Ruling Fire (Bad Boys Of The Underworld Book 4)

by Crowe, Mallory

  Brock spoke first. “I need to go.”

  He moved to go around her, but her grip tightened and she pulled him back to her. He didn’t need any more encouragement. His lips crashed over her mouth, and his hands jerked her body against his.

  His kiss was brutal and devastating. His mouth opened over hers and she didn’t even consider fighting him. She parted her lips, allowing his tongue to penetrate as his hands loosened their hold on her arms to skim up and over her shoulders and down her back, the soft caress at odds with his rough mouth.

  She met him with force of her own. Her hands left the blanket, now only held up where their bodies touched, to knot in his hair and pull his lips even harder against hers.

  This was no gentle seduction. This was an affirmation of life. She was alive. She found her mate. Now she would take him.

  His hands moved lower, shaping her bare bottom, and pulled her closer to his erection. Despite the jeans and blanket, his arousal was more than obvious. Continuing downward, he gripped her behind her thighs and lifted her against him, fitting her core right against his shaft.

  The rough friction of the blanket still pressed between them sent sparks of electricity shooting through Elsie. Wanting more, she rubbed herself against him, searching for the explosion she knew would follow.

  Brock held her tighter and buried his face in the crook of her shoulder as he growled with pleasure. Before she knew she was moving, he tossed her on the bed and ripped the blanket away as she fell.

  Through the darkness, she could make out Brock’s silhouette pulling his shirt over his head, and his hands went to the button of his jeans.

  God, she wanted the lights on. Now all she could do was imagine his body. The shadows of his strong stomach as the muscles in his shoulders and back rippled with every movement.

  Was he looking at her the same way she was looking at him? With hunger and yearning in his eyes?

  Brock pushed the jeans over his hips, and Elsie heard the sound of rustling as he removed his shoes. When he stood up, she knew he was just as naked as her.

  And suddenly she was terrified.

  Instinctively, she started to back away, but she didn’t make it more than a foot before his hand snatched her ankle and pulled her back to him. At the same time, he climbed on the bed, pulling her until her legs had to part to allow for his kneeling form.

  “Brock?” she asked softly. Logically she knew he wouldn’t hurt her, but her racing heartbeat and sudden urge to run wasn’t paying attention to logic.

  Apparently beyond words, he released her ankle to wrap his fingers in her hair, meeting her again for a scorching kiss. She opened her mouth for him and he nibbled at her bottom lip.

  Just as his teeth pushed just too hard, he would let up and suck away the sting. His fingers in her hair tightened, stretching her head back to allow him full access to her neck. His stubble tickled the sensitive skin as his tongue soothed.

  His free hand caressed her collarbone, moving lower to graze over her breasts and stomach until it reached the heart of her between her legs. She squeezed her legs shut and his throaty laugh told her just how useless the motion was.

  One long finger slid easily into her slick heat, and his laugh turned into a groan. “God, Elsie. You burn me.”

  She wanted to be embarrassed. They had barely kissed and already her virginal body was ready for him. Didn’t it know he was a predator and she should be afraid?

  As he continued to nibble down her neck, he hit a particularly sensitive nerve and Elsie arched her back, pushing her breasts into his chest and opening her legs wider for him. He took full advantage as he slid another finger inside her.

  The assaulting sensations forced a scream from her throat and Brock quickly swallowed it with a kiss. “Careful, mate. This is a full house.”

  Before she could digest his words, he twisted the fingers inside her to allow his thumb to brush against the most sensitive part of her. He brushed her clit in light strokes, just enough to drive her wild.

  Her hips moved frantically against his hand, desperately reaching for the release so close.

  He moved his head down to brush his lips over a pebbled nipple and Elsie lost it. Her hands shot to his hair as her world exploded behind her eyes. She held him close as she shuddered around his hand, one leg curling around him to pull him even closer to her.

  As the tremors finally died down, Brock gently removed his hand. “I’m such an idiot,” he muttered. He braced himself to lean over her, and his cock rubbed against her already overstimulated core.

