Conquering Lyssa Read online

  “I don’t want to.” He reached out quickly, grabbing hold of her wrist, pulling her closer. The sweet scent of her seemed to call to his blood. Daxis closed his eyes and inhaled it deep into his lungs, slowly savoring it. “I never thought this would happen.”

  “Let go,” she begged, stiffening in his arms.

  “I’m never going to let go. You belong to me now.”

  “No!” Panic set in then. She began to twist and turn in his arms, but Daxis wasn’t about to let her go. Not when he had just found his mate.

  Turning around, keeping his hold on her, he started to walk towards the gazebo. Lyssa managed to twist out of his arms when she saw where he was heading, but she didn’t get away from him, as he was able to grab hold of her wrist again—able to keep his hold on her and keep walking. Then he heard his father.

  “Daxis, what are you doing?”

  “Father she is the one!” Daxis replied. “I felt it the moment she stepped out of the car.”

  “I’m going to kill you, you little bastard!” Adrian, Lyssa’s father, pushed his way out from a crowd of males and lunged for him but was held back by the very males he’d pushed through. “She’s too damn young!”

  Daxis pulled Lyssa against his chest and her face went pale. “I’m making my claim before all of these people.”

  “Let her go!” Adrian yelled.

  “By rights, I can acknowledge your claim,” Another man in a long white robe came up behind him. “And by the right of the father, your mate will stay with her family until she reaches the age of eighteen.”

  Daxis nodded his eyes on Adrian.

  “State your name and make your claim.”

  “I, Daxis Jenaro, claim Lyssa Laswell, as my mate before everyone here, at this gathering. And with my mark, no other may take away what now belongs to me.”

  He opened his mouth and bit Lyssa on her left shoulder. Adrian yelled and Lyssa paled even more but didn’t cry out when he bit into her skin, though she grimaced in pain. When he released her shoulder, a cheer went up and Lyssa pulled out of his arms and ran to her father. Slowly, Daxis followed her, stopped a few feet away and stood before Adrian with as much respect as he could to the male.

  “I will wait for my mate until she is old enough, Mr. Laswell.”

  Adrian nodded, but didn’t let go of Lyssa, either. “But may I please have this time with her?”

  “Daddy, please don’t,” Lyssa groaned.

  “Want to shoot me, sir?”

  “The idea is appealing.” Adrian’s voice was thick with sarcasm. “Lyssa, go with your mate, but don’t go far. We leave in a few minutes.”

  Daxis grabbed Lyssa’s arm and pulled her away from Adrian. He moved them far enough away for privacy. He didn’t get too far before she jerked her arm free and turned on him.

  “How could you?” she charged. “How could you do that? I don’t even know you.”

  “You’re my mate.”

  “No I’m not!” she yelled at him. “I’m a stranger to you.” He made to move closer and she quickly took two steps back, hands going up. “Don’t come near me.”

  “I didn’t do this to hurt you.”

  “What would you call this then?”

  “I did this to complete us both.”

  “I was complete before this.”

  “Lyssa!” Adrian called out.

  She turned and looked over her shoulder at her father, then back at Daxis. “I’ll never forgive you for this. Ever!”

  Daxis jolted awake. He sat up quickly and looked around, trying to figure out what woke him, then he heard it. The doorbell.

  Rubbing his face, standing up, he walked to the door, opened it and went out into the hall. Passed the room he’d locked Lyssa in and down the stairs he went quickly, reaching the front door before his father or any of the staff did.

  “Mrs. Laswell,” he greeted Skyler Laswell after opening the door. It had been months since he last saw the woman, and given how they were meeting now he wished like hell it was at another place and another time. “Come in, please,” he said as he stepped back to let her in.

  Skyler Laswell walked in with one of two large suitcases in her hand. Daxis went outside and picked up the second one, putting it down near the stairs and taking the one she had in her hand and setting it down also. Going back to the door, he looked outside for Adrian.

  “I came alone,” she said, which had him stilling, looking over his shoulder at her. She shrugged and gave him a small smile. “Figured it might be better this way for now.”

