“I want a relationship. A monogamous one. As I said, I don’t share very well,” he began slowly, thinking over the edicts.
“The same goes for you then. No other women,” she interrupted him.
He snorted. “Trust me, that won’t be an issue. I won’t have anyone but you in my bed. If you decide you want someone else, let me know and I’ll release you from this. No hard feelings. You’ll also remain as a Beta. I won’t give you special treatment because you’re sharing my bed.”
Now it was her turn to snort. “As if I’d want special treatment. You damn well better treat me the same as the others. I’ve worked too hard for this position to have it screwed up. I don’t want anyone to think I got it simply because I lifted tail.”
A shudder went through Derek, and she wondered if her crude words shocked him. When she glanced up at him through her lashes, she realized he was laughing.
She smacked him on the stomach, unsure if she should be offended by his humour.
“And what’s so funny?” she demanded.
“Anyone who thinks you got the Beta position due to lifting tail has never met you. Ha! You’re one of the few people who stand up to me. The Coterie and Zmitro belong to that small handful, and even some of them quake inwardly over it. I’ve heard the stories muttered when we’ve walked by at Headquarters, awe-filled voices talking about how you’ve whipped me.”
“What? You let people say that? Why wouldn’t you stop them?” She pulled back, amazed he’d let others say she had him pussy-whipped. Another Alpha would tear that person apart.
“Why would I?” He looked at her, astonished. “It’s true. I’m wrapped around your little finger, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. You’ve owned me for a long time. You just didn’t know it. And no, I never went easy on you. In fact, sometimes I went too hard because I was trying to overcompensate for my feelings for you. Zmitro gave me hell a few times for it. He thought you’d rage-quit. You never did. You gave as good as you got.”
Her chest puffed a little with pride at his words. This amazing man respected her and admitted he was hers and hers alone. She tilted her head, offering herself up for a kiss. He obliged by sealing her lips with his. Turning her body, she half rolled onto him with one leg resting between his. His chest firm against hers, she ran her nails down his side before gripping his hip.
He threaded one hand into her hair, cupping the back of her head, keeping her still. The other hand made its way down to her butt and held her tight. She realized this is what she’d missed last night, his hands on her.
Derek rolled her onto her back, settling himself between her thighs. His hard length pressed against her, and she moaned.
Her fears lingered, but she pushed them to the deep recesses of her mind. He’d never hurt her, never push her further than she could handle. His touch caused ecstasy, not fear. She didn’t feel trapped or smothered. Instead, she could fly.
He’d always been her safe haven. She just hadn’t realized it until this morning.
He broke off the kiss, leveraged his upper body with his arms and peered down at her. “Would you prefer me not to touch? Whatever makes you feel safe, I’ll do it.” His sincerity and willingness to make her happy proved she’d made the right choice.
She smiled seductively. “I want you to touch me. I need it. In fact, I demand it. I want your hands, mouth and tongue on me. No holding back.”
He closed his eyes and groaned. “Damn it woman, my control is already hanging on by a thread. Saying something like that doesn’t help.”
Keeping his weight on his arms, he closed the gap between their bodies. A light nuzzle on her neck as he murmured, “I’m going to hold you to your word. I’m going to ravish you until you can’t move.”
A loud rap at the door caused Sylvia to jump and had Derek swearing. He dropped his head onto her shoulder and exhaled in frustration. His breath tickled her sensitive skin.
“Damn it. It must be something important. Go to the bathroom. Take a shower. I’ll deal with whoever it is. And then hopefully I’ll join you.”
She laughed at his crestfallen expression and pushed him off her.
He’d let her move him. While she was strong, he had a lot of brute strength packed into his heavy body. Scooting off of the bed, she made a beeline for the bathroom but left the door ajar. Pack business was her business, too.
The bedroom door opened, and Derek greeted Zmitro a little gruffer than he deserved.
“What do you want?” he all but snarled at his second-in-command.
Zmitro laughed, not in the least bit put off by Derek’s attitude. “You realize you’re naked, right?”
