Claiming Bite

by Silvia Violet

  I undid the lock and separated the pieces of the cock cage. I placed the device around him and fitted it back together, careful not to tease him and make him grow hard before I could snap the lock shut.

  He sucked in his breath as he watched me. “Are you really going to leave that on me?”

  “I am.” I picked up my discarded suit jacket and dropped the key in the inside breast pocket.

  “What if you lose it?”

  I loved the look of horror on his face. “I guess that will be pretty bad for you.”

  “You… You’re joking, right?”

  “I have a spare key in my dresser at home. And if it came to it, I could cut the lock off with wire cutters.”

  He paled. “No wire cutters. Not there.”

  “I would never damage you.”

  He studied me for a moment, tilting his head. “But yesterday you said it would be almost impossible not to damage a human. What changed your mind?”

  “You. But it’s not that you’ve changed my mind, rather that I’m too drawn to you to walk away.”

  He chewed his lower lip for a few seconds, then asked, “Are you the danger? Are you the reason I should be afraid?”

  I couldn’t resist a smile that showed off my sharp teeth. “Most people would say so. I’m holding myself back. I could have gone at you much harder today. But if I truly thought that I was going to harm you, I would have sent you away.”

  “What if I didn’t want to go away?”

  “Such self-destructiveness is unhealthy, but I like that you trust me.” I glanced down at his cock surrounded by the cage. “How does it feel?”

  “Tight. Restrictive. A little bit scary, and a little bit…”

  I studied him. “A little bit what?”

  He mumbled some words under his breath. I took hold of his chin and tilted it up. “Say that again so I can hear it.”

  He swallowed hard before he spoke. “A little bit just right. Being confined, knowing that I can’t even touch my own cock until you allow me. I…” His eyes darted away.

  “Look at me, Emerson.”

  He did. His bright blue eyes gazed into mine, and I sucked in my breath. He was everything. I wasn’t going to let any harm come to him, no matter what I had to do. “Tell me what you were going to say.”

  “I like it.”

  “You probably won’t like it so much by the time I unlock it, but you need it. You need to remember who’s in charge. You need to remember what you’ve agreed to, what you’ve gotten yourself into.”

  He nodded. “I’d be hard as a steel pole right now if it weren’t for this cage. Sure, I’ll hate it at some point, once the thrill wears off. But I like that you’re willing to give me what I need.”

  “Always.” I brushed my thumb over his lips, then bent and kissed him lightly before stepping away. “Get dressed. I’m going to let Jax and Denny know you’re ready to head back.”

  “Um… You ripped my pants off me, so…”

  Oh, fuck. I’d forgotten that. “Hang on. I’ll find you something to wear.” I found a pair of pants in our stash of security officer uniforms. They’d be big on Emerson, but they’d have to do.

  “You really won’t let me drive my own car?”

  “No, I want someone with you. I want you protected.”

  He sighed. “And you’re not going to tell me any more?”

  I shook my head. “Not now. I’ve got some business to attend to today, but I’ll see you tonight.”

  I smiled at his eager expression. I was sure he thought the cage would come off and he would get to come again. He was so very wrong, and I was going to have fun watching him struggle with his need.

  If only I didn’t have to deal with Leon first.

  Emerson dressed as I’d told him to, and I did the same. When he was finished, I combed my fingers through his hair, making it lie flat again, and brushed some of the wrinkles from his clothes. I couldn’t resist pulling him against me once more. He groaned as his caged cock pressed against me. “I want to feel you against me.”

  “Not until I say you can.”

  He shivered. “Why do I like this so much?”

  “You just do. It’s just what you were meant to like. And there’s nothing wrong with that.”

  “Even though you have a rule against humans?”

  “The rule makes sense for the club. We don’t need that kind of liability. But maybe for more personal choices, it doesn’t. I guess it depends on who the human is.”

  “Why me? There are certainly humans who would make far more attractive candidates to be with than me.”

  “No. You’re the only human I’ve ever wanted for more than a simple game of predator and prey.”

  He tilted his head, seeming to consider what I’d said. Was he questioning being the only human I was truly interested in or was he trying to figure out exactly what a game like that entailed?

  “I’ll walk you to the door. Jax is waiting.”

  Emerson seemed uncertain.

  “You will see me tonight. I promise. And you’ll be safe until then, and I know you won’t disobey my rule about coming without permission, since I have you all locked up.”

  “Right. It’s… I won’t disobey.” I smiled at him. He was so perfect.

  When we reached the door, my wolf urged me to keep Emerson with me. I could have him kneel by my side while I worked. He’d be close enough for me to pet any time I wanted to. I could hold him on my lap when I met with others. That was how things were done in the old days, but most shifters didn’t do that with their mates now. The ones who still did were those who couldn’t accept that the future lay in working with the human world, not against it. We could no longer have our own isolated society, especially not one based on crime and deceit.

  But I understood why a wolf would crave that constant contact with a mate. I wanted to bury my nose against Emerson’s neck and breathe in his scent as he wrapped his legs around me. But I wasn’t a slave to my instincts. Emerson needed to leave so I could keep making progress on changing shifter society, or at least my family’s place in it.

