by Kimber White
Once we’d made it through the steepest of the passageways but before branching off to the encampment, I turned to her. I found a lantern we kept near the wall and flicked it on. Molly’s face glowed in the dim light. Her beautiful, brown eyes searched my face. I had to touch her. I had to have the feel of her skin against mine. How I’d made it more than a day without seeing her I don’t know.
“I know what you want to ask me,” she said, giving me a soulful smile.
“Yeah? How’s that?” We had just these few stolen moments before the others would come. I promised the others I wouldn’t try to mark her. I wouldn’t put the others at risk or her. But, now that I had her close to me again and her gaze met mine, I knew I was a fool. Jagger was right. This was too damn hard.
“How much time do we have?” she whispered. My little Molly was too smart by half.
“Not long. Keara convinced them to let us have the night. In the morning, some decisions have to be made.”
“About me?” she took a step back, her eyes filled with despair.
“About a lot of things.”
“Liam.” My name ripped from her throat. She came to me, sliding her hands up my chest. “For now I just want to be where you are. It...hurts when I’m not.”
My heart split in two. It seemed I was destined to live that way the moment I set eyes on this woman. “I don’t want to hurt you. I want to keep you safe. We just have to figure out the best way to do that.”
Molly pulled away. Smiling, she ran a hand through her hair. “And it sounds like the others have decided that’s all going to happen by a committee vote, I take it. I’m not sure how I feel about that.”
“Come on,” I said. “The committee can wait. I want to hear more about what happened with Bess.”
Trusting, she took my hand. I led her down the smooth passageways, deeper underground. Her steps were surer this time. Though she’d only been down to the caves a couple of times now, she was starting to find her way by instinct.
We reached the cavern where I slept most nights. Molly went inside hugging her arms. She blew a hair out of her face and looked up.
“We’re below my trailer, aren’t we?”
I stayed against the wall by the mouth of the cavern, watching her. “How did you know?”
“I could feel it. I could feel you. But Liam, I don’t understand it. You came here before you even met me.”
“I know.” It was really the only answer I could give her. It wasn’t enough. I just knew what I felt.
“Fate. That word Keara keeps using. And the mark on her neck. I wanted you to bite me. Liam, I wanted it so badly. I still want it now.”
She wasn’t asking me. Not yet. But God, just the mention of the mark. I didn’t know if I could be strong enough to deny her.
“I can’t,” I said, hating myself for it. “We can’t. Not now. Molly, if I mark you, it’s forever. At least as long as we’re both alive. It would bind you to me in a way that would make you a target. If the Chief Pack figured it out, they could use you against me.”
“I would never betray you!” Molly’s eyes flashed with fury.
I went to her. I put gentle arms around her. “Of course you wouldn’t. But they’d hurt you knowing I could feel it. Knowing I’d come for you no matter what. And if it came to a choice…” I couldn’t complete the thought. Molly did it for me.
“If it came to a choice, you’d choose me over the others. If you thought you could end whatever suffering the Pack put me through, you’d do it.”
I swallowed hard, letting the look in my eyes be her answer. She reached up and ran her fingers over my cheekbone.
“Then, we can’t,” she said. “No matter how hard it is, you can’t mark me.”
My wolf raged to the surface. Molly saw it in my eyes. I couldn’t take it. I went to the wall and punched it. Blood flowed between my knuckles. It took the edge off the anger welling inside of me.
Molly stayed stock still against the opposite wall, waiting for my temper to ease. Then, she came to me. “But we can...we can be together like we were the other night. Can’t we? Because Liam, I don’t think I can bear not to.”
“Come here,” I said. I took her by the hand and led her to the pallet I kept on the ledge on the far side of the cave. She deserved so much more. She deserved satin sheets with roses on them, champagne and bubble baths. She deserved all the things I couldn’t give her.
“I just want you,” she said, again, proving how connected we already were to each other’s moods. It thrilled me and scared me all at once. I hadn’t told her the whole truth. No, I hadn’t fully marked or claimed her. But, the bond we already shared might be too strong for either of us to turn away from.
“Tell me your dreams, Molly,” I said. “You already know mine.”
“Do I?”
I leaned back and pulled her against me. She fit perfectly in the hollow beneath my shoulder. I smoothed her hair back as she looked up at me.
“I want to find a way to get out from under the Chief Pack once and for all. I want us to live freely. Far from here if we have to.”
“Is there a place? I mean, if you were able to get far enough away?”
I shrugged. “We’d be hunted forever. If we were betas, maybe. We’d pose no threat to other packs in other territories. I think I told you that. But, I think maybe I’d like to try. I think maybe I have a good enough reason to take the risk. There are packs in the north near the Canadian border and through the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. They might be willing to help us. If we could find a way to get there.”
“Would you take me with you?” I looked at her. From the expression on her face, I couldn’t tell if she were asking for herself or just to know my plans. Before I could ask her, she changed the subject.
“Is there a way to defeat him?” she asked. “The Alpha. Keara said he’s older than any Alpha anyone’s ever known. She said she thinks the secret is what he draws from the Pack members he controls.”
