by Chloe Cole
Her heart began to pound and her body temperature spiked as Liam kissed her again, this time with lascivious intent. Pushing the food aside, Liam did as she’d hoped and bent her over on all fours. He entered her quickly, almost violently.
All of her apprehension melted away as he rode her hard from behind, driving his cock in and out at a punishing pace, branding her…owning her.
Without a slow, purposeful build, her climax struck like a freight train, blurring her vision. She cried out, her legs quivering as she planted her ass flush against his hips, holding him deep while her muscles clutched his throbbing cock.
Liam leaned forward, draping his frame across her back to clamp his teeth on her shoulder. She rotated her hips once, grinding against him. His body tensed as he came, shudders wracking his body as he curled over her, his groans ringing in her ear.
When her heart stopped racing, Amalie lowered herself to the floor and pressed her face to the plush carpet. Liam followed, sprawling his body over hers, taking the brunt of his weight on his knees. He was so clearly enthralled with her body that the self-consciousness she usually felt with a lover was nowhere to be found. It was so freeing, she wanted to weep. He pressed a soft kiss to her nape, and stroked her side rhythmically as they caught their breath.
They spent the rest of the day in bed, trying to distract each other from thinking about what was to come. By the time the sun set and the room grew dark as the sun, she was deliciously sore, satisfied, and, for once, blessedly cool. The beast growing within her had been sated, at least temporarily.
“There’s nothing I’d rather do than stay here with you, but we have a meeting to attend,” he said gently.
Everything came rushing back and Amalie sat up, filled with determination. She’d found complete and total bliss for the first time in her life with Liam. If he wanted her, she would stay in Pray. There was no way she was going to let someone take it away before they had a chance to see if a relationship between them could work. She had acquaintances from work that she’d gotten drinks with in the past, but beyond that, what else did she have to go back for? She and her sister were never close, and her parents had been dead for years. The concept that she might have stumbled into a family…into a life where she felt cared for and supported entirely by accident was enough to get her up and moving. Time to find out what tomorrow would bring.
She took his hand and squeezed his fingers. “Let’s go.”
Chapter Eight
An hour later, Amalie tried to quell her nervousness as they approached the great room of the house where members of the area packs were waiting for them to arrive. She and Liam had risen and dressed quickly, Amalie donning her ripped but now clean jeans and one of Liam’s shirts.
They were late. They’d tried to leave earlier, but Amalie had been assailed by a particularly brutal hot flash. Her fear and nervousness were wreaking havoc on her already chaotic body chemistry. Liam had convinced her to lie down for a few minutes while he pressed a cool, damp cloth to her face and forced her to drink two glasses of ice water.
Now, as they prepared to enter the room, she said a silent prayer for Liam’s safety. He gave her hand a reassuring squeeze and released it to open the door. He walked in first and she followed behind, keeping her attention on his back.
She heard murmurs and whispers from the dozens of attendees already present, but tried to shut them out as he led her past rows of occupied chairs to the center of the room. Her skin felt too tight for her body, and she was beginning to overheat again as her earlier sense of well-being evaporated.
Liam stopped next to a long, mahogany table at the front of the group. He gestured for Amalie to sit and followed suit. Three men sat at a second table beside them. They all looked completely different, but each radiated confidence and power. Clearly, the other pack leaders.
The room quieted as Liam cleared his throat and began to speak. “We are here to discuss the events that took place on Pray lands three evenings past.”
Amalie started at his cool, authoritative tone. Something within her stirred… a sense of pride in him and a bone-deep respect. She understood in a flash that it was the wolf in her recognizing him as the alpha male of her pack. It should’ve irked her, that concept of a male leader, but in this instance, it felt right because as much as she respected him, he respected her. From what she’d seen when he’d shared his memories with her, each member had their place within the pack, as would she—assuming they let her stay.
Her gaze was drawn to her alpha, to his powerful body pulsing with vitality. In fact, she realized the entire room was focused only on him. She let go of the last of her reservations and embraced the feeling of being a part of something, a part of Liam.
