Lacey's Luhpynes(6)

"No thanks. I just want to have this pill take effect as soon as  possible. How are you doing by the way?" she asked and swallowed the  pills followed by a drink of her water. "Your shoulder, you okay?" Worry  colored her words as she spoke.

"Already healed for the most part," he said and waved a hand. "Grab a  seat. I'm going to change my shirt and I'll be back in a minute. Or feel  free to wander around," he told her as he headed for the large  staircase. Jogging up, he disappeared from view. "And don't let those  two suck you into belly rubs!" he called out.

"Too late," she shouted up after him with a grin and got down so that  she could sit on the floor with the wolves on each side of her. "You two  are just a couple of lovers, aren't you? I think that he named you the  wrong names. You are Demon and Devil are you? No you are just a couple  of lovers," she said as she scratched bellies and behind ears.

"They are always on the lookout for someone they can suck in to give  them a scratch," a voice said. Demon raced off and leapt up to be caught  by Ansell as he stepped in from the kitchen. "Lacey." He tipped his  head to her as he held Demon to him while the wolf slathered his face  with his tongue at rapid speed.

"Any trouble?" Zhubin asked as he jogged down the stairs, pulling on a tee.

"Unlike you, you mean?" the other Luhpyne asked, lifting a brow. "No,  boring night. What's up?" he asked, putting Demon back on the floor.

"Let's go and sit, we need to make a call and let someone else in on  this," Zhubin said, moving to Lacey and held out a hand. "I thought I  told you not to give in to their pleas for belly rubs."

"Yeah you tell me to do a lot of things that I still do." She took his  hand and let him pull her to her feet. "I'm ornery like that. If I ever  did as you instructed you would likely have a freaking heart attack, you  know it as well as I do. I don't listen well. At all." She never had  and never would. She looked at Ansell and smiled. "I can't believe he  named these animals Demon and Devil. They are the sweetest animals ever.  Loving and affectionate. Don't strike me as the type of wolves that  would attack anyone."

"Then you'd be wrong," Ansell said, shaking his head. "They might act  like the family pups but they are just as lethal as a Luhpyne."

"Demon, Devil." Zhubin leaned down until they were all nose to nose.  "Guard," he ordered on a growl and the wolves went into a hunch. The  hair went up on their backs and low growls slid out before they slinked  off into the shadows. Looking to her, he smiled faintly. "Don't let  their sweet nature fool you. They were wild animals when I found them  and they still are. They just know that they got a good deal in this  house." Moving past her he went to the wall plasma and hit a series of  buttons on the side before moving to stand before the sofa.

"Come on." Ansell touched her shoulder lightly he waved her ahead of him.

"Uh, what are we doing?" she asked with a frown as she watched the video  conference screen come up. "Who are we calling? You both know that I  really hate surprises so come on, guys, out with it. What's going on?  Sooner rather than later would be preferred if you wouldn't mind,  please."

"We're calling our Regent," Ansell said softly as he stood up straighter and looked to the screen.

A moment later the screen flickered and a man came on-screen. "Well this  is a surprise, Zhubin. Ansell, good to see you. And who is this?" He  lifted a hand slightly.

"Agent Lacey Rose, meet Thorin, Regent of the Luhpynes. Sir, our partner  and mate," Zhubin said to him. "There is a threat against her, has been  an active threat for five years now I believe. The Council kept this  quiet from us because it involves a Luhpyne who was bitten and is now a  crossbreed with a Vhampire."

"Is this true, Agent Rose?" Thorin looked at her.

