Rising Shadows (6 page)

CHAPTER 6

Cleary

Damn meetings
. The others don’t want me on the council, but I am the sole alpha werecat within a hundred miles. Claude exercised my minority status to force my compliance. I’d rather laze around. It is my nature after all. Male lions are not known for being active members of the community. I said yes because I’m nosy. My headstone is apt to read  “Cleary Neil. Curiosity kills another cat.” Today’s dispute is over a human woman. She caused a big stink by taking out an anti-were group. Based on the account I was told, we should be presenting this girl with a medal. Instead everyone is freaking over how dangerous she is.

I’m bored already.
Time to chill out behind my sunglasses. Another perk of being a lion, not many are dense enough to cross you. I relax behind the table and wait for something exciting to happen. I don’t have to wait long. Bastien accompanies the woman and his sister, Madalaina, into the assembly gallery. The space looks like a fight club crammed to the rafters with spectators. The center arena is used by the accused to defend himself, at times physically. Bleachers fan out in a circle. I sit up on the platform with the additional five council leaders. Claude and his wife Adele are in the middle. The man on Claude’s left is a behemoth of a grizzly shifter named Jay. He dwarfs the diminutive woman close to him. I can’t look at her without shivering. A viper as cold hearted as she’s cold blooded. Next to me is the dragos. He’s a reptile, too, but I like him. The old coot is a riot at parties.

“The accused has entered. Let’s begin,” Claude calls out to the room.

The female stands in the arena alone. I can hear her heart pounding in her chest.
Poor thing is terrified. She looks harmless to me.

“Rachel Ryan, you are to be judged. By your own confession, you are guilty of killing a werewolf from our pack. You entered a shifter establishment with the intent to destroy us. Yet you didn’t. You betrayed your own, and supplied us information about this Richland Institute that may prove vital to future plans. The answer is not clear. A vote will be taken. We start with
Lyssa.”

“Ssshe isss a human with too much power. I sssay kill her now to sssave the time later.”

Told you she’s a cold hearted bitch.

“Jay, your vote?”

The grizzly leans back in his chair. It groans under his cumbersome weight.  “She seems too weak to be able to tear a beast right out of a man.
I wouldn’t buy it if my Uncle Earl hadn’t seen her at the bar. He told me how she tried to protect that little girl. Let her live. She’s as much a victim as anyone else.” Jay pushes away from the table and leaves. He did his part, so he’s done.
He has as much use for council business as me.

“Adele, my love? How charitable are you feeling?”

She snorts delicately.  “She’s of no use to me. She returned a half breed grandchild, and by the smell of her she wants to snare my son and breed more mongrels. I won’t allow it.”

I’ve often wondered how Claude keeps Adele from eating her young. I look over to Madalaina standing next to her brother. She’s glaring daggers at her mother. Bastien seems calm, but his eyes reveal a different story. Unlike Madalaina, who is an open book, Bastien shows the world only what he wants them to see. How odd for him to be so easy to read.

“Cleary, yes or no?”

I push my sunglasses on top of my head before speaking.  “This whole affair is a bullshit display of power. You and I know it, Claude. She defended herself. I can’t blame her for that.”

Madalaina is gawking at me. I wink at her. She frowns. Claude scowls at me. Big papa doesn't worry me. If I desire the little temptress, her father can't dissuade me. The fact that he commands the entire Therian army gives me pause. Flirting with Madalaina is innocent. Dating her could be perilous.

Claude focuses on the
Dragos. Thumbs up from Fu Man Chu.

“
Ursa, Lion, and Dragos support the human. Snake does not. I vote in favor of the human. She lives. Rachel Ryan will be delivered into protective custody.”  Claude rises but is frozen by vicious shouting.

“The bitch has to die. She murdered my son!” The mother of the werewolf Rachel killed in self-defense.  “I will avenge my child!”

Behind her is Alonzo’s brother. He puts his arm around his mother to comfort her.  “Don't cry Mama. I will get justice for Alonzo.” He turns towards the council and yells,  “I demand Weregild from Rachel Ryan!”

Out of nowhere,
Bastien is beside Rachel. His hand on her arm, and whispers in her ear.

“Uh, I want
Bastien as my champion!” Rachel blurts out as Bastien starts to unbutton his shirt.

Miguel just bit off a lot more than he can chew.
Bastien is a fun loving kind of guy. He’s easy to laugh, and always joking, but he’s also the son of the Alpha Prime. He was taught to fight brutally from the cradle.

“
Bastien, son, you are familiar with the law. She’s not our kin, nor mate to our kin. We have no ties to this woman. You cannot champion a stranger.” Claude reminds him.

Claude is a slick one. Every word he says is carefully measured. There was something in there meant for
Bastien to grasp. Father and son stare at one another. Bastien snakes a hand around Rachel’s waist and leans her backwards until she’s flush against him. His right palm is flat on her abdomen. He tilts her head to the side with his left.

