“Marley!” They both yelled.
She shrugged her shoulders and lay back down. “Well, now that I’ve made myself clear, I’m going to bed. If either of you are interested, you can both join me. If not, I’ll see you in the morning.”
“Cole? It’s up to you. I could use your help punishing my wife for her blunt mouth.”
She looked up as Cole pulled off his shirt. The muscles flexed while he stalked to the bed. Her whole body engulfed with heat while Zachary pulled his shirt off next to her.
“Oh yes, I’ll help punish her. She’s going to learn to be nice. Even if it means we make her beg repeatedly. Tonight, Marley’s going to get a lesson in obedience.
Chapter 12
Zachary pinned Marley’s wrists over her head before she got the chance to even consider what they might have in mind to do with her. The rhythm in her chest deepened with anticipation as Cole crawled onto the bed. His face came to rest inches from hers while he stared into her eyes.
“I’m going to enjoy this, Marley.”
Cole brushed his lips against hers gently. When she tried to kiss him back, he pulled away. The rip of her gown sent shock waves throughout her body and caused her nipples to harden instantly.
Warmth from Cole’s tongue ran over the tip, teasing it in circular motions. The need to run her fingers through his silky hair, to bury his face more in her breasts became unbearable while he sucked and nibbled.
“Let me feel him, Zachary. I need…”
Zachary’s lips covered hers, cutting off her words. His grip became tighter while he pulled her hands higher over her head. A moan came from deep in her throat at his taste. She could feel Cole working his way down her stomach, searing a trail of fire right to where she wanted him.
“What you need to do is learn to behave yourself,” Zachary said against her lips. “We can keep this up all night long. It would be my pleasure to torture your pussy for hours on end. I want to feel your cum explode over my tongue while I have it buried inside of you.”
A loud knock on their door had them all pausing and looking in the general direction of the interruption. Her husband was instantly off the bed, wearing only his black silk pajama bottoms. Cole slid his shirt on while Marley ran and shakily grabbed her robe. When everyone was dressed Zachary opened the door.
“I’m sorry to disturb you, but I’m looking for Cole. Someone said I might find him here,” a voice whispered through the small crack he allowed.
Marley peered around him and caught site of Josephine’s face. The blood in her body began to boil at the way the twit was looking at her husband’s body. Her eyes shot to Cole. “Go tell your mate to quick ogling my husband, and then get her the hell out of our house. I swear, Cole, you better be right about her.”
“What do you mean? I already took her home.” He peered off to the side, looking around Zachary.
“Well, she’s back!” Marley growled lowly.
The door shut as her husband turned to them. “Cole, Josie wants to talk to you. It would seem she got in a fight with her aunt, and she was kicked out. She has nowhere to go. I told her we wouldn’t mind her staying a few nights here until she gets on her feet.”
“What! Wait, you told her what! She’s twenty-four and she still lives at home? I told you something wasn’t right.” Marley stalked toward the window to hold in the scream of frustration trying to claw its way out of her throat.
“It’s just a few nights, Marley. She has nowhere to go.”
Just as she turned, Cole disappeared through the door. Dammit! Now what in the hell was she supposed to do? She had been really looking forward to the three of them picking up on where they had left off so long ago.
“Zachary, I’m sure she has friends or family. Why come here? You can’t make me believe she has no one else. That’s ridiculous. I need some air. I’m going to the garden.”
“But it’s dark outside. After what happened this afternoon, I’m not so sure I want you out there alone. I’ll go with you.”
Angrily, Marley led the way out of their room and through the house. Cole and Josephine were nowhere in sight. The moment she stepped into the darkness of the night, her eyes focused amazingly. Every little detail came into view.
The heat of Zachary’s arm wrapping around her felt comforting. She leaned into his warmth, encircling her arms around his small waist. The smell of the pack weighed heavily in the air as they entered the gardens.
