Gorgon's Vengeance (Demons on Wheels MC Book 2)

by Ravenna Tate

  Behind her and Rai, Donny’s men, the other members, prospects, dancers, and sweetbutts cheered the three Brothers as they punched and kicked Brad. It was both sickening and glorifying to watch. The sounds of breaking bones and the smell of blood engulfed her. Chloe put a hand to her mouth and retched, but nothing came up. Sweat broke out all over her body, in addition to goosebumps.

  Getting sick will be worth it. The thought both horrified and delighted her.

  “He’s not moving anymore,” said Vassago, glancing around. Everyone had gone quiet. The only sound was heavy breathing. Vassago nodded once, and the two men Donny had sent to guard their club against the threat from the Outlaw Dogs came forward.

  “We’ll take care of it from here,” said one. “You know how to get the blood off the floor?”

  “Fuck.” Vassago snorted, as if asking him the question was ridiculous. “Of course we do.”

  “The car he drove here is still parked out front,” said Rai.

  “We’ll take care of that,” said Tannin, placing a hand on Vassago’s shoulder. “Won’t we?”

  Vassago’s grin sent nasty shivers down Chloe’s spine again. “No one will ever find him or that car.”

  Gorgon glanced around, spotted Chloe, and walked over to pull her into arms. “It’s over now.”

  She sucked in a huge breath again, but this time couldn’t stop the tears. Gorgon held her while her body continued to shake, and she cried like she would never stop. He led her out of the kitchen and into his office, where he sat down and cradled her on his lap like one would do with a frightened child.

  “It’s all right now.” He repeated it over and over, while he stroked her hair and sweat-soaked back. Finally, she was able to breathe normally.

  “He’s dead.”

  “Yes.”

  “How high does someone have to be to use a tornado to break inside this place and try to kidnap someone?”

  “As high as he was. I love you, Chloe. No one will ever hurt you again.”

  “I love you, too, Billy.”

  It was really and truly over. Brad was gone. Forever. And the man she loved more than life itself had saved her from him. Chloe’s past would never again hurt her, or hold her prisoner.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Later that evening, Chloe was finally able to walk back into the kitchen without breaking out in a cold sweat. She and Meghan were cleaning up after dinner, when tinkling laughter from the hallway sent them both peeking around the corner.

  “You were really brave when that guy broke in.” Kayla gazed up into Mastema’s eyes with a lust-filled look on her face. Chloe and Meghan exchanged an astonished glance and moved back a bit so they wouldn’t be spotted. “And that storm was so scary.”

  “I’m not afraid of them,” he said.

  “Well I am.”

  Mastema brushed a finger along Kayla’s face. “Guess I’ll have to stick close to you when the next one comes so I can keep you safe.”

  “Maybe we should practice that now? The sticking close to me part.”

  When Mastema leaned down and kissed Kayla, Chloe clamped a hand over her mouth and Meghan did the same. The two had to move into the pantry to laugh and whisper about the change in Kayla’s attitude so they wouldn’t be heard.

  ****

  After the dishes were done and it had grown dark outside, Chloe walked the south parking lot with Gorgon, Tannin, Rai, Vassago, and Donny. After he’d heard what had happened, he’d invited himself over for dinner. Rai and Chloe had whipped up Rai’s eggplant parmesan. It was a favorite of Donny’s.

  “We lost some shingles from the roof,” said Tannin, “but that was the worst of it. The funnel wasn’t on the ground when it passed over us.”

  “Glad your bikes are okay,” said Donny. “We had nothing but wind and thunder out where I live.”

  Chloe didn’t ask where Donny’s men, Tannin, and Vassago had taken the body or the car. It was better not to know.

  “This shit with the Outlaw Dogs won’t be over for a while,” said Donny. “But I’ve asked Vito to work with me on helping them figure out what they want to do.”

  “That’s generous of you,” said Vassago.

  Donny waved his hand as if swatting a fly. “It’s just business, mio cugino preferito.”

  “Will Howler have to serve time?”

  “No. That’s been taken care of.”

  Chloe shivered at the finality in his words. This man had just learned that three Brothers beat a man to death in their kitchen, and yet here he was, strolling leisurely through the parking lot and talking about making manslaughter charges disappearing.

  But this was their world, and she couldn’t imagine being anywhere else, because the man she loved lived in it.

  Chloe slowly realized that Donny was watching her carefully. When he stopped walking and gave her a big smile, she almost asked him what the fuck was going on. “Sei incita.”

  Chloe glanced up at Gorgon, confused, but Rai gasped and put a hand over her mouth.

  “Are you sure?” she asked Donny.

  “Sì. I have the gift. Got it from my grandmother.”

  “What?” asked Chloe. “What did he say?”

  Rai hugged her. “He said you’re pregnant.”

  Chloe stared at Donny, then Rai, then Gorgon. Jesus Christ. Were those tears in his eyes? “Oh my God.”

  Everyone laughed, clapped, and took turns hugging her.

  “I have one of those kits,” said Gorgon. “Bought it last week. We’ll use it in the morning to be sure.”

