by Lacey Thorn
“So he’ll be the main target?”
Koby nodded. “Even more so, if he mates one of the females.”
“And whoever he mates will be in even greater danger.”
“Yes,” Koby agreed again. “Until we find the one responsible, which we will do.”
“I hope the bastard suffers before he’s killed,” Holt demanded.
“He will,” Koby assured him.
They headed downstairs in sync, and Koby felt his heart lighten when he heard Sidia giggling with her sister in their room. The door was open, and he saw them sitting cross-legged on the bed, scattered objects between them. Framed pictures and snapshots, a hair ribbon, a book and a folded pocketknife.
“Did you pick a room?” Holt asked as he stepped through the door ahead of Koby.
Sidia’s gaze snapped immediately to Koby, and he felt a surge of need lance through him as she seemed to caress him with her glance. His nostrils flared, as he took in the fact she’d yet to shower. Had she waited for him, anticipating the feel of his hands on her slick flesh? Damn! His dick was thick and hard again. At this rate, he’d be nothing more than a walking hard-on every time she was near him.
“We’re right next door,” Jaeda answered her mate, bounding from the bed and almost launching herself at Holt. Sidia didn’t move, instead watching Koby with a hooded gaze. He was just as incapable of looking away from her.
“Show me,” Holt said, and they headed to the door.
“Shut it on your way out,” Koby ordered, and he swore Holt snickered, the bastard.
“Will do,” Holt said. “We’ll see you in a bit.”
The door closed, and Koby ignored the murmur of their voices as they headed to the room just down from his. He reached for his shirt, grabbing the hem and tugging it over his head then tossing it haphazardly on the floor. Sidia rose to her knees on the bed.
“Later?” she questioned.
“Family dinner. We’re all to be there.”
He toed off his shoes, kicking them aside as he reached for his jeans. Her soft, pink tongue flicked out to moisten her lips, and he almost groaned as he imagined it doing the same to the head of his dick. Not yet, though. Soon. After they’d showered off the residue of their earlier encounter. Seemed like a great plan to him. Take his time getting her squeaky clean then bathe her in his cum all over again. Yeah, that sounded fucking perfect.
He popped the button on his pants and eased his zipper slowly down, being careful not to snag the damn thing on his cock.
“I’m not sure if I should strip or just enjoy the show you’re giving me,” Sidia all but purred. He liked the way her nipples pressed against her shirt, the hard tips seeming to beg for his mouth.
“Shower,” he growled, incapable of voicing more as lust rode him hard. He felt his pulse in his dick, felt the flush of arousal staining his skin.
She slid off the bed, gathering up her belongings and depositing them on the bedside table, and he glimpsed her bare feet peeking out from the hem of her jeans. Her shirt hit him in the chest, bringing his gaze skimming back up and settling on her lush breasts where they overflowed the cups of her lace bra. His palms itched to cradle all that creamy flesh. She shimmied out of her jeans and stood there in the barely there panties and bra, hip cocked as she eyed him.
“You stopped,” she murmured.
“Finish,” he ordered, barely containing the need to grab her and fuck her again. He should move, head to the bathroom and get the shower started, but damned if he could walk away from her.
She reached behind her, chest thrusting forward as she released the clasp. Her hands came forward, cupping her own breasts as the straps slid off her shoulders, catching at her elbows. She teased him, rubbing her thumbs over her distended nipples while he watched and waited. She held the lace in place with one arm while she skimmed a palm over her belly until her fingers dipped under the band of her panties. Her head fell back, eyes closed, and he smelled how turned on she was.
“We should shower,” he reasoned, trying to hold on to his sanity.
“I don’t want to be clean,” his little minx growled. “I want to be dirty.” She wiggled her hips and moaned, the fragrance of her sex growing stronger as desire burned hotter. Her eyelids flicked open, and her neon-emerald gaze locked onto him once more. “Fuck me, Koby. I want you inside me. Now.”
