“He was a good kid. Ivan had just turned 13. He was such an optimist, so upbeat we nicknamed him Happy. He was running as wolf near here when the winds came down the mountain, and he was caught in the open.”
Ivan had been reckless, and refused to listen to reason. Filled with confidence, he’d gone riding, and planned to run over the fields as wolf.
Nia squeezed her hands, her nails biting into the tender skin of her palms. “We found his body a day later. Ivan was dead, cut to ribbons. His face…”
She closed her eyes, trying to recall the smiling boy who had placed his trust in her, that she would find a cure for this damn disease.
Aiden stepped close, pulled her into his arms. He said nothing, only stroked a hand down the curve of her spine. It felt so good to be held. But her composure hung by a thin thread. Nia scrubbed her faced with her hands and stepped away from her mate.
“I had the cabin reinforced and wired for electricity for those riding on the range in winter, and for anyone caught by the Banshee Winds. The winds, as far as we can tell, only target adult males or males approaching puberty. The Lupines killed by the winds were all adult males. Females aren’t killed, but you can get hurt, sliced by tornadic activity. The winds kill the males by settling on him until he dies.”
Aiden didn’t let her put distance between them. He stepped close, stroking a thumb over the scar on her face. “Is that where you got this?”
Startled, she nodded. “The winds have attacked here twice before. I got caught in the first storm, looking for Ivan. I didn’t get too badly hurt because I got to this cabin in time. I did get cut, and it took a long time to heal, and then it scarred.”
Lupines seldom bore scars. They had amazing healing powers. But not when faced with a terrible wind that destroyed with such brutal force.
Nia flipped on the wall switch. Warm, welcoming light flooded the cabin, the glow settling her raw nerves. A small table and chairs took up most of the space beneath a bank of windows next to the postage-sized kitchen.
Aiden turned and began to investigate the contents of the kitchen. Nia’s jaw dropped.
“You’re bleeding!”
She raced over to him, and looked at the three slashes on his shirt. “Take off your shirt.”
“As the lady commands,” he murmured, but shrugged out of it.
On the thick muscles of his back were three distinct lines caused by the winds, all oozing blood. Fear surged in her throat. Nia found a dishtowel and wet it. “I have to disinfect these.”
“I’m fine. They’ve already stopped bleeding.”
Sure enough, he was right and the cut had begun to close, testifying to the enormous healing power of a natural born alpha. Nia reached up and kissed the scabs, her mouth trembling.
If Aiden hadn’t thrown Rickie inside, the child might be dead by now.
Aiden turned around, his gaze solemn. “You okay, pixie?”
She nodded, managed to regain her composure. “There are a few shirts and other clothing in the bedroom. See if you can find something that fits. The magnificent sight of your naked chest threatens to bring me to my knees.”
He grinned. “Sounds like my wildest dreams, except there’s a young child in the house.”
When he left, she found a box of instant cocoa and started boiling water. Rickie would need something hot and soothing after what happened.
She poured two mugs, and set them at the kitchen table and called Rickie over as Aiden returned to the room buttoning a blue chambray work shirt. The shirt was slightly tight, and stretched over his thick shoulders and bulging biceps. He winked at her and joined Rickie at the table.
Then she began to heat up the cans of stew on the stove.
Aiden leaned back against the chair, watching Rickie drink the hot treat. He sipped his, his gaze thoughtful.
“I’ll set the table,” Aiden told her.
He began, hunting through the cabinets for bowls. His long, strong fingers brushed against her hand as she stirred the stew. The heat of sexual awareness made her shiver and she drew in a deep breath, struggling with a sudden surge of want.
A short while later, she poured the stew into the bowls Aiden had set upon the table.
Suddenly ravenous, Nia spooned up her meal. She’d been used to this kind of fare for a while, since the pack couldn’t afford fresh meat and game was scarce in the woods.
“Aiden, you’re not hungry?” she asked.
Something wild and dangerous flashed in his gaze. “Not for stew. I’ll satisfy my appetite later.”
With you, that heated glance added.
After dinner, Nia found Rickie a pair of pajamas that had belonged to Ivan. A lump in her throat, she gave them to the boy and joined Aiden in the living room.
When Rickie emerged in the hallway, they escorted him into the bedroom. Hands stuffed into the pockets of his jeans, Aiden watched as she tucked Rickie under the covers.
Rickie looked at Aiden with wide eyes. “Is it safe here? Will the bad thing get me here?”
“You’re safe, son. I won’t let anything happen to you,” Aiden assured him.
“But you can’t stop the disease, even though you’re an alpha. Uncle Ed tried, but it got him, too, in the end.”
