Tattered Loyalties

by Carrie Ann Ryan

  “Gideon, stop it,” she snapped, her wolf in her voice.

  He looked down at her and frowned.

  “Your Pack dealt with death and pain for how long? Decades?”

  He nodded. Joseph had been Alpha for far too long. “Over a century.”

  She gasped. “Dear goddess. And it’s been only thirty years since you took over? In that time, you’ve forged a truce and treaty with the Redwoods, helped defeat a demon, and found a way to break the curse of mating on your people. The submissives, while not back to top form, are alive and breathing once again. The maternals are raising pups into beautiful wolves. Yes, there are some who need to have their minds changed or kicked out of the Pack, but every Pack has issues. Once we find out who blew up the building, you’re one step closer. I know my mating you wasn’t the easiest, but come on, I’m not exactly what people thought you needed.” She gave him a wry smile. “I’m proving them wrong though. I feel the bonds within the Pack. They’re growing stronger. You’re a good Alpha, Gideon.”

  He let out a shaky breath and crushed her body to his. She wasn’t leaving, wasn’t looking at him as though he was a monster for what he’d seen and been forced to wait for so long to change.

  She ran her hands up and down his back. “You are an Alpha we can all be proud of. We’re still learning this whole mating thing, and we will continue to learn it for decades to come, but we’re going to do it side by side. Okay?”

  “You are too good for me, little wolf.”

  “No, I’m just right for you,” she whispered.

  He smiled then kissed her temple. “We will find the wolf that hurt our Pack. We will find Leo. I’m not letting my Pack crumble. Not after all we’ve been through.”

  She pulled back and grinned. “Now that’s my Alpha.”

  Her Alpha. He liked the sound of that.

  He framed her face, his wolf pressing hard against him. Tonight was the full moon hunt, and his wolf was too close to the surface. He might have had excellent control over his wolf, but with the stress of what was going on around him, his emotions riding high with Brie and the full moon, he knew he needed to run hard tonight.

  “You need to forgive yourself, Gideon,” she whispered, and his wolf howled. “You can’t move on if you don’t.”

  “Those who can never find their mates, see their children grow, or take another breath might beg to differ.”

  “Oh, baby,” she whispered. He liked the way she called him baby under her breath. Not that he wanted her to do it in public. “You can’t let what was forced on you to eat you up inside. You fought for them the moment you could. You might not feel it, but you are the Alpha you were born to be, not the Alpha they tried to force you to become.”

  He kissed her then, needing her more than he’d ever thought he’d crave someone. Her tongue tangled with his, and she gasped into his mouth when his hand moved down her back to cup her ass.

  “Mine,” he growled, nipping her lower lip.”

  “Yours,” she whispered back then swallowed hard. “I…”

  His wolf perked, waiting to hear what she had to say, hoping it was what he wanted to hear.

  “Gideon?” A voice on the other side of the door.

  Brie pulled away, and he cursed.

  “Come in, Brynn,” he called. The hunt didn’t start for another hour since their sleeping schedules were off, but if Brynn was here now, she needed something.

  His sister ducked her head inside and blushed. “Sorry to interrupt. I…I can come back later. Or I’ll just see you at the hunt.”

  He opened his mouth to tell her to get her ass over here, but Brie beat him to the punch. Though she was only dressed in his shirt, she stood up and took Brynn’s hands in her own.

  “Nonsense. You’re here for a reason. Come on in. You want coffee?”

  There was his mate, the submissive caretaker. There was something going on with Brynn, something he’d been aware of for a while, but he couldn’t put his finger on it. He didn’t want to corner her and force the issue since it looked as though she was handling it, but he liked the fact that his mate seemed to know something was wrong as well. This was what it meant to be Alpha. It wasn’t all claws and growls. It was taking care of the Pack in every way possible. Yes, he had his family in their respective roles to handle duties as well, but some things only he could do—only he and Brie could do. The fact that her wolf needed to take care of others helped in this case. He’d never thought about that before, and now he was damn lucky to have her.

