by Woods, Erica
“Would seem that way to you, pup.”
“Better to be young and agile than old and tired.”
“I’ll show you tired,” Ruarc growled and took a threatening step toward Jason.
“On second thought,” I hastily interrupted, not wanting the guys to fight—even if they were just messing around. “I could eat.”
Jason leaned back. “Really?”
“Gullible.” Lucien shook his head, got up and walked out the room. When he returned, he carried a thick tome of a book that he spread out on the table after he sat down, using his index finger to trace something I couldn’t see. “Before we waste any more time, we must decide which packs to call on. The more support we gather beforehand, the better our chances at the Assembly.”
“Agreed.” Ash clapped Ruarc on the shoulder and turned to the stove. “What are we making?”
Ruarc kept his eyes on me for a few moments, something indecipherable brewing in their silver depths, before he gave his attention to Ash. “Steak.”
12
Ruarc
“And that’s the pack hierarchy, love. Alpha, enforcer, beta, and omega.”
The words barely registered. Couldn’t focus. All my attention was locked on my future mate. My feelings for her were too intense, too raw. Looked at her, and it was like claws stabbed at my fucking heart.
If something happened to her . . . those claws would tear it to shreds. Tear my world to shreds.
Fear tightened my throat. Fury stabbed through it.
Tomorrow, we’d be at the Assembly. Surrounded by lycans. Vicious, merciless lycans.
All the Council’s fault. How the fuck had they found out? Who had known? And who were the lithbhárs behind the attempted kidnapping of my female?
“What do you think I’d be if I were part of your pack? Probably an omega.”
Before I could tear the couch to pieces—the old couch, the one Lucien had dragged out of wherever he kept our old shit—I bit through the rampaging emotions stomping spurred heels on my lungs and renewed my vow.
Will keep her safe.
Would rip Council heads off their useless bodies if they tried to hurt my female. No matter the consequences.
“You are part of our pack, banajaanh. And the hierarchy is not black and white. There are nuances, as there are in any group whose lives intertwine.”
She was so soft. So small. So good.
No one had a soul as bright as my female. She was perfect. From the way she blushed with shy delight at the smallest compliment to the way she curled her toes during both pleasure and nerves. Was so open, my little female. Could read every emotion in every part of her, even her feet. Probably why I loved it when she went barefoot, tiny toes peeking out from the hem of her pants.
My pants.
“Don’t listen to him, love, he’s overcomplicating things. I know exactly what you are.”
I shot Jason a dark scowl.
He should’ve never taken her shopping. Now, she wore her own clothes as often as mine. Wanted her covered in my scent. Was why I’d taken to stealing her clothes while she slept. Easier to impart my scent on them when they were all in a pile on the ground and I could let my wolf out. Probably looked ridiculous, a grown ass wolf rolling around in a heap of his female’s clothes, but was worth it when the result was her covered in my scent.
Though, the time spent picking wolf hairs off stubborn fabric before putting them back in her dresser could be annoying. Especially when she was sleeping two feet away and all I wanted was to curl my body around hers, protect her, warm her, breathe in her delicious scent.
Hope squirmed, the slight movement snapping my attention to her face to check for discomfort.
She’s fine.
But I wasn’t.
My little female was too attractive for her own good.
Fists clenching at my sides, I watched as her tiny, pink tongue peeked out between her teeth. She did that sometimes when she was thinking. It was a bloody distraction. A distraction I’d appreciate if we were alone instead of surrounded by other males.
“What . . . what am I?”
On my next breath, I forced my lungs to expel all their air. If I had a moment without her scent driving me crazy, maybe I could focus.
Or maybe not, I thought grimly. The way Jason was looking at my female made fangs explode from my mouth. The metallic taste of blood coated my tongue, stoking my need and my hunger. Hunger for Jason’s head on a pole.
And a need for my female.
I needed her with an intensity that would’ve been fucking terrifying if I wasn’t so sure. Sure she was mine. Sure I couldn’t live without her. Sure I would murder anyone who so much as looked at her sideways.
