Moon Spell (The Tale of Lunarmorte #1) (20 page)

“You know how temperamental we are. Well, males tend to get a little possessive over their womenfolk, even if said womenfolk aren
’
t their mates.”

“So, that was just testosterone?”

“Yeah.”

Caia grimaced. “How disgusting,” she replied wryly.

Jaeden shrugged, her smile sheepish. “I don
’
t know. Don
’
t you think it
’
s a little hot?”

She guffawed. “No. We live in the twenty-first century. And we
’
re lykans. We don
’
t need any man to take care of us.”

Jaeden didn
’
t look convinced. “Sorry. I just think it
’
s kind of nice that they care enough to want to smash some human jerk
’
s face in when he gets a little too friendly.”

“Well it was embarrassing.” Caia sighed. She felt her cheeks turning red at the thought of that poor guy. What must he have thought when Ryder shoved him out of the door? Plus, she mused, biting her lip, he thought she was attractive. It was kind of nice. Her self-esteem wasn
’
t really up to much lately thanks to the rest of the women in the pack all looking like glamour girls. Her eyes flickered over Jaeden who was beautiful without even having to try.

“I know you don
’
t want to hear this.” Jaeden was smiling cheekily at her. “But maybe Lucien kicked the guy out because he heard him asking you for your number.”

The thought made her heart kick. It was a nice thought. It was based entirely outside the realm of reality, but it was still nice. She shook her head, her eyes wistful. “I don
’
t think so.”

“You sound disappointed by that.” Jaeden was grinning, her blue eyes sparkling with mischief. “Am I to assume one has feelings for our glorious leader?”

Oh crap
, Caia groaned. In her depression she had let too much show on her face. Trying desperately to cover her slip she shook her head, laughing as if that was the most insane idea on the planet. “Oh please. Of course not.”

Her friend looked unconvinced. “Uh, yeah... sure.”

“I don
’
t,” she retorted, through gritted teeth.

Jaeden
’
s expression changed. She slumped and looked serious. “I really think he has feelings for you, Caia.”

“Don
’
t say that to me.” She got up and grabbed her bag, shoving her feet back into her shoes. Jaeden jumped up, anxiously following her as she made her way out of her bedroom and down her staircase.

“Why? I really think it
’
s the truth?”

Caia ignored her, her heart beating faster as she rushed down the stairs and out of Jaeden
’
s front door. Her eyes fastened on her car with relief as she strode towards it.

“Caia.” Jaeden stopped her, spinning her around to face her. “What
’
s wrong?”

She felt the threat of tears and gulped a lump back down in her throat, holding them at bay. Before returning to the pack she hadn
’
t cried since she was a little girl. These days it was all she seemed to do. She was so tired today. Shaking her head, she pulled her car door open and threw her bag inside.

“Caia, please.”

She drew to a stop at the worried look on Jaeden
’
s face. She realized Jae was afraid that she
’
d offended her somehow. She heaved a sigh. She should trust her; she owed her that much.

“I just...” she stopped, trying to gather her thoughts. “I
’
m happy here, Jae.”

“So, what
’
s the problem?”

“The problem is... I
’
m happy here, and I never have been before. But this... this is all new, and the pack is just getting to know me. If anyone thought, for one second, that I had designs on Lucien...”

Thankfully she watched the light dawn in Jaeden
’
s eyes. “I see.”

“I don
’
t have any,” she rushed to explain, “It
’
s just... he
’
s been kind. And not everyone is accepting of me as you are.”

Her friend drew her into an unexpected hug. “I won
’
t tell anyone you like him. I understand. I won
’
t tell.”

Caia breathed a sigh of relief and hugged her back tightly.

“Why are you
calling?” he asked coldly. “I told you not to call me unless it was necessary.”

He heard her sigh sweetly on the other end of the phone. “Well,” she replied breathily, “Last time we talked you seemed anxious that things weren
’
t progressing as quickly as you would have liked. Today, I have reason to believe that Phase Two won
’
t be as far off as we thought.”

He smiled into the mirror above his phone table. He liked the sound of that. “Oh?”

“The girl and the leader are becoming attached.”

“You know this for certain?”

He clenched his fist, knowing she was insolently rolling her eyes. She thought he couldn
’
t see. “Yes,” she said evenly. “My eyes and ears are everywhere.”

Despite her insolence he felt his shoulders relax a little. This was good news indeed. “What about the others?”

“With the exception of one or two, they actually seem to be rather taken with the little abomination.”

“Good. We are depending on that.”

She chuckled. “Yes, we are. How
’
s my little pet faring by the way?” she purred.

It was his turn to roll his eyes. “
My
pet, don
’
t you mean?”

“Well, of course, my lord,”

“I
’
m enjoying it. I find it is an excellent outlet for all my pent up aggression.”

“I
’
m sure.”

Actually at this moment he rather felt like visiting it. Bored with her now, he shut down and said, “Call when there is no doubt about their alliance. We
’
ll move in for Phase Two.”

