RISE OF THE LYCANS - Mates and Bonds
Chapter 26 - Family Ties

Selena

I felt a wave of nausea wash through me when Storm stabbed Alpha Orléans in the back with her long claws that resembled steak knives.

His eyes bulged wide with shock, and he stared up at her. Storm loomed over him, holding him between life and death. Her swirling eyes focused on his, and I knew she was reading his mind. Time seemed to stand still as we watched.

When Storm was satisfied, she nodded and retracted her claws. “Sol.” She wanted my sister to heal him.

“I’ll do it,” I offered.

“No,” her eyes met mine, and her voice came through the mind link. “You need to save your energy for the pup. Sol can do it.”

My sister stepped forward, and Alpha Orléans flinched when she touched him. Ranger hovered beside her, ready to attack if the wounded Alpha tried anything. If Storm was allowing him to have a healing, then I knew he was innocent.

“He’s telling the truth,” Storm announced, and Alpha Orléans visibly relaxed.

“Are you sure?” Grandma asked. “I can keep the whip out.”

“You may continue,” Lukas prompted the Alpha, who was quickly healing.

“Yes, my King,” he said, taking a deep breath. “The Darc family comes from a long line of mages that traces back to Jeanne d’Arc.”

“Joan of Arc,” Lukas said with a nod.

“She was burned at the stake for witchcraft,” Rex added.

“Yes, but she did not possess the magic gene… her brother Pierre did.”

“She had a brother named Pierre?” I don’t know why it surprised me, considering the passing of family names was common in families with long and proud histories.

“As you know, Joan didn’t have any children, but she had three brothers and a sister. Her youngest brother was named Pierre d’Arc. He fought in the siege of Orléans and won the favor of my ancestor, the Duke of Orléans. D’Arc eventually married and settled down in Orléans with my family pack. He was human… well, a mage, and he was the mate of the Alpha’s daughter. Pierre’s oldest son left the pack and started the Darc pack in western France.

“So, both packs have ties back to Pierre d’Arc?”

“Yes. Erick was born to my sister, Eloise, and her human mate, who died shortly after Erick’s birth.”

“I thought Erick grew up in the Darc pack?” I asked.

“He did. My sister was wooed by the Darc’s chief warrior as a chosen mate. She may be a shifter, but she passed the magic gene to Erick. I suspected the previous Alpha, Pierre’s father, sensed Erick’s magic and wanted him in the Darc pack.”

“Both packs had mages?”

“Erick was the first mage born to either pack in over two centuries,” he confirmed. “I thought the line had weakened and died out.”

“And your sister is, where?” Ranger asked.

“No one knows.”

“Why did you leave your pack?” Lukas pressed.

Alpha Orléans looked up at Storm and looked away nervously. He swallowed the lump in his throat before he spoke. “I knew the Alpha King would seize Darc’s pack, and I left so that your father would seize my pack as well. It was the only way to keep everyone safe. He sent lycans to my pack—”

“If you needed the protection, you should have asked,” Rex snarled.

“Darc has my sister. If he suspects I told the Alpha King anything, he’ll kill her. I’m an Alpha; there’s no way Darc would believe I left the pack. It’s best if Darc thinks your father is holding me in a cell because he suspects I plotted against him.”

“Pierre Darc is dead, and so is his mother,” Lukas said as he studied the Alpha’s reaction.

“Pierre is selfish and stupid,” Alpha Orléans scowled. “It’s Jules Darc you have to worry about. He’s a bit mad, and some say he’s been possessed by a demon.”

I remembered the night at La Tour with Persephone and Grandma. Pierre Darc was seated with someone who resembled him, and I recalled how they seemed to be engrossed in conversation. They had been plotting against us–plotting to steal a lycan.

“The Alpha’s sister and Delta are missing, along with Caspian and Jose,” Storm said before she turned to the Alpha. “Do you have any idea where Jules is keeping them?”

