But Augustus was right. My secret devoured me from the inside out. Spending time with the chatting women who stared only made me feel more self-conscious. I gladly returned to hide in my cabin.
Alone.
At least no one
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