by Lexi Ander
My muscles involuntarily tensed when Theo bit my shoulder with his blunt teeth. My balls drew up and I was sure I'd come in my pants with only his mouth on me.
"I need to claim you, Theo. Please say yes. Be mine, only mine." I bit back my wolf's whine. He didn't understand why we were coaxing Theo when we were alpha. Ignoring him, I pulled Theo away from where he gnawed on my shoulder. I needed him to see my resolve, and the truth.
"Stan." Theo moaned my name with so much want I tilted my head back and howled, an echo of every bit of joy and excitement that almost made me burst out of my skin.
"If we don't stop, I'm going to beg you to fuck me on the stone floor. You're still injured. I should take care of you and not take advantage."
With a triumphant smile, I released his hips and cupped his erection, which had been rubbing against my stomach. "I'm not injured, only sore. I can take you anywhere you want. I can't wait much longer to make you mine. I don't know about you, but I'm ready to take back control. No one else is getting a say in what goes on between you and me. Enough time has been taken from us."
Theo scrambled off my lap and I grabbed for him, terrified to my core I'd said too much. But he evaded me and took a couple of steps away. Even in my worry, his beauty stopped my breath. His golden skin was marked with scars that were a testament to his strength and perseverance. He may claim he wasn't a good person, but I knew better. He'd lost his life pursuing the truth, gathering information on his mate to warn Tristan of the danger Daniel Sullivan posed.
He held out his hand, beckoning me to follow him. His expression clouded when I winced as I rose from the bench. I watched him back up to a doorway in the corner I hadn't noticed before. Quickly shucking my pants and boots, I was gratified to see his hand trembled as I stalked toward him. He stepped through the opening, momentarily disappearing from my sight.
My wolf snarled, urged we give chase, but was instantly soothed to find Theo in a small sitting room. Low couches and a luxurious mattress on the floor were covered in silken pillows and soft throws. Sanctuary was probably several millennia old, and rooms like this one, reminded me of that fact.
The sight didn't distract me for long because Theo knelt on the mattress, looking hesitant. I wouldn't have him second-guessing this, us, and crossed to him. He accepted me with open arms and we fell onto the softness. I snarled into his mouth when he pressed the glass vial into my hand. Where he'd acquired it, I didn't care. All I could think was that he was giving me permission to claim him.
I explored every inch of him, showing him the reverence I felt for him as I made him writhe under me. I forgot myself, losing control of my alpha power, each pulse emanating from me a beacon of joy. Utter uninhibited happiness. Kissing away Theo's tears, I ate his laughter, giving back drugging kisses. When I finally sank my length into him I howled, proclaiming to all who heard that I'd found my Bashert. My wolf was elated at the answering calls of our tribe.
"Stan," Theo gasped, his nails digging furrows from my shoulders to my ass. He met me thrust for thrust, his heat gripping me. "Make me yours."
Grasping his blond hair in my fist, I forced him to bare his neck. There was no claiming scar. I'd be the only one. Just me. Not any of Theo's many lovers, not Daniel, not even Tristan. Theo was all mine. My jaw ached and throbbed, my wolf coming forward just enough for this small change, altering the path Theo and I would walk.
He gave a horse cry as I bit him, hot come spilling between us as he lost himself to his orgasm. I was close to my own, but I needed more, one key component.
Releasing his shoulder, I pushed Theo's mouth against mine. "Claim me," I demanded. "Complete the circle."
For a couple of moments I thought he'd argue, deny me, but when his teeth sliced into my skin my body went hot, following the bolt of lightning that shot through me. A piece I'd been missing all my fucking life snapped into place, the sound a deafening boom in my ears, mingling with my own scream as I came.
Burying my face in his nape, I kept thinking, "Finally mine," over and over again, filled with so much joy I thought I'd burst. To feel this connection to my Twin Flame went beyond all my expectations. When I lifted to look down at Theo, his eyes were closed, the lids fluttering as if he was on the edge of consciousness. His small moan when I pulled out sent a wave of guilt through me. I'd been so lost in him I couldn't recall if I prepared him adequately.