  “Okay.” But if she was being honest, she didn’t need it. She’d already known, just like Donny did.

  Chloe hugged Gorgon until everyone walked back toward the building, but she still didn’t move to follow them. “Are you really okay with this?” she asked.

  “Jesus, Legs. Are you fucking kidding? I’m fucking over the fucking moon happy!”

  “You know, our kid is going to come out swearing like a drunken sailor.”

  “Yeah. He will.”

  “She will.”

  “Whatever. As long as it’s healthy.” He kissed her, shoving his tongue into her mouth. Chloe had never been this happy, or felt this safe. Everything was going to be all right. The shit with the Outlaw Dogs would work out somehow, and in time, she’d forget the sickening crunch of Brad’s bones breaking, and the smell of his blood filling her head.

  The man she loved had saved her in every possible way, and now she would spend the rest of her life with Gorgon, and have his children. And she would make sure, every single day of their lives together, that he knew how very, very much she loved him.

  The End

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  BONUS SAMPLE CHAPTER

  THE ALPHA’S TABOO MATE

  Blood Moon Lynx, 1

  Ravenna Tate

  Copyright © 2016

  Prologue

  One thousand years ago, in an unholy alliance, a male lynx shape shifter and a female vampire became lovers. Both knew their mating was forbidden, but their desire for each other was too great to ignore. Under a blood moon, they mated. The lynx bit the vampire woman, marking her as his mate. The vampire in turn bit the male lynx shifter, marking him as hers forever.

  But then the lynx took a human female as a lover, betraying the vampire and pack law. When the vampire discovered his infidelity, she struck out against the two, but in the end couldn’t kill her lover. The human female and the lynx turned on the vampire. While she slept in her coffin during the day, they drove a stake through her heart. Unbeknownst to them, in doing so they turned the vampire’s ma
rk of possession on the lynx into a powerful curse that affected his descendants for all eternity.

  Despite centuries of mating with other female cat shifters, the male lynx shifters still have vampire blood in their DNA. Because of this, they possess powers that include being able to see minute details at great distances, and being able to travel with tremendous speed while in partial or full shifted form. Their powers are strongest during a blood moon. When they mate with a human, however, the offspring possess enhanced negative traits such as greed and contempt for the pack and its laws.

  As the legend of the unholy alliance grew into a myth, fewer cats believed in it, thus exposing all the packs to dangers that still lurk today…

  Chapter One

  Canyon Benedict knew Fiera Kent was his mate. An alpha knows his mate, after all. Every male child in their packs learned that fact before he learned to hunt with a bow. Respecting their mating law was sacred. It was the lifeblood of their entire existence. Without it, they might as well stay in human form and mix the bloodlines, ignoring their true nature until their shifter DNA no longer existed.

  As they made their way toward the narrow part of the river where they could safely cross, Canyon squeezed Fiera’s hand. “We’re almost there.”

  “Why don’t you want to talk in your home, or in mine?”

  “This cabin is my family’s secret. My father, my uncles, my grandfathers, and my great-grandfathers have all used it as a place to get away from everyone and everything. It’s a retreat for an alpha and his mate, even if the only time alone together they can manage is one night.”

  The cabin was on a small island near the shore, but only accessible over the water. Canyon had been there before, and mere days ago he’d marked the shallow place where it was safe to cross with stones in a pattern only he would recognize. The water would help mask their scent, and serve as a barrier to keep others away.

  Fiera gazed up at him, her beautiful blue eyes filled with trepidation. He knew the reason for that, too. But soon, the reason for her fear would be in the past. Fiera was his mate and no one else’s.

  “Canyon, taking me there to talk won’t change anything.”

  As the filtered sunlight shone through a break in the clouds, Canyon stopped walking and held his breath to admire the beauty it cast on Fiera. Her dark hair sparkled like sun-dappled water, and her eyes were as blue as a summer sky. Mating with her for the first time was all he thought about. It had defined his existence for years now.

  “Have you changed your mind about me, Fiera?” He brushed her hair with one hand, and the gesture caused his cock to spring to attention.

  Fiera was an extraordinary girl. Correction… Fiera was an extraordinary woman. She was all grown up now, and Canyon wanted her more than ever. He had to fight with every ounce of willpower not to simply take her here on the forest floor. She was his mate, after all!

  “Everything is complicated.”

  “Hawke and his family are in Port Angeles all day, and they don’t know about this cabin. It’s the perfect spot for us to talk about everything and settle this, once and for all.”

  At the mention of Hawke’s name, her eyes clouded with fear, which didn’t surprise him. “You make it sound so simple.”

  “It is. Trust me.” He squeezed her hand again. “They can’t hurt you, Fiera.” His heart raced and his skin grew taut as his alpha lynx senses kicked in. He sniffed the air, searching for the scent of others, but there were none. He and Fiera were alone. “I won’t let them.”

  Being alone wasn’t an easy thing to accomplish in pack life. By the time they reached puberty, they were keenly aware of the presence of all living creatures within half a mile or more, and it was rare that no other shifters were close by. But Canyon still wouldn’t feel safe until they were indoors.

