by Kimber White
Willow
I should have been scared. Terrified. Instead, it was as if all the jagged pieces of my life lined up and fit together.
Val was a wolf.
He came slowly toward me, dipping his head. I reached for him.
“There you are,” I whispered. “You’ve been there all along, haven’t you?”
He let out a keening wail, sidestepping.
I came closer. I sank my fingers into the soft fur between his ears. I ran my hand along his flank, feeling the powerful, corded muscles beneath.
His fur was a million colors. Silver, black, gray, even shades of brown. His tail twitched. He stomped the ground. His paws were massive. Even partially retracted, I could see the deadly curve to his claws.
Claw marks. I closed my eyes and imagined paws like these ripping across Val’s back.
Val nuzzled my hand. I felt the sleek power of his back. And somehow, I still felt the man inside of him.
You’re safe with me, Willow. You know I would never hurt you. I would die before I let anyone touch you without your consent again.
“I know,” I said. I knelt down, cupping Val’s snout in my hands. He licked his lips. He bared his fangs. I don’t know what possessed me to do it, but I touched one. It was smooth as ivory, coming to a lethal point. He could rip a man to shreds in an instant. A shudder went through me. I knew I was safe with him, but another, horrifying truth slammed home.
Val swung his head, gesturing toward the bed.
You should sit. We have a lot to talk about.
I did as he commanded. Val went to the end of the bed. He squared off, facing me. Those brilliant, sapphire eyes of his flashed. Oh, God. I had been looking right at the truth this whole time. I’d seen his wolf eyes before. They glinted like that when his emotions ran high. When he was angry. When he was protective. When his desire rose.
He took a step back. That same whiff of magic filled the air, taking my breath away.
He bowed down. His neck grew long, straining. Then, one by one, his limbs grew. Bone and muscle snapped. In one, great, glorious breath, the wolf was gone and the man stood before me.
He was no less magnificent this way. So much beauty and power. Every muscle like chiseled granite. Strong, toned quads. Rippling abs.
He was naked. Lust coursed through me. He wanted me. And I wanted him.
I could hardly think straight. I wanted to run my fingers along his body like I’d done with the wolf. Strong, protective arms. He had carried me as if I weighed nothing. He had sliced through the water with the speed of a jet boat as I held on to his shoulder.
“Um,” I said, my throat dry. “There’s another robe in the bathroom.”
Smiling, Val crossed the room and got it.
I sat with my hands folded as Val came out. He sat on the bed beside me.
“Are you scared?” he asked.
I shook my head. “I should be. But I’m not. Not of you.”
“Good,” he answered.
“Jason,” I said, turning to him. “He’s also a wolf. I saw it. I mean, I didn’t really know what I was seeing. But, his face changed. I think he was trying to keep himself from...shifting.”
“Probably,” Val said. “He wants you.”
My hand went to the back of my neck. “He tried to bite me.”
“No. He threatened to bite you. He would not need to try.”
I nodded. “I wanted it.”
Val’s jaw clenched.
“No,” I said. “I mean I didn’t want him to bite me there. But...I craved it.”
“It’s an Alpha’s mark,” he said. “When an Alpha wolf claims a mate, he bites her there. It seals a connection between them. He can sense her wherever she is. Becomes a part of her. And it goes the other way around too. The bond grows stronger with every bite.”
My chest felt tight. “He wants to control me. That’s what it means.”
“No!” he said. Val took my hands in his. His skin was so hot. Electricity sparked between us.
“No,” he said more softly. “Not control. That’s not how it’s supposed to be, Willow. A wolf’s mate is supposed to choose for herself. It should never be done without consent.”
“Except that’s what Jason wants. You’re not saying all of it, Val. You’re trying to protect me. But, I know. I don’t know how, but I think I’ve always known. If Jason had marked me...like you say...I would have been bound to him. He’d make me want him even though I don’t belong to him.”
