by Dawn Ibanez
The two brothers glared at each other for a long moment. Casper then rolled his eyes and went to where the boys and Lacey went to sit down. “Yeah, whatever,” he mumbled.
Dylan looked at Casper with narrowed eyes. There was something both Crispin and Victor were hiding from her and she would have to figure it out. She would also have to keep a close eye on Casper. It wouldn’t do for her to run across the country to find her sister’s baby-daddy, only to have her brother-in-law screw it up.
* * * * *
Madison walked through her estate and found herself at the twin’s tree house. A large part of her was thrilled because of Troy’s return. But there was another part that was completely livid with her family’s interference. The rising moon peaked through the trees, reminding her that it was only the second night of the full moon. “Shit,” she sighed. She climbed up the small set of stairs and went into the club house.
As her eyes traveled across the shelter Antonio and Donald built, she felt a restless urge overcome her. She didn’t want to deal with Troy. He was bound to have questions and she wasn’t sure if he would like her answers.
The fact that she kept the boys from him for so long had her moving again. She opened a window box and easily found the blankets and sleeping bags she stashed out here for the boys. There was no way she was going to back up to the house. Not with Troy plotting to take her boys. Trying to distract herself, Madison quickly made herself a sleeping pallet and sat.
It was a few minutes later when she heard the snapping of a twig. “I know you’re up there,” Troy’s voice called.
She rolled her eyes. For some stupid reason she thought that maybe Dylan or Victor would come after her. She looked out of the doorway and saw Troy at the base of the tree. “What are you doing here?”
He looked at her, knowing that if given the chance she would bolt. “You’re sister’s worried about you,” he said slowly approaching the tree. “She said that you haven’t been handling the moon well.”
Her eyes narrowed. “I’ve been just fine,” she spat.
Troy climbed the tree and stood toe to toe with Madison. “I should have to Dennis to fuck off and came back,” he told her. As her eyes started to widen, he stepped closer. “At first I wanted to apologize to you. I had a feeling that I bound you to me. But a selfish part of me couldn’t let you go.”
Madison was slowly backing away from him and it pissed her off. “So it took you four years to grow balls and come face me?” she taunted.
His golden eyes locked onto her brown ones. “You didn’t complain about my balls that night,” he said seriously. When she inhaled sharply, he invaded her personal space again. “And besides, if anyone should be pissy about our time apart, it should be me.”
Madison was trembling as his body pressed against hers. She folded her hands behind her back to keep from touching him. “I had my reasons,” she whispered.
“Bullshit,” he breathed. He reached out and tucked her hair behind her ear. As her eyes closed, he fisted a handful of her soft hair and made her look at him. “You’re trying to hide away under the protection of Vampires.” His other arm wrapped around her waist like a steel band and hauled her tight against his body. “Trying to hide from your Mate.”
His scent was intoxicating. As was the fact that he remembered she liked it a little wild and rough. But the challenge in his voice scared the hell out of her. She unlocked her hands and tried to shove him off of her. “I won’t be your Mate,” she growled. When he didn’t budge, she tried to kick at him. Her eyes went round when he shoved his leg between hers and brought her down onto the pallet she made. Madison’s breath caught as his weight settled on top of her.
And she hated herself for it.
Troy buried his nose in her hair and groaned at the feel of her. The smell of vanilla and strawberries hit him hard. But faintly, he could smell other wolves. Before he could stop it, a savage growl escaped him. “Who is he?”
Madison closed her eyes and let his voice wash over her. She fought back a moan as he pressed against her. The pulsing of his heart against her breast and his throbbing erection pinned against her thigh were turning her on more than she thought it would. She wanted to savor the sensations but when his continued growl reached her ears, she tangled her fingers in his shirt. “My bodyguard,” she confessed.
Her arousal was a siren’s song to his senses. His hand slid up her thigh as he brushed his lips across the mark he left on her collar. “You’re mine,” he growled into her ear.
