“Correct.” Her father nodded. “The first full moon after their twenty-fifth birthday. That’s this weekend.”
“I see.” He turned to Sydney. “Happy birthday, gorgeous.”
Her eyes were hooded when she looked at him. “Thanks.”
Yep, her heat was returning. His spine stiffened with the sensation. She needed him. He wasn’t going to let this go on much longer.
“You’re sure, all these years later, it’s the Garto who is killing your women? It’s not, say, Thaddeus over there pretending to be the Garto?”
Her brother jumped to his feet. “I’ve never killed anyone.”
Hayden nodded. “He’s not lying. Kid can’t cover for crap. He hits little girls to shut them up. No killing. Too cowardly.”
Thaddeus was two seconds from knowing the wrath of Hayden. Savage turned to Tobias. “Someone else then.”
“I’ve seen it.” Tobias dropped to the couch, tears springing from his eyes. He wept in his hands. “I’m sorry, Sydney. I’m sorry I have to give you to that thing.”
“Dad….”
He cut his mate off. She was not going to make this okay for her father. In all of his many years, Savage had never seen a male weep like Tobias did unless someone had died. Sydney was still alive. She would remain breathing for some time to come.
“It’s this huge, giant beast. Bigger than any werewolf I’ve ever seen. Snarling, drooling, red-eyed. It tore into Praxil’s girl with one swipe before it ate her. Then it stared right at me. Before it walked away. I swear it was smiling. If you take her, it’ll come to San Francisco and get her.”
Behind him, Max snarled, which immediately started the entire group of his wolves doing the same.
“Nothing would get to her in San Francisco.” Max bared his teeth. “The Alpha’s mate will never come to harm. We are strong. We take care of each other.”
Savage looked at his men. “Thank you.” He nodded and then held up his hand for them to stop. “We’ll stay here. Until Full Moon. Then I’ll kill it.”
Sydney’s family gasped, almost in unison, which might have been amusing if the situation weren’t so bad.
“You can’t kill it.” Her father looked up from his hands. “It’s a creature that has always been. Like the Moon or Lily and the Alpha Wolf. You don’t kill the Garto. It kills you.”
“Nothing kills me.”
****
Making arrangements to get the family’s guesthouse set up for him and his men had been fast. Hayden had gone to call Chelsea and to let his pack know he would be in Idaho through the Full Moon. If he’d wanted to leave, Savage would have understood. His brother had rolled his eyes at the suggestion. The Alpha from Phoenix was calling again—pushy ass for a possible Alpha Prime—and Hayden went to check on him, too.
When things were ready, and the family understood they were to stay away from the guesthouse, Savage sent his men into town to get supplies. He’d added twenty-two people to the Dyke’s large farm. As wealthy as Sydney’s family seemed, the new arrivals were a lot more mouths to feed. He wouldn’t be a drain.
The five-bedroom cottage would work fine for them. His men would sleep in shifts, alternating between guarding Sydney and managing pack business from afar. Savage needed to figure out how to kill a Garto or whatever the damn thing turned out to be
He believed in the Moon as well as anyone else. Simply having Sydney come into his life showed there was destiny at play. But the Garto? No, he couldn’t get his head to accept such a creature. Whatever was killing the first female of every family right after her twenty-fifth birthday was not an unkillable creature of legend. It was something that would bleed and die. By his hand.
Sydney passed out in his arms as he walked to the guest house. All of it had been too much. When he got her to San Francisco, he was spoiling her. No stress. Nothing to worry about for years and years if he had his way. Savage climbed the stairs quietly and set her down on the bed in what amounted to the master bedroom of the house. He couldn’t wait to get her to their home overlooking the ocean.
When she woke up, she’d be at full blast. He could smell her need. With a few things to do, he left her asleep.
He picked up his phone and made his way downstairs. The person to call was unfortunately Beaux Nelson. The call might be the last time he ever spoke to the other Alpha outside of battle. Beaux had aligned with Alexei. Savage never would. He could still remember the summer on one of Lucian’s farms when Alexei had attacked a wounded Hayden for fun. Savage had gotten to the clash almost too late. When Alexei had walked away from the near dead younger Hayden, the asshole had been laughing.