“Are they pulling patrol tonight?” Marley looked into the distance for a view of someone walking around.
“Yes, we’ll continue to until I feel we’re safe. I want this person caught. Just the thought that something could have happened to you today…” He paused, turning toward her to make eye contact. “There’s no way I can live without you. You and Demetri are my life. If I lost either one of you, I’m not sure what I would do.”
Lightly placing his lips against hers, Zachary kissed her tenderly. When he pulled back, he bowed and gestured for her to lead the way forward. A giggle passed through her lips at his actions. He always knew how to make her smile.
She walked into the gazebo and stopped in her tracks. Josephine’s body lay half way on top of Cole’s on the same sofa they had made love on not days ago. The rage that began to rush through her pushed all of her breath away. Zachary gripped around her arms powerfully from behind. The shock of someone touching her almost made the anger worse, but she couldn’t tear her gaze away long enough to think much of anything.
“Cole, do you think you could break it up long enough to take the make-out session somewhere else. You know this is Marley’s favorite spot.”
Her husband’s tense voice only put her on edge even more. Cole looked up dazed, his eyes connecting with hers. He stood up so fast Josephine fell to the sofa.
“Marley, it’s not what you think.”
Two steps were all Marley had taken before she noticed Zachary’s grip tightened incredibly stronger. Somehow, she dragged him without even realizing it. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath, trying to calm down. She’d never been this hostile before. Cole needed a mate. She had to accept that this bimbo might be it.
“Just don’t bring her to my spot anymore, Cole. I thought you would have more respect than that.” Marley’s hand raised, stopping Cole before he ever had a chance to speak. “Just go before I do lose my temper.”
“Come on, Josie,” Cole said quietly, leaving them.
She couldn’t watch them go. If she had to look at the girl’s face just one more time Marley would explode, and probably into a werewolf.
“Are you all right?” Zachary walked around to face her.
“No,” Marley said, eyeing her sofa, close to tears. “You know he’s buying me a new couch, right? I will not get back on the thing now that she’s tainted it. Truthfully, I’m not even sure I want to be out here anymore.” Pausing, she heard the words pouring out of her mouth and felt terrible. “Zachary, why do I dislike her so much? I’ve never been this bitter toward any particular person before.”
“Let’s go for a walk through the gardens.” He held her against him while they drifted between two hedges trimming the walkway. “I think with your change you’re very territorial. It’s natural for an alpha to react that way. You feel the need to fight and prove to everyone or one particular person that something belongs to you. In your case, it’s Cole. To you, he’s yours. Possibly because you marked him, or it might just be because he’s been a big part of your life.”
“It makes sense, I guess. But how do I stop feeling this way?”
“You don’t. Your instincts are what’s going to make you a good leader. Maybe not as full leader of the pack, but I think we should work together with running it. You’re an alpha, Marley, which means you’re strong and your intuition is going to be supreme.”
“Then why doesn’t anyone believe me about Josephine?”
Zachary sighed, pulling her closer. “It’s not that I don’t believe you. I just think your feeling
s toward Cole are interfering with your better judgment. It’s too early for you to be able to tell the difference.”
His words were abruptly cut off. A howl sent chills down Marley’s back. At the pitch, she could tell it was a distressed call. Someone was in trouble. Her mind reacted on impulse. She felt herself practically flying out of the garden and across the expanse of land between the estate and the forest. She was positive her husband was right behind her.
Insects began crawling over her skin, and her body acted automatically. The back of her calves flexed, and Marley sprung through the air, morphing and exploding into her wolf form. No pain, no broken bones, just the acceptance of what she felt inside for the first time since Jordan told her what flowed through her blood.
Chapter 13
Zachary joined her in wolf form just as she burst through the trees. His presence put her at ease, but she could hear the howling growing louder while she weaved her way through the thick foliage.