A soft growl escaped her as she again tried to push him away. Her resistance to his claim was weakening, but she couldn’t completely submit to him. At least not yet. “I’m no one’s,” she countered. When he looked into her eyes it was like her heart stopped. “Troy,” she whispered.
His name was like a spell from her lips. He couldn’t stop himself from claiming her mouth. The hand he had gripping her hair loosened and slowly slid down her body. The addiction he once suffered to her mouth came back full force as he wrapped her legs around his waist.
Madison moaned as he moved against her. He dominated her body like the Alpha he was. But she couldn’t just lay under him and take it. She never had been the submissive type. And she would be damned if she was going to start now.
Troy gasped when he found himself flat on his back and Madison perched on top of him. He gripped her ass as she moved away from his mouth down his neck. He heard the distant sound of buttons and groaned as she started her trek downward. The light scrape of her nails on his skin sent shivers through his system.
The woman on top of him wasn’t a wolf but Troy knew without a doubt that she was his Mate. Her hands worked at the fly of his jeans as her mouth moved across his chest. He quickly sat up and finished taking off his shirt as well as hers. A soft moan escaped him as he looked at her clad in a black lace bra. “I’m going to keep you,” he said seriously.
Madison blinked as he removed her bra with a simply flick of his wrist. She had to think. “No promises,” she said in a whisper. She had to remember everyone left her eventually. It was now only a matter of time before he realized what kind of a monster she was. And she couldn’t open herself up to that kind of heartbreak. “Not tonight,” she added. She gasped when he jerked his arms and her jeans ripped. “Troy!”
He silenced her again with his kiss. He laid her back on the pallet and finished stripping her out of her ruined jeans and lace thong. This night would not end like the last time. He allowed her to hide from the chemistry between them and she disappeared from his life for years. Tonight he was going to claim his Mate, her fears be damned.
Her eyes rolled to the back of her head as Troy trailed kisses from her knees to her core. A whimper escaped her as he gently parted her lower lips and licked her. Before she realized what she was doing, Madison grabbed a handful of his hair. “Don’t tease,” she ordered.
Troy could only chuckle as he raised her hips level to his mouth. “Can’t have you thinking,” he said before setting his mouth on her.
Madison cried out. Troy went after her like a man on a mission. In almost no time she was hurtling into ecstasy. Her voice cut a cry across the night. She could only blink rapidly as his teeth scraped against her inner thigh. “Troy,” she panted.
He growled softly and pressed his fingers inside of her. “Again,” he commanded. Ignoring her whimpers and protests, Troy went back to manipulating her flesh. He wanted her ready for him. As it was, she was griping his fingers in an almost painful vice. He stripped out of his jeans and turned his attention to her breasts.
Madison’s back arched in pleasure/pain. Troy had known since that first night what it took to make her lose control of herself. She pulled his attention away from her chest and took his mouth with her own.
Troy tightened his hold on her body. “I’m going to keep you,” he breathed again. He silenced any protest she may have had with a kiss and pushed his way inside of her. He groaned as he settled into her body fully. This was his paradis
e. No one and nothing else that could possibly feel as exquisite as this.
She locked her ankles behind his back and held on as he started to move inside of her. After so long, she finally felt complete. Her dazed eyes opened to look up at him. Madison caressed his face and smiled at him.
“What’s so funny?” he asked moving slowly inside her.
“You look like you’re here to stake a claim.” She gasped pleasantly when he slammed into her.
The grin he gave her was utterly ruthless and wolfish. He leaned close and ran his tongue along the mark he left. “I am,” he whispered before biting down.
Madison cried out as another orgasm raced through her. Her arms tightened around him as his thrusts started to pick up speed and strength. His name became a chant as he mastered her body in a way only he had ever been able to.