Chapter Twenty-Three
I like and respect Zmitro. I will not rip his head off. The reminder helped contain his need for violence. So damn close to sampling every delectable inch of Sylvia’s body and Zmitro took that away from him.
Speak your mind before I kill you, he sent to his Beta.
Again Zmitro laughed. A death wish. His right-hand man had a death wish. Why hadn’t he noticed before how suicidal his friend had become? Why else would he dare poke the angry werewolf?
“I hate to tear you away from your important Alpha duties, but it’s time for Sylvia’s appointment.” At Derek’s blank stare, Zmitro elaborated, “With her therapist, remember? She should’ve met me downstairs five minutes ago. I thought she’d overslept. I can see now she was otherwise occupied.” Zmitro winked at him.
Actually winked at him. He was suicidal.
“Are you crazy?” The words tumbled from his mouth, shock destroying his filter.
Leaning closer, his friend confided, “I’m happy for you. It’s been a long time coming.”
“Has anyone else...?” he asked.
“Not that I’m aware of. No one’s ever mentioned it to me.”
“Okay, good,” Derek said. Gossip occurred within the pack, hard not to have any when they all spent so much time together. He’d be stupid to think none had ever talked about his sex life or lack thereof. Sylvia, though, wasn’t a plaything for his bed and wasn’t up for discussion.
In a more normal tone, Zmitro said, “Now please, for the sake of everyone’s eyesight and sanity, put some clothes on. No one wants to see that.”
He walked away chuckling.
Derek shut the door and leaned against it. Water hitting tile spurred him into action. He couldn’t join Sylvia, not now. Or she wouldn’t make it to her appointment. He grabbed clothes from the dresser and closet – Sylvia’s, not his. If he saw her in just a towel, he wouldn’t be responsible for his actions. He had lost his erection talking to Zmitro, but a wet and nearly naked Sylvia would have him hard and aching again.
The shower turned off. He cracked open the door and thrust his arm into the bathroom, dangling the clothes at her. Once she grabbed them, he withdrew. It took all of his willpower, every single ounce, to walk away.
He rushed to the dresser and grabbed clothes for himself. As soon as the bathroom door opened and Sylvia left the room, he darted inside.
“I’ll be right out. Wait for me,” he said, not bothering to raise his voice. Her hearing would pick up his words. Oh shit, had she heard his conversation with Zmitro? Did he say anything that would’ve made her uncomfortable? No, it had been tame, lacking anything that would’ve embarrassed her.
He jumped into the shower. Soap soon coated his body, and he stood under the spray to wash it off. Some of Sylvia’s scent went with it. Not all of it rinsed away, though. Enough lingered to tease his nose and remind him of who owned his heart.
Turning off the shower, he left the stall and dried himself off. Derek tugged on his clothes, cursing when they stuck to his damp skin. He finger-combed his hair, shaking off the excess water, and exited the bathroom to join Sylvia.
Stunned, he sucked in a breath and told his hormones to back off. Sylvia’s long red hair curled down her back and chest, leaving wet spots on her shirt. He was damn lucky he hadn’t chosen a white shirt, or he wo
uld’ve demanded that she changed.
And what a slippery slope that would’ve been, Sylvia topless in his room.
“You look…” his voice trailed off as his eyes roamed her body. He cleared his throat, although his words still came out like gravel when he continued, “good enough to eat.”
Sylvia laughed, a carefree sound with a hint of wantonness. “You already ate me last night. Surely you’ve had your fill?”
His eyes flew to hers, shocked and aroused by her words. He stepped closer and growled, “Woman…”
With a tiny shriek, Sylvia ran to the door, opened it and raced out. She tossed over her shoulder, “I have an appointment to keep! Don’t distract me.”
The heavenly scent of her lust and arousal lingered in the air, tugging at his wilder side.
Chase her, make her mine. Inhaling deep, he debated doing just that. He shook his head to clear it. No, no he couldn’t. These appointments were too important for Sylvia to miss. While she had made improvements since her rescue, it would be a continuous climb until she approached normalcy. And even then it would be years, decades until that happened.
