Bastien
“Go!” Selene calls, taking up a defensive stance.
“I can’t.” I growl, “this isn’t right.”
We’re out in the garden, positioned on a wide swath of manicured lawn and standing about ten meters apart. Selene is dressed in workout garb and eyeing me with mild exasperation. Aiden and Donovan from the sidelines, wide grins on their faces even though nothing has happened yet.
“Attack me!” My mate insists, throwing her arms out in encouragement.
“Selene, I really don’t think–”
“Bastien you promised!” She reminds me. It hadn’t been easy for her to convince me to try and test her powers this way, and to be honest I still think it’s a bad idea. I know Axel and I would never intentionally hurt her, but accidents happen and even a fake attack can go wrong.
“This is dangerous.” I gripe, “what if it doesn’t work? What if I can’t pull back in time?”
“That’s why Aiden and Donavon are here.” She reminds me firmly. When I still don’t move she softens and bats her lashes. “Please, baby?”
Grumbling under my breath, I agree. “Okay, On my count.” With a deep breath, I brace myself for the attack, “Three… two… one!” To my credit, I do manage to shift, but the moment Axel sees Selene everything comes to a stop. I’m not even halfway across the grass before my snarls become purrs, my charge becomes an excited lope, and the most aggressive feeling I can conjure is lust.
Selene throws her head back in frustration. “This is ridiculous Bastien. If you can’t do it, then you need to let someone else!”
Shifting on the spot, I cross the garden and pull her flush against me. “No one else is going to attack you, mate.” I rumble, “Do you know why?”
“Because you’re so overprotective and possessive that you even feel territorial about threatening me?” She quips.
“Because fake or not, if I see another wolf showing aggression to my mate, I won’t be able to control myself.” I correct, skewering her with my gaze. “I will defend you as if the threat is completely real, and I’d rather not kill my Betas over an experiment.”
My mate casts a sulky glance, “You can’t think about this as if it’s a true threat.” She argues, “just remind yourself that this is all to help me. You’re doing a good thing by attacking me, you’re teaching me to defend myself.”
Sighing heavily, I pry a few kisses from her soft lips. “Spoken like someone without a violent bone in her sweet little body.”
“What is that supposed to mean?” Selene asks, her striking eyes narrowed with suspicion.
“It means you don’t understand the darkness that takes hold in these moments.” I explain ruefully, “And I hope you never do.”
“Bastien, I need this.” My mate murmurs urgently, “I need to know what’s happening with my own body.” She implores, “I know this isn’t easy for you and that I can’t understand the kind of malice you’re talking about. I know you might not be able to feel that towards me, but you spar with Aiden and Donavon all the time – why is this any different?”
“Because neither of them are my mate.” I explain passionately.
“Oh, so you can spank me but you can’t pretend to fight me?” Selene questions coyly.
Chuckling darkly I answer, “those are very different things.” My wife has mentioned her spanking so frequently I’m beginning to think she wants another. “You earned the spanking.” I remind her huskily. “You could never earn an attack.”
Pouting, Selene shifts restlessly against me, tempting me to no end, “Please just give it one more try?” She begs, trailing her slender fingers down my chest.
Groaning, I steal one last kiss before returning to my starting position. Bracing myself for the imminent battle, I try to put myself into a mindset that will allow me to do what is necessary. You’re helping her, you’re helping her, you’re helping her. I think somewhat manically.
“Go!” Selene calls with absolute determination.
This time I’m finally able to lunge at her with true ferocity, growling and snapping like the wild animal I keep buried deep inside. However it seems I’m no longer the problem, because while I attack my mate with total commitment, she cannot seem to safeguard herself. Her defensive stance relaxes even as I charge forward, a beautiful smile stretching across her face as my wolf attacks.
It seems Selene is no more capable of fearing me, as I am of threatening her.
This is hopeless.
____________________
Odette
Things have been very uncertain since Selene returned. The entire city has been in an uproar every second of the day, and convincing the aristocracy to accept my daughter-in-law and granddaughter has been no small feat.
