“Okay, so we can now condemn the bathroom sink,” she said.“I think it would be best if I actually purchased a whole new bathroom.”She nodded. “You’re right, because, wow, my ass must be strong.”He chuckled.“I wouldn’t complain about your ass being in my hands.” He winked at her, and Maya didn’t know what to do. Was he flirting?“We’re going to need to … you know … deal with all of this, so we’re going to need help. I can call John. He’ll be able to send reliable hands. He’ll also know how to dispose of it as well,” she said.“Then call him,” he said.“I think it would be best if I told him in person.” She wanted a reason to leave and to put some much-needed space between them.Luke smirked and took a step toward her, then another. She refused to move back, and not because she was worried about breaking more of his home.“Do I make you nervous?” he asked.“No, you don’t make me nervous, but I want to make sure this is done properly.” The lies fell from her lips easily. “Don’t you w
“You have no idea who your family is?”“Oh, I know who my family is. I found them, hunted them down after I turned eighteen and the nice little surprise I got during the first full moon …that was an experience.”He heard her gasp. “Oh, my God.”“Don’t worry. I didn’t kill anyone and I was strong enough to survive, but after that, I had to get answers. So I did. I fought to earn money, and then I started to track down my family.”“Was your mother part of a pack?”He nodded. “She was. It turns out she had an affair. I was the result of that affair. Of course, she was pregnant with me before she met her true mate, so she concocted some kind of plan. She gave birth to me, handed me off to some human parents, and paid them to keep me. When she and her mate fell on hard times and the pack did too, the money stopped, and my ass got thrown onto the streets.”Luke looked at her and saw the horror across her face.“Don’t feel sadness or pity.”“But you were a kid.”“I was a moneymaker to the wo
“I am. I’m heading out there soon. I stayed behind to make sandwiches.”“Ah, makes sense.” Leah poured herself a mug of coffee and didn’t even bother with cream and sugar. “What’s the matter, honey?”“Nothing, why?”“Ah, you see, it has been twenty-three years of knowing you and I know something is bothering you.”“Nah, it’s nothing.”“I can’t help you fix it unless you talk to me.” Leah moved closer to the counter. She pulled out the chair next to her and took a seat. “I’m all ears.”“It’s…”“Does it have something to do with leaving the pack?” Leah asked.“Yes and no. I don’t know.” She frowned. Her mother was the only person she wanted to talk to about this kind of thing. Anyone else would have way too many questions. “Actually, can I ask you questions about, er, about mates?”“Have you found yours?” Leah asked, smiling.She chuckled. “I was, er, I was curious, you know, about you and Dad, and I guess mates in general.”“Go ahead. I will answer as best I can, but I will admit it’s
She winced. “My mom was telling me this morning that the pack, after … you know … they came here to destroy the house.”“Ah, yes, I remember the alpha burning.”“What?” Maya asked. “They burned the alpha? Alive?”Luke chuckled. “No, no, of course not. The alpha was already dead. He’d offered up the pack for his own life.” He growled the last part. “That’s why some of the men were dead and the women were … you know.”Maya wrapped her arms around herself. “So what happened to the alpha?”She looked at him and Luke stared right back at her. “Do you really want to know the answer to that question?”“Yes, of course I do. I wouldn’t have asked.”“He was still alive when I got to town. He was just picking off men and women to keep his own neck safe.”“So what happened?” Maya hadn’t heard this part.He sighed. “After I killed the men that were hurting the pack, the old … he got up, he looked me in the eyes and tried to thank me for saving them all. The pack told me what happened, and no pack
It wasn’t for her own good.You failed.You hurt her.And because of him, she had starved herself for a long time, but no more. Luke wasn’t going anywhere. He was there at the pack to stay. Maya would see that he meant to be her mate. He intended to give her a life she deserved, and he would never stop.She didn’t even realize it, but without even trying, she had given him something he had forgotten he craved.Maya had given him a home.*****The days passed rather productively. Maya spent her mornings waking up, enjoying a cup of coffee, and watching Luke as he held up swatches for her to help him decide the color scheme of the house, even furniture. They were still a long way off from furnishing the house, but he wanted to be prepared with orders.So far, most of the upstairs was fully plumbed and the electric outlets were all working. Maya had gotten electrocuted downstairs over a miscommunication. Her tongue had been numb for a couple of hours afterward and some of her hair had st
“Yes. Even though you’d done what you did, I couldn’t let him think there was a chance with the two of us, so I told him no. I told him I would never love him that way, and the only chance we have is to be friends. Forever.”“Wasn’t he your first?” Luke asked.“First? You think he was my first lover?”He didn’t say anything.“Wow, okay, I’m going to tell you right now so we don’t end up with any cross-wiring or whatever, but I’m a virgin.”“What?”“That’s right, Alpha. I’m a virgin. No man has ever passed this threshold. I’ve never had sex. You were also my first kiss. You’ve been my only kiss.” She winked at him. “I think it’s time for lunch.”She made to brush past him but Luke captured her in his arms. Whenever they were at his home, he rarely touched her. He only ever did so when they were alone.“Someone might see,” she said.“Let them fucking see. You’re all mine?”“You’re not repulsed by that?”“No.”“Then yes,” Maya said. “I’m all yours.” She didn’t know why she said that. She
“It has been a long day.” He sighed.“Did I hear that you were having some difficulty?”“Yeah, it would seem the attic is a bit of a problem. Lots of old wires, and some of the roof is a little unstable. Years of neglect will do that. At the moment it doesn’t leak, but I think it would only be a matter of time before it does.” He sighed. “I’m working on preventing that from happening.”“I get it. This house is turning into a labor of love. Are you sure it’s worth it?” she asked.“I’m sure. I have no plans to go anywhere.”“But I’ve seen you looking at your bike,” Maya said. “You’re not thinking about jumping on that thing and running away?”“Never. I’m not running from you. Not now. Not ever.”He was pretty sure he saw a smile dance across her lips. He didn’t point it out as he didn’t want her to feel self-conscious. In the past few weeks they had come a long way, but he didn’t want to spoil what they had built. Even though he wanted to go further. That kiss had been freaking … everyt
The door of the shower opened and Maya opened her eyes to find the man she’d been thinking about, standing in front of her. His gaze was on her. He was naked.“I didn’t hear you come in,” she said.“Tell me to leave, Maya. Tell me to get the fuck out of your room and leave, because if you don’t, I don’t think I’ll be able to leave.”She licked her lips. “And what if I don’t want you to leave?”He took a step toward her. “Then I don’t leave and I finally have what is mine.”He wasn’t touching her. His body was so heavily muscled and covered in ink. She couldn’t resist looking down the length of his body and as she did, she noticed his long, stiff dick. Luke was aroused.“And I finally get what's mine,” she said, closing the distance between them.Maya didn’t know where she found the confidence to do what she did, but she tilted her head back, looked him in the eye, and she didn’t want him to leave.His hands went to the base of her back, then down to cup her ass, squeezing her cheeks a