I can feel the very walls of my skin vibrate in anger as we stare at one another. I know what Cortez has just threatened, but it's just that, a threat. He wouldn’t dare carry that out within our walls. He’s just pushing me in the hopes I’ll hit him, then all bets are off. I watch Drake throw me a smile as he leaves the room. Leaving me more determined than ever to concoct a plan that will help Drake meet an early demise. Before I really do something stupid, like follow his ass, and snap his neck.
“Where were you tonight?” I ask Alpha Cortez suspiciously. “It’s pretty convenient that you were missing the same night the hunter's attack, wouldn’t you say.”
“I’d be damn careful what you're implying. You don’t want to go against me,” he threatens.
“I'm not implying anything. I think it’s a valid question. Where were you?”
“Ridgeway business. Anything else?”
“Lautner,” Mick warns with a low growl, telling me to back off. He’s right. I can’t accuse him of anything, not yet. I need to wait for Thane to get back to me with the results of the pills, but I wanted nothing more than to take this man down before me. I just needed something useful.
“I’m good,” I reply, returning my gaze back to Mick.
“So, what happened at the bunker?” Mick asks, changing the subject.
“One human hunter and Brady Henshaw,” Seth answers.
“Shit, that kid that tried to join our pack?”
I nod. “He’s dead now.”
“I put the human in the pit for tonight,” Seth explains.
“Good. He isn’t going anywhere tonight. We can leave his ass till tomorrow. We’ve got five dead hunters here, all human. We can't underestimate them again. They attacked our home, and that takes balls. I don’t think they will come back tonight, but I'm not taking any chances. I’ve got Daniel upping our security as we speak. We will work in shifts tonight to tidy this place up. Lautner, go meet Ryan in my office. He will check over your arm.” He nods over to me.
“I’m fine,” I lie.
“I'm not asking. It's an order!”
“Your orders don’t work on me,” I remind him.
“Just do as I say.”
I nod, picking up the bottle of water from the table and taking it with me.
Ryan is already waiting with his medical kit when I get there.
“What happened?” he tips his head in the direction of the chair, waiting for me to sit down.
“Just a scratch. Brady caught me at the bunker, and then I caught it again when fighting Lester.” Ryan doesn’t reply as he inspects the damage.
“They got you pretty good. It's deep, but it looks like it's already starting to heal since you shifted tonight. You’ll live to cause us trouble another day,” he replies flippantly, applying some ointment and bandages.
I don’t bother replying to his sarcasm as Mick enters the office.
“You alright?”
“I’ll be fine by tomorrow.”
He nods. “Ryan, I need you and Drake to dispose of the bodies. I want them off the property tonight,” Mick commands.
“We’ll head out now,” Ryan says, leaving the room.
“Lautner, tomorrow, I want you to interrogate the hunter and find out everything they know. Until then, go get some rest. We’ve got a busy day tomorrow.”
Chapter 30
Lautner
I draw closer to my room, catching the scent of Dani in the air. The sweetest scent of vanilla coming from the direction of my room. I growl deep, thanking whoever is on my side that I didn’t have to go and find her. I hadn’t wanted to risk going up to her room. If her father or Drake caught us, there’s no telling what I would do. Tonight, I’m more wolf than man. That’s what the mating heat did. It invoked the predator, and Dani, she is my prey.
I open the door, my eyes instantly finding hers where she sits huddled on the floor. Her cheeks are still wet, but she has a fierce look on her face as if her anger is driving her and not her tears. She quickly springs to her feet, her eyes searching behind me.
“Where is she?” she demands, crossing her arms across her chest and holding my stare. I see the slightest falter in her stance as if she sees the monster within, but she bravely stands her ground.
“Who?” I reply, pretending I have no idea that she is talking about Alianna. If this is ever going to work, I needed her riled up. I would invoke any emotion I can get from her, including her jealousy.
“You know exactly who I'm talking about,” she seethes, “Alianna.”
“Why. Did you come in here to watch?” I say, stalking towards her. Her face tightens, and I watch as her anger takes hold.
