Elijah and Lacey Ch. 02

Sam lifted his eyebrows as the corners of his mouth turned downwards. "Okay, then. You're not a rogue. My mistake."

I expected him to argue with me...not appease me like a child. I needed to debate this so that I could be sure. I shook my head trying to will my tears away. I didn't want to give him the satisfaction.

"And here I thought you cared about me."

"Don't presume to know what or how I feel, little girl." He snapped. "I do care. I cradled your broken body in my arms just the same as I did my mate when she was attacked. I prayed for you both to recover but she died; you survived."

"Did that make you angry...that I survived?" I asked.

"No, it gave me hope--"

"Until you started seeing what you thought were signs that I was going over to the dark side, right?"

Silence.

"I thought it would help if you had someone...us. It helped...me."

My head shot up to look at Sam.

He sighed and leaned forward in his chair, resting his elbows on his knees and lacing his fingers together. "Jazmin was fourteen. Tia was twelve. Tonya and Jazmin had been fighting for days, arguing about some formal banquet that an older boy at her school had asked her to. I was smart enough to stay out of it. Jazmin was livid, said that she wished she didn't have a mother that treated her like a pup.

Tonya grew up with a mother that was overbearing, a real hag, so she panicked. She never wanted to be like her mother. She ran out that very night and went to some fancy boutique on Third St. She bought the dress that she thought Jaz would love and...she was attacked. The rogue dragged her to a dark alley. Her clothes...they were torn..." Sam took a breath to collect himself before he continued. I was riveted by what he told me; he had never spoke in detail about what happened to his wife-mate before.

"It was evident that the rogue raped her...but she fought. She fought as hard as she could. She wounded him. His blood was near her body. She just...she just wasn't strong enough. As soon as I knew she was in danger through our bond I did everything I could to get to her but I was too late. She was gone."

I couldn't stop the tears from spilling over. His anguish showed on his face as he relived that night all over again. I wanted to hug him or comfort him but I didn't think he'd appreciate the gesture.

"I notified the council and a clean up crew was there in minutes. They took a sample of the rogue's blood. Tonya was taken away and the alley where she was killed showed no signs of what had happened. I had to go home and tell the girls.

It was Jaz that took it the worst. She thought she was to blame for her mother's death. She needed me. Tia needed me. I didn't WANT to be needed. I wanted to die along with my wife. I wanted to become like the mindless selfish bastard who killed my mate. I shouted and cried until I was hoarse. " Sam ran his hand over his face. His eyes were still unfocused with visions of the past so I knew there was more to tell.

"After I finally got the girls to go to sleep. I was alone in my room, looking at that empty bed. It was like I didn't know what to do. Tonya wasn't in the bed and I didn't want to be there either...not without her. That's when I heard the 'voice'. It came out of no where and was so clear. It beckoned me...taunted me. I knew what I had to do. I had to get rid of everyone that stood in my way and I had to find my mate. The only ones that were in the house were my daughters. It would have started with them..." Sam closed his eyes briefly. "There was another voice. Tonya. It was like she was there with me again. She reminded me how much she loved me and how much the girls needed me. She also reminded me how much I needed them even more. She was right. Being with my family helped; it still does.

I've spend a lot of time tracking rogues since then. I could have been killed. I was never trained to track. A few friends and I get together at the bar and what we lack in official knowledge, know-how, and experience; we make up for it by not wanting anyone else to have to go through what we did.

When I found you, I was relieved. Anytime a victim of a rogue survives it's a relief and it's also scary. You were hurt pretty good but you pulled through. The rogue didn't have time to do too much damage to you. Even so, there's always a chance that survivors become rogues. Not all humans are equipped for this life." He looked at me in a way that made me uncomfortable. "I figured that if I took you under my wing, you'd be okay. And you are, for the most part. But in other ways..."

"I'm fine."

"Are you? You have a male that wants to claim you, bond with you, mate with you...and that's just the beginning. What are you going to do? You're not ready for this."

"You don't know that for sure, Sam."

"You were crying last night. You wanted me to come and get you."

"I was a little nervous, I got over it!"

"Really? Is that why you tried to attack your husband when he tried to claim you? You could have been seriously hurt."

