LUCAS Read online

  With the request and acceptance completed, he leaned forward and kissed her sweetly, before slowly deepening the kiss. As his tongue danced sensually with hers, he thrust to the hilt, and captured her gasp with his lips. Slowly he rocked in and out, relished the way she made him feel. He wanted this night to last.

  “I could kiss you all day. Mmm, I love how you taste,” he rumbled, drowning in her deep brown eyes. With a deep breath, he began the ritual.

  “I claim you as my mate.” The curtains rustled as a gust of magical energy whirled around the room.

  “I belong to you as you belong to me.

  “I give you my heart and my body.

  “I will protect you even with my life.

  “I give you all I am.

  “I share my half of our soul to complete you.

  “I share my magic with you.”

  Lucas rocked forward and kissed Kensie deeply before trailing his lips to her neck. He breathed her in, then nuzzled her neck where her shoulder and neck met. Right where he would leave his bite. His canines elongated in preparation. He lapped once, twice, a third time, and then bit, pierced the flesh with his extremely sharp fangs.

  Kensie sucked in a breath, not expecting the sharp sting or the intense rush to her core that followed. “They should bottle that,” she panted.

  A tiny bit of blood seeped from the punctures, which Lucas quickly licked away as he eased the bite with his tongue.

  Gently thrusting again, he finished the ritual.

  “I beseech the great Luna Goddess to bless you and your wolf guardian.

  “You are my mate to cherish today and for all time.

  “I claim you as my mate.”

  Something which sounded and felt like wind circled the room and whooshed into her chest. “Holy moly! What was that?”

  “That was your wolf soul entering your body. Mon amour,” Lucas panted, “you need to repeat the words back to me, and bite me right here.” He tapped his neck and waggled his eyebrows.

  Kensie giggled. “Don’t make me laugh, this is serious business.” Taking a deep breath, she cleared her throat.

  “I claim you as my mate.

  “I belong to you as you belong to me.

  “I give you my heart and my body.

  “I will protect you even with my life.

  “I give you all I am.

  “I share my half of our soul to complete you.”

  Lucas rumbled louder than she’d ever heard before. “Did you feel that?”

  “Yeah, it tickled. If I already got the wolf, what was that?”

  “That was our souls knitting together.”

  “Is it supposed to make me feel so happy? I’ve never experienced such complete bliss before.”

  “I feel it, too. It must be the result of the two halves finally joined into a single complete soul.”

  A happy laugh bubbled up as she continued.

  “I share my magic with you.”

  He bent his elbows and lowered his upper body so she could reach his neck. Grinned and kissed her breathless for good measure. Turned his neck to give her access he groaned. “Make me yours, cher.”

  Kensie breathed in his woodsy scent; her head swam like she ingested an intoxicating drug. Following his lead, she copied him. She lapped at the spot, once, twice, and as she licked a third time, razor-sharp canines erupted. Curious, she ran her tongue across one. “Shit.”

  Lucas pulled back, concerned. “What happened, babe?”

  “I slit my tongue on my fang. The curiosity killed the cat, thing. I think the bleeding stopped already.”

  “Are you ready to continue?”

  “I sure am.”

  He made a show of getting back into position.

  Kensie giggled. “Quit moving around so I can bite you.”

  She lapped at the spot again, once, twice, and as she licked a third time. Instinct took over, and she pierced his flesh.

  Lucas moaned in ecstasy as her fangs sank deep. His forearms quivered as he held himself partially lowered so she could reach. The strain required to hold his torso at that odd angle started to take its toll.

  Kensie licked her mark to soothe the bite and planted one last kiss to his neck before he pushed his elbows straight and locked them. Gazing into her eyes, he watched her finish the ritual with love glowing in their depths.

  “I beseech the great Luna Goddess to bless you and your wolf guardian.

  “You are my mate to cherish today and for all time.

  “I claim you as my mate.”

