by Sam Crescent
“You could have kicked me in the face. I wouldn’t have taken offence.”
“I don’t want to start something I can’t finish. Kicking you in the face would give me no pleasure.”
Letting go of his neck she tried to stand. Cade held her close, his hands on her waist. “You’re not going anywhere,” he said.
“We need to train.”
“And we will. First I want a kiss. I think it calls for a celebration. You finally took my hint.”
She let out a sigh. “The only way for me to win in a fight is if my opponent has the hots for me?”
“No, any guy being rubbed against will struggle to ignore it. He’ll either do what I did and try to make something out of it or he’ll push you away. No matter what, you’re free and you can figure out what to do from there,” he said.
Staring down at him Titania knew he spoke the truth. All she needed to do was make sure she was free from being held captive.
“Now about my kiss.” One hand disappeared from her hip to sink into the length of her hair. Cade tugged on her hair pulling her closer.
Titania didn’t want to fight him. She leaned in close to him willingly. When she felt his breath across her face, she closed the final distance and pressed her lips to his. The instant spark ignited between them. Their moans collided as he took her lips harder.
He rolled her over onto her back. She opened her legs wide as he thrust against her. Titania couldn’t stop the moans from escaping. She reached up to hold his face, kissing him back.
Cade thrust against her. The hot brand of his cock pulsed between her thighs. “Mine, mine, mine.” He muttered the words against her neck, trailing kisses in his wake. She struggled to pull together her thoughts. They were all rolling together and she couldn’t understand why she needed to stop Cade from kissing her.
His lips felt wonderful and she didn’t want it to stop.
Someone cleared their throat in the distance. Both of them ignored it.
“Cade!”
When his name was shouted, Cade hesitated and broke the kiss. Panting for breath, Titania glanced over his shoulder to see Micah waiting.
“Your timing sucks.”
“Whatever, you’re needed,” Micah said.
“I’ll be there in a second.” Cade waited for the door to the gym to close before turning back to her. “I’ve got to go and handle this. We’ll pick this up later.”
She shook her head.
“No arguing with me, Titania.”
He kissed her one final time and then ran out the door leaving her alone.
Chapter Six
With a raging hard-on, Cade followed Micah out of the house and into the forest surrounding the back of the house. The cool air was a welcome relief from the heat of his body. He didn’t know how much longer he could handle playing with Titania. When her hot body rubbed against him he’d seen only lust. His desire for her was growing by the second and now he was walking out toward the forest.
Micah stopped about a mile into the forest. They were surrounded by trees and Cade saw Jordan, Wilson and Paul standing, waiting. Pete would be preparing the bar on the outskirts of town. Micah owned the only bar in Rock Wood.
“What’s going on? Is this some kind of intervention?” Cade asked.
“No. I don’t give a fuck who you mate or who you fuck. All I care about is the safety of this pack. There might be others who disagree but I’m not one of them,” Paul said.
“You’re the first person to say so.”
“I don’t have a problem with you mating Titania, Cade. I want to make sure you understand some of the pack might not be happy with it,” Micah said.
“Okay, if this is not about my taste in women, why are we meeting in the forest away from the pack?” Cade asked.
“We’ve got a problem with the Eagle pack,” Jordan said, finally speaking up.
“Yeah, what seems to be the problem?” Cade stretched out his arms and ran fingers through his short hair. He wished he could shave it off.
“We don’t know,” Micah said.
“What do we know?” Cade asked, confused. They’d pulled him away from training Titania to talk about a pack they knew nothing about.
“They’re up to something. We know that much.”
Cade saw the look passing between the men.
“For fuck’s sake, tell me,” Cade said, tired of all the secrecy.
“No one knows this yet but one of our women who visit the house every few months has gone missing. Tabitha phoned Micah to let him know she was coming in. We’ve not heard a word from her since,” Wilson said.
Tabitha was a good woman. She liked to explore the world and her stays at Rock Wood were always fleeting. Cade’s hackles rose.
“When did we receive the call?” he asked.
“Three weeks ago. She should have been here last week. There is no sighting of her in town at all.” Jordan spoke up this time.
“Maybe she was mistaken and went off to do something else.”
All the men shook their heads. “You know Tabitha, Cade. If she wasn’t going to make it to town, she’d call. She’s cautious,” Micah said.
“Fuck!” Cade held the back of his head looking up at the sky. “She’s missing and I bet the Eagles have her. They were looking for women when they broke into the bar all those years ago with Charlotte. From what I hear they take human women the same as pack women.”
“Titania killed Brandon,” Jordan said.
“I know, which begs the answer to this question, who is running the Eagle pack in his death?”
“No one knows and none of the pack can find out. This is between us. Nothing gets out,” Micah said.
“I’m not about to blab pack business, Alpha.” Cade stared at the trees wondering how to approach the new Eagle situation. He was sick and tired of the other pack. All they did was cause trouble. “We need to lock down the women in the house. None of them go in or out without a male escort.”