He growled, savagely ripping his pants down his legs and kicking them aside as he advanced toward her. He shredded the scraps of lace from her body, turning her and bending her over the bed as he came over her. Her lush ass cushioned his cock, and he reached down to grip it and take it lower to the dripping hole he wanted to fill. She lifted on her tiptoes, moving her feet wider and rubbing against him.
“Now, Koby!” she demanded with a yell. “I want your cock inside me now!”
He slammed deep, knocking her forward. He grabbed her hips, jerking her back on his cock until his balls tapped her lips, making her cry out. She was as insatiable as he was and seemed to crave a rougher touch when he took her. He was more than capable of giving her what she wanted. He held her in place and fucked her hard and fast, the room echoing with the sound of slapping flesh. Lust had a scent, and it rose around them, bringing them closer and closer to the promise of shared pleasure.
She clawed at the bed, ripping the comforter and pulling the sheets free of the mattress. Still, he fucked her. When she lifted one knee then the other and moved onto the bed, he followed until they had somehow crawled to the headboard. She rose before him, gripping the wood and using it to help her thrust back into him. His hands came around to catch her breasts, thumbs and fingers tweaking her nipples, pulling the tight buds and pinching them.
Still, his mate bellowed her demands. “Fuck me harder! Give it to me!” She reached back, wrapping one arm around his neck while she snapped the wood of the bed frame with her other. She fisted his hair, pulling him closer until his breath fanned her neck.
“Kiss me,” she ordered, turning her head and leaning toward him.
He took her mouth, tongue thrusting as deep as his cock was. She panted into his kiss, moaning and whimpering as she reached for orgasm. He released one nipple and sought her clit, pinching that swollen nub instead. She screamed into his mouth, and he swallowed the sound as he devoured her with his lips and tongue. Her pussy squeezed his dick, milking it until his cum shot out the tip, painting her womb with his cream. His roar echoed off the walls as he finally broke the kiss.
He thought he’d blacked out for a moment and he might have, because the next thing he knew he was opening his eyes to the sound of Sidia giggling. They were lying on the bed, his cock somehow still nestled inside her as they spooned in mating bliss. He grunted, and she giggled again.
“What’s so funny?”
“I broke the bed,” she admitted, sounding damn proud of herself.
He glanced up and saw that not only was there a crack in the frame but a piece was missing from the top, right where she’d been holding on.
“We’ll get a new one.”
She wiggled, and he groaned as his cock slipped free. She turned in his arms, and her smile seemed to light the whole room.
“Koby,” she whispered, and he lifted a brow in silent question. “I’m glad you found me.”
“Me, too.” He ran his palm down her side, loving the feel of her soft skin.
“Still want to shower?” she asked, her fingers brushing through his hair.
“Soon,” he said, patting her hip and closing his eyes. Just as soon as he could move again.
Chapter Ten
“You’re really happy with him, aren’t you?”
At her twin’s question, Sidia looked up from the case she was packing for Declan. She and Jaeda had volunteered to pack up Declan’s and Brock’s rooms since the two were gone hunting for Xandra.
“Koby is my mate,” Sidia said. “Of course, he makes me happy.”
“I can tell the two of you have really connected,” Jaeda agreed.
“I know,” Jaeda said. “Holt’s learning and adapting. He already knew we existed before I met him, but he’d been staying with a pride of cat shifters. I’ve learned our ways are different from theirs, too.”
“Really?” Sidia asked, pausing as curiosity overtook her. “What kinds of cats?”
“The alpha is a lion. The way Holt speaks of him, Tah is a force to be reckoned with. Holt’s promised me he’ll take me to Oklahoma to meet them all when things are settled down here. Plus, I think he’s afraid to introduce me to his best friend.”
“Why is that?” Sidia wanted to know.
“They were lovers once upon a time,” Jaeda admitted.
Sidia drew in a sharp breath. She’d be hard pressed not to claw a bitch’s eyes out if Koby introduced her to one of his past lovers, stating they were now best friends. Hell, no! She’d kill them both!