After a glance at my face, Jason sent me a knowing smirk and threw an arm over Hope’s thin shoulders. “Besides mine?”
My jaw tightened. Was torn between the urge to rip that arm out of its socket and finding some food to force-feed my female. She’d gained weight over the past weeks but was still not functioning at optimal range. A few more pounds and I would cease my obsession with feeding her.
Maybe.
“What you are, love, is a snugglebunny. The softest, bestest, most cuddly bunny of them all.”
A soft, melodious laughter brought my attention back to the female in question. Sending Jason my most ferocious glare, I snagged Hope right off his lap and planted her on mine. Could only relax when her back was plastered against my front and that tender, tasty spot behind her ear was accessible.
Her squeak of shock as she’d sailed through the air hadn’t bothered me. She was already getting used to how I preferred to move her around—in my arms. And now that she was settled, I could sneak a taste of that delicious skin of hers.
Mine.
“Ruarc . . .” Her voice was hesitant, unsure. But she still reached out and placed a hand on my cheek. Never scared. Never worried I’d hurt her. Brave and trusting and always mine.
I leaned into her touch, nuzzling her palm with my lips and hoping my stubble didn’t hurt her delicate skin. Still amazed me that such a tiny, fragile creature—someone so pure and filled with light—touched me voluntarily and with such affection.
I nipped at her finger, her startled laugh warming every inch of my chest. Didn’t deserve her. Was hard in every way she was soft. Harsh in every way she was kind. Was a grumpy old bastard with an ugly mug and an uglier temper, and she was light and goodness and beauty.
But fuck if that didn’t matter one bit.
No one would protect her the way I would. No one would love her the way I would. And for reasons that would forever elude me, she wanted me.
I shook my head, heart swelling in tune with irrational anger—fury at the thought of someone trying to take her from me.
Mine!
“Don’t bother, love,” Jason said in an amused tone. “He stopped paying attention about ten minutes ago. The only thing he wants now is you.”
“Me?”
Her squeak woke my protective instincts, and I snarled at Jason.
No one was allowed to make my female feel bad. Not even her other male.
The thought left a sour taste in my mouth, but I shook it off. I was her first male. Always. The fact that other members of my pack wanted her was something I tolerated—not only because I knew we, as a unit, could make her happier in the long run, but because I loved my brothers.
We were family.
Also helped that they added another layer of protection against the faceless, nameless enemies she had out there. Enemies I dreamed of finding every day.
A feral grin split my face in two when I imagined all the gruesome acts that awaited them. Maiming. Torture. Death . . .
Hope’s startled gasp brought me back to the now. I had just the presence of mind to wipe the bloodthirsty grimace off my face before looking down at her. “You okay?” I grumbled the question, eager to get back to my revenge plans while this ridiculous conversation dragged on.
Wanted it t
o end. Wanted to drag my female upstairs so I could kiss away all her worries, spread her legs and feast on the sweet flesh nestled between her beautiful thighs.
Again, Hope dissolved my fantasies by staring so hard I could feel her gaze burning all the way down to the soul I’d only recently re-discovered. A soul completely owned by her.
“Y-yes. But Ruarc . . .” she leaned closer, probably not wanting to be overhead. When her mouth was inches away from my ear, I took advantage of her nearness by burying my face in her neck. My wolf strained against his bonds, urging me to rub my scent all over her, mark her until everyone in the whole world knew she was mine. “Is something, oh, um . . .” Her voice trailed off when my mouth closed around the pliable flesh over her pulse.
For a second, I preened at her sweet moan, the honeyed scent of arousal that suddenly filled the air around her, but then I remembered . . .
Other males around.
I leapt from the couch, holding my startled female in my arms while snarling over her shoulder. “Mine!”
Just in case the others didn’t understand the clear warning, I glared at each of them. Ash calmly met my gaze. The feral wildness of his ancestors peeked through his eyes, but he remained seated.