“Then I claim her.” His teeth sink into the flesh of Rachel’s neck.

Adele rages. I want to cheer. The claiming bite done, Bastien whirls Rachel around to face him, his lips crash down on hers. Must be some kiss because Bastien has to hold her up. When the kiss ends, he barks at Madalaina for help. Werewolves are strong so Madalaina takes her brother’s mate out of his embrace and carries her to the nearby benches. Bastien is in the ring, chest and feet bare. When he lost the shoes, I don’t know.
The man is faster than the flash when he puts his mind to it.

Rachel’s blood still marks his lips and chin.  “Come on, Miguel. You want blood. Let’s shed blood.”

Miguel sneers and leaves with his Mama.

Bastien
faces his father.  “She has been blooded. By the morning, she will be bedded.”

Damn, now I’m jealous.

Claude nods,  “The law doesn’t accept her as a full mate until then.”

Madalaina
hugs her new sister in law.  “You’re okay, Rachel. I know you’re confused but trust Bastien. He will take care of you.”

She moves back while
Bastien collects his bride. His shirt is on but unbuttoned. I follow Madalaina out into the front hall. She stands gazing out the window. Her brow is furrowed. She's cute when she worries.

I put a hand on her shoulder to comfort her.  “It will be okay
Mads.”

She jumps, startled. I snuck up on her.  “Damn it, Cleary! Don’t sneak up on people. Or they might staple a bell to you. And stop calling me
Mads.”

I snicker. 
“Sure thing Mads. Are you going to be okay?”

“Hell no. Bastien just claimed a mate, I’m thrilled for him, but Mom will be a nightmare. Dad is maintaining a vigilant eye on the niece I never knew I had. Which leaves me to bear the brunt of mom’s tirade. It is going to be of epic proportions, I assure you. I ordinarily crash at Bastien’s house when she gets like that, but they have enough to work out right now without having little sister underfoot.” She’s animated when she talks. Her hands wave all over.

“You’re welcome at my apartment,
”  I offer.

“Cleary Neil I am not a notch on anyone’s bedpost.” She punches me in the arm.

Rubbing the spot I say,  “Whoa! I didn’t say you were. If you need a place to hide out, you got one. On the couch. Relax.”

“Oh. Okay. Um, thanks. If she gets too bad, I might come by. I better get going. Maybe I can get home and lock myself in my room before Mom gets home.”

I watch her leave. Madalaina is a good girl. I pray to God that I am mated before she fully comes into her own.
Otherwise, I am a complete goner.

CHAPTER 7

Rachel

    What the hell just happened!?
Bastien has a lot of explaining to do.
What did he mean he claimed me?
The biting thing wasn’t bad, but I shouldn’t have almost orgasmed from a flesh wound. I sense him before I see him approaching. Bastien seats himself on the bench touching me. He’s tying his shoes.

“Does your neck hurt?”  He won’t look at me.

I touch the bite.  “Not much, maybe a little tender. Miguel wanted to rip my throat out. In comparison, this is excellent.”

He sweeps me up into his arms. Sharp green eyes stare into mine.  “Don’t compare me to him. We’re not anything alike.”

  I lift my hand to cup his cheek.  “I know you aren’t. I don’t understand how, but I know.” He hugs me closer. I lay my head against him listening to his breathing.  “My world is very complicated,” I say.

He doesn’t say anything. We head for the door and his car. He deposits me in the passenger seat, even belted me in. Tenderly he pushes my hair over my shoulder.  “I love your hair. The color, it’s like gold.”
Bastien rubs a strand between his fingers.  “What happened in there, I don’t expect you to understand. I promise to explain and answer all your questions. Have patience with me?”

He hasn’t given me a reason to not trust him. I am drawn to him, and the idea of being his wife doesn’t scare me. Taking a deep breath, I give him a timid smile.  “A good mate would trust, right?”

He rewards me with a smile of his own.  “I will be a good mate, Rachel.”

We don’t talk on the drive to
Bastien’s house. We’re both still trying to process. Bastien was a bachelor this morning. Now he has a wife, mate, whatever. Still, it sounds so final. I remain apprehensive about the whole,  “She will be bedded by morning,” comment.

Bastien
lives in a nicer section of town. A subdivision with wooded lots; all of the houses have extra acreage to give it a pastoral feel. Bastien parks his SUV in the garage. We enter the house through the kitchen. It connects to a dining room, and a living room with a large flat screen TV and several game consoles—guy stuff. Upstairs are three bedrooms. One is used as an office. The other was set up as a spare for company. A woman's touch is evident in the decor.

“
Madalaina sleeps here a lot.”

A far cry from the girlish decorations I saw earlier today at the
Bonvillian house. The two bedrooms are as different as night and day. Madalaina is a puzzle I want to solve. Which room represents Madalaina and which is a mask? The twinge of jealousy I get when I observe so many feminine objects is squelched. I’m already attached to him. I know we ought to get to the business of sealing the deal, so to speak. Bastien must sense my indecision because he steers me toward the master bedroom with a hand to the small of my back.

