“You are dreaming, brother. This union can lead to nothing but trouble.” Amon paused and then said, snidely. “You haven’t even told her that you are a shifter. I can only imagine her reaction.”
“You’re right. I didn’t tell her yesterday. It was a traumatic day, and I didn’t have the opportunity to say anything. However, when she does learn the nature of me and my clan, I have no doubt that she will be accepting. She is my soulmate.”
Amon sniggered. “Most humans have no soul.”
Although Amon had always tested my patience, it wasn’t often that he was able to make my temperature rise. He was doing a good job of it now, though. I was starting to get a bit aggravated. I could not afford to lose my cool in front of my clan.
“We are descendants of humans. We have married humans throughout history. We must, because our bloodlines would be polluted.”
“I disagree. You should step down.”
“I will not step down, brother. If you wish to lead your own clan so badly, then feel free to take your leave.”
Amon growled, and I was afraid that he was going to do something stupid and start a war with me. I have always been bigger, stronger, and less inclined to be emotional when I fight, so Amon would never stand a chance. I would never want to hurt my brother, but I would defend myself.
However, after staring at me for several seconds, he beckoned his comrades, and left. Four young bears followed him. I simply stood there and watched them go.
When he left, one of my friends, in an effort to break the tension that stifled the air like a wet wool blanket, came up next to me and put his front leg on my shoulders.
“Congratulations, my old friend.”
I smiled broadly. “Thank you, Jake. I really appreciate that.”
Soon, there were several people surrounding me, congratulating me, and asking me about Luka. As I talked to each one, I wondered how many of them felt the same as Amon.
When it was time to head back, I thought about Amon and worried about where he would go and what he was doing. Since I could remember, Amon had been dark and brooding. Amon had always been jealous of me because I was the heir as the leader of the clan.
I was very much afraid of what his next move would be. Whatever it was, it would mean trouble.
5
Luka
After Gage left, I opened my computer in the room I had designated as my office. The cabin actually had three bedrooms and was quite spacious despite that it looked small and quaint on the outside. I giggled to myself as I thought of the showDoctor Whoand the blue police box that was much bigger on the inside than it was on the outside.
I made myself a glass of sweet tea and glanced down at the notes I had made for my book. I had a definite plan for the book and the rest of this series. Although I always created an outline for the general direction I wanted my books to go in, they took on a life of their own once I started working. While I worked, my characters came alive, with their own thoughts, feelings, and actions. I simply went where they took me. Every once in a while, I ended up with a completely different story than I had envisioned when I started.
Many times, when I worked on a book, the characters became a part of my reality. I saw their faces while I made dinner or when I brushed my teeth at night. We had long conversations while I was in bed, trying to go to sleep. However, as I sat down to work today, my characters wouldn’t talk to me. No matter how much I begged and cajoled, they wouldn’t open up. Instead of seeing my characters in my brain as I usually did, the only person I saw was Gage.
I thought about the fact that I was married. Yesterday morning, I woke up single and determined to make a new life for myself. I was ready to distance myself from the world and find me. For so long, I was Luka, the caretaker, or Luka, the possession of Jason, or Luka, the author. Who was Luka?
This morning, I woke up, wrapped up in the arms of the most gorgeous man I had ever seen in my life. I guessed that he must be of Native American descent with his slightly darkened skin, his thick, black hair, and his brown eyes that reflected a man who was passionate and gentle but could certainly take care of any conflicts that arose.
Not only did I surrender myself to this man whom I had just met, but I also married him. Of course, I didn’t know that I was marrying him at the time, but that did not negate the fact that I was united with Gage.
The craziest aspect of this entire situation was that I felt okay. I wasn’t upset, confused, overwhelmed, or even surprised. I was completely happy and content with the knowledge that this man was my husband.
Perhaps it had something to do with my gift, as my mother used to call it. I always felt different than other people. Sometimes, I just knew something. I was never psychic by any means. I just seemed to be intuitive.
My problem was listening to my own insight. I knew that Jason was going to be trouble from the beginning. Even though he had been the perfect gentleman at the start of our relationship, opening car doors and treating me wonderfully, there was something about him that didn’t seem right. However, I was lonely and wanted companionship. My loneliness overcame my good judgment.
After a couple of months, his carefully constructed façade began to peel away. He could not accept that I didn’t want to be with him all the time, and he did not respect my need to have time to myself. He was rude when I needed to work and get a project done. He also resented the time I spent with my father.
Then, Jason started pressuring me for sex. He would become verbally abusive when I told him no. I fully intended to save my virginity for the man I married.
Jason had proposed, but I suspected that his entire motive for proposing was to get in my bed. By the time he asked me to marry him, I knew there was no way in the world that I could spend the rest of my life with him. It simply wasn’t going to happen.
I shook my head.What in the world was I thinking?I asked myself.