Loving Lucius (Werescape) Read online

  LOVING LUCIUS

  Werescape Book 4

  (1st edition)

  by

  Skhye Moncrief

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  KINDLE EDITION

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  Blurb:

  She thinks it's impossible to hide her freakish powers. He thinks she's trying to worm herself under his skin to gain entry into his clan's secret Shifter laboratory.

  Things couldn't get any tougher when Lady Elise's life flounders deep in The Wild after the extraterrestrials terminated her warlord father's reign over his city. On the run from the aliens, her father passes Elise and her sisters into the care of some Shifters. But that's not what troubles Elise. Her father has offered her body as the prize to one of the Shifters in exchange for their help in safeguarding his daughters. And the icing on that cake is founded in her father's dangerous secret about his daughters' true father--a secret he shares with only Elise, a secret she dare not utter, one explaining the three sisters's unusually strong psychic powers of healing. Powers that strike fear in Normals. She literally lives in fear of skin-to-skin contact with anyone and of witch hunts. Being labeled a witch is no better than being connected to the aliens who invaded Earth--aliens responsible for her psychic powers. This little skeleton in Elise's closet is best left buried therein. But now she's the foreigner with life and limb at the mercy of strange Guardians who ask questions, watch, and listen to tattling heartbeats...

  Lucius is into exhuming secrets. Although, maybe he's best named Luscious, his tools for exhumation aren't the standard shovel and bucket of that sort of business. Well, that's when a Shifter's inner Wolf tosses them aside for mating. He's fighting a needy Wolf and his clan's safety when he takes on saving Elise and her sisters. But all it takes is one infiltrator to learn the truth about his sire's pre-AEI governmental medical laboratory and all bets are off that Earth will ever be controlled by humans again. Trusting Elise sets off all sorts of alarms--untimely omens that warn he's definitely risking being next in line to head his sire's clan as well as his clan's safety and humanity's. But nature seems to have it in for the unlikely duo. And whether they like it or not, the best fix for the problem is tied to Elise bending to temptation of the touch and LOVING LUCIUS.

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  Loving Lucius

  Copyright © 2012 by Skhye Moncrief

  All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the author or publisher except for the use of brief quotations in critical articles or reviews.

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  This is a work of fiction. Names, places, businesses, characters and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, actual events or locales is purely coincidental.

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  Cover Art by Erin Dameron-Hill

  Publishing History

  1st edition released by author, 2012

  Published in the United States of America

  Dedication

  To all readers who pushed for freedom of choice in their leisure reading earlier this year, here's Luscious, *clears throat* I mean Lucius. And just in case some company decides to ban paranormal romance again, I decided to release the rest of the Werescape series myself in order to have a little more control over what happens to it. If you have something to say about what goes down in the 'Scape, post a review. I'm all ears. ;P Besides, who cares if, *clears throat again*, something goes down in the Werescape? Live long and vicariously through romantic fiction!

  Chapter One

  Iowa Territory, 2065 A.D., AEI, The Wild

  Life has gone to Hell in two generations. Extraterrestrials altered the human genome, splitting humanity into two subspecies of humans, Shifters and Normals. Sometimes Shifters and Normals work together for survival in cities or remote villages. Other times they war for dominance. Regardless of the outcome, they must survive and fight against human enslavement. Hunted by aliens for breeding stock, Shifters understand this the most. Especially, Wolf males…

  ****

  Being summoned to speak with a warlord when you lived as far as possible from them in The Wild to avoid the pompous bastards wasn't a problem Lucius wanted to deal with when he traveled across country. But sometimes, annoying things occurred, he thought. Like having a group of well-armed Normal hunters approach a group of Shifters to announce New Boston's warlord Langston had run for his life from his city and hid deep within the nearby Iowa Territory. So my two brothers, another Shifter, and I rode our horses toward the gaping front gateway of a remote wilderness encampment to learn for ourselves what insanity pushed an arrogant Normal to send for strange Shifters. Add to the equation that since the extraterrestrials began cleansing the New cities along the East Coast, the Elders needed to hear every scrap of information Shifters could squeeze from powerful Normals.

  Time to squeeze this warlord.

  Well, the early spring day was young. Not an hour past sunrise. And the nip in the air didn't bother me nor my horse. Why not a little unplanned excursion to ease up on the monotony of our trip to collect a motor part?

  "Maybe one of us should wait while the rest go into meet with Langston?" my younger brother Hadrian asked from half a horse length behind my saddle.

  Although Hadrian proved a strong wise Shifter of twenty-seven years, I never cared for the weakness in his points. Like the Caesar he was named after who built a wall to bar the barbarians from England so long ago. Alas, Hadrian was always right. But he'd mated and had a family that needed him more than the rest of us unmated Shifters. I turned to catch his blue gaze--the clue he was one of my sire's sons. "Langston can't possibly do anything with unmated Shifters. I think there's a mystery here worth solving. One that will result in at least a bit of entertainment to account for the time we spend detouring to this Normal camp."