“I was hoping they were on Darc pack property, but if your father hasn’t found them yet… Did you say Alpha Caspian is missing?”

“He went into a shop for sandwiches earlier today and vanished into thin air with Jose,” Lukas told him.

“Which arrondissement?” Alpha Orléans asked as he moved into a standing position.

“The third,” Storm replied.

Alpha Orléans rotated his arm around. The wound was healed, but his shirt was destroyed. “Thank you,” he thanked my sister. “It’s good as new.”

Ranger was quick to tuck my sister beside him as if sheltering his treasure from the world. I nearly laughed because I wasn’t sure which Alpha was more protective or possessive. Lukas’ arm tightened around me, and I had my answer.

“Do you know if Jules has an apartment in the city?” Flaym asked.

“He used to have one near the Eiffel Tower, but it caught fire a few months ago.”

“Caught fire or blew up?”

“It was very sad news,” the Alpha said. “One of the Omegas from the pack was sent to deliver his laundry, and she died in the fire.”

“Does Jules strike you as the kind of crazy who would kill his mother and brother?” Storm asked.

“Absolutely,” he nodded. “He wants to be Alpha and has been pressuring his brother for years to split the pack as the Alpha King did with the Moon Realm between your uncles.”

Grandma flicked the whip around as if taking it for a test drive. “Is this joint opening for business tonight?”

“I’m afraid not,” Alpha Orléans replied. “I need it to look like I’ve run off or being held captive by the Alpha King.”

“Is that a big birdcage over there?” Grandma trotted off to have a closer look.

“Grandma on the loose,” my wolf murmured.

“You smell like smoke?” The Alpha sniffed towards Rex.

“Erick’s apartment blew up after we found Pierre Darc and his mother. We were in the neighborhood and stopped by to use your shower.”

“Please, help yourself. We have the entire place to ourselves. Henri was just getting ready to make a food run,” he said. “Have you eaten?”

“I thought you were in hiding?” Flaym asked. “What if someone sees your warrior coming and going?”

“This is Paris. There are tunnels of every kind that run beneath the city. There’s a trap door in the kitchen that leads to an office in the second arrondissement.”

“Can we get some beef bourguignon?” Grandma requested.

“Of course,” he nodded.

“And some good fresh bread,” she continued.

“Oui,” he smiled.

“I’m going to find the locker rooms downstairs,” Rex said, reaching for the bags of clothing we had just purchased.

“What’s the plan?” Storm asked Lukas.

“I’m going to take a shower. We’re going to wait for the food and Zane to arrive,” he told her. “Don’t let Grandma out of your sight, and don’t leave.”

Lukas held my hand and led me down the stairs leading to the playroom of the kink club. He stopped on the step where he found me in my underwear the last time we were both here and pressed me against the wall. His lips found mine, and he kissed me deeply.

“I’m still pissed you walked around here naked that night,” he grated. “If we had time, I’d strap you over a bench down there and spank your ass red.”

“I didn’t do anything wrong.” I licked my lips, and my breath stuttered at the idea of him doing that to me.

“You let other males see you, and my beast didn’t like it,” he lowered his mouth to my neck and nipped it. I wiggled under his touch, and he pressed more of his weight on me.

“I….I…” I started to say.

“You said the same thing to me that night, Princess.”

He reached for my elbow, just as he had that night, and walked me down into the empty playroom. Something deep inside of me wanted to have a private play session with Lukas. To see his full Alpha unleashed and experience all the dirty little things I’ve only dreamed of with him.

“I’ll build you an entire playroom at home,” he whispered through the mind link. A promise of erotic and dark pleasure to come, and lust pulses through me.

“I think Rex took all the clothing in the men’s locker room with him,” I said as we approached the locker room doors.

“He’s taking a shower in the men’s locker room,” he said, pushing open the women’s locker room.

