Wolf Creek Alpha (Texas Pack 1) (38 page)

The atmosphere at the table was relaxed and jovial.  They were all talking at once
and
going over the battle. 

Ian joked with his dad, “So even the old wolf still has it.  I saw
Dad
leap six feet across the floor to take down one of the guards.”

“Nah, I think he leapt that far when he heard the couga
r scream.  I almost wet the floor
,” Devlin said.  He shivered
as if
he was frightened of Melissa.

“Yeah, I’m bad,” Melissa growled in warning
.

They
were all laughing when Mack
told them he could still take down all three of his pups.
  There was immediate denial as they all challenged him playfully.

Lisa noticed Anna sitting quietly smiling as she listened.  “Hey, you okay?”

“Yes, I’m fine.  Just a few bruises like everyone else,” Anna said.

Whisp
ering, Lisa asked, “Are you all right
after seeing him again?”

She’d forgotten how good wolves could hear.  They’d all gotten quiet waiting for Anna’s answer.

Looking at everyone around the table, Anna smiled.  “Don’t worry, I really am fine.  I stopped thinking of him as my father long ago.  It was kind of cathartic t
o be able see him and
to be able to
close that part of my childhood.”

She looked over to Mac
k
and Liz.  “I can never thank you enough for taking me into your pack.  I had a good life with my adopted pack in Oklahoma as a child, and was lucky enough to end up here as an adult.
  Even though my three adopted brothers w
ere sometimes a pain in the ass,
”
she said while looking at Rafe, Ian and Devlin. 

They all laughed as Anna tried to lighten the mood. 

Liz rose to go over and hug her.  “You know we love you like a daughter, but it almost sounds like you’re leaving us.”

Taking a deep breath, Anna slowly exhaled.  “I am.  Dunstan has asked me to live with him so we can get to know one another better.  You know I’ve loved living here, and love you all
,
but I need to move on.
  I’ve spent my life in hiding
,
but no more.
”

“I will always consider you our daughter.  Know that you have a home here and are always welcome,” Mack told her as he stood to hug her. 

Liz and Lisa sniffed back tears watching them.  Sitting back down, Mack put his arm around Liz to comfort her.
  The brothers hugged her
,
telling her how much she meant to them.

Sitting back down, Devlin looked at her, trying to pout.  “Who am I going to torture now that my little sister is leaving?”  He then looked to Lisa, grinning
devilishly. 

“No you don’t.  Leave my mate alone,” Rafe growled at him.

Their playful banter lightened the mood at the table.  Lisa knew that was Devlin’s intention.  That was one of his strengths, she thought.  Being able to make others feel good. 

Robert cleared his throat, getting their attention.  “I’d like to thank you all for your help.  I know you brought me in to help you, but you ended up helping all
fae
.  Ciar would have been a problem for every realm had he gotten what he wanted.  And to Lisa, good
job,
lass.  You make a fine witch,” Robert lifted his glass to toast her.  Everyone followed his lead, toasting Lisa.

Mumbling, Lisa replied, “You’re welcome.  Now sit back down.”  She wanted the attention off of her. 

“I’m wondering about the spell.  Since we all heard it and so did the guards, isn’t there danger of someone else using it now?” asked Melissa.

Niall turned to her, “No, it was a
onetime
use.  It
won’t
work for anyone else, once she said the words.
 
The danger was in if anyone else had taken it from her mind before she spoke it.”

Melissa nodded her head.  That was good to know, she had worried about someone trying it.

Rising, everyone started taking dishes to the kitchen to clean up.  It was crowded with them all helping, but they laughed as they got in each other’s way.  It wasn’t long before they all gathered back into the great room.

Robert was leaning against the wall by the mantle.  He was staring at Melissa as he spoke.  “We’ll be leaving soon also.  The Queen will want to know the details.”

Rafe stood and went to clasp his shoulder.  “Our pack thanks you for your help.  You helped save my mate.  It won’t be forgotten.  You, Niall and
Jem
have a standing invitation to come stay with us any time
, but
you can’t leave yet.  I want you to come to the mating ceremony.  The full moon is only a couple days away and we can have it then.”

“Um, excuse me.  Would someone like to fill me in on this ceremony?  Since I
am
kind of involved in it and all,”
Lisa said, exasperated. 

Liz sat beside her.  “It’s the ceremony where you enter the water and are changed to wolf, once you’ve mated.  The magic transforms you and you then carry the wolf inside, the same as us.”

“
Okaaay
, and the full moon?  I thought you guys weren’t ruled by the moon,” Lisa said.

Rafe came to sit by her, taking her hand.  “We aren’t.  We can change any time we want to
, but
for the ceremony, the magic is the most powerful when there’s a full moon.  It’s always been tradition to hold the ceremony then.”

Lisa had a lot to think about now.  She would be mated to a wolf soon, then be able to become one. 
Yawning, she covered her mouth.  It had been a long day. 
“I’m going up to shower.  It’s been a very eventful day,” she told them smiling.  She said goodnight to everyone as she left the room.

Lisa walked down the hallway, turning to go in to her room.  She remembered a second later that all her things were in
Rafe’s
room now.  She left, making her way to his room.  She took a quick shower and got ready for bed. 
Tired,
but restless, she sat in the chair by the window, staring out at the woods. 

