Marcus kissed her forehead. “You may have a bit of supernatural energy in your DNA. Compulsion is much harder on supernaturals.”
“Supernaturals?” Anna asked. “As in vampires and werewolves?”
“Oh, there are many more than just us. There are sorcerers, and witches, too. I will tell you all about them when I get you safe.”
“Yes, Alpha. The bloodsuckers attacked her once already. I feel like we have a target on our heads,” Derek said.
Marcus stood up and took Anna when Derek picked her up and handed her to him. “Yes. The quicker we get her home, the better.”
Chapter Seven
Derek gripped the steering wheel as he drove down the highway toward their pack lands. He looked into the rearview mirror and watched Marcus holding Anna in the back seat.
Anna slept fitfully in Marcus’s lap while Marcus did his best not to make her heightened state of arousal any worse than it already was. Any doubt in Derek’s mind that they were true mates was gone now. His feelings for Anna weren’t just temporary infatuation or lust. He’d grown to love her, even while she’d been in Tennessee and he’d been in North Carolina. After a bite, it was normal to have a bit of sexual arousal. Anna’s painful need to have sex only cemented the thought in Derek’s mind that they were fated mates.
When he finally had the chance to have her, it was like three pieces of a whole joining together. It was in the universe’s plan that they join, and he was a simple enforcer.
Anna opened her eyes and looked around the back of the dark car.
“Anna,” Marcus asked softly. “Why did you run from us and why were you afraid of Derek?”
“I was scared. I’d read some stuff online, and this lady came to me today and said you knew. She implied I’d disappear.”
Derek’s lips tightened, and he felt the tingle of his fangs wanting to come down. “What did she look like?”
“She was skinny, blonde, and—”
“I think I know who approached her, Alpha.” Derek seethed in rage as he imagined Melanie approaching his mate. She was a power-hungry bitch that just wanted the status of being mated to the Alpha. If she knew Marcus wanted Anna, she would have done anything to try to scare her off.
“She’s gone too far this time,” Marcus snarled.
“Who is she?” Anna asked.
“Melanie Cooper is a part of our pack. Eli let her in back when he was Alpha. She was stinging because the Alpha of her old pack had turned her away and mated a human girl instead. Eli was already mated with no sons, so he had to choose a new Alpha. Once he chose Marcus, she started chasing his tail. Then Marcus named me his beta, and she started in on me, as well. She reminds me of a gold digger. There are plenty of enforcers that have offered to mate with her, but she ignores them. They aren’t high enough in the pack hierarchy for the bitch.”
“She wants power without having to work for it. Instead of trying to raise her own status in a pack, she wants to fuck for it.” Derek gave Anna an apologetic look, “Sorry, sleep her way to it,” he amended.
“So she lied to me?” Anna asked sleepily.
Marcus sighed angrily. “Yes, she did, Anna. She lied in an attempt to make you disappear. If Mortef would have succeeded, you would have become his slave, and if we hadn’t found you in time, there would have been very little we could have done. Either kill you or let Mortef have you.”
Anna shuddered. “Kill me. I’d rather be dead than a slave to someone as evil as him.”
Marcus glanced over at her. “To be honest, I’d like to think I could do it for you, but when I think about taking your life, I know I’d rather die myself before I ever harmed you.”
Derek squeezed the steering wheel. The thought of taking Anna’s life made his blood run cold, but seeing her suffer was just as bad. “I could have if I knew you meant it. If you’d rather be dead then face a lifetime with Mortef, I’d do it…for you.”
Anna nodded slightly. “I do mean it. That man, or vampire, is evil. I’d rather be dead than live under that thing’s thumb.”
Derek scanned the dark road for any signs that Mortef’s vampire coven was following them. Mortef knew he couldn’t get to Marcus legally through the council, so he would hurt Anna instead, and the council would stay out of it as long as no one went on a mass murder spree that attracted attention. Derek glanced in the rearview mirror and saw that Anna had gone back to sleep while Marcus kept her as comfortable as possible.
