by Cecilia Lane
Fuck, holy hell. He was huge. Thick, long. She let out a high whine as he pressed inside, almost overwhelming her senses. Her skin tingled again, skin prickling as pleasure bubbled in her veins.
Grey eyes shot with gold watched her, appreciated her, devoured her. His lips hitched up in a lopsided smile of wicked smugness. Then he lunged upward, nipping her lower lip in the process.
“You feel so fucking good,” he breathed against her neck.
A growl rumbled in his chest as his hips thrust up. His arms wrapped around her back and crushed her to his chest. Their breath mingled; their eyes stayed locked on one another as they found their rhythm. Downward strokes. Hisses and moans. Upward retreats. Prickles and pleasure and pressure. So much pressure.
He growled over the needy noises that bubbled out of her throat. “Come, gorgeous wolf.” His teeth caught her mark and surged desire. “Come for me again. You feel so good. So damn perfect. Want to know how good I make you feel.”
He latched his lips over her ugly, ugly mark and sucked. Nora dropped her head back as her body tingled with the touch. A new fire raged through her, blasting outward from his mouth.
“This should have been mine,” he growled. “This will be mine when you ask.”
Nora moaned at the perfect words, his touch. The feel of him buried inside her. She was so close. She dragged her nails through his hair, over his shoulders, pressing wherever she could reach.
Jesse surged into her harder. Faster. Her wolf prowled behind her closed eyes, tail swishing and aching for more she wasn’t ready to take yet.
Yet.
She balanced right on the edge of the world, heart pounding.
Jesse’s teeth grazed over the mark and set off another detonation within her.
Nora threw her head back and cried out with every drag and slide and slam of his thrusts. He held her tight, made her feel wanted and safe. Precious. Protected. Everything she needed in a man.
He roared against her neck as they shattered together. He dragged her down hard and deep, holding her hips tightly as he throbbed within her. Aftershocks spread on and on, stretching her until she thought she would burst into oblivion.
His fingers brushed over her cheeks. “Gorgeous wolf,” he murmured.
Slowly, so slowly, Jesse kissed up her neck and over her jaw. He pressed his lips to hers. A single taste turned to a longer sip and she wrapped her arms tightly around his neck.
She didn’t ever want to leave.
She wasn’t Viho’s mate. She didn’t belong with the wolves. Jesse owned her heart and soul.
She’d ask that question just as soon as she felt worthy of a man like him.
She glanced to the darkened doorway over his shoulder. After that first night of offering her his bed, he never pushed again.
“Jesse?” she said quietly. Nora chewed on her lower lip. That room wasn’t dangerous. The opposite, in fact. It was a space to grow and thrive. “Can we use your bed tonight?”
His lips curved into a smile against her skin. “Anything you want, gorgeous. Name it, and it’s yours.”
His hands closed around her thighs and he pushed to his feet. He watched her carefully as he stepped across the threshold, but she wasn’t turning back.
Chapter 18
The sound of a car bouncing up the ranch road drew Jesse out of the barn. Liv returned from her errand in town, with Nora and Joss in tow. Joss chattered in the backseat, but it was the woman waving wildly from the passenger seat that snagged his attention.
His bear rolled through him. Mine.
Yeah. She was his. She stunned him every morning he woke next to her and every night he crawled into bed with her.
Only a single dark cloud kept him from complete happiness.
Boots scuffed the ground behind him as Ethan made his way out of the barn.
Two clouds, if he counted Nora’s request to keep her connection to Viho quiet. He didn’t like holding anything back from his alpha, but even he had to admit there would be secrets between man and woman that didn’t need to make it back to the leader of the clan. And they already knew Viho had Nora in his sights. The exact details didn’t change the bastard’s fate.
Viho needed to be put down. Motherfucker had forced a wolf on at least two women. That alone meant death for a shifter. His mate made it personal.
Jesse promised to keep Nora safe. If she still needed to come to terms with her past and circumstances, all he could do was support her and fantasize about ripping Viho to pieces.