“How are we going to do that without causing suspicion?” Wilson asked. “And you’re not the fucking alpha.”
Turning to Micah, Cade waited for his friend and alpha to instruct.
“Cade’s right. We need to deal with this threat. First we need to keep our ears to the ground. We descend on the bar. I’ll tell everyone they’re to be there tonight. We have a better way of keeping an eye on everyone if we’re all in one fucking place,” Micah said.
He watched as Micah and the others stormed out of the forest. Cade remained breathing in the cold air.
After some time had passed, he walked into the house to find everyone preparing for dinner. The scents of Charlotte’s cooking filled the air and Cade felt at home. Rock Wood was his family and there was no other place he’d rather be than with them. Making his way upstairs he went straight to Titania’s room.
Opening the door without knocking he found David sprawled on his stomach on her bed. Titania came out of the bathroom in only a towel. Cade saw red at her lack of dress.
“Cade!”
“Get the fuck out,” he said, directing his words at David. The other man looked at him, startled, and then left the room without a backward glance.
“David!”
He slammed the door and turned to her. “Are you fucking for real?” he asked.
“No, are you for real? David is my friend and that doesn’t give you cause to make a scene, and pushing him out like that makes you look like a total bastard,” Titania said, moving in front of him to poke at his chest. “What? You think one kiss makes me yours?”
“It was more than one kiss. What part of stay away from other men didn’t you understand? You’re mine,” he said, growling each word.
She shook her head. “No, David is my friend. I’m not giving him up because of you. I love him like a brother.”
He stared down the length of her body. The towel did little to cover her nakedness. Reaching out, he plucked the end of the towel and watched as it fell to the floor. Titania tried to
grab it but he held her hands stopping her from going anywhere.
“Don’t hide yourself from me.”
“You’re trying to stop me from arguing with you.”
Cade didn’t deny it. He stared down the length of her body. Tugging his shirt over his head and dropping the pants he’d been wearing to the floor, Cade grabbed her arm and pulled her close. Wrapping his arms around her waist, he relished the feel of her soft skin against his.
This day was different from last night.
He’d been concerned about her last night and the heady feeling that came with turning was there between them. This night, it was only the two of them.
“You’re trying to make me forget about David,” she said.
Remaining silent, Cade took the time to enjoy her. The hard buds of her nipples poked against his chest and her round stomach brushed his cock where she stood.
“Tonight you’re coming to the bar,” he said.
“What? I never go to the were-bar in Rock Wood. I’ve always stayed at home.”
“Alpha’s orders are for all of us to be there. You’ll be there with me.”
“All of us have to be there?” she asked.
“Yes. I’ll meet you downstairs when you’re ready to leave.”
* * * *
“The last time I came here I ended up mated to Micah,” Charlotte said.
Titania watched her friend order a beer. Pete, a pack member and the bartender presented them both with a drink in a matter of seconds.
“I’ve never been here. Drinking and bars are not really my thing,” Titania said.
“What is your thing? Cade?” Titania looked at her friend in surprise. “David came blabbing about what happened in your bedroom. Also, Micah was cursing his overprotective ass last night. Spill.”
Shaking her head, she gazed down into her drink wishing it would swallow her up instead. “What did David say?”
“That Cade looked ready to kill him for camping out on your bed.”
“Yeah, that’s what happened.”
Charlotte stared at her for several minutes. “So, what is going on between you and the second?”
“Nothing. He’s forcing me to train and because I can’t turn at will, he thinks it is more important to train than ever before.” Titania glanced behind her to see Cade talking with the other high-ranking pack members.
“There’s more to it than that. I noticed him watching you in the kitchen. When no one else was looking he was looking at you. He can barely take his eyes off you.”
Titania shrugged. “Nothing can come of it.” All she could think about was the feel of him against her. His hard body surrounded her, filling every part of her with heat.
“Micah’s calling to me. Have fun, Titania, and if it helps I think it’s good Cade is interested in you.”
She watched her friend walk away. All the pack was in the bar tonight along with a couple of humans. Checking the time, she saw it was a little after eleven.
“Are you ready to get out of here?” Cade asked.
“Yeah, but I’ll wait until the alpha gives his orders,” she said.
“The alpha gave me permission to take you home.”
Glancing back to the alpha, she saw Micah too absorbed in his own woman to have given out such an instruction.
“You’re lying.”
“Do you want to get out of here or not?” he asked.
“I want to get out of here.”
“Then follow me.” Cade took her hand and together they headed out the back door. No one tried to stop them and she was relieved. She didn’t want to get anyone in trouble because of her. The night was dark when they stepped out. When they’d arrived at the bar several hours ago the sun was still up.
“Thank you for taking me out of there,” she said.
“I had no choice. Your misery was threatening to upset everyone.”
“Sorry.” She mumbled the words and started walking ahead of him.
“I’m joking. I think half the pack was miserable. You fit right in.”
Titania chuckled even though she didn’t want to find humor in his words.
