“I see.”
“The problem is there are a few Hagalaz who have seriously mistreated their human mates. It’s really sick. You’d have to be totally deranged. You’ve been gifted with a mate, and to harm them, or force them…it’s not right. But, it’s another pack, and they live by different rules.”
“Uruz wouldn’t do that then?”
“No, never. Uruz still don’t trust humans, but Uruz wouldn’t ever hurt a human. Taggert might tease you, but he’d protect you.”
“That’s reassuring.”
Jake grinned at her as he opened the cabin door. “Faugh, it’s still cold in here. Let me crank up the heat.” Jake fussed with the propane heater while Ellie stomped her feet and shook her hands to try and get more blood flowing. “It’ll warm up more now.”
“Do you have to go back?”
“Unfortunately, yes. Whatever information Taggert uncovered needs to be discussed, and then we figure out how to deal with it.”
“Are we going to be stuck here for a while?”
“I hope not.”
“I have to be back at the lab on Monday.”
“Don’t even worry about that.” Jake reached over to caress her hair spilling out of her hat. “Come here, I’ll warm you up for a moment before I have to go back.” She nuzzled against his neck and he growled. “Stop tempting me.”
“What?”
“You smell so damn good.” Jake nudged her head to the side and kissed her. She gasped and he hauled her up against him. She wrapped her fingers around his suspenders and tugged them down, and he chuckled, leaning her back onto the bed. “Like the suspenders?”
“I figured you wore them to torment me.”
“Maybe. Gods, sweetheart. It felt so good being inside you.”
“You were being mean.”
“Mean?”
“You were teasing me.” She arched against him and he sucked in a breath.
“I was getting you ready. Know why?”
She couldn’t answer. All she could do was cry out as he rocked his erection against her center.
“Because I was going to fuck your sweet little ass while Kyle took your pussy.”
“Now you’re being really mean.” Her legs climbed up around him so she could grind against him harder, even though they were both clothed.
“Who’s teasing who now? Gods…you’re going to make me come right here.”
“No way, not ‘til you are inside me.”
“Baby, if I fuck you now, I’m not going to stop.” Jake pulled back, his breath shuddering a little. “Though, I bet you’re a little warmer.”
“A little,” she said with a harrumph as Jake backed away.
“You tempt me sorely.” He took a deep breath. “All right, the heat’s up a few degrees. Should be better soon.”
She pulled her coat off and nodded.
“If you get bored or hungry, come on over to the house. We’ll try to check back in.”
“All right.”
Ellie pulled back the thick comforter on the king size bed and began pulling off her shoes, then undoing her jeans.
“I’m going before your clothes come off. My willpower is fading.”
Grinning, Ellie blew him a kiss, and he hurried outside. Ellie dragged her backpack into bed with her and pulled out one of her textbooks. Nothing for it; she had to get some studying done while they were on the trip from hell.
CHAPTER FIVE
Kyle looked up as Jake returned to the meeting while Matthew was grilling Taggert.
“So you heard the Hagalaz talking to a contact?”
“Yes, and unfortunately, I had to either follow the Hagalaz or his contact.”
“You didn’t think to call anyone?”
“It all happened fast, Matthew. Once the Hagalaz found out I was trailing him he attacked. After the attack, I didn’t have a cell signal. And I was, you know, fucking bleeding out from a gut wound.”
“Yet you remembered where we lived,” Kyle offered dryly.
“You were the closest safe house.” Taggert sniffed the air when Jake sat beside Kyle. “For fuck’s sake, can’t you leave that piece of pussy alone for five minutes? Gods, she has your dicks wrapped around her—”
Kyle’s hands were around Taggert’s throat. “Go ahead and finish that sentence.”
Matthew stood up and pounded the table. “Kyle!” He growled a warning.
Snarling, Kyle released him. Taggert made him see red, he was so pissed. Jake gave him a look and he tried to breathe and let it go.
