by Kimber White
“Mine,” he said. “You’re mine. Say it.”
“Yes. God. Yes. Yours.”
“You belong to me. Only me.”
“Yes! Please!”
I drew my legs up and wrapped them around Mal’s hips, drawing him in even deeper. He growled again. Battle sounds grew even closer. Then a voice cut through the ecstasy and exploded in my brain.
I’ll kill him, bitch. You’re mine.
I squeezed my eyes and tried to shut Asher out. “He’s close,” I gasped. “Mal, hurry, he’s still in me.”
A guttural cry ripped from Mal’s throat. “I’m in you! Look at me!”
Mal tore his fingers through my hair and jerked my head, forcing me to look at him and to shut out Asher’s voice. “Look at me! Keep your eyes open, understand?”
I gasped and nodded. Mal had reached the edge of his own release. He was a man still, but for his eyes. His pupils widened, the irises turned gold and widened. The whites disappeared.
He threw his head back and I felt the first thick jets of his seed shooting deep inside me. Oh, he was so hot. So hard. And there was so much of it. On and on he came, filling me, drowning me in him. He slid his hands under my buttocks and lifted me higher, angling me so he slid even deeper, almost to the point of pain. And still, he had more seed to spill. I never knew one man could fill me so full.
Then Mal arched his back as the last of his orgasm drained into me. Something happened then. He seemed to grow even thicker and longer inside me. I tried to thrust against him but somehow, he held me fast. His dick filled me so completely, it seemed locked inside me, like we could never uncouple. I couldn’t move.
Panic filled me as the wolves drew closer. Asher still called to me but he didn’t seem able to form words anymore, his rage boiled so hot.
“Mal,” I cried. “Mal!” I thumped him on the back. He had to let me go. They were coming!
He didn’t seem to hear me. Mal was frozen in place, every muscle in his body went as rigid as his cock. I tried to buck and thrash beneath him but his thick cock stayed impaled in me. We were going to die like this if he didn’t do something!
I pulled at his hair and clawed at his back. Something shifted inside me again. His seed burned hot and then suddenly I knew. Ages ago, Tucker had said something to me. He said mating was different than fucking. I didn’t understand it at the time but now I did. Mal would stay locked inside me until his seed took root.
A strange calm rose within me once the panic subsided. I let my body go slack. There was nothing else I could do. I exhaled. We might die here like this, but at least Asher couldn’t reach me. I could still hear him, but the compulsion I had to respond to his commands was gone. Mal’s presence rose up and took its place.
Finally, Mal’s eyes sparked to life again. A slow smile lifted the corners of his mouth as he looked down at me. Something fluttered deep within me and I knew.
The timing couldn’t be worse. The circumstances were nearly absurd. But there, in the middle of Mammoth Forest, Kentucky, with a pack of enemy wolves about to tear us to shreds, Mal’s seed did take root. I knew it on instinct.
Mal leaned down and gave me a quick kiss. There was barely time for anything else. Then he slid out of me and turned me.
“This will be quick,” he whispered at my ear. “But it has to be now.”
I nodded and gathered my hair, piling it on my head with one hand, I bared the back of my neck. Mal wasted not another second and leaned down to bite me. His wolf fangs dug into my tender flesh quick, sharp, and deep.
Then, we rose together just as one of Asher’s wolves burst through the tree line, hell bent on murder.
Chapter Forty-Nine
“Stay here,” Mal said. He turned and shifted, going from man to wolf in less than a second. Black fur sprang forth from his flesh and he dropped low to the ground. His back arched, his bones broke and reknit. He looked back at me with those fierce golden eyes and snapped his mighty jaw once. Then he bounded around me, heading for the danger.
A large, red wolf I’d never seen burst through the trees. He wasn’t one of Asher’s or Mal’s. But, he was an enemy. He took a great leap, spanning the thirty feet between him and Mal. Mal rose to meet him in mid-air, tearing into the red wolf’s flesh as the two of them came down. I took a step back and pressed my back against a large poplar tree. Asher still called out to me, but his voice held no power. I knew with time and distance, I wouldn’t be able to hear him at all.
