He picked up the glass of water on the nightstand, raised her head up, and pressed the glass to her lips. Natasha opened her mouth, took a sip, and not once did her eyes open.
A fresh bowl of water with towels sat on the nightstand also. He picked up a towel, dunked it, and wrung out some of the water before pulling the blankets down her body. He washed her heated body, trying to ignore her whimpering and protests. He washed her down several times before covering her back up and taking the bowl into the bathroom to dump. With a fresh bowl, he came out and Nelly was there with a cup of hot broth.
“I hate to leave her, Nelly.”
Nelly nodded as she sat down on the bed. “You need to go to that meeting. You need to change things, Drake. Don’t worry, I can handle things.”
He went back up to the bedroom, checked on Natasha then showered and changed. Dark black jeans, black shirt, and a black jacket. A quick kiss to her forehead and he was out the door.
This time, Drake drove himself. He thought about how he was going to present himself and worked at calming his nerves and the animal side. His gut screamed that something was off here. Millard calling another meeting to discuss the Gathering wasn’t sitting well with him.
The drive took an hour. When he turned into the drive the feeling he had during the whole trip over intensified. He parked, got out, and was a bit surprised when his father met him at the door.
“Ready?” Allen Draeger asked.
Drake nodded, “Let’s do this.”
Together they walked inside. They entered the same room and sat in the same seats as last time. Millard and the rest of the Cabinet board sat at a long table in front of everything. This time there were no refreshments for them. Drake took a seat next to his father and waited. He checked the room out. Faces from the night before were there and new faces.
“We’ve called this meeting for the sole purpose to inform you all that a crime has been committed,” one of the men on the board stated. “A member’s daughter has been taken.”
Drake glanced at his father then found the eye of James Laswell. James was seated across the room from him.
“She has been promised to another.” That statement had a few mumbling to themselves and Drake crossing his arms over his chest.
“What about the law?” Drake blurted out. Everyone in the room became silent and they all looked right at him. Drake stared at Millard. “You yourself had written that a male has the rite to take a female and claim her. How can you hold a meeting and demand one of us or better yet accuse one of us of taking your daughter, if you uphold the law?”
“A promised female cannot be claimed, Mr. Draeger.” Millard stated.
“Says who?” Talking started up again, louder. From the corner of his eye, he saw James Laswell stand up.
“Are you saying that if we promise our females to another, then they can’t be claimed, even at a Gathering?” James asked. “Kind of pointless then to have a Gathering at all.”
Shouting began and only the head member of the board banging on the table stopped it.
“Millard, you expect us to sit here and bend the laws, our rules for you,” Drake went on. “Why? I’ve yet to see you uphold them yourself.”
Millard’s face reddened and Drake worked at not smiling.
“For your information, Draeger, my daughter was promised the day she was born to another,” Millard stated. “I plan to uphold that agreement.”
“Even if she is claimed by another?” James shouted, getting men to agree with him loudly.
“Gentlemen please!” the head cabinet member yelled.
Drake stood up, “If Millard doesn’t uphold his own law, then I stated the law should be changed for us all and he be removed from the board.”
“You rotten son of a bitch!” Millard yelled, standing up also. “You took her didn’t you?” He pointed a finger at Drake.
Drake met him in the eye and said nothing. Others around him began arguing about the law, the removal of Millard, and a few others of the members. Order went out the door at the movement and in the center of it Drake and Millard faced off.
“I think you went too far this time,” his father said.
“Not quite,” Drake said. He tore his eyes from Millard, spread his arms out, and shouted, “Listen to me! Everyone listen!” The room slowly quieted down. “The Gathering has been a major part of our world. Us males rely on it to find our mates, but when our mates are withheld from us, what are we to do? Men of power decided if our females attend, and the current barbaric way helps them to chose no, then it’s time for a change.” Again, the talking, and loud conversations rose. “We need to stop the public mating!” Drake yelled.
“A new Cabinet needs to be made,” James shouted also.
Over half of the males in the room agreed. Drake turned his full attention back to Millard. The man was glaring at him. If looks could kill, Drake would fall down dead.
“Without a mark from a male, no female can be promised to another.” He pointed his finger at Millard. “That’s your law. Are you going to break it?”
Again, the council’s head banged the table and order slowly returned. “Millard, has your daughter been marked by the promised?” one of the board members asked.
Millard sneered, “No.”
“Then the promise is void.” The man banged the table in a final decision. “And as the chairman of this board I am in agreement with Mr. Draeger’s statement. In fact, there are a few of his statements that I agree with. We are not animals and therefore should not act as such. A change is due, one that will help with us staying true to who we are. The laws and rules we set up years ago were designed to make sure of our productivity, but now it must be tweaked. I’m putting to a vote for a change to our mating law. The public matting for all to see is out, but that does not mean…” He had to raise his voice and hand before the group started to get too loud. “That doesn’t mean you cannot mate your female at a Gathering.”
Drake shook his head and sat back down. “They didn’t hear shit I just said,” he growled.
“Some heard,” his father said. “And you’ve started the change.”