Careful, I lifted him into my arms. It wasn't an easy feat getting us through the doorway to the hot springs. But the water lapped gently at my skin as I descended the roughly hewn steps into the pool. I was unashamed I manhandled him until I reclined with him lying on top of me, his steady breaths brushing across my neck. Running my hand down his back filled me with proprietary satisfaction.
From where I rested, I stared out the window to the valley below. The sun glinted off the red stone of the King's Tomb, casting long shadows over the amphitheater. Off to the right I could make out the road that would eventually connect Bahbelle to Sanctuary. People moving among the tall white columns looked like dolls from this distance.
I heard the scamper of paws on loose gravel before the wolves ran across the view and entered the hot springs. They were all there: my Tribe, my family. Brian as his white wolf, followed by Tristan and Ushna. Gregori's reddish wolf, along with Jory's familiar brindle-coated form. When I closed my eyes, I scented the Magi Triad and Corey. More and more followed them until there was no more room inside. They all stared at us.
Theo's breath stuttered to a halt. "What?" He lifted his head, looking around with a shocked expression.
"You two might want to put clothes on quickly." Tristan walked out of the back room carrying pants and robes as well as towels.
That's when I heard them: Neoma urging Dawn to hurry up. I quickly rose and hopped up onto the lip of the pool, reaching back for Theo, who looked to be experiencing ten types of panic. After rubbing him down, I tossed a pair of sweatpants at him. I didn't have time to dry off so I simply pulled on my pants, knowing the pups would be here any moment.
"Stan, I can't. What will they say? They'll hate me," Theo stammered, looking panicked. But he didn't run. Instead he came to me. I pulled him into my embrace making soothing noises.
"No, they could never—"
Right then, Justus bound into the room in wolf form, Dawn and Neoma right behind him.
All around us, the wolves went still. Justus stood as tall and proud as his wolf's body allowed, ears perked high as he stared at me then at Theo. Behind him, Dawn and Neoma stumbled to a halt, their laughter and questions forgotten when they laid eyes on their father.
"Daddy?" Dawn's eyes turned luminous.
Theo pushed away from me and knelt on one knee. When I placed a supporting hand on his shoulder, he took a deep breath. "How have my pups been?"
Neoma's sob acted as a catalyst. Dawn ran to Theo, and Justus whined, falling into his human form. Neoma wasn't far behind Dawn, and the girls threw themselves into Theo's arms, crying. I picked up one of the towels and wrapped it around Justus. He didn't rush to greet Theo, his expression a mixture of hope and agony that squeezed my heart. Over the last several months, these three had become important. Justus's hesitancy sliced through me.
"Don't you want to say hello?" I asked him as I made sure the towel was secured.
"Is he real? I saw him at the funeral. They closed the casket, but before they took him out to the pyre, I had to peek. I thought they were lying about him being dead so I looked. I followed them when they took his body out to prepare it for the fire." A fat tear streaked down his face.
"Yes, he's real. Your Uncle Tristan brought him back." I nudged him toward Theo, who watched our interaction with haunted eyes.
He held his hand out to Justus. "Son." Theo's voice broke.
Justus whined like the puppy he still was and shuffled his feet as if plagued by indecision. Instead of his sisters' mad dash, Justus straightened his shoulders and strode around the pool with such restraint my chest ached. The last
few feet he faltered, as if losing some internal battle, and flung himself at his dad.
"You came back," Neoma sobbed into Theo's shoulder.
Unable to stay away, I walked around the wolves who lay on the floor watching the reunion with happy, wolfy smiles to join Theo and the pups. His arms were full as he attempted to hold his crying but wriggling children. Their excitement and joy could easily be felt by those of us who watched.
I knelt before Theo, addressing Neoma when she looked at me with large brown eyes. "Your Uncle Tristan—"
"Did nothing more than ask a favor." Tristan stood in the doorway to the back room wearing an identical pair of sweats. His own scars from his fight with the God Verethragna's boar form were just as prominent as Theo's. With Tristan standing behind Theo, I noticed the similarities in their old wounds for the first time. They were almost, but not quite, the same.