  Brynn blinked at both of them and gave a sad smile. “Coffee sounds wonderful, thanks, Brie.”

  Brie cupped Brynn’s face. “You’re my sister now. Let me take care of you.”

  Brynn smiled a little more brightly that time. “Yeah, I guess I am. I’m not used to having other women around.”

  Brie laughed softly and went to get coffee. “Yeah, I guess the Brentwoods are a little testosterone-based.”

  “Hell, yeah,” Gideon growled with a smile.

  Brynn rolled her eyes then came to the couch to sit next to him. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and tucked her close. She was so dominant that it was rare she’d let him hold her like this. The fact that she seemed to need it spoke volumes.

  “You going to tell me what’s wrong?” he asked.

  “I can’t,” she whispered. “Not yet.”

  He nodded then rubbed his chin over her head. Brie came around to Brynn’s other side and set the coffee mug on the table before wrapping her arms around his sister.

  “We’re here when you need us,” Brie said softly. “You don’t have to hold it all in.”

  Brynn pulled away to smile at both of them. “With Brie here, I don’t think anyone can hold back their thoughts for long.”

  Gideon grinned at his sister then his mate. “Sounds about right.”

  He tucked his girls closer, his wolf content in their presence. He’d do anything for his Pack, for his family—even if it meant waiting for the right time to help.

  This hunt was going to be different, Gideon thought, the feeling deep in his bones. This time it wasn’t Brie’s introduction to the Pack, but rather a moment where she was part of the Pack. The moon rode high in the sky, the tension in the air palpable. It was a different tension though, not unwelcome. His wolves needed their run to be able to let their animal side roam. No one was staring at Brie as though she was a newcomer this time.

  There might still be some resentment, but he didn’t feel it like he had before. He had a feeling Brie’s insistence at taking over some of his duties had helped—plus the way she’d cared for the others when the explosion had hurt so many. She’d been cut and bruised but had stood by his side. There was a strength there that others hadn’t seen because they hadn’t been looking beneath the surface.

  Because he hadn’t been looking beneath the surface.

  Thank the goddess for his stubborn mate. He wouldn’t be making that mistake again.

  He tucked Brie to his side and ran his chin over her head. “You ready to hunt?”

  Brie scrunched up her face, and he laughed. “I want to run, but I’ve never been a fan of eating a bunny after it’s hopped around in front of me.”

  He kissed her nose, and she batted at him. “We’ll run together.” He cupped her face, his tone serious. “If others fight you for dominance, I will do my best to let them live, but I can’t promise anything.”

  She shook her head. “It’s not the same this time. I’m truly your mate and not just the new member of the Pack, but thank you for trying.” She lifted up on her toes and kissed him softly.

  Truly his mate. Yes, he supposed that was the case. He wasn’t as…angry as he’d been before, and Brie seemed stronger this time, more settled into her skin.

  He kissed her soundly then pulled back, throwing his head back in a howl. The other wolves joined him, their songs a melodic harmony that soothed his wolf. There were dangerous times coming and many things left unsaid, but for this night, the
ir Pack would run as one.

  When the final howl faded, they shifted, each taking their time, their bodies twisting and reforming into their four-footed counterparts. Once Brie finished, he licked her muzzle, gently bit down on the back of her neck, and then started to run. She fell in place beside him, their pace not backbreaking but just what their wolves needed.

  He sensed the other wolves around them, giving them space but not leaving his and Brie’s presence. Brynn and the others followed them, on guard yet letting their wolves play as well. They made their way through the forest, jumping over fallen logs and through puddles left by the rain earlier in the day.

  His wolf knew something was coming, only it didn’t know when. It wouldn’t be that night—they at least had that reprieve—but it meant that Gideon would do all in his power to cherish the time he had. It was the least he could do.