“Where are we?” Marcus asked softly as he stroked Anna’s hair.
“We’re about ten minutes out from the border of our pack. Walter and Sam are ahead of us making sure the road stays clear.”
Marcus sighed. “I need to talk to Yerel and see if he’s heard any rumblings with the other races.”
Derek grinned. Yerel was an old sorcerer who had also been a healer. After years of wandering around using the power inside of him for financial gain, he’d changed and studied how to use the magic to heal. He’d been one of the first supernaturals to cross races and mate a witch, Enon. The supernaturals had grumbled, but no one wanted a war with supernaturals that controlled the magic forces around them. Sorcerers may not shift, but they were amazing fighters that all the races feared and respected.
Yerel was the one that made it possible for Marcus and him to claim Anna as their soul mate. Without Yerel claiming Enon so many years ago, they’d still be in the dark ages of killing humans who knew about them. Yerel had taught pack Alphas how to manipulate human memories.
Marcus’s face was grim as he stared out the window. “I don’t like how Mortef tried to take Anna. He’s up to something, but I’m not sure what. I hate guessing what that fucker is doing.”
Derek adjusted his hands on the steering wheel as they cramped from gripping it so tightly. “I saw him at the club. He stared at me, and I saw the hatred in his eyes. Mortef has never been friendly with us, so I just blew him off. That was a mistake, Alpha. I’m sorry.”
“You can’t read minds, Derek, and you had no way of knowing he’d try to take our mate. He’s going to pay for this.”
Derek glanced in the mirror and saw Marcus kiss Anna’s forehead. Yes, Mortef was going to pay for this…with his life. “I agree. It’s time to get a hunting party and go after the bloodsuckers.”
“While I want vengeance for our mate, I do not wish to rekindle the war with the vampires. A war would cause devastating losses for all of us. We would go back to the days of living in compounds and constantly be on guard against an attack. It’s not a life I wanted to bring Anna into.”
While Derek enjoyed a good fight, he also didn’t want to think of the days when lycans and vampires tried to kill one another. Those had been some dark days, and while the peace between them was strained at best, it was still peace. Most of the vampires and lycans got along and wished their leaders would learn how to do the same. No one wanted war except leaders like Mortef. “I didn’t think about that. Good thing you’re the Alpha and I’m just the muscle.”
Derek glanced in the mirror and saw that Anna had finally fallen asleep. He hoped she’d sleep the rest of the way to Marcus’s house—their new home. She’d been through a lot, and she needed the rest. Derek concentrated on driving and picked up his speed. The sooner they got there, the better.
Anna woke up as they drove into a town. Derek drove them down a two-lane road that was lined with black iron lamp posts. The brick buildings resembled eighteen-hundreds architecture. Some were two stories, and some were three. The downtown area was well lit, and she had a clear view of quaint businesses and restaurants
“Where are we?” Anna asked sleepily.
“Home. This is Wolf Creek, North Carolina,” Marcus said. “I know you can’t see it very well, but this is our little mountain town. When it is daylight, you’ll see the beautiful mountains surrounding our town. I hope you like it here because I want you to be happy.”
Anna blinked and could not help but smile. It was the perfect picture of a small southern t
own. The people here took a lot of pride in their town. The buildings weren’t run down like so many other small towns were these days.
“I love it. I love old buildings. There is something about an old building, like a charm that new construction can’t replicate.”
“I’m so glad to hear that. We’ll live in a very old house.”
Anna looked over at him as Derek pulled onto a narrow gravel drive. It was dark and tree lined, but Anna could make out a large building.
Derek pulled onto a cement drive next to the house and turned off the SUV. He let out a pent-up breath. “I am so glad we’re home.”
“Me, too,” Marcus said as he lifted her out of her seat.
“I can walk,” Anna said, but she wrapped her arms around Marcus and soaked in his strength. The feeling to bond with him was even stronger than it had been before he’d bitten her.
She rubbed her face against the skin around his muscle shirt. It felt so good to touch him. She turned her face and ran her lips along the column of his throat.
