Wolfsbane [Dark Hollow 5]

by Shannon West

  “Damn, I feel like a prisoner.” He caught an intense gaze from Brett and flushed a bit. “I’m sorry. I love you, and I don’t want to leave. It’s just that it’s all so new and strange.”

  “I know it’s a lot to get used to, honey, but give it a chance. Lie down here beside me and rest until dinnertime. We’ve both been through a lot in the past day or so. You’ll feel better about things once you’ve settled in.”

  Evan allowed himself to be pulled down beside Brett, but he wasn’t too sure about getting used to things and feeling better about them in a few days. As a matter of fact, he already felt a little stir crazy. Brett rolled over and put a heavy leg across his thighs and snuggled his face into Evan’s neck. His lips brushed softly against his throat. A feeling of such passion and love for the man swept over him that it left him a little shaken. Well, damn.

  He snuggled in a little closer to Brett, feeling Brett’s large erection brushing his thighs. Maybe he could get used to some of it after all.

  * * * *

  “I’m going to help Logan with the self-defense training for the other pets. Please, Brett. Marco has approved the training, and it’s for the good of the pets. I’m going to go crazy sitting around here doing nothing all day.”

  Brett folded his arms over his chest and frowned. “So if you’ve made up your mind, I guess it doesn’t matter what I think about it.”

  Evan stood his ground, glaring back at Brett, only dropping his gaze when it became clear Brett was growing more irritated. “Of course it matters! Please, Brett. I don’t want to fight with you over this, but I don’t want to sit at home like your little bitch.”

  Brett drew back, astonishment on his face. “I never said that! I never treated you like my bitch, for God’s sake!”

  “No? What about how you acted when I got that letter from Eric last week?”

  Brett pressed his lips together and narrowed his eyes, saying nothing.

  When Evan sent his mother a letter letting her know he was okay and telling her where he was, he got back two replies, one from his mother and one from his former lover, Eric. Brett had been furious, throwing the letters down on the sofa beside him and glaring down at him.

  “Who the fuck is Eric?”

  “What?” The name still made him flinch a little, and of course Brett picked up on that immediately.

  “Who is he? What is he to you? Where the fuck do you know him from? Why is he writing to you?”

  “Wait a minute, Brett, give me a chance to answer! He’s an old boyfriend and I have no idea why he’s writing to me.”

  “Open it. I know you’re dying to find out.”

  “You mean you’re dying to find out.” He blushed a little when Brett growled low in his throat. “Please calm down. I don’t want to open it with you looming over me. Go sit over there on the chair and I’ll see why he’s writing.”

  With a long, warning glare in his direction, Brett went over to the chair and plopped down in it, leaning forward a little.

  Evan shook his head, by now used to these little displays every time another man so much as looked at him. He’d found it best to try and ignore Brett until he finally realized what an ass he was being and apologized, wanting make-up sex. This was the tactic Evan was using now.

  He opened his mother’s letter first and read it eagerly, scanning over it to see if his family had suffered any retaliation of any kind from the Hunters. They were fine, if worried about him, and his mother was full of questions about when she could meet this new man in his life and whether or not he was being treated well. Apparently the Hunters had notified her of his “kidnapping” and made her think he was in the hands of a killer, so her relief at knowing he was fine came through loud and clear, with only a hint of skepticism. She told him she’d feel better when she could talk to him and see him in person so she could make sure he wasn’t being coerced to say he was all right.

  While Evan was reading his mother’s letter, he was aware that Brett was fuming and fidgeting around in his chair. He had to admit he loved the fact that Brett was so damn jealous of him. Eric had never seemed to care much one way or the other. Evan sort of enjoyed making Brett suffer just a little, but he knew he was pushing it a bit. Later, when Brett took him to bed, Brett always made sure to leave no doubt in his mind about exactly whom he belonged to.

