His Stolen Luna

7. Rumors

~ JOHN-PAUL ~

Lark looked at him over her shoulder and her eyes were pleading. Something low in his gut twisted and he was torn between wanting to put himself between her and this asshole of a father, and wanting to put himself at her feet.

Holy s**t, he was going to have to watch himself.

One hand flattened on her back, he forced himself to straighten and relax, let them all see that he was no longer poised to attack. Keeping his chin low and his eyes intent on her father, he forced himself to calm. He wouldn’t submit, but he would acknowledge this male’s position.

Fucker wasn’t going to return the favor though, he thought with a huff.

“Alpha Sather,” he said quietly, “I can understand your concern, but I assure you, my reputation is… greatly exaggerated.”

Lark’s back jumped like she fought a laugh. John-Paul pretended to ignore her.

“I did not disappear from the bloodlines out of any evil plot. I was grieving the loss of my mate, and determining what my own future looked like. I wasn’t capable of serving others for a time. And I certainly wasn’t approaching any of the bloodline families for introductions to their females. I didn’t think I was ready. I had nothing to do with the actions of my cousins, who are being disciplined for their role in this. But while I don’t agree with their methods, after meeting Lark it’s clear to me that the Creator used these events to bring us together. The bond is undeniable. I won’t be turned from this,” he said, a cold warning in his voice.

“So, you didn’t think you were strong enough for her, but you expect me to give her up to you?”

“Actually, James, I had heard that she wasn’t strong enough for me,” he said coldly.

Her father bristled. Lark tensed. John-Paul held the male’s gaze and let his fingers press into Lark’s back in a warning not to interfere. She needed to trust him if they were going to do this. She knew her father, but she was not an Alpha. Not yet, anyway. He knew there was only one way to handle this that wouldn’t end in an outright challenge.

But Lark either didn’t pick up his signal or didn’t care. When one of her brothers growled, she snapped, “Stand down! All of you!”

The males on the porch—her brothers, he reminded himself—all looked to their father. Even the oldest. John-Paul was stunned. Was there not a single independent thinker among them? How would their bloodline thrive if their Alpha was never challenged? Never forced to answer for his actions? Never taken by surprise?

Then he looked down at Lark who was glowering at her brothers, trembling slightly, fighting her own shift.

John-Paul had to fight a smile. She was how.

Inexplicable pride warmed his chest. She’d been stifled and sheltered and she’d still turned out the strongest of the litter. What could she become if she was given the freedom to grow into herself?

He discovered he was eager to find out.

To his credit, her father clearly understood what was needed for her better than the brothers. He snapped at them to stand down, then turned back to glare at John-Paul. Who decided to be petty and not give the guy an inch.

“The bond is there,” he said, putting every ounce of his Alpha authority behind the statement. “If you don’t like it, you can whine all you want, but it’s as good as done. I came to offer you a bond taken in unity for the bloodlines. But if you reject the offer it will not change the outcome.”

He heard Lark swallow and silently pleaded with her not to soften his position.

Her father’s eyes narrowed and he looked back and forth between them. Which was when JP realized that except for that one look between, when her brothers had scented her desire, he hadn’t been treating her with the sickening desperation of fated mates.

Smoothly, he inched forward so her shoulder rested against his chest. Putting one hand on her upper arm, he let his fingers trail down until he laced their fingers. The hair on her arms rose and her skin pebbled. She shivered and turned her head enough to look at him from the corner of her eye.

John-Paul met her gaze and let himself feel the heat that his body generated when she was close.

“Oh, for f**k’s sake—”

“Get a den!”

Only the youngest brother didn’t curse and pretend to gag. He stared at Lark as if he were half-ecstatic for her, and half-terrified.

What was going on there, John Paul wondered.

But when he lifted his eyes from Lark’s, he turned his attention back to her father, who stood there, watching them, simmering.

His gaze had gone thoughtful. Calculating.

All the small hairs on the back of John-Paul’s neck stood up.

“Okay,” James Sather said reluctantly. “if she’s made her choice, she’s made her choice. I won’t stand in the way.”

Lark blew out a breath, but JP heard the “but” in the Alpha’s tone and waited. Sure enough…

“But if you two are going to bond and it’s all legit, then you won’t mind if we keep her home until the seclusion? It’s very, very important that we make sure her first time is with her true mate.”

It took every ounce of John-Paul’s honed self-control not to startle at that. Seclusion? Most modern wolves had ignored that tradition for at least two generations. While it mirrored the idea of a honeymoon, it began in a ritual that reflected their animal roots, in which the male fought to take his mate from her pack, then the mating pair went away for days utterly alone, without any contact with other wolves at all.

“Dad!” Lark hissed. “The seclusion is just an old-fashioned—”

“Lark, I’ve told you your whole life that you are the Luna the bloodlines have been anticipating for a thousand years. You can wait a few more days, don’t you think?” he muttered. “Marking the occasion needs a certain… gravitas. Alpha Baptiste will want to honor the sacred position you hold. Won’t he?”

It was a challenge, and a clever one. But for a moment John-Paul’s entire mind was awash with images conjured by the words “sacred position.”

Lark arched back, her throat bare.

Lark on all fours in front of him.

Lark with her legs wrapped around his waist and locked at his lower back—s**t.

Her father, his eyes sparking, growled as John-Paul fought for control of his wolf and his mind. But that was the point, right? That’s what the male was doing—pushing him to demonstrate his control.

Well, this fucker wasn’t going to beat him as easily as he thought.

He hadn’t considered the seclusion, but in fact, it was a great idea. It would leave no question in the minds of any in the bloodlines that his and Lark’s mate bond was real. Of course, resisting her when they were alone for days was going to be absolute hell, but he was strong enough.

He looked down at Lark, his chest gripped with fear and roaring with the desire in the same breath—while Lark returned his gaze, desire and dismay fighting for dominance in her. When he caught the scent of her want, his c**k twitched.

It was probably wise not to underestimate how easy this would be.

Her asshole father was still waiting for a response, so John Paul yanked his attention from Lark and back to the male. “Of course,” he said smoothly. “In fact, I’ll plan the seclusion. I know just the place. Your pack can plan the feast. I’ll take her from there.”

“Sounds like a plan,” the Alpha said, his eyes dancing. “I think we can have everyone together by the end of the month—”

Lark opened her mouth to protest, but JP tightened a hand on her arm.

“Two days,” he growled, low and hard. “I can have the seclusion planned by then—if any of your pack can’t make it in time, we’ll arrange a Livestream.”

Her father’s eyes burned and his jaw went tight. But there was no excuse for holding mates apart once they’d been identified, and he knew it. Asking John-Paul to delay at all had been on the verge of sacrilegious. But he was right, it was a unique situation.

“Two days,” he repeated. Lark blew out a breath and looked at him over her shoulder, her brows pinched. “Don’t worry, Lark,” he said without breaking her father’s gaze. “I’ll organize everything. You just spend your time packing anything personal you want to bring with you. I’ll send a team two mornings from now to bring your things to my—our home. You rest. Prepare. Two days. That’s all I need.”

Lark nodded, but he didn’t like the clouds in her eyes.

What had he missed?