  Marcus caught my gaze from his bay gelding and nodded.

  Something kept Hadrian from reminding me he had a mate to return to. He'd be fine. We all would. And rarely did one of my younger brothers give me much grief when we left on task for our sire. But what did Tacitus think? I turned to the large man's almost-brown hazel gaze.

  Tacitus still wore his straight-lipped smile, casually gripping his gray gelding's reins.

  Deep in thought, although he appeared to daydream. Hence, his blank expression. His standard-Shifter attire of camouflage military pants and shirt backed his indifferent position that kept everyone content to keep him close. Even when those requesting he side with them were all brothers who'd rather he choose who had the best plan.

  Tacitus smacked his lips and ran the palm of his free hand over his shaved scalp. "This ride across country is so Gods-be-damned boring. Visiting a displaced Normal warlord ought to shake things up."

  So, my friend sided with me. "True."

  "Then let's see what lies beyond that palisade." My other younger unpredictable brother, Marcus, focused on the tree trunks forming a solid wall encircling the Normal camp.

  Might as well get this over with and head home to help with the summer's preparations for winter. I kicked my mount into a trot and covered the broad meadow leading up to the wall of tree trunks standing on end. The wide gate opening offered a nice preview of a few log cabins. None were oversized. Meaning no Shifter clan leader resided at this outpost. No Shifters meant the warlord traveled without his paid Shifter security guards. I led the way through the gate, under the watchful eye of a Normal babying what had to be an M-16 propped on end on the man's hip.

  Maybe Hadrian was right about this being a foolish detour. But I don't want anyone thinking I'm afraid of Normals in the Territory neighboring my clan
's.

  Hadrian cleared his throat where he rode behind me.

  He's so easily read. But that's the trouble with taking a mate. You worry about returning home when the clan's interests are more important than a mated pair. But our sire obviously sent him along to keep my nose clean. Like I'd endanger the clan. Hell, I'm next in line to lead because I protect it.

  "Looks safe enough," Marcus muttered to my left where his horse was a head's-length behind mine. "Unless you plan on trading."

  "No. Augustus will want to know what this warlord is up to." What I could see didn't say much for the Normal's prestige. No tanks. No motorcycles. No windmills, meaning no electricity. No electricity meant there probably isn't a way for those living here to communicate with who they left behind back east. Whoever built this sanctuary hadn't bothered with long-term plans. Rather, must have thrown up the log cabins fast. So quickly that loose dirt still mounded at the base of the perimeter log wall.

  Normal males trickled out of a lodge into the small empty courtyard.

  Undoubtedly to talk. None wore clothing more reflective of wealth or power. So who is the warlord? Given the circumstances for leaving his seat of power in New Boston, this Normal probably didn't have much time to select which luxuries to bring along. The mixture of clothing these men wore looked more like whatever they could scrounge up instead of what wealthy Normal nobles and their well-paid firearms could afford. Had the warlord run for his life? And what managed to send this one running?

  Nothing here spoke of danger to us though. I reined my mount to a halt a few strides from where the three observant males observed our approach.

  One had the thoughtful grinding jaw of a man who made decisions. Probably Langston. The Normal to his left was the dark-haired hunter who had delivered the warlord's message to us. More like plea. But who's mincing words here?

  "Are these the Shifters you requested come speak with me?" the one I spotted as the warlord questioned the hunter.

  The hunter met my gaze. "Yes, Langston. This is Lucius."

  "Thank you for coming, Lucius," Langston stated.

  Those words weren't measured. Rather truly heartfelt. I could summon my Wolf to feel them out. To read their heartbeats with Wolf's heightened senses, but the words were enough. For now. Especially since my sire always insisted a person's face told a lot about the person. No sense risking disturbing them with the golden glow of my Wolf in my eyes. "Why did you want us to come?"

  "I must ask the biggest favor of you that a man could ask in any lifetime." His gaze traveled away to scan the rest of my Shifter party.

  Like he was a tad uncertain we were the right Shifters for the job.

  His serious gaze locked back on me though. "Normal warlords are being exterminated along the seaboard. I fled with my family." He absently pointed back at the cabin they'd exited. "For my daughters. They are endangered traveling with me. And I've come so far. As far as I can with my men. I need," he cleared his throat, his firm gaze weakening into a plea, "I beg you to take pity upon my daughters and take them somewhere safe in The Wild."

  Something akin to peace rang through every cell in my being. Or mind numbing shock. Here stood one of the most powerful humans on the planet, and he begged me to take his beloved children into The Wild? How many?