  When the first howl hit the air he came to a halt, his wolf in awe. The man might not have known what the sound meant, but the wolf did through the bonds. Brie came to his side, her eyes wide.

  The wolves’ song wasn’t for him, or the Pack as a whole…it was for her.

  They were claiming her as their own.

  She’d come out of a burning building alive and had cared for the innocent.

  She’d stood up to the dominants around her and told them to care for the others, not her.

  She’d become the Alpha’s mate in truth.

  He threw his head back and howled with them, pushing the emotion through the mating bond. He wasn’t sure she understood, and when the last howl became an echo, he led her off to a small lake on their land where no one would come near. He could sense Kameron and Ryder close by but out of earshot. They would keep the others from dipping their toes in the lake and seeing too much.

  While others would burn off the adrenaline from the hunt either by taking prey for a meal, play-fighting with others, or finding another wolf for intimate touch, he wanted only his Brie.

  He shifted back, and she followed, her eyes still those of a wolf when she finished. Her breasts were high, her nipples hard pebbles. He scented her arousal mixing with his own. Unable to hold back any longer, he crushed his mouth to hers, tangling his fingers in her hair. His cock, hard as a rock, pressed against her belly.

  “They were howling for you,” he panted once he pulled away.

  She gripped his dick, and he sucked in a breath.

  “For me?” she asked, her hand sliding up and down then squeezing.

  His eyes crossed, and he counted to ten. He would not come too soon. Just one touch and his mate had him ready to blow.

  “They were welcoming you,” he said, nipping at her lips, her neck, her tongue. His hands roamed her body, pinching and tugging at her nipples, loving the way she gasped with each motion.

  “I…I don’t know what to say,” she whispered, her breath coming in pants as his hand moved down her body to the curls below.

  “Say nothing,” he growled then kissing her again. “We can talk about it later, little wolf. You’re theirs as they are yours, but right now, you are mine.”

  The mating urge rode him hard, but he knew it was his mate as well that made him see stars, made him want to fuck and lick her until they were both breathless.

  He kept his eyes on her and speared her with two fingers. Her mouth parted, a soundless gasp escaping her mouth. He worked in and out of her, her pussy so wet that he knew he could slide his dick right in and be welcome.

  He wanted, no needed, to taste her first. He twisted his hand, running his thumb over her clit and fucked her with his fingers, wanting her to come on his hand. He kissed her again, keeping his eyes open so he could watch as she rose over the peak, her body shaking against his. When he pulled his hand away, he kept his eyes on hers, licking her juices from his fingers.

  “So. Fucking. Sweet.”

  She growled then pounced. He hadn’t been ready for her, and he fell back to the ground, the twigs and dirt digging into his skin.

  “Want you. Now.”

  He grinned at her words and ran his hands over her back and ass. When he squeezed her cheeks, she let out a moan.

  “Hop on, little wolf.”

  “No. I want you to come in my mouth first.” She grinned, and he groaned. “You’re Alpha, mate of mine, you can recover fast enough to fuck me hard after I have you.”

  He growled, rising up to his forearms so he could bite down on her bottom lip. Hard. “I like it when you talk dirty.” He gripped her hair in an unforgiving hold. “I’m still in charge, little wolf. You get that?”

  She nodded then wiggled her ass in the air since she was on all fours above him. “Please.”

  “Tease.” He kissed her then pushed her toward his cock, wanting her mouth on him. “Suck me down. You know what to do.”

  Her mouth wrapped around him, and it took everything in his power not to close his eyes and come down her throat right then. He had one hand on her head, guiding her, and he leaned on the other arm so he could watch her move. Her mouth glided up and down his length, her tongue teasing his slit then doing wicked things down the rest of him. Her nails dug into his thighs, her body an arch of beauty as she went down on him.

  Fuck, he loved watching her move, watching the way she worked him. He might have been the Alpha, but he was at her mercy—and they both knew it.

