Freeing Luka: The Clecanian Series Book 2 by Victoria Aveline (readict books TXT) 📕

He’d watched her for many days and nights, and what was worse was after being with her today, kissing her, he didn’t feel badly about it. She was his mate. Being near her felt so right that he only now understood how wrong being away from her felt. His whole life had been lived with a piece of a puzzle missing that he’d never known existed in the first place.

After experiencing what it was like to have her in his arms, to see her face smiling up at him, he knew he’d watch her every day for the rest of his life. So, what should he tell her? Lie and say he was sorry and wouldn’t do it again, or tell her the truth?

Before he had a chance to decide, she crossed to her door. Forgetting the lock he’d just engaged, she pulled on the handle fruitlessly.

He hovered behind her, reaching over her shoulder to unlock it. She stood frozen with him at her back, the door still shut.

“Why couldn’t you just have been a normal guy?” she murmured. Swinging the door open, she stood aside. With her eyes trained downward, she said, “Get out.”

“I’ll leave,” he said, waiting for her to meet his hard stare. “But you should know something. You are my mate. And even though your human body has learned to forget how to recognize me, I am yours. Deep down, you don’t want a normal guy, and I’ll prove it. I’ll give you your space, but I won’t give up. That’s a promise, Alice.”

Chapter 14

Alice paced, fuming. She’d been so stupid. Again. Why couldn’t she ever just listen to her brain? Why did she always have to trust her consistently inaccurate feelings?

When he’d first arrived, she’d tried to stay strong and stick to her guns, even as she’d felt herself softening toward him. Then he’d asked to kiss her. It had come out of nowhere, was completely inappropriate, and should’ve resulted in a hard slap across the face, but Alice couldn’t help her body’s reaction. She’d wanted to kiss him since she’d first met him. Had fantasized about it.

Her steps slowed, and she ran a hand over her lips absently. But damn it all if he wasn’t the best kisser she’d ever had. Fast learner, indeed. She groaned, glancing toward the bed. Part of her wished he hadn’t told her about the stalking until after she’d gotten a little more action. Her body burned with unrelieved lust.

She moved to the bed, intending to take care of her wet, throbbing need herself, but then stopped. Glaring at the windows to the patio, fury washed over her anew. He might be watching her even now.

Alice tried to hold on to her anger, but the strangest urge to drop her hand into the waistline of her underwear and torture him a little came over her.

She slumped to the bed, trying to work out how she actually felt. Was she upset because she thought she should be upset? Or was she truly offended? She needed to get insight.

Stomping outside, she headed toward Vanessa, Daisy, and Rita’s shared home. When she arrived, she found them sunbathing on the patio, reclined in a wide but shallow kiddie pool, florescent drinks in their hands. Squeals erupted from all three upon her arrival, giving any Woo Girl a run for their money.

Alice couldn’t help but smile, her anger fading away at the sight of her three very tipsy friends.

“Hey, girl!” Vanessa laughed as she tried and failed to roll onto her stomach without spilling her drink.

“That’s a party foul. You have to drink the pool water now.” Daisy giggled while grappling to find her own drink’s straw with her tongue.

Alice chuckled and took a seat near the three women sitting waist-deep in the small pool. “I see you guys are having a fun day.”

“Well,” Rita slurred, shielding her words from the other two, “Vanessa was feeling a little down, so we decided to cheer her up.”

Alice focused on Vanessa, who was attempting to drink the dregs of her glass while lying on her stomach. She’d been so wrapped up in her own drama with Luka that she hadn’t taken the time to be there for her friend.

Since their arrival, Vanessa had put on a brave face, but she knew how much the woman wanted to return home. She often talked about her sister, whom she’d gotten in a fight with shortly before she’d been taken. Earlier, Vanessa had said Lucy had a lead for her. Alice nibbled her nails.

It must’ve not panned out. Alice tried to stifle the selfish wave of relief that came over her. Of course she didn’t want her friend to be in pain, but if Vanessa somehow found a way to leave, it’d be a difficult loss for her to cope with.

Alice readied to ask what had happened, but from the corner of her eye, she saw both Daisy and Rita clumsily shake their heads. Daisy put a finger to her lips, almost poking herself in the eye. Alice would make sure to come by and see what was going on later, but for now, she’d try and lift Vanessa’s spirits as well.

“How did you guys get all of this stuff?” she asked, studying the hard, plastic material of the pool and the bright-pink liquid in a pitcher close to her foot.

A wide grin spread over Vanessa’s face. “Izzo got everything for us. He works here, you know. And for some strange reason,” she said, raising her voice unnecessarily, “he keeps hanging around this section of the Temple.”

Daisy blushed and grinned, biting her lip. “I saw them using one of these tubs to check on some of those glowing fish and asked if we could have it when they were done with it. He was just being nice,” she argued quietly.

Rita chuckled. “That boy