RISE OF THE LYCANS - Mates and Bonds

4/29/24 - This book has been marked “complete” though we still have about 10 more chapters to go. I do this to give people a chance to discover the book before its gone. I write and post a chapter each day, once complete this book will move to publishing around May 12, 2024.

Do not wait to read this because it will be completed and removed in about 2 weeks.

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Lukas

“Is the restaurant okay?” Flaym asked Alpha François Orléans as he walked us through his new club.

“Yes, it was a small fire at La Tour. Some crazy American tourist knocked over a flambé trolley. Our restaurant is fine, but I’m sure Darc will have to remodel.”

“Oh, a flambé,” Flaym’s eyes lit up.

“I’ve told that fool before that the space was too small for flambés,” François continued. “He should stick to cafés and leave fine dining to us.”

“Does Alpha Pierre Darc have a mate or special someone?” I couldn’t help thinking about him with Selena this morning.

“Not that I’m aware of,” he paused momentarily, his eyes glazed over. Someone was mind-linking with him. “Alpha Zane LaRue has just arrived. Would you like a separate balcony, or should I bring him to yours?”

“Have my cousin brought here.”

Alpha Orléans excused himself, and a human waitress wearing lingerie took our drink order. I sat in a leather armchair while Flaym and Caspian sat on the sofa. Judging from her increased heart rate and the blush on her face, Flaym was already making googly eyes at her.

“I bet Ranger wasted no time finding someone to spank downstairs,” Caspian said with a chuckle.

“I’m the eldest, so I should have the first crack of the whip,” Zane laughed as he stepped onto the private balcony. His younger brother Zander followed behind.

“Look who it is,” Caspian laughed as he greeted our cousins.

After handshakes and hugs, we sat and watched the action below.

“Rex didn’t come?” Zander asked.

“No, he stayed behind with Storm to help with Grandma Dori.”

“How much trouble could a little old lady be?” Zander questioned.

“Grandma does what she wants,” Flaym laughed.

“Is Rex still having those weird dreams?” Zane asked.

“I don’t know. He hasn’t mentioned it since the last dream.”

“Papa Diesel thinks it could be visions. We’ve had some powerful seers in the LaRue line for centuries.”

“Wasn’t Storm having the same dreams?” Flaym asked.

“What makes you say that?” My sister had never mentioned having dreams, and it irked me that our little cousin knew something I didn’t.

“I thought I heard Cynder say something about it,” Flaym shrugged. “Who knows, I could be wrong.”

“Is she still living out in the cottage by herself?” Zane asked.

“Yeah,” I nodded. “I guess she likes her independence.” My sister seemed to be an enigma to everyone who knew her, including her family.

The barely-clad waitress returned with a tray of drinks and brushed her ass against my shoulder when she bent over to set drinks down. We waited in silence to continue our discussion. Most humans had no idea shifters existed, and we wanted to keep it that way.

“She’s hot!” Flaym said, motioning to a female downstairs who was tied to a wall hook topless. Her master had left her there with jingling nipple clamps on for all to see. It was meant as punishment, but she was turned on.

This was the social space, though the stage was set up for scenes, and the nooks were set up to give a sense of privacy while allowing voyeurism. The real fun was in the playrooms below.

“You think this is the year for us?” Zane asked.

I wanted to tell him I had no interest in whoever the Moon Goddess had destined for me. I wanted the one she-wolf my knot ached for. “With any luck, you’ll be the first to find your mate tomorrow night,” I told him.

“Grammy Lucy is worried something might be wrong,” Zander said.

“Is that so?” My eyes tried to focus on a female in black lacy underwear who resembled Selena.

I knew she wasn’t here, and she sure as hell wouldn’t be walking around practically naked with bare feet. The female pressed herself against the back wall and tried to avoid the heads turning to look at her luscious body. Was she someone’s slave? Whoever she was, she had a strong resemblance to Selena, and I couldn’t take my eyes off her.

“Look up… look up…” I whispered to no one and leaned forward, trying to get a better look at her face.

“Is that who I think it is?” Zane noticed.

“No, it couldn’t be,” Caspian replied. “Selena has longer hair than that.”