Val’s voice turned low, more growl than human. “I will never let that happen. He’ll have to kill me to get to you.”
“But he’s not alone. There are others. His men. They’re wolves too. I heard them. I saw them. They’re the ones who tortured you. You can’t fight them all.”
“You’re never going back to that place. They’ll never find you now. I told you Soren isn’t the only one with powerful friends. He has a pack, yes. I don’t. But I can protect you now that we’re away from his territory.”
“Those chains,” I said.
“Dragonsteel,” he answered. “They...they hold magic.”
“You couldn’t shift. You couldn’t fight them off.”
“And you set me free. It’s over, Willow.”
I leaped up from the bed. My heart raced. I wanted to run. I wanted to tear my hair out.
“I don’t...God. Did my father know this the whole time?”
“I don’t know.”
“He was...Val, I overheard Jason a few days ago. A few of his...his pack were with him. The day I saw him with that key. It sounded like there was someone else he was working for. Someone else he answers to. He said...God, I wish I could remember it all. He said something about answering to the ring. I took it literally. He kept twirling that key ring and those...his wolves were staring at it. I thought he was hypnotizing them with it, as stupid as that sounds.”
Val rose and stood beside me. He was calm. His eyes flashed as he took my hands.
“It’s important,” he said. “I don’t know what it means. But, I need to run it by Payne, my boss. Soren is up to something that I think might be a serious threat to other shifters. That stall in the barn where they chained me? It’s been there a while. The barn was built around it. I don’t like that he had access to dragonsteel. We need to try and figure out why.”
“Don’t,” I said. “Please don’t tell Payne. He’s on Jason’s payroll too. I’m afraid of him. It’s not over, Val. I saw Jason’s eyes. He thinks I belong to him.”
Val bared his teeth. I couldn’t read his mind, but I could see his thoughts written plainly on his face. No. They were my thoughts too.
I didn’t belong to Jason Soren. I belonged to Val.
I slipped my hands from his. My head spun.
“Willow,” he said. “I meant what I said. I will not let that man come near you again. I need to keep you out of sight for now.”
“No,” I whispered. “You know what’s going on, you’re just not saying it.”
“Willow, I have kept things from you. I won’t deny that. But, everything I have told you is the truth.”
“He let us go!” I blurted. It was as if Val turned to stone.
The moment I said it, it made as much sense as everything else.
“He did,” I said. “How many men are in Jason’s pack? Ten? Twenty? That place was crawling with them. I didn’t understand what it was, but now I do. I could feel them. They were angry with him that he sent you to bring me to him. That’s the other thing he said. I told you. He said he answers to the ring. Or maybe, the Ring. And whoever or whatever that is, they’re the ones who wanted to involve your firm in all of this. He said you were just as important to him as I am.”
Val ran a hand down his face. “That’s good. Anything you can remember will help. And we will figure this out. I can promise you that.”
“You haven’t denied what I said, Val. Admit it. Jason totally just let us go. Why?”
He let out a sigh. Val sank to the bed
again. When he finally looked up, his expression had turned grave.
“I don’t know. That’s the truth.”
I sat beside him. Val took my hand.
“Willow,” he said. “It’s going to be okay. Somehow. You are not going back to that man. No matter what. For now, just trust me. You should rest.”
“Please don’t patronize me, Val.”
“I’m not. I swear. But, you’re exhausted. We’ll both think better after some rest.”
I wanted to argue with him, but he was right. I was bone-tired. It hurt to think. And yet, it was so hard to let go.
“I’m not going anywhere,” Val said, answering a question I hadn’t even yet asked.
“You promise?”
His sad smile melted my heart. “On my life.”
I touched his face. He turned and kissed my palm, sending a shiver of pleasure through me. I had so many more questions. No. That wasn’t it. I had the answers. I just couldn’t bring myself to say them just yet.
Chapter Nineteen
Val
“You need to let me call Payne.”