Over his dead body would San Francisco swear allegiance to Alexei.
Beaux answered on the first ring. “Savage.”
“Beaux.” He stared out at the crop fields in the distance. Idaho was beautiful. He’d bet it was gorgeous in the summer. Not that he intended to visit much.
“What can I do for you?”
As the gateway to Lake, his Healer Prime mate, Beaux Nelson must spend his life shielding his mate from all kinds of interference and pain.
“I’m hoping you can help me with a problem.”
“If you need Lake, you’re going to have to come to Montana. She’s not travelling right now. You may not have heard, she’s expecting.”
Was the entire world breeding? He tapped his foot. And what was with that phrase? No one said pregnant anymore?
“How great.” He walked into the kitchen. Whoever had designed the houses—both the guest and main one—had been considering function not decoration. Everything was so entirely bland. Where was the color?
“Thanks. So should I put you down for a visit?”
“No.” He shook his head, not that Beaux could see. “I need your expertise, not Lake’s.”
“Really?” Doubt sounded in Beaux’s voice. “What can I do for you?”
“What do you know about the Garto-Wolf?”
Silence met his query before Beaux finally answered. “Are you kidding?”
“Wish I was, cousin. Wish I fucking was.”
****
“Hot.” Her own voice woke her and Sydney sat in the bed. It took her a moment to realize she was in the guesthouse main bedroom; then Savage appeared in front of her.
He set a glass of water next to the bed on the small stand, which held the lamp before he climbed over the bed and settled atop her. Having his large weight press down on top of hers should have made her warmer, but it didn’t. Immediately, her insides settled.
“Hi.” He ran his pointer over her nose. “Pet.”
“What?” She smiled at the contact. His face so close, she could finally admire the stubble on his chin and the small cleft the whiskers slightly covered.
“I’m calling you Pet. It’s going to be your nickname when we’re alone.” His words made her feel soft inside. She’d never had a nickname before. “Are you clearheaded so we can talk for a moment?”
“Yes.’ She cupped the side of his cheek and then realized what she’d done before she pulled it back. With no permission, she had grabbed the Alpha of San Francisco. Granted, he was her True Mate but she really didn’t know how these things worked. Savage took her hand and put it where it had been.
“Touch me all the time. Whenever you want to, Pet.”
“Okay.” A giggle formed in her throat. “What did you want to talk about?”
“Sex.”
Her throat felt thick. “Okay.”
“I might be really off base here. Stop me if I am. Have you never had sex?”
She shook her head. “No. We wait for True Matings. Good Werewolves honor the Moon and wait for their Mates. Since I was never to have one, there would be no sex for me. Hence, my ill-thought trip to San Francisco.”
“Your father is under the impression we met in Boise. Apparently you were there two days ago.” He raised an eyebrow. “I will never tell him otherwise. Your trip to my city was the best thought-out thing ever.”
> “I don’t know why I thought I could have sex in your club the first time.”
“You wanted relief from this. You would have gotten it there. But I’m so glad you didn’t. This is my gift to give you.” He sniffed at her neck and she shivered. When he raised his eyes to meet hers, his dark brown ones were dancing with amusement. “You still smell fantastic.”
“By the Moon, I really said that to you.”
He smiled. “Yep. I’m going to bite you. Mark you. Right where I sniffed. It’ll show our True Mating. Bind you to me forever. If you’re not ready, if you’d like to know me better, to be sure of things, I can still make you feel better. Just differently.”
Sydney ran both her hands from his face to his chest. “I never dreamed of a True Mating. You might only have me a week.”
“I’ll have you forever, Pet. My True Mate will not be dying at the hands of a beast, mythical or otherwise. Friend of mine who believes in nearly everything from the oral histories, and didn’t even remotely believe in the Garto Wolf, is sending me some stuff. It’ll be here tomorrow. Consider the Garto dealt with.” He scrunched up his nose. “I don’t want to talk about the Garto. I want to talk about your blue eyes.”