At a more sedate speed, he followed Sylvia downstairs. His fingers trailed over the oak handrail that separated the hallway and the spacious area above the main entrance. Large, arching windows stood above the front door, flooding the room with sunbeams. The stained glass in the door lent a dreamy quality to the light.
Derek reached the bottom of the stairs and prowled to the sitting room. He’d had the walls knocked down between two rooms, making it one of the largest rooms in the house. And one of his favourites. Bookshelves lined much of the walls, and comfortable chairs and couches were scattered throughout.
This room hosted pack meetings, hundreds of them over the years. On a regular basis, pack members slept in the spare bedrooms. His house was open to them all, an almost never-ending stream of people coming and going. Just the way he liked it. While the rumours were true that he was a mean, ruthless bastard, he also cared for his people.
Sylvia rested on the arm of a couch, talking to Davis while Zmitro sat in one of the chairs. All three glanced at Derek when he entered the room and leaned against the wall.
“We should go now, Sylvia,” Davis said as he strode past Derek to the front door and waited. Sylvia stood and the sway of her hips mesmerized Derek. He shoved his hands in his pockets, removing the temptation to haul her closer to him.
She trailed a finger down his chest, the only part of her touching him as she murmured, “I’ll see you later, Alpha.”
Fuck, that woman doesn’t play fair, he thought as she continued past him. Leaning his head against the wall, he closed his eyes and listened to the door shut. A few hours until she returned. He could survive a few hours, right?
A not-so-subtle throat clearing interrupted his lustful thoughts.
“What do you want, Zmitro?” he asked, eyes still closed.
“They’ve been sighted again. Shawn and the other Alphas are back in the city.”
“Well, that’s not surprising. What did you find out about them?” Derek scrubbed his face before opening his eyes. He stalked to the couch and dropped himself on the cushions. The wood groaned and protested the sudden increase in weight.
“There are four altogether with Shawn as their apparent leader. Dan, Ian and Sawyer. I’ve spoken with several members of their packs, and off the record, most of them aren’t happy with their Alphas. Dan disappears for days on end, and no one knows why. Ian is too busy chasing tail to manage his pack. Sawyer micromanages his Beta and Deltas, constantly overriding their decisions and making them appear incompetent. On the whole, little things that wouldn’t break a strong pack. From what I can tell, though, their packs are splintering. The shaky foundation from us hasn’t helped the situation.” Zmitro winced at his own bluntness. “Shit, Derek, I’m sorry.”
Derek waved his hand, dismissing the apology. “Don’t apologize for speaking the truth. I had a hand in the packs’ issues, however unintentional. These Alphas, though, are grasping for something they cannot attain. If any one of them thought they could take me, they would have challenged me by now. Instead, they hope to undermine me. A few more months without Sylvia and they would have succeeded.”
“So what now?”
“We continue to wait. They’ll fuck up soon. I’m sure Shawn realized Sylvia was the reason for my weakness, and now that she’s home…his chances of catching me at a low point are almost nil. He won’t wait much longer. He wants my position and won’t give up.” Derek grinned, his canines scrapping against his bottom lip. “And I’ll enjoy taking his Alpha status from him.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
“Thanks for walking with me, Davis. Sorry you got stuck with babysitting duties.” Sylvia tucked her hands into her jacket pockets and hunched her shoulders, pretending it was for warmth. In truth, she didn’t want any accidental touching. The intimacy with Derek, right now, was the exception, not the rule. And she didn’t want to hurt Davis’ feelings by cringing from him.
“No problem. I needed the fresh air anyway. So, uh, you and Derek, huh?” Davis glanced at her with a raised eyebrow.
Damn, she should’ve expected this. Of course he’d ask. Well, two could play this game. She smiled, sickly sweet, and parroted his words, “So, uh, you and Nadia, huh?”
Davis coughed, startled by her question. “Shit. Okay, fair enough. I talk, you talk?”
“Yeah, okay.” While talking about her and Derek wasn’t on the top of her to-do list, finding out more about Davis’ thoughts concerning Nadia pushed aside any hesitation. “Spill it, what are your intentions towards Nadia?”
Sylvia sidestepped a pedestrian. Human male, her nose informed her. A woman brushed passed, ozone trailing behind her. She wrinkled her nose against the not-unpleasant aroma.