“Of course, my-”

He hung up before she was finished and gazed into the mirror again. His eyes narrowed at how unkempt his hair was. Smoothing it with his hands and straightening his collar, his eyes brightened with anticipation, thinking of the pet his spy had given him. It was just a bonus in this tense and frustrating business. He strolled through the house until he came to the large kitchen. At the end of the kitchen was a pantry, and in it was another door. The door led down old wooden stairs to a deep, dark pit. At the bottom he stopped and took in a lungful of the air. He winced at the damp earth that attacked his nose.

Damp earth and fear.

With a snap of his fingers a flame appeared in thin air, dancing in front of him, lighting the entire room and waiting for his command. It followed him as he strode to the end of the dark dungeon-like basement, and came to a stop in front of a large cage. He bent down, his eyes lighting up with delight at the creature inside. “Hello again.”

The fear roiling inside of it him hit with full force. He shivered in delight at the tingling warmth of excitement spreading through his body.

“Did you think I
’
d forgotten you?”

There was a dark cloud over her head for the next week. She would fall out of bed in the mornings, and go through the routine of washing and dressing, having breakfast, and then heading off to school...

And then she
’
d see Alexa
’
s triumphant face, and whoosh! The dark cloud burst overhead, drenching her in a self-pity she had only ever read about.

“I don
’
t like this,” she muttered to Jaeden during their study period.

“What?”

“This.” She indicated herself dramatically with a wave of her hands. “This person I
’
ve become... dear goddess, I
’
m like one of
them
.” She flicked her pencil at the humans in the room.

Jaeden laughed under her breath. “Caia, it
’
s called a crush. Believe me, Ryder makes me feel the same horrible mixture of happiness and despair. Add a pinch of lykan volatility and you
’
ve got yourself the teenage hormonal party from Hades.”

She snorted, but Jaeden
’
s comforting words of assurance didn
’
t make her feel any better about the fact that all she had been doing for the last few days was moping about Lucien. Last night at the dinner table she had even been reduced to monosyllabic sentences in his presence.

“I heard Alexa
’
s been visiting his store after school.” Jaeden twisted her face in disgust.

“Who told you that?”

“Sebastian
’
s seen her when he
’
s been coming home from Yvana
’
s.”

Caia moaned, cupping her chin forlornly in her hand. “I can
’
t even imagine what my life will be like if he actually mates with her.”

“If who actually mates with whom?” Sebastian whispered, sliding into the seat beside her.

“If Lucien mates with Alexa,” Jaeden answered.

“Why would that bother
you
, Caia?” Sebastian looked suspicious, pulling his chair closer to hers.

Her heart picked up tempo, as her eyes flew wildly to Jaeden. Sebastian couldn
’
t know. No one else could.

“Uh.” Jaeden swung her pencil about as she tried to think of something. “Um... oh, because Alexa hates Caia. If she was Lucien
’
s mate, I mean ... she could cause trouble for her.”

Sebastian smirked and put his arm around Caia
’
s shoulder, his tawny eyes twinkling as he looked into hers. “You don
’
t have anything to worry about. I
’
ll protect you.”

Caia grunted and pulled from his embrace as the bell rang. She gathered her things and stood up before them. “Thanks Sebastian, but no. If the worst comes to the worst... I
’
ve always wanted to go to China.”

Saturday morning
arrived quickly. The nervous energy in the house was at breaking point as Ella flew between Irini
’
s and Caia
’
s rooms to make sure their preparations for the mating ritual were going well. Eventually, Caia had decided to leave Irini in the capable hands of her mother and Lucia, who was fixing her hair for her, and stay out of the way in her bedroom. She had changed already, her slender figure wrapped in the dusky pink satin dress they
’
d chosen. It was floor-length and figure-hugging, creating the illusion that she was taller than she was. She was a little self-conscious of the thin straps and low cowl neckline, but Ella assured her she looked perfect. Lucia had twisted her long, pale hair into a French twist, and placed tiny pink rose buds into the style. She sighed, turning to the side to make sure the dress wasn
’
t wrinkled from sitting in it. She didn
’
t care what Ella said, this certainly felt like a bridesmaid dress. Caia turned at the sound of someone clearing their throat, and immediately flushed at the sight of Lucien standing tall and elegant in a dark suit. Oh my, he was handsome, her heart fluttered uncontrollably.

He smiled at her, his eyes drinking her in. She flushed again.

“You look...” he stepped into the room and stopped a few feet from her, his hands jammed casually into his suit trouser pockets. “Wow.” He met her gaze and grinned. “You look beautiful.”

Oh boy
, she was sure he must hear her heart thumping rapidly in her chest; she felt like it was going to explode. Did he actually say she looked beautiful? Was he just being polite?

“Thank you,” she managed, and then had to clear her throat when it came out all breathy.
Dammit
. “So do you.” She flushed again and stammered. “I... I m-m-mean you look nice.”

Lucien laughed and her eyes got caught in his. They weren
’
t as electrifyingly silver today, more of an intense dark smoke. “Don
’
t be nervous, Caia.”

“Nervous. Why should I be nervous?”

He shrugged. “Because you
’
ve never been to one of these before.”