  When I opened the side door of the club, Jax was waiting there as I had told him to be. “Keep him safe. No matter what.”

  “Yes, sir. Emerson is a special man.”

  My wolf growled, wanting to challenge him for even speaking of my mate.

  Jax’s eyes widened, and he took a step back.

  “You won’t be much of a guard for him if you’re intimidated that easily,” I said to cover my overactive jealousy.

  Jax seemed to consider his response. “Anyone would be foolish not to be intimidated by you, sir.”

  I smiled. “Perhaps that’s true.”

  I kissed Emerson one last time, then let him go. As I closed the door, my heart hammered. Was I doing the right thing? I refused to call him back. I refused to believe I couldn’t get through the afternoon without him. He was safe. He would be in my house in a few minutes. There were guards there, and at least a few of my brothers were home.

  I glanced at the time. I was late for my meeting already, not that I minded keeping Leon waiting. I never wanted him to think he was the most important thing on my agenda. I messaged my driver to let her know I was ready to leave before stepping into the bathroom connected to my office. With a few seconds of work, I managed to make myself look nearly as put together as I had first thing that morning. I tightened my tie, brushed off my coat, and patted the pocket where the key to Emerson’s cage lay. I just had to get through this meeting and be at the club when it opened. After that, I would be free to check on Emerson.

  My driver pulled up in front of Leon’s office building. It looked innocuous, a four-story brick structure in a good, but not excellent, part of town. But as far as I knew, no legitimate business had ever taken place there, only a number of drug deals, weapons sales, and, if rumor had it right, the brokering of young men and women Leon took from the streets.

  I asked my driver to wait close by, so as I ap
proached the front of the building, she headed down the block to find parking. I took a deep breath before I pushed the door open and stepped into the marble-tiled lobby. Once inside, the building’s decor went from drab to opulent 1920s speakeasy style. A broad-shouldered man sat at the reception desk in the lobby. He looked up as I approached. “Mr. Howler, I was asked to tell you to take the elevator to the top floor. The meeting room is directly across from the elevator doors.”

  “I know the one. Thank you.”

  As I rode up in the elevator, I ran over all the points I intended to communicate and braced myself. Leon was going to attack. I just hoped I’d guessed his angle.

  8

  Emerson

  I handed my keys to Jax, resigned to the fact that I wasn’t going to win an argument with King about driving my own car.

  When Denny and I reached the SUV, he opened the back door on the passenger side, and I slid in. As he pulled out of the parking space, I said, “I feel weird back here. Are you sure I can’t just sit up front with you?”

  Denny looked horrified at the suggestion. “Mr. Howler said you were to be treated like royalty.”

  I wasn’t sure how to process that King wanted me to serve him, to obey him, and yet he was treating me like I was part of his family. When he’d said he had no intention of letting me go, what exactly did that mean?

  Denny glanced back at me before fixing his eyes on the road again. “So you’re… um… his new submissive. It’s been a long time since he’s had anyone serious.”

  “I’m not exactly sure how to describe what’s going on between us, but yes, I’ve agreed to be his submissive.” He hadn’t told me not to tell anyone. I was living in his guesthouse. No one would think he was just keeping me there for charity’s sake.

  “I hope you know how lucky you are.”

  “I do. He’s incredible.” I realized how breathy my words were, and heat filled my face.

  Denny sighed. “I bet. Do you have any idea how many people would love to be in your position?”

  I couldn’t imagine anyone with submissive tendencies not wanting King. Unless, of course, they were scared of him. Or they were humans and had more sense than me. “Will people be upset that he’s with a human?”

  Denny laughed again. “There are plenty of people who would be upset no matter who he was with. But yes, there are those who will be angry that you are human, especially ones who’ve wanted to bring their humans into one of his establishments.”

  “He owns other clubs?”

  “Another club, a couple of restaurants, and some… other businesses.”

  I had the feeling I wasn’t supposed to know what those other businesses were. “Surely humans are allowed in the restaurants.”

  “They’re allowed. But I’m sure you know that many humans don’t want to be in a shifter-dominated place.”

  “They’re scared of you.”

  “And you’re not?”

  I shook my head. “I’m fascinated. I always have been. What else can you tell me about the Howlers? I get that they’re important in shifter society, and King keeps talking about danger. I want to know why I would be in danger.”

  “Like I said, there are a lot of people who will envy your position when they find out King has chosen you. And there are others who are jealous of his money, his power, his ability to make people do whatever he says.”

  I huffed. “He’s damn good at that.”

  “That he is.”

  “He said he had a really important meeting tonight, and he seemed worried about it. Do you know what that’s about?”

  “If I did, I couldn’t tell you.”

  “But if I’m in danger too, shouldn’t I be allowed to know?”

  “There’s a lot in shifter society humans would consider old-fashioned. Wolf alphas take charge and expect everybody else to do their bidding without asking any questions.”

