Chapter 4

• Several silent hours later, we arrived back home in the dead of night. Neither of our fathers felt comfortable with Mady and I going back to our townhouse, especially while it was unclear as to why we had caught the attention of a rival Alpha.
• Not wishing to cause any more trouble than necessary, we both agreed to stay with our parents until things smoothed over.
• We both returned to our townhouse to pack a bag, taking time to gather a few things. I made sure to cover my painting before carrying it out to the car where my father was waiting.
• Along with paint supplies, I grabbed an extra set of pajamas and clothes for a few days. I could only hope there was a spare toothbrush at my parents' house because mine was still in Las Vegas.
• I said goodbye to Mady as the two of us went our separate ways, promising to meet for coffee the next morning. When we got home, I said goodnight to my parents and went upstairs to my old bedroom.
• After what felt like an eternity of laying in the bed staring at the ceiling, I came to the conclusion that I wouldn't be sleeping that night. Especially since my mind was still replaying the day on a continuous loop.
• I went downstairs to a dark house, not unusual since I presumed my parents had likely been sleeping for several hours at that point. After making myself a cup of tea, I went out onto the back patio to get some fresh air.
• Our back patio had a screened-in porch with a comfortable seating area where I found myself lounging on the couch that night, listening to the sound of rain falling against the roof and thunder rumbling off in the distance.
• A few minutes went by while I drank my tea and listened to the storm as it gathered over my head. I could hear crickets singing and frogs bellowing as rainwater puddled in the yard, gently splashing against the grass my father had cut only a few days earlier.
• I watched the sky above the trees off in the distance as lightning flashed against the dark, puffy clouds.
• As the rain picked up and wind began to blow harder, I noticed that I could no longer hear the crickets and frogs. I finished drinking my tea and stood up from the couch to go back inside the house.
• Just before I could turn to open the backdoor, I watched a sharp flash of lightning stretch out across the sky. In the brief moment that it illuminated my backyard, I saw a man standing on the edge of the trees... watching me.
• My heart stopped.
• Darkness surrounded me once again as the lightning drew back into the clouds. An eerie chill ran up my spine, sending goosebumps across my body.
• Turn around! Open the door and go inside!
• Despite my hand already being on the door, I couldn't muster up the strength to make my quivering fingers clench the handle and turn it. With the adrenaline coursing through me, I felt as though I had been struck by the lightning that flashed overhead.
• As the backyard was illuminated yet again, my eye was drawn to the trees once more-only to see that the figure I'd seen was no longer there. I felt a tinge of relief before I heard the sound of puddles and mud being squished under feet.
• He was walking closer towards the house.
• Open the door, you idiot!
• Holding my breath, I listened to the sound of footfalls coming up the wooden steps of the deck. They were slow and calculated. I tried to determine if I had enough time to make it into the house before they reached the patio door.
• By now, I had taken a few steps forward to look out into the yard. I was several feet from the backdoor.
• Do I risk the loss of time by running inside the house or do I take what time I have to lock the patio door? Do I hide or fight?
• Before I could make a decision, time was up.
• In bother flash of lightning, I saw the towering shape of a man standing in the patio doorway and I found myself frozen in place, paralyzed by fear.
• Neither of us moved.
• He was close enough that I could see his shadowy outline even after the flash of light was gone.
• Suddenly, almost quicker than I could register his movements, he stepped towards me and I did the only thing I could think to do in that moment: throw the mug.
• He side-stepped the throw and the ceramic cup shattered against the wooden support beam behind him. Seizing this moment of distraction, I turned and ran.
• My hand had barely touched the door handle before an arm wrapped around my waist, pulling me back.
• Panicking, I jumped up and back against the rain-soaked body of the man behind me-forcefully pushing myself backwards, leveraging my feet against the side of the house.
• Clearly such force had not been anticipated by my attacker and he stumbled backwards, landing on the couch I had just been sitting on.
• I wrestled my way out of his arms and landed on the hard patio floor next to the couch. Trying as fast as I could to get away, stumbled only a few feet before I felt his hand on my ankle pulling me back to the ground.
• A sudden shockwave sent me rigid as I landed hard on the floor.
• What was that?
• He crawled over me as I tried to wrestle my way out of his grip again, this time to no avail.
• Pinning me to the ground, he sat on my lower torso and held my wrists in one hand and stifled my scream with the other.
• I realized quickly that he wasn't trying to crush me with the full weight of his body, instead he was merely holding me down by constricting my movements. He was hardly trying and I was giving it everything I had.
• I'm sure I looked as pathetic as I felt.
• It wasn't until I stopped struggling that I felt the sparks crawling over my body, originating from his grip on my wrists and hand over my mouth. I felt like I was being electrocuted.
• It was as if every neuron in my body was firing off violently; I couldn't tell if I enjoyed the sensation or if I despised it
• "I know you feel that," he said with a deep voice, "and I know that you know what it means."
• When he spoke those words, I realized that I had been so blinded by fear that I ignored the telling symptoms of a life-long illness I was destined to suffer from...
• The heightened senses.
• The palpitating heart rhythm.The shortness of breath.
