Page 21 of Claws for Celebration (Hollow Oak Mates #3)

LUCIEN

T he question Moira had asked hung between them like a challenge, and Lucien felt his entire future balanced on the honesty of his answer. She needed to know that his feelings went far beyond Council duty, that what he was asking came from his heart rather than obligation to Hollow Oak's survival.

"Both," he said simply, his hands tightening around hers. "The Council needs what you could become, but I want you. All of you. As my mate, my partner, the other half of my soul. Everything else is secondary to that."

Relief flickered across her features, followed quickly by something deeper. "Your mate. That's what you were trying to tell me about the bonds, isn't it? We're not just building a connection. We're meant to be together."

"Fated mates," he confirmed, bringing her hands to his lips for a gentle kiss. "Chosen by destiny and magic alike. What we felt from the beginning, that sense of recognition and inevitability, that was the bond calling to both of us."

"And accepting it would mean..."

"Permanent partnership in every sense. Emotional, physical, magical, spiritual.

" Lucien studied her face, searching for signs of fear or hesitation.

"Your magic would amplify mine, mine would stabilize yours.

Together, we'd be strong enough to not just maintain the protective wards but strengthen them beyond anything Hollow Oak has ever achieved. "

Moira was processing information that would reshape her understanding of everything they'd shared. "The grimoire mentioned something about partnerships changing the nature of inherited obligations. Making them about choice rather than sacrifice."

"Exactly. The Shadowheart burden doesn't have to be borne alone anymore. If you accept the mate bond, we share everything. The power, the responsibility, the?—"

The door chimed with unusual urgency, cutting off his explanation as Emmett Hollowell and Maeve Cross entered the bookstore with expressions that immediately put Lucien's protective instincts on high alert.

Both Council guards moved with the controlled tension of predators expecting imminent violence.

"Lucien," Emmett said without preamble, his usually stoic demeanor showing cracks of genuine concern. "We need to talk. Now."

"It can wait," Lucien replied, not taking his eyes off Moira's face. This conversation was too important to interrupt, the foundation of everything their future could be. "Give me ten minutes to finish?—"

"It can't wait," Maeve interrupted, her short black hair disheveled as if she'd been running. "We've got incoming hostiles, ETA fifteen minutes. Vampire coven, at least six strong, and they're not here for the scenic mountain views."

Lucien's panther went absolutely still, every predatory instinct sharpening to lethal focus. "How do you know?"

"Border patrol picked up their scent an hour ago.

Callum's tracking them, but they're moving fast and they're definitely headed for downtown.

" Emmett's pale eyes flicked to Moira before returning to Lucien.

"Intel suggests they've heard rumors about unbound blood magic and they're looking to acquire new assets. "

"Assets," Lucien repeated, the word tasting like poison on his tongue.

"They want her," Maeve said bluntly, gesturing toward Moira. "A witch with awakening abilities and no protective coven affiliation. To vampires, that's like finding unguarded treasure."

"What's happening?" Moira asked, rising from her chair trying to process rapidly shifting circumstances. "Who's looking for me?"

Lucien turned to face her fully, his hands framing her face with gentle reverence even as his panther paced with barely contained aggression. "Vampires. A group of them has come to Hollow Oak specifically to claim you for their own purposes."

"Claim me how?"

"Forced turning, most likely," Emmett said with brutal honesty. "Vampire covens prize witches for their magical abilities. A blood magic practitioner with your potential would be an incredibly valuable addition to their ranks."

"But I don't want to be a vampire," Moira said, her voice carrying the bewildered tone of someone confronting threats she'd never imagined. "I barely understand being a witch."

"What you want doesn't matter to them," Maeve replied grimly. "They see power they can use, and they'll take it by whatever means necessary."

The front door opened again, this time admitting three figures who moved with the predatory grace that marked them as definitively non-human.

The vampire in the lead was tall and pale, with dark hair slicked back and clothes that spoke of old money and older power.

His companions flanked him with military precision, their eyes already cataloging exit routes and potential threats.

Lucien's panther roared to life, demanding immediate shifting and violence, but he forced himself to remain human through sheer willpower. Moira stepped closer to him, unconsciously seeking protection, and golden threads of her awakening magic began dancing around them both.

"Gentlemen," the lead vampire said with cultured politeness that didn't mask the predatory hunger in his pale eyes. "And lady. Please forgive the intrusion, but we're here on business that benefits everyone involved."

"State your business and leave," Lucien said with the controlled menace of a predator barely leashed. "Hollow Oak doesn't welcome uninvited guests."