  Which was sexy as hell, except when it wasn’t. I loved that King wanted to keep me safe. He was the Dom I’d fantasized about since I was too young to even understand what my fantasies meant, but I couldn’t just pretend it didn’t matter what he was mixed up in.

  A moment later we turned into the long driveway that led past the Howler mansion to the guesthouse beyond. A man who was even taller and bulkier than King paced in front of the door.

  “There you are!” he snarled as Denny opened the door for me. I stood frozen as he stalked closer.

  Jax, who had pulled up in my car, immediately stepped between me and the angry wolf, who I could only assume was one of King’s brothers. The similarities between them were clear, as was their ability to make a man cower. But this man was intimidating like a football star or a bodyguard, whereas King was intimidating in a more controlled way. One lift of King’s eyebrow would have a whole room of people scrambling to do his bidding. He was the cool leader, and this wolf was all muscle and physical prowess.

  Jax held up his hands in a surrendering gesture, but I could also tell he was attempting to hold King’s brother away from me.

  “Calm down. Emerson doesn’t know anything about King’s meeting.”

  The man stared at me. “Is that true?”

  I glanced at Denny, trying to get a sense of whether I should tell the little bit I did know, but he looked as unnerved as I was.

  “All King told me was that he had an important meeting, and he couldn’t be distracted.”

  “That’s all?”

  “Yes.”

  Suddenly the man grinned. “I like it. You’ll be good for King. Just deferential enough, but you won’t let him walk all over you.” Before I could respond, the man held out his hand. “I’m Bryce, King’s brother.”

  “I’m Emerson. King’s new submissive.”

  “A true submissive would’ve kept his eyes down and not spoken unless asked a direct question.”

  I turned to see a tall, lean but powerful-looking man standing behind Denny. How had he appeared so silently?

  “Don’t mind Garrett. He’s an asshole,” Bryce said. Then he turned to his brother. “I offered Emerson my hand. It would’ve been rude for him to ignore me. And you seem to forget we’re trying to live in the modern world now. Emerson’s a person, not an object. Would you want someone to treat Storm that way, or Shadow?”

  Garrett made a dismissive sound. “King may pretend he’s trying to be modern, but he likes men who wish to serve him. He’s not big on them having opinions.”

  Bryce turned back to me. “This is my brother, Garrett. He’s an acquired taste.”

  Garrett sniffed. “Did you learn anything?”

  Bryce sighed. “Not a damn thing.”

  “Human, are you sure my brother didn’t give you any information about where he was going?”

  “If he’s reluctant to consider his submissives as people with thoughts and opinions, then surely you know he wouldn’t discuss such a thing with me?”

  Bryce laughed. “Oh, yes, you’re going to do quite nicely.”

  Garrett’s eyes widened as he studied me. Then he began to laugh, the sound unlike anything I would expect from him. “Dear Goddess, King is in for such a ride.”

  “Fate obviously knows what our dear brother needs,” Bryce said.

  Garrett held out his hand to me. “It’s nice to meet you, Emerson.”

  I hesitated for a moment and then accepted the handshake. Were they testing me? Did Garrett really believe what he’d said about King? Was he only accepting me because he thought I would piss his brother off? Either way, it was probably best to stay in his good graces.

  “Is King in danger?” I asked.

  Garrett and Bryce looked at each other, then Bryce spoke. “Let’s just say, it would be best if we could find him.”

  “He wasn’t supposed to go alone?”

  Neither of them answered that.

  “Are you sure the meeting wasn’t at the club?” Bryce asked. “Did King say he was leaving?”

  Had he said that? “He said he had to go to a me
eting, but that doesn’t necessarily mean—”

  Garrett interrupted me. “Did he seem in a hurry to get you out of there, to make sure you weren’t seen?”

  I considered that. He hadn’t seemed worried when he’d walked me to the door, and there wasn’t anyone else around. “No.”

  Garrett turned to Jax. “Take Emerson inside and call for some reinforcements.”

  “Yes, sir.” Jax took my arm, but I refused to budge.

  “I want to know what’s going on.”

  “Did King tell you anything else?” Bryce asked.

  I sighed. “No.”

  Garrett huffed. “Then you know as much as we do.”

  They hurried off to the house, leaving me with little choice but to go inside with Jax.

  9

  King

  Before I entered the meeting room, I straightened my tie one final time and banished thoughts of Emerson from my mind because he made me smile. I couldn’t smile here or even hint that I was anything but a hard man who would as soon rip the other council members in half and eat their remains as have a civilized discussion. If Leon or any of the others thought for a minute that I would hesitate to kill them, everything would come crashing down.

  The double doors to the meeting room were closed, and I could hear the murmur of voices behind them. I breathed in and analyzed the scents of everyone in the room: Leon; Bernice, the current leader among the bear shifter clans; Damian, a panther shifter who’d formed various allegiances in different shifter communities; Ingram, a falcon shifter; and Serena, head of the fox shifters. I paused and listened more closely. Leon was ranting about me being late and holding up the proceedings. I pushed against the doors, slamming them back against the wall, and strode into the room. “Let’s get started.”