I grabbed my shirt and pulled on my jeans quickly. I should have been scared. The red wolf meant to tear Mal to pieces and me next. But, I never doubted Mal. He had everything to live for. I felt his pulse beat steady and fast. The bond between us began to knit. Bloodlust coursed through his veins but something else did too . . . joy. He knew just as I did what just happened between us. On instinct, I laid a protective hand over my womb and the tiny organism that had just sparked to life there.
Mal had the red wolf on the ground. The red wolf pushed Mal backward with tremendous force that sent Mal flying. Earth and leaves sprayed around him as Mal skidded to a stop and lunged for his attacker again. The red wolf was ready. He reached up and landed a deadly blow with his paw across Mal’s snout. But, Mal was quick to recover. The two wolves raised up on their hind legs and went for each other’s throats again and again.
The wails, howls, and menacing barks of a great many smaller battles filled the air. Asher’s pack was in retreat and headed back toward the trailers and our location. Mal sensed it too. With his tail high, he lunged toward the red wolf’s throat. This time, he struck his mark. The red wolf’s throat opened up with a sickening, wet sound. He gave one last high cry then slumped to the ground as blood spurted from his neck wound with such force a stream of it landed across my face. I wiped it away in horror.
Mal turned back to me as he shifted again. Fueled by adrenalin and bloodlust, he seemed to feel no pain from either the new scrapes and bruises he’d sustained in battle or the stress of the rapid shift.
I meant to take a step toward him when my head filled with bone-crunching agony. My hands flew to my own throat as it felt as though my own flesh had just been rent in two. It was phantom pain though. One of Asher’s wolves had been taken down. Though the connection was fading, I could still feel Asher’s pack.
Brennan.
I felt his life leech out of him and shivered from the cold he felt as blood poured from his neck wound.
“They’re coming,” Mal said, his voice more growl than human. “That wolf was from one of the Kentucky packs. They’ve sent reinforcements.”
In that moment, I understood the desperate courage it must have taken for Mal and the others to venture this far away from their Michigan homelands to find me. Four more wolves came bursting through the trees, their voices high and sharp as they announced themselves. My heart nearly stopped, but I recognized one of them.
“Jake,” I fell to my knees with relief. Sweet, sweet Jake. His light brown fur matted against him as blood seeped from an angry wound at his shoulder.
Three wolves flanked him. One red like the one Mal felled. Two gray. They were familiar to me though I could not remember their names.
“Sebastian,” Mal said, answering the question I hadn’t given voice to. Sebastian. Tucker called him Bas. He led the Wild Lake pack far north, closest to the Canadian border. Bas dipped his great, red head low, his blue eyes filled with keen intelligence as he regarded me.
“There’s no more time,” Mal said. “Asher can still track her.”
Bas let out a chuff and pawed at the ground. He gave a quick bark to Jake and his own pack members then nodded back toward Mal. Then he rolled back on his haunches and leaped forward, running past me with blistering speed. His two silver pack members followed close behind.
Jake lingered for a moment. He came to me and nuzzled against my leg. I reached down to lay a hand on his soft head.
“Go,” I whispered. “Get far away as fast as you can.”
Jake left, leaving Mal and me alone once more.
“Are you all right?” Mal asked me.
My heart tripped. I didn’t love him. Not yet. My heart still belonged to Tucker, but everything else belonged to Mal now. He came to me and put a hand over my stomach. He knew. Just as I did.
“I’m fine. Let’s get going.”
Mal kissed the top of my head and put his hands on my upper arms, pulling me toward him. Heat coursed through me and my heart pounded. Spots swam in front of my eyes and gooseflesh covered me at his touch. Even now, if he wanted, I’d lay down for him again. I felt as if I could never be fully sated.
I wanted him. I wanted all of them. My Alpha’s mark flared hot at the nape of my neck and sent a wave of desire through me, settling low in my belly then spreading to a throbbing point between my legs. But this time, the mark burned for Mal.
“You mean everything now,” Mal lowered his head and whispered against my temple. “I think you always have.”