Matthew resumed his seat. “The problem, if everyone can focus for a goddamn minute, is the Hagalaz seem to be mobilizing for something.”
“Doesn’t this mean they’re weakened, that they lost a bunch of their warriors?” Kyle asked.
“It does, but it also means they are up to something. They wouldn’t have offered up their own to a Faerie lord without something significant in trade. They wouldn’t have taken the risk unless there was a considerable reward.”
“We should talk to the wereleopards,” Cassia said with some frustration.
“Cassia, I told you I don’t like it.”
“Their shaman asked me for help. I wasn’t able to, and then you demanded I not speak to them.”
“The leopards have never been allies.”
“They haven’t been enemies either, Matthew. Not like the Hagalaz.”
“The Hagalaz are still blood!” he cried out. “For the love of the Mother, look at what is happening to us. We can barely find mates. We have no children.”
“Would you mate with a Hagalaz?” Cassia asked, arching her eyebrow.
Matthew’s heavy eyebrows drew together, and Kyle was curious to hear his answer. “If it came to it, yes. We need mates, and even across all the Uruz clanholdings, we are too closely related. Or,” and he offered an apologetic look at Jake and Kyle, “mated to humans.”
“Matthew, I don’t need your permission to contact the wereleopard shaman and find out what happened. It’s my prerogative. But I’d like for us to be in agreement. I deferred to your judgment before, but with this knowledge about the Hagalaz, I must disagree with you, with respect.”
Grumbling, Matthew sighed. “I concur. Make the contact and find out what you can.” He turned to Taggert. “You get some rest. Once you are healed up, I’m sending you up with a few of our warriors to retrieve your wrecked car and the body.”
Taggert nodded.
“You two, a word if you would.” Matthew drew Kyle and Jake to the side. “You’ve both been distant from the clanholding. Is everything all right?”
Jake nodded. “It’s fine. We have been focused on settling into our new life in Minneapolis. And, we wanted to give Ellie time to adjust.”
“How have things gone?”
“It has gone well. Better than I expected. She was, as you can imagine, hesitant to mate a werewolf. Much less two.”
“I am glad you have both found the bliss of a mate. Truly I am. So many of us yearn for such a blessing, myself included. However, I know you understand my concerns about diluting our bloodlines.”
Kyle shrugged. “Mating works in the ways it works.”
“I am more concerned that you’re living away from the clanholdings. It does put you at risk.”
“For the moment it’s non-negotiable.” Kyle folded his arms. “We made an agreement with Ellie. We promised Ellie was she could live her own life, finish her degree.”
“In another circumstance this would be reasonable, but with the Hagalaz acting up, we need every wolf we have.”
“If there’s a fight, we’ll be here. But, we can’t involve Ellie in this. We swore a vow to her this wouldn’t impact her life, her dreams.”
Matthew snarled. “You’d defy me for a human?”
“We’d defy you for our mate.”
“Far be it from me to drive a wedge between a mated pair. Triad, rather. We have precious few of you as it is. However, for right now, I need all three of you to stay
put until we know more about what’s going on.”
“You’re grounding us?”
“Seriously?”
“No way we are staying here. We promised.”
“Would you defy me?”
Matthew’s face went half feral and Kyle swore. “You motherfucker!” Kyle nearly split his skin right there. Jake hauled him back. “Easy. Easy, Kyle. Breathe.” Jake glared at Matthew and then dragged Kyle out the door.
~* * *~
“What the fuck!”
“Kyle, breathe.”
“I’m breathing, I’m breathing. Just…I can’t believe this shit. No wonder my parents moved to Bloomington.”
“It’s going to be fine.”
“Not if Matthew demands we stay.”
“We don’t have to obey him.”
Kyle gave Jake an incredulous look. “What do you mean?”
“I mean, we can leave the pack. If we have to. It’s been done before.”
“It won’t come to that. It can’t come to that. I won’t betray the pack.”
“It’s not really a betrayal if they force us into it. If Matthew’s being so stubborn—”
“No. I won’t abandon them. Not if they need us.” Kyle turned to Jake. “If it comes to it, you get her out of here.”