  “What?” she whispered.

  “How could I have known you for two years and never even imagined you would burn so hot for me?”

  Elsie pushed herself on her elbows, ready to tell him she hadn’t exactly been crushing on him for two years, but pride took a backseat as he nudged an inch into her.

  Her elbows collapsed beneath her and she fell into the soft sheets. He followed her down, crushing her breasts into his chest.

  “This is going to hurt, but I promise I’ll make it good after that,” he assured from above her.

  “Please stop talking and start moving.” Knowing he was so close, it was impossible to imagine any pain. All she could think about, if she could even call it thinking, was getting her mate inside her. Some sort of bubbling up of all of her repressed feelings toward him over the years combined with the frantic sexual energy they’d been fighting off since he claimed her.

  Now it was time for him to claim her in every way.

  And one deep thrust later, she knew she was his. Not in the primitive way that a woman was a man’s property. But because the wolf inside her, this animalistic instinct that was still so close beneath the surface, suddenly seemed so...content.

  Well, not fully content yet. She leaned up to kiss him as he started to move. He braced himself on one forearm and ran his free hand up and down her side and curve of her hip as though he couldn’t get enough of the feel of her.

  She urged him on with her hips even as she closed her eyes to fully savor the sensations. She’d always heard the first time was supposed to hurt, but with Brock, there was no pain. No discomfort.

  Only the pure erotic pleasure of his touch.

  But then the dam seemed to break, and Elsie bit into Brock’s shoulder as her orgasm hit hard. Her entire body went rigid as her fingers twisted in the sheets.

  Brock’s breathing got faster as he held Elsie so tight against him that she was sure it would hurt if she weren’t supernatural.

  He held her tightly until his own shudders subsided, and then they both relaxed into the bed, struggling to catch their breaths.

  Elsie took the quiet moment to run her hands along the muscles of Brock’s back, enjoying the play of his muscles as he took in deep breaths. “That was...”

  Brock pressed a kiss on her shoulder. “That was amazing, Elsie.”

  She smiled even as she felt a blush creep up her cheeks. The compliment was nice, but she knew she was inexperienced. “Next time will be better,” she promised.

  He pulled back and frowned down at her. “What do you mean?”

  “Well, I, um, I’ll know more. I’ll, um, do more things.”

  He chuckled as he turned onto his side, pulling her with him so they faced each other. “I’m sure you will know more, but I’ll be the one doing the teaching, okay?”

  “And I’ll be a dutiful student,” she said with a playful smile. A smile that abruptly disappeared when she thought of something. “Um, with your wolf hearing, how many of your family knows what just happened?”

  One corner of his mouth twisted up. “Don’t ask questions you don’t want to know the answer to.”

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  Brock rolled out of bed, careful not to disturb Elsie. He’d already kept her up half the night, but he couldn’t feel sorry for that. The way she moved against him, the way she’d tilt her head back and moan: it was all burned into his memory and there was no way he would ever regret it.


  That being said, she had to be exhausted. She’d been running for a full day and she’d changed for the first time. The energy needed to change from one form to another was always taxing. In his wolf form, he wouldn’t feel it at all, but the exhaustion always crept up once he was human again.

  He wouldn’t be surprised if she slept the entire day. Grabbing some sweatpants and the first t-shirt he saw, Brock slipped from the room.

  The sun was already high in the sky, brightening the entire cabin. Lana and Gloria sat at the table in the kitchen, their conversation abruptly halted by his entrance.

  “Brock,” said Lana. “Good morning. I trust your mate is feeling better.”

  If he didn’t know better, he’d think Lana was actually concerned about Elsie. “She’s doing okay. I’m going to let her sleep as much as possible. It’s been a stressful few days.”

  Lana nodded. “She should rest. Has she been sleeping okay?”

  The question seemed innocent enough, but Brock knew the deeper meaning behind it.

  “Elsie isn’t one of us. She’s not dreaming about the queen.”

