River Cast: Part Two in the Tale of Lunarmorte (35 page)

Relief and
anxiety poured through her as the gel-like quality of the portal
slithered across her skin. In moments they were blinking past the
light streaming in from the lamp post outside the windows of the
disused workout room in
Magic
Fitness
.

She felt like a bird freed
from a cage, only to find it was now so tame it had no idea how to
survive on its own.

“
Are you OK?”
Lucien pulled her to him, wrapping her in his solid
comfort.

“
I just can’t
believe I’m going to do this,” she mumbled into his chest. It
rumbled with his laughter underneath her and she buried deeper into
him.

“
Yeah, I
can’t believe you are either. But I believe in you.”

Tilting her head back she
was surprised to find his eyes smoke with fierceness. “You really
do, don’t you?”

“
You need to
stop sounding surprised by that.”

She smiled shyly. “But I
am surprised.”

He chuckled and took hold
of her hand, leading her out of the room and out of the fairly
quiet gymnasium. “If you’re going to be this bad mother—you know,
then you are going to have to start sounding like you’re aware
you’re the bomb.”

She snorted. “The
bomb?”

Lucien turned to her as
they walked across the parking lot. “Was that wrong?”

“
So wrong it
was painful.”

He shrugged, unfazed.
“Well, you know what I mean.”

Caia nodded, straightening
her shoulders back. “I have to be confident, match my badass
powers.”

“
Yeah.” He
grinned. “That’s what I meant. Damn.” Lucien stopped, crouching
down by the wheel of his truck. Yellow clamps stood between them
and the pack. Of course the car had been sitting in the lot for
days now.

“
Do you want
me to...?” She wriggled her fingers.

Lucien huffed, “This
doesn’t need magik.” He quickly looked around the lot to make sure
there was no one else around and then gripped the clamps with both
hands. With what appeared to be the gentlest of tugs the clamp
split in two and he pulled it out from under the car. He did the
same with the others, and gestured for Caia to get in.

“
Wow.” She
smiled cheekily as she slid her seat belt on.

“
What?”

“
Was that a
deliberate attempt to make me feel like the ‘little
Mrs’?”

Lucien grunted and started
the engine, speeding out of the lot before anyone found them with
the clamps, “I don’t think that’s possible. I was just reminding
you that I have my uses. You don’t have to do everything
yourself.”

Caia snuggled into her
seat. “You don’t how good that is to hear.”

He reached across the
distance between them and linked his fingers with hers, keeping one
hand on the wheel and his eyes on the road. “You’re my
mate.”

She bit her lip, undecided
whether she should ask the question that had been sneaking closer
and closer to the forefront of her mind since Lucien had declared
his love for her.

Her
mate
seemed to sense it and tugged on her
hand.

“
Caia, I’m
willing to take my pack into a political war against the Head of
the Daylight Coven for you. Surely you realise you can say anything
to me by now.”

Laughing at her own
stupidity, Caia blushed a little. “I guess.”

“
Well?”

I hope this
comes out right or this might be the shortest relationship in
history.

“
Well, are
you afraid that what we feel for each other is only because of the
mating?”

When his silence stretched
into awkward, Caia began to worry her lip with her teeth, her eyes
unblinking, watching him for signs of his anger. Finally, he
glanced at her briefly, before returning his eyes to the road. She
felt a measure of relief as he squeezed her hand.

“
Does it
matter if it is?”

She frowned. “Doesn’t it
though?”

“
No.” By
tugging on her hand he pulled her closer to him, his scent
enfolding her and warming her instantly. “Maybe we do love each
other because of a deal our fathers made with a god, but it doesn’t
make that love any less real.”

“
So you’re
not worried that it wasn’t your choice to love me?”

Lucien snorted. “No. And
if I remember correctly that line of argument is the reason we
haven’t been together from the start, so I think it might be best
we burn those thoughts forever. Seriously, Caia, do you want to
give this up just because it was preordained by our
dads?”

