75 Emotions
Mara
I wanted to punish Lucian.
He had yelled at me-in front of everyone. I played it off like it didn’t sting, like I was above the humiliation, but it cut deep. I wanted answers too. I wanted justice. But not at the cost of respect. Not like that.
They’d chased us, run us off the road, and buried silver bullets in our bodies. They’d wanted us dead. I hadn’t flinched at the thought of wiping out Theo’s entire family and locking him away to rot. Mercy was never part of the plan.
Still, Lucian’s outburst couldn’t go unaddressed.
So I wore the lace hipsters. His weakness. I knew exactly what they did to him. Then I stripped the pillows from his side of the bed and sent him to the couch. Not because I hated him. But because I needed him to understand.
He might be Alpha-but I was his mate. That made us equals.
I wasn’t Martha. I wasn’t some trophy wife who’d quietly take his anger like it was part of the deal. Purchased or not, I was his wife, and I demanded the same respect I gave him.
He needed to learn.
So I made sure to moan extra loud while I touched myself.
I wasn’t even that turned on-just committed to the bit. I wanted him to ache for me. I wanted him to know what he was missing. I heard him shift on the couch, felt the weight of his stare. And when I came, I knew it broke him.
He didn’t say a word.
But he didn’t move, either. He stayed put. That restraint? That respect? That was the apology I was waiting for.
“Go to sleep, Lucian,” I said softly, my voice laced with dominance. “You’re not getting any tonight. Think about this the next time you want to disrespect me in public.”
I turned away from him and closed my eyes, expecting satisfaction.
But the bed felt… empty.
I tossed. Turned. Tried to settle into the pillows that were too soft and the silence that was too loud. It wasn’t just about the fight. I missed him beside me. His warmth. His heartbeat against my back.
Across the room, I heard him shifting, too. Restless. Awake.
I smiled faintly.
He’d gotten the message.
“Lucian,” I whispered, “you can come to bed now.”
Seconds later, I felt the mattress shift behind me, his warmth enveloping mine. His hard-on pressed against my bare ass as he spooned me and pulled me close.
“I’m sorry, Mara,” he murmured, voice thick with sincerity. “I promise it won’t happen again. I swear. I’ll never disrespect
you like that again.”
I turned to face him, searching his eyes. “Don’t ever do that again, Lucian. You yelled at me like I was one of your subordinates. Rowan and Darian were there.”
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His eyes shut, jaw tight. He was fru
“I know,” he whispered. “I’m sorry. I swear, it won’t happen again.”
“I’m holding you to your word,” I said, my voice soft but steady.
He nodded, then leaned in.
The kiss came fast-hungry, desperate, all the pent-up frustration of the day melting into it. His body pressed into mine, hard and ready, and I knew the sight of me touching myself earlier hadn’t left his head.
He made love to me-slow, intense, full of apology and need-and we fell asleep wrapped in each other’s arms.
Right where we both belonged.
We woke up late-and I was glad.
Missing that family breakfast circus felt like a gift. Honestly, if Lucian and I could keep sleeping in until Alpha Vander got the message and left us alone, I’d be thrilled.
We stayed in, taking our time, lounging like people who weren’t expected to run a pack or fend off conspiracies. Lucian said he needed to grab something from town and wanted me to tag along, but I declined. I’d been cooped up in the bedroom for days. Between the heat and the “apology s*x,” I was sore in more ways than one. I needed fresh air, not
another ride.
We showered together-warm, slow, relaxing.
Austin brought us breakfast, which we ate on the couch, wrapped in each other and a pile of pillows. The pastries were fresh, the sandwiches better than anything served in that painfully formal breakfast lounge. It was nice-simple. No
forced conversations. No Vander.
After Lucian left, I grabbed one of my favorite books and decided to head out to the garden gazebo for a little peace, quiet, and maybe a few pages before I inevitably dozed off in the sun.
As I made my way through the hall, I spotted Austin and asked him to bring some snacks and juice to the gazebo. Something to nibble while I read.
He hesitated.
“Madam… there’s a lake on the west side of the property,” he said. “You might like it there.”
The suggestion felt oddly rehearsed. Too specific. Too cautious.
I narrowed my eyes. “Who’s in the garden?”
He looked surprised I’d caught on so quickly, then sighed.
“Darian is there, Madam. Miss Livingston often walks that route, but she avoided it today because of his presence.”
I nodded. The last thing I needed was to be alone with Darian. Not because I didn’t trust myself-I did. But because it would complicate everything. For him. For me. For Lucian. He hadn’t moved on, and I was trying to forget the version of
him I once liked. That history was better left sealed.
“Thank you,” I told Austin.
He described the lake’s location, and I decided to give it a try.
The west side of the property felt like another world entirely-quieter, softer. The lake shimmered beneath the morning sun, framed by trees that swayed gently in the breeze. It was stunning. Peaceful. Private.
I had no idea why Lucian had never brought me here. He’d taken me hunting. He’d shown me the cabin in the woods. But
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this place? He’d never mentioned it. Maybe it wasn’t his favorite. Maybe he didn’t think I’d care.
But I did.
Austin arrived with a picnic mat and pillows. I had him spread everything beneath a tall tree, where the sunlight filtered
through the branches in warm golden patches. It was perfect.
I settled in, back cushioned, book in hand, juice within reach. And for the first time in what felt like weeks, I let my mind
slow down.
76 The Lake
