The Gift chronicles novel Chapter 2

Book 2 Chapter 11

I tossed and turned throughout the night, unable to get a restful sleep knowing that the Blood Alpha and his mate would arrive in the morning.

Thane, lucky bastard, slept like a baby. He certainly wasn't as nervous as I was. When I asked why they were coming, he simply responded: "For training."

I didn't want the Blood Alpha to train me! I had no doubt that he wouldn't be scared of Thane and would hurt me during training. Hell, he may even accidentally kill me. They don't call him the Blood Alpha for no reason.

Thane woke up at about 6, so after I had been wake for two hours while I thought of the different ways the Blood Alpha could kill me. Even though Thane reassured me that "Cain" wouldn't ever harm his cousin's mate, I had my doubts.

"How long have you been awake, little one?" Thane asked suspiciously, most likely eyeing the dark circles under my eyes.

"Not long," I lied, and gave him a fake reassuring smile. He didn't buy it, seeing right through me as always.

"Oh, love. I told you not to worry. The Blood Alpha wouldn't ever bring harm to you," Thane reassured me once again, cupping his cheek. "In fact, you will be the safest person in the world if you are in the company of the Blood Alpha and his mate."

"Tell me more about his mate," I urged Thane.

Thane was pensive. "It's hard to find the words to describe Ares. I think it would be easier for you to just see her in action. I promise you'll get a good sense of her personality within the first five minutes of meeting her," Thane promised. "But you should know that she can't talk, so if she's quiet, don't take it personally."

I frowned. "Can't talk?"

Thane nodded. "Her tongue was ripped out by a rogue when she was young."

My mouth dropped. "That's so sad. Poor girl. And now she's mated to the most violent man on the continent. That's got to be hard for her."

Thane laughed. "Oh, little one. The Blood Luna is anything but a 'poor girl'. Don't worry about the Blood Alpha and her. Even if the Blood Alpha wanted to hurt her, I'm not sure he could."

I frowned. What the hell does that mean? I assume because the mate bond wouldn't allow him to lay a hand on her. But if that was true, then how could the whipping rumor be true?

"Little mate, please do not worry. You will meet them soon, and you'll feel silly for worrying about Ares," Thane insisted, and I hesitated before nodding. If Thane wasn't worried about the girl then I suppose he had good reason. Maybe the Blood Alpha had a heart after all.

"Now go get ready, they'll be here in an hour. They're early risers and left early this morning," Thane commanded me, and I nodded.

I put on jeans and a flowy white blouses, hoping this wasn't going to be a formal occasion. Luckily, Thane wore his typical slacks and button down shirt, which he rolled up to his elbows. My hair wouldn't cooperate today, so I put the black, curly tendrils in a bun, ignoring the stray pieces that framed my face.

"Your beauty is unrivaled," Thane murmured, suddenly behind me. I jumped, still not used to how quickly Alphas can move. It was truly unfair.

I blushed from his compliment. "You have to say that, you're my mate," I argued, just to get on his nerves.

He rolled his eyes. "I can assure you that the Moon Goddess knew better than to match me with an ugly wolf," He smirked and winked at me, the cocky little troublemaker.

I laughed and swatted at his chest, but he caught my hand. Thane pulled me in close. Suddenly, the ambiance of the room went from joking to intensely serious as Thane's expression hardened. His eyes darkened.

Not willing to let another mindlink interrupt the moment, Thane swiftly grabbed me by the chin and jerked my head up. He bent down and his mouth was on mine.

I kissed back without hesitating, although I will admit the spark between us nearly felt like I was being struck by lightning or stuck a fork in an electrical outlet.

His hand moved from my chin to the back of my neck, and I got on my tiptoes so he wouldn't have to lean as far down, even though I was only about 10 inches shorter.

Sensing what I was trying to do, Thane, in control as always, lifted me so that my legs were wrapped around his waist. He never broke the kiss, and our tongues and lips moved perfectly in sync.

Thane growled against my mouth, and then much to my discontent, pulled away set me down. "If the Blood Alpha didn't just cross into my territory, we would have been doing that the rest of the day."

I nodded, trying to catch my breath. Thane tweaked my nose. "You look lovely flushed, little mate," He winked at me and turned to leave his bedroom, leaving me stunned.