“I want to run. I want to be out in the field and run.”
“Hopefully, tomorrow, it will be safe enough.”
“And I want space, lots of space, but at the same time space scares me. I’ve never had it, so it terrifies me…like you.” She turned back to him. “I want you to touch me in places no man has ever touched, and yet I don’t know tenderness, and your being nice scares me. I don’t know how to trust this bond.”
His cock came fully alert. “Have you never been with a man?”
“No. I kissed a couple of guards over the years, and an occasional person who came to the circus, but I’ve never had sex with anyone. I’ve never wanted to, but….”
“But what?”
She leaned forward and locked her lips on his. He allowed her a moment of control before his wolf took over then he pulled her into his lap, taking the kiss deeper. This moment he and she were created for. He wondered now why his pack settled for being with those not their mates. Never going out to find those destined for them. Because nothing compared to this embrace.
He wanted to be naked. He needed to feel her breasts against his chest without the annoying barrier of clothing. The images of her naked beneath him, legs locked around him tight as he pumped into—
“Woo! Didn’t need that in my head,” 7 said, closing the door behind him.
Natalie jumped off his lap as if 7 were her father and they teenagers caught in the basement. Annoyed at his twin’s interruption, he was equally relieved. Both to see and sense him. Covered in blood and all.
“Are you all right?” Natalie asked before he could.
7 nodded, running his hand over his face. “I don’t think any of it’s mine. But I can’t be sure.”
“You killed them, didn’t you?”
“We killed those who would have killed us.”
Fingernails bit into D’s knee as she came to terms with those words.
“The Testas?”
7 took a deep breath. “Shelley Testa is AWOL. But as much as I’d liked to have dealt with him, Z had his mind set on the mister.”
“So he is dead?”
“Oh, every last piece of him is dead. Z is nothing if not thorough.” It wasn’t pretty. Be glad you had her far away. I’ve never seen our big brother lose his cool. But he tore that human man to pieces. He took his time doing it, too.
“Can we expect Z back anytime soon?” D asked. So the man felt it all?
Oh, he felt it. “No, he had to get back to some social event. The man has powers that still astound me. After all was done, Z shifted and looked like he came out of the spa, not an epic battle.”
“Why don’t you take a shower, and we will get some food ready for you.” D needed to keep the conversation on the lighter side and find something to keep Natalie’s mind occupied. Many wolves didn’t deal well with violence, but most understood some beings had no redeeming value. The Testas were among those he was quite happy to have wiped off the planet.
“Sounds like a plan.” 7 started toward the first bedroom, sniffed the air, and moved on to the next one.
Only when the door closed did D turn to his mate. Knowing the only father figure she had, even as the father from hell, had just died in a violent manner might not sit easily on his gentle she-wolf. “You understand Lee was a danger to shifters? And, more importantly, to you.”
She nodded.
“The way he treated you isn’t okay in any world, and this is one of the few times we as infiltrators are allowed to take life without question.”
“I’m not questioning the need to deal with him and most of his guards. They had no redeeming qualities.”
“But?”
“But if Shelley is still out there—” Her lips quivered in fear.
“She will not get you. Do you understand?” He placed a finger under her chin and tipped her face up toward him. “And the others are safely out of her grasp.”
“What about Billy?” She gripped his arm to make sure she had his attention. “He’s young and never accepted how they treated us. He tried so hard to help, but he is just a boy. They treated him worse than us.”
“Do you want me to see if he has called the number yet?”
She nodded. He could do nothing more than make sure his mate’s concerns eased. He pulled out his cell phone to text his sister. Damn, no bars. He kissed her lips and moved into the corridor, immediately getting a signal.
D~ Did a man named Billy contact you?
N~ Affirmative.
D~ Is he safe?
N~ For the time being. Z will extract him tomorrow and take him to another of his safe houses until a plan can be made. We’re tracking any family down now. Billy, like most in that circus, seem to have been abducted as children.
D~ Thank you.
N~ Wait. Did you just thank me? Did you hit your head or something?
D~ Or something.
He shut his phone off and returned to the room, securing the door behind him. “He’s safe, and my sister is searching public records for any family he might have now.”
“Thank you.”
D moved into the kitchen and threw a sandwich together for his brother. “You don’t have to thank me. Did you get enough to eat? Do you want another sandwich?”
“I ate more this evening than I usually eat in one day. This place, what is it?”
“It’s a safe house.” Leave it to his brother to have it fully stocked. “I can promise you my safe houses are nothing like this.” Perhaps he should talk to 7 about working on those.
“You have a safe house?” She leaned a hip against the counter, watching him work.
“7 and I have three.”
“How many does Z have?”
“Lord knows. Hundreds, maybe more.” He searched the refrigerator for a beer. Finally finding one, he placed it on the counter. 7 deserved it.
“Really?”
“Really. He’s been out here for about a month, getting this one set up as needed, I guess.”
“Why do you need safe houses? I mean, I might not know a lot, but I know this isn’t the way most people live—appears as if no one lives here at all. You don’t even have a scent when you don’t want it.”