  The ritual words were completed, now he could love her all he wanted. Lucas began slow, deep thrusts. A rhythm he knew drove her crazy. Slowly, he pulled almost completely out before sliding all the way back in to the hilt. With each deep stroke he tipped his hips just right to hit her G-spot.

  As she got closer to her climax, he began to thrust in earnest.

  Panting, he growled, “I love you, Kensie Le Beau, more than you know.”

  “I love you, too, Lucas Le Beau. But you’re wrong. I do know,” she panted back.

  She locked her ankles behind his thrusting hips, met him thrust for thrust. Her climax hit her like a tidal wave, exploded through her. Her channel clamped down on him as she came hard, screaming his name.

  She held him in a tight–fisted grip, which shorted out his ability to think. A moment later, he joined her in his own release. Tremors shook her body, milking him with rhythmic clenching.

  Gasping, he collapsed to her side, a huge, goofy smile on his face. He was so incredibly happy, he thought his heart would burst with the volume of love he felt.

  She had a completely sated look on her face, and he felt a surge of male pride to be the one to put it there.

  “Wow,” she breathed, reached up and ran her fingers along his jaw.

  “Yeah,” he panted.

  “Are we mated now?”

  “Yes, ma’am. You’re mine forever.”

  Kensie pretended to frown. “Maybe I should have thought this through more thoroughly.”

  Lucas trapped her under him and started a bit of tickle torture. “Little liar.”

  “Give. I give,” she screamed as she tried to breathe.

  Chapter 20

  Lucas rolled off her and onto his side. Curling his arm around Kensie’s waist he pulled her close to him. He couldn’t be more content; he was blessed to have Kensie as his mate for the rest of his life.

  Kensie moved her palm from his chest to her stomach and waited, tried to discern what her symptoms meant. She didn’t feel well. No, not so much unwell, just…strange.

  Lucas studied her. “What’s wrong?”

  She continued to concentrate on her body. “I’m not sure.”

  “I think it’s the conversion.”

  Muscles began to cramp, produced a slight tightening and dull ache. Kensie sucked in a breath. A sharp twinge unexpectedly joined the other sensations.

  She rubbed circles on her stomach. “I think you’re right.”

  “Did your abdomen just twitch?” he asked, eyes wide with disbelief and alarm.

  “Yeah.” She breathed through the discomfort like women do with labor pains.

  Pain and concentration were etched on her face. She was holding back, not telling him the extent of her discomfort to protect him.

  “Can I do anything? Get you anything?” His brows were tight with concern.

  “I don’t think so. It’s not too bad.” Another twinge hit and she counted through the pain. “We just need to wait this out.”

  Out of nowhere, a sharper twinge struck her midsection. Kensie gripped her stomach and curled in a tight ball.

  He ran his hands up and down her arms not knowing what else to do.

  Between cramps she glanced at him, and saw alarm growing in his eyes.

  “Holy moly! Your hair just got brighter.”

  She touched her hair and smiled. “Really? As I’ve aged the color has gotten darker. I was thinking about having it done. I guess I don’t hav
e to.”

  Kensie rocked back and forth with the next wave, tried to ease the pain. Aches radiated throughout her joints. Suddenly, every inch of skin began to tingle, and she felt her face tighten.

  Lucas remained steadfastly quiet, rubbed small, soothing circles on her back for almost a half hour.

  They watched the clock tick off minutes, expecting another wave of pain, which didn’t come.

  “I think I’m past the worst of the pain. The cramps seem to be over. But my knees, fingers, and toes are feverish and achy.”

  “Thank Goddess.” Lucas leaned his forehead against her arm and breathed for what felt like the first time in thirty minutes.

  Her muscles continued to contract and tighten. The sensation felt like she just spent eighteen hours straight on her feet in surgery. She was tense and felt like she could use a good massage.

  “Nice. Very nice,” Lucas said appreciatively.

  Kensie narrowed her eyes on him. “What?”

  “Check out your arm.”