I stood up from the table and walked a few feet away. I needed to put some space between us. The things he said made sense but I had to convince him and myself, mainly, that I could handle this. I wasn't a rogue.

*****************

After talking to Sam and feeling depressed, I had the bright idea of doing a little exploring on the way to finding the kitchen for a sandwich and whatever else I could find as comfort food. Unfortunately, I should have gotten directions because I had no idea where I was and my stomach was voicing its displeasure loudly.

Whatever floor I ended up on was quite empty and deserted but, luckily, I did come upon a familiar face.

"Hi, Rita. How are you doing today? Working hard? Hey, I'm a little turned around. I'm looking for the kitchen...can you help me out?" I smiled at her, hoping that she was in a better mood than the last time I saw her.

"Not as good as you, obviously. How does it feel to be mated to the Alpha?", she asked sweetly. "Wait!", she smacked herself on the forehead as if she had forgotten something. "You're only married to him...not mated. Silly me. Something about you not being able to accept the Alpha's claim, right? I hear that Sam Torres thinks you're a rogue just waiting to happen."

She caught me off guard. I was pretty sure that my conversation with Sam was private. This wasn't something I wanted to get around.

"You shouldn't get off on rumors, Rita, they just leave you unsatisfied." I started to walk passed her but she jumped in the way of my path.

"Personally, I don't think that having a rogue walking about the place is safe, do you?", she sneered.

"You're like what, the receptionist? Are you even allowed to think?"

Rita's eyes narrowed into tiny slits. "I am his ASSISTANT!", she shouted. Thick veins were popping out of her neck and her face went a deep shade of red.

"Right. Well...here's a thought. Why don't you go assist with something and I'll go find the kitchen."

"You're not right for him, you know. You're only going to hurt him like his father hurt Corrine. Your dangerous...and if Sam thinks so, then it's true. Anyone of the staff or their young could be hurt or killed. The Alpha is only thinking with his penis right now and he can't see the truth."

"Oh, I would LOVE it if you said this to his face. Would you mind if I made my sandwich first? There's not much on television right now and this will certainly be more entertaining."

Rita growled and began mumbling to herself incoherently. I have to admit, I was fascinated by this. I stood there gaping like a lunatic. I should have gotten out of there but I just couldn't bring myself to leave. It's something that excites me about seeing people that are crazy...crazier than me, anyway. It's like seeing a new animal species at the zoo.

She finally nodded her head as if she had come to a conclusion about something. My eyes widened while she began to shift. That was when it dawned on me to run...and I did.

Rita made a grab for me but her lengthening claws missed me by a couple inches and I barreled down the hallway to who knows where, screaming my head off. I just wanted a damned SANDWICH! I turned this corner and that corner, hoping to run into some help. I was so totally lost.

I heard the sounds her vicious snarling and the hard vibrations of her movements behind me as I ran for my life. She was getting closer. I wanted to turn and look at her...why, I don't know. Nothing good ever came from anyone looking back as they tried to get away from something. I kept chanting 'don't look back, don't look back' in my head.

Suddenly, I heard a loud, startling crash behind me that practically had me wetting myself. When I heard growling that sounded like it was coming from more than one were, I got curious. I turned to see what was going on, against my better judgement, and to my delight another wolf had come to my rescue. I wanted to cry out in relief. This other wolf was trying to pin Rita to the floor, biting her in various places to cause injury and slow her down. Grateful for the other wolf keeping Rita busy for awhile, I set off to find my way back to my room...or Elijah.

Two long minutes later, I felt like I had struck gold. I dove into Elijah's arms, wrapped my legs around his waist and locked my feet together. I allowed myself to break down into uncontrollable and trembling sobs that I held in. I had never been more happy to see my pint-sized Alpha than at that very moment. He held me tightly and never let me go.

I was faintly aware of the chaos this caused. I kept my face buried in the crook of his neck like a scared child. Elijah barked orders over my shoulder to some of his guards and to some of the staff that came to see what the commotion was about.

I was glad the ordeal was over but what about the next time? I made up in my mind that it was safer for me to just become a permanent part of Elijah's body. I hoped he wouldn't mind and if he did, too bad.

