by Ally Parker
Annoyed as he was with Saint over his mate, he had to appreciate how he looked after pack. Jaxx inclined his head. “Lucas will be relieved.”
Saint re-sorted the paperwork into an envelope. A knock sounded at the door and from the scent, Jaxx knew it was Quinn.
“Come in.” Saint gestured to the empty seat beside him. “Take a seat.”
The atmosphere was grim as Quinn took his seat, and even a human would feel the waves of tension rolling off their alpha. When Jaxx got the order to meet in Saint’s office, he had assumed it was to discuss Lucas at best, Kenzie at worst. Obviously, there was more to it. Beside him, Quinn’s unease was palpable. If Jaxx was a betting man, he would put his money on the fact the meeting was about Quinn’s mate.
Saint addressed Quinn. “I’ve asked Jaxx here in an official capacity as beta.”
Jaxx had always believed Saint to be a fair alpha. The male didn’t make snap decisions, and he always put the sake of the pack above all else, a fact Jaxx was learning turned out to suck ass. Jaxx understood what he must be suffering through for the last few days, and Kenzie hadn’t even made it to the cell. Yet. Leaders made the hard calls. Not everyone escaped unscathed, and Jaxx had a bad feeling crawling in his belly. Quinn’s scent was peppered with anxiety.
Saint inhaled. “I don’t need to re-hash the shitstorm that’s hit Shadow Moon.”
Beside him, Quinn’s already rigid body solidified.
“As an alpha there needs to be a certain amount of control to keep things steady in a pack. At the moment the scales have been tipped, and it’s starting to have a domino effect. So I’ve come to a decision.”
“Don’t say it.” Quinn shook his head, and Jaxx could see Quinn’s hands tighten on his knees. “For the love of the moon, please don’t say it.”
Saint’s jaw pulsed. It was the only muscle that moved.
“I’m sorry, Quinn, but our pack is already under threat with recent events. The council will have a field day with this.”
Quinn shot forward and slammed his hands on the desk. “I don’t give a shit what the council does. You know what this will do.”
Saint assessed him, the tension between them palpable. “I’ve given you time to win your mate over. Nothing is working. I need to think of Shadow Moon.”
Guilt hit Jaxx hard; it bellowed through him like thick smoke, determined to touch every cell in his body. His unsanctioned change had catapulted all the bad luck slamming into Shadow Moon. Jaxx cleared his throat. “Maybe we can move Sasha to Quinn’s room and keep them both on lock-down. He just needs more time.”
Saint shook his head. “My decision is final. Sasha will be transported to Wolfden.”
Silence hung heavy in the air. Jaxx saw the agony on Quinn’s face and had to look away. The heavy weight of sympathy squeezed his chest. Quinn stood, his muscles rigid, and walked out of the room. Saint’s decision would force Quinn to leave Shadow Moon, his family, to follow Sasha, hoping she would eventually accept him. From experience, they knew humans didn’t appreciate being relocated to Wolfden. It would make mating that much harder. Jaxx swallowed. It could be me next if Kenzie doesn’t accept her destiny.
Kenzie woke with a jolt. Blinking rapidly, she took in her surroundings. The rock walls, heavy steel door, and bared vent looking suspiciously like a cell. But, why would she be locked in one? She flung back the soft blanket and staggered to the door, her vision wobbling.
She tried the handle. Locked. She hadn’t worked so hard for freedom to end up in a six by six cell. Panic started in the center of her chest and fanned outward. She pounded on the door and yelled until her voice turned hoarse. Another wave of dizziness hit her, and she made her way back to the bed, plopping onto the mattress. Her mind wound over the last thing she could remember. Jaxx had carried her back to the tunnels, and there was a blank void filling her memories. Maybe she had passed out.
It must have been from all the blood loss. That would explain why she was still dizzy. The last twenty-four hours had been taxing, to say the least. She’d started the day with a beating, ended it with a bite that changed her life, and topped the night off with a wolf fight. She frowned. With the same wolf from the woods. What were the odds of that?
