"Elena!"
Lucas stood panting in a pair of cargo shorts at the edge of the forest that surrounded her solitude. She backed up before racing inside, slamming the door.
"Elena!" He shouted.
She leaned against the door breathing hard. Lucas stood on the other side, his forehead resting against the cool wood.
"Please Elena," he called through the door. "Please let me in. Just let me explain."
"Lucas, I …"
"I know I hurt you, but please I can explain. You know I would never hurt you on purpose."
Elena's resolve melted slightly.
"Please, Elena. I promise it isn't anything you have thought of. Just let me in and explain and if you still don't want to see me then I will leave and never bother you again."
"Lucas," she whispered before slowly turning around and opening the door.
Without a moment's hesitation, Lucas strode in, wrapped Elena in his arms and crushed his mouth onto hers. He poured everything he could into that kiss.
At first, her mouth moved tentatively against his before matching his passion with her own. Lucas forced himself to pull back but she remained in his arms.
"Elena! I've missed you so much!"
"Lucas?" she asked unsurely.
"Let's sit down and talk ok," he suggested moving them towards the sofa.
Elena moved away and curled up on one side, giving herself as much space as she could. She needed a clear head. Never in all of the time she had known Lucas had he ever left her reeling like that. That kiss had taken her breath away.
"Elena, that night," he started looking nervous. "Something happened that shocked me, it was something I'd never expected. I don't just mean us sleeping together."
He rushed to add that last part when he noticed the hurt expression across her face.
"I mean, of course, I was surprised. I'd never thought about sleeping with you before. However, it didn't feel wrong or awkward. It was more natural than anything else."
Elena smiled slightly, nodding. That is what she thought when she woke up before she saw that he had left.
"What I meant was when we climaxed, something happened and I almost didn't believe it."
Her eyebrows crossed as she stared at him. The events of that night playing over in her mind.
"When I came did you notice anything unusual?" He asked with a blush.
"I don't know what you mean Lucas."
"I mean, when my cock was inside you, it swelled up, locking me in for a moment."
Elena's forehead creased even more. Lucas had hoped that she had been told about knotting but it was obvious she hadn't.
"Has anyone ever told you how a wolf recognises their fated mate?"
Elena nodded, "Yeah, one look tells them, even the scent can as well."
"Yes, that is true. However, there is also another way. When a wolf sleeps with their mate, during the climax, the wolf's cock swells. It's called knotting. It locks them in place and intensifies the pleasure. It's also a surefire way of getting your mate pregnant."
"So you're saying?" she asked, her brain fuzzy with the possibilities.
"Elena! What I'm saying is that I knotted you that night. You are my fated mate. I think because of how we found you and what happened to you, the Moon Goddess didn't want to show you your mate until you were ready. We've always been close and at the time that's what you needed."
"But you left," she whispered weakly. "I woke up and you were gone. No one had seen you either."
Lucas moved forward and grabbed her hands in his. The warmth comforted her but she still couldn't look into his eyes.
"When I realised what you were to me, I mean I've always cared for you but this was way more. I went for a run to clear my head so that I could try to figure out how I hadn't recognised you were my mate sooner."
"That night, I knew you only slept with me because you were upset and drunk. So, I figured you might've wanted to wake up without me to process it all."
"I was going to come back and explain it to you but you'd gone already. When they described how you looked and sounded I knew I'd made a mistake. I wanted to go to you, to find you but my mother told me to give you time."
"These past two weeks, I'd never left your porch. Just waiting for when you would come back. Then Mary came to talk to me. I told her everything and she made me realise I'd never thought of the possibility you would have been ok waking up next to me like that."
"So I knew I had to find you, to explain. To make you understand."
"Lucas, I …" she started unsure of what she wanted to say. "This is all a bit much to take in."
"I understand but can you give me a chance, I know you still love Caleb but …"
"It's not that Lucas," she called out in frustration as she stood up.
"I mean yes, I was in love with Caleb and heartbroken when Mary appeared. I mean can you blame me? He saved me from my father and was there when I woke up."
"Wait a minute! What do you mean he saved you? He didn't!" Lucas called out, making Elena stop. "I mean yes he was there when you woke up but that was only because he forced me to go get some sleep. I wouldn't leave your side and as for saving you, who told you it was him?"
"Well, he did, actually he said it was both of you. After I calmed down I asked him what happened and he told me that he pulled my father away from me and then you held him back whilst he picked me up."
"Why would he say that? I was the one who noticed your father drinking when we were in the tavern and then I was worried when he disappeared. I went looking for him and found him beating you, I stopped your father. Then, I carried you back and met up with everyone else before bringing you to the pack."
"You did that?" she asked.
"Yes, and whilst you were unconscious and recovering I wouldn't leave your side. Each day that passed I became even more worried, you took so long to wake up. If Caleb hadn't forced me to go get some rest I would have been the one you saw when you woke."
Lucas stood and pulled Elena into his arms. She sighed into his embrace. Elena couldn't deny how right it felt to have him wrapped around her.
"I was the one that saved you, Elena, it's been me, it was always me."
There was a long moment of silence before Elena mustered the courage to tell him.
"Oh Lucas …" she started.
"Are you feeling ok?"
"There's something I should tell you," she whispered against his neck.
"Mmmm?"
"I think I'm pregnant."