He smiled sadly. “I hope not, but if it does–”
“It won’t.” She stood on her tiptoes and placed a gentle kiss on his lips, needing to erase the fear she saw in his eyes. Erase the premonition that tightened her own chest.
She dug her fingers into his hair and deepened the kiss. If all they had was today, then she’d make sure they enjoyed every moment of it.
Chapter 20
Fear thundered just beneath the desire rushing through Jacob’s body. He should be preparing her, training her, not thinking about fucking her, but the scent of her arousal was like a drug, and he was an addict.
His cock strained against his pants, hot and heavy.
She smiled up at him, blue eyes smoldering with promise, like a siren, hell bent on destroying what little control he had left.
“What am I going to do with you?”
“Make love to me.” She nipped at his chin. “Now.” She ran her tongue along his jaw. “Tomorrow.” Her fingers tangled in his hair. “And every night after.”
He groaned and slipped a hand under her shirt and cupped her breast.
“You have too many clothes on,” she whimpered against his mouth, tugging at his belt.
He reached back to pull his shirt over his head.
“Better?”
“A little.” She grinned wickedly, and unsnapped the top button of his pants.
A rumble vibrated from his chest. He lowered his mouth to her neck, and grazed his teeth over the mating mark. Kiera moaned and tipped her head back.
His lion growled possessively. Mine.
He undid her jeans and slipped them down her legs, along with her panties. His hand slid down her belly and slipped between her legs. She opened her thighs for him, and whimpered as his finger slid inside of her. He found the small nub, and stroked it lightly. She made a small mewling sound against his lips, encouraging him to plunge his fingers deeper.
“So good,” she whimpered, bucking against him, her nails digging into his shoulders.
He leaned down and took her nipple in his mouth, flicking his tongue over the swollen bud. She bucked against him as his fingers worked the pleasure from her body. She cried out, her sweet flesh convulsing around his hand.
Her body melted against his, trembling with the aftershocks of her orgasm.
“I can’t stand,” she said weakly.
“I’ve got you.” He gripped her ass, lifting her so that her legs wrapped around his waist. “Hold on to me.”
He carried her to the bedroom and eased her onto the bed. She protested with a small groan when he pulled back to shed his pants.
“So beautiful,” he said, easing himself above her, sliding her thighs apart with his knee.
Emotion threatened to undo him. He felt more for her than just lust, more than mating heat. If this was only physical need, about pleasure, he might survive. But there was no surviving the feelings clogging his chest now.
He took her mouth, his tongue sinking past her lips. She arched against him, opening her thighs. His cock pressed demandingly against the wet warmth of her silken folds.
“What have you done to me?” He held himself above her, struggling for control.
She placed her hands possessively on his cheeks and gazed up at him. “Made you mine.”
Something broke inside him. He wanted a future with her more than he’d ever wanted anything in his life. Not just a future. A life. A family.
A harsh groan tore from his lips as he sunk into her. Her body opened to him instinctively as though she too knew exactly where he belonged. She clenched around him, her warm, slick juices allowing him to take her completely.
For a moment, he stilled inside her, marveling at the feel of her, tight, wet, a perfect fit. He couldn’t get enough of her.
“My mate,” he growled.
Slowly, he pulled out, then thrust in again, hard and deep.
Kiera gasped, eyes widening.
“I could lose myself in you,” he whispered against her lips.
She gave him a breathtaking smile that made his heart clench. Her hips arched toward him, drawing his length deeper. “Let’s get lost together.”
He kissed her slowly, memorizing her scent, her taste, exploring her mouth as she met his hips readily with each thrust.
Easing out, he reveled in the soft, pleading sound that escaped her lips. He bucked into her again. Each thrust harder, faster than the next. She clawed at his back and bowed against the bed.
“More,” she cried out, her voice a desperate sob.
He could feel her pleasure building, his own release teetering on the edge. He buried himself so deeply inside of her it felt as if their bodies fused.
His lips collided with hers as he plunged into her again. Her fingernails raked across his back as her legs locked around his waist, anchoring herself to his body.
“You feel so good,” she moaned.
He slammed into her faster, and she met him stroke for stroke.
Shockwaves of sensations rippled across his flesh.
His control was slipping. He was close. Too close.
“Come for me, beautiful.” He watched as her face responded to the command in his tone.
He could feel her tipping over the edge.
“Jacob,” she cried out his name as she clamped down on him, her body arching, pulsating with pleasure.
He gazed down at her, watching her expression as she exploded around him. His muscles clenched and shook, riding her harder, unable to hold back any longer. A growl ripped through his chest, and he emptied himself into her completely.
When his body went still, he eased out and pulled her against his chest. She snuggled against him and sighed. A sense of belonging filled him.
“I like it here,” she murmured, running her fingers down his chest. “I wish we didn’t have to leave.”
Her comment brought him back to the harsh reality. He couldn’t keep her there much longer. He’d allowed himself a brief moment to lose himself in the fantasy, but they had no future except the one the wolf had cursed him with when he was twelve years old.
Jacob’s chest tightened as he felt the familiar darkness creeping closer.