The taste of the wolf’s blood haunted her. If it weren’t for Jaxx, she would have been dead. She was dressed in a man’s shirt. It smelled of rain. Jaxx. Lifting up her shirt, she peeled back the bandage and sucked in a breath. Her fingers skirted the edges of the mostly healed bite. Incredible.
A quick search of her body, and she couldn’t find any scratches or grazes marking her skin. She noticed a tray at the end of her bed and could smell food wafting from it. Her mouth watered, and she scampered to the end of the bed and gulped down the food.
“It’s no use. You can yell, you can bang on the door, but no one will come,” a female voice echoed from the vent above her head.
Kenzie swung her head up to the ceiling, climbed on the bed, and stood on her tippy toes. “Hello. Who’s there?”
A heartbeat later a woman said. “I’m Sasha. What’s your name?”
“Kenzie.” She stared at the solid door. “What do they want?”
“Nothing good. These people are monsters, and now they are collecting more and more people.”
Dear God, what kind of world had she been thrust into? “How long have you been down here?”
Sasha blew out a breath. “I’m not sure. Days? Maybe a week? It feels like forever.”
Kenzie glanced to the door and back to the vent. “Why are they holding you prisoner?”
And why was she being held prisoner? Kenzie heard Sasha move. Things that she shouldn’t have been able to hear—the brush of fabric here, the scuff of footsteps there. Even though she was back to her human self, apparently her senses had been upgraded.
“I… I think they want to kill me. I saw something I shouldn’t have.”
Each word was laced in fear, and Kenzie couldn’t blame her; she was feeling pretty damn scared herself. Why were they collecting people, and what were their plans? “What did you see?”
“It’s best if I don’t tell you. They might want to make you disappear too.”
Kenzie’s brows knitted together. A chill skated over her body, and it had nothing to do with the cold. She lowered herself down the wall and wrapped her arms around her legs. What did she really know about these people who could turn into wolves? How dangerous were they? Did they make it a habit of holding humans prisoner, or was Sasha some kind of creature too?
Sasha sighed. “Why do they have you locked up?”
It was a good question. “I don’t know, but I assume I’ll find out soon enough.”
“Is there someone you need me to contact?”
Kenzie eyed the vent. “What?”
A rustle of fabric sounded, and Kenzie could imagine Sasha climbing on top of the bed. “You know, in case one of us gets out. Will you have anyone looking for you on the outside?”
She could guarantee there would be people looking for her, just no one she’d want to see. “There will be no one looking for me.”
Moments passed, and Sasha said. “I have friends. Powerful friends, and if you manage to escape, I need you to contact John…” Keys jangled in the door, and Sasha’s words evaporated. A deep voice filled Sasha’s cell. “Who were you talking to?”
“Myself, you asshat. It’s not like anyone else is in this prison.”
Silence stretched. The male cleared his throat, his voice dropping low. “Sasha, we need to talk.”
“I have nothing to say to you, Quinn. Let me go. You know it, and I know it—this is crazy.”
It appeared Kenzie wasn’t the only person whose life had turned upside down. Was it a coincidence that she was being held captive by the very people she’d been sent to spy on? Doubtful. One thing was for sure; Kali was right—these creatures were deadly and would kill her if they found out about her mission. A seed of hope burrowed its way into her chest. Maybe she could save Ava afte
r all. All she had to do was find a way out of the cell and learn as much information as she could. She snorted. Piece of cake.
The scent of fresh rain grew stronger, like the moment right before the sky opened up on a stormy day. Jaxx. No keys jangled. The lock turned over, and Jaxx slipped into the room. A finger ran vertically across his lips, indicating silence.
She stared at him.
With a curl of his finger, Jaxx beckoned her to follow him, and he exited the cell, leaving the door ajar. She bit her lip; should she follow him? What was the alternative? Stay locked up? No thanks. She walked over to the door and slipped out, walking straight into her get-out-of-jail-free card. He steadied her with his hands and dipped his head to the crook of her neck. “Stay quiet and follow me.”