  Deliberately dragging it out as long as he could to make his man suffer, he took another sip of his soda before finally opening the letter from Eric. Evan could almost feel the waves of fury emanating off Brett.

  “What do you mean by an old boyfriend? In high school? Or more recently? Was he your lover?”

  “Yes, Brett, he was my lover up until about six months before you and I met. I did have a life before that, you know. I wasn’t a monk. Eric and I were together for about a year and then he cheated on me.”

  “So he left you? Does that mean you still have feelings for him?”

  “No, baby, I don’t have feelings for him at all. As intense as you are, I don’t have room in my head for anybody but you.”

  “You’d better not,” Brett mumbled, still glaring across at him as he read his letter. The letter only expressed concern for him, saying he’d read in the newspapers that he’d been kidnapped by some kind of homegrown terrorists, and was so relieved when he’d called Evan’s mother, and she’d told him the truth. He gave him his new cell phone number and asked him to call. He hinted that he had an exciting new job, and he’d love to tell him all about it.

  Evan looked up from the letter and over at Brett. His handsome face was creased with worry. “What is it? What did he say?”

  Evan tossed the letter over to him, not wanting to cause him any more pain. “Nothing, love. Nothing at all. Read it for yourself, and then throw it in the trash. I have no interest in his phone number or anything else he has to say. You have nothing to be jealous about, and you know it.”

  Brett caught the letter, jammed it in his pocket and came over to wrap his arms around Evan. “I’m sorry—I guess I can be a little jealous sometimes.”

  Evan laughed out loud. “You think?”

  “I’m just so crazy about you—I can’t get enough of you, no matter how many times we make love. I love you so much, baby.”

  “I love you too, sweetheart.” He put his head back and let Brett claim his mouth. Brett pushed him down on the sofa and started pulling at his jeans. Evan smiled, knowing Brett had to reclaim his mate whenever his jealous rages overcame him. Since Evan usually got fucked into the nearest available surface whenever that happened, he wasn’t complaining too much.

  Brett pulled his own jeans down, freeing his cock and pressing it against the length of Evan’s. He bent to push Evan’s mouth open, scraping his teeth against his mate’s hot tongue. Brett pushed Evan’s shirt up and began working his nipples, one at a time, licking and biting. His hand moved down to massage Evan’s balls, not roughly, but not exactly gentle. Their cocks continued to rub together, driving Evan wild with desire.

  All of Evan’s senses felt filled up with Brett. His mouth was being attacked, his cock stimulated and his balls still being massaged by Brett’s talented fingers. He felt like he was drowning in a flood of sensations.

  Brett pulled his head back from Evan’s mouth long enough to whisper, “Lube?” It took Evan a couple of seconds to process what he was asking, and then he nodded. “Um, on the end table, I think, where you left it last night.”

  Brett reared up and reached behind him, finding it and squeezing some onto his fingers. He began to rub it over his cock, knowing Evan was watching, taking his time. He bent down and lifted Evan’s leg, setting his calf on his shoulder. He leaned in then and spread the lube slowly over Evan’s sensitive skin. He slipped in one finger, teasing it in and out as Evan bit back a moan.

  “Feel good, darlin’? Right there? Hmmm? How’s that?”

  “God, Brett,” Evan groaned hoarsely. “Are you going to fuck me or talk me to death?”

  “Maybe a little of bot
h if you don’t watch that smart mouth.” Brett chuckled and pushed in another finger deeply, working it in and out. Evan flinched at the invasion of two fingers, and Brett pressed up, searching for his sweet spot again. He found it and Evan arched up with a deep guttural sound.

  “Gettin’ tight again, sweetheart. I might have to make you wear that plug again for me.” He slid his fingers in and out at the same time he palmed Evan’s cock, drawing his hand down over the length. He slid his thumb over the slit and Evan began to spurt, straining for breath and coming all over Brett’s chest and his own stomach.