“Fuck you, Lautner,” she seethes, but it only turns me on. Her anger that is. I know exactly how she feels. I’d never known jealousy before now until meeting her. I wanted to kill Drake any time he put his hands anywhere near her.
“Don’t touch me,” she says as I get closer. She backs up before finally hitting the wall. “What are you doing?” she asks, biting her bottom lip nervously as I come to a stop before her.
I bend down, inhaling at her throat as I cup her cheek with my warm palm, holding her still. “Admit you’re jealous.”
“No,” she says, holding her ground as I chuckle at her reply.
“So, you’re telling me that if I left here right now and went to Alianna’s room, you wouldn’t care?” I ask, placing a delicate kiss at her throat.
“Lautner,” she threatens in frustration.
“If I went to her … and did everything I did to you last night. My hands touching her breasts. My mouth between her legs, tasting …”
She growls as she tries to push me away, but I hold her still.
“Admit it,” I say once more.
“Fine. I'm jealous.” Her hands grip the taut muscles of my arms until I feel the stinging bite of her nails on my biceps.
“Well, show me what you’re going to do about it,” I goad, pushing against her and letting her feel just how hard I am.
Her lips attack mine in possession as I wrap my arms around her. There's nothing nice about her kiss. It's angry and hard, a claiming, and I’d never felt so alive as I did at that moment. I’d always been a man hidden in secrets and shadows, but there would be no more hiding. I’m about to unleash the full force of my wolf upon her, demanding she answer our call and accept us. “You’ve got five minutes,” I whisper, tearing my mouth from hers, feeling her shiver against me. “Ask me anything you want because when those five minutes are up, the only sound coming from your lips will be my name as you release.” I watch her cheeks flush at my words, and damn if it doesn’t look good on her. I bend down, running my tongue over the pulse at her throat as I feel her swallow nervously. “If you don’t start talking, I’m starting in anyways,” I say as my hands grip her hips tighter.
“Why?” she replies huskily. “Why now?”
“Because I’m selfish, Dani. All I’ve wanted since meeting you is to bury myself deep inside you, and I know you want it too. You need me.”
She pulls back as if needing some space, but I can't let that happen. I need her to stay in the moment. Lost in the sensation of our bodies. My hands reach for the hem of my hoodie that she is wearing, and I can't help but love seeing her in it. I have no idea how she’d gotten it, and I didn’t care. From now on, it's all I want to see her in. There’s something about seeing this female in my clothes that just makes me feel damn proud. I know that any man that dares to go near her will catch my scent and the promise of pain if they touched her. I slip it over her head, watching her body tremble under my gaze, her nipples hardening, begging for the warmth of my mouth. I bend my head down, refusing to keep her waiting. My unbandaged hand, sliding down, unbuttoning her jeans until I'm sliding my fingers exactly where I want them to be. She’s already soaked for me, and I had barely even touched her. I run my finger over her clit, catching her throaty moans with my mouth. I could spend hours just pleasuring her. Working her body into a frenzy,
as she loses herself to me completely.
“Say the words, Dani,” I growl as I feel my control slipping. I at least wanted to take her virginity with her permission. I had nearly lost control last night, and tonight I wouldn’t stop it. Tonight I would lose myself in the feel of her body wrapped around mine as I force her wolf to claim me.
“I want you,” she moans, rubbing against the contact of my fingers, begging me for more.
“Want me to what?” I urge, fighting against the power threatening to spill out and consume her.
“To be my first,” she moans. It's all I need to hear. I take her hand, entwining our fingers as I lead her over to the bed. Her blue eyes watch me intently as I kneel down in front of her. I slowly peel her jeans and panties down her legs, discarding them on the floor. Completely naked now, I run my hands up her lush body, feeling her tremble. Back on my feet, I tower over her as she backs up. The backs of her legs hit the bed as she goes down. I lie beside her, my hand going back to the sweet spot between her legs as she opens her thighs wider, inviting me. I work her over with my fingers, loosening her up as she bucks beneath me. As soon as she comes, I bring my fingers to my mouth, sucking at the sweet nectar. I stand up, removing my joggers, never taking my eyes from Dani. I watch her eyes widen as she sees me naked and hard before her.