She could sense the worry
in his question and felt a peculiar need to tease him. “I don’t
know. I mean, down that road is a dangerous journey - wanting the
fairytale because reality blows. Neo would be most unimpressed by
us.”

“
Well, since
his third movie sucked Neo can go to Hades.”

Caia grinned at him. “You
got that reference?”

He rolled his eyes at her
and sighed wearily. “Really, Caia, what do you take me
for?”

“
A lykan with
very little attachment to the television.”

“
Yeah, but
with a friend who watched The Matrix Trilogy ninety times when he
should have been out kicking some rogue’s ass.”

“
Ryder,” Caia
laughed.

Lucien grunted, “I should
be thankful he keeps me socially adept.”

She tried to suppress a
grin. “But you’re not thankful.”

“
Have you
seen The Matrix Revolutions?”

22 - Loyalty

The sound of gravel
crunching beneath tyres was like a welcoming trumpet to Caia and
Lucien’s ears. They tumbled out of his truck, tired but still
filled with love-fuelled restlessness. Caia mused over how
strangely comfortable it was for them to walk with their arms
around one another into the house. It felt like something they had
been doing forever. They found Magnus and Ella standing in the
doorway of the sitting room, waiting on them.

They were both grinning at
their return, and then Ella’s eyes washed over them clinging to
each other and they widened. “Does this mean...” she looked quickly
to Magnus to see if he had noticed, and he was grinning from ear to
ear, his eyes twinkling.

“
We’re
together,” Lucien’s voice rumbled with satisfaction.

The Elders launched
themselves at them with Magnus booming, “It’s about
time!”

Caia laughed and allowed
them to squeeze her to death. Noticing the tears running like twin
streams down Ella’s cheeks, Caia pulled her aside to hold her
close.

“
I’m so
happy. Albus would have been so happy.”

Before Caia could reply,
Magnus was lifting her off the ground in a massive bear hug, his
own eyes suspiciously wet. When she was firmly back on the ground,
he held her face between his hands and gazed down at her adoringly.
“I feel like a proud father.”

Her throat burned and she
worked her jaw trying not cry. At last she managed a hoarse, “You
have been like a father to me, Uncle Magnus. Thank you.”

The best
moment in her life so far, a moment when she finally felt she
was
really
a part
of a family, was cut short by a shrill ringing. Cursing, Lucien
pulled out his cell phone.

“
Ryder,” he
muttered and hit the answer button. “What’s up?”

“
You’re
back,” they all heard Ryder, “When?”

“
This minute.
How did you know?”

“
I’ve been
trying your cell for the last 24 hours.”

Lucien frowned and hunched
over into the conversation. “What’s wrong?”

“
I’m guessing
you know already. You and Caia too tired to come over to my
apartment?”

“
No, we’ll be
right there.”

Ella didn’t look happy
when Lucien hung up, “Surely he can let you two get some sleep
before you visit him.”

Lucien shrugged like it
was no big deal. “Sounds important.”

Magnus chuckled. “Oh it
is.”

Wait, what? Caia glanced
sharply at her uncle. What did he know?

Her expression must have
mirrored Lucien’s because Magnus laughed harder. “I’ll let Ryder
impart the news. But here’s a clue... Dimitri isn’t
happy.”

“
Magnus.”
Ella swatted him. “You’ll give it away.”

“
Give what
away?”

They remained silent and
Lucien huffed, “Need I remind you I’m your Alpha. I have a right to
know what’s going on in my own pack.”

The Elders grimaced.
“Well, you’re about to find out.” Magnus nodded and then shot a
look at Caia. “Now that he’s your responsibility maybe you can
begin pulling that stick out of his ass.”

