RISE OF THE LYCANS - Mates and Bonds
Chapter 17 - Graduation

**Special thanks to all those who have helped to point out typos or anything that sounded off. I work all day and write in the evening, and my eyes are tired by the time I finish a chapter. I will go back during my final edit and reread all the comments to make the changes.

Also, Congratulations to Beta Readers Angela and Tasha, who made it into my book this chapter! Nothing gives me greater joy than using the names of people who have been engaged in the process of my work.

***********

Selena

Rex stood gazing at Storm with curiosity before he spoke. “Storm, I thought I saw—”

“It was nothing,” she cut him off. “Just the Paris monuments again.”

“Was that the naked man?” Rex asked, and I wondered if he had been able to tap into her visions.

She placed a hand over her forehead as if she was trying to hang onto a fleeting memory. “Yes, but I’ve never seen the painting before.”

“A painting? Could you see his sausage and meatballs?” Grandma asked, and I tried to hide my smile.

“Grandma!” Cynder blushed, and Zane stifled his laughter with a cough.

“What?” Grandma shrugged. “When I was at the Vatican, a lot of the sculptures and paintings had their trouser snakes removed or painted over because of a prudish Pope of the past. I mean, it’s not like God created man with clothing, so I don’t know what the big deal was.”

“I… I need to lie down,” Storm announced and quickly left with Rex at her heels.

I couldn’t shake the feeling that there was more to the visions. Our parents didn’t seem convinced we had encountered a demon in the middle of the day, but they also hadn’t witnessed what we had.

“What’s the plan?” Lukas asked.

“We need to finish gathering the facts before we act,” Ares said. “If the apartment was bombed, we’ll have LaRue Enterprises’ security division run the forensics. I’m touring Darc’s territory tomorrow, and if Balthazar has to sink his claws into Pierre Darc to read his mind and get the truth, then he will.”

“And the issue with mates?” Flaym asked.

“We’ll have to figure that out when we get home,” my father replied. “We leave in two days.”

“The graduation ceremony is in five hours, and my mate needs to rest. Please excuse us.” Lukas took my hand and led me back to our room.

I was exhausted, but I normally didn’t nap in the middle of the day. I quickly learned that my whole body happily relaxed and settled into a nap when my mate was holding me.

When I opened my eyes, my mother was fluttering around the room, holding a steam iron in her hand. Two dresses were hanging from the back of the door to the restroom, and she had a third in her hand.

“Oh, you’re awake,” she smiled. “I wasn’t sure which dress you were planning on wearing for the graduation tonight. I also steamed your graduation cap and gown… or is it a toge. I guess it’s called a toge here.”

“Thanks, Mom. Where’s Lukas?”

“He went downstairs to the hotel kitchen in search of a snack platter for you,” she said. “Growing a lycan pup is exhausting, even for a she-wolf.”

“It’s only been a week. It’s not like I’m waddling around.”

“Not yet, but it sneaks up on you quickly!”

I nibbled on the snack platter and finished putting myself together while Lukas waited in the corner armchair. He was dressed in a suit and looked as handsome as ever. My heart swooned with the knowledge that he was mine. Truly mine.

“As much as I want to rip that dress off you right now, we should probably get going,” he moved quickly to kiss me. “The others have already left to replace their seats, and our parents are waiting downstairs for us.”

We joined my parents and his in the lobby and waited as Caspian cleared us to the waiting stretched limousine. Caspian held the door open and reminded me of a well-dressed security guard or special agent as he diligently monitored our surroundings. Ares and Eudora slipped into the limo first, followed by my parents and then us.

“No celebratory champagne this time,” Caspian winked as he closed the door.

“My parents are sorry they can’t be here,” Ares told me. “They had planned to fly out for the graduation, but recent events have them on high security alert at the Moon Realm.”

“It’s okay,” I assured him. “I understand.”

“Mac and Cassi are just so proud of you,” Eudora told me. “And they’re overjoyed to hear the recent news of your mating.” Mac and Cassi were Ares’ parents and Lukas’ grandparents. Next to Lukas and his father, Cassi was one of the most powerful Alphas alive. She had saved my father’s life when he was young, and my father was loyal to her above all. I had grown up calling her Aunt Cassi, and now she was really going to be family.

“We’re finally going to have a mating ceremony at the Moon Realm!” My mother beamed.

“Two!” My father corrected her. My sister and Ranger would also have a mating ceremony, and we’d need to travel to Crescent Castle for Zane and Cynder’s ceremony.

“Now that you’re expecting a lycan pup, we need to ensure your safety at all times,” Ares continued. “There are some who will do anything to get their hands on lycan venom.”

Something at the bar of the limousine drew my attention. “Champagne,” I muttered as it suddenly hit me.

