MATED TO SERIES COLLECTION

13. VALERIA: HISTORY LESSONS

"You're still here with me," I whispered.

He smiled. "It doesn't mean that I'm not affected." To proof his point he tugged my hips against his. "I'm not as emotional as Devon. I'm in control, so there's no risk of me giving over to the urge to bend you over the couch and fuck you."

Heat flooded my cheeks at his crude words. The thought of him taking me roughly made my toes curl. Maybe once my first time was over and done with we could try it. I read that losing your virginity could hurt. Of course, it depended on the person. The heat in my body slowly started to fade as I thought about it. Fear came next. Aunt Geraldine had explained everything to me n detail. I wasn't going to have sex with one man, but two. I had two mates to keep happy.

Fingers brushed my cheek, making my eyes snap up to his. "Don't over think it. We will be taking things slowly. One baby step at a time, doll."

Right. Baby steps. I can do that.

***

"I have the results for the test you wanted, Alpha. It's really alarming."

David's frown deepened. He held out his hand for the file which the doctor instantly handed over. I took another bite of the pasta but kept my eyes focused on his face. His eyes narrowed. I watched the different emotions play across his face as he turned page after page. When he finished reading the last page, he quietly closed the file. He glanced up at me. I waited for him to speak.

"Remember that theory I told you about?" I nodded. "I was right. I knew you had more Lycan blood in you than everyone believed. It's rare to find someone like you. I asked around and checked some books we had in the library. You don't know anything about our history, do you?"

"No."

He nodded and stood. "Finish your food and meet us in the library when you're done."

I watched them disappear. Within a few minutes, I had finished my food. I washed my bowl and placed it in the dishwasher, but I still hesitated. What was written in those reports? Why did he look so worried when he left? He said I had more Lycan blood than human. Was that why I felt so different?

I sighed as I walked out of the kitchen and made my way towards the library. I was about to have a history lesson. It excited me to know I'd be learning more about my father too. Their history—my history. It was one subject I was never taught in school. They didn't think it was important. A part of me knew that Alpha wanted me to leave the pack and live in the human world amongst the humans, but the elders feared that I would expose them. It was why they never allowed me to leave pack grounds.

Devon was seated in the chair by the fire when I entered the library. He gave me a small smile when he glanced up to find me hovering in the doorway. Devon gestured for me to come closer. My eyes darted between him and the stack of books on the floor next to the couch. They were black leather journals.

"Get comfortable, dove."

I took a seat on the floor by his legs. Hesitation filled me. My eyes darted up to his to take in his reaction. Devon was watching me silently. I moved closer and pressed my side against his leg. I wanted to be close to him. It felt good touching him, even with clothes between us. Not even five minutes later David entered. He handed the file over to Devon. For some reason, he looked smug.

"Are you ready to start your history lesson, doll?"

"I'm excited," I told them honestly.

He smiled and took a seat on the couch across from us. "Well, I guess I should start from the beginning."

"Yes. That's how you start a lesson."

David rolled his eyes at me. "Don't be a smart ass."

"Or what?" I challenged him.

His eyes darkened. "Bad girls get punished."

I pressed my thighs together to relieve the ache between my legs. I had an idea of what he meant by punishments. They would tie me up and torture me with that vibrating thing they used in my dreams. My sex clenched. Yeah, I could live with that kind of punishment.

Devon cleared his throat. "Some of our elders and older members weren't born like us. They were created in laboratories. Humans wanted superior beings who could fight in the war for them. They wanted animals they could control. Animals they could order to kill without asking questions."

Horror washed through me. "Created?"

"They had donors who donated eggs which they sliced with wolf and other animal DNA. Women who wanted to make money agreed to have the spliced eggs implanted inside them. They carried the babies until full-term."

"What happened to the babies after they were born?"

"They were given drugs to help them grow and make them stronger. Once they were old enough the experiments started. They were taught how to fight and how to use weapons. Everything they needed them to do."

"That's just. . ." I shook my head.

David gave me a small smile. "They learned to read and to communicate like humans. They suffered abuse and were exposed to a lot of cruel things I won't disgust with you,"—he leaned forward slightly—"the fact is that Lycan's were created. They managed to escape, but a lot of them were killed before they got to safety. Some of the humans managed to escape. The fear that we would be able to tell on them had the human wanting to kill every one of us."

"Although some of them started hunting us just for the fun of it," Devon muttered. "That's why we went into hiding. We could pass as a human if we really wanted to, but some of the newer generations are flawed."

"I don't understand how you can shift from human to wolf form."

"It was one of the things they thought would give as an advantage. We were created like that, doll. A lot of other DNA's were spliced with other animal DNA. The world is full of us. I've heard of some who live amongst humans and they fit in perfectly."

"Like my dad," I said softly. "Aunt told me that he lived with them. Alpha wanted someone on the outside to keep him updated on everything that was happening after the incident at the school—the hunting trips planned and all that. She hated it, but I knew he liked it there. That's where he met mom."

"You were born in the human world?" David asked, sounding surprised.

I shook my head. "From what I was told and what I heard them telling the elders, mom got pregnant and the Alpha demanded that dad return with her to the pack. He wasn't very happy about mom's pregnancy. I don't know why. I was born in the pack."

"I'll see if I can get more of your history."

I nodded. Silence fell. I pondered over their words. It made sense why so many of the Lycan packs lived so far away from humanity. They hated them because of all the abuse they suffered. I was half-human, but I knew my mom wasn't amongst those who hunted Lycan's. I've seen photos of her before Aunt could throw them away. She wouldn't hurt a fly. That familiar longing filled me. For the hundredth time in years, I wished I had a normal family.