Chapter 18 - Peter

Leaving Shelley’s with Lucy, I feel content and happy in a way I never have before. Even though I’m anxious about starting work with the kids, I’m looking forward to it as well.

From what I’ve seen so far, kids are far easier to deal with than adults. They talk straight and actually say what they feel.

We’re almost home when I realize Lucy hasn’t said a word. I appreciated it at the meeting, but now I’m starting to wonder if I did something wrong.

“Is everything okay, Lucy?” I ask.

“Hmm?” she says distractedly. “Yeah, sure. I’m just thinking.”

“Not too hard, I hope.”

“Why?” she asks with a little laugh.

“Don’t thoughts turn into actions? Isn’t that how spells work?”

“It’s not quite that literal, thankfully,” she says as we pull up at the house. “I’m just trying to respect your space, you know. I don’t want to put any extra stress on you.”

I glance at her as we get out of the car and walk towards the door. I didn’t notice earlier, but she looks stressed. Maybe even a bit sad.

“The meeting went well,” I say. “Don’t worry about that. I think I’ll fit in with the packs just fine.”

“I’m sure you will,” she answers, opening the front door and going past me. “I’m going for a shower. I’m glad things worked out for you.”

Suddenly, I can’t stand to watch her walk away. A low-level panic sings in my blood, as if I’m dangling over a chasm that I can’t even see.

Is this how men in relationships feel every single day?

“Lucy, wait,” I say, going after her. “Did you want to… eat dinner together or something?”

Her beautiful blue eyes widen in surprise. She stares at me and looks me up and down as if to check it’s still me.

“Okay,” she says hesitantly. “That sounds nice. I’ll look around in the kitchen after I get out of the shower.”

“I’ll go take a look,” I answer. “You just relax.”

“Don’t burn the kitchen down,” she teases, grinning.

I give her a mock salute. “I’ll follow that order to the best of my ability.”

“We’re doomed,” she says, laughing. “Thank you, Peter.”

“No problem,” I reply, watching her disappear down the hall.

What the fuck am I doing?

I shake my head as I walk into the kitchen, not knowing how to answer my own question. Since I first woke up this morning, my head and my heart have been reaching in opposite directions, trying to tear me in two. Even though I still don’t really want to be stuck here in a marriage with Lucy, or with responsibilities to the pack, I can’t deny how good it feels to be part of something.

I spent my whole life alone. No one ever had my back. Now it feels like I’ve got someone on my side… like I have a family.

I start rummaging through the cupboards and fridge, looking for something to cook for dinner. Even though I’ve done okay at the bakery, I had a cookbook to follow. I have no such luck in Lucy’s pantry. Eventually, I find a frozen lasagna I can bake, with idiot-proof instructions on the package.

So, does this mean I’m staying forever? Do I really want this… and do I want Lucy?

My stomach does a nervous little flip as I think about the boring, repetitive routines of the people who consider themselves to be “normal.” Sensible bedtimes. Getting up early. Healthy dinners and workouts at the gym. The idea of my life being reduced to constant, mindless activities grips my heart in an icy, vice-like grip of fear.

“Did you find something?” Lucy asks, coming into the kitchen behind me.

Suddenly, it feels like the walls are suffocating me. All I can think about is running—away from Lucy, the pack, and all the responsibilities placed upon me by both.

Then I turn around and look at her.

She’s wearing a long, white nightgown that frames her shoulders with delicate lace and falls from her wide hips in silky folds all the way to the floor. Her dark hair curls around her face in damp tendrils, and her blue eyes are as clear and bright as a tropical sea.

For all her beauty, it is her expression that catches me beyond all else. She looks hesitant, maybe even scared.

There it is.

I try to look calm as the realization hits me with the force of a freight train.

I don’t want to hurt her.

All my urges to run, to push her away, or make the situation more uncomfortable than it has to be are still there, but I’m holding them in because I don’t want to see that hurt look on her face anymore.

All I want is to see that beautiful smile. The same one I saw last night, after we made love under the stars.

“Is that lasagna?” she asks, coming over to look in the oven.

“Yeah,” I say. “It seemed like the easiest thing to make.”

“Good plan,” she says. “I can throw together a salad to go with it.”

“Sounds dangerous,” I joke.

She winks at me. “I promise I’ll toss it with less than lethal force.”

I can’t stop the amused smile that spreads across my face, or the warmth in my chest.

I think I could get used to this.

“Do you want a drink?” she asks.

“God, yes,” I gasp. “So long as you’re talking about something a bit harder than fruit juice.”

She laughs. “Yeah. I’ll go get my tequila from the bookshelf.”

“Bookshelf? Tequila is a reading drink now?”

This time, she doesn’t laugh. She giggles like a teenager and flashes me that wide, beautiful smile I love to see.

“Fiona and I kept it there on a high shelf so Caleb wouldn’t find it,” she explains.

“Is that a problem?” I say with mock confusion. “I didn’t know he was old enough to drink.”

Now Lucy is laughing so hard, she can’t breathe. I’m stuck between trying to make another quirky remark to keep her giggles going and a sense of growing disbelief that she finds me so entertaining.

“Come on,” she says, taking two glasses from the cupboard and heading towards the living room. “Let’s see if you keep that quick tongue after a couple of shots.”

“Give me half a chance,” I say with a sly grin. “You might find my tongue isn’t quick at all.”