“I think that’s true. But no one except his most trusted generals can get close to him. He’s surrounded by lethal Pack soldiers all the time. He keeps them feral. Makes them kill for him. They’ve been in their wolves so long, I don’t even know if they have any trace of their human selves left.”
“God, that sounds awful. They must be in agony. I wish there were some way to help them.”
My Molly. Sweet Molly. Of course she would think of mercy when I could only think of death. Because to live like that would be hell. The only release I could think of was to kill them before they hurt someone I cared about.
Her face darkened as she turned my words over in her mind. “Liam,” she asked. “Isn’t there some way to at least weaken their hold on the Pack? I mean, you keep talking about these generals. What happens if you take one of them out?”
She read the answer in my face. Her breath hitched. “That’s what Keara’s really planning for, isn’t it? There might come a day when you can never go topside.”
I smoothed the hair from her face. “We take it one day at a time. What about you, my love?” I said. She stiffened at the word, then settled back against me. “I asked you to tell me your dreams.”
She smiled up at me. “Well, they’ve changed a bit over the last few weeks. But, I’d like to be able to go back to school. I was saving up to get my D.V.M. Bess even hinted at helping me with that before...before all this. She said she wanted me to be her partner. Now, I just wonder…”
“Wonder what?”
A crease formed between Molly’s eyes. I recognized it now as one of her tells. She was having a stubborn thought. “What the Alpha’s doing to that pack. It’s not natural. If you hadn’t told me that yourself, I can sense it now. Those firefighters at the Langleys, they were...odd...like they weren’t thinking for themselves. They couldn’t make a move without getting some sort of telepathic order. I’d love to study one of them. You know, like in a lab.”
Molly’s mind was a marvel as well as her body. She was my
fated mate, but I would have fallen in love with her anyway. And so I told her.
“I love you,” I said. “It’s selfish of me to say it considering what we’re up against. But there it is.”
Molly wrinkled her nose and smiled. The blush I was growing to love so much colored her cheeks. “I was kind of thinking that too. You know...that you love me.”
Laughing, I reached for her and pinched her ass. Not hard enough to cause her pain, but hard enough that she squealed. The sound of it worked on me like a drug, waking my wolf. God, would I ever be able to be near this woman without wanting to fuck her? Part of me hoped not.
“When?” she gasped.
“What do you mean?”
“When does the committee meet?”
“Baby, it’s not really a committee.”
Molly snorted. “I know that. But you’re not a pack. I don’t know what else to call you.”
“Fair point. And I’m not sure. We have some time.”
The heat poured off of her. A fuse ignited inside of me as Molly moved away from me. She stood and slowly lifted the hem of her shirt. Kicking off her shoes, she wriggled out of her scrub bottoms. She was only wearing a bra and panties underneath. She cast a nervous glance over her shoulder.
“We’re alone,” I said, barely able to get the words out. My wolf raged. I was rock hard already. Molly reached back and unsnapped her bra. Her little striptease damn near ended me and she knew it. She flashed me a devilish smile as she dragged her panties down.
I made a move toward her and she put a hand up to stop me. “I’ve been wanting to do this for a while,” she whispered. She unzipped my jeans and dragged them down. My cock sprung out huge and hard.
Tilting her head to the side, she gathered her hair and pushed it behind her shoulder. With her eyes fixed on mine, she slid her lips over the tip, swirling her tongue up and down the shaft of my cock.
“Oh, God,” I gasped, throwing my head back. I loved her all over again.
Molly circled her fingers around the base of my cock, stroking me there while she worked her magic with her mouth. When she used her free hand to massage my balls I damn near lost my mind.
The other night, I had been the one to draw her to the edge and bring her back. Now, Molly took control. I gripped the stone ledge, feeling strong enough to crumble it to powder. Molly worked quickly, skillfully, bringing me to the edge, then drawing back. She was perfect. Gorgeous. Mine.
When she increased her pace, I couldn’t hold back. It became clear she didn’t want me to. Growling loud enough to echo through the cave, I came. Molly redoubled her efforts, working her jaw to keep up with me. I spilled my seed inside of her and she took in every drop.
When I was spent, I couldn’t feel my legs anymore. But, it only lasted a second. When Molly rose, my hands went up. I traced her curves, loving the way her supple flesh twitched beneath my fingertips. I caught her nipples between my thumbs and forefingers and gently rolled them. Molly threw her head back, swaying on the balls of her feet. I sat up, sliding my hands between her thighs. I made her part them for me.
“Liam,” she gasped. “I can’t.”
“Oh, yes, you can, baby,” I said, my voice a wicked whisper.
With two fingers I spread open her velvety folds. One quick dart of my tongue over her sensitive little bud made her scream with pleasure. I used one hand to hold her up. Her knees quivered so much I thought she might lose her balance. But, once I settled my mouth on the task at hand, Molly threw her head back and undulated with me.
She tasted like the sweetest honey. Her juices flowed and her tiny clit grew rock hard as I sucked her there. I fucked her with my tongue and she couldn’t hold on a second longer. I didn’t want her to.
“Liam!” she cried out. I knew the others were close enough to hear her, of course, but they kept their distance.