  Brett milked Evan’s orgasm, pumping his cock with his other hand as he guided his cock to his entrance and slid inside. His cock went in deep at the first thrust, then slowed down, sliding all the way in with a slow stroke and then pulling back out, setting up a rhythm that drove Evan crazy. “Harder. Do it!” Evan urged him, and after only a few strokes, Brett came with a deep groan, pulling Evan closer and then collapsing on top of him.

  He lay there for a few moments, his body between Evan’s strong thighs, his head on his chest, trying to get his breath. He levered himself up and nipped at Evan’s nipple as he rose, causing him to jump in surprise. “Damn it, Brett. You’re such an asshole.”

  Brett turned him over and slapped his butt three times in rapid succession.

  “Ow!” Evan cried out.

  “Apologize or you’ll go over my knee, smart ass.”

  Evan rapidly swallowed down the sharp retort on his lips and looked over his shoulder at him as meekly as he could.

  “I-I’m sorry, Brett.”

  Brett leaned over and kissed and licked the red marks on his skin. “You know you love it,” he said, moving toward the bathroom to get a warm washcloth.

  Evan sighed deeply, still feeling the burn and ache on his tender ass and the boneless, languid feeling that he’d just been well and truly fucked. “Yes, I do,” he said quietly. “God help me.”

  Evan came back to the present, and looked back over at Brett, who was standing beside him brooding quietly as Evan pulled out his new camo outfit and his boots from the closet.

  “This is such bullshit, Brett. I’m doing this thing, and unless you plan to lock me in this room, you need to just go back to work and let me get ready.” At the look on Brett’s face, Evan took a backward step. He made himself drop his gaze. “Please, Brett.”

  “If I thought locking you in this room would do any good, I’d have already done it. Don’t push your luck, Evan. Go ahead with this if you must, but if you get hurt, don’t complain.” Brett turned and strode toward the door without even saying goodbye to him.

  He’d never left him before without kissing him goodbye, and Evan felt a momentary twinge. However, where this training was concerned, he had to reassert himself and not let Brett get away with his shit. Being jealous and possessive was one thing, but trying to control him and tell him what he could and couldn’t do was quite another.

  “I’m training with Logan, starting today, Brett. I won’t get hurt,” Evan called after him.

  Brett turned at the door and started to say something and then apparently thought better of it. He tightened his lips though and thrust out his jaw belligerently. “If you do, don’t come crying to me.”

  Evan rolled his eyes. “They’re pets, Brett—mostly women and children and a few young guys, not sumo wrestlers. How the heck am I going to get hurt?”

  “Just remember what I said.”

  “Oh, I definitely will. No crying to you—check.”

  “Smartass. I think your friends are a bad influence on you.” Brett growled, turning on his heel, slamming the door behind him and leaving Evan alone in their room. Evan turned wearily back to the closet and started getting dressed in a pair of camos that Logan had sent over when the door suddenly opened again and Brett marched over to him and pulled Evan in his arms, leaning him back so far Evan had to stick a leg out to keep his balance. Brett kissed him so hard he left him breathless, then still holding him in the same position Brett growled at him again. “Damn you.”

  He straightened him back up and stormed out of the room again, leaving Evan blushing and smiling, shaking his head. Life with Brett was always interesting. Most days now, Evan felt like he was walking a tightrope between wanting to please Brett and wanting to just be himself. The two didn’t always match up very well.

  Once he finished dressing, Evan went out to the little training area Nicky made Marco set up by the side of the lodge. Nicky and Evan were already there, along with about twenty-five young men and women, all dressed in their new green and tan Woodland camo outfits supplied by the pack. They were standing around laughing and joking until Logan stepped forward.

  Logan had changed greatly since his days as a Hunter, and Evan had seen plenty of pictures of him during his time in training with them. They used to use him at the Hunter complex as a kind of warning of what could happen to you if you were captured. In the pictures he’d been a nice-looking, fairly buff young man of average height and size. Now the man who stood before him was more than just good-looking. He was downright movie-star gorgeous. He was much bigger too, lean in the stomach and waist, but his chest and shoulders were larger, and he seemed to have grown a couple of inches. He looked tougher, like the kind of man you wouldn’t want to face in a fight.