“I like her. She’s funny and sweet. And she doesn’t treat me like a sex object,” Davis muttered the last words, and red streaked his cheekbones. The wind ruffled through his blonde curls as if it, too, wanted to feel the silky locks. Tousled hair fell across his forehead, adding a hint of boyishness.
“Seriously?” She gaped at him and almost walked into another person. Demon, the hint of sulfur giving him away.
“Yes, seriously. Don’t tell me you haven’t had the same experience. Men talking to you because you’re hot. Staring at you like you’re meat and they’re hungry. It’s not just women who get that treatment, you know. Women don’t expect conversation from me.” Bitterness seeped through, painting a lonely existence.
Horrified, she asked, “I haven’t done that to you, have I?”
“No, but then you’ve always had eyes for someone else.” His smile was sly. “I figured you were with Victor, but now you surprise me. Derek. Wouldn’t have guessed it.”
Now it was her turn to blush. Had everyone assumed she was sleeping with Victor? Why hadn’t she known this? “We’re friends, nothing more.”
“As long as you don’t invite him over anytime soon. Don’t think Derek would be too welcoming.”
“Yeah, I got that hint from him,” she said wryly. Another person bumped into her shoulder going in the opposite direction. A familiar scent. Panic seized her throat. She spun around, searching for the owner.
“What is it?” Davis asked, turning to scan the crowd. “One of the Alphas?”
“No. I don’t know. Just... a scent. It’s gone.” Her heart thundered, a painful slamming against her chest. Slow, ragged breaths that didn’t bring in enough oxygen.
He’d found her.
Who had found her? The scent didn’t have an image attached to it, just emotions and none of them pleasant. Someone from the facility? Was she being followed? Would they take her back, continue the experiments?
No. No! Sylvia slammed against a shop wall, grasping her head, digging her fingers into her skull. She screamed, “I won’t go back!”
Arms circled her, holding tight while she struggled for freedom. A high keening noise vibra
ted the air, hurting her sensitive ears. With a start, Sylvia realized she was making the mournful sound.
“Sylvia, Sylvia, please. You’ll hurt yourself.” Davis’ voice, hoarse with worry, penetrated the haze of fear. She stopped struggling, although the tremors continued wracking her body.
“I’m okay,” she said between gasps. Davis’ arms lent strength to her, grounding her in the maelstrom of dread swirling within her mind. Finally the tremors stopped, and she whispered, “I’m okay. I’m fine, Davis. You can let go now.”
He slowly released her, wary of a relapse. “What was that? What just happened?”
“I don’t want to talk about it. I’ll discuss it with my shrink. Oh shit, I’m late for my appointment.” Sylvia tore away from Davis and raced to Dr. Zayler’s office. While she didn’t hear Davis behind her, too silent of a wolf to make any noise, she sensed him near.
Moments later, thanks to their innate speed, Sylvia burst into the reception area. The receptionist’s mouth dropped open, surprised at such an entrance. She stammered, “Um, Ms. McLaughlin, good morning. Dr. Zayler is waiting for you.”
With a nod and a distracted smile, Sylvia followed the hallway to her therapist’s office. The plain wooden door was open, waiting for her to arrive. She entered and closed the door behind her.
“I’m sorry I’m late, Dr. Zayler. I had a… an episode on the way here.” She dropped her eyes, not wanting to see the pity in his eyes. He knew as well as she did that it hadn’t been an episode but a full-on panic attack. She wouldn’t mention it otherwise.
“Ah, I see. Well please, sit. Some water?” He gestured to the small table between their chairs. Her lips quirked in a sad smile. Bottled water. Another defect of hers. Unable to consume food or drink unless it was sealed, proof against drugging.
Had she been fooling herself? She wasn’t on the road to recovery. Unless that damn road was filled with oil slicks designed to slam her into the trees.
A hopeless sigh as she sank into her usual chair. “A scent. That’s all it took. One single scent and I was back there. I thought they’d found me, would drag me back.”
Sylvia's Torment (Enforcers and Coterie Book 2) Page 18