  He watched, as she turned her arm this way and that, admiring her leaner, tighter, toned bicep. “Oh, my God. This is incredible!” She watched her skin tighten like her arm was covered in 3M plastic and she just blasted it with a hairdryer. Flexing her arm, she giggled. She felt like a million bucks with her re-sculpted and shaped muscles.

  Lucas watched every change as it happened. He wasn’t totally pleased with the size or two she lost, but that didn’t matter as much as her being healthy and with him. She was still one curvaceous bombshell of a woman, and he loved her. He studied her and thought, she is going to rock her blue jeans.

  “I think the changes might be over. I don’t feel any pain or tightness anymore.” Her voice was almost a whisper. She searched her body and held her breath. When nothing happened, she sat up and scooted to the edge.

  Lucas touched her arm. “Give it a minute, we should be sure before you try to move.” As much as he wanted to let her see herself in the mirror, he also didn’t want the pain to return.

  They seemed to be in the clear. The pain and uncomfortable tightness were gone. She slowly stretched on the bed, tested her body before she tried to stand. Kensie turned her attention to Lucas, almost afraid to ask what she looked like. No mirror was visible from where she stood, and she wasn’t sure what she would see.

  “Well? Am I hideous?”

  His eyes glowed brightly as he devoured his mate with his gaze. Then a slow, sexy, dimpled grin spread across his face.

  She crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow. “I assume you like what you see.”

  That only pushed her younger, perkier breasts higher.

  “Oh, yeah.” Lucas leaned over and gave her right nipple a lick. “Why don’t you come back to bed? I think I need to check you over thoroughly to be sure.”

  Laughing, she shoved him away. Watching over her shoulder, she kept a close eye on him as she made her way to the bathroom.

  “Oh my!” She covered her mouth with her hand and gasped, glanced up and down, as she tried to see everything at once.

  “You’re telling me! I’m one lucky man.” Lucas agreed as he joined her.

  “Is this for real?”

  “Yes, ma’am, for the next eight hundred years or so.”

  “Wow,” she breathed and stared at herself.

  She hadn’t shrunk too much, but she was back to a curvy size sixteen, which was only about one size less. Her hair was a brighter red and her skin was tight and supple. All in all, she had a look any plastic surgeon would kill to achieve on a thirty-five-year-old woman. She could hardly believe the lady gazing back at her was really what she looked like. Kensie ran her palm up and down her arm, amazed at the softness of her skin. She really liked the image reflected back at her. She liked her a lot.

  “If someone like Anderson ever learned of this, life would get really ugly.”

  “That’s why we’re extremely careful.”

  “Speaking of which,” she swept her reflection dramatically, “how do I explain this to Jojo?”

  “You have two options. You can keep it a secret and I can use my magic to make you appear thirty five when she is around or you can tell her about us and bring her into the fold.”

  Kensie eyed him warily. “What happens to her if she knows?”

  “Well, I tell her everything and she agrees to keep it secret. If there is a shifter gathering that includes human family members she will be invited. That’s about all there is.”

  “Okay, I’ll think about it.”

  He took her by the shoulders and turned her to face him. “I knew you were the sexiest, most beautiful woman I’d ever seen before this transformation, but now – I have no words.”

  “Is no words good?”

  He pulled her in close and as he lowered his head to kiss her he whispered. “No words is incredible.” Grinning, he backed her into the bedroom and made love to her all over again.

  *****

  “Who’s this enchanting creature in my bed?” Lucas asked the next morning and brushed back her hair and gazed at her.

  Kensie stretched and smiled. “What smells so amazing? Hang on, why can I smell coffee? I couldn’t smell coffee all the way back here before.”

  Lucas yawned and rolled out of bed. “That’s your new wolf senses. You’ll hear better, smell everything. Tastes will be experienced in layers, and you’ll have perfect night vision. All of the senses I have.”

  “So, you’re telling me I could be the best sommelier in the world now?”

  He laughed. “If you so desired, yes. Come on.”

  “I need to check on Jojo first.”

  “I already did. She’s sitting up in bed, watching TV, and drinking coffee. Like we should be doing.”