“I should go talk to her,” Flaym said. “French women love red hair.”

Her head turned, and she looked up at the ceiling. It was her. She was here… in a club like this. “Sit down,” I nearly snarled, and a tremor shook the building.

“Calm down, earthquakes aren’t common in Paris,” Caspian told me as I raced down the stairs.

I reached a small gathering near the alcove where she stood last. My eyes quickly scanned the crowd watching a naughty brat get her punishment, but Selena was nowhere to be found. It couldn’t have been my imagination because the others had also seen her. I wouldn’t hesitate to crash every private room and corner to find her.

Turning around, I looked to Flaym on the balcony, who pointed at the corner. “She went down the stairs,” he said through the mind link.

Is this how she was spending her time in Paris?

Alpha Orléans was standing at the top of the stairs, and I took a deep breath to maintain my composure. My lycan could sense her. “And you… are you the she-wolf who stripped to gain entrance?”

“She’s with me,” I said, trying not to lose my control because he had seen her naked. I had to remind myself he had a mate and wasn’t interested in Selena.

“Of course, my King,” he bowed, sensing my lycan pushing forward and quickly disappearing.

Goddess have mercy because my beast wanted to throw her on these stairs and mate her right here. She looked up at me like a deer caught in headlights. Her lace bra barely covered her nipples, and the top rounds of her breasts were fully exposed. I tried not to look at her panties because I was going to lose my fucking mind if I could see through the lace.

Selena never shifted around me, and for good reason. I took a few more deep breaths to calm my beast before each measured step closer to her. When her scent hit me, I couldn’t resist caging her in with my arm against the wall and leaning in for a deep sniff of her euphoria. My lycan seemed to calm with her scent, and I pulled her into my arms for another sniff.

“Why are you naked, and what are you doing here?”

“I could ask the same question,” she replied. I had to fight the urge to give her a punishing lip-bruising kiss for her sass.

“I’m not naked, Princess,” I reminded her.

“Not Yet,” she sniped.

Was she jealous? I saw a shadow move at the top of the stairs and needed to cover her from the view of others.

“Is that an invitation?” I pulled off my jacket. “Alpha Orléans will be happy to provide us with a private playroom.” I held open the jacket for her and nearly lost all control at the sight of her gorgeous backside.

A growl ripped through me. “Fuck!”

I wanted her—no, I needed her. I shoved her against the wall and leaned in for a few more deep breaths to calm my howling lycan. I was going to lose control of my beast, who was raging for her. I tried to remind him that she wasn’t our mate, that she belonged to someone else, but he didn’t care. Lycans were driven by instinct, and he wanted to knot her deep.

“Lukas… I… I…”

“I want you, Selena,” I growled, though I was sure my beast was speaking for both of us. “Now!”

“I can’t. We can’t,” she cried.

“Fuck the Moon Goddess and her destined mates. I don’t want anyone but you.”

“Lukas, don’t say that. You’re the Lycan King, and she could curse all of us if you offend her,” she pleaded.

“She’s the one that has offended us. Whatever her damn game is, she’s already denied an entire generation a mate bond.”

“You don’t know that. You don’t know what will happen tomorrow,” her eyes filled with worry.

“We don’t need to go tomorrow,” I told her. “Let’s get the hell out of here.”

She shook her head, and I knew what she was going to say. It was the same thing she said before she ran off to Paris. “You need your mate. You need offspring.”

“Rex or Storm can have offspring that can take over for me. I don’t give a damn about anything else if I can’t be with you.”

“We have mates out there. What if our bond to them is stronger than what you might feel for me?”

“NO!” I roared. “That will never happen.”

“Look, I know you’re here tonight looking for a female to blow some steam off with, but it’s not me,” her words stabbed through my chest, and rejection seared through me. “I didn’t mean to crash your party…”

“You mean you didn’t think we’d be here.” I struggled to gain control of myself. “Are you meeting someone? Is that it? Is that why you’re walking around naked at a kink club?”

“No,” she shook her head.

“If you want me to spank your ass, all you have to do is ask.”

