Tattered Loyalties

by Carrie Ann Ryan

  That wasn’t a mistake she would make again.

  Brie and Gideon were locked in their home, and Brynn knew they needed the privacy. They were not only newly mated, but Brie had almost died. Walker had Healed her so she might only be sore at the moment, but it had been a close call in the grand scheme of things. Once Gideon’s wolf could breathe again, Brynn and the rest of them would meet to strategize, but what they didn’t need was anyone freaking out even more.

  And that just might happen when Finn showed up.

  Finn.

  That damn wolf.

  While the rest of the Redwoods might have wanted to come to ensure Brie was safe and sound, Finn had somehow convinced everyone to allow him to come with only his cousin Charlotte. Finn was the Heir, and Charlotte was one of Brie’s best friends and cousin. Plus, the woman had apparently been through hell on earth when she was a child, so she would be able to help Brie if she really needed it. Somehow the rest of the Pack was staying behind, relying on Finn and Charlotte to tell them everything. She wasn’t sure how he’d done it since Brynn knew Jasper and Willow, and they wouldn’t normally step aside when their daughter was in pain.

  They must have trusted Finn a hell of a lot.

  If only Brynn could do that.

  It wasn’t the fact that he was the Heir to another Pack. No, that was something she could deal with. It was the fact that she’d met him more than once now, and the damn wolf hadn’t acknowledged her beyond the fact that she was a Talon.

  He didn’t stiffen around her, didn’t breathe in her scent. He didn’t reach out and need to touch her.

  Instead he acted as if there was nothing between them.

  Maybe there wasn’t. Not to him.

  Finn and Charlotte pulled up and she raised her chin. “Finn. Charlotte.” She knew her voice held ice, but she couldn’t hold it back. If she gave into what her wolf felt, she’d break and she refused to be that person.

  Charlotte, a beautiful woman with long dark hair and dark eyes smiled at her, though Brynn saw the strain in them. “Thank you for allowing me to see my cousin, Brynn.” She hugged Brynn quickly then pulled away so Finn could come up to them.

  Brynn sucked in a breath at the rage in the man’s eyes. She knew he was a strong wolf and Heir, but she’d never felt the wolf like she did now in his presence.

  “Where is she?” Finn bit out, not bothering with pleasantries.

  “Finn, stop being an ass,” Charlotte snapped. “Brie is fine and we’re going to go make sure of that fact so our wolves and the rest of the family don’t go crazy. What happened isn’t Brynn’s fault.”

  From the accusatory look in Finn’s eyes, Brynn wasn’t sure the man believed Charlotte’s words. Guilt threatened her, and she knew Charlotte was thinking the same thing. Brie had almost died on her watch, and Brynn would never forgive herself if it happened again. She’d find Leo and Shannon and gut them.

  Not that she’d explain herself to Finn. She shouldn’t have to. He was a Redwood wolf, not a Talon. He didn’t mean anything to her.

  Or at least he shouldn’t.

  “Let me take you to Brie so you can stop puffing out your chest and growling,” Brynn snapped, pissed off that she’d let this wolf get to her.

  Finn inhaled through his nose, his nostrils fairing then let out a deep breath. “I apologize for snapping. You don’t deserve my wrath. I appreciate that you’ll take me to Brie.”

  “Follow me.”

  So formal. As if there wasn’t anything between them.

  Brynn bit her lip hard, letting the pain wash over her so she wouldn’t feel the pain inside.

  Finn Jamenson was her mate.

  Her wolf knew it.

  Her human half knew it.

  Yet, for some reason, Finn didn’t seem to know it.

  He was supposedly the one for her, but fate had never said she’d be the one for him.

  She blinked away the lone tear and straightened her shoulders as Finn and Charlotte drove up.

  She’d push those thoughts away for another day. Now was about Brie and what the next steps would be to ensure the Talons and Redwoods were safe. Something dark was on the horizon, something Brynn couldn’t figure out. She’d need her wits about her.

  Knowing she might never have the mate her wolf craved would have to be something she worried about later.