Lacey could barely breathe. "You knew?" she whispered in shock. "All  this time you fucking knew?" She then growled. "God I've been trying so  goddamn hard to ensure that you weren't pulled into this damn mess and  you knew?" She shook her head and took a deep and calming breath,  knowing if she didn't she would break down and begin to blabber like an  idiot. Finally she looked to the Regent. "Yes sir, it is. Five years ago  I was just out of the Academy and assigned a partner. The attack nearly  killed me but I injured him. The Council met and sealed everything as  tight as air. Files were handled through Regent Montrose's office in  DC." She told the larger-than-life man that filled the screen. "It was  deemed as a necessity. If word got out that Vhampire could turn Luhpyne  then there would be utter chaos. While Vhampire and Luhpyne are  typically very analytical and intelligent beings what was created is  nothing but a sick and twisted monster. He, however, knew that I was  destined to become their mates. I don't know how but he knew. Every  month for the last several years he's been sending me golden cuffs … " She  trailed off and turned. "Fuck me. That's why he sent them isn't it?  He's been taunting me all this time, telling me just how I could find  the marks on you by sending them to me." She looked down at the cuff on  Zhubin's wrist. "God I'm such a fucking idiot."                       
       
           



       

"We need to access the full records of all the events, Regent," Zhubin  said, holding out his hand to Lacey as he popped the cuff off his wrist.  Pulling it away, he let her look while he kept talking. "That they've  known of this for the last five years, especially the threat to her, is  unacceptable. It needs to be handled and I seriously doubt you would  want me to handle it, sir."

Thorin chuckled. "No, you definitely have that right. I will put in the  appropriate calls and get all their files." Leaning back in his seat he  looked at Lacey. "Your mother will want to meet your mate, Zhubin. Bring  her for dinner one night soon."

"Of course, Father," he bowed his head slightly. "She is well?" he asked, looking to the screen again.

"She is, her usual self. And bring Ansell. He needs some mothering  according to her. She will not relent, Ansell, so don't think you'll get  out of it like the last time." Thorin replied in a low gravely tone,  almost a growl.

"Yes sir," the Luhpyne to her left muttered.

"I'll be in touch once I have news," Thorin said, leaning back in his chair.

She was a complete and total fool. She sat there and looked at the  markings on his wrist and closed her eyes. "God I'm such a fucking  idiot," she muttered and looked at the Regent. "No offense, sir, but  your son is an ass, he and his friend both. They should have fucking  said something," she muttered darkly. "So I think until I'm over my  pissiness I shouldn't be around you or your gentle wife. I think that I  might offend her by pulling their heads off and beating them."

"I seriously doubt it, child," Thorin told her and chuckled. "But you  can deal with them before you come for dinner. No violence at the table  is permitted," he said and looked to his son. "Explain to her, Zhubin,  and make this right," he ordered and the screen went blank.

Moving to the screen, Ansell turned it off before turning to look at her  while Zhubin sat next to her. "We thought you had a relationship,  Lacey. While we are fated mates, we would never presume that you'd want  us just because we bear the marks that say we can lay claim to you. That  was not how we were raised. So we stayed in the background as much as  we could yet were there if things changed. While we are guilty of not  saying anything neither did you, Lacey."

"Because I was trying to protect you," she grumbled. "He fucking wanted  you. Not just me, but he wanted you too. He wanted to take you down. He  knew who you were and as soon as I met you I knew who you were as well."  She began to rub her temples and shook her head. "Besides, what in the  hell gave you the impression that I was seeing someone? I never went  home with anyone, never talked about dating, never had an image of  anyone. Nothing. Lordy."

"Besides the flowers and gifts we never got a look at?" Ansell asked.  "Oh, not much. Secretive phone calls where you shut up when we were in  earshot. Sighs, longing looks out a window. Not much in the least  really."

"Ansell," Zhubin said, softly putting his cuff back on. "Leave her be.  We're all at fault here because we didn't just come out with it right  off. We more than her." He looked to her. "If you want to go home I'll  take you now," he offered quietly.

"Flowers and gifts that wind up in the garbage or with forensics," she  said and sighed. "Christ what a damn mess," she muttered. "Well now it's  all out there on the table." She wrapped her arms around her body and  shook her head. "I don't know why he hates you guys as much as he does,  but he does. Now that it's out in the open that we are mates he's going  to come harder and faster at me, at you guys," she added. "And that  scares the hell out of me. How am I supposed to be able to help keep you  safe?"