Chapter 27
Lucien’s POV
I drag myself awake, blinking against the sunlight drifting in from the window. I am sitting behind the desk in the study in my suite, in the same clothes I had had on the previous day. Sexual frustration and fatigue are never a good combination.
I squint and look into my watch. It reads 11:30 and I groan. I am late for work.
For the umpteenth time since last night I wonder if I should have taken Corrigan up on her offer. She was willing, and it wouldn't have hurt to have a warm, willing body to sink into. I recall her tightness milking me and I let my head fall back on the seat. Her scent, her voice, could be bottled up as an aphrodisiac. A very potent aphrodisiac.
I had been planning it. The subtle touches and chaste pecks were driving me mad. Who knew seduction could take so much time? I run a hand through my hair. Those red dresses she wears to play are bad enough without her having to put her hair up. Seeing her like that would only require a very basic imagination to see her on her knees, her hair pulled away from her face…
The scent of arousal had been thick in the air last night. But something had been equally as thick.
The scent of pity.
Pity for the little boy abandoned without anyone to care for him. That was what irked me most. I had let it go. I suppose my mother would never have done what she had if she hadn’t actually needed to do so. I have made peace with myself for that. However, I am not welcome to the thought of Corrigan only welcoming me to her bed because of pity.
Even though she was so convincing…
I wonder how I was even able to resist it. The gentle tug on my arm, the shy kiss she placed on my cheek, her breathless request for me to come in. If I thought I was being valiant last night, my body obviously doesn't think so today. The morning wood and the direction of my thoughts catch me between half mast or full erection since I woke up.
I agree with her. I am disgusted.
I stand to my full height, looking down at myself. I would be needed in the pack house soon. J can't keep on leaving Cormac alone to hold the fort down there. So I'm other words, my inappropriate thought process starring Corrigan would have to be put on hold for now.
I walk to the bathroom, shedding my clothes in the process. This is about to be a long day.
Third Person POV
Cormac supervises the training, his eyes constantly shifting to Lorna’s figure leaning against a tree. Her eyes are closed and she is breathing deeply. Her dark hair is away from her face.Unbidden, Cormac finds himself drawn to her, as he had been from the beginning.
He knows her features by memory. The amazon-like stature, boyish and almost totally flat chested. Her face is well defined. She is more striking than she is beautiful, and Cormac likes it that way. He has always liked it that way.
She doesn't take notice of his mild obsession with her, however. Cormac had thought that she probably had no interest in anyone.
That was, of course, before he had seen her with Lucien. She laughs around him, her features softening. He never sees her in skirts during training or whenever he runs into her outside the pack house. He likes the way the pants she wears fit perfectly to her slim frame like second skin.
When Lucien returns, she becomes totally different, wearing skirts and heels he is almost sure she cannot walk properly in.
He doesn't blame Lucien. He is sure Lucien doesn't even know Lorna is infatuated with him. He is totally occupied with Corrigan, no matter how often he tries to deny it and Cormac sees why. Corrigan is a beautiful female. He knows Lucien doesn’t lead Lorna on because he values her friendship.
Cormac walks to Lorna, hoping she doesn't get defensive on him, but in a way, anticipating it. He likes her firebrand act. The way she is quick to anger and lights up at the tiniest provocation. She has always treated him with cool civility.
“Can I help you?” she says as he gets to her, her eyes still closed. He smiles
“Depends on what you mean by help.”
She takes a deep breath. “Please repair your fuck boy act or move away from me.”
He chuckles and leans against the tree beside her. “What's gotten into your pants this fine afternoon?” he asks.
“Has Lucien arrived?” she says abruptly. He tries, but fails, not to feel a little stung by that.
“Not yet.” I responded. “He will probably be here by evening.”
She huffs an inpatient breath. “I'm pretty sure she's held him back.”
Cormac doesn't need the interference of a soothsayer to tell him who “she” is. “It's quite unlikely.”
Lorna snorts. “There's talk of it. How he’s all sweet and gullible to her.” She laughs humorlessly. “males never learn.”
She looks at him expectantly. “I'm sure he's going to let her go soon.”
Cormac knows what she's waiting for. An assurance that Lucien didn't actually care about Corrigan and that he was just using her as a plaything. Even if I wanted to give that assurance, I wouldn't lie about it.
“Not “soon”,” Cormac says finally.
“That's a lie. What makes you so sure?” she says quickly, turning on him. He takes a step backwards, his hands in the air.
“I have two eyes. I've seen the way he looks at her.”
“He's confused.” Lorna grounds out.
Cormac almost feels sad for her. She is grasping at straws. Anything but admitting that Lucien actually does feel nothing for her.
“Lorna. We've both known Lucien our whole lives. When did you ever see him make rash decisions out of confusion?” he asks reasonably.
Her jaw clenches till he is almost scared she will grind her own teeth into powder. “You have no idea what you're saying.” She says, looking away.
He grabs her arm, turning her so she looks at him, she snatches her hand away angrily.
“Lucien never loved you. At least not as much as you love him. He didn't even feel the bond with you. He felt it with Corrigan.” He says.
She takes a menacing step forward, growling. He stands his ground, unfazed. She needs an outlet for her anger, she can have him.
She seems to come to her senses early enough to stop in her tracks. She kicks her lips and stands back.
“I want you to stay away from me.” With that, she walks away.
Cormac wants to follow behind when he hears a scream.
Lucien’s POV
I walk into the woods, watching the crowd already assembled there as I make my way towards the body. That had been the first thing I had had my attention drawn to on arrival at the pack house. A pack member, a guard, had been stabbed with a silver stake.
“You’re here.” I hear Cormac say.
“I quickened the journey as soon as I heard about it,” I reply absentmindedly, looking around for the body. I see it impaled to a tree, by a silver pencil shaped stake. My jaw clenches in anger. To begin with, silver is illegal in our pack and neighboring packs.
I recognize the guard. I had trained with him. He is in his full uniform, his feet sweating just above the ground. The injury caused by the stake is already festering and stinks badly, one of the effects of silver. I look at Cormac.
“Has the murderer been found?” I ask.
“Took flight. Scent was masked.”
I growl, walking away from the body and towards the pack house. Cormac follows behind.
“What do we do?” he asks.
“We seal the borders of the pack.” I say. “Comb through the pack and find this bastard, whoever did this.”
“This could be injurious to your reign.” He points out. “A guard dying so suddenly.”
I nod. “I know that. Now, more than ever, I'll be required to prove myself to the pack members.”
“Silver was made illegal, how could the murderer even get hold of it? It's not even mined.” Cormac says as we walk into the pack house.
“I have no idea. Probably a person with the right resources.” I say.
“Money?” Cormac says. We begin the walk up the stairs.
“Lots of it. And power.” I say. It was also a contract job. Which made no sense at all. Why would someone with enough money and power want to kill for money?
I nod to the guard who holds the study door open so I walk in.“Do you have any suspects?”
“Niles Rhodes.” He says. Though, for his sake, I hope he’s innocent. He might require an elaborate plan and an alliance to grow the balls to confront me, but I have no problem with sticking his own silver stake up his ass.