  If at all.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Gideon’s hands shook once again, but he didn’t let that stop him from letting them roam over Brie’s body. Walker had Healed every cut, but it didn’t seem as though it was enough. Gideon had to be sure his mate was okay. They sat in their bedroom, Brie on the end of the bed with Gideon kneeling in front of her. Finn and Charlotte had come and gone reassured that Brie was safe, yet Gideon wasn’t fully ready to accept that.

  Brie let him touch her and hold her. She didn’t speak but rather kept her eyes on him, as if she was the one who needed to soothe him instead of the other way around.

  That just enraged him further.

  His wolf paced, needing blood rather than calm. They hadn’t finished their hunt and hadn’t caught Leo and made him pay for what he’d done to Brie. Shannon was out there as well. He might have cut the bond so she’d be in pain and alone without any help or care, but it wasn’t enough. He needed to see her die for what she’d done.

  The elder had ruined so many lives, and it was his fault. He’d been forced to keep her as part of the Pack because of her position. She’d never technically done anything that warranted being shunned or executed. Because of that, she’d been able to weave her web of deceit for far too long.

  Never again.

  Brie cupped his face, and he finally looked into her eyes rather than at the wounds that had been Healed away.

  “Gideon, my wolf, please breathe.”

  He took a deep breath, his wolf more in control than it should have been. He let out a growl, but Brie didn’t back down. Instead, she slid her hand down his chest and stomach to the edge of his shirt. When she touched skin, he sucked in a breath but calmed somewhat. Skin-to-skin, he could think again.

  “You can’t get hurt again,” he growled out.

  She shook her head. “I might get hurt again, Gideon.” His chest rumbled, and her nails dug in, grounding him. “Our world is on the verge of something, we know this. Leo and Shannon aren’t done yet. I’m not going to sit back and let people die for me.”

  He pinched her chin, forcing her gaze to his. “I cannot lose you. Don’t you get that? You weren’t supposed to be mine. I am, and will always be, too dangerous for you, but I’m selfish and want you anyway. Now that I have you, you cannot leave me. I’m not letting you go—and that includes you getting hurt because others want to take you away from me.”

  Tears filled her eyes, and she leaned forward, forcing him to release her chin, and pressed her lips gently to his chest. “I’m here. I’m not going anywhere.”

  He shuddered out a breath then tucked her close, needing her more than he’d ever thought he’d need anyone. He kissed the top of her head, running his hands down her body once more, just in case he’d missed something the first four times he’d done it.

  His wolf pushed at him, wanting more skin. He slid his hands up her shirt, the warmth of her body calming him yet, at the same time, pushing him closer to the edge.

  “You can’t leave me,” he rasped out.

  “We don’t let the others hurt our Pack, Gideon.”

  “The Pack is part of me,” Gideon said honestly. “But they aren’t you.” He pulled away so she could see the truth in his eyes. “You weren’t supposed to matter this much. You were supposed to calm the bonds within the Pack. You weren’t supposed to be my heart.”

  Brie blinked up at him, tears in her eyes. “I stayed away for so long because I didn’t think I was good enough, strong enough to be your mate.”

  He growled. “You were wrong. I was wrong. You are stronger than any wolf I’ve met.”

  She shook her head. “
I wouldn’t go that far.”

  “I would. It takes the strength of character, the strength of your heart to rule a Pack at my side without the urge to dominate. That is what makes you strong. That is what makes you mine, little wolf.”

  “I knew you’d come and find me. I tried to get away on my own, and when I couldn’t, I did my best to keep calm and find another way out. No matter what, though, I knew you’d come.” She swallowed hard. “When I mated you, I thought I’d always be on the outside looking in. I never thought I’d trust someone so completely. I trust you, Gideon. With everything I am.”

  He kissed her then, a sweet brush of lips as to not scare her away. “I love you so fucking much, little wolf. You’re in my heart, my soul. You are my everything. If anything happened to you, I don’t know what I’d do.” He let out a shaky breath, baring his soul in a way he never thought he would. “I love you, Brie Brentwood. I love you with every ounce of my being and my wolf. Love me back and I promise you I’ll do my best to see that you’re cherished and loved until the end of my days.”