Needless to say, the last few weeks have been an emotional roller-coaster, but I’m convinced it’s all for the best. Bastien has been a shadow of himself ever since Selene left – a condition I understand all too well. I’m beyond thrilled that his heart and spirit has been restored, and I want nothing more than peace for my family.
Still, when I enter the garden this afternoon and find my son in his wolf form, mid-way through an attack on his mate, I can’t help but pull up short. Granted, Selene doesn’t seem the least bit bothered. In fact, she looks somewhat delighted to have her mate treating her so aggressively.
“What in the Goddess’s name are you doing?” I question, glancing back and forth between them.
“I’m trying to get Bastien to attack me, but he’s too chicken.” Selene complains, her lovely eyes glittering with mirth.
My son growls, and Selene shivers with delight. For a moment I’m reminded so viscerally of Gabriel that my heart hurts. I remember that glorious tension between lust and fear so profoundly that I feel a loss even now, so many years after my mate died.
“And why do you want him to attack you?” I ask skeptically.
Selene rolls her eyes as if her next words “Because, the other day someone tried to attack me –”
“What!” I interrupt, incapable of smothering my instinctive response. “Are you alright? What happened!”
“I’m fine, honestly, everyone is missing the point!” Selene exclaims, showing more defiance and backbone than I can ever recall seeing from her before. “Which is that I was able to repel them without touching them.” Her two-toned eyes bore into mine, imploring me to understand, “It was like magic. I tapped into some sort of new power, and we’re trying to recreate the phenomenon.”
It’s a serious matter, but I cannot contain my amusement. Laughter bubbles from my chest in an irrepressible rush. “Well of course that won’t work!” I exclaim, “he’s your mate, you know he won’t hurt you.”
“What?” Selene murmurs softly.
“It doesn’t matter how tough or threatening he acts,” I share, “you trust him on an intimate level, he’s never going to trigger the survival instincts you need.”
“That may be,” Bastien argues firmly. “But I’m not letting anyone else attack her.”
“Honestly my darlings, it’s not as if violence is the only solution.” I state simply. “Why don’t you come with me, Selene.”
“Come with you where?” Bastien asks hesitantly. I swear, the man is so protective of his mate that even I’m not above suspicion.
“To my library.” I drawl, rolling my eyes. “I have a few books which might offer a bit more insight, and none of them will put your health or relationships at risk.”
Selene seems ready to come along without complaint, but Bastien catches her around the waist, whispering something in her ear so quiet that even my keen ears can’t hear. Selene flushes bright red, and I have a feeling that whatever her mate just said was deeply personal indeed.
When he finally leaves us alone, I ask, “How are you doing, my love, truly?”
“I keep waiting for the rug to get dragged out from under my feet.” Selene admits. “I mean, I know Bastien loves me. At least, I’m coming to realize that and trying to convince myself to trust it. Still, everything I’ve ever known has taught me the opposite. I don’t really know how to deal with it.”
“I understand.” I affirm gently, “It’s difficult to accept that other people love you when you’ve been conditioned to think you aren’t worthy of it.”
“Exactly.” Selene murmurs, “he’s so confident, so sure of his feelings and beliefs – when I’m just trying to keep my head above water.”
“Do you think finding this new power will help even the playing field?” I ask. I know what it is to be an Alpha’s mate, to question your own strength alongside that of such a dominant wolf. I wish I could tell Selene she has nothing to worry about, but the truth is that these issues never go away.
“I don’t know.” She admits, “I just want my family to be safe. I want to know my pup won’t have to live in fear.”
“She won’t,” I promise, my own protective instincts rising to the forefront as I pull a volume from the packed shelves of my bookcases. I splay the text open for Selene, displaying the table of contents for the Volana history annals. Of all my books, this text offers my daughter-in-law and granddaughter all they could ever wish to know about their heritage.
“Because you’re going to learn to harness your power, and when Lila’s time comes, you’ll teach her too.” I affirm. “Together you’ll have the world at your fingertips, and that’s a strength no one can ever take away from you.”