"How refreshingly direct." The vampire's smile revealed fangs that caught the morning light. "I am Viktor Dracul, and we've come for the young witch whose magical awakening has been sending ripples across the supernatural community for weeks."

"She's under Council protection," Emmett said, moving to flank Lucien's right side while Maeve took position on his left.

"Ah, but that's where you're mistaken." Viktor's attention focused entirely on Moira, who had gone pale but remained steady beside Lucien.

"Miss Marsh isn't formally affiliated with any supernatural authority.

She's what we call a 'free agent,' which makes her eligible for recruitment by interested parties. "

"Recruitment," Lucien repeated, his hands curling into claws that he barely managed to keep hidden. "Is that what you're calling forced conversion these days?"

"Such harsh language. We prefer to think of it as offering opportunities for advancement.

" Viktor took a step closer, and Lucien felt his control slip another notch.

"A witch of Miss Marsh's obvious potential would thrive in our coven.

Protected, trained, given access to magical knowledge that these provincial councils could never provide. "

"And if I'm not interested in your opportunities?" Moira asked, her voice steadier than Lucien had expected.

"Then you'd be making a grave mistake," Viktor replied smoothly. "The magical awakening you're experiencing is dangerous without proper guidance. How many incidents have you had already? Unconscious spellcasting, emotional magic surges, protective wards manifesting without conscious control?"

Moira suddenly sucking in air confirmed that the vampire's knowledge was uncomfortably accurate.

"Blood magic requires discipline that your current... advisors clearly haven't provided," Viktor continued. "With us, you'd learn control. Purpose. You'd become something magnificent instead of remaining a danger to yourself and everyone around you."

"She's not going anywhere with you," Lucien said, his voice dropping to a growl that made all three vampires tense with recognition of a serious threat.

"And you are?"

"Her mate," Lucien replied without hesitation, the words carrying the weight of absolute claim. "Touch her, and I'll tear you apart with my bare hands."

Viktor's eyebrows rose with genuine surprise.

"How fascinating. A mated pair, and so recently bonded that the connection hasn't fully stabilized yet.

" His smile turned calculating. "That explains the protective instincts, but not the wisdom of the choice.

Surely you recognize that she'd be safer with us than risking magical burnout in this isolated community? "

"Safer," Lucien repeated, his panther practically clawing its way to the surface. "You want to turn her into a bloodsucking predator and you call that safer?"

"I want to help her survive what's coming," Viktor said with the first hint of genuine sincerity he'd shown.

"The magical disturbances her awakening is creating have attracted attention from much worse things than my coven.

Ancient entities that make vampires look like house cats.

She needs power and protection that your little sanctuary simply can't provide. "

The truth in that statement hit Lucien hard. The shadow creatures, the failing wards, the unknown entity coordinating attacks against Hollow Oak, all of it centered around Moira's developing abilities.

"What kind of entities?" Moira asked quietly.

"The kind that feed on uncontrolled magical energy," Viktor replied. "The kind that would consume you and everyone you care about without a second thought. The kind that are probably already on their way here, drawn by the same magical signature that brought us."

"He's lying," Maeve said firmly. "Trying to scare you into making a rash decision."

"Am I?" Viktor's pale eyes held Moira's gaze with uncomfortable intensity. "How many nights has your mate been called away for mysterious Council business? How many emergency meetings have there been since your arrival? How many supernatural incidents that he's had to handle personally?"

Each question landed with devastating accuracy, and Lucien watched Moira's expression shift from confusion to dawning realization.

"I’m the reason you’re in danger," she whispered, looking at Lucien with horror. "My magic, my awakening, it's putting everyone in Hollow Oak at risk."

"Moira, no," Lucien started, but she was already stepping away from him, her hands beginning to shake as the full implications hit her.

"That's why you've been having night patrols. Why the Council meetings have intensified. Why everyone's been so careful around me." Her voice broke slightly. "I'm not just discovering my heritage. I'm endangering everyone I've grown to care about."

"Smart girl," Viktor said with approval. "Now you understand why coming with us is the logical choice. We can take you somewhere safe, train you properly, and remove the threat your uncontrolled abilities pose to this community."

"No," Lucien said with absolute authority of a mated shifter defending his chosen one. "She's not going anywhere. We'll find another solution."

"Will you?" Viktor's question hung in the air like a challenge. "Before the ancient entities arrive? Before your protective wards fail completely? Before her magic consumes her from the inside?"

As the vampire coven waited for Moira's response and his panther screamed for violence, Lucien realized that everything they'd been building toward, every careful plan and gradual revelation, had just been shattered by an enemy who understood exactly how to exploit their deepest fears.

The battle for Moira's future, and Hollow Oak's survival, had begun in earnest.