  Tears slid down his mate’s cheeks, and he kissed every one away, not liking to see her cry.

  “Don’t cry, little wolf,” he whispered.

  “I’m going to cry, Gideon. I’m going to cry a lot. More than once. I can’t help it. It’s who I am. But right now? I’m crying because I’m so happy. I never thought I’d find my mate.” She shook her head. “No, that’s not right. I found you long before you found me. I just never thought I’d let myself be caught.” She licked her lips, and his wolf brushed against his skin. “I love you, my mate, my Alpha, my Gideon.”

  He took her lips then, unable to hold himself back any longer. He nipped at her lower lip then along her chin, loving the way her breath came in little pants. His tongue tangled with hers once he came back to her mouth. She tasted of sweetness and his Brie, a uniqueness all her own. He’d crave her taste until the end of time and never have enough of her. When he told her so, she clamped her legs around him, bringing him closer.

  He stripped off her shirt and groaned at the sight of her lace-covered breasts, perky and full—perfect for his hands. She reached around her back, a sly look on her face, and undid her bra. When the cups fell, she slowly slid them down to reveal her luscious pink-tipped breasts. Unable to hold back, he cupped one in his hand, loving the weight. He brushed the tip with his thumb, and she sucked in a breath.

  “I love how soft you are, how full and round. I always have more than a handful, easy for me to grip when I pump in and out of you.”

  She blushed but raised a brow. “Most women—especially wolves—don’t like to be called full, round, or soft, Alpha mine.”

  He pinched her nipple, and her head fell back. “You’re not most women. You’re sweet and mine. And I like every inch of you. I fucking love every inch of you. Never forget that.” He leaned forward and sucked one nipple into his mouth, deftly playing with the other one with his fingers. She tangled her fingers in his hair, pressing him closer. He growled softly, biting down until she froze, her heart racing.

  “I’m going to feast on your tits then lick my way down to your sweet cunt,” Gideon rasped out, licking and kissing between each word. “I love the way you taste, little wolf. You’re so sweet and juicy, like a ripe peach, delectable and swollen.”

  “You’re getting good at that dirty talk.” She giggled then gasped when he rubbed against the seam of her jeans between her legs.

  “You haven’t seen anything yet,” he promised then did as he promised, feasting on her breasts.

  She shuddered in his hold, her body bowing as she came by his touch on her breasts alone. “Holy hell. I’ve never come with you touching my breasts before.”

  He grinned. “You and I have only been together for a short time,” he said, his fingers working on the button of her jeans. She lifted her bottom, helping him remove the rest of her clothes, leaving her bare to his gaze, his touch. “I’m going to enjoy finding out what spots taste the best and which spots make you shiver and come when I touch them.”

  She leaned back and put one foot on his shoulder. “Taste away,” she teased, and he groaned.

  “I love when you try to take control.” He grinned when he kissed the back of her knee and she gasped. “Try is the right word here. Because I will always have control, Brie. I’m not the kind of man who can give it up.”

  “I wouldn’t have you any other way.”

  He kissed up her leg to her inner thigh then stopped right before he came to her heat. She rocked forward, but he pulled back at her whimper, choosing instead to repeat the process on her other leg. He had both her legs over his shoulders and her pussy in front of his face, ready, wet, and his.

  “Touch your breasts for me, Brie. Play with your nipples while I eat you out. I want you to feel every lick, every nibble, then come on my tongue before I slide into you.”

  Her body shuddered, her eyes dark and rimmed with a ring of gold. “I’m going to come at your words alone.”

  He kissed her inner thigh where it met her hip once more. “A challenge.”

  She leaned back on her elbows and started to roll her nipples between her fingers. He licked his lips, the sight of her touching herself almost more than he could bear. But he craved her taste like no other and held back the need to dive inside her in one thrust. Instead, he spread her for his gaze, his hunger riding him. Her clit was swollen, that little bundle of nerves peaking out from under its hood. She glistened, wet and pink from her orgasm, but he wouldn’t allow her to stop at just one. No, instead he’d make her come at least two more times tonight, maybe more if his little wolf was ready.