Lukas walked over to the towel desk and collected a few towels. I stood motionless like a voyeur, watching as he moved to the light switch and dimmed the lights to a soft purple. He stepped to the big shower stalls and turned three shower heads to full blast. The club was new, and all of the finishes reminded me of an upscale spa instead of a kink club or gym.

Lukas reached his arm back over his shoulder and pulled his shirt off with one tug. He toed off his shoes, and my heart began to race, knowing what was coming next. His hand moved to his zipper, and he lowered it slowly. The air caught in my throat when his cock sprang free.

“Commando?” I grinned.

“The elastic is a pain if I need to suddenly shift.”

My wolf yipped through the mind link, and I heard his beast purr back to her. Warmth coiled in my chest and between my legs. That damn purring did things to me, and I loved it.

Without thinking, I kick my sandals off and pull my dress over my head. I needed to touch him, to be close to him. My legs carried me forward, and in the process, I removed my panties and bra.

I stepped into the shower with him and ran my hands over his taut chest. Every inch of him was so fucking perfect and hot. Leaning forward, I pressed a kiss just over his heart and felt his pulse thudding beneath my palm.

“Lavender-scented shampoo,” he grinned. “Guess it’s better than smoke.”

I pumped the body wash onto the small washcloth and smiled. “The body wash is also lavender.”

Lukas lathered his jet-black hair twice, and I dragged the soapy cloth all over him. Everything in me ached for him. The more I touched him, the more I wanted him. He finished rinsing off and turned to face me.

His blue eyes met mine, and I knew what was coming. I turned to reach for more soap and felt a stinging slap on my ass. Maybe I didn’t know what was coming. He palmed my ass, and my skin tingled from the burn.

“This ass of yours drives me crazy, Princess,” he rasped. Sᴇaʀch Thᴇ ꜰindNʘvel.ɴet website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

Crack!

“Wait, wait,” I tried to turn to face him.

Crack! Crack! He landed another slap on each cheek, and to my horror, I moaned.

He palmed my ass again, and the tension grew from somewhere deep inside. Anticipation pulsed through me, and I desperately needed him to touch me. To touch me there. He ran his fingers through my slit and hissed.

“Fuck, you’re soaking wet.”

I huffed out a breath of frustration, then gasped when he shoved two fingers into me. I couldn’t stop the untamed and hungry groan that ripped from me. Unable to resist, I squeezed my thighs together around his hand, and he let out a low snarl.

Crack!

Crack!

Looking over my shoulder, I try to squirm away from the slaps. My senses felt overwhelmed, and I was unsure if I loved or hated it. I whined and pressed my hips back, needing more. Maybe I loved it.

“This is what I wanted to do to you when I saw you here the first time,” he growled.

His hand wrapped around my neck possessively and dominantly, showing his Alpha nature. Lukas bent me forward a little before his hardened dick impaled me. The feel of his hips pushing against the stinging of my ass drew a mewl from deep within me. Everything felt so good, and my greedy walls clung to him as he pulled out and plunged back in. I closed my eyes and arched back into him, needing more.

Lukas reached around and dragged his fingers over my lower lips while holding me in place with the hand around my neck. He strummed the nub of my clit, and my heart felt like it was going to jump out of my chest. I gasp again, feeling his cock thickening further, stretching and filling me. It was too much, and yet I wanted more.

“Mark him,” Stella urged me, and my canines dropped. I felt an overwhelming urge to bite him.

Lukas released his hold on my neck and pulled out of me. He spun me around to face him and lifted me up as I wrapped my legs around him. His tongue traced over my lips and down my jawline as he thrust back into me.

“Come for me,” he ordered, and I obeyed. Delicious heat exploded inside of me, setting off spasms around his magic dick.

Lukas growled and pistoned his hips faster until he couldn’t move anymore. The pressure of his knot was almost too much, but it set me on fire. With a guttural groan, he tipped his head back, and I felt the throbbing of his release inside of me.

