Filed To Story: Chasing the Rejected Luna's Heart (Clara & Liam) Book PDF Free
One of the first orders of business after returning had been to act on Alexander’s intelligence and have the former alpha apprehended. He was bitching about it, of course, but the fae mirror he had been using to conspire with the emperor had been proof enough he wasn’t solely loyal to the pack.”That’s naive,” Jax growled. “There will be other challenges. You know that.””Sure there will,” I agreed. “And if you’re both the men I believe you to be, you should have no problem dealing with them, like any other alpha would.” That seemed to take the wind out of his sails, so I continued. “I’m not completely disappearing, Jax. I’ll always be around, and I’ll come back plenty with Lavinia and the others to visit, but my place isn’t here anymore. It’s with her. It always was.”
If I didn’t know better, I’d think there was a hint of guilt in his eyes. And that was saying something, for Jax.”We understand,” Damon said, putting a big hand on my shoulder. “Can’t say I’m not gonna miss you, but I get it. She’s your mate, and you have to put her first.””Yeah, I do,” I said, relieved he was being more understanding about the matter, even though I knew he had his own feelings. The truth was, I loved them both like brothers and I always had, but it was time for me to go out on my own. Time for me to grow the fuck up. “I know the pack is in good hands. Just keep this one in line.””Oh, fuck off,” Jax grumbled half-heartedly.
I gave Damon a hug, and even though Jax was sulking, the bigger wolf grabbed him and pulled him in. “Come on, bring it in,” Damon said gruffly.
Jax rolled his eyes, but he reluctantly patted me on the back before pulling away. “Yeah, whatever. Enjoy your new life in fairy land, I guess.”
I chuckled.”I’ll try.” I said, already feeling a pang of sadness. I’d miss them more than I could ever say. “Take care, you two. And keep an eye out for troublemakers. God knows you’re trouble enough on your own.”
With one last wave, I turned and set off down the path that led to the city. My heart was heavy with emotion as I went, but it was also full of hope and expectation for what lay ahead in my new life. The road before me felt like an adventure, and even though it had its dangers, even though I would be leaving my pack behind, I was gaining so much more in return.
When I arrived at the bar, the regulars were there, and so was Sam. When she looked up, she didn’t glare at me quite as fiercely as she usually did, so I figured we were making progress.”Hey, Red. You’re just in time. The rest of us did all the hard work packing,” she said dryly, wiping down the bar.
I sighed. “I had some things to finish up with the pack. It wasn’t intentional.”
She rolled her eyes. “So you’re really leaving it all behind, huh?” she asked as I came over to the bar.”Yep,” I answered.”No regrets?” she asked, raising an eyebrow. I could feel her scrutinizing me closely, and all things considered, I couldn’t blame her for being wary of me. I had abandoned Lavinia when she needed me most, and then more or less stalked her.
Okay, I had literally stalked her. But I was desperate. That was an excuse, right?”None whatsoever,” I said, holding her gaze. She continued to stare me down for a few minutes, and I had to admit, for a coyote shifter half my size, she was pretty damn intimidating. Guess she had to be to run a place like this.
She finally snorted. “Good,” she said. “I’m glad to hear it. Lavinia deserves someone who’s all in. And if you hurt her again, I’ll break your thumbs and then my brother will break the rest of you. Got it?”
I chuckled, even though I was pretty sure she wasn’t joking. At all. “Yeah, I got it. Fair enough.””Good,” she said, putting a fresh glass of beer in front of me. “Just so we’re clear.”
I took a few sips to be polite before heading upstairs to find Lavinia in the middle of going through a box. Most of the apartment had already been cleared out, and she looked flustered, her hair gathered into a high ponytail and her face flushed. Her usually flat stomach was starting to show a growing bump, a reminder that in a matter of a handful of months, we were all going to be parents. Somehow, that had me more overwhelmed than the whole “mate to the queen of a different realm” thing, but only because I was afraid I was going to screw something up.
Then again, I had four other men as backup, so that was one perk of sharing.”Hey,” I said, walking over to take Lavinia into my arms and kiss her. She gasped in surprise and melted against me, returning the kiss as she draped her arms around my neck.”You’re early,” she said, looking up at me. “How did everything go with Jax and Damon?””You know how they are. Damon was chill and Jax sulked,” I answered, shrugging. “They’re both fine, though.”
There was a look of concern in her gaze as she worried at her bottom lip. “I just feel bad, taking you away from the pack. Away from everything.””You’re not,” I said, stroking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. She really was glowing. Just when I didn’t think it was possible for someone to be even more beautiful than she always had been. And she was a lot more confident now, which just made her shine all the more. “You’re everything to me, Lavinia. I have absolutely no regrets about the choices I’ve made. I’d make them again every single day of our lives together.”
She let out a deep breath. “If you’re sure…””I am,” I said, leaning in to press my lips to hers.
The kiss was full of energy and fire, and it left us both breathless and desperate for more. I tangled my fingers in her hair, pulling her closer as the heat of our connection intensified. Our tongues fought for dominance, dueling in a dizzying dance as we continued to explore each other with unrestrained abandon.
My hands roamed over her body, tugging at her clothes until she was finally free from them and standing before me wearing nothing but her delicate lingerie. Her curves were more pronounced now that she was expecting and it unleashed something primal within me.
I scooped Lavinia up into my arms and carried her across the room to the bed, laying her down gently before settling in beside her. My hands moved over her warm skin with slow care, learning every inch of it like a map I wanted to commit to memory. She gasped softly as my fingertips brushed against particularly sensitive areas, making sure this experience would be one neither of us forgot anytime soon.”You’re so beautiful,” I breathed, looking down at her. “So perfect, it hurts to look at you.”
She gave a husky laugh. “Were you always this poetic?””You mean cheesy,” I said, nipping at her neck.
She moaned, writhing beneath me as she started to plug at the buttons of my shirt. “I’m not complaining.”