Chapter Thirty-One—Lucas

Lucas ran faster, trying to catch Jaxson as he tried to outrun a four-wheeler. Once he smelled Cathy Ann and realized she was his mate, he started running after her—naked.

Lucas tried to reason with him, shouting after him, but he didn't stop. He ran faster than ever before. The forest began to grow thicker, making it hard for Cathy Ann to make it through, since she veered off the trail, trying to throw Jaxson off. It didn't work.

She had no idea why he was naked or anything about wolves. Buddy, was she in for a big surprise. "Jaxson!" Lucas screamed.

Lucas got nothing from him, besides a view of his bare behind darting between trees. The sound of Cathy Ann's prayers made Lucas laugh. Poor kid.

Jaxson reached the back of her four-wheeler and jerked it back, keeping her running in place. Cathy Ann screamed and jumped from the four-wheeler and into a huge pile of thorn bushes.

"Don't hurt me. I won't tell anybody, swear!" Jaxson stood over her while she covered her eyes with her palm. "Don’t you have some clothes?"

Jaxson bent down and pulled her to her feet. Cathy Ann looked scared to death. "Jaxson," Lucas warned.

"Help me," Cathy Ann mouthed to Lucas.

They'd been friends when they were kids, before Lucas shifted at thirteen-years-old, and he knew she trusted him. Jaxson—not so much.

"Jaxson—"

"She's my mate," he said, not looking away from her. "She's—beautiful."

Cathy Ann cringed, and even though Lucas could smell the attraction she had for him, it felt forced to her. Unreal. She didn't understand. "Let me go," she pleaded.

"Jaxson, maybe we could ease her into this," Lucas said.

"Ease me into what?" she asked, her attention drawing to someone over Lucas' shoulder. "Sweeny! Help me, please! I told you that they were freaking freaks!"

"Jaxson this isn't the way to go about this," she said. "Maybe we can have a talk with her—with clothes on, hmm?"

Jaxson growled underneath his breath but pried himself away from her. Jaxson never liked Cathy Ann while Hattie was here for obvious reasons, but he hadn't liked her personality, at all. Even called her a prude on occasion. Strange how mating works.

Cathy Ann scurried up and toward her four-wheeler. "Sweeny do you want a ride out of here?"

Sweeny looked at Lucas. "Maybe you can meet us at Lucas' house to talk?"

She started her four-wheeler. "Why so I can go missing for a year, too? No, thank you."

Sweeny walked over in front of the four-wheeler to stall her. "Listen, there are things we need to talk about."

She revved her engine. "I'm not afraid to run over you!"

Sweeny tilted her head, knowing she wouldn't do it, and put her hand out on the gun rack attached to the front. Cathy Ann tried to jolt forward but Sweeny didn't budge, and neither did Cathy Ann.

"Oh my goodness," she cried. "Someone help!" she screamed.

Sweeny walked around to Lucas and elbowed him. "You're the alpha; knock her out so we can carry her back to the house."

Lucas gave her a look. "I'm not hitting a girl, no."

"Don't you dare hit her," Jaxson growled.

Sweeny rolled her eyes. "Then what do you think we should do, Jaxson? She's going to go tell the entire town if we don't get this taken care of."

Theo's scent neared, and Lucas could sense his annoyance. "Well, aren't we just having a couple get-together—without me? Am I the third wheel now?"

Sweeny bit her lip to keep from laughing. "We're actually debating on how to get Crazy Cathy—" Jaxon cut her off with a glare. "Cathy Ann," Sweeny corrected. "To the house to talk. She's a little freaked out, especially since everyone but me is naked."

Theo walked over to Cathy Ann and tossed her over his shoulder. "Let's go. The mosquitos are biting my dic—"

"Get your junk away from her!" Jaxson said, grabbing her like a ragdoll and marching off with her, Cathy Ann kicking and screaming the entire way.

***

Cathy Ann sat on Lucas' couch, her arms wrapped around her stomach and her eyes narrowed. "I'm being held against my will and I don't appreciate it."

Lucas sat down beside Sweeny on the loveseat opposite of her. Jaxson descended the stairs a few moments later, pulling one of Lucas' shirts over his head. His gaze moved straight to hers and held.

She looked away from him slowly and closed her eyes. "So is anybody going to tell me what's going on? You know my dad is going to come looking for me. And my mother doesn't want me over here."

Jaxson snorted and sat on the ottoman directly in front of her. "Your Momma is going to get over it."

She pressed her mouth into a thin line. "I dare you to say that to her face," she mumbled.

Lucas elbowed Sweeny in amusement. "This is getting good."

Sweeny swatted him. "Listen, Cathy Ann. We weren't just out in a big field naked—"

"That's what it looked like to me," she countered. "If you're into orgies," she whispered. "Or whatever, I won't judge, I just want to go home. I'll forget about the nakedness and this mating thing, as long as you don't drag me into it."

Jaxson sighed and stood up to pace the living room. "Listen, Cathy Ann," he said. "We weren't having sex out there, or mating with each other, what I meant when I said mate—was like soulmate."

She gave him a deadpanned look, trying to push down the stray blonde hairs around her face from her attempted mad dash home. "Jaxson, I've known you my entire life and I'm one hundred percent sure that you don't have any romantic interest in me—"

"So you don't feel it?" he asked boldly. "Why were you riding in that field today, Cathy Ann? What brought you out into the middle of nowhere?"

She opened her mouth but shut it. Lucas could tell it was on a whim, and she couldn’t explain why she came. "This is ridiculous. I'm going home."

Lucas stood up. "Cathy—listen, I want you to see something, it'll explain everything, but you have to swear that you won't tell anyone."

Sweeny made a noise underneath her breath. "Are you sure?" she whispered.

Lucas walked outside, waiting on everyone to follow them. Cathy Ann walked out last with her arms crossed over her chest. He didn't see the reason in beating around the bush, so he shifted.

Cathy Ann's body stilled, her eyes rolled back and she slumped over onto his porch with a huge plop.

"Way to go, Alpha," Sweeny said.

***

After Cathy Ann woke up, she tried relentlessly to run away from them, only calming when Jaxson bent down and kissed her. It'd been awkward to say the least, but she melted into him like butter.

When he pulled back, she looked dizzy and wore a lopsided smile. It must have been some kiss because Cathy Ann promised not to tell anyone, and the more Lucas thought about it, who would believe her anyway?

Sweeny plopped down on the couch beside him, her legs rested in his lap and a plate of meat on her stomach. "Want some?" she asked.

Lucas smiled. "Oh, I want some, but not of that food, cher."

Sweeny put her plate down slowly and smiled when he crawled over her. "It seems unreal to think we're here alone," she said. "With no witch after us."

Lucas kissed her neck and then the corner of her mouth. "Yeah, it does." He sat back and stared at the front door.

Sweeny glanced over her shoulder. "What are you doing?"

"Waiting for someone to come and interrupt us."

She chuckled and reached up to bring him down to her. "Let's not wait around for that," she whispered. "I'm assuming Theo is stewing in his own pity, and might get the urge to break up our party."

She was right about that. Theo was in his feelings about being the only one not mated. "Well, in that case," Lucas whispered, skating his teeth against her jaw. "Let's not waste any time."