LUCAS Read online

  Etienne grinned. “You forget. I have been around a lot longer than you have. There are things I have done that you could only imagine. By the way, Jack and Michael have chosen their vampire identities and their deaths as humans have been reported. By this time tomorrow, there will be two more empty caskets in the ground.”

  “What are their names now?”

  “Jack is now Nick and Michael has chosen Derick.”

  “Got it,” Lucas said.

  Etienne waved one last time and began his careful drive down the winding dirt road. His Bentley wasn’t built for rustic surfaces.

  Lucas stood by silently while Jojo convinced Kensie, she was good as new. Once Krystal and Jojo left to do whatever they had planned, he took Kensie’s hand and steered her toward the house.

  “Would you like to try to shift today?”

  “Can I?” Her eyes were huge with excitement.

  “Absolutely, but we need to be out of sight. Let’s take a ride and find a good spot where I can teach you.”

  Kensie couldn’t change into her riding clothes fast enough. When she was done, she frowned at Lucas, who still leaned against the door.

  “Aren’t you changing?”

  “Yes, but I thought I would change the shifter way. Remember I told you a shifter can put clothes on or take them off with a thought?”

  “Yes.”

  A second later, Lucas stood before her in his favorite worn jeans, hat, and boots.

  Kensie laughed. “Okay, after shifting you teach me that, too.”

  “Yes, ma’am.” He tipped his hat and crooked his arm for her to take.

  They rode out about a mile before Lucas picked a shady spot among some trees. “This looks good. Let’s tie the horses under the trees and walk in a little further.”

  Kensie followed his lead and a few minutes later they were in a small clearing ringed by trees. “This is beautiful.” She turned to take it all in.

  “I came across this the other day.”

  “So what do I do?” Kensie asked, impatient to try to shift.

  “Before you do any shifting you need to know the shifter rules. I learned these as a child. The goddess decreed them as our laws when the very first shifters were created.

  “Always put your mate before yourself.

  “Respect another shifter’s mate.

  “Do nothing to expose the existence of shifters.

  “Do no unnecessary harm to shifters or humans.

  “Respect other nonhumans.”

  She nodded. “Sounds logical.”

  Lucas grunted. “You’d be surprised how stupid some of us are.”

  “Okay, stand over here away from the trees and close your eyes. Visualize yourself as a wolf. Imagine your hands are paws, you have fur, and a tail. Make sure to leave clothes out of the image you create in your mind.”

  He took a step back and quietly let her work it out. Kensie was brilliant; she didn’t need him to coach her to do this.

  She closed her eyes, scrunched up her face and concentrated hard. Nothing happened. She opened her eyes, stared at the ground like she was thinking through his instructions and closed them again. Taking a deep breath, she instantly became a glorious red wolf.

  Lucas clapped, and grinned like a fool. Damn, his mate was amazing.

  Her wolf turned toward the sound he was making. She was so shocked she just blinked for a few seconds.

  He shifted and joined her.

  How do you feel, darlin’?

  This is really cool! Can we run around or will someone see us?

  We can run around in these woods. But we don’t want anyone to see wolves on the property. Ranchers tend to kill them to protect the herd.

  She gave him a big wolf grin and started to hop and jump around the base of the trees. She stopped behind a tree trunk, not realizing her butt and tail showed out the other side. Come and find me.

  Lucas chuckled and chased after her. They ran and played for an hour before he stopped. See if you can shift back. I don’t want you to become so tired you get stuck in wolf form.

  She concentrated, and suddenly she was a human again. Crud. She was naked. Now what?

  He chuckled. “As much as it pains me to say this. Imagine your clothes on.”

  It took a try or two, but she managed to get dressed.

  He took her face in his hands. “I knew you could do it, mon amour.”

  “That was so awesome! Should I keep practicing?”

  “Not right now.”

  Lucas walked over to where the horses were tethered and grabbed Marigold’s reins. He took Kensie’s hand and held her gaze while he slowly went down on one knee.

  Kensie gasped, her free hand covering her lips shook like a leaf in a strong breeze. Was he doing what she thought he was doing? He didn’t pull a black velvet box from his pocket or anywhere else that she could see.

  Sucking in an uneasy breath, he cleared his throat. “Kensie Brown, I love you more than anything. Will you marry me?”

  Kensie nodded. “Yes,” she whispered from behind her fingers.

  Lucas shot to his feet and swung her around. Kissing her until they were breathless. Setting her down, he quickly started to explain. “I figured you weren’t a jewelry kind of gal since I’ve never seen you wear any.” He held out the horse’s reins to her. “I thought you would appreciate my gift of Marigold more than a diamond. If I screwed up, I’ll buy you any ring you choose.”

  Unbelieving what she heard, she stepped over to Marigold and stroked the horse's neck. “You’re giving her to me?”

  “Yes. If you want her.” He watched her reaction carefully. Goddess he hoped he’d read her right.