  They walked into the bright, sunny kitchen the see Etienne sipping coffee from a Pepe Le Pew coffee mug, wearing Minion pajama bottoms.

  Lucas burst out laughing. “You’ve got to be kidding.”

  “What?” Etienne asked, glancing up from his morning paper.

  “Cartoon pj’s and mug? Are you six?”

  “Don’t knock it until you try it.” He ignored Lucas’s continued snicker and went back to reading the news.

  “Personally, I agree with you, Etienne. I have Road Runner pajamas.”

  Etienne smiled brightly at Kensie. “I knew you were too good for that Neanderthal.”

  Kensie grinned back. “Thank you again for whatever you did to make Dr. Anderson leave.”

  He nodded nobly. “It was my pleasure.”

  “So, can I ask you what you made him do?”

  “By all means. Dr. Anderson felt the sudden urge to join the army as a medic and will spend the rest of his life doing humanitarian work.”

  That made Kensie laugh so hard she couldn’t breathe. “You have a mean streak.”

  “I prefer to think of myself as creative.” He grinned and flashed his fangs.

  “Well, I like your kind of creative.” She lifted the coffee cup Lucas just set before her in a salute and took a sip.

  She studied Etienne closely for a few minutes and then asked, “Do you do this kind of thing for everyone?”

  He looked at her over the top of the sports section. “No. I only make house calls for the royal family. My people, who span the globe, service the rest of the shifters.”

  “She frowned at him and then looked at Lucas. “So, why did you come when he called?” she asked Etienne still attempting to understand.

  He raised an eyebrow at Lucas. “That is a question for Chuckles.”

  Kensie turned her full attention to Lucas.

  “Thank you for that,” he groused at Etienne.

  “Anytime.” Et chuckled and returned to reading.

  Shit, he wasn’t getting out of this. Kensie continued to stare at him and wait for an explanation. He groaned and scrubbed his hands through his hair. “Okay, fine. My family is the royalty of the shifters. My father is our king and my brothers and I are princes. We are the direct descendants of th
e original shifters I told you the goddess created.”

  Kensie sat back in her chair, stared at him like she had never seen him before. “And you’re just telling me this now?”

  “It’s no big deal. We don’t rule like you imagine a royal family would. People look up to us because of our bloodlines. The family hasn’t held court of any kind since before I was born. Well, until recently,” he mumbled.

  “So, your father, Isaac is the king. Is your oldest brother, Cade, going to be the next king?”

  “Yes. But none of that should really affect us.”

  Etienne snorted behind his paper.

  “Oh, shut up,” Lucas growled.

  She glanced from the newspaper shield Etienne held in place and hid behind, to Lucas. “What aren’t you telling me?”

  Lucas sighed; there was no getting around telling her everything. “We have had some trouble lately with an unknown individual vying for the throne.”

  “Trouble?”

  “There have been a few accidents and attacks in Louisiana. But I don’t expect anyone to bother us in Texas.”

  “Etienne?’ she waited for him to lower the paper.

  “Yes?” he asked straight-faced and as innocent as a babe.

  “Should we be worried in Texas?”

  “I have every faith in young Lucas to protect you if danger comes calling.”

  “That’s what I thought,” she glowered at Lucas. “Don’t ever withhold vital information from me again.”

  He had the grace to look ashamed. “I’m sorry. I simply wanted to spare you the worry.”

  “I prefer to be in the loop, worry, be damned.”

  They finished their coffee and enjoyed a hardy breakfast with Etienne before he headed back to New Orleans. Kensie and Lucas were about to walk Etienne out when Krystal appeared with Jojo.

  No one would ever guess she was near death twenty-four hours ago. “Thank you, Etienne, for helping my sister,” Jojo said and held out her hand.

  “It was my pleasure.” He smiled and kissed her knuckles. “Now, I must be on my way. Perhaps on my next visit, I can try my hand at roping a cow?”

  Lucas hesitated for a moment and then busted out laughing. “That, I would pay money to see.”