by Bethany Shaw
Nora placed a chaste kiss to his lips. “We should get some sleep so we are ready later.” She took his hand in hers and gently pulled him to the bed. Shoving the covers back, she scooted in, giving him room to join her. The bed dipped down, creaking beneath his weight. He flopped back on the pillows and drooped one arm over his face. His other hand reached out for her, and she curled into his embrace.
They lay quietly for a long time. Nora stared up at the ceiling only letting her eyes flutter closed when Daniel’s breathing finally evened out.
***
Daniel awoke with a start. His eyes blinked open, and he sat up looking around the darkened room. A flash of light flickered through the window followed by a loud boom. It was storming. The weather seemed to fit his dreary mood.
“Everything okay?” Nora mumbled. She stared up at him as she propped herself up on her pillows.
“Yeah, the thunder just woke me,” he said. “Go back to sleep.” He attempted a smile, but it was in vain.
“Did we sleep the whole day away?” Nora asked as she twisted to look at her alarm clock.
“Yeah. We’ll be getting ready to leave soon. Assuming something hasn’t changed anyway.” He hesitated, looking down at her. “Are you still planning on coming tonight?” He swallowed, hoping she said no. It wasn’t that he didn’t think she could handle herself, he knew she could, he was terrified something would happen to her. He’d seen men on the ranch die, he’d been there when Preston died, but it was so much realer now that it was his own brother. This was a war and you never knew when someone was going to die.
Nora sighed. “They killed that woman, Rosita, because she couldn’t produce a little girl,” she whispered. “Who does that? They...they murdered Sarah and Vincent. And god only knows what happened to April’s sister. I’ve spent a lot of time studying past wars with my major and they’re going to keep doing these awful things until someone stops them. How can I just sit back and not do anything? People that turn a blind eye to all the horrors in the world are no better than the ones committing them.”
Daniel lay back down on his pillow and watched as the lighting flickered across the room. He wouldn’t’ stop Nora from going, but he needed to know she’d be safe. “Can you do me a favor tonight?”
“What?”
“If things go south—if we lose, I need you to leave. Run away as fast and as far as you can. Change your name. Just do whatever you have to, to survive,” Daniel pleaded with her. If he died, so be it, but she couldn’t die. “Promise me.”
“Daniel-”
“Promise me, Nora,” he interrupted. He gently cupped her face in his hands. “I need to know you’ll be safe. I...” he started then stopped, realizing what he was going to say. It wasn’t possible, but yet the words had been ready to pop out of his mouth. He’d never before uttered those words—to anyone. But he did, he loved her.
His heart swelled with this new knowledge. “I love you, Nora,” he said quietly. The words were foreign on his tongue, but a surge of joy burst through them as they flowed from his mouth. He loved her.
Nora gasped, her eyes widening. After a moment, she leaned in and kissed him gently on the lips. Her mouth moved against his igniting a hunger inside of him.
She pulled back a wide grin on her face. “I love you too, Daniel.” She sighed and looked away. “But I can’t promise you that.” She swallowed and met his eyes. “Because the two of us are going to make it back here. This is just the beginning for us and we still have so much more. So, no, I can’t promise.”
“We’re both coming back?” he asked, admiring her optimism. He truly hoped she was right.
“Yes.”
Daniel captured her lips with his. His one hand wove into her hair the other resting on her hip, drawing her closer. His length hardened as she threw one leg over his waist. Her heat ebbed into him and he growled with need. He wanted to show her how special she was, mark her as his for all of Juarez’s men to know that she wasn’t to be touched by anyone but him.
As if sensing his need, Nora’s soft digits skimmed down his belly until they reached the button of his jeans. With a flick of her wrist, she undid the snap and slipped her hand inside. Daniel groaned as her cool hand encircled his cock. Slowly, she began to pump as she rolled her thumb over his tip.