Across the yard, Tansey poked her head out of the house. She shot them a thumbs up, which he took to mean her part of the plan had been pulled off.
Nora said something to Liv, who slowed as she neared the barn. The car had barely rolled to a stop when she sprang out of the door and flung herself into his chest.
His bear rumbled with satisfaction.
Jesse wrapped his arms around his sweet mate and inhaled her lavender scent. Chemicals, too. Lotions and oils and other fancy products from her time spent as distraction under Tansey’s orders.
“Feel,” she said when she pulled away. Her finger poked into her shoulder. “Tension be gone. I am serene, relaxed, and rejuvenated. Massages are my new favorite thing.”
“Mine, too!” Joss sighed in the backseat. She melted against her seat, eyes sliding closed and a grin swelling her cheeks. “Don’t tell Hunter.”
“You secret is safe with me,” Jesse promised.
Liv glanced over the gathered crowd. “Where’s Alex?”
Ethan jerked his thumb over his shoulder. “Out with the herd and making Hunter want to pull his hair out. You better hurry before Tansey drags you inside.”
Joss immediately sat up. “What? Did she do something?”
Silence and darted looks answered her.
“No. She didn’t. I told her I didn’t want a fuss made over me.” She reached for the door handle, but the locks slammed shut.
Liv eyed her in the rearview. “Don’t even think about it, missy.”
“This is kidnapping. Abduction!” Joss pressed her hands to the window. “I am being held against my will!”
Everyone simply waved as Liv turned to park in front of the main house.
Nora turned to Jesse as soon as Tansey dropped off the porch and opened Joss’s door. Sharp cries and demands to know what waited for her inside were met with promises that she’d enjoy herself.
“Did you...?” Nora asked.
Jesse nodded. “Wrapped up and on the counter with the other gifts, just like you asked.”
She wrung her hands, worry tinging the air around her. “Do you think they’ll like it? People have very specific ideas about decor. What if it doesn’t match? I’ve never been inside their cottage.”
“Huts, woman. Cottages are for the British countryside. We’re Montana cowboys.”
“Cowbears, maybe. And that doesn’t change the fact that I don’t know if they’re using red clay in their Neanderthal mud hut or are more of a plain brown dirt sort of family.”
He reached for her, cupping her cheeks and pressing a kiss to her lips. Her tiny groan sang along his nerves and suddenly one small kiss wasn’t enough. Fingers twined in his hair gave a little tug just as he swept his tongue between her lips for a deeper taste.
He couldn’t get enough of her. Hours added up to days, but he still wanted more. Years. A lifetime.
Fuck Viho and his illegitimate claim. Fuck his old man and the threat of snapped bonds. He wanted Nora and he wasn’t backing down.
“What was that for?” she asked in a daze as soon as he released her.
“Had to quiet you down somehow.” He brushed back a lock of her hair and jerked his chin over her shoulder. “Go on before Tansey strong-arms you like she’s about to do Joss.”
Nora wrapped her arms around him for one last quick hug, then turned away, not dropping her hand from his until the last second. His heart swelled and he gave her a little wave when she peeked over her shoulder at the foot of the po
rch steps.
His bear sank down inside him with a contented sigh.
Ethan walked back into the barn and toed a cooler. “Grab the other one and throw it in the back of my truck. We can head out to the others once Noel arrives. The mates will be busy for at least a few hours.”
They didn’t have long to wait for Noel Shaw to pull up to the ranch. After a brief greeting, they loaded into Ethan’s truck and made their way to where the others all gathered by the herd. The fire pit and temporary barrel racing course made for the perfect spot to spring a party on one of their own, and keep an eye on the cattle.
Hunter heeled his horse into action, making a mad dash for the first barrel. He rounded it close, his leg tipping it on its side. His hand shot out to steady it back on the ground, then he was off toward the next barrel. He cleared the second without a problem and raced toward the third.
Noel cupped his hands to his mouth and yelled, “Boy, you’re leaning too far. Have you lost your touch?”