“Thank you all for coming. I would have come to you, but given the circumstances, I thought it best to keep Amalie here until after the change. She has been through quite a lot.” Liam spoke respectfully, making eye contact first with the alphas, and then the rest of the audience.
She flicked a glance around the room at large for the first time, trying to gauge the mood, but froze as her gaze connected with a pair of amber eyes that seemed familiar and as cold and empty as a child’s doll.
Mikhail.
Her stomach clenched as he gave her a wolf’s grin, looking so pleased with himself. Like he knew something she didn’t and, whatever it was, it wasn’t good.
Icy fear chilled her heated body, almost paralyzing her. She could almost feel the malice pouring off him in waves and the agony of his teeth ripping into her side.
Then, a comforting presence enveloped her, like a warm hug, filled with compassion and support. She looked up and saw Billy watching her, and she knew, as clearly as if he’d spoken the words to her, that he accepted her into the pack and under his protection. Tears of gratitude sprung to her eyes.
Tentatively, she reached out further with her mind but could only feel Liam and Billy. That was okay. She was not alone; she was part of something, a pack of three at least, for as long as she was allowed to stay in Pray. Strengthened, she pulled her gaze away from Billy’s and defiantly met Mikhail’s malevolent stare. She broke away when Liam’s consciousness pulled at her. Her alpha wanted her to pay attention and she snapped to it.
Liam had stopped talking and a middle-aged ginger-haired man, one of the alphas, stood to face her.
“I am Joseph, Big Sky Canyon Wolf Pack. To my left is Alexander of the Kotke Wolf Pack,” he said, gesturing to a wiry, sandy-haired man with a cold gleam in his eyes. “And to my right is Niles of the Stone Creek Wolf Pack.” He pointed to a very large, almost bear-like man with black, bushy hair and a serious expression before facing the room at large.
“I have been chosen by the pack alphas to mediate this inquiry. I’ve spoken to many of you over the past two days and have heard from all parties that Amalie was being hunted by Mikhail and that you, Liam, intervened to prevent the kill. Does anyone dispute this?” he asked, looking specifically to Liam.
Amalie’s heart sank as she recognized instantly which way this wind was blowing. Liam had made it seem like they had a chance here, but if Joseph’s tone was any indication, his mind was already made up.
And she’d lost her new family before she’d even gotten to know them.
Bastards. This was going to be a fucking bloodbath if they thought they were going to come into his house and roll over him. So far, there had been no mention of Mikhail hunting on Pray lands, or the fact that Mikhail had broken Liam’s law that prohibited the hunting of humans in his territory. Interesting and very telling omissions.
Joseph stared at him expectantly, waiting for a response, and Liam bit back a sharp retort. “What you say is true. But why isn’t Mikhail up here as well? And why doesn’t your narrative include his trespassing?”
Joseph nodded stiffly. “It’s true we did not expect to deal with his crime of trespass this evening. He was only a few miles outside of his territory, and frankly, his transgression pales in comparison to the ev
ents that followed. It’s imperative we focus on the more immediate problem. We have not dealt with a turning in a very long time.”
Liam flexed his hands to keep them from fisting. This wasn’t going well. Joseph was one of the three pack leaders present, but he wasn’t Mikhail’s pack leader. And that meant that Mikhail had the support of not only his own pack, but the Big Sky Canyon Pack as well. If he already had two of the other three packs aligned with his cause…well, he and Amalie were fighting against even worse odds than he’d anticipated.
He’d take that fight, though—he didn’t have another choice. “I ask to put that decision to a vote. Mikhail’s trespassing was the catalyst for all of the events that followed. I don’t see how he can be absolved of guilt. He was on my land when he attacked Amalie. None of this would have happened if he hadn’t been hunting humans on my land.”
Murmurs of disapproval came from the back of the room. Liam cursed himself for his poor choice of words. To Mikhail’s brethren, the Kotke Wolf Pack, calling the hunt an “attack” was offensive. An attack was vicious and insinuated cruel intentions. While some of the Kotke werewolves held a certain disdain for humans, most did not hate them any more than a man might hate a cow or a turkey. He’d let his own fury and outrage on Amalie’s behalf get in the way of the diplomacy that was required of someone in his position and he vowed not to let it happen again. “I don’t want to downplay the events that followed, but the events are tied together and should be dealt with together. All those in favor of Mikhail joining us at the inquiry table, lift your hands.”