  "I see your confusion, Lucius." Langston took a step toward my horse and stopped, one palm raised as if he intended to touch me for reassurance. "These are not youngsters, my friend. My daughters are older. Two of age." He nodded slightly.

  The dark-haired hunter beside him almost winced.

  Apparently disgusted by the fact two Normal females old enough to mate were being offered into Shifter care.

  "But," Langston added, his brown eyes bright with promise, "I will allow you the choice, Lucius, the daughter of your choice for your mate, if you don't already have one, in exchange for this favor."

  With all that running for his life, he'd lost his home, probably most of his wealth, and his mind, how can he give his daughter to a stranger? As a mate. Unless there is more. Something deadly. Dangerous.

  Absolute silence from my kinsmen and friend almost knocked me from my saddle. But I managed to lean a forearm on the saddle's pommel and stare the warlord down long enough to trigger more of his nervous chatter.

  "Do you have a mate, Lucius?"

  "No." Hopefully the reply was snipped enough to reflect my worry with this situation. "And traveling with three females back to my sire's outpost is risky. Perhaps too risky to accept your offer." Still silence from my fellow Shifters.

  "But you can't pass up this type of deal. Think of the two others who will mate with my daughters given time. Surely with the lack of females in The Wild, there are Shifters among your clan who would welcome my girls. Who would welcome mates."

  Oh. Yes. More than two Shifters. But we're talking here and now. Like my companions wouldn't vie for the females' favoritism on the trail. Besides, taking a warlord's daughters into the sanctuary's community is too risky. What if this is just an infiltration scheme? We can't afford a mistake that would inform the aliens of our medical lab's location. What's left of the entire human race relied upon the experiments held in that lab. I studied the ragtag group of Normals.

  "You look like a wise warrior," his chatter started again. "Even now you lead your friends. Tell me, Lucius, what is a harder fight to win? The battle of a weapons and mind? Or the battle of a lonely heart?"

  Profound words. Maybe after I met these daughters I could swallow the whole idea. Choke it down. Decide if saving them is worth the trouble of choosing my battles. Because two other males in my party kept their comments to themselves. The two other unmated Shifters. As if they considered taking the women wise.

  The door from the same cabin Langston emerged from burst open.

  A slender redheaded female raced into the sunlight. Slim. Tall. Curvaceous in her faded blue jeans and long-sleeve green t-shirt. Her long mane of wavy red hair waved behind her like a cloud of bright red haze.

  Wolf perked up his ears.

  Must have shoved into my eyes and ears because I could hear every accursed heartbeat around me, including my brothers'. All telling me how two Wolves behind me were thinking the same thing. Mate. But I'm the one who made decisions for the clan at the moment. They'd all have to live with my choice.

  The redhead's pace slowed, and she quickly strode toward Langston. "What did you want, Father?"

  He shot me an evil knowing grin and turned to her. "Come meet this Shifter, Sherry." He extended a hand to her.

  She took his palm without hesitation. "Since when do you introduce me to strangers, especially Shifters?"

  Interesting point. So she didn't know what her sire planned although her curious tone noted she wasn't buying the situation as casual.

  "Today is a special day." Langston pulled her to stand at his side and met my gaze. "Lucius, this is Sherry. My middle child." He tugged her hand toward me, drawing her gaze to mine.

  "Nice to meet you, Lucius," she condescended. Her gaze darted back to her sire's where she studied him with a furrowed brow.

  Langston ignored her irritated scrutiny.

  Watched my reaction. While I tried not to laugh at Red's snip. She had every right to be defensive. I did. The last thing I needed on this trip was a belligerent female.

  "What do you say, Guardian? Will you help me?"

  The horses began shifting their footing.

  Tired of standing. Or waiting. For me to deny these females the one thing all humans, whether Shifters or Normals, deserved. A chance to live free of enslavement under the aliens. All of that obvious in my title of Guardian. One that pushed me to reply yes to the female. Sherry's long legs and crisp green eyes are awfully perfect. Pretty. Intelligent by her reaction to her father's strange behavior. And naïve in not suspecting her sire's betrayal. Most of all, she'd be safe mated to a Shifter. Protected from aliens and Normals. I have to agree. At least to a point. Maybe not actually mate one of these daughters
though. But agree to take them to safety. They'd help perpetuate the human species in bearing children, at least. I nodded.

  Langston's brown gaze slowly turned to his daughter.

  "Why are you looking at me that way?" she instantly snapped.

  "You and your sisters are going with these Guardians."

  "What?" She eyed me and companions warily. "Why would you leave us to the care of them?" she droned.

  The dark-haired hunter's eyes slowly closed.

  Pained or humiliated. Not a good sign. Especially when he wanted us to take pity on this one who just insulted us with her obvious prejudice against Shifters.

  Langston jerked her elbow.

  She snapped her scowl back to him.