Suddenly, she started cry
ing.  She knew it was her
body’s
way of releasing
stress,
but she couldn’
t stop.  It felt good to let go of all her worries from the day. 

It felt like
she had
lived a lifetime in one week.  The euphoria of being free from fear of Ciar overwhelmed her.

She heard the door open and saw Rafe come in.  He zeroed in on her sitting in the chair.  Striding forward, he scooped her up, taking her seat and putting her in his lap.  She giggled while crying at the same time.

“What’s happened?  Are you all right?” He was at a loss having no clue as to why she was crying.

“I’m okay.  It’s my way of releasing the stress from today.  It’s freeing.  You should try it,” she told him, giggling.

“I don’t think so.
  I relieve
stress by beating on my brot
hers.  Works much better for me,
” he told her smiling.

Sighing, Lisa relaxed against him.  Rafe squeezed her tight against his body. 

“Are you tired?” he asked.

“No, just
a little dumbfounded.  It’s been an exciting and nerve wracking week.  I feel like a balloon deflating slowly.  It’s all over, I know, but I’m still processing everything,” she told him. 

Rafe sat contemplating her.  She was beautiful.  He was thinking about how well she’d handled herself.  It was a lot
for her to take in
.  In one week
,
she’d had to change everything she thought she knew about the world. 
She would make
him
an excellen
t wife
.
  He was very proud of her. 

“I need to shower.  Why don’t you lie down and rest?  I won’t be long,” he told her.

Lisa smiled as he rose, laying her gently down on his bed. 
She pushed the covers back and snuggled underneath the comforter. 

Rafe kissed the top of her head before heading for the en suite bathroom.  He hurriedly showered, wanting to get back to her.

Wrapping a towel around his waist, he opened the door to see her sound asleep.  He wasn’t surprised.  He knew mentally she had been more tired than she had let on. 

Dropping the towel, he strode over and silently climbed into bed.  Snuggling against her back, Rafe closed his eyes.  Inhaling her scent, he felt himself completely relax as the tension from the day left him.  All was right in his world.  His mate, family and friends were all safe.  He was thinking about how good life was as he fell asleep.

Lisa woke and wondered for a moment where she was.  Glancing at the bedside clock, she saw that is was three in the morning. 

She could feel
Rafe’s
heavy arm lying across her stomach with his chest pressed against her back.  She also could tell that he was nude.  She relished the feeling of safety and comfort in his embrace. 

Trying to turn and face him, she wiggled around until she could see his face.  His eyes were open, watching her. 

“Hi,” she said softly.

He grinned wolfishly.  “
Hi,
yourself.  Hope you’re rested now, I have plans for the rest of the night.”

    “The rest of the night?  Brag much?” she asked laughing. 

“
Don’t worry
darlin
’, no bragging, just honest.”

Rafe pressed his lips to hers, covering her with is body.  Gently nipping her lips, he moved down, scraping his teeth along her neck.

Lisa moaned when he nibbled her neck, moving lower.  As he pulled her t-shirt up, she lifted to help him pull it over her head.  She saw it fly across the room to land in the chair. 

Rafe looked down at what he’d uncovered.  Growling, he licked her
breasts,
while she shifted beneath him. 

Lisa had only put on a t-shirt after her shower.  She had been anticipating this moment. 
She felt as though she’d been waiting her whole life for this moment. 

She could feel her magic tingling throughout her body.  It was rising from her to encircle both of them.  Knowing she had finally found the one perfect person for her
,
made her lightheaded. 

Rafe made his way back up to her mouth, kissing her deeply.  “Are you sure you want this?  I need to hear you say it.”  His voice was rough.  She could feel his chest rumble as he growled the words.

“Bite me!  Yes, I want you!” she yelled.

As Rafe plunged into her, his canines extended as he opened his mouth over her shoulder. 
He bit down,
breaking the skin to leave his mark.  Moving against her, he felt their souls start the connection. 

Lisa felt his teeth sink into her shoulder.  She felt a slight pain as his teeth sunk in.  Then there was ecstasy. 
She had
never felt anything like it. 
Her eyes
watered as their souls entwined
. 
She had
never felt anything so beautiful before.

She dug her heels into his calves, trying to pull him closer.  With her nails biting into his back, she scraped them up and down.  She was determined to leave her own kind of mark on him. 

Lisa threw her head back against the pillow, breathing heavily.  Opening her eyes, she saw tiny lights surrounding their bodies.  Amazed, she pulled
Rafe’s
head up from her neck.

“Look,” she whispered.

Rafe rolled to his side, keeping her tucked next to his chest. 
He saw the lights moving around them.  They followed the outline of both their bodies.  The lights then converged over them both. 

Watching the light show, Lisa laughed as the lights danced over them.  It felt like tiny kisses all over her body. 

Suddenly, the lights
wound around them, tying them together.  They could both fe
el
the moment the lights entered their bodies. 

Drawing in a sharp breath, Rafe felt the magic enter his soul.  They were one. 

Hearing the others
talk about the mating and actually living it were two different things.  He now understood.  His heart felt like it would burst.  This moment would forever be held in his heart.

Lisa had tears silently running down her cheeks. She had felt the same thing.  Even though Rafe had tried to explain it to her,
she had
never imagined it would be like this.

Having someone so close, who knew her inside and out was freeing.  She’d never have to hide any part of herself to comply with what someone else thought she should be.