by Quinn Loftis
“How did it go with the Missouri Alpha?” he asked her in that calm way of his.
She shot him a glare.
“That good?”
“What do you know about The Order of the Burning Claw?” she asked, not acknowledging his question.
A low, deadly growl rose up from his chest when he took a step toward her. “At one time they were radical, dangerous, supernaturals who loathed humans. I thought they had dissolved.”
“You and me both. Who was the leader of it?”
Lucian shook his head. “No one ever knew.”
“I’m really getting sick of evil pricks being able to stay under the radar. It’s beginning to really grate on my nerves.”
Peri filled him in on everything she’d learned from Wadim and Tyler.
“Why not tell Vasile?” Lucian asked her.
“I need to know what we are up against before I alert the pack. If I tell him, someone else will find out. I swear Jen has an army of little house mice that gather intel for her,” Peri grumbled. “Then these wolves will find out that we are on to them. We might not hear from them again until something bad happens. I want to know who is behind all this. I need to know if the Order really is still active. Or maybe it’s been revived after all these years and these wolves are responsible. Regardless, I have to know. You know how much I hate being treated like a mushroom.”
“Treated like a mushroom?” Lucian cocked his head at his mate.
“Kept in the dark and fed bullshit,” she barked.
Her mate just shook his head. “Where are you headed now?”
“I suppose it’s time to pay a visit to the wayward wolves of Oceanside.”
“You just said you didn’t want them to know that we are on to them,” said Lucian.
“Exactly. I don’t want them to know that other wolves are on to them. I don’t want Vasile and his pack to go charging in all growly, bitey like,” she responded. “If that happens, then the rogue pack probably all ends up dead and we learn nothing. But if I go, then they know something bigger is at work. Perhaps, they think the high fae are investigating them. Then they get desperate, maybe make a mistake. I have resources that Vasile doesn’t have, resources that could help me catch these rebel wolves when they do slip up.”
“What resources?” he questioned.
“Pixies.” Peri grinned.
“That’s encouraging,” he said deadpan. “Perhaps, I should go with you on this one. I don’t want you around a bunch of rogue wolves. Even the great Peri needs backup and who better than her mate.”
“No way, Jose. No growly, bitey, remember? We’ve gone over this, Lucian. It won’t come to fighting, and, even if it did, these reprobates wouldn’t stand a chance against me.”
Lucian walked up to her and placed a hand on her cheek tilting her face up to look at him. “Be careful, please.”
“I’m always careful,” she scoffed.
“No you’re not,” he challenged. “You’re impulsive, hot tempered and—”
Peri cut him off. “The next words out of your mouth better be sexy as hell or so help me, Lucian—”
He interrupted her rant with his lips pressed firmly to hers. Peri groaned as she submitted to him and leaned closer to his strong body. It felt like it had been forever since he’d held her in his arms.
When he finally pulled back, he held her face in both of his hands. He was gentle, as though she was made of glass. “You are amazing. I don’t want anything to happen to you. I don’t want you in danger. Please be careful. I love you.”
Well, how can a girl not oblige when he talks like that?
“I love you,” she reciprocated. “I will be as careful as the task allows.”
“That will have to be good enough,” Lucian murmured against her lips as he pressed them once more to hers.
“Come back to me soon. I have need of you.”
Peri loved how honest and open he was with her. Lucian didn’t waffle about, he simply told her how he felt and what he needed. There was no guessing game, no wondering, and it was refreshing.
“Then you shall have me as soon as I’m able.” With one last kiss she flashed, leaving her mate and the shelter of his arms. Sometimes being powerful sucked.
Chapter 13
“I didn’t think that I had a future. I had accepted that my fate was set. One day, I was certain, I would die at the teeth of my captors. But out of the darkness, you charged in—a mighty wolf, rescuing me from evil. I was destined to be yours. And in the short time I’ve known you, I’ve come to want to be yours. There are so many unknowns, yet I feel that as long as you are by my side, I can stand before anything life has to throw at me and not fall.” ~Bethany
Bethany wiped the sleep from her eyes as she focused on the closed door. She’d locked herself in the bedroom, unwilling to face Drake once he returned. She was still angry and she was still reeling from all the information Jen and Jacque had shared with her. She didn’t know how she could look at Drake without blushing from head to toe.