  “She’s perfect. Of course, I want her. How did you know I’d rather have her than a ring?”

  He shrugged. “I don’t know, Marigold just seemed like the right choice.”

  “You’re an amazing man, Lucas Le Beau. I hope our sons grow up to be just like you.”

  “Sons? You want to have children with me?”

  Kensie laughed at his hopeful expression. “Of course, I do.”

  “Well,” he scuffed his boot on the ground, “we hadn’t talked about a family so I didn’t want to assume.”

  She laughed at his expression as she wrapped her arms around his neck. “I love you, Lucas. Thank you for Marigold.”

  “You’re welcome, mon amour.”

  *****

  As they walked from the barn to the main house, Carol pulled into the parking lot. Glancing around, she spotted Kensie and waved.

  “Carol! How was the drive?”

  “It wasn’t so bad. I took my time and stopped a couple of nights at hotels.” She checked out Lucas, a curious expression on her face.

  “I’m sorry. Carol, this is my fiancé, Lucas Le Beau. Lucas, this is my friend and office manager Carol Hanson.”

  Lucas shook her outstretched hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Carol.”

  “It’s very nice to meet you. Did she say fiancé? You must be a very impressive man, Mr. Le Beau.”

  He chuckled. “Please, call me Lucas.”

  “Krystal, Lucas’s cousin, has assigned you a cabin. Let's get your car unloaded.”

  Lucas let out a shrill whistle and several cowboys came running. “We can handle that for you, ladies.”

  Carol leaned close to Kensie and whispered. “I like Texas men already.”

  The End

  Read on for an excerpt from

  RICHIE

  Book 6

  of the Le Beau Series

  Prologue: The Plan

  With great care, Emma Le Beau placed a purple, satin cloth on the altar she had consecrated to the Goddess Luperica centuries ago. The Goddess created the wolf shifters long ago when she blessed a village of humans with wolf souls. They became the first shifters. Since then she has only blessed a handful of humans that were not destined mates for a born shifter.

  She carefully smoothed every crease and wrinkle until the altar cloth was per
fect. Next she pulled two white candles from her prayer satchel and lit them.

  Gently, she touched each of her sacred stones until she decided on Amethyst, Citrine, and Clear Quartz. With the greatest reverence, Emma placed them in a triangle on her sacred purple cloth.

  She closed her eyes, centered her mind, and quieted her thoughts. Opening herself to her spirit guides, and to the Goddess.

  “Blessed be, my daughter,” the Goddess greeted her in her soft, soothing voice.

  “Blessed be, Mother. How may I be of service?”

  “My son. Richie Majors is on the verge of meeting his mate:”

  Emma gasped, and then whispered wide-eyed, “Richie? Is there anything you would have me do to assist you?”

  “I have already set into motion the situation that will bring Richie and his mate together. His human friends who attend college here in Louisiana will make sure they meet. He will be invited to attend a wedding. He must attend.”

  “If it pleases you, I could have Isaac talk with Richie’s place of employment to guarantee he is given the days off he will need to attend.”

  “It does indeed please me," the Goddess said with a loving smile. “Also, if Richie hesitates in any way in regards to attending the wedding, he must be strongly encouraged to attend.”

  “Is there anything more I can do to be of service?” Emma asked.

  “I am very pleased with everything you do. I am most pleased by the assistance you have provided; assuring these new humans are introduced to their destined mate and brought into the fold.”

  “It is always my pleasure to be of service to my mother Goddess,” Emma said as she lowered her head in supplication.

  “Take care, my most precious daughter. Blessed be.”

  “Take care, Mother. Blessed be.”

  *****

  By the time Isaac returned, Emma was on the verge of bursting. “Isaac! I have another name. Richie is going to meet his mate through friends. The Goddess requested that we ensure he is given the time off work he will need to attend the wedding where he will meet her, and to also encourage him to go to that wedding if he gets wishy-washy.

  “Whose wedding is Richie supposed to attend?”

  “One of the girls he hangs out with from the college.”

  “Oh, I know that group of ladies. Richie talks about them all the time. He has even suggested that they be invited to a gathering, but without a shifter in their family, I can’t take that chance.”

  “I agree, inviting them would be too risky.”

  “I’ll stop by the Crescent City Brewhouse and chat with him about the wedding, you know, get a few details to work with.”

  Isaac chuckled again and poured himself a Scotch. “This is very exciting! Richie,” Isaac shook his head. “That’s just wonderful.”

  Le Beau Series

  Book 1 CADE

  Book 2 SIMON

  Book 3 STEFAN

  Book 4 THOMAS

  Book 5 LUCAS

  Book 6 RICHIE (coming soon)

  And don’t miss their follow up HEA’s

  CADE & ANNA

  SIMON & ROSE (coming soon)

  STEFAN & EL (coming soon)

  CADE

  Anna James is single again, finally. In her opinion, men are self-centered and will never love her for who she is, a beautiful, plus-sized woman. All except the fantasy man that she meets in her dreams every night for last five years.

