Beneath a Moonless Sky - Book One (Moon Child Series)

Chapter Sixteen

His smirk fell when I reached up with my hands and stroked his cheeks, then tangled them in his hair and leant up towards him. My hands were on fire, sending ripples of ecstasy through my body at the sensation. His eyes darkened as I drew closer, and when I was close, I attacked. Our foreheads collided and I flipped him off me while he was still dazed onto his stomach. I landed on his back and pinned him in a headlock.

“Pinned.” He tried to pull my arms away, but I held tight until he tapped for release. I released his neck and stood dusting myself, walking to the drink station. I glanced behind me as some of the men poked fun at Lucian for losing to a girl. Anger rose in me at their teasing, energy crackling in my fingers.

“I wouldn’t sound too cocky there Jonathan, seeing as you have yet to beat me in sparring.” I said to one of the men who were teasing and c****d out my hip with my hand resting there with a smirk on my lips. Jonathan scowled before turning away, knowing that I was right. Turning away again, I bent down and grabbed one of the towels and wrapped It around my neck. A soft growl sounded behind me and when I turned around all the men, but Lucian were legging it away from me.

“Round two?” Lucian asked with that sexy smirk of his on his lips. Being so close to him during the fight and touching his face in the manner I had, the mate bond was playing games with my senses. Our eyes held each other, neither of us wanting to look away. His gaze was intense, and I could read his feelings through his stare. There was an apology there, love, but front and foremost, lust. I felt my body reacting to his stare, but the moment was broken when little arms wrapped around my calves and I was meeting the ground, face first.

“Pinned!” I heard Luca’s excited shout and in the background Magnus and Fergus laughing their heads off. I looked up from the grass to see them rolling around, clutching at their stomachs. With a groan I rolled onto my back and stared at a proud looking Luca standing beside Lucian who was trying to hide his smile.

“I got you mummy. Are you proud?” I took the outstretched hand that Lucian offered and tried to ignore the fire that ran down my arm at his touch.

“Yes baby, so proud.” He skipped off to the other men who each gave him a high five. Fire was still shooting up and down my arm and I glanced down to see Lucian still holding my hand, my magic crackling between us, adding to the intensity of the feeling. I slowly withdrew it and took a small step back.

“Um, I have to head to work today to go through some proofs, but if you’re free this afternoon, say two o’clock, would you like to sit down with Mia and Luca?” His face lit up and a big smile cracked his face.

“I would like that very much.” I smiled at his eager tone and nodded, just for something to do.

“Ok, awesome.” I took a step back, heading towards where the twins were standing with Fergus and Magnus. “I guess we’ll see you at two then.” I turned quickly and almost sprinted to my children. Taking their hands, we headed home, ignoring the smirks that Magnus and Fergus were giving me.

My mind was in a whirlwind, so many thoughts rushing through it. I was finding it harder and harder to be mad at him, the stupid mate bond definitely wasn’t helping things either. What I needed was a hot bath to mull things over with, but I didn’t have time for that right now. I had to get the twins dressed and off to childcare, then I had to head to work to do what I was paid for. Then Lucian was coming over so we could tell the twins that he was their father. I knew they’d react well to it; they were very smart kids and understanding too.

I got them ready and to day care in record time and then was off to work, wishing it were two o’clock already.

***

Lucian POV

I was startled awake last night by a lancing pain in my hand and as I’d sat up, I’d known it was Elaina. Id paced back and forth, my mind in a muddle as I tried to honour Elaina’s wishes for space. Fenris was leaping about in my head, growling, and snapping at me to go to my mate and see if she was ok. Finally caving I ran from the pack house and saw Magnus walking with Elaina who was clutching her hand to her chest. I jogged towards them, trying not to sprint. When I saw her sway and Magnus grabbed her arms to steady her, I ran faster. And when magnus swept her into his arms and she asked for space Fenris was screaming in my head, making it extremely hard to respect her wishes. I followed them into the hospital, and I’m stopped by magnus.

“Lucian, she’ll be ok. Just give her the space she asked for and when she is ready, she will come speak to you, ok?” he’d said to me and it took all my willpower not to snap at him. We should be with her Fenris snapped in my head, chomping at the bit to be with our mate. After using his alpha voice however I’d been forced to back down and storm back to the waiting room, where all I could do was pace. Fenris was agitated thus agitating me and I could feel the mate bond pulling me towards her room. Hours passed as I paced impatiently. Mia and Luca watched me curiously from their seats and I tried to calm myself. Mia walked over to Magnus and asked to go see her mummy and he smiled as he led her into the room Elaina was in. Twenty minutes later she came running out with her usual big smile lighting her face as she pulled at Emma to get her to stand. I held my hand out to her and she took it, and I helped her stand.  She made her way into the room as Fenris howled in my head, growling impatiently. We should be with our mate! Magnus exited the room and I approached him trying to see into the room. He’d placed a hand on my chest to stop me and took a step forward, making me step back. An unconscious growl had ripped from my throat and Magnus had looked at me with an eyebrow raised.

“Let me pass.” I growled between my teeth. His hand was firm against my chest as he took another step forward. Fenris was raging in my head. Our mate! OURS!!! I had snapped and shoved Magnus back roughly. His growl ripped from his throat and he shoved me back.