  Nicky stood behind him, and despite the fact that his face was as beautiful as a girl’s, with long, thick eyelashes and all that curly, golden blond hair, he, too, had a body that was manly, toned and muscular. They looked like Hollywood extras or models. Evan wondered if he would look like that one day. The doctors had told him he’d get bigger and better-looking once he was mated to a wolf, and now he was beginning to believe it.

  Logan fixed the crowd of young people with a serious look. “I know most of you are here because the alpha told you to come, but this is serious business. No one wants to become a victim of violence, but we’re at war with a smart, relentless and determined enemy. They want you and the wolves annihilated, wiped off the face of the earth.” He looked around to see if his message was being taken seriously and saw that it was. A few of them were chewing nervously on their lips and were standing closer to each other.

  “The leaders of The Hunters have decided the best way to do this is to fight us with feral creatures. As you may have heard, Nicky here, our alpha’s mate, once became such a creature because he went without blood too long. This is the method they intend to use on you if they can catch you. And make no mistake, they’ll be after you.” He fixed them with another hard stare and continued. “So why is it that these predators, these Hunters, are so successful against people like you? They rely on the fact that you tend to think of them as having already won. You can’t defend yourself against someone that’s already succeeded in your mind, and if you’re concerned at all with your attacker’s well-being, you’ve already given him the only advantage he needs to win. Raw, unadulterated violence is the Hunter’s best weapon, because it terrorizes your mind as well as your body.

  “This is not marital arts. There’s nothing pretty about what we’re going to teach you. Prepare yourself to get down and dirty, and you’ll walk away with your life. Are you guys ready to get started?”

  Evan found himself nodding right along with the rest of them. Damn, this sounded like fun. Logan had already been teaching Nicky some of these techniques, and he’d asked for Evan in this first training class because of his former training. He knew it would kick in once he’d learned a few of these techniques, and he could be a big help.

  He wasn’t kidding about the violence of the techniques, though. Over the next hour, Logan showed the pets how to gouge, kick, stomp, and generally maim any attacker foolish enough to try something with them. He was aware that a few of the wolves had gathered to watch from a distance. When they broke for a few minutes, he spotted Brett coming up to stand beside Casey. The two of them exchanged a few words, and Evan noticed the disapproving looks on both their faces.

  Nicky
came up beside him and followed his gaze with a smile. “They don’t like it because they think we might use some of these techniques on them.”

  “How can they be so shortsighted?” Evan said with a shake of his head. “Can’t they see how this can help them in the long run?”

  “No, they can’t,” Nicky replied. “It hurts their pride for them to admit they need any help in protecting their own mates. Kind of a slap in their faces, you know? Marco hates it too, but he’s smart enough to know he has to let us train for the good of the pets. Plus he made a promise to me, and he won’t go back on it.” He slapped Evan on the back and followed his gaze over to where Brett was staring at him. “Don’t be too hard on him. This is all really new to them, and they do just want to protect us. We have to show them they’re wrong. Prove it to them so they’ll understand.”

  “How do we do that?”

  Behind them, Logan said “An exhibition fight, maybe? To show our skills?”

  Nicky shrugged. “Fight who? If we fight against each other, they wouldn’t be impressed. If it we fight against some of them, and they lost, they’d say it was because they were afraid they’d hurt us so they pulled their punches and let us win.”

  Evan spoke up. “What if we fought against our own mates?”

  Nicky held up a hand. “Hell, no. I did that once, and never again. He took it as a challenge to his leadership and told me if I didn’t submit to him, he’d lose the respect of the pack. So I had to get down on my knees to him and totally submit. Even offer him my throat. Not pleasant. Especially since I thought at the time that he might rip it out.”