  Lana raised one brow but didn’t say anything. Gloria stepped in before Brock could get defensive. “Drop it, Grandma.”

  Brock gave Gloria a look of appreciation and his heart dropped. Her normally perfectly done black hair was a mess. Her bright blue eyes were red rimmed, with dark circles masking their normal shine.

  “Have you heard from Dani?” he asked as gently as possible.

  Gloria gave a quick jerk of her head as a no. He wanted to say something to make her feel better, but there was nothing to say.

  When Dani confessed what she’d done, he exploded. He screamed and cursed. He might have thrown something in rage, but he couldn’t remember what. Lana or Gloria must have cleaned up the debris while he was searching for Elsie because the cabin was now in perfect condition.

  Dani had cried and begged for forgiveness before screaming right back at him. She said the monarchy was stupid and no one should have ever put him in power. Eventually she grabbed the keys to Russell’s pickup and drove off.

  Brock and Russell had been too busy coordinating the search for Elsie to give much concern to the teen who almost got her killed. But that was two nights ago.

  Now they had no idea where Dani was or who she was with. She hadn’t even called her mother to let her know she was okay.

  “She’ll call,” he said weakly. In all honesty, he’d been hard on her. She’d deserved his rage and knew better than to deal with Derek. Father or not, she’d been warned her entire life about his character. Dani deserved to be screamed at.

  That didn’t make Brock feel better now that the family was fracturing apart.

  Gloria nodded in acknowledgment, but she didn’t look too hopeful.

  Russell’s loud footsteps sounded on the stairs and Brock was grateful for his brother’s presence. Russell understood him. He didn’t have a mate of his own, but he understood the urges and possessiveness that went along with the claiming. He might not be Elsie’s biggest fan, but at least he would have Brock’s back.

  “How is our newest wolf?” Russell grabbed a cinnamon roll off the counter.

  “Sleeping it off.”

  Russell nodded good morning to Gloria and gave Lana a quick and respectful kiss on the forehead before he turned back to Brock. “How long has she been able to turn?”

  “She said last night was the first time. She wasn’t expecting it. I get the idea her mother left a lot out when telling her about her ancestors.”

  “Sounds like a wonderful family you have mated into.” Lana smiled.

  Brock shook his head at his grandmother. “I have known Elsie for years. She is one of the smartest and most capable people I’ve ever worked with, not to mention the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen. Believe me when I tell you that mating her was the best decision of my life.”

  He didn’t give Lana a chance to insult Elsie anymore before he walked out into the warm spring air.

  He took a second to remind himself he loved his grandmother and regain his composure. The screen door banged shut and he looked over his shoulder to see Russell. “Don’t let her get to you, man.”

  Brock shook his head. “It’s not just her. It’s everyone. You aren’t exactly her biggest fan. Lana hated her on sight. Gloria will never be able to look at her the same after what Dani did. Hell, besides me, Dani was the only one of us who liked her.

  “Why? Elsie’s amazing. What is it about her that drives everyone crazy?”

  Russell thought about it for a moment before he answered. “I think it’s just too sudden. Mom and Dad were together fifteen years before they mated. Not until he was sure she would survive the queen’s curse. Not that she did, but he was convinced she would survive. We didn’t even know you were seeing anyone before you brought us your half-dead mate last week. You can’t blame us for being skeptical.”

  Brock shook his head at the explanation. He knew Elsie’s introduction had been sudden, but she didn’t deserve the cold reception.

  “None of you gave her a chance,” he said, knowing it was too late to ease Elsie into his family.

  “She’s smart. She’s strong. She got away from Cullen in less than a day and managed on her own and fought through the exhaustion to make it back here. That says a lot about her character. It’s only a matter of time before Lana sees that.”

  Before Brock could thank Russell for his support, the crunching of a car moving up the driveway had Brock and Russell both turn to the noise.

  Without a word, they both sprinted to the approaching vehicle. Before it stopped, Brock’s stomach dropped. It wasn’t Dani.