“If you want me to stop, do it now, because I'm fighting to keep control.” My words are strained as she looks at me, biting her lip.
“Do it,” she whispers.
I lower myself over her body, guiding my cock to her opening. I slowly enter her, taking my time for her to get used to the intrusion. She's tight, and I'm a big guy as I try to keep it slow.
“Just breathe, Dani.” I push against her barrier feeling it give way under the pressure of my cock until I'm fully sheathed in her heat. She pants wildly beneath me, and it takes everything in me to hold still until she adjusts to the feeling of me filling her up.
“The worst's over, mate,” I say, surprised at how easy the words fall from my lips. As if sensing the change, she opens her eyes. I watch her as I start to move, taking it slow, until I finally see her pain turn to pleasure. She brings her legs up, wrapping them around my waist, taking me deeper, as she moans against the new sensations taking over her.
“Lautner,” she whimpers, gripping my arms tightly.
“Watch me, Dani,” I growl. As our eyes connect, I let go. Lowering my barrier and letting my power rush over her just as her first release leaves her shaking beneath me.
“What the …” I can feel her start to panic as she writhes beneath me. Taking her hands, I pin them above her head.
“Dani, I need you to trust me,” I growl as she fights against the power of my wolf.
“No. Stop. What are you doing to me?” she cries out. I watch the sweat break out over her skin, and I know she's feeling the blistering heat of lava in her veins. “Don’t fight it,” I say as calmly as I can, but the truth is, I can't hold back much longer. Her eyes meet mine, and I hate the look of fear on her face. It's not of me, but the unfamiliar power within her.
“Trust me,” I say once again. This time she nods. Keeping her eyes fixated firmly on mine.
I growl long and deep. I can feel it vibrating through my body as I lower my head down to her throat, biting down. Her wolf writhes within her as Dani cries out. Her wolf is strong as she plays me. Teasing me. Testing me. Fighting against my invasion. Making sure I'm worthy enough to claim. As Dani quietens beneath me, so does her wolf. I let go of her hands, slowly releasing my bite, making sure I hadn’t broken the skin. Satisfied I haven’t marked her, I start moving my hips once more, only this time she joins in. Her hips pushing back, meeting every thrust with her own. Just as I feel her walls begin to clamp down on me, I let go unleashing the full power of my wolf upon her. Her hands clutch my arms, digging her nails deep into my skin as she surges forward, her mouth biting down hard on my chest as I come hard.
She collapses back on the bed, exhausted and sated. I withdraw my power, letting it slowly drain from her body as she sleeps peacefully beside me. I watch the tiny beat of her pulse at her throat, enticing me to complete the bond, but I won’t. I had everything I needed now to keep her safe. The mate bond is weak, but it’s there. Closing my eyes, I pull her closer, resting my head against hers, hoping that I’d done enough. That my sacrifice, my life for hers, would be enough to save her.
Chapter 31
Lautner
Lautner six years ago
“Lautner.” I close my eyes, ignoring the desperate cries of my father wandering around the trailer park outside. It had been like this every night for the past week. Nina groans, bringing me back to the present as I grip her hips thrusting up into her heat.
“Fuck,” Lester calls out as he grips Nina's shoulder, arching her back, as he plows into her ass from behind. “Looks like the old man is back up,” he says as he continues to thrust in time with me.
Nina’s moans turn to screams as I find my rhythm, chasing the orgasm I was so close to achieving. Lester calls out just as I come panting hard. I kiss Nina once on the lips as she falls to the bed between us. I get up quickly, throwing my clothes back on as Lester and I leave.
It's cold as we step outside the trailer. Lester offers me the bottle of his father’s stolen whiskey as I take a sip before handing it back.