Theo had four scars from brow to chin, but his eye had not been taken. Whereas Tristan had the one gouge that did steal his sight, the pathway of the gash ran along the same track. There weren't many scars on Tristan's chest, but the ones he did have matched up with a few of Theo's. Both had been attacked at different places and times, severely enough they both left this Earth… and then they both returned.
I wondered if they were still more connected than either realized. Even though the wolf in me snarled Theo was ours, I discovered I wouldn't be upset if my suspicion was true. I loved Tristan like a brother. The darker side of me chuckled at the thought that Inanna's meddling and intervention worked to her disadvantage. Just how much remained to be seen.
Neoma ran to Tristan and he caught her up, cuddling her as she hiccupped her thank yous.
"I can't feel you." Dawn leaned back to look at Theo, as if she couldn't believe her eyes. "I can't—didn't feel you come back like I did Uncle Tristan." She reached up and ran her fingertips over his scars. "Do these hurt?" Her face scrunched up and new tears spilled forth. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you about my dream. I know the Goddess Uttu said I shouldn't tell, that it could be dangerous but… I missed you." She broke into renewed sobs.
Theo sat on the floor, pulling Justus and Dawn into his lap. Tristan sat down on the other side of Theo, Neoma still cradled against his chest. Sprawling out next to Theo, I rubbed Dawn's back reassuringly. She'd confessed to me once she dreamed of her dad's death and she agonized over not saying anything to him, believing all this time she could've kept him from dying if she'd only made him believe her. When I glanced at Theo, his haunted gaze told me he knew exactly what she spoke of; I could only guess Tristan had told him, too.
"I'm so sorry, pups. I didn't mean to leave you alone, but I'm here now," Theo promised, his gaze telegraphing how terrified he was.
Putting my arm around him, I lent him my strength. I'd be here every step of the way. Whatever obstacles we faced, we'd do so together, as a family.
Chapter Twenty-Six
"Cockroaches, too, are resilient creatures." —From the journal of Ramsey Ksathra Janick
Nathan Janick
Even though I'd driven to the ranch hundreds of times, this particular trip seemed to take forever. Not that we could just pull up to the gates and announce ourselves. The guards on duty would definitely attempt to arrest Daniel and me. Looking into the rearview mirror, the human witch, Jonas, stared back at me with dead eyes. The rusty-looking collar around his neck had to be painful, the exposed skin it touched red and raw. I never saw Jonas tug at the metal. He always seemed suitably cowed by Daniel and completely submissive. So either he had us fooled with his blank expression, or he was allergic to the materials making up the neckband. I was unsure what type of magic Jonas wielded. So far he'd only followed us around and done as Daniel bid. Daniel claimed Jonas would be instrumental in our plans, but as of yet, I saw no evidence of this.
Pulling off onto another dirt road, Daniel indicated a deep wash for me to park the vehicle in. The depth hid the vehicle from patrolling sentries. My palms were slick with nervous sweat as I clenched the steering wheel, but I was pleased when my hands didn't shake. After I put the car in park, I got out, my nerves gnawing at my stomach. I was so close to my goal I could practically taste victory.
The slamming of the passenger and rear doors brought me out of my thoughts. Glancing at Daniel, he wore that ever-present grin, but I wasn't fooled. He was a coldhearted bastard who shared the Goddess Inanna's vision. He'd do anything and everything necessary to accomplish his task. This I could understand completely. I'd worked hard to be here, to be the person he'd chosen to be by his side in his final dash to complete the errands She'd given him. I'd accomplished one of my goals well enough that Daniel refused to bring others on this endeavor. His trust in me was a price I paid for over and over again, until he was convinced he needed no one other.
The human was necessary. He had one task to achieve for us. Considering his hollowed-out eyes and gaunt features, I wasn't sure he could do what Daniel had planned. But I didn't voice my concern. Daniel would mistake my reasoning as compassion for Jonas, not worry that the witch's magic would fail us. Daniel didn't abide compassion unless he was the one giving it.
As a Lycan… well, I guess there was still a part of me that was Lycan, I could see the crystal pillars evenly spaced along the perimeter of the ranch. The Magi had constructed them while Tristan had been away. No one could cross over the boundary they marked without being escorted by someone who held the key. The set-up would have been foolproof if Daniel didn't already have a traitor on the inside.