Two wolves moved in behind them as they pushed forward into the darkness. Surprisingly, Marley saw perfectly clear through her wolf eyes. White paws kicked themselves forward while she looked down toward the ground. The fact that her legs were white only registered for a split second before she heard the high pitched yelp. All the hair on her body stood on end.
“Marley, stay by me,” Zachary’s words pushed into her thoughts.
Momentarily startled, she nearly stumbled. “You could have warned me you communicated like this,” she snapped in her mind. His voice had scared the shit out of her.
“Sorry, love. Come this way.”
He cut off to the left, and she and the other two wolves followed. They all skidded to a stop, Marley skidding into human form, at the sight of Colt’s dead body sprawled across the leaves and pine needles.
The debris cut into her skin along the right side. She hadn’t meant to turn back human, but the shock of the dead body triggered her shift. The warmth of fresh blood covered the side of her leg and robe. It still amazed her that the clothes never got ruined in their shifts.
Slowly, she crawled toward Colt’s lifeless body. His throat was completely missing, and she had to swallow the bile that tried to work its way out.
“Colt, oh, Colt, what happen to you,” Marley cried, burying her face in the barely-twenty-year-old’s shirt. She had just seen him earlier at dinner. How could someone go from laughing to dead in such a short amount of time?
Zachary nuzzled his nose into her neck. She knew she needed to stay alert, but knowing one of the pack risked their life and died to protect everything they stood for caused a mix of emotions to run through her. Knowing someone so close to her had been harmed in such a violent manner and was left to lie out here in the dark forest saddened yet enraged her.
Marley stood angrily and picked up Colt’s body like it weighed nothing. “I’m taking him home where he belongs. One of you watch my back. Zachary, go find whoever did this to one of our family and make them pay.”
Zachary rubbed his head against her leg and then disappeared into the trees. She could feel the tears streaming down her face while she ran with Colt back to the estate. Concerned for the well-being of the body, she didn’t push herself.
The pack that wasn’t on patrol met her outside the mansion. They must have heard the howling or yelp. Regardless, they were on alert, which she was thankful for.
“Where’s Cole?” The sound of power behind her usually soft voice momentarily startled her. The alpha inside was intent on making itself known.
“I think he’s inside with Josie,” Gilbert said quietly.
“Keep her distracted and tell Cole to meet me in the living room. Do not let her downstairs. I don’t care what she tells you or insists she needs. She’s to stay confined. Is that clear, Gilbert?”
“Yes, ma’am,” he said running off.
“I need water, towels, whatever you can find to get him cleaned up. He died for all of us, and he deserves every bit of respect we can show him. Zachary is currently looking for the wolf that did this. When he finds whoever is responsible, they will pay.” She made sure to look them all in the eyes. Their trust in her was vital. They needed to know there was no way she or her husband would stop until someone paid for their actions.
Silent nods settled around her. Satisfied with everyone’s reactions, she carried Colt inside catching her bloody reflection in the mirror. Everything looked so surreal. Here she was, five foot three, one hundred and twenty pounds, carrying a man who was at least six feet and over two hundred pounds, and both of them were covered in blood. The image burned itself into her brain.
Movement caught the corner of her eye as Cole rushed downstairs at impressive speed toward her. “Marley, what happened?”
Tears began to collect in her eyes once again. “They killed Colt,” she said shakily. “Zachary is out there, he needs you.”
“Are you all right? Is any of that blood yours?” Cole stood before her, lifting Colt’s body from her arms. Gently, he laid him down on the leather sofa and turned back to her. “Are you injured? Answer me!”
“I’m fine, Cole. Go to Zachary. I don’t want him out there without his second in command. He needs you.”
She watched him look back at Colt’s body and then into her face. His mouth opened briefly while he outstretched his hand toward her face. He looked about ready to say something, but he turned away and rushed outside. Sickness swamped Marley’s stomach. The two men she loved were in possible danger and there was nothing she could do about it.