“Kyle, you jackass, we’re not leaving you here.”
“I mean it. If they try to force the issue, I’ll stay and hold them back. I’ll volunteer for whatever fight needs fighting. You get her out.”
Jake’s teeth lengthened and he snarled. “Fine. Only for Ellie.”
“We got her into this mess. We have to keep her out of it.”
“Agreed.”
Kyle shuddered. “I’m too wired to sleep after that.”
“Let’s run the woods. It’s rare enough we get to just freely run, much less amongst pack.”
Kyle nodded. “I miss it, you know. Not all the time, but….”
“I know.”
~* * *~
Hours later, the two of them snuck into the empty kitchen and made a few sandwiches, packing some for Ellie, and eating theirs during the walk to the cabin. They crept into the cozy wooden cabin as quietly as they could, shutting the door against the cold. Ellie was tucked under the blankets, the comforter pulled over her head. Jake caught Kyle smiling at her with the same goofy grin he was sure he sported. “Let’s get some sleep, while we can at least. If we have to book out of here, at least we’ll be a little rested.”
Kyle grunted as he shucked his sweater and shoes, and undid the top button on his jeans before curling up behind Ellie. “Like I’ll get much sleep with her pressed against my crotch.”
“There is that,” Jake murmured, also doffing some of his clothes and laying on Ellie’s other side. “Want me to get you off so you aren’t so on edge?” Jake stroked his arm down Kyle’s where he already held Ellie’s hip.
“I can get my damn self off if I need to,” Kyle grumbled.
“Suit yourself.”
~* * *~
Ellie woke warmer than she had expected, then realized her two lovers were cocooning her. That was definitely one of the perks of lovers who had a higher-than-average body temperature. She always had a place to put her cold feet. She had no idea what time it was; the light through the windows told her it wasn’t yet night but she had the sense it was fairly late in the day.
She laughed as both of them reached for her at the same time to pull her closer. Jake woke up first. “Hey beautiful. You sleep ok?”
“Yeah. Sorta. What time is it?”
“Not sure.” Kyle groaned, reaching his arm around her so he could grind his hips against her ass.
“Ooooohh….” she moaned. Jake kissed her, pressing her back against Kyle. “You smell so damn good. Were you playing with yourself before you slept?”
“A little. I fell asleep before I could come.”
Kyle laughed. “I don’t know how that happens to you.”
“I didn’t want to come without you.”
“We are going to make you come so damn hard. We’re going to make up for our interrupted date.” She felt Kyle grind against her ass, tugging her jeans down.
“Vigorously.”
“Repeatedly.”
“Yesss.” Ellie was gasping, already swollen and wet.
Jake reached his fingers down her jeans to part her, growling when he felt how slick she was. “That’s it, baby.” He rubbed her in just the right way until she was squirming and Kyle was trying to pull her pants off.
“Dammit Kyle, have a little patience,” Jake rumbled.
Ellie helped Kyle push at her jeans. “It’s ok. I really want you to fuck me.”
“Not yet. I want you so hot for it you’re burning.” Jake circled his fingers around her clit, his touch drawing up the sensation of electricity racing across the bottoms of her feet.
“I already am, dammit,” she cried out as Kyle bit her neck.
“I liked that first night we were together. You were so hot for it you would have done anything we asked.”
Jake was licking her neck and she took the opportunity to bite him hard, loving the grunt he let out. “I still pretty much do.”
Relenting at last, Jake kissed her, circling his fingers and bringing her closer to the edge. His fiery touch had her nerve endings humming, her muscles taut. Another minute and she’d go over. Kyle’s cock was just slipping inside her from behind.
“Dammit, I can’t get your jeans further down,” he grumbled, trying to press deeper in.
There was a loud pounding at the door, and then a cold blast of air as it swung open.
Jake and Kyle both growled a warning.