“Sol sent me a text message asking me to come get her.” Those sweet brown eyes filled with tears.

“Sol? Sol is here?”

“I think she’s here with Cynder.”

“Well, Cynder’s brother is here. I’m sure he’ll be thrilled to see her here,” I said sarcastically.

“I need to find them,” she pleaded.

“Where are they?”

“I don’t know. She said she’s stuck in the locker room downstairs.”

I grabbed her elbow and guided her downstairs because I didn’t trust myself to put my arm around her. We entered a big playroom with spanking benches, cages, swings, restraint chairs, and a large bed in the corner. The locker room was on the other side of the room, between the main playroom and the dungeon.

Her eyes fell on a bare-chested man holding a whip, and she gasped. “Ranger.”

“Keep moving.” Not wanting to spoil Ranger’s fun, I ushered her away. He had a she-wolf tied to a bench, and she seemed to enjoy whatever he did to her.

We reached the small hall that housed the bathrooms and locker rooms. I pushed the door open and used my Alpha voice.

“Sol and Cynder, come here at once.”

“Is everything okay?” Zane asked, entering the hall.

“What’s going on?” Ranger followed behind Zane.

“Oh, don’t let us ruin your good time,” Selena snapped at him.

“What happened to your clothes?” Ranger asked her.

“Probably the same place as your shirt,” she fired back.

“Sol and Cynder are here. Seems Selena came to collect them,” I told the others, running my fingers through my hair.

“What?” Ranger growled, his gray eyes flashing black as his wolf tried to surface.

The door pulled open, and Cynder’s red hair was the first thing we saw. To my relief, they were both still fully dressed. Sol stood behind Cynder with her head hung low like a submissive little thing about to get her punishment.

“How did you get here?” Ranger demanded.

“We took a taxi,” Cynder replied. “It’s not like we’re pups.”

“I mean, how did you get through the door?” Ranger pressed.

“Again, we’re not pups,” Cynder snapped. “You think we’re not hot enough to get into a place like this?”

“We slipped in through the back door when the bartender was smoking,” Sol confessed. “We overheard you guys discussing the new club and thought we’d check it out.”

“You don’t have to tell him anything. He’s not your dad,” Cynder scoffed.

“If you’re going to be naughty, you might need a daddy to spank some sense into you,” Zane warned Cynder, who looked at him with wide eyes.

“You’re not going to spank me,” she replied.

“Another word, and I will. You’re in the big boy’s playground now, little pup.” Zane opened and closed his hand, and I knew his palm was itching to spank her. Cynder always seemed to get under his skin since we were kids.

“Enough!” Selena hissed. “No one is spanking anyone. I’ve come to collect them and take them home.”

“No, you’re not,” Ranger said, buttoning up his shirt. “I’ll take Sol back to the hotel before Mateo realizes she’s gone.”

“Great, then I guess I’ll go find the dance floor,” Cynder announced.

“The hell you will,” Zane barked. “Let’s go,” he grabbed Cynder’s arm and started walking.

“Wait,” I reached for Zane’s arm. “Flaym is upstairs. He might get upset seeing his sister here.”

“We’ll slip out the back door,” Zane huffed, dragging Cynder behind.

“Let’s go,” Ranger ordered Sol, who looked mortified.

“I’ll see you at breakfast,” Selena called out to her sister.

“That went well… Would you like to stay and play, or do you have someplace else to be?” I teased.

“Play?” She looked at me with those eyes, and I wanted nothing more than to taste her lips.

“Come on, I’ll take you home.”

“I can find my way home, thanks.”

She pushed the door open and walked through the playroom again. Her hands clutched at the lapel of my jacket, ensuring it remained closed. My lycan was urging me to get her alone in a room and have my way with her.

Unmated wolves had sex with others all the time. Once they found their mate, a mate bond locked them together forever. It’s said that once a mate bond is in place, it becomes impossible to live without the other. Every touch and sensation with your destined mate is enhanced, and no other will compare. Or at least, that’s how our parents and grandparents always explained it.

Selena and I are both unmated adults and share intense chemistry, so why are we denying our carnal needs?

