financial data center that provided government-level loans. The hacking job had paid her well, but nothing could have been worth the cost of losing contact with Edgar.
When she’d seen his face on the screen, when he’d explained that Lucas had told him everything and that Edgar both understood and forgave her… when he brought his sixteen month-old daughter Magdalena onscreen to meet her aunt for the first time…
Well, she’d lost her shit. She’d broken down and bawled, told Edgar everything just like she’d done when they were kids. When her tears had dried and she’d happily made another video chat date with her brother, she’d disconnected and then just sat at her desk for a long time. She was so grateful, and felt so blessed, but she’d also blown through every kind of positive and negative emotion in the last few days, and she’d found herself feeling hollowed out.
She’d thought of the big claw foot tub, thought of all the times during her exile in India when she’d wished for something so simple and soothing as a hot bath. She’d headed for her private bathroom and found that Lucas had laid out big fluffy towels, fresh lilac petals and bath salts, and all her favorite beauty products.
Now she’d soaked her way back to life, it seemed. Her little aches and pains had floated away, along with her emotional exhaustion.
She climbed out of the tub and let the water out, quickly drying herself and getting dressed. She went for a simple outfit, her favorite jean shorts paired with a dark blue bandeau bra and a trendy dark grey cotton tank. She knew that Lucas liked her pale skin, liked when she showed off as much of it as possible. She figured that since she had the body for it, she might as well.
She didn’t so much as glance at the rows of shoes in her closet, because the Compound was wolves-only and that meant that comfort was key. She’d never seen Lucas, Walker, or Ben wearing shoes in the house or even in the backyard; shoes were for coming and going in the human world, and Aurelia wasn’t going to see the human world for a nice little stretch. Not until her deal with the U.S. Justice Department was ironed out, anyway. Lucas’s lawyers were still arguing over the details, getting her the best deal possible. Until then, she was hiding out in North Carolina, and for the moment she couldn’t be happier.
Leaving the suite of rooms that she shared with Lucas, Aurelia headed downstairs into the Compound’s main living space. The huge kitchen was empty, but Ben sprawled over one of the big couches with his laptop. Dark hair, gorgeous dark blue eyes which were only enhanced by his large black-framed Wayfarer glasses. He was dressed in his usual tight jeans and band t-shirt, barefoot and being his usual hot geek self.
Ben was immersed in whatever he was doing, and since Aurelia knew he was the programmer in charge of the Fortune 500 company he co-owned with Lucas and Walker, she was more than a little curious about what he was working on. She started to head over to interrogate him, but then she caught sight of Lucas outside on the back deck and her path changed course.
Tall, packed with lean muscle, and gorgeous curly blond hair… even from here she could see the stunning grey streak at his forelock, which made his silver eyes sizzle. He was unshaven, an unusual occurrence for fastidious Lucas.
He wore dark jeans and a grey button-up, impeccably groomed even in his down time. He’d turned, aware of her presence, and a smile lit his face as she approached. Her stomach flipped over when she saw his pleasure at her arrival.
“Aurelia,” Lucas said, and she gave a little shiver at the sound of her name. Coming from him, it was like a prayer. That kind of worship was dangerous. Heart-stopping.
“I was starting to wonder if you’d left me,” she said, stepping out onto the back porch.
“I had some business to attend to in Asheville this morning. You were sleeping so peacefully, I
When she’d seen his face on the screen, when he’d explained that Lucas had told him everything and that Edgar both understood and forgave her… when he brought his sixteen month-old daughter Magdalena onscreen to meet her aunt for the first time…
Well, she’d lost her shit. She’d broken down and bawled, told Edgar everything just like she’d done when they were kids. When her tears had dried and she’d happily made another video chat date with her brother, she’d disconnected and then just sat at her desk for a long time. She was so grateful, and felt so blessed, but she’d also blown through every kind of positive and negative emotion in the last few days, and she’d found herself feeling hollowed out.
She’d thought of the big claw foot tub, thought of all the times during her exile in India when she’d wished for something so simple and soothing as a hot bath. She’d headed for her private bathroom and found that Lucas had laid out big fluffy towels, fresh lilac petals and bath salts, and all her favorite beauty products.
Now she’d soaked her way back to life, it seemed. Her little aches and pains had floated away, along with her emotional exhaustion.
She climbed out of the tub and let the water out, quickly drying herself and getting dressed. She went for a simple outfit, her favorite jean shorts paired with a dark blue bandeau bra and a trendy dark grey cotton tank. She knew that Lucas liked her pale skin, liked when she showed off as much of it as possible. She figured that since she had the body for it, she might as well.
She didn’t so much as glance at the rows of shoes in her closet, because the Compound was wolves-only and that meant that comfort was key. She’d never seen Lucas, Walker, or Ben wearing shoes in the house or even in the backyard; shoes were for coming and going in the human world, and Aurelia wasn’t going to see the human world for a nice little stretch. Not until her deal with the U.S. Justice Department was ironed out, anyway. Lucas’s lawyers were still arguing over the details, getting her the best deal possible. Until then, she was hiding out in North Carolina, and for the moment she couldn’t be happier.
Leaving the suite of rooms that she shared with Lucas, Aurelia headed downstairs into the Compound’s main living space. The huge kitchen was empty, but Ben sprawled over one of the big couches with his laptop. Dark hair, gorgeous dark blue eyes which were only enhanced by his large black-framed Wayfarer glasses. He was dressed in his usual tight jeans and band t-shirt, barefoot and being his usual hot geek self.
Ben was immersed in whatever he was doing, and since Aurelia knew he was the programmer in charge of the Fortune 500 company he co-owned with Lucas and Walker, she was more than a little curious about what he was working on. She started to head over to interrogate him, but then she caught sight of Lucas outside on the back deck and her path changed course.
Tall, packed with lean muscle, and gorgeous curly blond hair… even from here she could see the stunning grey streak at his forelock, which made his silver eyes sizzle. He was unshaven, an unusual occurrence for fastidious Lucas.
He wore dark jeans and a grey button-up, impeccably groomed even in his down time. He’d turned, aware of her presence, and a smile lit his face as she approached. Her stomach flipped over when she saw his pleasure at her arrival.
“Aurelia,” Lucas said, and she gave a little shiver at the sound of her name. Coming from him, it was like a prayer. That kind of worship was dangerous. Heart-stopping.
“I was starting to wonder if you’d left me,” she said, stepping out onto the back porch.
“I had some business to attend to in Asheville this morning. You were sleeping so peacefully, I
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