  He lowered his head and sucked her clit into his mouth. She bucked off the bed, and he put one hand on her hip, holding her in place. He flicked her clit over and over again with this tongue before teasing her entrance with his finger.

  “Please! Gideon, I need more. I’m so close.”

  He growled, the vibrations forcing a gasp out of her. Good.

  He fucked her with his finger then another, all the while keeping his mouth on her, loving the way she moaned and gasped with each movement.

  When she came, his name shouted from her lips, and he lapped up each drop of her arousal, not wanting to miss even that much. His body primed, he stood up and stripped off his clothes, his wolf close to the surface but the man still in control.

  He was on top of her in the next blink, slamming into her in one thrust. They both called out, their bodies freezing.

  “I love you,” he growled out, taking her lips. “I...” Thrust. “love...” Thrust. “you...” Thrust.

  Her legs went around his waist, and her nails dug into his ass. “I love you, too. Now fuck me. Make love to me. Make me yours.”

  He kissed her again, his hips moving at a frantic pace. Her cunt gripped him as she came again, but he didn’t stop. He’d take another out of her then release, but not before. He wanted her sated, full, and his for now and always.

  When she came again, her arms falling to her sides, he pumped one more time then came on a roar, his body shaking. He filled her up, his hips pressed flat to hers. He wanted her marked as his, scented as his, and one day round with his child. The primal part of him shouted in triumph, and Gideon kissed his drowsy mate once more.

  “Mine,” he growled. A promise. A lifetime.

  “Yours,” she whispered.

  “We don’t know his full plan,” Brie said the next morning, her hands clenched in front of her.

  Gideon reached out and tugged one into his larger palm, not liking her so stressed. His wolf calmed when he felt her love through the bond. It was something he was still getting used to, but he didn’t know what he’d do without it now.

  “He wanted to test us,” Brynn said as she paced the house. “He wanted to let us know that he could not only get to the Alpha’s mate, but that he could get to anyone within the wards.”

  Kameron growled, his claws out. Gideon didn’t blame his brother for the
lack of control then. As the Enforcer, it had to be killing him as much as it was Gideon that there were leaks they couldn’t plug.

  “The witches should be done with the new layer of wards soon, but it’s not soon enough,” Kameron bit out.

  “Shannon cannot enter Pack lands anymore without assistance, but that means nothing when we don’t know who would aid her,” Gideon put in. “Our patrols are stretched thin as it is.” It grated on him, but they weren’t as large of a Pack as the Redwoods. With traitors in their midst, they were fucked until they discovered the identities of those who would cause them harm.

  “The tunnels are almost finished,” Mitchell added. “Our treaty with the Redwoods and the connection we now have with them is secure. If we need to hide some of us because of technology, we can. But first, we need to take care of this problem.”

  “I don’t know why I can’t feel the dissent,” Brandon bit out, the Omega looking far angrier than Gideon had seen him in years. “I should be able to help, but it’s like I’m clouded.”

  Brie reached out and slid her free arm down Brandon’s back. It didn’t anger Gideon’s wolf, not when Brandon needed the care, and it made Brie happy to do so.

  “I think that Shannon, and whoever is with her, have been hiding what they’ve been doing for far longer than you’ve had your powers,” Brie said calmly. “They’ve been shielding themselves somehow. We will defeat them, but it might take them coming at us for it to happen.”

  “And that’s dangerous as hell,” Brynn muttered.

  “Everyone is on alert,” Gideon said. “We have the sentries on duty as well as the soldiers on their lookouts. Each person in this Pack knows that it is someone from within. I didn’t want the Pack to know it all for fear that our morale would crumble, but keeping them in hiding would only hurt us more.”

  Brie’s hand squeezed his. “They are stronger than that. They won’t crumble. We’ve all known there was poison within the Pack.” She spoke as though she’d been a Talon all her life, and he couldn’t have been prouder. “They won’t go down without a fight. They’re with you, Gideon. We’re with you.”