I nodded slowly. Asher was coming. He moved toward us with frightening speed. There was no more time. Mal couldn’t stay here a second longer. With Brennan gone, Asher’s pack numbered six now. And there was no telling how many Kentucky wolves the Chief Pack had sent. Mal could never hope to hold them back.
I looked into his eyes, dark as coal. I would follow him anywhere now, but I still had a condition. “Asher, I want him dead,” I said. “For what he did to Tucker and what he wanted to do to me.”
Mal swallowed hard and nodded. “You have my word.”
I reached up and traced a line with my finger along his strong jaw then pressed my thumb against his lips. Heated blood zinged through me. A shudder passed through Mal that let me know his own urges threatened to overtake him. He was after all, a full-blooded Were standing close to a woman still in full heat.
As Asher called out to me with his mind trying to make my body turn toward his, as Mal’s eyes filled with passion and the urgency of the threat, and with my own heart pounding with the gravity of my decision, I clasped my hand in Mal’s and squared my shoulders.
“Let’s go,” I said. Then Mal lifted me off my feet, threw me over his shoulder, and ran so fast it felt like flying.
Chapter Fifty
We made it to the main road with Asher and his wolves hot on our heels. The moment we burst through the tree line, two wolves appeared at the top of the hill on the other side of the highway. My blood froze in fear for an instant before I recognized them.
Reed and Barrett with their nearly twin brown coats and blazing dark eyes. They threw back their heads and howled their welcome in unison. Then, they ran down the hill and met us at the Jeep Mal had parked near an overpass.
“Are you okay to drive?” Mal asked.
“Aren’t you going to get in with me?”
Mal shook his head. “I’ll have Jake ride with you. If he needs to shift it’s better if you’re behind the wheel. I need to be on foot. Just in case any of the other packs get close.”
I knew why. The rest of Mal’s pack was strong, but Mal was by far the mightiest. Though it put him at maximum risk, he had the best chance of killing anything that got close enough to threaten us.
“Give me the keys,” I said, breathless.
Mal nodded. “Under the visor. Head north to Dayton. We’ve got friends just over the Ohio border. They’ll provide a safe harbor for the night. The GPS is already loaded with the address. Watch the speed limit. We can’t afford to have you stopped. Until we cross the border, we can’t trust anyone.”
Jake ran out to the road and shifted. He opened the back of the Jeep and threw on some clothes. He grinned from ear to ear as he slid into the passenger side and waited for me. I smiled back and reached over to squeeze his arm.
Mal grabbed my hand as I turned to get into the Jeep. His skin seared mine and for a moment, I wished we were alone. “Be careful,” I said. “All of you. I know what you risked to find me. I need you safe.”
Reed and Barrett rose up on the hillside. Then, they lowered their heads and let out a howl that tore at my heart. God, how I’d missed them.
“Try not to think about Asher,” he said. “Until you get some distance, he’s still hardwired to you. Don’t give him any help. I’m banking on the fact the Kentucky packs won’t follow him if he tries to cross the border. But, we killed two of their members tonight. They won’t let that slide forever.”
No sooner had he said it, then I felt a presence coming fast toward us through the trees. Mal sensed it at the same time I did and shifted. Though it may have been foolish, I ran behind him and got between him and the enemy wolf. Because for me, this was not my enemy. It was Luke.
Chapter Fifty-One
“Stop!” I put my hand up and grabbed a tuft of fur at the back of Mal’s neck. He turned on me, growling.
Get back to the car. Stay out of this!
And with that, a new connection between us formed. He could communicate with me telepathically, even after he’d shifted. It had been like that with Tucker in the end.
“Luke,” I said, turning to him. He pressed his ears flat and pawed at the ground. I wanted him to shift so I knew he understood every word I said. But, with Mal standing at my side, baring his teeth, Luke would never risk it.
Luke was alone. At least I hoped. Asher seemed far away.
“Luke is a friend,” I said to Mal. Even as I said it, I started to appreciate the horrible risk Luke had taken to confront us. As his Alpha, Asher could hear Luke’s thoughts, if not see exactly what he did at this very moment.