Daniel growled with desire, swirling his tongue inside of her mouth. His fingers crawled across her smooth skin as he unlaced the string on her pants. He needed her, now! Nora pulled away from him breaking their kiss with a loud pop. She lifted her hips up, ridding herself of her sweats and panties. Daniel quickly shoved his pants down and then watched as she lifted her shirt over her head and unhooked her bra.
She bit her lip, a small smile on her face. Gently, she pushed him back. Daniel’s breath caught as she slowly straddled him. Lifting herself up, she positioned him at her entrance and slowly sank down on him.
Daniel closed his eyes and gritted his teeth as he stretched her tight, wet heat. Her hands went to his chest and she began to rock back and forth, in a slow, steady motion.
His hands found her hips, gripping the creamy flesh. He’d never given control to a woman like this before. He liked it—enjoyed the feel of submitting to the woman he loved. He was hers and she was his.
He opened his eyes and he ground up into her. She rode astride him, her lip tucked between her teeth, her beautiful eyes closed. A raw expression covered her beautiful features as she pleasured them both. Nora’s mouth parted a moan escaping her pink lips. Daniel gripped her hips harder, helping her movements. His length hardening even more as she ground harder, faster against him. Her supple breasts bounced with her movements, and he lifted his hand to roll his fingers over her nipple.
He watched in fascination as she brought herself to her climax, her beautiful face so expressive. With a sigh, she threw her head back. Her inner walls tightened, contracting around him as heat coated his cock. Growling, Daniel switched their positions in one fluid movement.
Her slender legs rested around his lower back as he pumped into her, drawing out her orgasm. A wonton scream tore free from her throat. Daniel bent down, stifling it with his mouth. He thrust his tongue into her mouth, moving it against hers in time to his movements. His length slid in and out of her until he careened over the edge with a growl.
Their bodies lay intertwined together, their breathing labored. Daniel pressed his forehead against hers and stared into her eyes.
“I love you, Nora.”
She smiled and kissed him gently on the lips. “I love you.”
“We’re both coming home tonight he promised.” She nodded beneath him, and he sealed their deal as he traced her mouth with his tongue.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Lark sighed as she twisted her hair up into a messy bun. She slid her camouflage jacket on and looked in the mirror. Her blue eyes looked dull and large bags had formed under her eyes.
“You almost ready?” Devon asked, knocking on their bedroom door.
“Yeah,” she took one last look in the mirror before turning to him. She went to brush past him and he stopped her.
“We haven’t really talked about what happened with Sarah and Vincent,” he said, placing a hand on her shoulder.
“There isn’t anything to talk about,” Lark murmured quietly.
“Are you upset with me?” Devon asked, his hazel eyes flashing with vulnerability.
Lark sighed and slumped against the door. “I was at first,” she admitted. “But you’re a leader and that’s why you are a good one. Sometimes tough choices have to be made. You left your brother too.” Tears pricked in her eyes and she reached up to wipe them away. “I can’t imagine how you must feel having been the one to of make that choice. I know it was the right call. You took the consideration of everyone into account, not your own selfish needs. I would have gotten us all killed.” Her voice broke and Devon reached out, pulling her close.
“I almost didn’t leave, Lark. I wanted to go after them.”
“Me too,” she cried.
“We’re going to avenge them tonight,” Devon assured her.
Lark nodded against him, letting her tears flow down her cheeks as she buried her face into Devon’s shoulder.
“My mom was asking,” Devon said, pulling back as he cupped her face. “Are we still going to do the ceremony tomorrow?”
Lark bit her lip. It didn’t seem right to go through with it without Sarah. But at the same time, if they didn’t, Juarez would still be winning. She wanted to marry Devon—to be his officially and vice versa. “I think we should. Sarah and Vincent would want us to keep on going. We honor them more by following through and living how we choose to, then we do by postponing it.”
Devon nodded before placing a soft kiss to her lips. “I think they would want us to too.”
