it comes with the territory. Do you love him?”
Laurel felt her chest tighten. How could she answer? She was drawn to Anton. His gentleness calmed her in ways she didn’t understand. Her protector. She knew no one would hurt her when he was with her.
“I want to love him, Alena. But I am still so scared,” she answered as honestly as she could.
“My brother would never hit you. He abhors violence against women and children. You have to know that. Really trust it in your heart. You are hurting him.”
“What?”
“You are holding yourself back, expecting him to betray your trust. It hurts him. I know you do not mean to. But is it fair to punish Anton for something your stepfather did?”
“I’m not trying to hurt him or punish him. He’s so good to me.” Is that what she was doing? Punishing Anton because he was a man? A man she knew would never hurt her?
“The mating bond needs to be cemented into place. But Anton will not force you to accept his advances. You have to take a leap of faith and seduce my brother. Come on, I have some lingerie left over from my wedding shower. I have never worn it. Kolya has a tendency to rip things off me, so I stopped wearing it. Let us go to my house, and I will get it for you.”
“What if I can’t do it? I’ve never been with anyone before,” Laurel admitted.
“You can do this, Laurel. If you love my brother, you have to.”
Laurel followed obediently after Alena. Did she have the courage to seduce Anton? Could she give her future to this pack of lycanthropes?
§
Anton ran up to the security building and rushed inside. Dmitry stood over Andrei who was pointing to several blips on the map on his monitor. Dmitry glanced up, as Anton entered and nodded, but kept his attention on the computer screen.
“Several intruders have crossed onto pack territory,” Dmitry said in explanation. “I have sent out a patrol, but I need you to follow up on this. Andrei said you are expecting trouble from Laurel’s stepfather. Since you are the only one who has met him . . .”
“I will go right now,” Anton said hurriedly. “The patrol needs to be prepared for resistance. All intruders should be considered armed and dangerous. Who is the patrol leader?”
“Sergei is on duty tonight. I have raised the security level to Alpha. You will need to take a patrol team on rotation. This one worries me. We have never openly defied the Russian mafia before. I hope we have not opened a huge can of worms.”
“Kolya and I had no choice,” Anton said, anger rising hard. “They ran us off the road. They were going to kidnap our women.”
“I am not questioning your actions, little brother,” Dmitry said laying a placating hand on his shoulder.
Anton knew Dmitry was trying to let him know he held his trust. If the mobsters wanted a fight, they’d get one. Looking at the map, Anton reached into a drawer and pulled out a handgun. First checking to see if it was loaded, he placed it in the small of his back.
“Laurel is with Alena.”
Both brothers looked at each other in understanding. If anything happened to Anton, it would fall to Dmitry to care for Laurel. Lycanthropes didn’t live long after their mates passed on. But no one knew how a human mate would react to the loss. Plus, Anton and Laurel’s bond wasn’t cemented into place yet, giving her a real chance at surviving. Laurel would never have a relationship as deep or as rewarding as the one she could have with Anton. But if the mating bond was not locked in, connecting them on a soul level, she might still be able to have a relationship with someone else.
“Be careful,” Dmitry said. His order came out like a growl.
Anton smiled and with a quick salute headed for the door. It was time to go hunting. His wolf surged to the surface as he ran toward the area of the intrusion. The patrol should be arriving on the scene any minute now.
Anton rushed down the path to the area near the outer perimeter. He could
Laurel felt her chest tighten. How could she answer? She was drawn to Anton. His gentleness calmed her in ways she didn’t understand. Her protector. She knew no one would hurt her when he was with her.
“I want to love him, Alena. But I am still so scared,” she answered as honestly as she could.
“My brother would never hit you. He abhors violence against women and children. You have to know that. Really trust it in your heart. You are hurting him.”
“What?”
“You are holding yourself back, expecting him to betray your trust. It hurts him. I know you do not mean to. But is it fair to punish Anton for something your stepfather did?”
“I’m not trying to hurt him or punish him. He’s so good to me.” Is that what she was doing? Punishing Anton because he was a man? A man she knew would never hurt her?
“The mating bond needs to be cemented into place. But Anton will not force you to accept his advances. You have to take a leap of faith and seduce my brother. Come on, I have some lingerie left over from my wedding shower. I have never worn it. Kolya has a tendency to rip things off me, so I stopped wearing it. Let us go to my house, and I will get it for you.”
“What if I can’t do it? I’ve never been with anyone before,” Laurel admitted.
“You can do this, Laurel. If you love my brother, you have to.”
Laurel followed obediently after Alena. Did she have the courage to seduce Anton? Could she give her future to this pack of lycanthropes?
§
Anton ran up to the security building and rushed inside. Dmitry stood over Andrei who was pointing to several blips on the map on his monitor. Dmitry glanced up, as Anton entered and nodded, but kept his attention on the computer screen.
“Several intruders have crossed onto pack territory,” Dmitry said in explanation. “I have sent out a patrol, but I need you to follow up on this. Andrei said you are expecting trouble from Laurel’s stepfather. Since you are the only one who has met him . . .”
“I will go right now,” Anton said hurriedly. “The patrol needs to be prepared for resistance. All intruders should be considered armed and dangerous. Who is the patrol leader?”
“Sergei is on duty tonight. I have raised the security level to Alpha. You will need to take a patrol team on rotation. This one worries me. We have never openly defied the Russian mafia before. I hope we have not opened a huge can of worms.”
“Kolya and I had no choice,” Anton said, anger rising hard. “They ran us off the road. They were going to kidnap our women.”
“I am not questioning your actions, little brother,” Dmitry said laying a placating hand on his shoulder.
Anton knew Dmitry was trying to let him know he held his trust. If the mobsters wanted a fight, they’d get one. Looking at the map, Anton reached into a drawer and pulled out a handgun. First checking to see if it was loaded, he placed it in the small of his back.
“Laurel is with Alena.”
Both brothers looked at each other in understanding. If anything happened to Anton, it would fall to Dmitry to care for Laurel. Lycanthropes didn’t live long after their mates passed on. But no one knew how a human mate would react to the loss. Plus, Anton and Laurel’s bond wasn’t cemented into place yet, giving her a real chance at surviving. Laurel would never have a relationship as deep or as rewarding as the one she could have with Anton. But if the mating bond was not locked in, connecting them on a soul level, she might still be able to have a relationship with someone else.
“Be careful,” Dmitry said. His order came out like a growl.
Anton smiled and with a quick salute headed for the door. It was time to go hunting. His wolf surged to the surface as he ran toward the area of the intrusion. The patrol should be arriving on the scene any minute now.
Anton rushed down the path to the area near the outer perimeter. He could
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