He will be next to offer a claim, my instincts told me as a challenging roar built in my chest. I squashed it. Best to let things play out, no matter how much that thought had me raging.
Looked to Lucien next, pleased to see him avert his gaze. But the way every muscle in his body strained with reluctance? Yeah, didn’t like that.
He wants her. But not ready.
His loss, my gain.
Moved on to Jason. He met my challenging glare with an intrigued grin, jerking his chin at Hope and wiggling his brows. The snarl that ripped from my chest was pure instinct. I was stuck between rage at his claim on her and the heat that filled my body when I thought about how much pleasure we could bring her together.
She was what was important. Not me. Not Jason. Only her.
Her pleasure.
Her happiness.
Her safety.
Before I could change my mind, I gave him a short nod and stormed out the room. Gritting my teeth while I took the stairs three at the time, I fought to dampen my possessive instincts.
This is right.
Jason was my packmate. My brother. And my co-mate.
Long as he listens . . .
Was imperative Jason understood Hope was mine. He could join this time. And whenever Hope requested it. But I had first claim. She was mine first.
If he forgot . . .
My fingers curled reflexively.
He better never forget.
13
Hope
This time . . . this time was different.
I felt it deep in my soul. There was a surety in me that’d been missing from our other intimate encounters, an urgency I couldn’t contain. My pulse raced, spurred on by Ruarc’s tight grip, by the continuous growls thrumming in his chest, and by the speed at which he climbed the stairs.
When I noticed Jason in pursuit, my pulse fluttered and dived between my legs.
Ruarc carried me past the door to my room—Jason hot on his heels—not stopping until the massive bed that occupied most of the space in his room came into view.
I’d barely had time to blink when I found myself on my back in that bed, surrounded by massive walls of muscle, hot flesh, and the intoxicating smell of the two guys sandwiching me between them.
There was a brief pause, a question in the burning silver eyes boring into mine, in the big hands holding my chin so gently, the sweep of a calloused thumb tracing my cheek.
A nod was all I managed.
“Words, mo chridhe,” Ruarc growled while Jason swept the hair away from my neck and pressed a reverent kiss to the sensitive flesh there.
Tension coiled deep in my stomach, the heat growing unbearable. “Yes,” I breathed. “Please.”
My shirt went flying, leaving my chest bare, and not an ounce of discomfort existed within me. Ruarc had seen everything before; I’d swam naked with Jason. They were mine. My males. And this felt as inevitable as the moon cresting.
A hoarse, “Mo chridhe,” followed by a reverent, “Love . . .”
Then their hands . . . their hands were everywhere.
Touching
Exploring.
Worshiping.
Ruarc’s rough palm on my stomach.
Jason cupping my breast.
Ruarc squeezing my inner thigh.
Jason stroking a finger down my neck.
Ruarc snarling, fingers digging into my hip before flexing, releasing, caressing; Jason grinning, leaning down, brushing his lips over mine—then that grin slipping, amber eyes darkening with desire.
My breath caught, heat streaming through my body like ribbons of delicious fire.
Jason’s mouth closed around my nipple and a moan tore from my throat. Ruarc snarled in response, looming above me like a conquering warrior. He growled at Jason, then moved down my body and ripped my pants right off, leaving me naked except for the bandage they thought covered an unseemly scar.
A pang of guilt burrowed under my ribs, but before it could ruin the moment, Ruarc’s hot wet mouth was between my thighs.
“Ruarc!” I panted, my back bowing off the bed. The twin sensations between my legs and the insistent pull on my breast made something low in my stomach burst into flames.
“Fucking delicious,” Ruarc growled against my core, the vibrations shooting sparks of pleasure down to my curling toes.
I whimpered from the sharp scrape of Jason’s teeth across my nipple, his sexy grin almost my undoing.
“So pretty and pink.” His tongue laved at the throbbing tip, soothing and stoking the frenzied fire dominating my world.