  The sporty red Mustang braked within inches of Russell’s prized Porsche and Brock heard Russell growl at the threat to his baby. The driver’s door opened; a high heel and well-shaped calf emerged.

  Russell wasn’t swayed by the image as he aggressively took a step forward. Brock grabbed Russell’s arm, halting his progress. “Stay back,” he whispered.

  “Give me one good reason.”

  “That’s Elsie’s mother.”

  Rebecca emerged fully from the Mustang and looked to Brock with a big smile on her face. “Brock! Welcome to the family, son!”

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  Elsie sat across from her mother in the rustic-looking cabin and couldn’t help the feeling of wrongness that filled her. Her mother’s big and wide-brimmed black hat sat between them on the table as her recently manicured nails drummed on the wood. Her white silk blouse accentuated her thin figure, and her black pencil skirt and heels belonged nowhere near the Connecticut woods.

  Elsie tried to look reasonably styled. Her jeans were perfectly fitted and made her legs appear a mile long. Her shirt might not be silk, but it was a good cut and the pink and brown pattern was feminine and flattering at the same time.

  Even so, she couldn’t help but feel inadequate next to Rebecca’s polished poise.

  Elsie didn’t waste time with small talk or greetings. “Why didn’t you tell me I’d turn into a wolf?”

  Rebecca cocked her head at that. “A wolf? You turned already?”

  Elsie took in a calming breath and clenched her fists. “You knew and you didn’t tell me. Didn’t I deserve to know what I was getting into? Are you some type of vampire now?”

  Rebecca looked away from Elsie and to the window that overlooked the lake. “Would you believe me if I said I was protecting you?”

  Elsie scoffed at that. “I would believe you if you said you were protecting yourself.”

  Rebecca looked back at Elsie, the hurt obvious in her eyes. “Go ahead and think whatever you want. Everything I’ve ever done was to protect you.”

  Elsie just stared and waited for Rebecca’s explanation.

  “It’s true that a siren can take on her mate’s traits and abilities after bonding, but it doesn’t always happen. From what I’ve seen, the stronger the bond, the more the siren will change.”

&nb
sp; Rebecca fingered the hat in front of her. “I can barely go out into the sunlight anymore and can influence mortals in ways I never imagined possible.”

  “I thought you only bonded with Roman because of his power.”

  Rebecca narrowed her eyes. “I had multiple reasons. But I always liked him. I have always respected his intelligence and power.” Rebecca averted her eyes back down to the table. “Etta hasn’t shown any signs of sensitivity to sunlight. She can’t even open a jar without Max’s help.”

  Elsie mulled that piece of information over. “You’re saying she and Max aren’t a good match?”

  “I’m saying it doesn’t look promising,” she admitted. “Maybe I should have told you what to expect, but I didn’t want to burden you with the added pressure. It’s hard enough to know you’ll die unless you get an immortal to fall in love with you. At least Etta believes she and Max will be in love forever.”

  Elsie shook her head at her mother’s logic. “You aren’t even going to tell her she made a mistake?”

  “What good would it do?” hissed Rebecca. “She can’t leave him. He’s addicted to her. He might not be able to stand the sound of her voice, but he will never be able to live without her. That is our gift and our curse.”

  “Etta lived with you. You knew Max. You must’ve known they weren’t a great couple.”

  Rebecca shook her head. “You know I wanted both of you to marry well into the vampire council. If Aleksander weren’t married, I’d want you to be queen. But I wouldn’t want you to be stuck in an unhappy pairing.”

  Elsie pushed herself from the table and walked away from her mother, unable to take her excuses any more. She stared out the window at the peaceful lake, wishing it was doing something to calm her. But she couldn’t run at the moment, so she turned back to her mother. “Stop talking about wanting the best for us. All you cared about was making a powerful match for us. Don’t pretend different.” Rebecca opened her mouth to protest, but Elsie cut her off. “I know you lied in the book. You never said a thing about a kiss starting the bonding process.”