Bethany vaguely remembered hearing the door to the suite open and close last night, but she didn’t know if Drake had attempted to get into the room with her. She wondered if he was angry with her, if he’d come looking for her after she’d stormed from the suite? A tiny part of her felt bad for leaving him the way she did, but the rest of her felt justified. He’d been acting like an ass hat—that had been Jen’s description. Bethany had said that he’d only been being a jerk, but Jen said male wolves were never something as minor as a jerk. She said they are always at least an ass hat—that was the lowest level of jerkiness they were capable of. It only got worse from there, unfortunately. Then she’d said a whole bunch of other descriptive words that Bethany decided she’d save for only the most severe of situations.
She climbed out of bed, realizing that she didn’t want to be braless and in her pajamas when she faced Drake, so she gathered up some clothes and headed into the bathroom.
Just as she was combing out her freshly blow-dried hair, Bethany heard a knock on the bedroom door.
“Bethany?” Drake’s deep voice rumbled through the door. Hearing it caused chills to race up and down her body. “I know you’re still angry, but I need to see you. I need to see that you are…okay.” He paused and then growled. “Please.”
Letting out a resigned sigh, she walked over to the door. “I’m going to open the door, Drake. No touching.”
He growled at her and she couldn’t help the smile. He was like a kid who’d had his toy taken away.
Bethany unlocked the door and then pulled it open. Drake stood only a foot away, looking as though he hadn’t slept at all. His eyes took in every inch of her greedily, and Bethany had to force herself not to fidget under his scrutiny. When his eyes finally met hers, she saw that they were glowing.
“Are you alright?” he asked her, his voice guttural and dark.
“I think the better question is, are you alright?” she asked.
His eyes narrowed. “No, I am not alright.”
Okay, so he wasn’t going to beat around the bush. Fine. She could be just as blunt as he was.
“Who’s fault is that?” she asked as she folded her arms in front of her and leaned her hip against the door jam.
He dropped his head and his shoulders seemed to sag as though the weight of the world had been laid upon them. “Will you just let me hold you? Please.”
Bethany fought the urge to scream Yes! at him and throw her arms around him. She was going to have more dignity than that. She also wasn’t going to admit that it was taking something akin to a miracle to keep herself on the opposite side of the doorway. As soon as she’d opened the door and laid eyes on him, she realized just how much she missed him. She didn’t like being away from him, not even for one night. She hated that she’d gone to bed alone, without anyone to tell her goodnight, like she’d done so many times during her captivity. She hated that the sound of soft breaths coming from the other room hadn’t been the sound th
at helped her drift safely off to sleep.
“Dammit, female! I can feel your need as strongly as my own. You can’t keep something like that from seeping through the bond. And my wolf can smell it on you—your desire, anguish, regret, and fear. Why do you continue this nonsense? Why are you torturing us both?” He was on one knee now. His forearm across his thigh as he leaned forward, resting his other hand on the ground to support himself.
“Nonsense?” she asked slowly. “You think how I feel about something is nonsense?”
“That’s not what I said, Bethany. Don’t twist my words.”
Bethany clenched her hands into fists at her sides and snarled as she stomped her right foot. “It is not nonsense, Drake. You hurt me. You refused to listen to me. You yelled at me and threw a lamp.”
“I didn’t throw it at you,” he grumbled.
“I didn’t say you did. But throwing objects is not something that will be a part of our fights.”
“Well if that’s the case, then our Alpha female didn’t rub off on you too much,” he said as he raised his head and looked up at her.