“Outside. Training ground! Now.” The last word had held no room for argument and following my alphas order I’d stormed off to the training ground and paced back and forth as Fenris did the same in my head.

“How dare you defy your Alpha!” Magnus has snapped at me, his fists in tight balls.

“How dare you keep me from my mate!” I’d yelled back.

“She doesn’t want to see you!” Anger had ripped through me then and before I knew what was happening, I’d shifted into Fenris. Magnus has growled in rage as he had shifted too and then we’d collided. Teeth and fur smashing together. We had bit and circled and as we were about to strike again Elaina had popped out of nowhere and I had been thrown back, my back smashing into a tree, forcing me to shift.

“What the hell do you think you two are doing?! How dare you fight in front of my children!” She had yelled at us making me glance down in shame as I accepted a pair of shorts from one of the men. I had tried to defend Magnus’ actions, but Elaina was not having any of it. She had never been hotter than she’d been in that moment as she’d pointed her finger at me and told me she’d deal with me later. I’d winced in shame again and put my hands up in surrender as I’d taken a step back. She’d made Magnus apologise much to the shock of everyone gathered around us and the men had scattered when she’d shooed them away. And goddess, it had been hard not to pull her into my arms and ravish her in that moment. After asking me for space, and some more scolding for Magnus, she had stormed off and I’d watched her go. Our mate is strong. Fenris had purred in my head. I had to agree. These past five years she had really grown as a woman, in strength and personality. She was no longer the timid girl I’d grown up with. Far from it. She could definitely hold her own. And not just magically. Yet another thing that made me want to tear her clothes off. The power she radiated. She was a strong capable woman. And that was hot.

After I’d apologised to Magnus and we’d made up, I’d headed back to my room to shower and try to sleep, knowing there wouldn’t be an excuse for being late to training the next day.

I’d tossed and turned all night, Fenris restlessness not helping, and when morning had finally come I crawled from bed and met Magnus our the front of the pack house as we had made our way to the training grounds.

We’d been discussing some of the new paperwork wed have to do for the transfers when Magnus has all of sudden fallen to the ground. I’d burst out in laughter as I noticed Luca with an accomplished grin plastered on his face as he’d yelled “pinned!”. I’d glanced over to where Fergus, Elaina and Colin had stood laughing. Colins arm had been thrown over Elaina’s shoulder as he’d laughed, and a possessive growl ripped from my throat at the sight. Colins eyes had gone wide as saucers as he’d swiftly removed his arm and stepped back. Elaina doesn’t seem to notice this as she’d leant to give Luca a kiss and I’d taken that moment to take in what she was wearing and had to stop the new possessive growl from my throat. What is she wearing?! Fenris had growled in my head as ours eyes grazed along her scarcely clad body. Possessiveness and horniness had taken precedence in my mind, but I’d been snapped from that when I heard Luca’s little voice yell “auto bots roll out!” A soft chuckle had ripples through the crowd, and we all had taken off after him. I’d watched with interest as Elaina had checked on Mia who was running at her own pace, making me smile, and then she’d taken off, easily keeping pace with Colin. I liked Colin; we had grown to be great friends during our time at ‘business school’ but the possessiveness in me had clouded that as he bumped at her playfully. It had taken everything in me not to shift and tear him apart. But I’d just focused on running and before I’d known it, we were back at the grounds and pairing up fro sparring. By the grace of the moon goddess I’d been paired with Elaina. And damn if that woman hadn’t turned me on as we’d fought. She was more than capable of taking me on and she didn’t hold back. And when I’d finally pinned her I’d expected her to yield, but instead she had reached up with her hands, sending tingles and flame across my cheek and then a shooting pain to my groin as she’d tangled her hands in my hair. And then there was pain as she’d head butted me and pinned me. I’d had no choice but to yield. I’d watched her saunter to the water station and felt my pants tighten. The men around me had started poking fun at me and goddess Elaina was making it hard not to take her right then when she’d put one of the warriors in his place when he’d been teasing me. And when she’d c****d out her hip it had taken all of me to hold Fenris back.

I’d watched as she had bent down and noticed that multiple eyes watched her do so, making Fenris and I growl possessively, and the men scatter in response.

“Round two?” I had asked as she turned back to me with a smirk on my lips. Any reason to be close to her like that again I would take. Even if it meant getting my ass whooped again. As long as she let me touch her again. Our eyes had locked, and I could see her resolve beginning to crumble. The moment was broken when she had fallen face first into the grass after Luca had pinned her. Magnus and Fergus had been in tears and were rolling on the ground clutching at their stomachs.

I’d helped her to her feet, trying to ignore the shock that ran up my arm at the touch of her. I’d held on to her hand for longer than was probably appropriate, but I didn’t really care, the feelings I’d felt in that moment were worth it. When she had removed her hand Fenris howled at the loss.

“Um, I have to head to work today to go through some proofs, but if you’re free this afternoon, say two o’clock, would you like to sit down with Mia and Luca?” I had nodded so fast and smiled so wide I had been worried my face would have broken. I’d watched her walking away as Magnus and Fergus smirked at me.

I was now in the office stuck doing paperwork and it was going to definitely be a long day.