“Alcohol doesn’t affect shifters, but we don’t know the impact on a growing fetus,” my father said. “Would you like some water or juice instead?”

“No…” I shook my head and pointed to the champagne. The only time Sol and Cynder were together with me was in the limousine when Caspian came to pick us up.

“Selena?”

“It was the champagne!” I said. “The only time we were together with Sol and Cynder was in the limo on the way to the ball.”

“Wait, what are you saying?” My mother looked at the bottle of champagne.

“I knew something didn’t seem right! We shared a bottle of champagne in the limo. It was the only thing we had consumed together. We all had some… Grandma, Persephone, Sol, Cynder, and me… Caspian drank the last bit out of the bottle.”

“And you’re sure the three of you had nothing together at the ball?” My father asked.

“Nothing,” I shook my head. “Grandma and Persephone were incognito. We split up as soon as we got to the palace.”

“It wouldn’t have affected Grandma, Persephone, or Caspian,” Lukas said.

“Where did the bottle of champagne come from?” Ares asked.

“I… I’m not sure.” So much had happened, and I tried to recall if I already had the champagne or if it was a bottle that Jose had brought over. Jose was human, and I wasn’t sure I wanted to involve him in this.

“Honey, think!” My mother urged. “Where did you get the bottle?”

“I don’t know.”

We arrived at the institute with five minutes to spare. Everyone was already inside, and we made our way to the theater in the back where the graduation was taking place for nearly a hundred students who had completed a bachelor’s or master’s degree. Lukas walked me to the front where the graduates were seated, and reluctantly stepped away to sit with family.

“Hey, girl!” Jose waved, and I took my seat next to him.

“Way to go, Selena!” I heard Grandma Dori chime from somewhere behind me.

“Your family is huge! Everyone is buzzing because of the security traveling with them. They think you’re an heiress or something,” he laughed. “Lord have mercy. It’s one sexy beast after another!”

“Beast?” I questioned.

“Fox… Stallion… take your pick! Mmm, mmm, mmm!” He looked back where I knew my family was sitting. “All the men are stunning, and I don’t know who does her hair, but it looks incredible!”

“Grandma Dori has had the same beautician for decades.”

“Not Granny, though I do love pink. I’m talking about the chic-looking beauty with silvery hair. The dye job looks on point.”

He was talking about Storm, and her hair wasn’t a dye job. “I think she sees the same beautician as Grandma,” I laughed. I really didn’t know what to say.

“How was Monaco?” He asked.

I had almost forgotten that Erick had told Jose I was away on a celebratory vacation.

“It was fine. I was telling my mother about that wonderful champagne we had… I couldn’t remember the name,” I said, suddenly remembering Jose having brought two bottles over the night we got ready for the ball. We had one at the apartment and one in the limo.

“Erick had sent it over,” he said as the ceremony started.

“Right,” I whispered. “Do you remember the name?”

“Loup… Loup something,” he said. “Loup-Chaleur! I think he knows the people who own the brand. Being the Sous Chef at La Tour, he gets a lot of people sending him product, hoping he’ll help get it on the menu.”

“Is he coming to the graduation?”

“No,” Jose said, sounding sad. “He, umm… he’s been acting weird. I think we broke-up, again. He’s canceled everything and hasn’t called in nearly a week.”

“What? Really?”

“I think he’s dating someone else,” Jose said in a low whisper. “I’ve stalked his apartment, and he hasn’t been coming home.”

“Maybe he’s been really busy because of the restaurant fire,” I said, trying to comfort him. Erick wasn’t a wolf, but he was connected to Alpha Darc. I thought about Alpha Darc last week at the café, and started to wonder if he was targeting me. If he had intentionally given the wine to Erick to send over to me.

The speeches from alumni who had become successful in the fashion world started, and polite applause rang out after each speaker. I heard nothing because I was lost in my thoughts. At some point, our row stood up and moved in procession to the stage. The President of the institute continued to call the names of graduates as they walked across the stage.

“Angela Michelle Estrada.” She practically sashayed across the stage when her name was called.

“I heard she was offered an internship at Prada,” Jose whispered.

“Tasha Lee Oliver.” Everyone knew that Tasha was going to work for McQueen in London. She had flawless taste.

“Selena Cassiopeia Raffaello,” he called my name, and the applause exploded. I was named after my father’s mother and Lukas’ grandmother.

Heads turned in the direction of the cheering as people tried to get a better look at everyone seated with my parents. I smiled when Storm placed two fingers in her mouth and whistled. Lukas beamed at me proudly, and I noticed the large bouquet of flowers he was holding. Jose’s name was called after me, and we returned to our seats and waited for the procession to finish.

“Did your family come for graduation?” I asked Jose.

“My sister is here, but I have to take her back to the airport tomorrow morning.”