“Your human mate isn’t very smart,” Sidia murmured. “Isn’t he afraid you’ll kill this female?”
“She’s a lion shifter, though Holt has mentioned her animal is still suppressed,” Jaeda admitted. “She’s mated to a liger.”
“Liger?” Sidia’s thoughts spun to what she knew of a liger. “Is it the Angel? The one who returned the elder Holloway’s body here?”
“Yes, that one,” Jaeda said.
“I can’t imagine him wanting your mate there any more than you would want the two of them here,” Sidia stated.
“Holt assures me they’re just friends. At first, I thought she was his kitten, and I was furious. I wanted to rip her apart. Now, I don’t know how to feel. I know my Holt is mine, that he belongs to me and only me, but I can’t control the anger I feel for this other woman. A woman who’s mated to another man.”
“You’re newly mated. Jealousy isn’t that abnormal. I want Koby at my side now. I’m jealous of every moment he’s away from me. Have you told your mate how you feel about all this? Are you saying you don’t want to go?”
“I don’t know what I want to do. I want to please Holt, and if taking me to meet the ones he considers his family is important to him, then it’s important to me. I’m afraid I won’t be able to rein in my temper though, that I’ll attack this Kenzie he says is his best friend. I don’t want his family to hate me. I don’t want to disappoint him.”
“Have you told him all these fears?”
“He knows I’m anxious about it. He seems to think I’ll always be resentful of her until I meet her and see how happy she is with her mate. He thinks that will be the only thing to help me let go of my jealousy.”
“He does have a point there,” Sidia agreed. “God, mating a human sounds exhausting.”
Jaeda grinned. “I wouldn’t trade my mate for anyone else. He’s everything I’ve ever wanted.”
“He makes you happy,” Sidia pointed out. “Don’t let the shadow of his past come between you. I can tell by the way he looks at you, the way he touches you whenever the two of you are together, that you’re the only woman he wants now. He’s mated to you. Don’t forget that.”
“You’re right. I’m probably making more of this than I should.”
“Let me ask you this,” Sidia said. “When was the last time he talked to this best friend of his?”
“He hasn’t. She’s called a couple times, but he hasn’t answered and hasn’t returned them. I know he won’t as long as he thinks it bothers me.”
“So he’s willing to give up his friendship for you?”
“I don’t want him to…” Jaeda’s voice trickled off. She groaned and dropped her head into her hands. “I do want him to choose me over her. I can’t even think of her as his friend. I think of Kenzie as a woman, as a former lover, and I hate her for knowing my mate with that type of intimacy.”
“He’s already chosen you. He’s here, and from what I’ve seen, he’s not leaving. Laramie has claimed him as part of the family. That’s huge. I’ve never heard of an alpha putting a human into their inner circle. Have you asked Holt to tell you about Kenzie? Not when they were lovers, but what it is about her that makes her his best friend? Maybe, if you see how he views her as such, it will help?”
“I haven’t. The few times he’s brought up her name, I’ve started growling and he let it drop.”
“I think it all boils down to how much you trust your mate. Are you afraid he’ll see this woman again and decide you’re not enough?”
Jaeda snarled. “Never! I’m the woman he’ll spend the rest of his life with.”
“Then what’s really holding you back?”
Jaeda jerked, eyes widening. Sidia could feel her sister sifting through their conversation and knew the moment she understood what Sidia was trying to tell her.
“I don’t have anything to be afraid of,” Jaeda admitted. “He’s made his choice. Me. Our pack. He won’t leave and join their pride again.”
“No, he won’t,” Sidia agreed. “He chose to leave them, just as he chose to stay here.”
Jaeda nodded. “Thank you, sis. You’ve always been able to help me work through things.”
“You do the same for me.” She snapped the lid closed on the suitcase she’d crammed full and grabbed the handle, jerking it up. “Let’s take these down and deposit them in Declan’s room. I think one more trip then we’ll start on Brock’s.”
“Sounds good,” Jaeda agreed then glanced at the clock. “Maybe, we could take a quick break and grab something to eat. I’m starving.”