“Ah, shit. Sorry. Really sorry. It’s Liam. Don’t kill the messenger here. We’re having a pack meeting.”
“When?”
“Now.”
“Go the fuck away then.”
“I’m not supposed to…uh. Leave without you.”
“Close the goddamn door and wait outside or I’ll rip your throat out.”
Softly, Jake pulled his hand away from her. Ellie sobbed in frustration. Jake thumbed away the tears. “Sweetheart, it’s all right. We have to go, but you can stay and finish.”
“Actually…her presence is required as well,” she heard through the door.
“Fuck.”
Kyle bounced up, his cock bulging in his jeans in a ludicrous way. He jerked on his shirt and shoes and walked back and forth, snarling. Jake kissed Ellie and stood up to dress as well. Finally Ellie stood to pull on her shoes and right her clothes, and tug on her coat and scarf.
“Let’s get this over with so we can go home.” Jake and Kyle glanced at each other and she caught their tension. “What?”
“Matthew doesn’t want us to leave.”
“He what?!” The skin all across her body prickled in a hot rush of anger.
“We’re working on it. Don’t worry, we’ll get you home.”
“What do you mean he doesn’t want us to leave?” She grew dizzy with how many directions her brain was buzzing. Her pulse sped up and she had to remind herself to breathe.
“He’s worried about the Hagalaz doing something. About our pack members being in danger. Plus if there’s a conflict he wants fighters.”
Ellie took another breath, trying to plan a way out of the mess they seemed wrapped up in. “Can he do that? Demand you stay?”
“Sort of.” Kyle scratched the back of his neck, clearly uncomfortable. “We can leave, we can disobey, but we’re formally cutting ties with the pack if we do that.”
“Shit.”
“Yeah, that about sums it up.” Jake tied his boots.
“Will they try to force us to stay? Am I in danger?”
“Nobody will harm you, Ellie. You’re our mate. But they may put up a fight if Matthew gets testy. He is one of our Alphas.”
“And these are supposed to be the people you trust? Your family, the people that have your back?”
“Things have gotten tense
lately.”
“I’m pissed off too, for the record,” Kyle said, finally zipping up with a grunt. “But, and I want you to understand this, I won’t let anyone keep you here. If I have to stay, so be it. But Jake will get you home.”
Ellie was nauseated and her heart was thudding. “We can’t just leave you here, Kyle.”
“If they need someone to help them fight, I’m willing to do it.”
Ellie turned to Kyle. “I’m not leaving you here, dammit.”
“It’ll be fine,” he kissed her forehead.
There was more pounding at the door. Jake pulled on his sweater. “We have to get over there.” He grabbed the sandwich in the plastic bag from the dresser. “Here, we made this for you if you’re hungry.”
“I’ll eat it later. I’m too pissed.” She stuffed it into one of her large coat pockets.
Kyle opened the door and they walked outside.
Liam took one look at them and couldn’t hide his smirk. “Sorry I interrupted…important matters.”
Kyle gripped Liam’s arm and stared him down. “Someday you’ll be mated and you’ll understand. Until then, shut up.”
Ellie was somewhat gratified to see Liam blush and actually clamp his lips together. She was still shaking mad at how they had been perfunctorily summoned, and how Jake and Kyle were expected to just drop everything in their lives to do the will of the pack. And her, by extension. Even just from their brief meeting, she could already tell that Matthew was a lot like her stepfather. He was arrogant and always expected to be obeyed instantly. There was a reason she didn’t ever go home to visit her family.
“Are you all right?” Jake asked her in some concern. She knew he could probably feel the rage boiling inside of her.
Realizing that it would perhaps be imprudent to gripe about their Alpha in front of Liam, she thought of one of the many other things that was agitating her. “I really hate this whole thing where everybody can smell everything we’re up to.” Ellie was more bothered than she had expected that she had absolutely no privacy around the wolves. Worse, that many of them seemed to find it completely appropriate to tease her about it. She’d never been good with teasing.
Werewolves and Chocolate Page 4