  When she averted her gaze, the hair on the back of his neck prickled. “You don’t know what you’re saying. Hawke’s family can hurt anyone in our village. They’ve been doing it for years. And the Elders have turned a blind eye each time.”

  “That’s because every time a family makes a complaint against the Medinas, they retract it before the Elders can thoroughly investigate.”

  “And why do you think that is? Fear.”

  “You are my priority today.”

  He knew this woman was his mate, and that’s why he needed to be alone with her. This was the perfect time, while the Medina family was out of the village. It was his intention to persuade Fiera to mate with him once and for all. After they did, Hawke could do nothing.

  “Once we settle things between us, we’ll deal with the Elders and their complacency.” By bringing Fiera here without first having their official ceremony, Canyon was breaching protocol, but he didn’t care. How else was he supposed to handle this situation? Hawke Medina had forced him to take drastic measures.

  “Canyon, what can the two of us do against an entire family?”

  As Canyon placed a hand on each side of Fiera’s face, he reflected that simply touching her like this made the urge to shift so strong, he had trouble controlling it. “You are my mate. We both knew it, even before the Elders declared it so three months ago.”

  “And even that hasn’t mattered to Hawke. He has defied them.”

  Hawke had come forward and announced to Fiera’s family and to his own that he’d chosen Fiera. Canyon had filed a formal protest, and the Elders had sided with Canyon because Hawke had never declared his intentions for Fiera before that day. But Canyon had. Loudly, to anyone who would listen.

  “Hawke has defied them because he’s using you for his family’s agenda. Fiera, Hawke is not your mate. He never was. We only have one, and you’re mine. You can’t be his, too.”

  The tender look on her beautiful face made him want to shout for joy. “I know that. A female lynx only has one mate, and you’re mine.”

  “That’s right. Exactly. We both know it. Our village Elders have declared it so. And I’m not about to let a fucking leopard with human blood in his mother’s family try to claim you instead.”

  “It’s more complicated than Hawke simply wanting me as his mate.”

  Every fiber of his being ached to touch her all over. He wasn’t about to let Hawke and the Medina family’s jealousy and greed screw this up for him, or for Fiera. He had made up his mind, and he wasn’t turning back. As far as Canyon was concerned, this was set in stone.

  “It’s not complicated at all. I’ve waited ten years for you to come of age, Fiera.”

  Longing and desperation filled her eyes. “I know you have.”

  “Do you remember the first time I saw you? You were only five years old.” Canyon had just turned fifteen, and with one look at Fiera, he knew. She was his mate. Once he turned eighteen, though, he still had to wait for her to come of age.

  “Of course I remember it.” She smiled.

  “Then you haven’t changed your mind about me?” She was his. She belonged to him, and he wasn’t going to stand by and let another male take her from him.

  “No.” Fiera shook her head. “I haven’t changed my mind, but you don’t understand.”

  Pack law forbade any male from claiming a female as their mate until that girl’s eighteenth birthday. Fiera had turned eighteen three months ago. This should have been a done deal already. He and Fiera should have mated, and perhaps she’d even be with child by now.

  “What is there to understand? You’ve said it yourself. We’re mates. There’s nothing standing in our way to make this official.”

  Pack law was still pack law. Even the Medina family was bound by it. You don’t step in at zero hour and pull the rug out from under another alpha, no matter how far up a human’s ass you lived, or how much wealth and power your family had accumulated because of it. Since Hawke refused to obey the decision of the Elders, Canyon had to take matters into his own hands.

  A birdcall made Fiera jump. That wasn’t like her. She loved being outdoors. Canyon took her hand again. “Come on. We’re almost there.
”

  “I don’t like not feeling safe out here alone anymore.” Her voice came out in a near-whisper, filled with sadness that made him see red. She glanced around, and Canyon actually saw her shiver.

  Hawke’s family was in deep with the human business community because of his half-human mother, Nanette. Nanette’s family owned several businesses that were known for hostile takeovers of rivals.

  The Medina family used bullying tactics and threats to get their way on nearly everything that affected pack life in their village. Canyon wouldn’t be surprised if they were threatening Fiera’s family as well.

  There had been rumors for over a year now of companies trying to take over the Kent family’s business. Canyon and his father believed the Medinas were behind that. Canyon intended to discover the truth behind those rumors as well.

  “It’s not right at all that you no longer feel safe outdoors or alone,” he said. “So let’s do something about it.”

  When she nodded and squeezed his hand, they continued their journey across the water. Once they were inside the cabin, Canyon lit a lamp. After locking the door, he watched Fiera. She still looked nervous, but not as much as she had outdoors.

  Once it had become apparent that Hawke wasn’t going to abide by the Elders’ decision, Fiera had begun avoiding Canyon. Since it had never been like her to do that, Canyon had known something was very wrong. He’d refused to believe she’d changed her mind about him, so that only left one explanation—Hawke.

  “Come and sit beside me.” He took her hand again. Tonight, if all went as he hoped, this cabin would be the place where Canyon finally marked Fiera as his own. Once he did, the Medina family would be powerless to use her and Hawke would be powerless to claim her.