  “That upset?”

  “That’s putting it a bit mildly.”

  “Please...” He motioned for her to follow him down a hallway to the front room. She went with him and took a seat on the large sofa. Daxis sat across from her. “You made good time.”

  “How is she?”

  Daxis grinned for only a second, and said, “Right to the point. Well, she’s pissed at me. Guess in her eyes this is all my fault.”

  “I’m so sorry.”

  “I’m not blaming you or Adrian for this. Nothing about this claim has been done right in my eyes or my father’s eyes.”

  “No, the blame should be on us. Somewhere during all of this, we should have—I don’t know. Maybe we should have tried harder not to forget that she was claimed, and that was wrong of us. It was our reasonability to make her understand how important this was and how her actions could one day come and bite her in the ass.”

  “Skyler!” Lorenzo Jenaro walked into the room, big smile on his face and went right up to Skyler, taking her hand in his. “I didn’t know you were coming out tonight.”

  Skyler smiled up at him and shook his hand. “I figured I should come sooner than later. Maybe see if can help put a few fires out.”

  “Understood,” Lorenzo said, nodding his head. He sat down right next to her. “How’s Adrian dealing with all of this?”

  “Think saying he’s pissed off won’t even cover it. I had to call my brother to help me with him. Dedrick is heading to our place to help cool him off.”

  “Wants my head, huh?” Daxis asked.

  Skyler turned her attention to him. “No, he wants her head as a matter of fact. We’ve been trying to make her understand that her actions would cost her, but she didn’t seem to want to listen. Now she has to listen I guess.”

  “I’ll go have Carmella ready one of the guest rooms for you,” Lorenzo said, standing back up. “You’re not going to try to drive back home this late.”

  “Oh, I don’t want to be a bother,” Skyler said.

  “No bother at all. In fact, I think you staying tonight will help very much. And if you feel like you should stay another night, it would be our pleasure. Daxis, why don’t you take her up to Lyssa now?”

  “Sure,” Daxis said, also standing up.

  Skyler followed him back to the front entrance of the house and up the stairs. He had locked Lyssa in the first room and didn’t even look back at Skyler when he brought out the key to the room and unlocked the door. Instead of opening the door, he took a step back.

  “I’ll leave it unlocked,” he said to Skyler. “Don’t want you to think I’m trying to keep her hostage or anything. But please let her know that we do have staff on the grounds at night and word has already been sent out. No one is going to help her leave.”

  Skyler smiled and put her hand on his chest. The contact had a strange, soothing effect on him, one that shocked him a bit. “It’s all right, Daxis. This time this heart to heart I’m going to have with my daughter is going to be a big eye-opener for her. You’re her mate and she’s in the wrong here. I’m not here to take her home.”

  “Thank you. I’ll tell Carmella to put you in the room right next to this one.”

  She patted his chest before reaching for the knob. “Get some rest. I have a strong feeling you’re going to need it tomorrow.”

  Chapter Two

  Lyssa paced back and forth in the room, glaring at the door every so often, waiting and
half-expecting Daxis to come back in when the doorknob turned and it opened and there her mother stood. Lyssa was in shock.

  “Mom,” she gasped, then went to her, grabbing onto her mother for dear life.

  “Oh, girl, you really have done it this time.”

  Lyssa stiffened in her mother’s arms and slowly pulled back, frowning. “What are you talking about?” Skyler moved to the bed and sat down, crossing her arms over her chest. The expression on her face told Lyssa that her mother was very angry. “You’re mad at me?”

  “Well, who should I be mad at?”

  “Him!” Lyssa pointed towards the door. “He dragged me here and took my damn clothes,” she snarled as she pulled on the robe. “He also had me inspected like I’m some damn piece of property.”

  “Do you even comprehend what you’ve done here?” Skyler asked, her hand going around the room. “The mess you’ve caused.”

  “Me?”