They spent all day arguing, and changing the laws. A few fights almost broke out, harsh words were shouted, and one board member resigned. Drake kept his eye on Millard though. The man seemed like he was on edge, and Drake knew without a doubt he was pissed off.
“Well, you’ve started it,” James said to him. “Now if we can only get it finished.”
“You didn’t really think this was going to happen overnight, did you?” Drake poured himself a cup of coffee. A woman served him a tray of food during the proceedings.
“To be honest, I really didn’t think you were going to get the change you did.” James poured himself a drink. “Millard isn’t happy about it and a few other important families aren’t either.”
“They’ll get over it.”
“So when are you going to let him know?” He nodded in the direction Millard stood in.
“Maybe when I have my first born.” Drake turned and headed over to his father. He heard James laugh behind him.
“I must say I’m impressed,” his father said. “Two major changes. That’s something to be proud of.”
“Long way to go.”
“Drake you’re not going to change things in a snap of a finger. Stuff like this takes time. I doubt either one of us will see the changes we want in our lifetime.”
Drake took a deep breath. “I don’t want to have a daughter and worry about some animal raping her in front of men like this.” He looked around the room with disgust. “I want to know that when her time comes she’ll be claimed with respect.”
By nightfall, the new law was in place. It wasn’t what Drake wanted, but as his father pointed out it was a start. No more public screwing. Now if it he could get them to take the rest of it out he would feel at ease.
Drake headed for his car. He was tired, hungry, and worried about Natasha. He reached his vehicle whe
n Millard stepped out of the shadows.
“You took her, didn’t you Draeger?” he said.
Drake crossed his arms over his chest, head cocked to the side, “That’s the second time you’ve accused me of taking you daughter Millard. Why?”
“Only a male who has something he might lose puts up a fight such as you did in there today.”
Drake snorted, “I put up a fight for future children, mine included. Tell me something, Millard. What the hell would you do if some male walked into your house, grabbed your daughter, and just fucked her on the table in front of your eyes? With the way the laws are now, any one of us could do just that and there isn’t fuck you can do about it.”
“I swear to you now, if it was you who took her I’ll make sure with everything I have I’ll bury you.”
“Threatening me now?”
Millard did take a threatening step and went nose to nose with Drake. “I’m promising you.”
“You know, Millard, as long as you keep pushing, keep threatening, no one is going to come forth and admit to taking your daughter. I know I sure as hell wouldn’t tell you shit. Now get the fuck out of my face.”
“Do we have a problem here?” James Laswell came up to them. His tone of voice made Millard take a step back.
“No problem, Laswell,” Millard said.
“Oh we have problems, Millard.” Drake yanked his car door open, all his gaze riveted on Philip Millard. “We have major problems.”
Drake got into the car started the engine and peeled out of the drive. He drove fast with the need to see Natasha, to check to make sure she was fine. She was his only concern at the moment, his only thought.
The sun shined bright when he pulled into the drive. As exhausted as he might be, the need to see her seemed to push it away. Drake parked in front of the house got out and rushed inside. He didn’t even let anyone know he was home as he raced up the stairs, two at a time. He opened the door and just about lost his breath.
Natasha wasn’t in bed.
“Drake, is that you?” Nelly’s voice came from the bathroom.
He gave a silent sigh. “Yeah, Nelly.”
“Good, come in here and give me a hand.”
Drake turned, went into the bathroom. Nelly had Natasha in the tub. Her eyes were closed and her body shaking. He took off his jacket, tossing it onto the counter and kneeling down at the side of the tub.
“I just finished washing her,” Nelly said. “You get her out and dried, I’m going to change those sheets. Think the fever broke, but she has the chills now.”
Drake picked Natasha up from the tub wrapped a towel around her quickly and held her close. She pressed her face into his neck, shivering. He dried her off, put another towel around her body, and carried her into the bedroom as Nelly finished changing the bed.
He placed her on the bed, covered her up to her chin, and touched her forehead.
“How’d the meeting go this time?” Nelly asked.
“We got one law somewhat changed,” he told her. “Still have a long way to go.”
“You’ll get there. Want something to eat?” Drake answered her by shaking his head. “Well then why don’t you lie down and get some sleep also. You look like you’re about to fall over or something.”
Nelly left, and he sat on the side of the bed, bent and took his shoes off. Damn he was tired. So tired it took a lot of energy just to strip down.
The second he slipped under the blankets, Natasha was there. She curled up against him, shivering. Drake sighed, wrapped his arms around her, holding her tight, and close, giving her his body heat. Even though she was sick, his body hardened for her— hunger that no matter what was always there.
He didn’t give into the hunger, or the need to rest. With his mate close by his side, Drake let the sleep take him. His body relaxed, expect for his damn cock. Eyes closed and darkness took him.
How long he was asleep before waking, he didn’t know.
Drake slowly came back to his senses when he felt a hot, wet mouth suck his flesh inside. He opened his eyes, looked down and the air just held his in lungs. Natasha was between his legs, his cock in her mouth.
“Oh fuck,” he moaned. “Natasha, what are you doing?”