He tried to coax me off of him and onto the sofa but I tightened my thighs and arms and held on for dear life. He finally gave up and took a seat, kissing the side of my head and stroking my back to calm my nerves.

****************

I must have fallen asleep because I was in our bed alone. I was a little peeved to find myself there instead of attached to Elijah like I had preferred.

Almost on cue, Elijah walked in bringing a tray of food and a sexy smile. "Hey, I was waiting for you to wake up. You hungry?"

"Why am I in the bed? I was fine where I was." I folded my arms with a pout. Residual fear and prolonged hunger makes me childish and irrational.

A smug-looking smile swept across his face as he put the tray down onto my lap and bent forward to kiss me twice on the lips and then once on the nose. He then climbed into bed and sat next to me.

"As much as enjoyed wearing you like a second skin, taking a leak was a little awkward." He brought my hand up to his lips and kissed my knuckles. I shivered. I pulled my hand out of his before I found myself eating with flooded panties.

To take my mind off of his voice and the visions I was having of his pants down, I concentrated on the mouth watering food before me. Sliced roast beef was framed by corn, mashed potatoes and gravy, and a golden brown dinner roll. My stomach appreciated the sight.

"So...what happened to Rita?", as if I had to ask. Elijah's face tensed darkly and I knew that from the anger pouring off of him, Rita didn't make it.

"I'll need to find a new receptionist.", was all he said.

"Did you?--"

"No. Darla Fleming put her down. She happened to be visiting from college. Her older brother Darin is getting married and mated."

"College? How old is this Darla?"

"Eighteen." Elijah took the fork and piled it with some of the food from my plate. He tried to get me to eat it but I moved his hand away.

"A kid? A teenager saved my life?" The humiliation settled over me like a thick blanket.

"Lacey, why didn't you just shift and--"

"I don't want to talk about it."

"We need to talk about this.", he responded logically while playing with a few strands of my hair.

"Why do we need to talk about this? I just didn't shift, okay? End of story." I pulled my hair from his fingers, picked up the tray, and shoved it at him. My appetite was as lost as was my dignity. Once again, I proved to be my own worst enemy.

I laid back down and turned onto my side, facing away from Elijah. He sat the tray next on his night table.

"I didn't tell you the rest of what happened after my father killed my grandfather." He scooted himself close to me in a spooning position, putting his arm around my waist. He purposefully leaned close to my ear so that I could feel his warm breath. Though I tried, I couldn't stop myself from shivering.

"Cyrus chose that tragic time to rise against us. It was what he waited for; the perfect time to take our pack. The pack was in chaos.

I was the next rightful Alpha but I was still a pup; the smallest unassuming were in the pack. I was an outcast among those my age. I kept to myself, studying and reading. I had a couple of friends, like Wallace and Jason, who are still with me today. None of the females would even look my way. I was invisible.

Many speculated that when the time came for me to lead the pack, I could easily be destroyed in a challenge. Some threatened to do it beforehand but with Loren around no one dared.

So, it was the perfect time for Cyrus to strike and he did. He completely dismissed me as an adversary. He liked me no more than the others who hated that I existed. He, along with everyone else, saw me as weak.

He demanded that our pack submit to him and some did. Others, felt that THEY would be the appropriate leader and they fought him. Still, no one counted me. I watched the battles unfold until I felt it was the right time. Then, I took down Cyrus and anyone else who opposed me, much to the pack's shock. I combined the two packs and have been their Alpha ever since."

"Just like that? You just walked in and took over?" I was astounded but still felt like he left a lot out.

"Do you really want to hear the details of every kill, how many died, and the things I had to do to get my point across?"

"Not really, no." I really didn't. I knew, from what I learned, that Elijah had a side to him that made the word 'dangerous' seem docile. This nerdy-yet sexy in his own way-Alpha petrified me one minute, made me feel safe the next, and filled me with lust that rocked me to my core. He was illogical and inconsistent; nothing about him made sense to me but I needed to trust someone.

"I don't like to shift. I never did. I see the thing that attacked me and I don't want to be like that...look like that. Sam says I'll go insane if I don't so I shift a couple of times a year, for about five minutes at a time."

"You're not a rogue, Lacey, I've told you that. You are my true mate; you're everything that I'm not."