As Liam’s eyes scanned the room, it was clear the majority agreed with him. He let out a pent-up breath. It wasn’t much, but it was a start.
Mikhail stood and walked over to the table. He passed close enough to Amalie’s chair that his body brushed her shoulders and she flinched. Hot rage poured through Liam and he longed to kill the bastard where he stood. Mikhail sat down next to him with a mocking grin.
Joseph cleared his throat. “As I was saying, there is no dispute with regard to the events that took place. But right now we have come together for answers to questions and solutions to problems. Prior to your arrival we took a vote about the girl. It was decided, almost unanimously, that she should not be at this meeting. She is a human until the full moon and has no business attending these proceedings. There is nothing she can offer to the discussion and, moreover, we cannot allow her presence to sway us from doing what we know to be right for our race. She has no understanding of our ways and allowing her further insight when she is not yet one of us seems foolhardy to the point of recklessness.”
Joseph motioned to a dark-haired woman from the Big Sky Canyon Pack whom Liam considered a friend. “Chandra, please escort the young lady into the sitting room next door.”
As she walked toward the table, Chandra refused to meet Liam’s eyes. He understood her fear…all of their fears. They were scared of the unknown, afraid of reliving the horrors their ancestors had suffered. Having their homes burned and being hunted as demons. And the loss of Sara was so fresh in their minds.
He just wanted them to have the chance to know Amalie, because once they did, they would realize she could be trusted. He felt her wild-eyed gaze on him and tried to calm her with his mind.
“Liam, please, I need to stay,” she whispered as she was led away. “What if they hurt you?”
“Don’t worry, sweetie,” Mikhail whispered silkily, just loud enough for the three of them to hear. “If they kill Liam or send him packing, you and I can finish where we left off.”
Chapter Nine
Amalie gasped as Liam growled low in his throat and leapt to his feet. He grabbed the ends of the heavy, ornate table and flipped it like it was nothing more than a pile of twigs. Mikhail stood and moved, swinging wildly at Liam, landing a glancing blow to his side. Liam’s huge fist went flying and connected solidly with Mikhail’s jaw, a loud crack sounding through the room.
Amalie grabbed Liam’s arm and held tight. He looked down at her, eyes blazing with fury, and she realized he was not himself. He had begun to change, shoulder muscles bunching, the shape of his face altering just slightly. She gaped and pulled her hand back.
A moment later, the other alphas latched onto Liam and Mikhail, dragging them apart. Mikhail also seemed to be struggling against the change, but was having less success than Liam. He was almost completely wolf when the woman called Chandra tugged Amalie’s arm.
“Come now. It’s dangerous for you to be here.” She pulled Amalie toward the door.
Amalie looked back at Liam and as their eyes met, the fiery rage in his gaze died out. He touched her mind, reassuring her that he was okay, that everything would be okay. She allowed herself to be led away, knowing she had no alternative. Hadn’t she caused him enough grief already? If her presence was going to add fuel to the tension between him and Mikhail, maybe he was better off if she was out of the way.
She stared at him as long as she could, pressing into his mind over and over how special their short time together had been to her. She only hoped she’d get the chance to tell him to his face.
Liam struggled against the hands grabbing at him and stilled as he watched Chandra guide Amalie from the great room. His heart tripped as he realized with gut-wrenching certainty that they wanted to kill her. Joseph’s demand that she leave the room wasn’t because she didn’t belong. It was because they didn’t want her to know they’d already decided her fate. That it was too dangerous…no…they were too fearful to allow her to live. And while some probably believed that as a lesser being she didn’t deserve such consideration, the majority would have found it cruel to speak of the sentence in front of her.