Death drew near, and it was coming straight for him.
Chapter 21
Yellow eyes glittered in the darkness, sharp fangs dripped with blood.
“You’re ours,” the silver wolf sneered. “There’s nowhere to run.”
Howling laughter resonated from the growing shadows.
The wolf lunged.
Fangs tore through flesh.
Ripping, burning.
Cold.
Death.
A deep, mournful growl jolted Kiera awake. Jacob bolted from the bed, his body gleaming with perspiration, eyes huge, dazed.
“Jacob?”
“We need to go. I need to get you back to the agency.” Hysteria threatened his usual calm. His eyes darted around the room, glazed from whatever nightmare had woken him.
“It’s still dark out. We can wait until morning.”
“They’re coming. I can feel it.”
“Everything’s fine. Come back to bed.”
Jacob sat down heavily on the edge of the bed, with his elbows on his knees, face buried in his hands. She moved behind him and wrapped her arms around him, leaning her head against his shoulder.
“Talk to me,” she whispered, choking down the lump forming in her throat.
“He was out in the shed,” Jacob started to speak. “Working on a project. I wasn’t supposed to be there. It was a school night. Past my bedtime.”
“Who?” She placed her hand on his cheek and gently forced him to look at her. Anguish burned in his amber eyes, and her own chest clenched because of the grief she saw there.
“My father,” he said, voice strained. “They killed him in front of me. Tore his throat out. Gutted him.”
She started to say something, but the words died in her throat.
“When they were done, they turned
on me. I thought they’d kill me. At the time I wanted them to.” A bead of sweat formed on his brow.
“But they let you live.” She understood the pain that his past had caused him, but not the fear he had for the future.
“With conditions.” He dragged his fingers through his hair, then over his face, letting out a hiss of a breath through his teeth.
“Conditions?”
“The wolves have fought against the Therian Agency for centuries. They don’t want to be bound by rules, so they create their own. My father was part of a mission to bring the packs to justice for their crimes against humanity. He was successful, but he paid for it with his life.”
“You’re worried they might come back for you?”
“No.” He stood, lips pressed in a tight, thin line, and shoved his pants on. “I know they will.”
“It was a long time ago. They could be dead, or forgotten about you by now.”
He chuckled darkly. “They’re alive and they remember.”
“You can’t be sure–”
“The leader...” Jacob winced and paced the small room. “He did something to me. Got into my head. Marked me somehow. The nightmares, they’re from him, reminding me what he’ll do to me when he finds me. He gave me an ultimatum. Leave the wolves alone and live, or follow my father’s footsteps and die. I have a target on my head. It’s not a matter of if, but a matter of when. I knew the risk when I took this job.”
“So you’re just going to sit back and let them come for you?”
“There are things about our world you still don’t understand.”
“You fight the bad guys every day. How is this any different?”
“He cursed me.” His nostrils flared and the veins on his neck bulged.
Her eyes widened in disbelief. Jacob was the most rational person she knew. How could he possibly believe that his life was bound by a curse?
She was about to argue with him, when Jacob froze, cocked his head, then cursed violently under his breath.
“Someone’s here.”
She heard it then too, the soft hum of a motor.
“Stay here.” He snatched his shirt from the floor and barreled out of the room.
In the dark, she grabbed for her clothes and dressed quickly.
A car door slammed, followed by a second.
She sneaked through the cabin and peered out the window, sighing when she recognized the two men Jacob confronted.
Chase Payne stood, arms crossed over his large chest, blue eyes dark with anger. His brother, Turner, leaned against the hood of the black SUV, looking bored.
“I can’t keep covering. They need her back in the labs.” Chase growled. His posture hummed with displeasure. “You need to bring her back. It’s not just her life we’re dealing with.”
“You think I don’t know that?”
“I don’t know what to think. You let Sinclair take off with Jenna, then you disappear into the mountains. Do you know what it took to convince your mother to tell me the location of this place?”
“You should have known I’d bring her back.”
“How the fuck was I–”
“Holy shit.” Turner’s eyes went wide as Kiera walked towards them. “You marked her?”
Instinctively, her hand went to the mark on her neck. With her hair pulled back in a ponytail, it was easily visible.
“No wonder you’ve been acting like a dipshit,” Turner said, chuckling.
Jacob glowered, his fists clenching at his sides.
A peculiar scent stung her nostrils, making her eyes water. “Do you smell that?”
All three men went still.
“Wolves,” Turner spat, his shoulders tensing, body angled, ready for a fight.
Jacob’s nostrils flared as fear flashed in his eyes. “You brought them straight to us.”
“No one followed us,” Chase snarled irately.
Instead of words, a low rumble echoed from Jacob’s chest.
They were wasting time. The wolves’ scent hung thick in the air.
“We need to leave.” She touched Jacob’s arm, making his gaze jerk to her.
Without warning, his fingers tangled in her hair. He bowed his head, crushing his mouth against hers in a desperate kiss. When he pulled back, his expression hardened. He released her, and motioned to Turner with a command. “Keep her safe, no matter what.”