Damn, he smelled so good. Her body leaned into him, and she told herself it was because her head still spun. He gave her a smile that no doubt made women putty in his hands and held out his hand. After a second hesitation she took it, and the weirdest flutter snaked up her arm from where their hands were joined. Jaxx moved fast through the tunnels, and she struggled to keep up. He constantly scanned the hallways, his head tilting every so often as if he was listening for danger. It made her feel on edge, and she took note of her the many corridors that weaved together like a labyrinth—complex and impossible to navigate.
Jaxx slowed and eased them into a foyer area. Two elevated fire pits sat like sentinels guarding a stone staircase. On closer inspection, she could see intricate carvings of wolves in different stages of change along the edges of the pits. Jaxx led her past the staircase and deeper into the tunnel. They passed an alcove, and he pulled her into the darkened recess, pressing her against a wall.
“We should be safe here. At least for a while.”
The warmth of his body seeped through her shirt, and she could feel the hard ridges of his muscles. Her breath hitched, and she closed her eyes. Why did she react so strongly to a man she barely knew? He wasn’t even human, for Pete’s sake. “What does that mean?”
He stepped back, opened the door hidden behind him, and walked into the room.
“Come on before someone sees you.”
Mumbled voices grew louder down the hall, and she could hear at least two people approach. She steeled herself and toed into Jaxx’s domain. The door snapped shut, and Jaxx led her toward the couch and swept his arm wide, offering her a seat. She eyed the chair, her gaze skirting across clawed-up fabric. Heat flamed up her neck, remembering what had happened the last time they’d both been in the room.
Jaxx leaned back against the kitchen counter, his hands reaching back to clamp on the stone. “When Saint finds out you’re missing, he’ll come for us. He has questions, and I need to know the answers before he does.”
Kenzie stared at Jaxx and wondered why it mattered to him. She was a no one, and he must have taken a great risk sneaking her out of a cell, clearly breaking the rules. “Why?”
His brows jerked up to his hairline, forming a line across his brow. “Why? So I can figure out what needs to happen next—”
“No.” She shook her head “Why are you doing this?” Her hand gestured to herself and then around the room. “Why bust me out? Your leader…”
“Alpha,” Jaxx corrected.
“Your alpha doesn’t look like a man that would tolerate rule breakers.”
He froze, his muscles tensed, and he stared at her for a long time. “If you’re concerned for your safety, don’t be. I won’t let anything happen to you.”
Saint had been the biggest wolf she’d seen, and after everything that happened at Delmac, she’d seen more than enough wolves for a lifetime. Power rolled off the male in physical waves. If he was that formidable as a creature, she could only imagine what Saint the human must be like. “It wasn’t me I was afraid for.”
The creatures within Shadow Moon were Jaxx’s family, and from the little she knew about family, betrayal always burned hotter when it came from those you loved. She didn’t doubt for a second there would be repercussions.
Jaxx moved across the room and closed the distance between them, his eyes flaring a vibrant green. “You’re afraid for my welfare?”
She thought of her sister and the years of abuse she’d suffered, all because of her. “I don’t like people getting hurt because of me.”
A deep rumble hummed in Jaxx’s throat, the sound lit her body like a match striking its box, and an instant flame flickered to life. Leaning forward, he braced his arms on the wall, closing her in. The scent of Jaxx licked at her senses, their bodies nothing more than a whisper apart. She swallowed. Heat radiated from him, engulfing her in flames. Her breasts felt heavy, and her body pulsed with need. Tingles shot to her eyes. Jaxx’s features enhanced to crystal clarity. “What’s happening to me?”
“You want me. And I’ll be only too happy to accommodate your needs,” he whispered a moment before his head descended.
Her hand shot out and rested on his firm pec. She had every intention to stop him. His lips brushed against hers, soft yet demanding, and her brain fibrillated, unable to string together a simple thought. Functioning on pure, primal instinct, hunger took over. The only thing satisfying her palate—Jaxx. Fisting her hand in his navy tee, she held him close. His hand snaked around her waist, and he yanked her closer. The hard length of his erection pressed deliciously against her stomach. With fevered motions, Jaxx trailed kisses down her neck, lingering where he had bitten her. His teeth grazed the area, and she moaned. Pleasure sizzled to her clit.
“Fuck, I want you so bad,” he muttered against her neck.