Hunter startled and turned, mouth dropping open in surprise. “What is this?” he asked as he rode up.
“Tansey is surprising Joss with a baby shower,” Ethan answered, “so we decided to bring this old codger out for our own celebration.”
Hunter eyes the coolers suspiciously. “Will there be cake and baby gifts?”
“Better.” Jesse threw back one of the lids. “Meat and beer!”
The cookout kicked off as soon as Hunter dismounted and threw his arms around his father in a back-cracking hug. When they parted, beers were passed all around until everyone had drinks in hand.
One round turned to two and a friendly competition over who could make the best time around the barrels. The bickering and bellyaching over halves of seconds almost resulted in a brawl.
Round three turned to four as steaks and burgers cooked over the fire. Full of drinks and food, they let their animals out for a run around the herd.
Late into the night, Noel cleared his throat and fixed Hunter with a stern stare. “Are you ready to never sleep again?”
“Little late to be warning me off, isn’t it?” Hunter sniped back.
Noel raised his hands in acknowledgment, but the ornery old man wasn't done. Smelling of amusement, he said, “If there's one piece of advice I can give you, it's this. Cardio. Don't forget the cardio. My darling daughter-in-law may lie to you about loving your father figure, but you're going to be chasing a mini-you around. You want to stay in shape.”
In response, Hunter swayed his hips and ran a hand down his chest while howls broke out all around him. “It’s called a dad bod, old man. Get with the times.”
“In all seriousness, I’m so proud of you. You’ve made yourself the best person you could be for that lovely woman. You’re going to do it again for that little minion of hell you bring into this world.”
“By the Broken,” Hunter muttered. He shook his head and looked around the fire in disbelief. “I’m going to be a father. Who allowed this bright idea to happen?”
Noel clapped him on the shoulder. “Boy, I had that same question before you were born.” He tossed a wide grin over his shoulder. “And let me tell you, it only gets worse from here.”
Everyone but Hunter broke into a laugh. The man of the hour groaned and reached for his beer.
Jesse drank deeply from his beer as the words kicked him in the gut. Of all the men there, Hunter was luckiest in regard to his family. Noel was there for him, no matter what mistakes Hunter made. He was present for all the good and the bad, and didn’t make judgments on either.
He was family. The real kind. The sort of father Jesse wished for when his own failed him time and again.
Noel was right. Hunter was going to be a great dad.
“And what about you?” Noel huffed as he took a seat next to Jesse. “You going to join the ranks of these poor saps anytime soon?”
His lips twitched. “Maybe,” he answered nonchalantly.
The howls of the others sounded off again. “Don’t let him fool you. He’s just as bad off as any of us,” Ethan grinned around his bottle.
“Jesse here has gone the traditional route of rescuing his woman from the jaws of danger in the hope someone would finally be so appreciative to let him get his beak wet,” Alex added.
“Fuck off,” Jesse laughed. “I just learned from the rest of you.”
Noel tipped his bottle in Hunter’s direction. “Setting a good example. You’re already well on your way to being a good father.”
The air hung heavy for a quiet moment before Hunter leaned in, face serious. “Almost a week since sight or scent of Viho. Maybe he’s moved on.”
Jesse scowled at the dirt under his boots. “We had to beat him within an inch of his life to drive him off last time. He’s not going to disappear that easy.” He shrugged uncomfortably, trying to scratch at an itch in the middle of his shoulder blades. “Besides, I feel something coming. Like a storm about to break. He’s out there, somewhere. Feels like I’m being watched, even now.”
Lorne raised his middle finger into the air. “Let him watch, then. Ain’t nothing he can do that we won’t put back on him ten times over.”
The others lifted their drinks to toast his words. “Truth speaker.”
Jesse let the sound of the others fade away before he added his own. “Truth speaker. He won’t take one of ours ever again.”
Across the fire, Ethan’s eyes churned with silver as he nodded.
