Page 35 of Lucius

She nodded. He sat on the couch and she joined him, tucking one leg under the other and leaning against the back of the couch to face him.

“So there’s just a couple things I need to tell you and then we can talk about stuff with your mom and I can help you come up with a plan to deal with all that.”

“I’m all ears,” she said.

“I can’t live anywhere but the park,” he said. “It’s a rule that everyone abides by. There’s safety here, and it helps the alphas ensure that we’re all accounted for. I can’t go buy a house somewhere and make a life with you, my life is here. It has to be.”

She stared at him quietly because she was sure he wasn’t done yet.

He cleared his throat. “I want you to stay with me. I want to pack up your things at your mom’s place and move into my house, so we can start our lives together. I want to mark you as my mate and join with you in front of the pride in the ways of my people. And mostly, I want to make you the happiest female on the planet, because I’m the happiest male.”

“I’m okay with all that,” she said. “But I’m worried about just walking away from my mom. I don’t want to ruin our relationship, but I don’t know if even giving her two weeks’ notice will do anything.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean that she may not even try to find someone to take my place so she can try to guilt me into staying. She wouldn’t know that I have no choice but to be with you.”

“Well, you do have a choice.”

“I thought I couldn’t leave?”

“Uh, yes, for right now, but if you wanted to stay at the apartment while we get to know each other and not live together, I could arrange that for you.”

She leaned back a bit. “You don’t want to live with me? You just said a whole bunch of really nice stuff about starting a life with me.”

His brows rose. “No! I mean, yes, I do want to live with you. I don’t want to go a night without you in my arms. But if you want time to get to know me before we move in together, we can do that.”

“I don’t want to be anywhere but with you, Lucius.”

“Good, I don’t want to be anywhere but with you too. So what do you want to do about your mom?”

“I don’t know, honestly.”

He hummed and pursed his lips. Then he said, “What about a temp agency?”

“What do you mean?”

“What if she hired someone to fill in so you don’t have to give notice? You could spend a couple hours training someone.”

“That would probably cost a lot of money.”

“I can cover the cost for a few weeks. You could create a job listing and post it online too. If your mom won’t take the initiative, then you can on her behalf.”

“That sounds like a great idea. If she won’t go for it?”

“Sidney,” he said, his voice dropping to a low purr. “You have the right to make your own life choices. I’m not just saying that because I want you to choose me, but because it’s only right. You’ve put yourself on the back burner for such a long time. You can put yourself first.”

She tapped the side of her head. “It makes me feel like a bad person to do what my heart is telling me.”

He pulled her hand to his lips and kissed it. “I think that’s your mom’s voice in your head. You’re not a bad person for following your dreams. She’ll come to terms with it because you’re not going to give her a choice in the matter.”

She inhaled and exhaled slowly until all the air was out of her lungs and they burned for a moment. As she filled her lungs again, she said, “Can you take me there in a little while? So I can pack and tell her everything?”

“I’d be happy to. What time?”

She pushed off the couch and rose to her feet. Grabbing the hem of her shirt, she said, “I don’t know, how long do you think it’ll take for you to make me scream your name in pleasure?”

His eyes darkened and he rose slowly to his feet. “What’s the number you’re thinking?”

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