The Bargain

Hell hound

LUCIEN

Myka's scent affected me more than I thought it would. It had me acting like a dumbass for days.

Like a dog.
She turned my prideful Lycan into a dog.

And the worst part was that she wasn't even aware, she wasn't even trying. She was unusually cooperative; obediently wearing the shirts I've given her to let my scent stick on her.

Or, well, it was either that or having my saliva all over her. No wonder that she chose the easy way out.

But I couldn't ignore her like I had that morning in the kitchen, not anymore. It was now physically impossible. I had this overwhelming urge to stay around her and take care of this fertile female, to growl at any man who looked at her for more than two seconds. Like a fucking guard dog.

At times, when I was absentmindedly strolling around, my feet would move by themselves, my unconscious just casually leading me to wherever she was. I had to be careful. More than a few times I'd caught myself standing outside her door like a fucking creep, fingers on the doorknob.

I chastised myself every time it happened, mentally whipping my brain, telling myself to snap out of it. To please snap out of it.

Being a Lycan had never been this pathetic.

It was a constant battle against my own mind and it was all turning out to be much harder than I ever thought.

I tried to be discreet about these new growing urges. I really tried. Letting myself be around her but not too close, watching her from a distance.

But there were times I couldn't help myself.

Like that time when she walked past me and nearly stumbled over the slippery porch. My hand just shot out by itself, grabbing her by the arm and safely helped her down.

Normally, Inwould let her land on her ass and maybe even laugh about it. She knew that.

"Are you okay?" I asked, although my voice was without concern. I made my tone neutral, on the verge of bored, as if I attempted to undermine what I just did by sounding uninterested. "Carli should warn everyone when she's cleaned the porch."

Myka took a step back and looked up at me, those fiery dark eyes narrowing suspiciously. "Why have you been so concerned for me lately? What do you want?"

I just stared at her, not able to find an answer to give her. Because what could I say? That my instincts was reacting to her smell, that it lured forth a new personality that threatened to take over?

I knew how crazy that sounded to a human, so I decided to not open my mouth. I just turned around and walked away from her without another word.

The only cure I found to this haze - this curse - was Naira. Either when I caught a glimpse of her or if I concentrated on her hard enough. Her lips, the smell of her hair, her face, the sound of her moans...

It made my heart ache and the pain temporarily got me back into my normal senses, although it became harder and harder. The effects didn't last very long and it didn't help that Naira was avoiding me like the plague, Myka even more so. And since I couldn't stay far away from Myka I fell into this dark circle, stuck inside a horrible loop.

I started to understand how the arrival of the other Lycans triggered my overly obsessive behaviour. They weren't suppose to be back yet and the shock of it probably made it worse, made me worse. But therehad been an intrusion around one of the borders which made Milo send some of them back home earlier as reinforcement.

It had my Lycan on edge, teeth out and fur up. Viewing any male as a threat and an enemy.

Exhausting to say the least.

Luckily, most of the Lycans in this facility were already mated. Only a few youngsters weren't, but it just took one look from me for them to immediately put their head down, not even daring to breathe in Myka's direction. I was the second highest ranking after Milo in this place, and they knew they weren't a match for me. I'd rip their throat out without question if they challenged me or what's mine.

But still, you never know. I was sure to never turn my back for too long.

The sleep was the worst part. I had these stupid sex dreams about her. So vivid that I could practically taste her on my tongue when I woke up, my body sweaty and rock hard. I usually had to down two glasses of whiskey to calm down after. Or jack off. Twice.

Whiskey slowly grew to be my best friend, my saviour. It was the only thing that could dull my senses enough and take the edge off this forced obsession. My liquor intake incrased, I always carried some of it with me, taking a shot here and there.

I usually woke up earlier than Myka in the mornings - I could hardly sleep anyways - and I stayed in my room until I could hear the familiar sound of her door open. Then I waited one or two minutes before I followed her downstairs.

Yeah. It was that horrible.

"So what'd you say?"

Milo's voice drags me out of my thoughts and I meet his gaze. He's standing in the middle of my office, patiently waiting for an answer. He'd come back this morning with the last of the Lycans, after they'd successfully eliminated the threat at the border.

"Yeah sure, I guess. It's not like I have much of a choice." I sigh, feeling absolutely exhausted.

He grins at me. "No I suppose you don't."

His little fiancé had apparently complained to him about Myka's lack of clothes, blaming us that she'd been taken without any warning. So Milo decided that we should take them shopping in the nearest province, as a "double date."

Normally I'd refuse to entertain this ridicilous idea and just let them go by themselves, but right now I can't. Where she goes, I go. My Lycan would not, could not, budge on that.

"Wait til yours start ovulating," I say as I clinck on the surface of the whiskey bottle with my finger, demonstratively.

He laughs. "Yeah I don't know if I could refrain from fucking her. Let's hope that doesn't happens before the ceremony."

The ceremony.

My heart drops in an instant, I feel all the color from my face drain away. I'd refused to think about it until now, but I guess it is about time.

I need to figure something out, soon.

A solution.

"You okay?" Milo seems to notice my distress.

I hunch over my desk, resting my forehead in my palms. "You know it's your sister I love, Milo. Not that human."

"I know," he says softly, a hint of compassion in his voice. "But you both know how our nature works, what the moon wants. She'll get over it and so will you."

No I won't.

But I suffer in silence, not saying anything. Because what is there to say?

I take a deep breath and straighten up, locking my hands behind my neck instead. "You don't think that they'll try to escape if we take them there?"

He shakes his head with a little smile, seemingly amused by the thought. "They won't get far. It's a private mall and we'll be the only ones there. I've rented it for a couple of hours."

The perks of belonging to a filthy rich pack.

"Alright. So when are we going?"

"First thing in the morning. Be ready."