“Mine,” I snarl and sink my teeth into the flesh of his neck.

Nearly an hour later, we walked through the playroom and back up the stairs. Tables had been pushed together in the middle of the club dancefloor, and the smell of food filled the air. Rex had finished his shower and joined the others to eat. His head turned, and his eyes narrowed on Lukas.

“Nice mark,” Rex smiled. “Do either of you feel the tingles yet?”

I turned my head to look at Lukas. I had been so caught up in the heat of the moment that I hadn’t noticed if the elusive tingles we’d heard so much about were real. Lukas lifted his hand to cup my cheek, his blue eyes boring into me. My entire world was reflected back at me through his eyes. I saw everything as clearly as gazing into a crystal ball: our love, our pups, our family, and our long future. The only thing that wasn’t there was the tingles from my mate’s touch—the evidence of our concealed mate bond.

“No one has felt the tingles of a newly found mate bond in my pack in nearly two decades,” Alpha Orléans said. “Forgive me, but there have been whispers the Moon Goddess is displeased with the Alpha King and is punishing us.”

“Without shifters, Gods become irrelevant in this world,” Grandma said as she tore a chunk of bread in half. “Many Gods have come and gone with the civilizations of the past. Our belief and worship fuel her power.”

“Then perhaps she’s taken an extended vacation,” the Alpha suggested as he forked a lump of potato.

“Zane isn’t here?” Lukas questioned.

“I texted him our location, but he hasn’t replied yet,” Flaym said.

“I spoke with Uncle Ares,” Ranger announced. “I told him everything we’ve figured out. They’re doing everything they can to track Jules Darc. He thinks Darc may have them all hidden in the city.”

“We should be searching for Jules,” Lukas said with a low growl.

“He wants us to remain here with François. Now that he knows what’s happening, he put the word out that Alpha François Orléans will be executed in the morning for the murder of Alpha Darc and his mother.”

“He wants to draw out Jules Darc!”

“Yes,” Rex nodded. “If Jules believes that Alpha Orléans has taken the fall, then there will be two big packs in France that need an Alpha.”

“No one knows about the mind-reading gift,” Alpha Orléans said with a hard swallow. “Jules will claim his innocence without knowing that you’ve already gathered the truth.”

“Is Erick strong enough to summon a demon to help Jules?” Flaym asked.

“Possibly, but my nephew never felt comfortable with his magic. My sister was born an Omega, like our mother. She’s very kind and sweet and she passed that along to Erick. Cooking and mixing spices is his real passion,” he chuckled. “Believe me, I tried to steal him from La Tour several times.”

“Was he bullied in the pack by aggressive males?” Storm questioned.

“He didn’t grow up in my pack, where we respect your father’s edicts, but I imagine life couldn’t have been easy for Erick with Jules Darc around.”

Lukas pulled out a chair from the table. Though there were plenty of other seats at the table, I knew he was going to seat me on his lap. The soft purring of his beast came through the mind link to let me know he was pleased. Grandma Dori passed a bowl of food to my mate and reached for one of the baguettes.

“Did you see the hanging swings downstairs?” Grandma whistled. I bet that’s quality Italian leather… not that cheap Chinese stuff.”

“I must have missed it,” I replied, feeling my face heat up.

Rex sniffed the air and smirked at his brother. “The lavender is a nice touch.”

“Jealous?” My mate grinned.

“Don’t mind them while they measure their dicks,” Storm told the Alpha.

“How long have you had the gift of sight?” Alpha Orléans asked Storm.

“You told him?” Lukas questioned.

“Her eyes turned white while you were in the shower,” Flaym said.

“What did you see?”

Storm hesitated for a moment. “Just the moon again.”

“The moon?” Alpha Orléans questioned.

“Do you have any idea of a monument or artwork in Paris with a melting full moon?” Storm asked.

“A melting moon…” he repeated thoughtfully. “Isn’t it the sign of our Goddess in distress?”

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