"Then what am I? You said yourself that I'm practically human. A teenager had to save my butt, Elijah. That makes me feel terrible and useless. Do you really think that you would be given a nearly-human werewolf as a true mate? How will I be able to function in this pack? What if we wanted children? How would I be able to protect them?"

"If it really concerns you then let's do something about it."

"Like what?"

"I want to fully bond with you. If we can get passed the claiming part, we can work on some of your other issues; together. It would be the first step."

I studied Elijah for a moment. What if I COULD conquer my fears? I certainly wouldn't need any kids saving me from bullies. Life would get a lot less complicated. I could even prove to Sam...and myself, that I'm not a rogue.

"I suppose you want to mate as well. Maybe that'll distract me from the whole biting thing."

"I mean, if you think it'll help.", Elijah answered sheepishly.

I rolled my eyes while giving him a half smile.

******************

The date for 'THE DAY' was agreed upon; the day we decided we would mate and claim each other. We might as well had set an appointment for a business meeting. That's what it felt like to me; clinical and impersonal.

I tried to bring this up to Elijah but he looked to be on the verge of a melt down every time I mentioned it. He was deathly afraid that I was trying to get out of it. He was in typical 'male about to finally get inside female's pants' mode and his focus was absolute, almost bordering scary. While Elijah and his penis kept themselves busy by counting down the days, hours, minutes, and seconds; I spent the next couple of weeks learning my new surroundings and getting used to having a staff.

On top of that, I was given an extra shadow. Elijah harpooned me with Wallace of all people. He was only a step up from Rita, in my opinion. He consistently looked at me with a permanent expression of disbelief and disapproval every time I had the misfortune of coming into contact with him. Since he was one of Elijah's best friends, his attitude was always overlooked, much to my irritation.

"Wallace", Elijah nodded to his guard, "will be your personal guard from now on. When I'm not around, you don't go anywhere or do anything, off this floor, without having him next to you. Is that understood?"

"No! That is NOT understood. I have a job. My boss isn't going to put up with me having a bodyguard, Elijah."

"I know your boss, Phillip Teagues. I called and told him that he could email any assignments he has for you. He was very accommodating. It was either that or I buy the magazine and replace him. You'll just have to work at home for now."

"Elijah! Did it ever occur to you that I WANT to go to work?" I needed a break from this new world I had been thrown into; something that was reminiscent of my former world. How pathetic was that? I was starting to look at my place of employment as my sanctuary. Before this, I made a hobby out of how to avoid the place as much as possible while still collecting a paycheck.

"Lacey, until you have successfully dealt with some of your issues, it would be best if you had protection."

"You have some guy guarding me, that clearly doesn't like me, by the way, and I'm supposed to be okay with this PRISON sentence you set up for me?" I rubbed at my aching temples. "You know what, forget it. Maybe I'll get lucky and there'll be someone hiding in our room who'll be kind enough to take me out of my misery."

"Lord knows you'll make it easy for them." Wallace mumbled under his breath.

Elijah sighed. "Wallace."

"Sorry." Wallace relented before anything else could be said.

I sent a dirty look to Wallace before I left them alone in Elijah's office.

I was more than pissed off and I purposely kept 'Poindexter' on edge by hinting that my bad mood could effect what he so hungrily looked forward to happening soon.

******************

I was so sick and tired of Wallace silently following me around that when my cell phone rang I was tempted to answer it. It was Tia. I had been dodging Tia's and Jazmin's calls ever since I confronted Sam. As much as I missed them and so desperately wanted to talk to them, I just couldn't bring myself to do it. What if they had felt the same way Sam did? Our whole friendship would have been reduced to a lie. I wasn't ready to find out that they were only babysitting me when Sam wasn't around. I resisted the urge to talk to her and I turned my cell phone off.

Wanting to get mind off of my troubles, I wandered into a room that reminded me of a museum. I stopped and took in the huge room with an opened mouth. Oh. My. God. This was nerd heaven. Every collectable you could imagine was displayed, lovingly, in this room.

I poked around the place, noticing that Wallace's eyes actually lit up. The walls were covered with CGC graded comic books behind protective glass. To the left of the room, collectable models and toys ruled the area. To the right, props and costumes from various movies were set up.