Lycan Vengeance

Chapter Thirteen

“It’s perfect!” Rose spun around in the living room of the cedar-sided house.

“Are you sure you’ll be happy way out here?” Knox pulled her to him and kissed her.

She melted against him and kissed him back. “Mmmm. I’m sure. I’ll be happy anywhere as long as I’m with you. You’re my home.”

He reached for her hand, tugged it flat over his heart, and covered it with his. “You have no idea what it does to me when you say things like that.”

His whispered words shivered through her. She stood on tiptoe and placed a gentle kiss on his lips.

“I know exactly what it does to you because it does the same thing to me.” She hugged him, and he held her hand while they stood in the living room of their new home.

The cedar house was situated on over five hundred wooded acres and was only a few hours from

Sanctuary. She and Knox had made their first visit to Sanctuary a couple weeks ago and decided they wanted to buy a place close by so they could help out. Rose was happy because Knox would no longer be out hunting rogues unless absolutely necessary. She would never try to prevent him from doing what he needed to do, but she wouldn’t lie and say she wasn’t relieved to know he’d be home and safe with her.

“Lorent seems like he’s come a long way. I’m glad you saw his potential.”

“I’m glad too. I must confess that I didn’t want to give him that chance. If he’d hurt you, he wouldn’t be here now.”

Lorent, the rogue who had attacked her at Knox’s place, had indeed proved to be a good man who had been terribly misguided. She’d talked to him at Sanctuary once she’d gotten over her apprehension to do so. He was smart, and it hadn’t hurt that he’d apologized to her about twenty times. He seemed to have embraced the ancient laws and now understood the importance of protecting potential mates, as she also did.

While she’d been hesitant at first about fate handpicking certain women to be lycan mates, she couldn’t deny that fate had so far made the right choices in pairing up couples—she and Knox included. Being marked with a scent seemed a bit caveman to her, but it wasn’t something anyone had control over. Therefore, all potential mates had to be protected when found. She had to have faith that those chosen were chosen for the right reasons, compatibility reasons, reasons that would never be realized otherwise.

She and Knox were two of the most unlikely people to be paired, yet they were living proof that they worked, that they were perfect together, that they completed one another. She didn’t know if she’d ever be ready to be turned, but for now, they were both content to be together. She enjoyed every moment of being with Knox, of learning everything about him, what made him happy, what made him sad, his favorite color, animal—she wanted to know it all.

“Hey, talk to me.” He framed her face and rubbed his thumb along her frowning mouth.

“It’s just, well—I don’t want you to end up resenting me if I can’t ever come to terms with you changing me.”

He tilted her chin up so she was looking into his eyes. As always, the intensity that burned in those midnight pools stole the breath from her lungs, for she knew they burned only for her.

“We’ve talked about this, and I meant every word when I said I will love you no matter what you choose.

Being with you makes me happy, whether you are human or lycan.”

“Yes, and I believe that you will always love me, but you can’t honestly tell me it wouldn’t bother you at all if I choose not to ever change.”

“There are only two things that bother me about you not changing. The fact that your life span is so much shorter than mine and the fact that we cannot have children unless you do. The first is really no big deal, as I’ve lived a long time. If you choose to stay human, when you die, I will follow you into the afterlife. And, of course, I will always long for children with you because I can’t imagine anything sweeter than little girls with their mother’s black hair and blue eyes running around. But if that never happens, I assure you I will never regret what we have together. You are enough. We are enough.”

Tears gathered in her eyes before spilling over onto her cheeks. She believed he’d respect and love her no matter what her decision, but she knew him well enough to recognize the yearning that crept into his eyes before he quickly hid it. And truthfully, until this point in time, she hadn’t been sure she’d ever be able to let him change her, but she ached to have his babies. She wanted to share everything with him, her heart, her soul .

. . her children.

She closed her eyes and let a smile tug at her lips when she thought of a little boy with midnight blue eyes, a carbon copy of his father, laughing and giggling and running. And that same little boy would cuddle up on her lap as she rocked him while his father told him a story until his eyes grew heavy and he fell asleep. She’d never wanted babies before, but she wanted them now. Only with Knox.

Then there was the other problem. She didn’t want to see his life cut short because of a decision she’d made. If she didn’t change, she knew no matter what she said, no matter how hard she pleaded, he’d do as he said, and when the time came, he’d follow her into death. Her heart thumped in realization, realization that she would one day be ready to take that final step with him. She wasn’t ready to plunge in and let him change her at this very second, but she would let him. It was just a simple matter of when.

In ways she was already ready, but she still had some doubts, and she didn’t want to agree to anything unless she had a clear conscience. Her doubts were based on the tinge of fear she still felt from what happened that night with Tammy. But she had begun to heal and hoped that soon she’d accept that it had just been one of those unfortunate things that she could not have stopped no matter what she’d done.

She hugged him. “One day, Knox, I’ll be ready. I promise you. But I don’t want to talk about this anymore. Do you know what I’d like to do on our first night in our new home?”

“I know what I’d like to do.” He smiled and nuzzled her neck.

She kissed him. His tongue tangled with hers, and the familiar fire he so easily coaxed from her flamed to life. It was as if the embers never quite burned out while he was near. He buried his fingers in her hair and angled his mouth to deepen the kiss, and when the kiss ended, they were both breathing heavily.

“I think we are on the same page,” she whispered huskily.

“I do believe we are.”

He scooped her up and started down the hall to the bedroom, but she grabbed on to the jamb of the bathroom door before he could pass it by.

She kissed his ear before whispering in it. “I think I’d like to break in the shower first.”

He growled and immediately carried her into the bathroom. “Your wish is my command.” He kissed her again. “But I have to tell you, I plan on breaking in every room tonight.”

She laughed as he set her down, and they both started shedding their clothing.

The End