• The tingles that danced across my skin when he touched me. They all added up to one thing.
• "If I take my hand off your mouth, promise me you won't scream."
• When I did nothing to acknowledge him, he sighed.
• "I don't think your father would enjoy knowing another Alpha was on his land, much less one like me. You screaming will draw his attention and create many more problems than it would solve. I don't think you want that, so it's in your best interest to keep quiet."
• Alpha?
• He slowly took his hand off of my mouth.
• I stared up at him as lightning flashed across the room, barely catching a glimpse of his face.
• "Who are you?" I asked, my voice shaking.
• "Yours."
• Mine.
• The man hovering over me was my mate. Thunder echoed outside the patio. Despite the situation, I found myself relaxing under him He let go of my wrists and sighed as he pulled himself off of me.
• I watched him kneel on the ground next to where I lay, keeping a hand on the other side of my body as if he were still unsure of whether I would try to flee.
• "What's your name?" he asked.
• "You first," I said, sitting up. I was still breathing heavy from both the encounter and the exertion.
• "Luca," he answered. "Luca Ronan."
• He must have noticed my expression as I registered his name and what it meant.
• Immediately, I remembered the things my father had said of him the day before.
• I stood up and Luca did as well.
• "You know who I am," he presumed.I nodded slowly, my eyes darting to the backdoor.
• "Your reputation precedes you."
• He reached out, his fingers barely touching my face before I flinched away from his raised hand.
• His jaw clenched.
• To my surprise, he reached out with both hands and held my face, gently turning my attention to him.
• "My hands are for your protection and your pleasure only," he said sincerely. "Don't you dare believe that I would use them to harm you."
• You did just tackle me to the ground, I wanted to say.
• "You should go," I told him, backing away. "You're right about my father, he wouldn't want you here."
• "What about you?" Luca asked.
• I didn't answer him.
• "I'll only leave under one condition," he told me.Another bolt of lightning stretched across the sky, illuminating his sharp facial features. After the accompanying rumble of thunder had passed, Luca spoke again.
• "Come with me, amore mio."
• I wanted to cringe at the pet name, but there was a part of me that desperately needed to hear him call me that again.
• My reply was quick.
• "No," I said firmly.
• " I have two jobs that I work, I can't just leave. Besides, my family would disown me if I left our pack for another-especially yours."
• "You misunderstood me," he said. "I didn't ask a question. I told you to come with me."
• I scoffed.
• "Forgive me for acting upon my rights of autonomy," I told him, sarcasm lacing every word.
• My eyes drifted over his shoulder again, landing on the backdoor. Luca followed my gaze and stepped back away from me.
• "Don't pretend you don't have a choice here," he said."You pick the door you walk through."
• I began to walk towards the backdoor.
• "Okay, I guess this is goodbye then," I told him.
• Opening it, I walked through and turned to close and lock it behind me, leaving him to stand out on the patio. As I turned the corner to walk up the staircase, I leaned against the wall and placed my hand over my chest, feeling my heart race.
• Breathing deeply, I opened and clenched my fists to try and stop their nervous shaking.
• I turned around slowly to peer around the corner towards the backdoor.
• Luca had left the patio.
• My eyebrows furrowed.
• There was no way it was that easy.Not knowing what else to do, I felt an obligation to go and wake my father. He and Alpha Reid needed to know that Luca was on our land.
• I slowly tiptoed up the staircase and walked down the hallway towards my parents' room. As I passed my bedroom, I noticed my curtains blowing violentlyin the large gusts of wind that blew through the room from the open window. Seeing the rain pour in, soaking my chair and bookcase that sat under the window, I hurried into the room to close it.
• I tugged and pulled at the top of the windowpane, trying desperately to pull it down but it was jammed. The window shut suddenly, sending me off balance as I had put all of my weight into closing it.
• I felt a hand grab my waist to steady me and I immediately turned around.
• Luca stood behind me, his rain-drenched body close to mine. I gulped.
• "Wrong choice."
• Before I could reply, I looked down at his feet and noticed his muddy shoes.
• "Oh my God!" I whispered harshly. "You're getting footprints all over my carpet!"
• I reached over to turn on the lamp that sat next to my bed, gasping as it illuminated the mud that was trailed across my room where Luca had walked
• "What the hell is the matter with you---"
• I looked up to see an incredulous look plastered on Luca's face, stopping short in the middle of my sentence as I took in his features that were now fully visible in the glow of my lamp.
• Luca's disheveled and damp obsidian-black hair fell in his face, falling just short of slightly arched eyebrows that gave him a stern and focused expression. His eyes were a pale green that reminded me of sea glass; a sharp and piercing gaze made me lean away, feeling as though I would melt under its intensity.
• High cheekbones and an angular jaw that was perfectly framed by darkened stubble made for striking facial features that added to his steely demeanor. His golden, honey-toned skin gleamed with rainwater that rolled down his toned arms and off his fingertips.
• A gray, rain-drenched t-shirt clung tight to his broad shoulders and lean, muscular torso.
• Damn, girl. Breathe.
• I had completely lost my train of thought.
• "You can ogle me later, amore," Luca said, his voice deep and tone laced with amusement.