“A sandwich sounds good,” Sidia agreed, thankful her stomach wasn’t growling at the thought of food.
Jaeda giggled.
“What?” Sidia asked.
“I was thinking of the last time you were in the kitchen having a sandwich. I ended up getting an eyeful of your mate’s ass. My mate was anything but pleased.”
Sidia grinned. “Koby has an amazing ass. His body in general is enough to make me want to strip him naked and have my way with him wherever we are.”
Jaeda giggled again. “I know what you mean. I feel the same about my Holt.”
“Are you as insatiable as I am?” Sidia asked.
“Oh, yes,” Jaeda agreed. “I can’t get enough of my mate. Just the scent of him drives me wild.”
“It’s the way Koby looks at me,” Sidia admitted. “There’s possession there, but it’s more than that. He stares at me in such a way that I feel as if I’m the only person in the room that matters, as if the rest of the world fades away when we’re together. You know what I mean?”
Jaeda nodded. “I was worried when Holt said he thought Koby might be your mate. The Koby I met scared me. Hell, he terrified me. Seeing him with you shows me a different side of him. I can tell how much you mean to him already.”
“When he walked out of those woods with the blood of the men hunting me on him…knowing he’d killed to protect me…knowing he was mine… Jensen stopped him from kissing me, and I wanted that kiss. I wanted to taste the raw lust and power on Koby in that moment. It was my right as his mate. Just remembering it makes me want to kick Jensen in the balls all over again.”
Jaeda snickered. “I don’t think he’ll trust you enough to let you that close again.”
“You’re probably right,” Sidia agreed with a grin. “Let’s get this gathered up and head down. Then food.”
They were laughing and joking as they reached the main floor.
“Where the hell did you come from?”
The burly voice seemed to lash across the room, freezing both Sidia and her sister in their tracks at the base of the stairs. Sidia could easily scent he was one of them, though he was unfamiliar. He took a step toward them, and Jaeda backed up a few steps on the staircase. Sidia automatically dropped the case she’d been carrying and l
owered into a crouch, a growl rising from her throat.
He stopped, eyeing her and Jaeda, who’d taken a similar stance.
“I’m not going to hurt you. I just… We were told none of you survived. How? Where? Have you been here with the Holloways this whole time?”
She felt the surge of anger pouring off him. He inhaled, his glare etching deeper into his features.
“You’re mated. Both of you. Were your mates able to protect you? Did they bring you here?”
“What’s your name?” Sidia asked, rising but keeping her hands loose at her side in case he made any sudden moves.
“Caleb.” He reached forward, holding his hand out in greeting. She nodded, refusing to shake, and he let his hand drop. “How long have you been here? We’ve heard nothing about any survivors. Are you part of the reason Laramie is finally calling everyone together?”
“You’ll have to speak to him,” Sidia said, watching as Koby, Holt, Laramie and Slade stepped into the hallway.
“You’re early,” Laramie said, commanding Caleb’s attention while Koby and Holt both headed toward their mates.
“I wanted to see if you needed any assistance and planned to volunteer. My brother, Rocco, was one of the enforcers.”
“Was?” Laramie asked.
“We haven’t seen him since the attacks. My father thinks he might have been killed. There’s no other reason he wouldn’t be with us now,” Caleb said.
“We weren’t aware he was missing,” Laramie stated, glancing at his brothers for verification. Both Slade and Koby shook their heads.
“There were many males lost during the attacks, as well as all…” He paused, his glance flicking back to Sidia and Jaeda. “What we thought were all of our remaining females.”
“We’ve discovered new information over the last few weeks,” Laramie stated. “Information we should have uncovered far sooner. Slade, take Caleb into my office. We’ll finish this conversation there.”
Caleb kept glancing toward Sidia and Jaeda even as Slade led him away. Sidia had known the other pack members would be shocked to see that there were still females amongst them. Seeing it was far different. There was surprise, yes, but also longing and hope.