“We are infiltrators.” He pulled out a bag of chips from the cupboard and opened a container of cookies, offering her one.
She shook her head. “Is that a pack name?”
“In a way, but it’s more an ability. We are watchers, and protectors, but don’t make the mistake of thinking we are on anyone’s side.”
“Are you the good guys or the bad guys?”
“We are normally neutral. We can’t interfere in other packs and we cannot assassinate alphas, no matter how evil or crazy they are.”
“Alphas?”
About to ask if she was kidding, he paused when the seriousness of her face alerted him she really had no idea, and he didn’t want her ever to feel she couldn’t ask him a question. “Alphas are the leaders of the pack. Strongest male, though I think some women could be amazing alphas.”
“So, would Lee be an alpha?”
“No. Lee was an asshole. Sounds close but not the same.” 7 came out of the room in nothing but a towel, shaking the remaining dampness from his hair.
Where the fuck are your clothes?
“Thanks for the sandwich.” 7 reached around her for the plate and the beer.
How about you go back to your room.
His brother took a giant bite of his sandwich.
If you choke at this moment, I will not save you.
Ah, it’s not like there is anything in me she wants. I’m not her mate.
We are mirror images.
Are you afraid she’ll want me?
No.
You are. Classic.
“Are you two talking?” she asked.
“More like thinking.” 7 sat down, continuing to demolish his food. “It’s very handy.”
“It’s a
bit annoying right now,” D said pointedly.
To D’s relief, she moved toward him. “Must be strange never to be alone.”
“It’s our normal. Tonight’s the first time in our lives we couldn’t hear one another.” 7 echoed his feelings. “And you did a hell of a job with the false scent. Threw me for a second.”
“Did it?”
“Yeah, then I realized you had spelled out Z. You suck raw eggs, dude. I knew I was on the wrong trail.”
“You caught that, did you? I thought it added a nice touch.” D laughed.
7 stood, stretched, made a show of a yawn, and excused himself. Let the seduction begin. Just please try and block images and keep it down.
Natalie’s shoulders slumped and her eyelids drooped as exhaustion set in. Any seduction his brother thought might happen tonight would have to wait. “Why don’t you head to bed?”
“It’s been an exhausting day.” She moved to the bedroom doorway. “I can’t remember ever sleeping in a bed.”
He saw red. He only wished he had been the one to kill Lee. The treatment she and the others received at his hands just kept getting worse. And although he cared about the others, the treatment of his mate made him angry beyond words.
“It angers you, doesn’t it?”
“It does.”
“I’m sorry.”
“For what? You were—are innocent.”
She bit her lip. “Will you sleep with me?”
“What?” The words barely made it past his lips.
“You held me last night, and I felt safe and warm. I know in my head we’re safe, but I’m worried when I fall asleep, he’ll be there waiting for me in dreams.” How could a woman strong enough to stand up and fight such evil be so fearful? But then, she had seen some things no one should have.
“I will hold you every night of our lives if that’s the only way to give you peace.”
What the fuck! You just gave me diabetes. Really, bro? What kind of game is that shit. Take her to bed and let things move the way fate meant them. Now, shut me out for the evening, please!
You could always go sleep in the woods tonight.
Do you know how cold it is out there?
Exactly, so stop complaining.
When he followed her into the bedroom and reached to close the door, she stopped him. “I feel a little like the walls are closing in.”
He smiled and turned on the flat screen. The image of the outside came to glowing life, making it appear as if the room didn’t lay below ground but overlooked the backyard through a big window. “Better?”
“Wow.” She reached up to touch the screen.
He shut the door before taking the one step to reach the bed. While she marveled at the falling snow before her, he turned down the bedding, let her choose a side, and climbed in behind her fully dressed. “Are you really going to sleep in your clothes?”
“Unlike you, my brother did not supply me with a closet full of clothing.” He usually slept in the nude information he didn’t think would ease her mind., . “I’ll be fine.”
“I’m not sure I can sleep with all these layers.” She shimmied out of her bottoms and gave him his first real look at her long, muscular legs.
“What are you doing?” Panic set in. He needed to be a gentleman, and she needed a knight not a horndog, but the more clothing she removed the closer he got to the latter.
“I’ve rarely had a blanket, let alone several layers of clothing, and the sheets are so soft I want to feel them sliding over my skin.”
He gritted his teeth trying to control his hormones. But when she removed his shirt from his waistband, he knew his mate wasn’t likely to be a virgin by morning. “What are you doing?”
“You need to feel these sheets, and you can’t do it with these clothes on.”
“You’re playing with fire,” he gritted out.
“I know.”
Their eyes met, and he realized she might be naive about a great many things. But, here, now, she knew what she wanted, and seducing him seemed to be at the top of her list. He didn’t fight her but didn’t assist her as she removed his shirt and pulled it over his chest. Her fingers brushed over his skin leaving a trail of goose bumps in their wake. “Do you have any idea what you are doing?”
“No. But I’m doing what feels good, what I’ve seen others do and never thought I’d want to.”