Molly carved her fingers through my hair, drawing me down on her even deeper. She spread open for me, each wave of her orgasm twitching against my tongue. I drank her all in. It was just the beginning. I wanted to do so much more. I wished we had all the time in the world. I would cherish her in ways she’d never dreamt before. But this would have to be enough.
As Molly crested down, I showed her mercy, releasing the suction. She let out a sigh and sank into me, boneless. I carried her down. Curving her body against mine, Molly let me hold her in my lap. I placed sweet kisses on each of her breasts.
“I love you too,” she said, her eyes wet with tears. “God help us both, Liam. I love you too.”
Sixteen
Liam
Later, we faced the others. My heart split watching Molly walk straight-backed into the rotunda. She held my hand tightly.
Jagger stood with his back to us in the corner of the cavern. Mac, Payne, and Gunnar sat on a ledge near him looking grim. Only Keara came to Molly. With sad eyes, she took Molly’s hands in hers and hugged her.
“What do we know?” I asked. I knew the others had things to say to me about Molly, but I was in no mood to hear them. Especially not with her standing right there.
“We’re not sure,” Mac said. “One of our contacts said a few of the Pack members went to the Langleys’ store the morning of the fire. He doesn’t know what was said. But Liam, they left. They didn’t try to take Brady with them.”
“Do you think Bernie did this himself?” Molly asked, horrified.
“No,” Jagger said, his voice snapping. “No. Bernie was a lot of things, but he never would have killed Brady. Himself, maybe. But he wouldn’t have done something that would have gotten Ellie or Brady hurt.
“Then we have to assume the worst,” I said. “Bernie and Ellie got made. This was our fault.”
“But why?” Molly said, tearing her hands from Keara and turning to face the others. “So fine, Bernie and Ellie I understand, horrifying as it is. The Chief Pack wanted to send a message. This is what happens to anyone who tries to resist. But why kill Brady too? Why wouldn’t they have just hauled him off to report like he was supposed to anyway?”
“Because they knew he was defective,” Keara said, choking back a sob. “Molly you saw him. His bones broke every day. This wasn’t retaliation. It was an extermination. And it means they’re getting bolder.”
“So now what?” Payne asked. He started to pace. His wolf eyes flashed.
“Now we fight just as hard,” Molly said.
“No! You’ve done enough.”
“No, she hasn’t!” Jagger shouted it. “We need Molly and that doctor now more than ever, and you know it. We need eyes and ears up there. You’ve brought her into this, Liam; it’s too late to back out now.”
“It’s okay,” Molly said. “I’ll be smart. No more drops. And Bess Kennedy knows something. She could have stopped me from bringing those meds to you today, but she didn’t. She helped us. She has connections in higher places than you’ve had access to before. I’ll be careful. I’ll lay low. But we carry on. I’m in this with you now, like it or not.”
Jagger turned on me. He couldn’t hide the hint of a smile. I wanted to rip his face off. “If I haven’t said it before,” his voice boomed across the cavern walls. “I like her, Liam.”
Seventeen
Molly
I went on autopilot for the next few days. Though it had been my choice, leaving Liam and the others behind felt like I’d ripped out a part of my soul and left it with them. But, I knew in my heart it was necessary. With everything that had happened at the Langleys’ store, being topside had become increasingly dangerous for them. Liam needed me to be his eyes and ears in Shadow Springs whether either of us liked it or not.
The clinic stayed busy, and I found myself avoiding Bess and sticking to conversations only related to office matters. To her credit, she did the same. Until the day she didn’t.
At the end of the day, the week after I last left Liam, Bess found me while I was finishing up charting for the day. She came into the office and quietly shut the door. Everyone else had left, so it
was just the two of us.
Bess stood with her back against the door. She chewed her bottom lip and made a few false starts with heavy breaths before she finally said what she’d come for. I stayed stone still, my pen poised above a pad of paper.
“Is it enough?” she said.
I waited a beat, then leaned back in the chair, tossing the pen to the desk. “Is what enough, Bess?”
With slow, halting steps, she came forward and eased herself into one of the chairs on the other side of the desk. It was a strange dynamic, me sitting behind her desk with her on the opposite side...as if I were the doctor and she was the patient.
She folded her hands and rested them on the desk. Leaning in, she spoke so quietly I had to strain to hear. It made my spine prickle. We were the only two people in the building. “For your friends,” she said. “Was the package you took them enough?”
I felt like I had quicksand under my feet. Alarm bells went off. She’d helped me. There was no doubt of it. But, could I trust her? I realized this had to have been the same sensation Keara must have had when Liam brought me to the caves for the first time.
I had a choice to make. In the span of a heartbeat, I made it. “No. Of course it isn’t enough. As long as things remain...how they are...it will never be enough, Bess.”
Her face fell. She slowly closed her eyes and sat back in her chair. When she opened them again, they were bloodshot with the first hint of fresh tears. “You don’t know how dangerous this is for me,” she said.
“I think I do. And I also think your conscience is telling you we have to find a way to do more.” I paused, took a steadying breath, then dove in with both feet.