  She just never expected her fantasy to be a real live alpha shifter...

  Cade Le Beau isn't what he seems. He’s a billionaire wolf. A Shifter. He laments his missed chance six months ago to meet his fantasy woman in the flesh. Just as his second chance presents itself, his fantasy woman, his mate, is threatened by the local mob boss and her ex-husband. Now, he has forty-eight hours to deal with this threat once and for all or chance losing her again.

  Is it Anna who’s in danger, or the humans who unwittingly threaten her?

  The heat is on the moment they lay eyes on each other. Neither age, children, horrid ex-husbands nor mob bosses will stop this love affair.

  SIMON

  Four years of honorably serving his country has left Simon, Cade’s younger brother, damaged and trapped in wolf form. Little did he know the only person with the ability to heal him completely would be found at home. Literally. Now that he’s found her, he is desperate to claim her.

  Rose is a beautiful, voluptuous woman with limited experience with men. Although she's confident, she still has reservations. Never having a family of her own, her fear of abandonment has her fleeing romantic relationships and doubting herself.

  Travis is insane. A deadly loose cannon that a secret organization hired to destroy the Le Beau family by denying them their mates. Permanently.

  Simon’s dream will be lost forever unless he is able to maintain human form.

  Rose needs unconditional love and a mate to create the family she’s always wanted.

  Travis’s all-consuming drive is to take Rose for himself.

  Will Simon ever be whole again, able to claim his mate, giving Rose the love and family she so desperately craves? Or will Travis destroy them both?

  STEFAN

  El is a beautiful, successful, plus-sized woman suffering a debilitating humiliation that has left her hating all handsome, wealthy men exactly like Stefan Le Beau. Unfortunately for Le Beau, she’s known him since she was sixteen and was totally snubbed by him. To her, he’s a hound dog and a man-whore.

  Stefan is a playboy to the extreme with one hard and fast rule: date a woman only once, take her to bed and be gone before morning. Until El.

  Stefan’s dream of finding his mate comes true when he bids two hundred thousand dollars to win a date with El at Simon’s charity ball. Money well spent in his opinion.

  Now, if she would only talk to him. Or look at him. Or touch him, or…like him.

  Can Stefan convince El he's a reformed man?

  Can El learn to trust a man who is the epitome of what she avoids and could shatter her heart?

  It will require drastic, strategic measures from the entire family to make this mating happen.

  THOMAS

  Julia is happy with her place in the shifter community as the owner of the famous shifter bar, The Backwater. But the life she's created for herself isn't enough to satisfy her crazy-ass mother, Lucinda, who shops her and her sister, Krystal, around to the pure blood shifters like pieces of meat. Only a born shifter mate is good enough for her girls.

  Thomas James has his hands full as the shifter king's head of security. He certainly wasn’t looking for a girlfriend during the first annual shifter gathering. He had the king and queen to protect, not skirts to chase.

  A childhood of emotional and physical abuse by his birth father has left Thomas emotionally unavailable and uninterested in romantic relationships. His father Tim’s cruelty to his mother and brother molded him into an extremely protective person. No one messes with his loved ones without answering to him.

  Even though Julia and Thomas are destined to be mates, the obstacles standing between them and their happily-ever-after seem insurmountable.

  Lucinda insists Julia stay away from the filthy human.

  Tim is trying to kill every one Thomas loves.

  The mysterious Benevolent Sovereign, who is trying to overthrow the throne, has sent swampers to attack Thomas and destroy Julia’s livelihood.

  With family like theirs, who needs enemies?

  Will Julia and Thomas’s happiness be snuffed out before it has a chance to begin or will they forge through - obstacles be damned.

  CADE & ANNA

  When Dr. Marjorie schedules an ultrasound for Anna, Cade begins to go into paranoid meltdown. Something must be wrong! He’s sure of it.

  Seeing his Daughter on the computer screen larger than life sets Cade onto a path of foolish, well-meaning choices. In a state of panic, he instigates a series of disastrous projects with the Help of Simon, Stefan, and Thomas.

  The f
inal disaster lands Cade and Anna stranded on the family’s island with Anna in labor and no help in sight.

  About the Author

  V.A. Dold Amazon best selling author of the Award-winning Le Beau Series.

  Prior to becoming a full-time writer, she was publicist to the authors, owning ARC Author & Reader Conventions. Still is.

  Her idea of absolute heaven is a day in the French Quarter with her computer, her coffee mug, and the Brothers, of course.

  A Midwest native with her heart lost to Louisiana; she has a penchant for titillating tales featuring sexy men and strong women. When she's not writing, she's probably taking in a movie, reading, or traveling.

  Connect with V.A. Dold:

  V.A.’s Website: http://www.vadold.com/

  Cover Design by

  Christa Reed Photography