I stood with my back to the kid at the front desk, my head buried in the booth of an honest to God pay phone. It was safer this way.
“Leo,” I said. “This is how it’s got to be for now.”
“At least tell me where you are,” he said.
“Look, you and the family are the only ones I trust right now. Soren’s connections are deep. Payne’s the one who sent me on this job.”
“Payne is loyal to us, not Soren. There’s no way Wolfguard would be in bed with a guy like that based on what you’ve said.”
“And you’ve kept most of what I said to yourself.” It was a statement and a question.
“Of course,” Leo answered, irritated. “I’m just concerned about your judgment, Val. You were chained up in dragonsteel for how long?”
“Leo, it’s complicated. This girl...Willow...she’s special. She matters. I am not willing to take the chance that Wolfguard can’t protect her like I can.”
“Payne’s one of the good guys, Val.”
“I know. At least, I think so too. But until I know a little more, I want to do this my way.”
Leo swore on the other end of the phone. I knew I’d be asking the same questions if this conversation were happening the other way around. But, Willow’s safety was too damn important. I trusted myself. I trusted my family.
“At least let me call Uncle Andre,” Leo said. “You need backup.”
“My brother can’t do much for me in Moscow. The minute he starts making waves down here, I have a hunch Soren will figure it out. I’m in the middle of nowhere. He’s never going to find her. I just need you to do what you promised. Get in touch with Payne. Arrange a meeting. Two days. Then get your ass down here or send Milo or Erik or Edward if you can’t.”
“I don’t like it,” he said.
“I know.”
Leo knew it was no use arguing with me. I would meet with Payne in person, far away from Willow, while one of my nephews watched over her. On the off chance Payne or Wolfguard itself had been compromised, it was the best way to keep her safe.
“Just check in,” Leo said. “I want to hear from you every couple of hours.”
“I’ll try.” Then, I hung up the phone.
It was well past midnight. After a vending machine dinner, Willow had finally fallen asleep.
I made my way back to the room. A full moon rose high. I scanned the gas station parking lot across the street. There were two minivans filling up and a handful of drunks inside the convenience store. I overheard the desk clerk say the motel was vacant except for three rooms, mine and two on the other end of the building.
I grabbed another cup of complimentary, shitty coffee and went back to Willow.
She stirred a little, rolling to her side as I closed the door. She slept curled in on herself, her lips in a pout. Her hair fanned out behind her.
Leo had wired me some cash. I bought some essentials at the truck stop. Willow sported an oversized, “Virginia is for Lovers” t-shirt.
I sat on the chair next to the bed and watched her. The steady rise and fall of her chest calmed me. Her brow furrowed. She was dreaming.
Her lips parted and her tongue darted out. I set my coffee down. Her hair had fallen over her eye. I reached for her and gently smoothed it back.
She was so beautiful. Strong. Scared, but brave. Even when she couldn’t possibly know the danger she’d been in, she went up against Soren and stole the key to free me.
I clenched my jaw, imagining how close she had come to being marked by him.
Willow rolled to her back. Her t-shirt rode up and the sheet had fallen away, exposing her cotton panties and her bare stomach.
I tried to tear my eyes away. I wanted to lick my way down the flat planes of her stomach, around her perfect belly button. I wanted to give her pleasure like she’d never known.
My wolf stirred. I tried to focus on baseball. Harsh Siberian winters. Anything.
I picked up the empty Styrofoam coffee cup and crushed.
Willow moaned. Her hips moved. Her skin flushed. She fisted the sheet, still caught in her dream. She began to gyrate.
Fuck.
It was a sex dream. I rose from my chair and staggered toward the window.
“Val!” she cried out. I froze.
Was she dreaming about me? I wasn’t sure I could stay in the same room with her a second longer. Her scent changed as her arousal grew. Oh, God. It lured me. Intoxicated me. I gripped the door handle.