  “Yes, you. Your father had Daxis coming to our place for your birthday. They had made an agreement for him to stay at the house a few days to give you some extra time to accept the claim. And what do you do? You go out with another male!” Skyler finished with a yell, coming back up to her feet. “Your father is enraged, Lyssa. I had to get your uncle to come to help me cool him off so I could come here.”

  “Mother, please, tell me that you’re here to take me back home with you.”

  Skyler’s brows shot up and her face twisted. “There is no going home. This is your home now.”

  “The hell it is!” Lyssa shook her head no. “I’m not staying in this house with him.”

  “Lyssa, you don’t have a choice here. We don’t have a choice.” That had Lyssa stilling. “Honey, our hands are tied. You were marked at the Gathering. By law, you are his mate. We were just being honored by keeping you in our home until you were of age. We’ve tried to tell you many times to be careful of your actions. That at any time he sees fit he can remove you from our home.”

  “I don’t want to be his mate.”

  “I know.” Skyler went up to Lyssa and touched the side of her face. “No one ever does at first. But please listen to me and take what I say to heart. You have to have an open mind and work to accept this or things will never be good between the two of you.”

  Lyssa was unable to hold back her emotions, which quickly filled up and came out. Tears came to her eyes and spilled down her cheeks. “Please, don’t make me do this,” she whispered to Skyler.

  “Oh, baby, I wish I could help you with this, but I can’t. There’s nothing I can do.”

  Lyssa hung her head and moved away from her mother. She walked to the window and stared out at the night. “I can’t go through my cycle with him here. I’m not ready for that.”

  “Then I suggest you make some kind of peace with him.” Lyssa turned around, facing Skyler. “See if you two can come to some kind of agreement. I can’t step in here, Lyssa.”

  “You are my mother.”

  “Yes, and what you have done has shamed your father,” Skyler tossed back at her, raising her voice a bit in anger. “If Daxis wants to be a son of a bitch here he can go to the Cabinet and have your father punished. Girl, open your eyes. The only thing left for you to do is try to make the best out of this. It’s done.” Skyler closed the distance between them, placed her hands on Lyssa’s shoulders and rubbed up and down her arms. “Look, it’s late and you’re tired. Try to get some rest and in the morning we can see what kind of mind set he’s in.”

  “You mean you’re staying?”

  “Just for tonight. I brought you some of your things. Thought it might be good if I came and tried to help ease you both some.”

  “You mean help him.”

  “Lyssa,” Skyler sighed. “I don’t know how many times I can say it or how many different ways. I’m not on anyone’s side here.”

  “Sure looks different to me.”

  “I’m going to check in on your father. Make sure I still have a damn house. You get that temper of yours in check.” She pointed a finger at Lyssa then turned and walked out.

  Sleeping wasn’t something that Lyssa could do. She tried to lie down but each strange sound seemed to have her sitting up in bed. Or if she was lucky enough to fall asleep then a sound woke her up.

  When the clock on the nightstand said five, Lyssa gave up trying to sleep. She got out of bed, went into the bathroom and took a long hot shower. Finishing, drying off and getting back into the robe, she walked out of the bathroom, towel in hand rubbing at her hair and screamed when she saw Daxis sitting in a chair, waiting for her.

  “What the hell!” Lyssa cried out. “Are you trying to scare me to death?”

  “Heard the shower. Do you normally get up this early?”

  “No. I didn’t sleep. I’m in a strange house, remember.”

  She stood her ground with him and stared back boldly as he was doing to her. He had changed some since the last time she saw him, or at least she thought he had. The few times in the past when he came to the house, or they went and met, she hardly paid much attention to him. Now, she was taking him in. Sizing him up in a way, to see where she stood, or what she might be able to pull off. From the looks of his body size and from the way he handled her with so much ease last night, going head to head with him was out of the question. He was too strong.

  Daxis had to be as tall as Alex, a good six foot easily with a few more inches added. His shoulders were wide, his arms and legs muscular, and his dark hair had a few light streaks in it. He kept it short, but the top was much longer and slicked back out of his eyes. He also dressed nice, she’d give him that. He’s dark-toned jeans looked new; his crisp white button up shirt was clean and neatly pressed. His black boots even looked as though they’d been shined. He smelled nice, but she wasn’t about to admit that to him.