“Would you like to shower? You still have blood on your neck.”

I give him a stiff nod. In the bathroom, the glass and tile shower remind me of the testing tank. I start shaking.
PTSD, anyone?
Bastien wants to hug me, but I put my hand out between us. I am not ready to fall apart yet. If he closes those arms around me, I will be lost. He respects my need for distance and leaves.

I undress and step into the shower. The warm water runs over my body washing the tension away. I am alive and safe. With
Bastien by my side, I will find some way to carve out a new life. My worst fear is that I’m going to wake up and be back in the Institute. The shower door opens, and a naked Bastien steps in. The muscles in his chest and stomach are neatly defined. Bastien has a large fleur de lis tattoo on his right shoulder over his bicep.

“I tried to stay away. I couldn’t last any longer. I’ve overheard other males talk about the need to bond after marking a mate, but I always thought they were being over dramatic.”

He needs me. His face tells me he’s afraid I will reject him. Instead, I hug and press myself against him.

Bastien
strokes my back lazily.  “Your bandage is falling off, but the bullet wound is healed. Too good actually. That’s unreal for a human.”

“Really? I noticed it was doing a lot better when I woke up. Is it completely healed now?” I ask concerned.

“The hole from the bullet is closed up. It’ll probably scar, I can't say for sure with the
Arcana. It's an angry red but seems to be healthy. Does it hurt?”

Experimentally I rotate my arm.  “No. It’s stiff, but there’s no pain.”

“We should probably get you cleaned up before we use up all the hot water in the house. Turn around and I’ll soap you up.”

He washes my hair then starts on my body. His soapy hands are on my shoulders and work down my back; massaging away every ache. After he finishes with my back, he moves to my front.
Bastien traces small circles on my breasts with his fingertips. The circles grow a fraction every revolution but never touched the nipple. When he runs a finger on the underside of my right breast, I gasp. My nipples beg to be touched, but he ignores them. The ache between my legs is worse than the one growing in my breast. Bastien’s right hand wanders down my ribcage and around to my stomach. He swirls around my belly button before moving on. They journey downward to reach the apex of my thighs. My knees weaken. He divides my folds, teasing the most sensitive part of my body with the pad of his finger. A shiver rolls through me.

“So responsive.” His lips tease the shell of my ear.  “I can’t wait to get my mouth on you. I want to hear you scream for me.”

His fingers work me until I’m on the brink of orgasm. His hand moves to plunge a finger into my heat. My head drops back, I closed my eyes and cry out. He didn’t doesn’t stop or pull his finger free until the last ripple of my orgasm subsides.
Bastien kisses the mark where he bit me. I tilt my head to look at him. His green eyes are so bright they glow, fangs grow longer in his mouth. The man is handsome even when he ought to be scary.

“I’m clean now. Why don't we take this to bed?” I purr.

  His gaze turns predatory. He twists the knob for the water off. I walk out of the shower and towards the bed, looking over my shoulder once to check if he’s following. Bastien is on my heels. I crawl onto the bed. Bastien flips me to my back and follows me down. I meet his lips halfway for a kiss. He nips at my bottom lip then sinks into the kiss. The passion consumes me. My head is bracketed by his hands on either side.

He breaks the kiss with a groan and lays his forehead against mine.  “I need to slow down. I don’t want to hurt you, but damn I want you so bad I burn.”

“I’m tougher than I look.”

He laughs.  “I noticed.”

“I want you too, Bastien. I’m sure slow is nice, and we should try it sometime, but I’m on fire too. I need you. I think I will die if I don't have you,” I say breathlessly.

“It’s the mate bond. I didn’t know if it would affect you the same way.”

“Please, Bastien. I trust you.”

With his knee, he nudges my legs wider and settles between them. His fingers dip into me.

“God, you’re so wet.”

He positions himself at the entrance to my pussy. I peer down my body at his cock. It is long and thick.
Bastien casts one last look to make sure I was still with him and slides into me. My gasp meets his moan. A lack of experience on my part and his girth make for a tight fit. He gives me a minute to adjust. His first thrust brings me halfway to orgasm. I shove my fingers into his hair and hold on. The more worked up I get, the more I can feel the Arcana buzzing in my blood.
Now’s not a good time, Arcana.
Each stroke hits me deeper. He builds speed and I arched up off the bed. Bastien latches onto my right breast with his mouth. It sends me crashing into another orgasm. He thrusts two more times and I feel him shudder over me. He buries himself to the hilt. Hot jets of semen pump inside me.

“Oh God, Rachel. I don’t think my heart can take what you do to me.” His head rests in the crook of my neck.

The mention of hearts is sobering.
Bastien and I are not in love. He didn’t choose me because he wanted me. Some misguided sense of duty forced Bastien to mate me. If I’m not careful, I will fall for him. My heart needs protection from itself.