“Easy, sweetheart. I want to do this in a bed. You deserve the best.”
She raised her head to look around, but all she saw was moonlight filtering in through trees. Arousal blasted through her again, and she moaned as she put her head back down on his shoulder.
A porch light and two yard lamps turned on, illuminating a yard and large front porch to a house that looked like an old southern plantation house. The evergreens were perfectly manicured, and she was sure the trees were beautiful, but they’d lost their leaves a while ago.
Anna felt like her life had just changed forever, but she wasn’t sure of the implications of that yet. When she got home, she could sort through her thoughts as she cleaned up the mess in her house. She cringed thinking about the wreck her house was in. She’d heard the crashing and sounds of glass and wood breaking, along with the sounds of bones breaking. “I’m going to go broke cleaning up that house. I can’t just move. The landlord will sue me.”
Derek put a hand on her shoulder. “That is something we’re going to discuss.”
Anna looked up at him and tripped over an uneven stone in the walkway. Her arms flailed as she felt gravity pulling her to a painful end, but Derek’s strong arms wrapped around her. He didn’t just keep her from falling, but he pulled her into a cradle hold and walked up the steps, following Marcus into the massive house.
The entry way was something she’d only seen in movies. The woodwork in the home was exquisite and looked to be original to the house. Derek put her down, and she walked around the entryway. She touched some of the smooth wood in awe of the craftsmanship. “Oh,” she said while taking a deep breath. “This is gorgeous.”
Marcus looked around with obvious pride. “This home has been in my family for over a hundred years. My grandfather, father, and I were all raised in this home, and now my pups will grow up here.”
Anna turned to look at him in shock. She felt jealousy shoot through her. He’d had kids with another woman? What was she to him then? Why did he chase her if he already had someone? “You have children?”
“Not yet.” Anna saw the hunger in his eyes as he approached her. Anna blushed as she caught his meaning. The pups he’d have with her. He wanted to have sex now? He’d just gotten in a fight and had to do some strange biting thing that hurt like hell. She backed up until she hit Derek’s solid body.
Derek’s arms wrapped around her and he caressed her body. “Don’t tell us you don’t feel the pull to bond with us?”
Anna did, but she thought it was just lust. They were incredibly attractive. Who wouldn’t want them? “The pull?”
“Yes,” Marcus answered as he stopped in front of her. “It’s far more than just a desire to fuck, it is a pull I felt to claim you as my bonded mate. I thought I was just infatuated with you, but after we had sex, I wanted you even more.”
Anna couldn’t help but nod in agreement. She knew what he meant. She thought having sex with them would ease her obsession with them, but it had only made it stronger. Even now, there was a pulsing low in her belly that made her core ache to be filled…by both of them.
“I never believed the elders in my pack when they talked about soulmates and their stories of knowing their mates immediately. Now I know they were telling the truth, Anna. We’re soul mates, and no amount of fighting it will ease the pull. Only now, we don’t have a choice to wait and ease you into pack life. We have to do this tonight, and I will have my enforcers clear out your house.”
Anna’s eyes stayed locked onto his as his hand cupped her chin and his calloused fingers stroked her cheek. “Why do we have to do this now? I mean, yes, I want to have sex with you—both of you—but why do we have to do this bonding thing tonight? I can’t move here.” Her mind screamed at her, but her body melted in liquid heat.
“I’m sorry, Anna. I wish I could have eased you into this. I wish Derek and I could have courted you and given you more choices, but a vampire tried to enslave you. He marked you, and unless another supernatural claims you, he will easily find you and finish the job. I have stopped his venom for now, but without a mating bond, he can bite you again.”
Derek’s hands tightened slightly on her arms. “Baby, we’ll make your mating so good, I promise. You’re not just convenient for us. You’re our true fated mate and we will spend our lives making you happy.”
Anna’s heart pounded, and it wasn’t from dread. “What if we don’t really like each other? We barely know one another.”