Lucy glances over her shoulder, blushing furiously. As she walks ahead of me, the scent of fresh, juicy peaches engulfs me and wipes my mind clean of every thought, save one.

Burying my mouth in that sweet aroma and lapping up every last drop of nectar I can find.

By the time we reach the living room, Lucy has regained her composure, but now I’m the one struggling. The thin nightgown frames her gorgeous curves, showing hints of dark pink skin where it pulls tight across her nipples.

She takes the bottle out from behind some books on the top shelf, then sits down on the couch, patting the cushion beside her. As I sit down, she hands me a glass with a generous splash of tequila. I slam it down in one go.

“Thirsty, huh?”

“Yeah,” I nod, trying not to stare too hard at her breasts. “And hungry.”

Lucy grins as if she’s about to make another wisecrack, but when she looks into my eyes, the humor fades. Now she looks serious, maybe even sad.

“What do you want, Peter?”

I know she’s not talking about dinner, and the question makes me freeze. I can’t answer her. I can’t even think.

“I don’t know,” I mutter, reaching for the bottle. I pour myself another shot and down it while Lucy takes a small sip from her glass and puts it on the table.

“I know I’ve said this before, maybe too many times,” she says, reaching out to take my hands. “But I am sorry for bringing you here and trapping me with the spell. I’d undo it if I could.”

I shake my head, feeling the tequila singing through my blood, loosening the words that have been stuck in my throat all day.

“Lucy… I appreciate that, I do. But I’ve been thinking. I was completely lost before I came here. I was looking for my brother, but I didn’t even know where to search. And to be completely honest, I wasn’t trying that hard.”

“Where were you before you were brought here by the spell?”

“In a bar fight,” I answer flatly. Suddenly, I don’t want any more alcohol, and I put my glass down on the table. “Probably my third fight in as many days.”

“I never even thought to ask,” Lucy says. “At least my messed-up magic didn’t interrupt anything important.”

“That’s the thing,” I say. “I haven’t been willing to admit that. I’ve been acting like I was living a great life before I came here, but I really wasn’t.”

“Okay,” she says, looking away from me. “So, you think maybe the universe was trying to help you out so you could find your brother and possibly change your life for the better?”

I chuckle, shaking my head. “Nothing that deep. I just want to make a point that you don’t have to keep apologizing. I wasn’t prepared for this turn, but I know one thing… I don’t want to go back.”

“What do you want?” she whispers so softly, I can barely hear.

It’s the second time she’s asked that question, and she deserves an answer. I wish I had one.

I stare at her, unable to tear my gaze away. Her warm blue eyes are shimmering with an emotion I can’t read, and suddenly, I’m terrified all over again.

I’m not terrified of being trapped—not anymore. The only thing that scares me now is hurting her.

“Peter,” she murmurs, leaning forward. When her lips touch mine, a shock runs through me, so powerful that I almost leap off the couch.

“Do you want me?” she whispers, her breath warm against my face. “Do you?”

The scent of peaches is so rich and thick, I’m getting dizzy. Her slick lips touch mine again, and I groan with the effort of trying to keep myself under control.

Lucy pulls back, stroking my cheek. Her other hand takes mine and squeezes it as she slides even closer to me on the couch.

Enchantress! Witch! This is a spell. It’s all a spell, and I’ve been tricked into this!

But she kisses me again, and I don’t care anymore. Even if this is magic and not what I’m really feeling, I can’t fight it. That’s the only thing I know.

I don’t want to fight it.

I grab her arms and pull her into my lap, kissing her hard. She moans as she wraps her legs around my waist, squirming against me. The feel of her skin through the thin silk of the nightgown is driving me crazy. I tug on it so hard, one of the seams rips open.

“Sorry,” I murmur, barely removing my mouth from hers.

She laughs softly, obviously not wanting to break the kiss, either.

If this truly is a spell, then let it never be broken.

I grab Lucy around the hips and shove her back onto the couch, tearing the nightgown even more. Before she can react, I run my hands along her silky thighs and lean over, pushing her legs apart.

As I bend down, Lucy’s hands grip the back of my head, and she rocks her hips towards me. With a hungry growl, I pounce on her, sliding my tongue through the slick folds of her pussy until I find her clit.

Lucy shrieks, bucking and trembling under me. I lock my arms around her thighs and hold her still, loving the feel of her struggling against me. I open my mouth and tease her with my lips as I move slowly downwards, lapping deep into her pussy.

“Oh, God!” she cries, twisting underneath me. I tighten my grip on her, holding her down as my tongue searches deeper for more of her sweet nectar.

When Lucy’s cries become soft and hoarse, I lick my way back towards her clit, taking my time to caress every single slick fold of her. I tease her clit with my lips, kissing it with feathery-light touches until I clamp my mouth down and suck on it.

Lucy screams for real, a completely uninhibited sound of pure joy. The savage nature of my wolf collides with my human side, and for the first time in my life, I truly feel like we are united as one being.

I lift my head a little, watching Lucy’s chest rise and fall. She takes her hand away from her face and looks down at me. With her cheeks blushed rose-red and her eyes swimming with pleasure, she is the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.

“That was fucking amazing,” she breathes. I squeeze her thighs a little, feeling a feral grin stretching across my face.

“Oh, I’m not done,” I say.

She trembles as I hook my arms around her hips to drag her even closer, burying my mouth in the slick, ripe scent of peaches and the addictive taste that goes with it.

I might not know exactly what I want in this life, but I know I can’t live without this.