  “So what do you want?” she asked, tossing the towel to the bed and crossing her arms over her chest. “Come to degrade me some more or just be an ass?”

  The corner of Daxis’s lips curled up in a short smile. “Brought you some clothes,” he said, nodding towards the bed. “Your mother will be leaving soon, and I thought it might be nice to have breakfast before she does.”

  “Ah, so you want to put on a good act for her then.”

  “Put the clothes on Lyssa,” he growled impatiently as he stood up.

  Lyssa gasped at the full effect of his body. Damn he’s huge.

  “I’ll wait for you in the hall.”

  Daxis left. Lyssa hadn’t even realized that she was tensing up because of him being in the same room with her until he walked out and her muscles started to relax. Taking a deep breath, she moved to the bed, picked up the clothes and went back to the bathroom to change. She didn’t trust him not to try and come back in and she didn’t want him to see her naked.

  These were her clothes. Panties, bra, and one of her summer dresses. No shoes. When she was dressed and came back out of the bathroom, she looked around for a brush to do something with her wet hair. Stopping dead in the middle of the room her eyes landed on one right on the bed. Daxis had come back in. He had to have been in the room since it wasn’t there when she went to get dressed.

  On a sigh, Lyssa went to it, picked it up and quickly brushed her hair. When done, tossing the brush back onto the bed, she tried to brace herself as best as she could, walking to the door. She took another deep breath, opened it and true to his word, Daxis was standing in the hall waiting for her.

  He said nothing, only pushed away from the wall. He walked towards the stairs. She followed him. On the main floor, he turned and headed behind the stairs to a formal dining room already set up for breakfast. A spread in fact lined the middle of it with four plates ready for the guests.

  Daxis held a chair out for her on one long side of the table and she sat down. He took a seat in one of the chairs at the head of the table to her left. He picked up the napkin and placed it on his lap. She watched him, watched his every move, slightly afraid that he
might pounce on her or something. He didn’t. Instead, he reached for the coffee pot on a tray and poured some into a cup, then held it out to her. She shook her head no.

  “Dig in,” Daxis finally said, keeping the coffee for himself.

  “Where’s my mother?” she asked.

  “Right here.” Skyler gave Lyssa a big smile when she turned around. She went up to Lyssa, kissed her on the cheek then walked around the table and took the seat directly across from her. “I see you didn’t sleep.”

  “How could I?” Lyssa said back to her. “I’m in a strange place.”

  Skyler turned her attention to Daxis. “Thank you again for letting me stay the night.”

  “Did you get in touch with Adrian?” Daxis asked.

  “Yes. My brother’s with him right now. Think his temper is starting to cool off finally and I hope I have a house to go back to.”

  “Too bad,” Lyssa mumbled, but not quietly enough. Daxis heard her and sighed, which had her turning towards him. “He should be pissed at what you did.”

  Skyler gave her a dirty look and then went on talking to Daxis, ignoring Lyssa’s comment. “I must say, your home is very impressive. What does your father do?”

  “Oil!” Lorenzo joined them all, a big smile on his face as he went to the other end of the table to sit in the armed chair there. “I’m an oil man. Bought some land when I was younger than Daxis here. My father insisted I become a man much earlier than I should have. Before I even reached seventeen, he handed me some money, told me it was all I was going to get from him and good luck. I bought some land with the hope of building a home on it, but instead found a gold mine under the dirt.”

  “And then my grandfather came with his hand out, demanding half of it,” Daxis added. “Since he gave my father the money for the land.”

  Lorenzo chuckled, “Yes, he did.”

  “Did you give him any?” Lyssa asked, unable to keep silent when it came to Lorenzo.

  “No my dear, I did not. Before I struck the oil my father made it very clear to me that he had washed his hands of me. See, I’m a thinker. I use my head, not my back and that was always a disappointment to him. He wanted me in the field working with him and my brothers and I was more into the books, trying to figure a way to make the work easier. He didn’t like it.”