“Jen didn’t live in violence for eleven years,” she answered coolly. “She hasn’t been bitten almost daily, struck repeatedly, and thrown about like an old ragdoll. If you feel like you are getting angry enough to throw things, then I need you to walk away for a while.”
“Bethany, you threatened to seek out another male.” Drake surged to his feet, energy suddenly infusing him.
She nodded. “You’re right, I did, and I’m sorry. I didn’t realize the effect those words would have.”
He stared at her open mouthed. He hadn’t been expecting the apology.
“It seems we have some things we need to talk about.” Bethany walked past him, and from the corner of her eye she saw his face cringe as though he was in pain. She must have gotten too close. She went straight for the kitchen, her stomach growling. She’d had nothing but hot chocolate the night before. Drake’s eyes were on her the entire length of the suite and he stalked her like the predator he was.
“Are you hungry?” she asked him over her shoulder as she reached for two glasses from the cabinet. She heard a grunt and took that as an affirmative. Bethany didn’t know how to cook. Her meals, if you could call them that, had been provided by the monsters. She could only recall being able to make one thing before she’d been captured—peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. So she went to work searching out a butter knife and bread before hunting the peanut butter (crunchy) and the jelly.
Thankful she’d found everything she needed, Bethany made them both a sandwich and poured them each a glass of milk. When she turned to take Drake his plate, she had to take a step backward to keep from bumping into him.
“Here,” she said, thrusting the plate at him and the glass. He’d rattled her, though she didn’t think that was his intention. As Drake took the offered breakfast, Bethany paused long enough to look at Drake’s face. She saw then that Drake, the man, was not the one in control. His wolf had taken over.
Calmly, she turned and grabbed her own plate and drink from the counter. She walked over to the breakfast table and eased into a chair. Instead of sitting across from her, Drake took the seat right beside her. He was careful not to touch her, but he got as close to her as the magic would allow.
“So do you talk when your wolf is in control?” she asked before taking a bite of the sandwich.
“Mine,” Drake growled as he continued to stare at her.
“Okay,” Bethany said as she watched Drake sniff his sandwich. “One syllable words will have to do.”
“Touch,” Drake huffed as he reached his hand out to her but quickly pulled it back before reaching her arm. He snarled but she knew it wasn’t at her. He was snarling at the magic that kept him from her.
When his glowing eyes rose to hers once more, Bethany’s heart nearly stopped at the emotion that poured out of those eyes.
“Hurt,” he grumbled at her.
“I’m not trying to hurt you,” she practically whispered. “I need your touch too. I need—” she breathed out as she attempted to get control of her emotions. “I need you to believe me when I say that I know what I want and what I need. I may have gone into that coven as a little girl but I emerged as a grown woman.”
“Touch,” his wolf growled again.
Bethany looked away as the tears filled her eyes. She hated that she was so emotional over this. She didn’t even understand it; she just knew that she needed Drake’s touch like she needed water to quench her thirst.
“Mine! Touch!” The wolf nearly howled making Bethany jump in her seat.
Her eyes snapped back to him and she watched as his breathing increased and his nostrils flared. He was holding on by a thread. And so was she.
Bethany nodded. “Okay, okay.” Her voice was weary, as if the previous night’s sleep had done nothing to restore her energy. “You can touch me,” she said quietly.
Drake’s wolf rumbled his approval but he didn’t move. Bethany looked at him, her brow raised, but he just stared back. She opened up the bond and immediately felt him flood her mind. She couldn’t just tell him he was allowed to touch her, she had to want the touch as well. Pack magic was apparently very specific.
“I want you to touch me, Drake,” she said clearly as she held his gaze. A single tear fell as she added, “Please.”
Between that breath and the next she was in his arms. Drake had picked her up faster than she could have believed possible and was cradling her to his chest. His face was buried in her neck and she felt his tongue ghost across the bite mark he’d left on her neck that first night she’d ‘met’ him. She trembled in his arms as the act caused all sorts of reactions inside of her.