***

They wondered aloud as to
what Magnus and Ella could have been talking about, but their
worries were so focused on Vilhelm and Laila they were already at
Ryder’s with still no clue. Ryder threw the door open with a huge,
relieved grin and clapped Lucien hard on the shoulder before
dragging Caia into a tight hug. She suppressed a laugh at the feel
of Lucien’s hand on her waist, drawing her forcefully out of his
friend’s grip and tight to his side, his hand cupping her hip
possessively. At first Ryder stumbled back a little confused and
then his expression cleared and he whooped, “All right, about
time!” and held out a hand to Lucien. Caia looked on as they did
their manly handshake and hugged quickly, a hug that was more of a
battering of hands on each other’s back.

“
Congrats
guys, really. Very relieved.” He grinned and then gestured for them
to come in. “Actually.” He chuckled happily, following them down
the hallway to his sitting room. “I have some news of my
own.”

Caia’s view of the sitting
room was blocked by Lucien as he entered first, and she was
surprised at the soft sound he made as his pace picked up, striding
deeper into the room. Her eyes widened as she glimpsed Jaeden
before she was swallowed in Lucien’s tight hug. Her heart sped up.
It had been a long while, and she and the real Jaeden hadn’t really
spoken since her rescue. Caia glanced anxiously at Ryder who smiled
warmly at her, his eyes soon returning to stare at Jaeden. A
feeling rippled out of him and Caia caught it on the
air.

“
Ryder,” she
breathed, disbelieving at the intensity of it, “Jaeden?”

His eyes widened as he
realised she comprehended the truth. “How did you know?”

“
Know what?”
Lucien asked, as he and Jaeden drew back to them.

Caia locked gazes with
Jae, feeling awkward and useless. There was a time when she had
thought of this girl as the greatest friend she had ever had. It
was difficult to remember now if there had been any truth in that,
and what she felt towards her likened to grief.

Jaeden appeared to not
know what to say either, her body rigid at first. And then she
visibly relaxed, surprising Caia by hugging her, if a little
awkwardly. “Cy, good to see you.” She nodded, her eyes seeming to
ask Caia to relax as well.

Feeling a little stupid
Caia grinned nervously. “You too. You look great.”

“
Know what?”
Lucien growled.

Jaeden giggled at that, a
sound Caia never thought to hear from her again, and then danced
into Ryder’s arms, kissing him affectionately. “Ryder and I want to
be mates.”

Lucien’s emotions veered
from gobsmacked, to confusion, and then delight when he realised
his friend was serious. He had never seen Ryder look at anyone the
way he looked at Jae, obliterating all his predictions that Ryder
would be a perpetual bachelor. Sitting on Ryder’s sofa, he and Caia
watched and listened as Ryder and Jaeden told the story of their
return to the pack. Lucien grinned at Caia as the two of them
bickered like an old mated couple. They didn’t even have to ask if
he would give them permission to have a ceremony; Ryder most
probably would have killed him anyway if he didn’t. He was not
surprised, however, to hear that Dimitri was having a difficult
time with the idea, considering Jaeden had only just been returned
to him, and as his gaze fell on his own mate he was glad there was
no waiting involved to be with her truly, as there was for his
friend. It still amazed him how easily Caia had come to him when he
told her he loved her, and ever since he had to stop from kicking
himself that he hadn’t done so sooner. He sighed inwardly; knowing
what the Hades was going on a female’s mind had never been one of
his strong suits. As she laughed at something Ryder was saying,
Lucien smiled softly. It had been a long time since he had seen her
look this happy.

At that a darkness, like a
silent snowfall shrouding his world of colour and warmth, settled
over him, sending chills across his skin.

She had better enjoy it,
he thought somewhat bitterly, because this battle she wanted to
wage against Marita to win the war was going to slowly siphon that
happiness back out of her. He was terrified for her. That the
majority of Midnights could possibly be misunderstood was
inconceivable, but Caia saw it, felt it, and he believed in Caia. A
flare of pain radiated from his chest. He believed enough to drag
his pack into a coup against the Head of the Daylight
Coven.