“Well?” Elyssa whispered against his lips.
In a smile, Zuker took a step back, smoothing her hair as he gazed at her.
“That was different.”
It was. They’d kissed too many times before, and it had never felt this overwhelming. It was as if her soul was radiating with all the colours in the universe, with him as her centre. Did their escape from the labyrinth change something between them?
“I know,” she said, trying desperately not to smile.
“Is this really what you want?” he asked. “It would make Lucian an enemy, and Lucian is a formidable foe to have.”
“I’m not doing anything wrong,” she asserted. “I left the labyrinth with you, and he left with Rita.” She turned away from him. “As selfish as you have made me out to be, I have to ask when will you tell me what you left out about the Callistos?”
After he let out a sigh, Zuker’s attention turned to something behind Elyssa. She turned to find Melissa with her novel smile approachi
It was a quiet drive back to the Callisto compound, and riding alongside her mate did not help. Every now and then he would glance at her, as if he wanted to say something but decided not to. Within a mile of their arrival in the borough, they could see the towering Callisto compound.Life had gotten away from her, and she no longer had any control over the way things were panning out. In her obsession with finding and punishing Lucian, she had forgotten to live. With a huff, she ran her fingers through her hair.“Everything OK?” Lucian asked.“I have no words for you,” she replied.When the driver of the saloon limo glanced at them from the rearview mirror, Elyssa glared at him, and he looked back to the road.As Lucian faced her, he smiled warmly. “You’re upset with me?” he asked. “How do you figure that?”“Can we not do this?” Elyssa replied.“I don’t see
The way he held her face and kissed her with purpose made her stomach flutter. Hands trembling as they dropped to his arms teeming with muscles, she felt her breath almost leave her. The sensation of kissing him was unlike anything she had experienced, and without control, she channelled her gift and moaned against the tide of his emotions crashing down on her.To steady herself, she drew back and took a deep breath. With a smile that made her curious, his amber eyes brimmed into hers, making her giddy. She resented how she couldn’t find the right things to say when his eyes were fixed on her like that, or when he was so close his sandalwood scent tingled along her skin like a caress, claiming her before he even marked her.“Your mate,” Lucian whispered before kissing her shoulder. “That was the first time I’ve ever heard you call me that.”Her gaze returned to him. “No, it’s not.”“Really it is.
Elyssa shrugged in response, as he watched her in an unfamiliar way. But it felt good to get that off her chest. “How did you manage to survive it?” “That night, I snuck out to a party, and by the time I got back home the next morning, all that was left was ashes.” Hanging her hands on her hips after she tossed her hair, she shook the image of that night from her mind. He walked over to her and just stared at her. He said, “I am so sorry for your loss.” His voice was soft and comforting, and his reaction was far from what she expected to see. “How have you survived without a pack?” “I’ve got the Ewings.” Lucian shook his head in disbelief. “You never truly accepted them as your pack. It’s evident by how you act. You’re a lone wolf.” “After the fire, trust was not something that came easily to me. No matter how much I wanted to, and believe me I really wanted to. I felt I would be letting my family down by pledging another pack.
The Callisto compound was crowded with people setting up for the midnight ceremony when they arrived. Victoria hadn’t said anything to her about it, just told her to rest up like she wasn’t needed there tonight. She mentally facepalmed herself as she followed Lucian to her bedroom; she still didn’t have a change of clothes.“There you are, we need you in the private room,” Alfred Callisto said as he walked toward them from the other side of the hall.“Whatever it is can wait.” Lucian took her hand in his, and she peeked a glance at him.“It cannot, it’s urgent.” Alfred insisted as his eyes slithered over her in the most lecherous way.Glaring at him, she clung closer to her mate.“Go on. I’ll be right behind you,” Lucian said to his brother, tightening his hold on her hand.In a rather arrogant stride, his brother turned back the way he had come, one hand tucked in
For a moment, Elyssa stood staring at him in confusion. It wasn’t just that he knew she had a gift, he also knew she’d used it.“That’s incredible. You can peek into people’s minds.” He folded his arms across his chest, and her gaze followed his massive arms.“How did you know?”“Wouldn’t you like to know?” He flashed her a dazzling smile, and she could see he looked a lot like her mate.She did not want to admit it, but Alfred was gorgeous. Tawny hair perfectly styled and a well-groomed beard that almost made her want to touch it.“Yes, I would. How could you tell?”Almost as quickly as Lucian, he propped her up against the wall. Elyssa gasped, and then her eyebrows creased in a frown.“Oh, I’ll tell you later, once you tell Lucian you let that Ewing prick touch you.” Alfred held her arm in a firm grip behind her back. “I’m not
Moaning, she broke away from the kiss. It was the most difficult thing she’d ever had to do. She had to resist her body trembling in profound need for him to touch, caress and mark her. Amber eyes flashed at her, dark with yearning before he gulped and tucked his hands into his pocket; a pose that made him look dangerously alluring. “I’ll see you in the–” “Lucian, I don’t… I don’t want this to be a one-off.” She explained when she noticed the disappointment in his eyes. “You’re not obliged to explain yourself to me. What you want is your prerogative. I have no right to force you to do what you don’t want to, regardless of how badly I want you.” With a smile that slowed her heart, he stroked her hair, and she returned it as her cheeks burned. “Come on, I’ll walk you back.” He took her hand and led her on a stroll down the field. “You could have me back in a blink.” “I want to spend some time with you. After tonight, things will
Elyssa groaned as Taylor checked herself in the mirror for the millionth time. “Seriously?” she asked Taylor. Their dresses were superb, and although she hadn’t cared what she wore before, the red studded dress matched her to perfection. She and Taylor were alone in the private room of the main lounge close, just beside the ceremony hall. The other females who made it out of the lair were in the general room, waiting to be present by their mates. The females of the alphas were separated from the rest and once all the elites had presented their mates, the alphas, if any, followed. That placed her and Lucian right after Antonio and Taylor. “I look incredible, let me enjoy it,” Taylor said, in a gorgeous black dress that complemented her in a way that Elyssa could not convey in words. “Ivan’s a wizard of clothes,” Elyssa admitted. “His skill is unbelievable. I’ve never felt–” A soft knock interrupted Taylor, and the two of them gl
Following the Luna’s blessing and joining them as mates, the hall full of Peskington’s elites bowed to them. Lucian squeezed her hand gently as he led her down from the podium to join the other Alphas.“Luna.”As the Alphas saluted her, she gritted her teeth. Luna? The damn tradition of becoming Luna after joining with an Alpha irked her; she was an Alpha. Their faces were bright with curiosity as they looked between her and Lucian. They would probably burst from all the questions they couldn't bring themselves to ask about her Mazzeo heritage. With her return as the Mazzeo Alpha, she had effectively eclipsed Victoria as LunaElyssa smiled at them and turned just as Victoria climbed down from the podium and started towards the other end of the hall.“Excuse me,” Elyssa said to them as she slipped away from her mate.The guests stopped to salute her and make way for her as she traversed the hall. She waded through