“Caia, if the Council discover what Marita is up to there will be no election.” Lucien shook his head. “They will kill Marita.”

“No, no, we’re better than that, than her.” She jerked her head. “I would ask for them to keep her alive. She could keep the trace, work for me, do for me what I’ve been doing for her.”

He snorted. “Yeah, I can see that happening.”

“She would have to. It would be her only choice.”

Lucien ran a frustrated hand through his hair as his silver eyes drank her in. He was quiet for so long, and she knew he wasn’t as convinced as she was. Still, he kissed her softly, and wrapping her in his arms he whispered in her ear, “I’ll make the badges and banners, you can write the speeches.”

Caia smiled slowly, relief flooding her, and she pulled him in for a grateful kiss.

They somehow managed to disentangle themselves from each other to make the difficult decision to lie to Marion. When they found her waiting in the Reception for them, her bright eyes wide with hope, Caia felt awful duping her. She and Lucien walked with a deliberate distance between them, fake frostiness preceding them to the waiting magik. Caia winced, watching Marion slump in disappointment, glaring at Lucien as if he were to blame.

Tactful as always, however, she didn’t mention the state of their relationship.

“Ready then.” She heaved an exasperated sigh, gesturing to the portal awaiting them past the security.

Lucien surprised her by pulling her into a hug. “Thanks for everything, Marion.”

Caia wanted to slap him. He was going to give them away.

Sappy idiot.

The witch giggled unexpectedly at his affection and pushed him off. “I didn’t do anything apparently,” she tut-tutted him and pushed him gently towards the portal, missing the mischievous grin he threw over her head at Caia.

Trying her hardest to ignore him, a herculean task since the very thought of him made her want to melt into a puddle, Caia hugged Marion and prayed to Gaia that her friend would forgive her as she lied, “See you in a few days.”

“Hmm, yes you will.” Marion shook her head at her as she pulled back. “Silly girl.”

With a vague gesture, Caia smiled wryly at her and headed towards Lucien, who waited by the portal for her.

Wary of Marion’s eyes on them Caia stuck her hand out to him as if it was the last thing she wanted to do. He reached for it tentatively but gripped it tight.

Relief and anxiety poured through her as the gel-like quality of the portal slithered across her skin. In moments they were blinking past the light streaming in from the lamp post outside the windows of the disused workout room in Magic Fitness.

She felt like a bird freed from a cage, only to find it was now so tame it had no idea how to survive on its own.

“Are you OK?” Lucien pulled her to him, wrapping her in his solid comfort.

“I just can’t believe I’m going to do this,” she mumbled into his chest. It rumbled with his laughter underneath her and she buried deeper into him.

“Yeah, I can’t believe you are either. But I believe in you.”

Tilting her head back she was surprised to find his eyes smoke with fierceness. “You really do, don’t you?”

“You need to stop sounding surprised by that.”

She smiled shyly. “But I am surprised.”

He chuckled and took hold of her hand, leading her out of the room and out of the fairly quiet gymnasium. “If you’re going to be this bad mother—you know, then you are going to have to start sounding like you’re aware you’re the bomb.”

She snorted. “The bomb?”

Lucien turned to her as they walked across the parking lot. “Was that wrong?”

“So wrong it was painful.”

He shrugged, unfazed. “Well, you know what I mean.”

Caia nodded, straightening her shoulders back. “I have to be confident, match my badass powers.”

“Yeah.” He grinned. “That’s what I meant. Damn.” Lucien stopped, crouching down by the wheel of his truck. Yellow clamps stood between them and the pack. Of course the car had been sitting in the lot for days now.

“Do you want me to...?” She wriggled her fingers.

Lucien huffed, “This doesn’t need magik.” He quickly looked around the lot to make sure there was no one else around and then gripped the clamps with both hands. With what appeared to be the gentlest of tugs the clamp split in two and he pulled it out from under the car. He did the same with the others, and gestured for Caia to get in.

“Wow.” She smiled cheekily as she slid her seat belt on.

“What?”

“Was that a deliberate attempt to make me feel like the ‘little Mrs.’?”

Lucien grunted and started the engine, speeding out of the lot before anyone found them with the clamps, “I don’t think that’s possible. I was just reminding you that I have my uses. You don’t have to do everything yourself.”