Liam closed his eyes and tried to quell the nausea that overcame him as Amalie’s emotions crowded his brain. He blocked her quickly, sickened he couldn’t respond, but knowing if he opened himself to her she would feel his fear for her.
The loss of Sara still weighed so heavily upon him. The knowledge that he’d failed her so completely had almost crippled him. He had been her alpha and he hadn’t protected her. Losing Amalie too...failing her too?
It would break him.
Determined, he turned to the alphas still trying to calm Mikhail. Liam tried to lift a hand, but realized with a start that his arms were still pinned to his side. He looked up to see Billy’s face.
“You okay, Boss? Under control?” He loosened his grip and, at Liam’s reassurance, released him completely. He tugged Liam away from the rest and spoke in low tones. “It’s bad, man. I tried to tell them before you guys got here. I tried to argue, but they’re hell-bent. Even some of our pack… They’re just afraid, you know? What happened to Sara is still fresh in their minds. Most humans can’t be trusted.” Billy’s gaze met his with frank honesty. “I told them that any discussion should wait until you arrived, but the Kotke pressed their advantage. It was like they were trying to incite a mob. They’re willing to forgive your crime if you demonstrate remorse. But to do so would be to admit saving her was a mistake and one you wouldn’t repeat. They want Amalie destroyed. I’m willing to stand by you, and by Amalie, but you need to convince the rest of them.”
Liam nodded once, bile rising in his throat. Desperation clawed at him as he reached out to Billy’s consciousness. He allowed Billy to feel the churning in his gut, to see Amalie through his eyes, to feel his terror for her, his rage at the idea of her being hurt. He closed the connection after just a few moments, but it was enough. Amalie, right or wrong, was his chosen mate.
Billy’s face morphed into a mask of determination. “If you can’t sway everyone, then at least show our pack what you showed me. Screw the rest of them. We need to unite on this if we have any hope of saving her.”
Around them, the commotion had quieted. The table was righted by one of the alphas and Joseph asked everyone to be seated once again. He sat himself between Liam and Mikhail.
“Let us continue,” he said sharply.
Werewolves’ t
empers were sometimes short, and quick bursts of violence between packs were not uncommon. In fact, given the circumstances, the lack of an altercation would have been surprising, but Joseph wasted no time using the scuffle to his advantage.
“Already this human’s presence has caused tension and violence between our packs. We may not always agree, but in order for our survival we must stick together. We cannot allow this mistake to cost us our existence, and I fear that is what is at stake.” He shook his head grimly, as if his next words pained him to utter. “All those in favor of removing the risk, in the most humane way possible, lift your hands.”
It took every ounce of discipline he had not to tear the motherfucker’s head off. When no one immediately stirred, though, the anger died and a tiny kernel of hope formed in his chest. Maybe he was wrong. Maybe they still had a chance.
Then a hand shot up, followed by a second. Soon, half the people in the room had their hands in the air, but most wouldn’t meet his eyes.
Liam stood and said a silent prayer. “Brothers and sisters, lower your hands until I’ve said my piece. I’m willing to accept any punishment you see fit for my interference. But I can’t accept that you would condone pre-meditated murder.” Several hands wavered and whispers rolled across the room. “You can try to pretty it up, and tell yourselves you voted to ‘correct a mistake’ or ‘remove a risk’. But if you’re fooling yourselves. You can paint a cow chip yellow and call it gold, but at the end of the day, it’s still a piece of shit. And planning to kill an innocent woman is still straight up murder. Is this what we have become?”
As he gazed around the room, many squirmed in their seats. Even for the Kotke pack, a hunt was one thing, but cold-blooded murder was something else.
Alexander, Mikhail’s alpha, stood and slow-clapped in Liam’s direction. “Bravo! That was a rousing speech. However, the fact remains that you interfered with the circle of life. When you watch the Discovery Channel and you see the little baby elephant about to be overtaken by the lions, don’t you think the cameraman could do something about it? Except he doesn’t. Because that is nature, Liam. That is life. It is sometimes cruel and difficult. Survival of the fittest.” Some of the audience nodded, but others still looked dubious. Unfortunately, however, he wasn’t finished.