“That was nice of Marisol to come.” I had met his sister once before. She was a college professor and lived in Los Angeles with her husband and daughters.

“She got freaked out when she felt the earthquake today. She thought the California earthquake vibes had followed her,” he laughed.

“Earthquake?” I pretended to be surprised. “I must have napped right through it.”

Champagne and appetizers were served in the fashion hall as the graduates’ family and friends gathered to admire the final projects. Jose and Erick were supposed to have dinner at Le Vent, but since Jose hadn’t heard from Erick, he was taking his sister tonight.

“I hate to cut out early, but we need to go,” Lukas mind linked me. I knew the hotel was preparing a celebratory feast for us, but I wasn’t sure what the sudden rush was.

“Everything okay?” I linked back.

“There’s a shifter in the crowd, but I can’t get a good read because of all the people.”

Between our families and the warriors traveling with us, there were nearly two dozen shifters here tonight. But if Lukas was scenting another shifter he didn’t recognize, then it wasn’t someone with us. Shifters tended to stick out in a crowd because of their size or beauty. Rapid healing gave shifters great skin and hair growth, while metabolism and training enhanced the great physiques most shifters had. If we couldn’t replace this shifter, it was because they were trying to stay hidden.

Lukas called for the cars to take us back to the hotel, where the hotel restaurant was preparing a family feast.

“Well, that was interesting,” Grandma said as she slipped in the back of the waiting limo with us. “I bet it was an Omega or something. Makes it hard to pick out a shifter when it’s an Omega or lone wolf working in the city.”

“Have you sensed another shifter at your school?” My father asked.

“No,” I shook my head.

“At least it wasn’t a demon,” Grandma said.

“Not this demon thing again,” Ares grumbled. “I saw a man in a cloak two days ago; it doesn’t mean it was a demon.”

“Fine, then you should have no problem if we go out sightseeing tomorrow,” Grandma replied. “I’ll have Flaym come with me. Neither of us has lycan venom, and according to you, there’s no demon, so we should be safe.”

“Where exactly do you think you’re going tomorrow?” Ares asked. “You’ve been shopping at the Galleries, visited the Palace of Versailles, had dinner at the Eiffel Tower, took the elevator up to the top of Arc de Triomphe, visited Père Lachaise cemetery, and got kicked out of the Louvre Museum. I’d say you’ve seen just about everything in Paris already.”

“Everything, my big toe!” Grandma snarked back, and I waited for her to mention the catacombs or Moulin Rouge. “I haven’t even seen the place where Marie Antoinette was guillotined. Selena promised to take me to see the stained glass at Sainte-Chapelle, and I still need to get some holy water from Notre-Dame Cathedral.”

“What are you going to do with holy water?” He asked, and I nearly laughed out loud. When Grandma Dori had her heart set on something, she’d stop at nothing to achieve it.

She smiled for a long moment before she replied. “I’m going to use it on a demon… if I happen to see one.”

We returned to the hotel and found our big table at the back of the hotel restaurant. It wasn’t just a table; it was four long tables pushed together to accommodate all of us. I couldn’t help noticing the wrapped presents and envelopes set up on a special table behind us with a large cake and other desserts.

Zane and Zander also attended the graduation ceremony and were seated at the end of the table with Killian and Xena. I looked around the table at my parents, Ares and Eudora, Balthazar and Demeter, Wylder and Tymber, and I couldn’t believe I would finally have the chance to be as happy as they were. The bond between two souls was strong, and I had been feeling it my entire life with Lukas.

I wondered if we would have discovered the problem with the mate bond sooner if I had never started taking the heat suppressants. The only reason I started going into heat was because I had already met my mate, but I didn’t know it. I suppose I should thank whoever caused my heat because I’d still be wallowing without Lukas if it hadn’t happened.

“May I get you something to drink?” An older gentleman with a thick French accent asked Lukas, and I suddenly remembered the name of the champagne Erick had sent over.

“Do you happen to carry Loup-Chaleur?”

“Excusez-moi?” He blinked, looking confused.

“It’s champagne,” I added.

“Loup-Chaleur?” He repeated the name thoughtfully.

“Did you say Loup-Chaleur?” Ares asked. His fist closed tight on the table, and Eudora looked alarmed by her mate’s sudden shift in demeanor. Ares was fluent in many languages, including French, and I wondered if he recognized the champagne. It sounded French.

“I am not familiar with this brand of champagne,” the waiter replied. “Though it could be a small or private family label.”

“Have you had this champagne before?” Ares asked.

“In the limousine,” I nodded. “The night of the gala.”

“Interesting name for a champagne,” the waiter noted.

“How so?” I pressed.

“Loup is the French word for wolf, and chaleur could mean heat or passion.”