Caia snuggled into her seat. “You don’t how good that is to hear.”

He reached across the distance between them and linked his fingers with hers, keeping one hand on the wheel and his eyes on the road. “You’re my mate.”

She bit her lip, undecided whether she should ask the question that had been sneaking closer and closer to the forefront of her mind since Lucien had declared his love for her.

Her mate seemed to sense it and tugged on her hand.

“Caia, I’m willing to take my pack into a political war against the Head of the Daylight Coven for you. Surely you realize you can say anything to me by now.”

Laughing at her own stupidity, Caia blushed. “I guess.”

“Well?”

I hope this comes out right or this might be the shortest relationship in history.

“Well, are you afraid that what we feel for each other is only because of the mating?”

When his silence stretched into awkward, Caia began to worry her lip with her teeth, her eyes unblinking, watching him for signs of his anger. Finally, he glanced at her briefly, before returning his eyes to the road. She felt a measure of relief as he squeezed her hand.

“Does it matter if it is?”

She frowned. “Doesn’t it though?”

“No.” By tugging on her hand he pulled her closer to him, his scent enfolding her and warming her instantly. “Maybe we do love each other because of a deal our fathers made with a god, but it doesn’t make that love any less real.”

“So you’re not worried that it wasn’t your choice to love me?”

Lucien snorted. “No. And if I remember correctly that line of argument is the reason we haven’t been together from the start, so I think it might be best we burn those thoughts forever. Seriously, Caia, do you want to give this up just because it was preordained by our dads?”

She could sense the worry in his question and felt a peculiar need to tease him. “I don’t know. I mean, down that road is a dangerous journey - wanting the fairytale because reality blows. Neo would be most unimpressed by us.”

“Well, since his third movie sucked Neo can go to Hades.”

Caia grinned at him. “You got that reference?”

He rolled his eyes at her and sighed wearily. “Really, Caia, what do you take me for?”

“A lykan with very little attachment to the television.”

“Yeah, but with a friend who watched The Matrix Trilogy ninety times when he should have been out kicking some rogue’s ass.”

“Ryder,” Caia laughed.

Lucien grunted, “I should be thankful he keeps me socially adept.”

She tried to suppress a grin. “But you’re not thankful.”

“Have you seen The Matrix Revolutions?”

22 - Loyalty

The sound of gravel crunching beneath tires was like a welcoming trumpet to Caia and Lucien’s ears. They tumbled out of his truck, tired but still filled with love-fuelled restlessness. Caia mused over how strangely comfortable it was for them to walk with their arms around one another into the house. It felt like something they had been doing forever. They found Magnus and Ella standing in the doorway of the sitting room, waiting on them.

They were both grinning at their return, and then Ella’s eyes washed over them clinging to each other and they widened. “Does this mean...” she looked quickly to Magnus to see if he had noticed, and he was grinning from ear to ear, his eyes twinkling.

“We’re together,” Lucien’s voice rumbled with satisfaction.

The Elders launched themselves at them with Magnus booming, “It’s about time!”

Caia laughed and allowed them to squeeze her to death. Noticing the tears running like twin streams down Ella’s cheeks, Caia pulled her aside to hold her close.

“I’m so happy. Albus would have been so happy.”

Before Caia could reply, Magnus was lifting her off the ground in a massive bear hug, his own eyes suspiciously wet. When she was firmly back on the ground, he held her face between his hands and gazed down at her adoringly. “I feel like a proud father.”

Her throat burned and she worked her jaw trying not cry. At last she managed a hoarse, “You have been like a father to me, Uncle Magnus. Thank you.”

The best moment in her life so far, a moment when she finally felt she was really a part of a family, was cut short by a shrill ringing. Cursing, Lucien pulled out his cell phone.

“Ryder,” he muttered and hit the answer button. “What’s up?”

“You’re back,” they all heard Ryder, “When?”

“This minute. How did you know?”

“I’ve been trying your cell for the last 24 hours.”

Lucien frowned and hunched over into the conversation. “What’s wrong?”

“I’m guessing you know already. You and Caia too tired to come over to my apartment?”

“No, we’ll be right there.”

Ella didn’t look happy when Lucien hung up. “Surely he can let you two get some sleep before you visit him.”