“Your old man’s becoming quite the topic of conversation around here,” he says, as we made our way over to the old barn where tonight's fight would be held. The big barn door creaks open as we head over to the seats at the side of the makeshift ring. It’s empty at the moment, but it wouldn’t be long before it was packed.
I nod. My father was getting worse now. As the days go by, his rage is faltering, leaving him nothing but a shell of the man I once knew. He had told me that this was the curse of being mated. Being left to battle alone, only half a body and half a soul. The day she died, he had made a vow to himself to raise me differently. To make sure I never followed in his footsteps.
“You ever plan on taking a mate one day?” I ask Lester.
“Maybe. She’d have to be damn fine, though,” he chuckles as we take another drink of whiskey.
“What about you?”
“No, my father says it’s the worst thing ever. To have a weakness. There will always be someone out there looking to take you down. Mates are nothing but trouble. That’s why we fight to stay strong. The man is stronger than the wolf,” I tell him.
“I heard my father say your old man's ex pack were looking for you.”
I shrug my shoulders. I had no interest in joining a pack. It was every man for himself.
“You ever think about joining a pack?” I ask him.
“You kidding me, being told what I can and can’t do? fuck that. I'm a stray for life.” We bring our knuckles in together as Lester passes the bottle back to me.
I take a sip, quickly handing it back. I couldn’t get drunk no matter how much I wanted to. We were both fighting later tonight. Lester was facing an old enemy, Joe Montrose, and I was facing a newcomer from out of town. As I glance over at Lester, I can tell he is nervous. Don’t get me wrong, Lester can fight, but he’s too predictable.
“Remember to keep your hands up. Joe always looks for the easy opening,” I say, hoping it will help Lester in his fight tonight. I knew we weren’t friends, not really. There’s no such thing as friends among the strays. It was every man for himself. But I enjoyed having someone to talk to, and I would take it however short it lasted.
“Thanks, and you too. Good luck for tonight. I hear he's quite the fighter.”
I scoff.” Yeah, right. They haven’t been able to find me a decent opponent for years,” I say confidently.
“You’ll get your ass handed to you one of these days. I just hope I'm there to see it,” Lester smiles coldly.
Chapter 32
Lautner
Sighing, I quietly close Dani's door behind me, making my way down towards Mick's office. Her mark over my
chest aching with every step, letting me know that I’m too far away from her. I’d slept with her by my side for as long as I could, until begrudgingly, I knew I would have to return her to her room before anyone realized she was gone.
Coming to a stop outside Mick's office, I tap my knuckles against the door.
“Come in,” he calls out.
Mick is sitting behind his desk with Ryan standing behind him. I enter the room, not bothering to speak. I lift the hem of my t-shirt as I pull it over my head, proudly displaying Dani's mark on my skin.
“Shit,” Ryan mutters, shaking his head. His eyes are black and murderous as he comes to stand near me. “Are you insane? Do you realize what you’ve done?”
Ignoring Ryan, I remain focused on my alpha. “Brandon knows Dani is my mate. He worked it out last night. You know as well as I do, she’s their main target now. He won't let her go. He will kill her just to spite me over Tommy, whether I finish the Mating or not. It’s the only way to keep her safe.”
“You should have at least informed us about your decision before getting her to mark you. This affects us all,” Ryan snaps. “Does she even know what you’ve done?”
“No, and she doesn’t need to. This only affects me, not her.”
“Really, and what about Drake? How are you going to handle it when he puts his arm around her or kisses your mate in front of you?” he snaps.
“Back off, Ryan,” I seethe, clenching my fists. “It’s the only way to keep her safe, or would you rather she be dead?”
“Enough, Ryan,” Mick warns in a low growl, “whether you’ve done the right thing or not remains to be seen, but Ryan is right. This is going to affect us all. There’s no going back for you.”
I nod. I knew exactly what this meant. I’d essentially given it all up for Dani. I would never find peace again. If I didn’t complete the bond, I would be forever cursed with the mating heat longing for a female I could never have. No other woman would be able to touch me. I would be alone until finally succumbing to the madness.
Lautner: A Dark Fated Mates Romance Page 13