A rough hand on Jesse’s shoulder snapped him awake. Ethan pressed a finger to his lips to quiet his questions, then moved to the next man passed out by the fire. On his other side, Alex and Lorne glared into the night.
The herd bellowed and mooed. They darted in one direction, then another, scrambling to fight their way out of the small pasture and away from the attackers nipping at their heels.
Wolves howled, long and loud, the noise bouncing from one mouth to another. There was no easy way to tell how many dashed in and out of the cattle.
Bright eyes flashed in the night around him. Gold, green, silver. Snarls answered the howls as the clan readied to fight back.
“Go!” Ethan yelled. “Keep the herd from running and take out as many of those wolves as you can.” He pointed to Jesse. “You’re with me. We’re hunting Viho.”
Like he’d let that fucker out of his grasp.
His bear lunged out of him at the same time as Ethan’s took his skin. Together they bolted around the outskirts of the herd, snapping at any wolf that came near.
There. One giant wolf darted in the middle of the commotion. He and Ethan barreled through his defenses, the rest of the clan right behind them. The other wolves scattered under the onslaught, but Viho was his only target.
The fucker turned and ran, tail streaming out behind him and leaving the others behind.
Jesse smacked one wolf out of his way as he took off after their alpha. Blood pounded in his ears. Fury filled his chest. Nora’s face flashed behind his lids every time he blinked.
For her, he had to catch Viho. For her, he had to end the threat.
He and Ethan both ran on and on into the night. From somewhere in the darkness, more wolves sprang up. They launched themselves into the fight, but his alpha took the brunt of the attack. Silver eyes flashed and an enraged roar filled the air, but Jesse felt the order in his bones.
Get Viho.
He chased after the bastard with renewed determination. Toward the edge of Ashford boundaries. Closer to the no man’s land between enclave territory and human lines.
Suddenly, Viho twisted around and vanished behind a felled tree.
Jesse slowed, spine prickling. The rolling hills of ranch land didn’t have as many hiding spots as the sharper valleys of the mountains, but rocks and trees and folds in the ground could still conceal a crouching wolf.
He swung his head from side to side, but he couldn’t see the wolf anywhere. Jesse lifted his snout and sniffed the air. His scent was thick, though. Fresh. All over the damn place l
ike he’d staged the spot just for a moment like this.
Coward.
“I can smell her on you. Sweet, sweet lavender. Addicting, isn’t it?”
Jesse stopped mid-step at Viho's words. He cocked his head and tried to pinpoint just where his enemy hid, but it was no use. The noise bounced and echoed amid more growls than just one wolf could make.
“Enjoy your ride for now. Break her in real good. Make those sweet memories that can flash before your eyes as the last drop of your blood pumps from your veins.”
More growls sounded off. Jesse dug his claws into the earth underfoot and braced himself.
“She has a different master. She’ll be back at my side where she belongs.”
Like hell she would. Nora was good and kind. She wouldn’t be controlled by anyone, much less the bastard who hurt her.
Jesse snarled at the unseen threat.
The wolf slammed into him out of nowhere, his sudden weight driving into his back and riding him toward the ground. Fangs tore into his shoulders and neck as the beast tried to get a death grip from above.
Jesse reared back, dumping the creature from his form. He spun around and slapped out a paw, missing Viho’s head by inches. The wolf backed away, snarl lifting his lip. Red covered his fangs and made him look more monstrous.
Viho’s ears pinned back the moment before he lunged again. Jesse swatted at him and tried to wrap his great arms around the smaller animal, but the wolf was fast. Viho spun out from under his grasp and snapped at his backside. Jesse whipped back around, raking claws down the fucker’s ribs.
Two more wolves appeared, eyes glowing in the low light. Murder rattled in his chest in answer to their challenge.
In a flash, Viho sprang for him again. Jesse slammed a huge paw against the bastard's head. More hidden wolves jumped in, blocking him from taking a final blow. He spun and caught one in the side, the sharp whine of pain and crunch of bone cutting off one growl while more snarled and circled.