“Come with us,” I said. Mal growled low as I took a step toward Luke and put a hand on top of his head. “You belong at Wild Lake.”
Luke pawed the ground again and swung his head. His wide eyes blinked and I could read the torment behind them. Asher was still his brother. I knew enough about pack rules now to understand his conflict. He could challenge Asher outright, but he couldn’t betray him by joining an enemy pack. Not again. The latter course could be seen as an act of cowardice. He might never be trusted again.
I cradled Luke’s snout with my hands and leaned down, touching him nose to nose. “I believe in you. Your mother believes in you. If the day ever comes, you know you’ll have my support. Be safe.”
Luke reared back and raised his head. His howl rent the air and seared down my spine. Mal pushed his snout against my leg.
We’re out of time. Go!
He raised his head toward Luke, underscoring everything I’d just said. As Luke turned and disappeared back into the wilds of Mammoth Forest, I prayed I’d see him again one day.
Mal directed a sharp bark at me.
“Going!” I said, climbing into the driver’s seat.
Jake reached over and snapped my seatbelt. “Let’s roll!” I nodded and put the car in gear.
“Run very fast,” I yelled out the window to Mal. He stood in the center of the road behind me as I pulled away. I watched him raise his head to howl a warning from my rear view mirror as I hit the gas and headed north.
Chapter Fifty-Two
I prayed Mal was right. Hopefully, the Kentucky Chief Pack wouldn’t sanction any further raids to follow us tonight. I mourned the loss of Brennan. I hadn’t gotten close to him as I did Luke and Dax, but I couldn’t help but feel he was but one more victim of Asher’s poisonous vendetta against Tucker and the Wild Lake packs. His death was a waste.
I drove under the light of a full moon. Adrenalin fueled me. Something else did too. It had only been a short time since Mal and I mated, but I felt my strength grow almost to the point that I felt like I could run and keep up with Mal and the pack, though I knew that was impossible.
Asher had gone quiet in my head but I feared that was only temporary. There would be fallout from the battle deaths tonight. Perhaps Asher had to deal with that before he could train his focus back to me. With any luck, I could put hundreds of miles between us in the meantime. I didn’t know how far his pull would carry.
“Are you sure you
’re all right?” Jake said. He put a hand on my knee and my skin flushed from his touch. God, I needed to get someplace safe and soon. And I would need Mal again very soon.
A thousand emotions bubbled up inside me. Relief for having finally won my freedom. Sorrow for the loss of Brennan. Rage at Asher for what he’d done to Tucker and to me. Wonder at the rapid changes happening within me. And lust that simmered low at the presence of another member of my pack and knowing my mate ran nearby.
Something else brewed that seemed to light me from within. My every sense was heightened. Colors seemed more vibrant and faceted. The scents from the woods to my right assaulted me. The sour stench of decaying leaves, the tart scent of a deer relieving itself just a hundred yards beyond the tree line. The chirping call of a flock of geese flying overhead. I felt Jake’s steady heartbeat too. I shook my head to try and tune it all out. I hoped in time I’d get better at filtering the cacophony of noises all around me.
“It’s just been a lot,” I said. “I’ve missed you.” I reached down and clamped my hand over Jake’s. Of all of them, I’d felt the closest friendship with Jake. He’d become like a brother to me.
“We’ve got a long drive. Tell me what to expect when we get back to Wild Lake.”
I took my eyes off the road for a second to look at Jake. He cast his head down. “First we have to make it there. The Kentucky packs have sent raiding parties all along the Ohio border. One even went as far as Hidden Forest last month. Like Mal said, we’re hoping the fallout from getting you out of there will keep Asher busy for a while.”
My heart tripped. Jake wasn’t doing much to instill confidence in me. He made me realize this rescue mission was far from over. I couldn’t bear to think of anyone else getting hurt on my account.
Then, something else tore through me, making my blood simmer. Asher gave chase. He was miles behind us but still coming. He wasn’t going to make it easy. I shut down my thoughts, knowing instinctually if I tried to call out to him, it would be easier for him to pinpoint me. I reached out and turned on the radio, blaring some soulful country western song.