The calloused palms on my thighs tightened, Ruarc murmuring praise against my aching center.
A strangled cry ripped from my chest.
“Shh, love,” Jason murmured in a hoarse voice. He kissed his way back up my neck, paying special attention to the strangely sensitive spot behind my ear. “Relax. We’re going to make you feel good.” After a sharp-yet-delicious bite to my neck, he moved to my lips and claimed them in a scorching kiss.
A muscle in my stomach jumped.
I felt empty. Achy. Needy.
As though he knew, Ruarc threw my legs over his shoulder and attacked my throbbing flesh with savage hunger. Big, rough hands gripped both my hips, controlled the wild bucking I was helpless to stop and punished my frantic movements with such intense pleasure it rode the sharp edge of pain.
While Ruarc tore moans, gasps and soft pleas from my mouth as he attacked my core with lips, teeth and tongue, all I could smell was Jason; his dark, stormy scent as he invaded my mouth and swallowed my cries of passion. He held himself above me with all his weight on one elbow, his free hand plucking at my breasts, teasing my nipples, squeezing whenever I moaned.
“Bloody hell, woman.” Jason stared down at me, something dark and hungry flashing across face before he grabbed my neck and mashed our mouths together. He deepened the kiss at the same time Ruarc drew the hard nub between my legs into his mouth and sucked.
My heart stopped beating.
My stomach fell through the mattress.
My legs stiffened, froze, and I went rigid, screaming as pleasure tore through my body, electricity igniting my every nerve ending until I was no longer still but twisting and jerking and scrambling to survive this intense, all-consuming thing.
Terrifying. That amount of pleasure, losing that much control, it was terrifying.
“That’s it, love,” Jason said when the shaking slowed down. “We got you.” He moved away from my mouth and placed tender kisses along my eyelids, my cheekbones, and the corner of my mouth.
I gasped as Ruarc gave me one last, lazy lick—a touch I felt all the way down to my soul—before moving up my body and lying on my other side. Pressed between the two of them, my body lethargic from the p
leasure that had swamped through me, I felt safe.
Completely safe.
Tears pressed against my closed lids, my lips trembling.
I felt safe.
All my muscles clenched, then loosened, and suddenly I felt like I had lived a lifetime without rest, without sleep; just a constant, loud battle for survival that had gone on and on and on and on . . . Until now.
A shudder wracked my body, and when I opened my eyes, both my guys were staring down at me. Ruarc, with an expression of feral hunger mixed with masculine satisfaction, and Jason, wearing a smile so soft I all but melted.
“I . . .” My voice cracked, and immediately both men frowned.
“What’s wrong, love?” Jason asked while Ruarc drew back, nostrils flaring, scarred hands lifting away from my body before silver eyes narrowed and the hands returned, stroking down my arms, my stomach, my thighs—not to arouse but to soothe.
“Nothing,” I said, blinking back tears. “It was just so . . . so amazing.”
Some of the tension left Ruarc’s shoulders and he smiled down at me, all teeth and savagery. In the beginning, that smile had both intimidated and awed, but now it was one of the most beautiful things I’d ever seen, lighting up the room and warming my rapidly expanding heart.
“You’re amazing,” Jason murmured against my ear, his hot breath raising goosebumps as desire once again curled deep in my belly.
“Do you . . . can I . . .” I let the sentence trail off, looking up at them and hoping they could read the question on my eyes.
“Your speed, mo chridhe,” Ruarc said gruffly.
I took a deep breath. “I want to. I want to make you feel like . . . like you made me feel.”
They exchanged a speaking glance.
“There’s no favors owed in our bed, love. We’re more than happy to wait until you’re ready.”
Naked, there were no loose threads for me to fiddle with, so I settled for gripping the sheets and gathering my courage.
“If you want, there are . . .” Jason paused, and if I didn’t know better I would have said it was embarrassment making his deep voice waver. “There are other things we can do.”