She reached the coat check and retrieved a bag containing her clothing. Her eyes looked around as if she would find a dressing room.

“Don’t be shy now, Princess,” I grinned. “You’ve already walked around the entire place naked.”

“Will you stop calling me naked? I’m wearing underwear,” she snapped, pulling up her skirt.

“My sock has more material than your underwear,” I laughed.

“I don’t know why you care,” she said, slipping her shoes on. “You’re the one who came here tonight for pleasure. I came to rescue my sister.”

“Alpha Orléans invited us to his new club. We were just having a look.”

“Waiting to take someone into a private playroom, right?” She took off my jacket, and the sight of her hardened nipples under that thin lace caused my dick to pulse.

“Would you like to see a private playroom?” I couldn’t stop thinking about her pinned beneath me.

“What? No,” she said. “I have to get home. I have company.”

“Oh, then I’ll come with you. I love meeting new company.”

“My friend from school is spending the night. She’s probably already asleep. It’s no one you’d be interested in meeting.”

“I’ll be the judge of that. Shall we take a taxi, or would you like to walk so we can catch up?”

We left the club, and the cool night air hit us. I offered her my jacket again, and she quickly slipped it on. My beast was calm, knowing she was covered in our scent. After all this time away from her, he was back to being a love-sick puppy.

I knew the walk back to her place was about ten blocks away and would take us over the Seine River to the fifth district.

“So, what’s your favorite thing about Paris?”

“You really don’t need to walk me back. I’m just on the other side of the river,” she said.

“I’m your Alpha. It’s my job to ensure your safety.”

“Your father is still my Alpha,” she smirked.

“I’ve seen your underwear,” I told her. “Trust me, you’re not safe out here alone.”

The corner of her mouth twitched, and I knew she was hiding that beautiful smile. We walked in silence for a few minutes before she spoke.

“I like the architecture and the history here. I can easily reach any other part of Europe in two hours or less from Paris.”

“You visit Valaria often,” I said as we rounded the corner.

“Tuscany might just be my absolute favorite,” she said. “Cyrus and Esmeralda treat me like family.”

“Cyrus’ sister is mated to your uncle. That makes you family to them.”

“They’re amazing, and Valaria is like a second sister.”

“She’s not coming tomorrow,” I told her, though I’m sure she already knew.

“No, she’s not.” Selena stopped and gazed at the Notre-Dame Cathedral, which was lit up beautifully. “It seems a bit unfair that werewolves mature at eighteen and lycans have to wait until twenty-five,” she said pensively.

“It does,” I replied, standing beside her to take in the cathedral. “The stained glass is beautiful.”

“Have you seen Sainte-Chapelle yet? It’s just a stone’s throw away from here, and the stained glass there is… well, it’s absolutely breathtaking.”

“No, but I know something else that’s breathtaking,” I couldn’t peel my eyes away from her. Afraid if I lost sight of her, she would disappear. We started walking again, and all I wanted to do was walk around Paris with her all night.

“I’m always in awe, wondering how they constructed something so magnificent so long ago without the tools of today,” she said as we walked across the bridge to the left bank.

“It was probably shifters,” I suggested.

“It could have been mages,” she replied with a smile. “Or vampires.”

“I happen to know the Vampire King. I’ll be sure to ask him the next time I see him,” I chuckled. “I see the crêperie is still open up ahead.”

“It’s a Friday night. They tend to stay open later on the weekends.”

“I didn’t get a chance to have dessert with dinner tonight.”

“What happened? Did Flaym take the last macaron?”

I couldn’t help laughing. “No. The restaurant was evacuated before we could get our dessert because of a fire.”

“A fire?” She froze mid-step.

“We were eating at one of the restaurants in the Eiffel Tower. The other restaurant had an incident with a flambé trolley.”

“Gram…,” she mumbled something I didn’t catch.

“What was that?”

“Nothing,” she smiled. “You know what? A crêpe sounds like a perfect idea right now.”

***Thank you all for the well wishes. My fever is finally gone, and I’m feeling much better, but still snotty. Lots of tea and nose blowing, but I got it done!

If you see any typo’s please let me know. My eyes are tired and I’m off to bed.