Troy roared into the moonlight as his body reached its own release. He lowered his head and started to gently lick at the bite he left on her skin. Her body was still shaking as if driven too hard, too fast. His grin returned when he felt her lips press a kiss to his cheek. “Madi,” he said softly. When she looked up at him, his grin flashed the dimple in his left cheek. “We have four years to make up for,” he said in a reasonable tone.
She returned his grin before shifting her legs and rolling over. When he was pinned under her, she ground her body against his. “And you’re still hard,” she whispered before kissing him.
He grabbed her hips and thrust up into her. “Let’s see what you can do about that,” he said softly.
Chapter 5-
Claudia walked into her room and gave Alex a small smile. When she woke and found him sleeping peacefully, she slipped away to take a long hot shower.
That shower also gave her a chance to think and hide.
Alex ran his fingers through his damp hair, having taken his own shower in his old room. “You don’t want to marry me,” he said softly. He heard her slow inhale and gave her a sad smile. “It’s okay if you don’t. There’s probably a bunch of guys in Europe that’ll sweep you off your feet.”
Claudia rolled her eyes as she went to look for something to wear. “It’s not that and you know it,” she answered him.
“I thought we were through this,” he said on a sigh. When she looked at him with narrowed eyes, he continued. “I love you, and since I’m only human I can’t….” His eyes widened as he came to his feet. “That’s it, isn’t it?” he asked. “I can’t claim you like a Wolf or a Vampire.”
She shook her head. “Don’t be an asshole,” she said with a roll of her eyes. She touched his cheek and looked into his eyes. “I love you Alex. There is nothing that will ever be able to change that.”
He could tell there was something more. He stepped closer to her and put his hands on her hips. “Talk to me,” he whispered.
The look in his eyes warned her that he wouldn’t let this conversation drop. “How do you know I’m what you want?” she asked in a small voice. She shook her head when he started to protest. “I don’t know what will happen if I try to Turn you.” She felt his hands loosen and quickly moved away from him. “We don’t know if I can have children. Not to mention what they would be.” Claudia wiped at her eyes hating the tears that filled them. “And if we can’t change you, I can’t stand by and watch you die,” she confessed.
Alex looked at her for a long moment. She was trying not to break down but she was slowly crumbling. He walked over to where she stood and turned her to the mirror. “I don’t care about kids Claudia,” he said softly. “If we have them, great. They’ll be loved and cherished no matter what they are.” She took a shaky breath and he kissed her shoulder. “And Grandfather has already agreed to turn me as a fifth anniversary gift. If you want me to be a Vampire.”
She shifted in his arms as he scrapped his teeth against her skin. “What if I want a Wolf?”
“Then he said he would convince Dennis.” Alex continued to manipulate her flesh and tighten the hold he had on her body. “And before you say it, I don’t care about my Magic. If I lose it, fine. As long as I have you, I’m good.”
Claudia closed her eyes as his hands dipped under her towel. “You always think of everything,” she mused as she rubbed her body against his.
He groaned as her lithe body brushed against his quickly hardening member. “I have to. You like to argue.” His fingers found her core. “Open up,” he breathed into her ear.
She lifted her foot up to the vanity and reached behind her body for his fly. “And you like being in control,” she chuckled.
His pants and boxers fell around his knees as he ripped her towel away. “You like being under my control,” he countered. He hissed out a breath as he entered her from behind. “Marry me Claudia,” he breathed against her skin. As her hand tangled in his hair, he bit down on her neck; hard.
“Yes!” she screamed before allowing herself to be caught up in pure passion.
* * * * *
Early morning light filtered through the trees as Troy slowly woke up. He could feel Madison still tucked in his arms and smiled. After four long, lonely years he finally has his Mate. He tightened the arm around her waist as he partially sat up. “Morning,” he said.
Madison swallowed as she continued to gaze at the wall. “Morning,” she replied in a whisper. She remained still as he leaned forward and kissed her cheek.
Troy pressed a kiss to her shoulder and settled behind her. “You don’t want me here,” he observed.