“I burn,” she said against him when she released his cock. “God Drake, it burns.”
Again, she took his cock into her mouth, sucking the flesh hard. He reached up, grabbing the headboard of the bed tight and arched with a moan. All the way down her throat, she took him, pulling, moving her head up and down.
She drove his hunger, his desire, and lust so high that he was powerless to stop the climax. It rushed out of him fast, stealing his breath, making him feel weak and helpless under her.
And under her, he was.
Drake didn’t even get a chance to come down from that high when he felt her crawl on top of him, his cock in her hand, posed at the entrance to her pussy. She was wet, hot silk that seemed to just milk him.
He took hold of her hips, helped guide her down onto him. Fuck if she wasn’t tight. He could feel the scorching muscles of her pussy part, contract around him, and that pressure of climax once more quickly collected in his balls.
“Shit, I’m not going to last,” he groaned, closing his eyes at the sweet tormented pleasure.
Never once did he ever experience a female close or during her cycle. Always he heard the rumors. Deep down he did want to go through it once. The sexual need that he heard the females go through, the demands they make on a male was something he really did want to do. And now he was.
Her hands pressed on his chest, eyes closed, mouth open, head back. The sight of her passion as she took him into her body filled him with so much joy and love that he thought for the first time ever he might cry with pleasure. Natasha touched him in places he never thought could be touched. She had his heart, his soul, and for as long as she wanted, she had his body as well.
A gasp from her parted lips and she had him filling inside her. Natasha didn’t stop for a breather. No, she moved and moved hard and fast on him. Control from her—out. She rode him hard, fucked him with a need that overwhelmed even him.
Once more, he had to hold onto to the headboard instead of her. He bucked up, growled with each slam downward of her body. He was so close that he ended up biting the inside of his mouth to still the orgasm.
“Drake, please,” she begged.
Her plea pushed him over. With an arch from him, he yelled and it wasn’t just from the pleasure that raced through him. He came hard the second she lowered herself down and bit him right on the chest above his left breast.
The pain mixed with the pleasure. His seed shot out of him in waves of pure, raw ecstasy. It drained him and fueled him at the same time.
“More,” she demanded her voice weak.
Drake sat up. He linked her legs over his arms and just moved her again. He kept her on top, but this time he controlled it.
Her arms went around him and he kissed her deep. He moved her fast, hard on him once more. This time it was her making the noise. She whimpered at each thrust, each power slap he gave to her. This time, when she came, he held off, pushing her higher.
“Drake!” she cried out and he moved again.
Drake flipped them over, him coming over her, his cock surging into her hard. He fucked through the orgasm times two. His mouth moved over her throat, moving to his mark. Nails dug into his shoulders, raked down and around his hips to clamp on his ass. He hissed at the pain but welcomed it also. It started his downfall.
He swelled, the sensation raced down his spine and his seed once more shot out. Harder her nails dug into his ass and he didn’t mind. He closed his mouth over the mark, bit her, and enjoyed the scream that came from her lips, just as he enjoyed the tight contractions of her pussy around his cock. She clamped down so hard on him that he couldn’t move, even her legs wrapped around his waist, holding him tight to her.
“Thank you,” she sighed, her hold on him loosening.
> Drake raised up enough to look down at her. Natasha’s head turned to the side slowly, her eyes closed. He felt her release under him and smiled.
“I love you Natasha,” he whispered, kissing her lightly on the lips.
Natasha smiled. “I love you too,” she breathed out.
* * * *
Millard walked into his office, slamming the door closed. He went right up to the bottle of whisky, poured a large glass, and took a heavy drink, hissing at the burn. He looked out the window, watched the other members of the board leave. Pissed off was such a mild term for how he felt right now. The meeting didn’t go like he wanted, he didn’t get the things he needed and no one seemed to know what the hell happened to his daughter.
“Tell me you have something,” he said.
“One that was here tonight carries her scent.” Boris stood in the far corner of his office hidden by the dark shadows.
“Which one?”
“The one you were talking with.”
Millard fisted his hand so tightly the glass shattered. Dark liquid hit the rug, glass dug into his hand. He breathed hard, heavy, his anger boiling over to a point where he only saw red.
“I want that bastard dead,” Millard stated.
“After the full moon it will be done.”
Chapter Seven
“The first new Gathering is scheduled for the week before the next full moon,” Allen Draeger said as he sat down across from Drake in the new dining room at the new table.
Drake was still very tired. He didn’t get a lot of sleep last night, mostly because Natasha woke up once more and took what she needed from him. It also surprised him to be a bit sore, on not only his chest where she bit him again, but his cock was also a bit tender.
The fever finally broke during the fourth or was it the fifth time she woke and crawled on top of him? He couldn’t remember. Hell, he didn’t care. He just wanted to be there for her and was going to do anything he could for her.
Nelly fixed a large breakfast and took up a tray for Natasha. His father showed up out of the blue with information about the changes the Cabinet was finally making. Drake’s mind was on the upcoming full moon.
Shifter 08 - Draeger Legacy Page 9