“What about them?” She’d never had a conversation about her eyes before.
Savage moved forward before he leaned down and kissed both of them. “They’re so beautiful.”
“Stop.” Her cheeks had to be red.
Savage raised an eyebrow. “I see you can’t take a compliment, which means I am going to have to give them to all the time until you can know I mean it and say thank you.”
“I’m not used to being concerned with the physical. We’re spiritual, Moon-bound beings. My body is for my True Mate’s—that’s you—pleasure. Nothing else.”
He cocked his head to the side. “In all of this repression, you’ve never snuck a touch, concerned yourself with your own pleasure? Even once?”
“I tried to.” She couldn’t believe how easy Savage was to talk to about things she usually found humiliating to even think about. “Last night. I tried to imagine they were your fingers there. Only it didn’t work.”
He smiled, the wolf showing in his eyes for a split second. “Of course not. You met me. Your body wanted the real thing. I bet in a couple of months, if you want to touch yourself, it’ll work. Because you’ll know you can have me anytime you want and sometimes you’ll only want you.”
“Why would I only want me?”
“For fun.” He sat up. Reaching into his pants pocket he pulled out a condom. “No babies. Not yet. Okay?”
She did not want to die by the hand of the Garto wondering if she was killing an unborn baby, too. Although Savage assured her she’d live, better safe than sorry. They had only met each other the day before.
“Works for me. My mom spent her whole adult life pregnant. I’m not ready to start the cycle, unless you insist.”
“I’ll never insist. On anything except your safety.” He kissed her, their lips meeting for the first time. Her first kiss. And he was so gentle. Different than she’d thought he would be. His lips were firm, yet his press on hers was light and easy. Her heat flared to life with renewed vigor, and she didn’t care. His kiss held promise, and she took his unspoken words of fulfillment.
Ever so achingly slowly, he deepened his embrace. His breath was sweet, and the whiskers on his face didn’t burn where they touched her cheeks, rather tickled and stimulated her senses which were already on alert.
He pulled away slightly. “When I press on your mouth, open a little.”
He kissed her again. She closed her eyes and gave into the heat moving between them. He wasn’t unaffected, his body felt harder above her, even though leaning on his elbows, he did not crush her. When he pressed on her lips, she did as he asked. His tongue swept gently against hers and Sydney moaned.
He must have liked the sound because his hips moved, grinding into her slightly. She moaned again, spurred on by his movements to want something she couldn’t define. Sydney knew how sex worked. She hadn’t had a clue it would be so intense.
“Is it always like this?” Her voice was breathy. “Or is it the heat?”
“I’m sure the heat is playing a role on you.” He pressed his forehead to hers. “I am usually so controlled. Every moment pre-determined. In all things in life. Since I’ve met you, that hasn’t been the case. Apparently here as well. I didn’t mean to grind into you like I did. Think of it as me being so lost to you I can’t control myself. You need to tell me if you don’t like something or it hurts. I’ll rein it in. I have the strength. For you I do.”
“I…” She kissed the bottom of his chin because it was there. “I liked the grinding.”
“Yeah?” He moved his hips, giving her a jolt of pleasure when he did.
“Yes.” Her breasts were hard, and her clothes stuck to them, making her want to rip them off. “I want to be naked. I don’t think I’ve ever said so before, yet I do.”
Savage nodded. “I want you to be naked too.” He pulled away until he sat on his knees staring down at her. “I hate your clothes. You are getting a whole new wardrobe and your red hair should never be in those braids. I want it like I saw it when you first came to the club, down your back in streams of waves I can run my fingers through.”
“My parents want their daughters to be modest.”
“Okay.” He smirked, which she loved. “You’re not only their daughter anymore. You’re my mate. You tell me you want those braids? I’ll get used to them and come to love it. By the end of the year, half the female members of my pack will imitate the look. I don’t think you do, though. I think you dressed like you wanted to at the club.”