Marcus approached her with his intense gaze locked onto her. “Oh, that will never happen. We will become one. There has never been a fated mate bond that ended badly.”
Anna couldn’t come up with the desire to fight with him. When she stopped trying to come up with reasons why she shouldn’t mate with these two, she realized she really wanted to. The thought of spending her life with Marcus and Derek sent shivers of delight up her spine. “Do both you and Marcus live here?” It seemed like it should be a crazy question, but nothing had been normal since the day she met Marcus and Derek.
“We do now that we’ve found you.” Derek ran his tongue over her ear lightly, and she felt an erotic shiver pulse up her back.
“Me?” she asked breathlessly.
Marcus’s erection pressed into her as he leaned in. “Yes, you. You’re our mate. I know you feel the pull as strongly as we do. Our souls know one another and long to be bonded together. There is no use in fighting destiny.”
Their words sank into her soul, her body warmed, and her pussy ached. She’d never been so aroused in her life, even at the sex club. This was insane. How could she even agree to this? They’d stolen her—okay, sure they’d saved her—but now they were talking about not letting her go. She should shake her head no, but her mind, body, and soul wanted them both too much. “Yes,” she whispered so lightly she wondered if they heard her.
Derek and Marcus’s eyes darkened, and Marcus’s grip on her tightened slightly. “I don’t want to do this in the foyer.” Marcus looked up the stairs. “Let’s go up to the master bedroom.”
Anna shook her head no, but her feet eagerly followed Marcus. Her body was tingling, and she felt her own nectar seeping into her panties. I should be freaking out. They’re thinking they can keep me like some kind of pet. Instead, I am following them up the stairs like a sex-starved sap. “Wait!” Anna braced her feet at the bottom of the stairs. “Mating is like marriage, right?”
Marcus and Derek both nodded. “Yes, it is, but much deeper. We will mix our blood, and our very souls will be bonded together.”
“Isn’t it illegal to marry more than one person?”
Marcus shook his head no. “Not for lycans. It is normal for wolves to mate in groups. It’s rare for a wolf to live alone. Lycans were meant to live together, in packs, and we share females.”
Anna let Derek lead her up the stair, but her head still shook back and forth in denial. “This isn’t normal. What will everyone say?”
Dere
k never looked back as he said, “They will say we have an incredible bond, and they will be envious of our love.”
Marcus led her into a room that held a huge bed. Anna looked at the two men and shook her head. This was insane, but even as she thought about how crazy it was to have two werewolf lovers, she pulled her T-shirt up over her head and pushed her pants down her legs while Marcus and Derek stripped out of their sweatpants.
Even though she had sex with them not long ago, she stood in front of them and struggled not to squirm. She only wore her lacy bra and panty set and wondered what they would think of her. Would they have second thoughts now? She wasn’t a werewolf. Were other werewolf females bigger and stronger than she was? She was sure a werewolf female wouldn’t have run away like a frightened child if she stumbled upon a fight like she had. A female werewolf would have held still for Marcus instead of needing to be held down like a frightened child getting a shot.
Anna raised her eyes and met Marcus’s. His eyes were dark with lust, and even though he still looked human, she could tell he had changed a little into a wolf. She would have thought it was the lighting a few weeks ago, but now she could see the subtle changes.
Marcus stepped forward. “Don’t be afraid, sweetheart. Strong emotions make it harder to hold on to my skin. That’s why supernaturals often choose to distance themselves from humans.”
“I’m not afraid.” Anna looked Marcus in the eyes so he wouldn’t doubt her words. She was curious and startled at the depth of her feelings for these two men, not frightened.
“I’m glad because you are ours to protect. Everything we do will revolve around you. We will live to keep you safe and happy.”
“And if I said I wanted to leave? If only leaving would make me happy? Would you let me go to make me happy?”
Marcus shook his head no while Derek growled. “No. You may think it would make you happy, but once Mortef got his hands on you, not only would you be in danger, but do you really think you would be happy being a slave to a vampire overlord?”
Lycans Embrace [Southern Supernatural Alphas] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) Page 11