***
Daniel escorted Nora down the stairs. Their hands entwined, they made their way to the kitchen for dinner. His stomach rumbled, he couldn’t remember the last time he’d actually eaten a full meal. They’d had snacks in the car but after the incident with Vincent and Sarah, they had driven straight home, other than a stop for him to change.
“Daniel, Nora,” Devon said quietly as he stepped out of the hallway. Devon nodded at Nora. “Are you up for going tonight?”
Nora seemed to hesitate. “Yes.”
“You're sure? You know you don’t have to,” Devon added.
“I know,” Nora whispered. “I want to help.”
Devon appraised her for a moment. “I’m glad to have your help, Nora. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
Devon turned back to him. “I need to talk to you, Daniel.”
“I’ll go make us plates,” Nora offered, excusing herself.
Daniel squeezed her hand before letting it go, watching as she trotted off. “What do you want to talk about?”
“In the office,” Devon said. Without waiting for a response, the alpha turned on his heel and marched for the door.
Daniel grumbled under his breath as he followed his brother. Gene’s office was empty, which struck him as odd. The last time he’d been in here with just Devon he’d ended up running through a glass window to keep his freedom. Not that he exactly blamed Devon for thinking the worst of him. Maddie and Juarez had set him up perfectly.
“Shut the door,” Devon instructed.
Daniel did as he was asked, then waited for Devon to continue.
Devon sighed, hesitating before he spoke. “You were injured earlier, can you still fight?”
“I’m going,” he declared.
Devon nodded. “How bad were your injuries? I should have looked at you.”
“I’ve had worse.”
Devon looked away and then back at home. “You saved Lark today,” he said.
“I told you I would protect her—protect the pack. This is my family too,” Daniel said, taking a step forward.
“I know that,” Devon snapped. “I could have killed you when you attacked the ranch all those months ago. When you took Sarah and Em. But I couldn’t, you’re my brother and that means something. It always has.”
Daniel opened and closed his mouth, not really sure what to say or where his brother was going with this.
“I don’t know that I can ever forgive you for everything that happened with Emmett. But Lark, Gene, and even Talia trust you and you saved Lark’s life.” Devon let out a long breath and ran a hand over his jaw. “I guess what I’m trying to say is I trust you, and even if I’m not able to forgive you yet, but we’re on the same side and I don’t want to lose another brother tonight. Everyone that can transition tonight is coming. The only exception is mom. She’s staying with Emma to look after the kids. They are going to stick close to the van just in case. Nora and Lark are going to set up a spot on a hilltop about a quarter mile from Juarez’s place. I want you there with them. You’ll be with Em, Marcus, Amelia, and Talia too.”
“I can fight,” Daniel said. A part of him wanted to be with Nora—to ensure she was safe. The other wanted to fight with the pack.
“I know, but you are injured, and I already told you I don’t want to lose another brother. But should the fight come to them, I want to make sure that someone strong is there too,” Devon explained.
Daniel opened his mouth to argue, but thought better of it. Devon was trusting him and giving him a big responsibility. Plus he could make sure Nora was safe. “Okay,” he agreed.
“Thank you,” Devon said after a long moment.
***
Nora shoved both plates of food along the buffet, taking care to scoop an extra helping onto Daniel’s plate. If she was starved, he had to be famished, she reasoned. The wolf already ate at least three times as much as she did.
She used the tongs and picked out a hamburger for her plate and got Daniel both a hotdog and hamburger. Two cans of coke plopped down next to her and she turned to see Daniel standing behind her.
“Everything okay?” she inquired, searching his face. She knew things were tense between the two brothers and hoped they hadn’t had a confrontation.
“It’s good,” he smiled.
Nora stared at him for a moment and sighed returning his smile. “I’m glad.”
“I’ll be with you tonight, watching your back,” he said, walking along the buffet with her.
“Good. I like knowing you are there. When are we leaving?
“I think right after dinner. Dev and Gene are going to address everyone once they get in here,” Daniel said.