• "Right now, we need to leave." There it was again.
• If he kept calling me that, I knew that I wouldn't be able to put up much more of a fight. I closed my eyes and shook my head, a desperate attempt to ridmyself of the perverse thoughts that were running through my mind.
• "I, um... I can't leave," I said, finally opening my eyes.
• "I already told you that."
• Drawing in a deep breath, Luca reached out and pulled back my curtain.
• "Do you see that truck out there?" he asked, gesturing to the brand-new black pickup truck that sat in the road at the end of my driveway.
• I nodded slowly, anticipating his next words.
• "You have five minutes to decide whether you getting in that truck is a voluntary or involuntary decision on your part."
• Luca turned back to me.
• "I suggest you use those five minutes to pack a bag."
• Before I could say another word of protest, I heard the creak of an opening door. Luca and I both turned to see my father walk down the hallway, stopping just as he passed my room.
• Seeing Luca and I, his expression morphed from one of shock to one of anger.
• "What the hell are you doing here, Ronan?"
• He looked at me, making sure I wasn't hurt.
• I nodded slowly, letting him know I was okay.
• "Get away from my daughter and out of my house," he growled, stepping into the room.
• "She's my mate," Luca said.
• A bolt of lightning flashed through my window and was immediately followed by a crack of thunder that made the floor beneath my feet quake.
• "I'm not leaving this room without her."
• My father looked back to me and I let my gaze fall to the ground, unable to stand the disappointment on his face.
• "Over my dead body."
• Luca turned to my father, his jaw clenched.
• "If that's what it takes."
• The two men squared their shoulders, eyes narrowing in on one another. I saw a momentary flash of fear in my father's eyes and I realized then that he knew he was about to get his ass handed to him.
• While my father was a Beta, Luca was an Alpha.
• Their titles alone determined the winner of the fight.Luca would kill him and my father knew it. When Luca took a step forward, I felt my heart drop to my feet.
• "Stop. let out the breath I had been holding.
• "Stop," I repeated.
• I turned to look at my father.
• "I'm leaving with him," I said, feeling a knot form in the back of my throat. "Please, just let us go so no one has to get hurt."
• My father looked at me with eyebrows knit together in confusion. Even Luca seemed surprised.
• "Just let us go," I said again, this time my voice barely above a whisper.
• When neither of them made another move, I leaned down and pulled out my suitcase that I had packed with clothes from my apartment and placed it on my bed.
• Quickly, I grabbed my backpack and threw in my paint supplies and went into the bathroom to toss in my toiletries as well.
• Sighing, I realized I still didn't have a damn toothbrush. I walked back into the room, the tension between Luca and my father still heavy.
• "I'm ready," I said, throwing the backpack over one shoulder. Luca grabbed my suitcase from the bed and walked over. Noticing how I eyed the sheet-covered painting that was leaning against the wall, he grabbed that too.
• I turned to my father and stood on my tiptoes to hug him.
• "Love you." I said.
• "I'll see you soon, okay?"
• He said nothing as I pulled away, still glaring at Luca.I moved past him into the hallway to see my mother standing in her bedroom doorway, clutching her robe around her.
• Seeing her, I felt the tears that I had been so diligently holding back begin to fill my eyes.
• She looked over my shoulder and saw Luca leaving my bedroom and I saw the realization hit her. Whether she recognized Luca or pieced everything together, I didn't know.
• Reaching forward, she grabbed me and pulled me into a hug so tight that I felt the air leave my lungs.
• "Please be careful." she whispered into my ear.
• I gulped, nodding as she pulled away.
• "I love you," she said. "Promise me that you'll call whenever you get where you're going so I know you're safe."
• I nodded again, wiping the tears from my cheeks. "I will."
• I turned away from her and went down the staircase, trying to keep from completely falling apart.Luca followed me into the foyer, watching as I opened the front door to the sheets of rain that were falling outside.
• Looking over my shoulder, I saw my parents standing at the bottom of the staircase, my mother trembling as tears fell and my father shaking with rage.
• Turning to Luca, I saw the determined expression he wore.
• "Go," he said, nudging me gently out the door. Letting out the breath I was holding, I stepped out into the rain. Luca followed me closely. I could hear his feet splashing on the sidewalk as we ran out onto the end of the driveway where his truck was waiting.
• He ran out in front of me and quickly opened the back door and put my painting and suitcase into the backseat. Running around the truck, he opened the passenger door for me.
• Just as I was about to climb in, I heard my father's voice calling out from the front porch.
• "You'll regret this, Ronan!"
• I turned to look at Luca, whose attention was still on me. I could still hear my father's taunting as Luca nodded at me to get into the truck. He placed his hands on my waist to hoist me up into the seat.
• "You won't get away with this!"
• Luca closed the door as I sat down, running around the truck to get in.
• He pressed the ignition and the truck roared to life. I pulled my backpack off of my shoulders and placed it at my bare feet.
• As we drove away, I looked out my window to see Mady's house as we drove past it. I wished then, more than anything else, that we had never gone to Las Vegas.
• Why did Luca Ronan have to be my mate?