  His balls tightened as she hollowed her cheeks, and he pulled on her hair. “I’m going to come, little wolf, pull back.”

  She dug her claws into his thighs, and he shouted, coming down her throat in one long rush. He pulled her away once he could see straight and kissed her. Hard.

  “You are so fucking sexy, Brie.”

  She bit his lip and grinned. “You’re pretty sexy yourself, Gideon.”

  They were on their knees, their bodies pressed against one another. He was still hard, and she’d only come once. His poor little wolf.

  “On your hands and knees.”

  Her eyes widened, her mouth parting. He twisted out of the way, and she bent over, wiggling her bottom again. He got into position then slapped her ass. She gasped then moaned.

  “You’re teasing me,” he growled. He leaned over her so he could bite down on her neck. She froze, her body warm and ready. He marked her as his once more then licked the wounds, his wolf eager to claim her again.

  He positioned himself at her entrance, gripped her hips, and then slid into her in one thrust. They both shouted once he was buried in her to the hilt, but he didn’t rest. He pumped in and out of her, feeling her need and passion through the bond mingling with his own. He bent over, rolling her nipples in his hand while keeping her steady.

  “Gideon. Please. Make me come. I need to come.”

  He kissed her as she looked over her shoulder, slamming into her over and over. He felt her cunt slick and swollen. She was almost at the edge, but not quite close enough. He slid his hand down her belly and flicked his finger over her clit.

  She came on a wave, her body bowing as her pussy clenched around his cock. He was so damn close to coming again, but he wanted her to ride it out once more before he followed her. Keeping up the pace, he pounded into her, loving the way she met his hips thrust for thrust, pushing back, allowing him to go deeper than he’d gone before.

  He knew he needed to see her face when he came so he pulled out, flipped her on her back—careful to catch her with his hands so she wouldn’t hurt herself on the rugged ground—and growled.

  “Gideon,” she panted, her eyes wide.

  He gripped her knee and lifted her leg up and to the side as he slid inside. This way he could go even deeper. She moaned, her cunt still pulsing around him. He pistoned in and out of her, his wolf howling.

  When she came again, this time he allowed himself to go with her, unable to hold himself back any longer. He filled her up, leaving them both sweat-slick and out of breath. He was still inside her as he brought her close to him and rolled so she lay sprawled over his chest.

  There were no w
ords needed, nothing left to say. She was his mate.

  His.

  Chapter Fifteen

  “Are the Jamenson dinners always this loud?” Brandon asked as he leaned toward Brie. The Omega of the Talon Pack was one of the brothers that she didn’t know well, but she was trying. He also happened to be sitting next to her during her first Brentwood family dinner.

  “Louder,” she answered back. “They used to be at my grandparents’ house, and when everyone started having babies, they just added more room around the table.” She paused, that familiar pain piercing her heart. “Then when Kade and Melanie became the Alpha pair, dinners began at their house. There are seven siblings plus their numerous children. And then of course the enforcers and others sometimes visit. It’s never quiet.”

  Brandon’s eyes narrowed for a moment, and that pain she’d felt before slowly leached away. She put her hand on his arm and shook her head.

  “You don’t need to take that away. I’m used to that pain by now. Its part of who I am.”

  “Sometimes I don’t even realize I do it,” he answered honestly. As the Omega, he wouldn’t have been able to feel someone being in pain without helping, but she didn’t want him to be overwhelmed either.

  “You’ve only been at this for thirty years, right?” she asked. Only might have sounded sarcastic to a human, but it was different for wolves.

  “Yeah,” he answered. “All of us came into our powers at the same time and relatively late in life. The others didn’t want to give up…duty.”

  That made sense. The hierarchy usually went over to the next generation—the Alpha’s children and sometimes some outsiders—once both parties were ready. Unless, as in the Redwoods’ case, death changed the game. In the Talons’ case, the prior ones were too selfish to allow a healthy Pack to grow.