Conquering Theana by LeTeisha Newton, Lillian MacKenzie Rhine Page A

ass." Tim's face dropped into a saddened frown, but perked
back up when she winked playfully at him.
    Theana patted the hood of her car then sauntered off toward the front
entrance of “ Ulric Manor”—the name she bestowed the
monstrous estate. When she balled up her fist to knock at the door, her heart
began to soar, beating profusely inside of her chest cavity. This is not the
time for a panic attack , she argued with herself. Everything in side of her
wanted to bolt, but the jarring of the front door snapped her out of her brief
panic. Gregori. His dark eyes looked her over. Her
wolf swooned for him. He offered his arm to her, which she gracefully looped
her hand into, and they both stepped over the threshold.
    Rafael
was waiting directly on the other side with his arm extended. She staggered for
a moment as his presence hit her like a ton of bricks. His touch sent
shockwaves through her body. Sweat droplets formed at her temple. Hot .
    "Welcome
to our home, Theana ," he announced, touching his
hand to hers that linked onto his arm. They walked into a massive sitting room
that was triple in comparison to her own clan estate.
There were nearly twenty wolves sitting or standing when they approached, but
the closer they got to the room, the entire pack seemed to double, standing at
attention.
    Rafael
turned her hand loose and fanned her in the direction of the pack, but Gregori
held on for a breath longer before allowing her to mingle. They all seemed to
swarm her but not in an aggressive manner. The taking up of her scent was to be
expected in those types of situations, so she was open to their closeness.
    "This
is a good portion of the Ulric clan, Theana . Most are unmated, but some are. We didn’t want to
overwhelm you with the numbers, so we have purposely left a few in their homes
in the back of the estate. You’ll greet them later this afternoon while Gregori
and I are at Council," Rafael stated while a few members in their wolf
forms sniffed at her. They were young and frisky but older than playful pups. Theana had a soft spot for pups and younger wolves. They
were so innocent. No worries about politics, status, or mating. Mating...yuck. She
reached down and ruffled her fingers through their fur. They panted, wrapping
their tails around her. She could feel the positive vibes filling the
atmosphere. She would be fine.
    When
she turned to Rafael, she caught a slight curl to his mouth, which warmed her
insides. Up until that point, her impression of him had been the poster child
of ruling with a cold, iron fist. He was approachable when they dream-walked,
but that could have been a fluke. However, the expression of warmth spoke
volumes. His true colors were shown while he was amongst his own, that much she
knew.
    "So,
there is a Council meeting this afternoon?" she asked of Rafael.
    "Yes,"
was the only word that he offered, so Theana decided
to leave it. She knew that they were working on the
issue of a wolf being attacked, but she was not sure if it was common knowledge
amongst the entire population of Seurri. When the two younger wolves left her
side, a petite girl with an olive complexion and the frame of a child stepped
toward her. She was glorious. The wolf was young but nowhere near a child. Her eyes
displayed the years of a late teen soon to be a woman. The youth outstretched
her hand, which contained a gift for Theana . She
picked up the box and held the tiny brown paper wrapped cube in her hand
wondering what was concealed inside when the girl blurted, "Open it, Miss Theana ."
    From the mouths of angels , she thought. Theana took her in for a brief moment. She had bewitching sepia pooled eyes, with an
oval shaped face, and cheek bones that were starting to bud. It wouldn't be
long before the youthful teen would erupt into a sultry woman.
    "What's
in the box there?" She heard Gregori murmur behind her. When he spoke,
each word hit her spine like a heated blanket, and then her attention went to
the box. Theana