“Why were we all at the bar? It’s not like Micah to order us there.”
“The alpha does whatever he wants to do and we must obey him,” Cade said.
“That’s not you. You’re not the type of guy to obey someone.”
“I can follow orders well.” He argued his point.
“The orders you follow are the ones you believe in. I don’t see you taking orders from someone you don’t respect or who will put someone you care about in danger.” She’d observed that much about him this past week.
Cade stopped and glanced her way. “You really do see more than others give credit for.”
Feeling nervous under his scrutiny, she set off walking again. Cade yanked on her hand, stopping her. She stumbled into his arms. “If you keep doing that I’m going to end up hurt again.”
“No, you won’t. Your place is within the pack, Titania.”
“I know. It has been my home for a long time.”
He stepped closer, tilting her head back with a finger under her chin. “Being here wasn’t your choice.”
“I’m still here. I’ve got nowhere else to go,” she said, admitting the truth, which hurt. Her family didn’t want her. She had no clue where they were or how to even start looking for them.
“Your home is here with me.”
Shaking her head, she pulled away from him. “Why do you keep doing this?” she asked. “We’re never going to be a couple. You’re way above me.”
Cade tugged her back, slamming his lips down on hers. All thought and fight left her. His kisses were growing fierier and desperate each time they kissed. She opened her lips to his invading tongue, moaning as he stroked over her mouth. His hands cupped her breasts and his thumbs grazed over her nipples.
There was no denying the passion igniting the blood inside. Her pussy pulsed with fresh arousal. She needed Cade to sate the hunger swirling inside her. Nothing she did could stop her aching need.
“Please,” she moaned when he broke the kiss.
“What?”
Shaking her head, she looked down at the floor. Words stumped her. She couldn’t beg the second-in-command for sex. It was wrong of her.
“You need to stop thinking too much,” Cade said, kissing her lips.
“I can’t stop.”
“I can think of a few ideas to put your mind at ease. Come on, let’s get out of here. I don’t like being exposed like this.” He took her hand without invitation and led her away from the bar. The fine hairs on her arms and the back of her neck stood up. Looking behind her, she wondered what had caused the sudden fear to grip her. There wasn’t anything she saw. Turning back to face the front she followed Cade through Rock Wood as they made their way to the alpha’s house.
“Are you going to tell me what’s going on?” she asked.
“What do you mean?”
“You were called away from our training and now we’re all requested to be around each other. I’m not the brightest wolf in the house but I can tell something is up.”
He paused and glanced back at her.
“What?”
His scrutiny unnerved her.
“You have a penchant for spotting danger, don’t you?”
She shrugged. “It’s a lot easier to know danger so I can escape it.”
“No, it’s more than that.” He shook his head. “We’ve got to go.”
Titania didn’t question him. There was no need to. She’d always been able to spot danger and sense it coming. When Brandon was about to kill Charlotte outside of the Eagle’s base she’d sensed it and reacted. Back then she’d been pleased at her ability to sense oncoming danger.
Chapter Seven
Titania may not have all the skills fit for a strong wolf but he felt there was something he was missing about her. None of the pack understood how she’d been able to get the drop on Brandon and protect C
harlotte. Brandon had been the alpha of the Eagle pack, a strong fucker, yet against Titania he’d lost. None of it made sense.
Pushing his thoughts away, he headed to the house and kept hold of Titania all the time. He would get to the bottom of her “ability” and see if his instincts were right. Until then he’d keep her close. Cade didn’t trust anyone else with his woman. Titania was his and the only one not seeing it was her.
Opening the door he scented the air to see if anything was amiss. Nothing struck him and without looking back he escorted Titania up to his room. He made sure to close the door behind him.
“Where are we going?” Titania asked when he passed her room. The house was divided in segments. She slept on the floor below him because she was a permanent resident and he was on the top floor because he was second to the alpha.
“To my room.” He didn’t give her chance to struggle. Opening his door, he tugged her into his room, closed and locked the door before turning to her.
She stood in her denim skirt and blouse, rubbing her hands together.
“Do you own any more clothes?” he asked.
“What’s wrong with what I wear?”
“I’ve only seen you in a denim skirt and shirt. Apart from the work out gear I supplied for you I’ve never seen anything else.”
He watched her rub her hands down the front of the skirt. “They’re cheaper.”
“The alpha supplies the clothes,” he said.
“And I don’t want to be a nuisance. The skirts and shirts are cheap. A lot cheaper than some clothes.”
Closing the distance between them, Cade wrapped his arms around her body holding her close. “If you wanted something different the alpha wouldn’t mind.”
She licked her lips. He saw her fighting with what she wanted to say. “What is it?”
“If my own family could discard me like trash when they were supposed to love me, then how can I expect a guy I don’t know to take care of me, flaws and all?”
The pain flashed in her eyes and his heart went out to her. Tightening his arms around her, Cade waited for the tears to fall. None did. “You can cry.”