Nora finished collecting their food and looked around the packed kitchen for a place to stand. There was a small space in the corner and she maneuvered through the crowd carrying both plates. Daniel grabbed their drinks, napkins, and utensils following behind her.
They had just settled in when Gene, Natalia, Lark, and Devon entered the room. The kitchen quickly hushed to a quiet whisper as the alphas stood at the head of the room.
“We plan to leave here in an hour,” Gene started. “After you finish your meal, be sure to stop by my office and get a neon vest. Lark and Nora will be using the long-range rifles during the attack. Anyone who is not wearing a vest to mark themselves, runs the risk of being shot.”
The crowd murmured around them.
Gene cleared his throat and continued. “We will be leaving by vehicle. Our scouts have indicated that Juarez has men about three miles off our property. Devon and I have assembled a strike team to take them out. Once we get the all clear, we will all leave the ranch. We will stop at the edge of town to transition. From there, it is about a mile to Juarez’s camp. The complex they are in is off the main road and is empty aside from them. So, we shouldn’t have to worry about exposure. All special teams have already been notified of their duties. Does anyone have any questions?”
The room remained silent and Nora glanced around the kitchen. Her heart sped up and she took a sharp breath in. This was really happening. In a few short hours, her and Daniel would either be back here or—she didn’t want to think about the other.
“All right, everyone get some food and we’ll be heading out soon,” Gene called when no one said anything.
***
Nora watched as Lark walked around the top of the hill. They could see down into Juarez’s compound from here. There were a few of Juarez’s men lingering around outside, but the camp appeared to be quiet.
“This will work. Let’s start setting up,” Lark said, walking to the Jeep. She pulled out a big black bag and set it on the ground.
“We have the area secure,” Natalia said as her and Daniel came back up from the woods.
“Did you run into any trouble?” the blonde asked.
“There were two wolves,” Daniel started. “They won’t be a problem anymore.”
Nora shuddered, letting out a long breath.
“You doing okay?” Daniel asked stopping in front of her.
“Yeah,” Nora said, smiling. It wasn’t exactly the truth. Her stomach was knotted into a big bu
ndle of nerves and her fingers wouldn’t stop trembling, but he didn’t need to know that. Daniel needed to focus on his duties, not on her. She could do this.
Daniel gave her a quick kiss to the temple before heading off back toward Natalia.
“How do these things work?” Emily asked, using the toe of her sneaker to kick the gun bag.
“Em, you’re not thinking about using one of them,” Marcus said skeptically.
Emily shrugged. “They killed my brother, Marcus. Vincent is dead,” she said, her voice dropping to a whisper. Her bottom lip trembled and she looked away. “We both know I’m not a fighter. If I can do good...” she trailed off her eyes intent on the bag.
Nora shifted on her feet, trying to keep to herself. She didn’t know what to say, and honestly, didn’t want to get involved.
“We’ll keep working on your fighting technique. Guns are dangerous, Em,” Marcus said quietly. “You could do more damage being inexperienced.”
“How hard is it?” Emily asked. She looked to Lark first, but the blonde was talking with Daniel, Amelia, and Natalia. The wolf quickly turned her gaze on Nora.
“Oh, um,” she stuttered.
“Could I learn? Now?” Emily’s emerald eyes widened as she asked.
“I’m not sure I’m the person to ask. I do all right, but Lark’s the expert,” Nora answered, her gaze shifting between Marcus and Emily.
“You want to learn to shoot?” Daniel asked as he rejoined them.
“I want to pull my weight and help out. Fernando Juarez was going to ship me off to become a breeder for his pack. His men killed our brother and Sarah. They killed Rick and Preston and so many others,” Emily ranted, her voice growing stronger with each word she spoke.
Daniel looked to Nora, then back to Lark. “I’m not sure tonight is the night, Em. We’ll talk to Lark about training you properly when you can have time to practice. Guns are dangerous and tonight isn’t the night to have any mishaps. I’m sure Lark will train you when we get back home.”