“Yes, boss.” Turner gave a sharp nod, then stepped in front of her when she started to follow after Jacob. He pulled his weapon from its holster and handed it to her. “Do you know how to use a gun?”
She took it, tentatively, and gave a small nod.
“Get in the car and lock the doors.”
She didn’t move. She couldn’t.
“Kiera.” Turner’s lips curled back on her name. “This isn’t a game. Get in the fucking car.”
The shadows drew closer.
“He thinks he’s going to die.” Her hand shook around the butt of the gun. “I won’t let that happen.”
Turner’s brows furrowed.
A silver wolf emerged from the darkness, its yellow eyes trained on Jacob. More than a dozen materialized behind the alpha, fangs bared, ears drawn tightly against their heads.
There were too many of them.
She pushed past Turner, ignoring his curse and ran to Jacob. “We need to get out of here.”
Jacob’s tormented expression revealed how he’d already accepted his fate. He cast a quick glance at Kiera before turning to Chase. “I’ll fight them off. Just make sure she’s safe.”
“Bullshit. We’re not leaving you here,” Chase snarled.
And neither would she. There wasn’t a chance in hell she was going to let him give up that easily. She lifted the gun, pointed it straight at the silver wolf, and fired.
Chapter 22
Kiera’s shot hit its mark. The wolf cried out and dropped to the ground, blood oozing from the wound in its chest.
For a brief moment, there was silence. The wolves seemed as startled as Jacob was.
Then all hell broke loose.
The wolves charged, hackles raised, teeth viciously bared.
Every muscle in his body tensed, ready for action.
To his left, he saw Chase and Turner shift.
Two wolves bounded towards him, teeth bared.
“Get in the fucking car.” Jacob opened the door, shoved Kiera inside, then slammed it behind her. He shifted just in time to brace for the wolves attack.
Powerful jaws sunk into his shoulder and he roared in pain. He shook the wolf off and charged forward, his teeth bared in a growl, as he pounced on the second wolf, ripping its throat out with a single bite. With his large paw, he swatted another midair as it lunged for him. His claws raked through the wolf’s flesh, leaving bloody stripes across its pelt. It sunk to the ground with a pitiful yelp.
Without their alpha, the wolves seemed disoriented, their attack scattered and unorganized, making them easy targets.
Chase fell backwards with a pain-filled roar. Five wolves circled him, snapping and growling.
Jacob charged. His lion roared and pounced, ripping and tearing without remorse. Claws and teeth sliced into him, but he fought with every ounce of strength he had. He was fighting for more than himself–he was fighting for Kiera.
There were consequences for killing a shifter with a human weapon, but he’d be damned if he let her be punished for trying to save him.
One by one the wolves fell, until the last few, seeing defeat, limped off into the darkness, tails between their legs.
Weakened by his injuries and the wolf venom, Jacob shifted back into human form, gritting his teeth as bones and sinew snapped back into place.
“Jacob.” Kiera flew out of the car and dropped to her knees beside him, breathing hard. “You’re hurt.”
“I’ll be fine.” He winced, placing his hand over an ugly gash on his side.
“What can I do?” Her fingers brushed gently across his back.
Chase lay naked on his back, moaning. “Get the first aid kit from the trunk.”
Kiera nodded and hurried back to the vehicle.
Turner hobbled towards him in human form. He picked up his shredded clothes and snarled. “I really liked this shirt.”
“We need to call this in,” Chase said, holding his head as he sat up.
“She shot a wolf.” Jacob glanced around at bloody carcasses, frowning when he didn’t see the silver wolf. “I won’t have her brought under charges.”
His lion raged at the thought of Kiera having to face the Council. She’d already been through too much.
“I get that you want to protect your mate, but if we hide this, we take a step backwards. We need to find Circe. If these were her men–”
A savage growl ripped from his throat before he could contain it. “I’m in charge. Remember that.”
Chase’s brows shot up.
“We get it, boss.” Turner smirked, stretching his shoulders, and cracking his neck.
“Why the hell did you give her a gun in the first place?”
Turner shrugged, his expression calm, almost mocking.
Kiera returned with the first aid kit. “Did I miss something?”
“No.” Jacob retrieved three syringes from the kit and tossed one to each of the men.
“Shooting a metamorph violates Therian law.” Chase ignored Jacob’s warning glance, pressed the needle into his thigh, and grimaced. “If we fight, we fight with fists or claws, not guns.”
“Then why the hell do you carry them?”
“Sometimes they come in handy.” Turner smirked, shrugging when Jacob glared at him. “She’s barely a metamorph. The Council won’t charge her. She didn’t even know the rules.”
“Charge me?” She glanced at Jacob, confused. “The wolves that attacked me outside your house shot at you.”
“I told you. Wolves don’t follow our rules.”
Kiera crossed her arms over her chest. “Then they should be shot.”
Turner laughed, but when Jacob glared at him, ready to reprimand him, he scurried into the cabin.
“I’m not sorry I did it.” Pursing her lips, she frowned up at him defiantly. “The wolf is dead. He can’t hurt you now.”
Taming Kiera (Therian Agents Book 3) Page 9