She sat up, undoing the buttons on her blouse. Only her hands shook, making the job hard. Savage leaned forward, taking over the job.
“I dressed as I could afford. Saved months for those clothes. Snuck money from the rainy day drawer. I don’t know what I would have bought if it could have been anything.”
His grin exploded. The jolt of happiness pushed citrus through his scent. Whatever she had said really made him happy. “Then we’ll have to find out. Try a million clothes on you until you tell me what you love.”
“Ah…okay.” Sounded like a plan. Savage pulled the elastic from her hair, undoing her braids. In a few seconds, he had her hair completely free.
She kissed him. Hard. Much stronger than any of the caresses he’d given her. Her hair was undone, her blouse was free and the tearing sound told her Savage had rid himself of her skirt. Except for her undies and bra, she was naked. More exposed than she had ever been in front of anyone else ever. Even she and her sisters turned their backs on one another when they dressed.
Kissing him was addictive, and the more she did, the more frantic she became. Savage let go slightly, taking his mouth from hers. She whined, trying to get him back, and he shook his head. “I want to look at you, pet.”
“I….”She nodded. “Okay.”
Savage should see what he’d gotten. In clothes she could disguise some of it. The curves, the rolls here and there, the places where she didn’t look anything like the females in his club.
“You’re so beautiful. I….” His words trailed off. “Your skin, your curves, by the Moon, your breasts. I want to feast on your body. You were made for my pleasure. I want to touch all of you all at once.”
“I wasn’t sure. I mean, the women at your club were all shapes. Most of them didn’t look like me.”
He waved his hand in the air. “Every woman is beautiful. You’re my female. You’re lovelier than any of them could ever hope to be. You redefine the word. They don’t have one strong enough to describe how gorgeous you are.”
Tears slipped from her eyes, and she hadn’t known she held them away. “Thank you.”
He narrowed his gaze. “I don’t like gratitude particularly when it’s unearned. All I am doing is speaking the truth.” He kissed her tears away. “I never want to make you cry.”
“They’re good tears.”
Savage pulled his shirt over his head. “Put your hands on me, pet. I want skin-to-skin with you. And your bra, that white thing you’re wearing…I’m getting you lingerie I pick out. I love white. I wear it all the time. With your skin tone? You should be in pastels. I’ll pick out what you’ll wear underneath every day. While I’m working, whatever I’m doing, I’ll know you’re wearing the bras and panties I got you. It’ll keep me hard all the time.”
He stood and unzipped his pants. His boxers were a deep red and matched the color of his tattoo—wolf’s eyes. Sometime she would ask him why they were red. Watching him get naked took her mind off any and all questions.
Savage started to pull off his boxers.
“Stop,” she whispered. “Can I?”
The very idea of getting to free him, to take him in her hands, made her mouth water.
“Would it give you pleasure to do so?” He cocked his head to the side when he asked the question. She got on her knees and reached until she could stroke his neck muscle.
“I wouldn’t have asked if it wouldn’t. Unless it’s somehow not okay?”
“Everything with me is always okay, if it brings you pleasure. There will never be no. There will never be shock. I want you to know. This is us joining today. When the time comes you want something, anything, from me in bed, even if it seems forbidden, you need not worry. I’ll give it to you, Pet. You’re mine. I will make all your dreams come true.”
She’d dwell on what he meant later. Instead of thinking, she reached into his boxers and pulled out his erection. He hissed in his breath and let her slip his boxers off with her other hand. Finally, they were both naked. The heat inside her surged until every nerve ending in her body stood on edge.
“Savage.” She stroked him once from top to bottom and moaned when he grew harder in her hand.
He kissed her on the lips. “I know what you need. I’m going to give it to you.”
Chapter Five
Savage couldn’t wait to find all the ways he would pleasure Sydney. They had a lifetime for him to show her. At present, he needed to take care of her heat. How she had been saved for him he’d never know. Somehow he would endeavor to be worthy of her, so she never had any regrets.
Alpha Enticing (Fallen Alpha Book 3) Page 5
