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Lucas went to the kitchenette, completely naked. Eliana lay on her back, sighing with deep satisfaction as she watched him search her fridge.
He played with her, joking around about the lack of choices, saying that the service at the “bed and breakfast” was subpar. The entire time, light shot through her bones while she pressed her face into the arm of the couch and giggled.
This was what it felt like to have a fated mate, and she couldn’t let it go. It would be obscene and downright stupid.
Lucas made them both a snack and poured two glasses of iced tea. They sat on the couch naked and content, eating and talking about other wonderful things.
TWENTY
LUCAS
The day of the battle was here. Lucas woke next to Eliana in her bed as he had the day before, the sun cresting over the horizon and spilling its bright red flames. It felt different, though. The air felt ominous, yet his mind was quiet. The sorrow in his chest was also present. That was certainly something he could not ignore.
She woke at the same time as he did, as if they had committed to the habit years before. They cooked a breakfast full of protein and carbs to give them energy for the fight. They were quiet, but there was a solace to that quiet, a feeling that only long-term couples could really relate to.
They ate on the same couch they had made love on the night before. After consuming their snacks, they explored each other in the shower, with Lucas unable to keep his hands off her. Touching her skin, both cooled and stirred an inferno deep in his belly. It was unlike any drink, drug, or sex he’d ever experienced.
They sat serenely, the sorrow in Lucas’s chest a faint whisper. He hadn’t made any decisions about their future, but he knew the answer in his mind, all without words.
He ran his hand up and down her back once they had finished, Eliana leaning forward and taking the final gulp of her coffee.
“I want to tell you something before we go,” he said softly.
Eliana’s eyes went as wide as saucers, placing her mug down hard on the table. She turned to him, folding one leg over the other. He wrapped his hands around her ankles, sweetly and gently.
He breathed in deeply, trying to stop his flurry of thoughts.
“I want you to know I was raised to be a leader. It is in my nature, which is why becoming an alpha was essentially not a question for me. I have a lot of experience, and I am always glad to share that. But that doesn’t mean I am going to take over today.”
Eliana didn’t nod, merely blinking and listening thoughtfully. Lucas went on.
“I have found that a true leader is someone who is part of the community they reside in. The success of a pack, or any group in general, comes from the person who truly knows their people, not a stranger who comes in for a few days. I see you as that leader.”
Eliana gave him a half smile. Her eyes glistened in the early morning light, and Lucas felt like he was holding her heart in his hands. It was an honorable and delicate position to be in.
He continued. “The pack out there, even the members of the pride, they know you, and they need you. You are a part of their lives, their world. They trust you. Which means I trust you.”
Eliana tilted her head, his words rolling around in her mind. She looked rejuvenated, and he hoped that their lovemaking had helped her release some of the burdens she had been carrying.
“You really think so?” she said, running her hands up his thighs.
“I do. I am going to be as much help as you need out there, but you have to lead them. We can work together, and this will end well.”
Lucas believed every word coming out of his mouth. His heart beat like a drum out of sincerity and anxiety for the battle. He wanted to encourage her, and he also didn’t want to lose her.
Eliana lifted her hands to his neck, letting them rest there. Lucas closed his eyes, breathing in her presence, her scent of heaven.
“You truly think we can beat them? That we can get rid of Garth so he never returns?”
Lucas did not hesitate with his zealous nod. “Absolutely. We can, and we will. With the combination of the other packs and pride, they really don’t stand a chance.”
Eliana pulled him in for a tight, warming embrace. He ran his hands up and down her back, memorizing the patches of skin and how they responded to his caress. She was the strongest, most spectacular woman he had ever met. And he wanted her to believe that.
They parted, giving each other a long kiss. His wolf growled at the thought of leaving her, but he had to ignore it. Lucas desperately hoped it wasn’t a long kiss goodbye.
The battle was set to take place on the beach nearby. Lucas and Tao were informed via a group chat by the alphas from other packs and the pride that Garth was likely to descend on that location. It had a flair of drama to it, and some of the most vulnerable shifter families lived on the shoreline.
The beauty of the day felt dichotomous to the upcoming violence. Garth clearly wasn’t someone who obeyed any rule of engagement. So they agreed to wake at dawn, make their way to the beach, and hideout until their enemy appeared.