“Mine, mine, mine,” she heard his wolf growling over and over and then he said something that made her laugh. “Stupid human,” the wolf snarled and through the bond Bethany could read that the wolf was calling Drake stupid, not her. As his wolf pushed information into her mind, she saw that the wolf didn’t think like the man. He wanted to claim Bethany in every way possible as soon as possible. That was what it meant to be true mates—to be one. The wolf didn’t see all the complications that humans added to the equation. All he knew was that his human half was pushing their mate away and it was pissing the wolf off.
One minute she was in his arms, and the next she was on her back on the couch, and Drake was kneeling beside her. He wasn’t looking at her face. His eyes were glued to the markings that showed beneath the shorts she was wearing. Drake lifted her calf until it was bent at the knee with her foot resting on the couch. He slowly pushed the hem of her shorts up until all of the mark was bare to his eyes. Bethany felt electricity running through her body and her blood felt as though it was heating up inside of her veins as Drake ran a finger over the dark design. His eyes still glowed with the wolf as he leaned closer to her. Just as he had done the first time he’d seen it, he pressed his lips to the flesh that bore the mark. When he was done, he rose up and covered her body with his own. He held himself up so that he wasn’t crushing her beneath his much larger frame. He shifted them so that she was laying on the inside of the couch and he on the outer. One of his arms was beneath her head, while the other reached across her and grabbed her hip, pulling on her to angle her body more toward him. Then his hand moved down her hip and on down her thigh until he reached the back of her knee. Drake grasped it and pulled it up so that her leg was wrapped around him.
Bethany found herself relaxing in his arms and enjoying the eager attention. His warm breath on her skin gave her goosebumps and his hand roaming over her body caused the emittance of more than a few gasps.
“I’m sorry,” she heard several minutes later. “I’m sorry I hurt you,” Drake told her as he pressed a kiss to her forehead, cheek, and neck. Apparently the wolf had allowed the man to take back over control.
“I hurt you too,” Bethany admitted as she trailed her fingers across his corded neck and down his shoulder.
“I should have listened to you instead of making my own choices for you. I’m just so scared of screwing this up, Bethany. I don’t want to lose you before we’ve even really started.”
She pulled back so that she could look at him. “Are you going anywhere?”
He frowned at her. “No.”
“Good, because neither am I,” she breathed out before pressing her lips firmly to his. Drake caught on to her intentions quickly and his lips and tongue moved just as eagerly as hers. He pulled her tightly against his body, molding her from head to foot. Bethany wrapped her arms around his neck pulling herself closer, needing to be as close to him as possible.
“Mate, mine,” she heard Drake’s wolf through the bond.
“Yes, I’m yours.”
“You’re ours,” Drake added.
Bethany lost track of time as Drake showered her with his attention. Each kiss and touch was like a balm to the wounds their fight had caused.
“You’re beautiful,” he murmured against her collarbone as his lips traced it and then traced the v-neckline of her shirt. Bethany’s head tilted back and her eyes fluttered closed.
“You’re precious,” he continued as his mouth continued its exploration. “You’re lovely beyond words,” Drake whispered against her neck. Her breathing was a tad erratic as she listened to his deep voice purr at her. “You’re mine. I need you. I want you. I thirst for you like a parched desert that hasn’t seen rain in centuries.”
Bethany felt more tears well up in her eyes and her breath caught as emotion filled every empty place in her. It wasn’t only her emotion she was feeling, but Drake’s as well. Through the mate bond, their feelings and passions entwined, morphing into one. She wasn’t sure which were hers and which were Drake’s.
His fingers danced across her skin as he played her like a piano and her body sang for him. Bethany loved seeing the passion that filled his eyes as he pulled back and looked down at her, taking one of her hands and lifting it to his lips. He kissed each fingertip, her palm, and wrist, holding her gaze the entire time. He ran his nose up her arm to the bend where he inhaled deeply. When Drake’s tongue darted out to taste her, Bethany sucked in a quick breath. He was assaulting all of her senses, overwhelming her with his presence.