“Val,” she said again, breathless.
Straightening my back, I turned to her. Her hair wild, Willow sat upright in bed, clutching the sheet around her.
“You’re safe,” I said. “It was just a dream.”
She nodded, licked her lips. Her legs were unsteady as she rose from the bed and came to me.
She was still aroused. She tried to force a smile. The woman had no idea how her scent acted on me. I could feel the heat between her legs.
“You left,” she said. “I woke up a little while ago and you weren’t here.”
“Just making a phone call from the lobby,” I said. “I didn’t go far.”
She tilted her head. “I know. I mean...I don’t know how I knew, but I did. I could kind of, I don’t know, sense you.”
She put a hand on my arm. It was kinetic energy between us. She was still so hot. Her desire thrummed through her, intensifying the pulse between her legs.
It was everything. It was too much. Her lust stirred mine. I grew hard in an instant.
“Willow,” I said, my voice choked. “I need to get some air.”
“Don’t,” she said, gasping. She put her other hand on me, turning me away from the window.
It was lightning. Fire. The most intense heat and urge I’d ever felt. This could end only one of three ways. Either I put some distance between us and got a hold of myself. Or I would shift right there. Or…
“I know what I am,” she whispered. “I dreamt it.”
“Willow, you can’t possibly…”
“I do,” she said. “I’ve known it from the minute I met you. I think before, even.”
“Willow…”
“I trust you,” she said. “And I want…”
“Willow…”
I was losing control. Her touch. Her breath. Her heady scent as lust burned through her. It burned through me.
“Listen to me,” she said. “I know what I want. And I want you. Right here. Right now.”
She took a step back. My heart burned for her. I stood rigid. Ready. I couldn’t breathe.
Willow lifted her t-shirt, pulled it over her head, and threw it in the corner of the room. She stood before me in nothing but those white, cotton panties. Goosebumps covered her flesh. Her breasts were round, soft, supple. Her wine-colored nipples darkened with her arousal.
“Val,” she said, coming back to me. She put a hand on my chest, right over my hear
t. When she felt it, she let out a little gasp. She knew. She felt what I did. My heart pounded in perfect synchrony with her own. We were two halves of one whole. Or...we could be if she was willing to give in to it. “I was...we were made for this...weren’t we?” she asked.
God. She knew all along. I spent so much time trying to figure out how to explain to her what I was. What we were. It was a waste of time. She knew. She was born knowing.
“What Jason tried to do to you,” I started, then hated myself for bringing that monster’s name into this moment.
“You’re not Jason,” she said. “You’re...mine.”’
“Yes.”
“So take me. I want you to. I need you to.”
“Willow, you don’t understand what you’re asking of me.”
“I’m not asking you. I’m telling you. This is what I want. Don’t you get it? I’ve spent my whole life trying to be what other people thought I should be. I’ve tried to mold myself into what my father wanted. I’ve tried to pretend who my father really was didn’t matter. And even Jason. At first, he was a way for me to escape. Then, he was a way for me to help my family. He was never for me. It was never about me. But this, this is. This is everything. You’re everything. And I think...I think I love you.”
I knew I loved her.
“Please,” she said. She hooked her thumbs under the waistband of her panties and cast those aside too.
She was naked, gorgeous, and offering herself to me.
I touched her. Her whole body quivered with pleasure as I gently rolled her nipple with my thumb.
“I want to taste you,” I said.
“Then do it. Please, Val. Do it all.”
Her hands were on my fly. I cupped her head with my hand and brought my lips down to hers.
She tasted like heaven as her lips parted. I teased her with my tongue, loving the way she groaned in my mouth.
Sugar. Cinnamon. Honey. She was every sweet flavor and others I couldn’t name. She was Willow. She was mine.
I sprung free in her gentle hands. It was my turn to groan as she stroked me. I wanted that. I wanted her mouth. I wanted her sweet pussy. I wanted it all.
