The Fourth Mate

Chapter 3: Lucky

The time passed swiftly while Edge contemplated the Luna. He decided to keep his silence since Liken wanted to be a pain. So, he on and off listened to his children talk to the alpha, which distracted the Alpha Cullen from him. It let his mind wander and hear them at the same time. They soon became immersed in a conversation about the ongoing goings of that night. He was eager to answer any of their questions, but there were some he did not know. It annoyed him that an alpha did not know what his pack members would do. He can estimate when things are about to go awry in his pack and who is the potential culprit.

Lucy, however, was determined to persuade them about Lucky’s guilt. She gave a lot of guesses about what her sister was doing. One of his sons would point out that they wanted the facts about that night not conjecture. He almost laughed about it.

Edge did think about the possibility of taking Lucky out of Cullen’s pack for her safety. It depends on what his inspection of her says. If she was a special wolf who needed his protection, then he would most definitely take her. This pack is too small for them to safeguard a wolf like that until she is shifted.

Soon, the door opened, releasing that delicious scent he smelled earlier. It made his head whip around to see Beta Ross holding it open. His heart pounded as his beast stopped pacing and became silent. He wonders if it was Lucky Green or someone else readying to come through the door. Whoever it was just stirred Liken to drool in his head and lick his lips like he was readying for a feast. He struggled to turn his aura down, so no one would feel they needed to prostrate before him. It makes him feel awkward when they do that, since he does not want to be king.

“Lucky!” Ross snapped as the door slammed shut with a bang.

Edge’s brows rose at the way she acted so swiftly. He did not expect that, but her fear tainted the air a bit. He knows that his aura is dark and menacing, which he keeps on medium low, so he does hurt the members of the pack. They are weary of him whenever he does visit because of it. It could be unsettling for someone like her, he thought.

“Boys, turn down your aura, so the newborn can enter,” Edge ordered quickly. “She may not be adjusted to being a wolf yet.”

He struggled to keep the eagerness from his voice. He even felt it surge through him from his wolf. Liken wanted him to go after her when she shut the door, but he stayed where he was. He knows that she needs time to adjust to what she feels from them.

It was only a minute before Lucky opened the door, nearly pushing Ross to the side with it. Desire hit him hard when his eyes landed on her. He could already see the differences between the twins as Lucky came to the stand-off to the right side of the desk. She stood close to the bookshelf with her pink-tipped hair over her shoulder, hiding a pink tank top and ample breasts. She was definitely given the good genes of the family, he thought lustfully. His eyes went to her jean shorts that showed off her legs all the way to her upper thigh.

He had to shake it out of it or lose himself to her.

“I’m sorry about slamming the door like that,” Lucky said softly with her eyes flicking around. “Your auras were driving my wolf to either fight you or f**k you. I did not want either.”

“It is alright, Lucky,” Cullen said gently. “This is Alpha Edge Titan, and his sons, Alphas Andrew, Rick, and Dorran Titan. This is Lucky Green, my sister-in-law, and my mate’s twin."

Edge’s lips twitched, and his throat tightened at her candid apology. He was trying not to let anyone know that she made him want to laugh. He has heard a lot of apologies from people, but hers was too blunt for her own good. He could tell that it made Rick eager to get her alone to swindle her into his bed.

She also made him more aroused than a moment ago. He wanted to bend her over Cullen’s desk and mate her. He wanted her to know who her alpha was, but it felt like more than that. He was drawn to her by a force that he knows and doesn’t know at the same time. Her smell and the kindness in her eyes made him realize how unlike Lucy she was. Strangely, her aura felt low and soothing to him.

He had to fight this thing that wanted him to take her elsewhere and make her feel good. He had to focus elsewhere, too, or he was going to embarrass himself, which is how he became curious about her pink-tipped hair. His eyes flicked from her eyes to her hair, which did not have the dyed look that most people do when they change their color. It still maintained its normal silky look like her sister’s hair. It looked too natural to be dyed.

“Your hair is tipped pink,” Edge commented softly. Then, he turned to Lucy. “Is your hair tipped the same way?”

“No,” Lucy smirked as she patted her hair that was pulled into a chignon. “I have my natural color where she wanted to make sure a difference was between us.”

“I am my own person as you are, Luce,” Lucky growled angrily. “I wish you would see that instead of letting your jealousy blind you to the truth.”

“I have no jealousy over you!” Lucy snapped, just as angry as her sister. “It is you who are jealous of me and always…”

“I think that is enough, you two!” Cullen snapped. It made his mate whimper and turn to him, pleading with her eyes for forgiveness. “We have heard this too many times, my love. I only want peace between you and your sister. So please, refrain from taking your anger out on her.”

“I understand,” Lucy said softly.

“You can try to bridge the gap between us, Cullen,” Lucky said sharply, “but I will never forgive her. This is the last time she accuses me of something horrible that I did not do.”

Edge became interested in that comment as he stood up and walked to Lucky. He wanted to know more about what she was accused of, but first, he needed to look at her hair. It bothers him more than their bickering. He reached out to grab it when he stopped in front of her, but she slapped him before his hand could even touch those silky strands. The sound echoed in the office along with Liken’s growl. His beast is not happy that she disrespected him.