Noticing the towels being handed to her, she took them and started cleaning up Colt’s body. Tears ran down her cheeks, and she observed she wasn’t the only one crying. Everyone here was so close, closer than she had ever been with her own mother or father. They were truly her family now, and she drew the line where family was concerned. She’d decide who would cross it and who wouldn’t.
* * * *
Cole broke through the trees in wolf form. The scent of blood hung heavily in the air, causing him to gag. Normally, blood would have the opposite effect, but not when he could smell it was from the pack.
He let out a loud howl, feeling the anger pour through him. The muscles in his legs tightened while he pushed himself faster, harder to get to his leader. His job was protecting Zachary, and if he wouldn’t have been upstairs trying his best to slow Josie down from her sexual advances then he would have been with them from the beginning.
Just the thought of seeing Marley covered in blood like that nearly made his heart stop. If anything would have happened to her, he literally would have gone crazy. Life wasn’t worth living if Marley wasn’t in it.
Zachary’s scent hit his senses like a Mac track. He cut to the right, past two motionless pack members. The urge to make sure they weren’t dead gripped him, but he couldn’t stop. His job was to guard his best friend and leader.
“Zach!” Cole screamed in his thoughts.
“About damn time.”
Relief rushed through him. Suddenly, he came right into a circle of the remaining pack and Zachary. More than half of the twenty people patrolling the grounds were missing. They needed more men out here if the rest of them were going to remain from getting ambushed. With their numbers pushing over a hundred people, it was time to start making calls.
“I think it’s quite obvious to everyone we’re under attack. We’ve been through these woods already and no one remains, but we have their scent. Tonight we collect the bodies of our brothers and sisters and we mourn them. In the morning, the house will be flooded with people arriving. We start the search and put up posts then. They’ve declared war, and I guarantee you all they won’t win.”
Zachary morphed into human form and the rest followed suit. “Let’s find the remaining bodies and bring them home. No one leaves the estate and no one besides the pack gets on. Henry should be back tomorrow from his trip to L.A. When he arrives, I want someone to notify me. You all know what to do. Cole, follow me.”
Everyone spl
it up in groups. Zachary and Cole remained quiet until they reached the two bodies Cole passed earlier. They both were recently new to the pack, having put in three years at the most. Gerald and Rodney were both younger than him—early twenties. He couldn’t believe the events that took place. It felt like a nightmare. All along Marley tried to tell them, and both he and Zachary hadn’t believed her. Guilt weighed heavily on his shoulders.
“It’s all my fault,” Zachary said, mirroring his thoughts.
“I didn’t want to believe it, either.” Reaching down Cole picked up and cradled the limp, bloody body. The darkness of the color almost made him unrecognizable. Narrowing his eyes, he peered closer into the features of the motionless face, wishing there was some way to view the past. Suddenly, Gerald stiffened in his arms.
“Oh, Jesus!” Shocked, Cole jumped slightly, holding Gerald’s body firmer. “Zach, he’s alive. Hurry, I have to get him to the house. He might know who’s responsible.”
Cole didn’t wait. He took off running as fast as he could while holding the body as still as possible. If there was a chance Gerald knew anything, he wasn’t going to miss his opportunity to find out. The trees disappeared behind him as he broke into the clearing. Within moments, he burst through the front door.
Marley had just finished cleaning Colt. She looked up at him, startled.
“He’s alive,” was all he could manage to get out.
Two of the females who happened to be nurses were still in their scrubs from just getting off of work. They ran forward holding a bag, already prepared, while Cole rushed Gerald to the first downstairs bedroom available.
“Marley, shut the door behind you.”
Cole laid the unresponsive body down on the bed. He looked up into her pale face and prayed for the strength to tell her about the pack. She was so emotionally connected to every single individual that made up their large family. It was so different than what he let himself feel. Growing up around wolves, he accepted people would die, that he shouldn’t get attached to a particular person, but not Marley. She was still so innocent.
Projected Pleasure Page 7