Arousal pooled in her panties at the admission. In one swift move, he lifted her up, his erection pressing right where she needed it. The cool wall pressed against her back. Her hands roamed his body, sliding over well-honed muscles. He claimed her lips again. Running her hands up his neck, she cupped his face. Tongues danced, and hands explored, fueling her arousal to a dangerous level. Yanking on his shirt, material ripped. A nearly completed design of a wolf rolled up the expanse of his torso, just as imposing as Jaxx himself. Tracing the inked skin with her fingertips, she flattened her palm and slid it down his torso until it rested on the waistband of his jeans.
He shivered, and his reaction pleased her. His hand came between them, and she watched as a fingernail sharpened. Their gazes met, and she sucked in a breath as his claw trailed down her shirt. The fabric parted, exposing all of her, and his eyes dropped to her breasts, then to the juncture between her legs.
He groaned.
Every action, every sound worked her body as if he’d been made for her. Arousal pooled low in her belly, and she licked her lips. She slid down his body and dropped to her knees. Unbuttoning his jeans, she tugged them down, exposing his length.
“Christ!” His Adam’s apple bobbed. Bracing his forearm on the wall above her, his other hand reached down and brushed the strands of hair from her face.
Licking her lips, she wrapped a hand around the base of his cock and trailed her tongue all the way to the top of his impressive length.
Jaxx’s hand tightened in her hair. “Fuck.”
Hearing that one word curved her lips, and she opened her mouth, taking him. His hips jerked, and she ran her hand down the smooth muscle. Her other hand snaked up, and cupped her breast.
He growled.
She glanced up and saw he watched her.
“Damn, that feels so good.” His hand ran across her head. “I’m going to come if you keep doing that, and I’m not ready to let this finish so soon.”
Quicker than she could register, she was yanked from his cock, and carried toward the sofa. Placing her on the cushion, he dropped to his knees. Green fire blazed in his eyes. He dipped his head slowly, his hot breath fanning over her nipple, and swept his tongue across the nub. She arched her back, pleasure tingling through her body with every swipe. Like a switch had been flicked, something savage crawled to the surface. She growled, and her hand shot out, fisting in his hair. She held hi
m tightly and arched into him. Her pussy brushed across his stomach, and she thought she’d explode if she didn’t come soon.
Her clit throbbed, demanding attention. “Jaxx.”
As if sensing her need, Jaxx kissed down her torso. Her hands dug into the cushion. There was no hesitation, no exploring with his fingers, he dove right in. He licked the length of her pussy, and she arched. “Yes!”
Firm lips latched around her clit and he growled. The vibrations ricocheted pleasure through her body. Within moments the epicenter of ecstasy exploded, and she came hard and fast. Her hips rocked against his tongue, and he kept licking her pussy, wringing every wave of desire from her.
Jaxx licked his lips and savored the taste of his mate. His cock was so hard it hurt. He was sure a feathered touch from Kenzie, and he’d detonate. Leaning back on his heels, he watched as she sighed and remained unmoving. A sign she was well-sated. She propped herself up on her elbows and met his gaze.
Her eyes burned blue; her wolf close to the surface. A breathtaking smile split across her face, and for a moment he forgot how to breathe. His mate was stunning. When she was around him, he could barely focus on anything but her. Hell, when she wasn’t with him, he simply couldn’t focus at all. Full breasts swayed in front of him, and he didn’t bother fighting the urge, he leaned forward and sucked a cherry nipple into his mouth.
“Not so fast,” she tsked, pushing him away.
He allowed it. He would allow anything for his female. Following his retreat, she pushed him flat onto the soft rug. She slid her hands up his legs and cupped his balls. His breath hitched, and he clenched his teeth. Soft hands slid up his length, her finger roaming over the head of his dick, smearing pre-cum on the crown. Her head dipped. Kenzie drew him in and sucked hard.
He fought for control, and found he had none. His hips moved, and she moaned around him. A firm tongue danced around the head of his cock, shooting an untamed desire through him. Wild and uncontrollable. Taking him deep, she swallowed.
There was no warning; he exploded.