However, he knew he had made the mistake of not paying attention to the tension rising in her body. Or the way her chest heaved her breaths at his closeness with her slight arousal becoming heightened. Both would have signaled to him that she was becoming defensive, and he could have stopped her from hitting him.

Still, he is an alpha, and she should respect him. He was not going to punish her, yet. It was his fault for missing the trust issues in her aura. It is now a neon sign that everyone in this room can feel. They can even see it with her narrowed, hardened eyes glaring up at him. His anger started to soar at her defiance and when he felt pain in his heart. She made the worst mistake she could have made with any alpha, which made him forget about her feelings.

“Dad, she is a pup who is in uncertain territory,” Dorran reminded him of what he explained to his sons.

“And she still should have respect,” Edge growled.

“And you should have respect for me if you want respect,” Lucky snapped at him. “No one touches my hair without my permission.”

“I’m sorry, Alpha,” Cullen sighed heavily. “Lucky has been touchy about her hair since she gained a wolf. A few times someone tried to touch or bumped it, and she became angry over it. I should have warned you that it is not something she likes people touching.”

“I see,” he hissed. He noticed that she started raking her fingers through it while looking at it lovingly. He found it strange, but he persisted to touch it. “I would like a look at your pink tips, if I may.”

“You can see it where you stand,” she huffed. “Your filthy hands do not need to touch it.”

That’s it! She disrespected us twice now. You better do something about it.

Liken is right, he thought evilly. He should do something about it.

In three seconds, Edge grabbed a chunk of Lucky’s hair and cut it off with a claw. Everyone knows that he can shift instantly when he needs to do it. This is no different than what he has done before to save someone’s life, except it is. The satisfaction he thought he would get from putting her in her place did not happen. He felt pain enter his heart when Lucky’s face went from haughty to horrified. He regretted it immediately, which is unlike him. He usually pushes it away before it affects him. This time it was difficult to do so. Then, there is her chest heaving with her gasping, panicked breaths that made him want to hold her. His eyes went to her breasts, nearly spilling out of her tank top, which worsened his arousal, but he forced himself to focus on the truth.

Lucky’s head turned to look at her hair still in his hand. It was too silky smooth for him to let go immediately, but he knew he had to let it go or questions would be asked when he had no answers. This jerked Lucky’s head up to look at him hurt and angry. Tears welled in her eyes and made his urge to hold her worsen, along with the pain squeezing his heart of its life. He did not expect to feel this bad about cutting her hair. It even grew back instantly with the pink tips in it, too, which should have given her some measure of comfort. It didn’t, and he could see that already.

However, her wolf’s reactions confirmed his suspicion. She is a special wolf. He did not need her scream of anguish that turned to a roar to tell him that. It was her hair that gave him the clue. No wolf can color their human’s hair or roar as loudly as she did to break windows except for a special wolf. Those who have lived as long as he has can do it, but it comes with time and practice. He suspects a good portion of the packhouse’s windows are broken by it, too.

His mind, though, kept going back to her anguish. Tears are dribbling down her reddened face. The urge to wipe them away shocked him. He only ever acts like this with his mates, who have passed away now. It makes him wonder if she is his mate, or if it is her wolf drawing him to her.

“Do you feel better?” Edge asked coldly as he tried to keep a wedge between them.

“You son-of-a-b***h!” Lucky shouted angrily.

She leaped at him, but he was quicker and had her pinned against the bookshelf in seconds. The force of it only jarred the books and figurines a little when he slammed her into it. It made him feel bad since her wolf is not fully there to give her the speed and strength she needed to fight him. He would like to spar with her and teach her how to defend herself.

A smirk would be on his face about his imagination, if he had not felt a zap of electricity from where their skin connected.

His body moved of its own accord to press against her, which added to the thirst to have her in his bed. His erection is pressed into her stomach, feeling the heat of her skin on it. This added to his need to have this woman. He even had the urge to lick his lips at the sight of her breasts nearly spilling out from her heaving chest while looking down at her. Her pants fanned his chest, which nearly made Liken purr aloud instead of in his head, especially with her arousal heightening more for him. He relished everything about her, and he knows she feels the same way, too.

Edge’s anger and jealousy were still gripping him because of her disrespect. Now, he feels it because she is dressed for men to see her body. He did not want them to ogle her. He wanted to be the only one gazing at her body in lust, which drove an urge to mark her even if she wasn’t his mate.

It astounded him that he would want to go that far, but she looked too beautiful to let go. He had no other reason to hold onto her that would satisfy him except that she may be his mate. It was a long shot since he already had his third mate for the cycle of the curse. He wonders, though, if the Goddess of Wolves is changing it or releasing him from it.

I don’t know and won’t know if she is our mate, until she shifts. You could mark her to find out, too. You know all this, Edge.

D****t! She feels like my mate. There must be another way to find out, so I don’t make a mistake with her.

I hope you are ready for what will happen when you mark her too soon.