Across the field, a lone figure strode toward the border. The closer he got, the more familiar he became, until I could put a name to the leering face. Felix. Nowadays hiding my disdain was easy. I'd had far too much practice.
Daniel draped himself against my backside, arms looping around my waist. His erection pressed against my ass. Whether it was excitement over the prospect of sneaking onto Tristan's land, or he was considering taking me over the hood again was a tossup. I spent the morning distracting him with teasing touches. He'd already had me pull over once so he could plow my ass. He'd soon tire of me. I'd been aware of the likelihood when we became involved. He'd confessed one night that he'd been disappointed when Theo couldn't convince Tristan that Daniel was a Twin Flame to the both of them. Just as I'd suspected, he didn't want me, not really. The resemblance between Tristan and me was strong, and he could pretend I was Tristan. In bed, I encouraged him. He wasn't the only one using another for gain.
He reached for my dick, but I diverted his hands to my nipples. He plucked at them painfully as Felix stopped five feet away. I moaned like a whore, holding Felix's gaze as I ground my ass against Daniel's cock.
Felix wore the black uniform of the royal guard, a firearm, and a short sword on his equipment belt. "I didn't know Tristan's uptight doctor-brother had that in him," Felix said, boldly adjusting his erection. "I think I'll have some of that."
I smirked at Felix, raking my eyes down his long frame. He took my look as an invitation and approached like a stalking predator. I almost didn't catch the sneer when I dropped my head back against Daniel shoulder, knowing full well Daniel didn't share, not me, at least. If Felix wasn't careful, he'd lose a couple of fingers or more.
As expected, Daniel pushed me to the side and got into Felix's face, his glare promising death. Not that Felix paid attention to him. "Report," Daniel ground out between gritted teeth.
"Most of the guards are gone. Either leaving for Sanctuary or Bahbelle, getting ready for the coronation tomorrow. I was worried," Felix finally glanced away from me to Daniel. "They have been moving the heirs around the country. I didn't dare ask too many questions about where, but early this morning they were brought back."
"Makes sense. They moved the pups around to make sure that if word got out, no one would know where to find them. There is nowhere else more secure than this location." I grinned at the irony of my next words. "Making the ranch the safest place for them. Tristan will be betting our Goddess will stop the coro
nation. He'd want his children to be in an inaccessible place only a few have a key to." I eyed the tall, dark obelisk. The magic was something that should've been easy for me to sense, but I caught only a light pulse at the edges of my awareness. "The Magi are confident in their warding, and he is confident in the Magi."
Felix moved closer to me, but I didn't acknowledge him.
"The warriors in the Northwest field haven't ventured from their tent city. I slipped a sleeping draught into the lunch served to the guards. The only people we need to worry about are the women in the main house and the pups."
Moving past the quiet human, I used the key fob to pop the trunk. I'd already told Daniel that keeping the warriors alive was a mistake, and because I'd countered Daniel's decision, he wouldn't be moved. He wanted all the Lycans the bow to him, to see the horror and despair in their gazes when he made them kneel.
Lifting the trunk lid hid Daniel and Felix from view and I grinned into the interior. Some people were easy to manipulate. A lesson I'd learned quickly in order to protect House Janick after mother and father had died. I pulled the long case forward, the wooden exterior badly scratched and nicked. Daniel swore it had been in his family for a very long time, and I had no reason to doubt him.
Inside lay four antique dart blowers. There were two belts holding feathered darts that we'd carefully coated before leaving the safe house. Lifting a belt out, I strapped it around my waist, glad I'd chosen a tight T-shirt instead of a loose linen one. The other would've gotten in the way of dart extraction.
But my mind wasn't on the upcoming task. Inside the lid of the wooden case were pinned Daniel's souvenirs. Some of them had belonged to his father when he and Daniel had been a team. The keepsakes were pinned or glued onto the interior lining, trinkets really. Buttons, locks of hair, clippings of silk ties and such, but what held my attention sat in the bottom corner. A custom-made watch with small diamonds spelling out the initials of RKJ. A rose made of rubies, just like my mother used to wear, dangled from the fine golden chain wrapped around the face of the watch.