Madison stayed on her side and refused to look at him. “No, I don’t,” she agreed.
Troy rolled her onto her back and gazed into her eyes. “I’m not leaving.”
She nodded. “I know.”
He pressed his lips together and ran his fingers through her hair. “Are you going to talk to me?”
As she stared into his eyes a rueful sigh escaped her. “Why did you come back?” she asked in turn.
“Because I couldn’t let you go.” He continued to stroke her hair as she reached up and caressed his face. “I tried. But there was something that kept nagging at me and I couldn’t simply be done with you. Hell, I even tried to hire a PI to find out more about you.”
A frown crossed her face. “A Norm PI?”
He shook his head. “No, another Wolf.”
“Tried?”
Before she could react, he leaned forward and kissed her tenderly. “I mentioned your name and then found out why you’re considered Maleficent.”
She remembered their first conversation and found herself laughing. “And you still wanted to come back?” she asked.
He chuckled as well, giving her a flash of his dimple again. “I wanted to come back even more,” Troy confessed. When she rolled her eyes he leaned on his elbow and gazed at her. “What?”
Madison hated talking about her life. She also knew that it was something that had to be done. Either she was going to be Troy’s Mate, or he would leave her in peace. No matter what she owed him the truth. With a sigh, Madison sat up and quickly found her shirt. “What did your PI tell you?” she asked.
“Nothing much.” Troy could feel his good mood slowly darkening as she drew away from him. “You’re the oldest daughter of the Maxwell family. You’re also a Necromancer. You have a reputation as the Necromancer. When the Council has a problem they need to solve, more often than not, you’re sent in to work it all out.” He stood and gently caressed her face. “And for some reason, everyone’s afraid of you.”
She slowly nodded as she pulled her shirt on. “They have good reason to be,” she said before finding her torn pants. She sighed and moved to the window box. “I don’t fix the Council’s problems. I find a compromise and force the two sides to take it. If they don’t, I get rid of the opposing party.” She turned and looked into his eyes. Madison allowed the seriousness of her position to show through. “I kill people, Troy. I’ve killed a lot of people. Some of them were Wolves, some were Panthers.”
“You’re trying to scare me away,” Troy
said walking over to where she stood.
She turned to him with glowing red eyes. “My little sister was hurt, and I slaughtered a club full of Wolves. Your Pack, Troy.”
“They aren’t my anything, Madison,” he argued. When she turned her back to him, he ran a frustrated hand through his hair. “It doesn’t matter what you say. I’m not going anywhere.”
“That’s because you’ve never seen me in action.” With sharp movements she wrapped an extra blanket around her waist. “You should be scared.” Her eyes returned to normal as she fought back tears. “Everyone else is,” she added in a whisper.
He ignored how tense her frame was and wrapped his arms around her. He leaned his head on her shoulder and thought of the woman he first met. She was trying to drown her sorrows, and instead they both ended up drowning in each other. “I’m not everyone,” he whispered against her skin. He trailed his lips up to her cheek and wasn’t surprised when he came into contact with her tears. “Give me a chance Madison,” he whispered.
Instead of answering she turned in his arms and kissed him passionately. When he didn’t know who and what she was, he treated her like she was a normal woman. As he stood in front of her, holding on as if he would never let go, Madison felt her resolve vanish. She pulled her lips away from his and caressed his face. “I can’t promise you’ll like what you’ll see,” she confessed.
Troy slowly shook his head. “Doesn’t matter.”
She stepped out of his embrace, but held on to his hand. “It will.”
* * * * *
“Are you sure she’s going to be alright now?” Eric Maxwell asked. He leaned back in his chair as he spoke on his phone. “Last week we had to keep her from jumping on one of the interns when they said the boys didn’t look like her.”
Dylan sighed. “I remember,” she said dryly. She was the one that had to talk Madison out of her anger. “And I’m hoping that she and Troy relax and talk things out. As her mate, he should be able to keep her calm.”