As much as he wanted this, he sensed she wasn’t ready. “You want to do what?”
“I want to make love to you.”
“Do you understand what that entails?”
“I’m a virgin, not stupid. I’ve lived under a damned trailer most of my life.”
He put a finger to her lips. “Please don’t mention your living conditions, not right now.”
“It bothers you. I’m sorry. Anyway, I’ve been informed as to what to expect.”
“Why don’t we do this? You lead tonight. We’ll take this as far as you want. You say stop, and we will.” He leaned in and kissed her. Not because she wanted it, but because he needed it. In all the crazy of this trip and this night, he’d realized having a mate meant putting her above him, and putting her needs first.
It might kill him, but letting her explore his body might allow her to be more relaxed later. He had no doubt they would be intimate, but he didn’t think she was emotionally ready to lose her virginity. Too much had happened tonight for her brain to be working at full capacity. He didn’t want her regretting a decision. She and her wolf weren’t in tune, not yet anyway.
She would need time and space to get to know who she could become, and although it went against every fiber of his being, he had to give her all those things. She nipped at his neck, and he shivered.
She drew back, an adorable furrow between her brows. “Why do I want to bite you?”
“Bite or nip?”
“I guess nip.”
“It’s your she-wolf. When wolves mate, it’s more powerful and rough than most humans.”
“So I’m not a freak?”
He gripped her shoulders. “You are not now and never have been a freak. You’re from a magnificent race, and it’s unfortunate life has dealt you a shitty hand. But you will come to understand there is nothing wrong with you. And, anything we do together, as long as it’s mutual and agreeable, is fine.”
Her gaze flicked away. “Do you really believe what you’re saying, or are those words to make me feel better?”
“I never lie, ever. Most wolves can sniff out a lie miles away.” He ran a finger down the delicate line of her collarbone. “Even when we are in the field, we keep things truthful. We go by names rather than letters and numbers, but the more truth you keep, the easier it is to infiltrate a group. You become trustworthy.”
“So you deceive with honesty.”
“Funny how that works.” She fidgeted with her shirt as if undecided if she could remove it in front of him. But he could smell her desire and sexual need coming off her in waves. Sexual frustration mixed with the adrenaline and uncertainty became a crazy mixture. He could take care of at least one of the items. “Do you trust me?”
Without hesitation, she nodded.
“Good. I want you to place your hands on the wall…no, on your knees.” He gripped her hips and maneuvered her into the position which best worked for what he planned to do. The white silk panties would need to remain on. If she wasn’t ready to remove her top, the underwear would be worse. “I want you to focus on the falling snow on the TV screen.”
“Okay, but—”
“No buts.” He pushed the hair off the nape of her neck and kissed the sensitive skin. “All you have to do is enjoy the ride.”
He lay on his back, inching his head between her spread thighs. “Trust me.”
With her silk-covered most intimate lady parts within inches of his mouth, he closed his eyes and let her scent fill him. Lifting his head, he blew a breath against her and gripped her butt cheeks f
orcing her to stay still. When she moaned, he took a chance moving the silk with his teeth and baring her to him. Before she could argue, he licked her clit, holding her in place as she squirmed to move away.
Sucking and licking, he drank from her, and every moan and pant drove his need to please her further. Her orgasm hit her so strong, he felt her ecstasy as clearly as if he had come. He reached up and, within a second she lay below him, her legs spread wide and his cock replacing his mouth. He pulled back from her, panting for air. She lay like a goddess against the gray sheets. “We have to stop.”
She came up on her elbows. “What?”
“If we continue, there’s no way you’ll leave this bed a virgin.” He sat on the edge of the bed with his back to her. If he caught sight of those thighs again, his honorable intentions would fly out the door.
“I’m okay with continuing.” A warm hand touched his tense back.
“You’ll also not walk straight for a week. Your safety is more important than my need to brand you.”
“Brand me? Is that what this is about, making me yours?” She moved away from him until her back hit the wall.
“No.” He threw a blanket over her bare form, too tempted to see even an inch of her porcelain skin. “But, if we continue, I’ll be unable to control my need to make you mine in every way I can. You are not ready for it. No matter how much your body is ready to be sexually awakened. I cannot do one without the other.”
She stared down at his erect cock, outlined through his jeans. “You can’t be comfortable. I’ve heard the guards complain about blue ball….”
“I’m going to take a shower, and then we’ll both try and get some sleep.” Goddess help him maintain his honor.
Twenty minutes later, he came back into the bedroom to find his mate fast asleep, clinging to a pillow the way she had clung to him the night before. Had he been smart, he would have let her sleep and taken another pillow to the sofa in the main room. But he wasn’t smart when it came to Natalie. He eased the pillow from her grasp then slid in next to her. Immediately, his cock came back to life. He cursed inwardly but knew there was nowhere else he would rather be. Closing his eyes, he let blissful sleep fall over him.
His internal clock told him it was close to two in the morning when he awoke to the sounds of pounding above them. He opened his eyes but otherwise remained still and listened to the sounds around him.
The Virgin's Infiltrator Page 6