The alpha sucked in a breath and glanced at her. But he went to Rickie and touched his head. “Don’t worry about that now, Rick. Get some sleep.”
Rickie gave a huge yawn. “Good night.”
Nia went into the living room, listening to the storm outside. Her stomach knotted as she thought about how they might have been caught outside. She’d been so focused on riding Windstorm and having fun she’d forgotten to remain alert. If not for Aiden’s warning…
He went behind her, slid his arms around her waist. “It’s going to be okay, pixie.”
But despite his reassurances, she could not relax. They sat near the fireplace, listening to the howling winds. Finally the keening wails slowed, and then died to a whisper. And then, blessed silence.
Raising her head, she listened.
In the distance, a bird sang, and the horses in the shed whinnied.
“It’s safe now. The storm has passed. It won’t be back.’
“How can you be sure?”
“It’s the nature of the winds. They arrive, target a Lupine, and then leave. They won’t be back for a long time.”
She looked at him. “I’ll go out and water the horses. There’s a little hay for them. I use the stables as a storage place for hay for the winter months. Can you please stay here with Rickie in case he has nightmares?”
Aiden nodded.
***
When Niki returned, Aiden gave his mate a long look, his temper simmering. Secrets and more secrets. And she wasn’t opening up and sharing any information with him.
Now was the perfect time to talk with her, make her confess.
But seeing the smudges of exhaustion and her slumped shoulders, his anger faded. He didn’t have the heart to pry her with questions now. She needed a real meal. She’d been so busy caring for everyone else, she didn’t care for herself.
That was his job.
When they returned to the lodge, he’d demand answers.
“Are you sure the winds are gone?” he asked.
She nodded.
“Okay. Stay here, bolt the door after me. I’m going hunting to find you fresh meat.”
As she opened her mouth, he gave her a stern look. “No arguing.”
“The wildlife could be affected by that fungus that Darius found on the deer.”
“I’ll be careful. If there’s disease, my wolf can detect it.” He frowned. “I don’t like leaving you here alone, unprotected.”
Niki went to a kitchen cabinet, and brought back a small safe. She dialed the combination and fished out a handgun. “I’m not unprotected. I can take care of myself.”
He left her loading bullets into the gun. Aiden went outside and shifted into wolf, relishing the feel of power rushing through his body. His
senses exploded, his sight sharpened as the moonlight draped the land. He raced into the woods, listening for the sounds of wildlife. A soft wind rustled in the overhead pine boughs, but other than the wind, the forest was quiet. Odd how the winds targeted Lupines, but left the forest and the cabin untouched.
Surely on this land there must be a rabbit or other game he could flush out.
He loped through the forest, scenting the ground, and caught the days old of smell of rabbit. Aiden padded through the woods, following the trail.
He headed east until reaching a small clearing in the forest, about one quarter of a mile behind the cabin. His wolf whined, not liking this glen. It smelled of dark magick and power. But the rabbit was close and he salivated for the kill.
Aiden spotted a flick of movement and prowled forward, the tasty scent of rabbit flooding his nostrils. Suddenly another glimmer of movement.
A silver wolf emerged from the forest. Aiden growled, his fur on edge, every sense surging to protect his territory and his mate and the young back in the cabin.
But then his nostrils flared as he caught the wolf’s scent. Man and wolf struggled for control as wolf wanted to charge forward and attack. Man won out, for Aiden knew this wolf.
He kept a respectful distance, but a wary eye on the intruder, knowing the wolf could shift into a wizard at any moment.
The silver wolf lowered his head sniffed a nearby tree. Then he looked at Aiden and wagged his tail. Suddenly he lifted his head and began to chase.
Rabbit. Two rabbits. Both healthy. Aiden followed, tracking the rabbit on the left, ignoring the other wolf. They chased the rabbits for a short distance. The kill was swift and merciful. Kill in his mouth, Aiden loped back to the glen and dropped the rabbit. Suddenly ravenous, he ate, keeping an eye on the silver wolf. The wolf did not eat.
Instead, as Aiden finished, the silver wolf trotted over to Aiden and dropped the rabbit at his feet. He wagged his tail.
Aiden licked his lips, uncertain of this gift, and the wolf’s motives.
Tristan, you sly dog. What do you want?
A foul, dangerous smell drifted into the glen. His ears pricked back and he growled, suddenly very afraid for those he’d left in the cabin.
A troll, standing about seven feet tall, entered the clearing. His eyes gleamed red and his skin was covered in a thick, ugly black fungus.
Aiden stared, his body poised in the flight or fight mode. He could fight the troll, perhaps even win, but if there were more… and the dark magick ringing this glen worried him.
The troll stank like rotting mushrooms, as some kind of disease had claimed him. It moved forward, dragging a heavy club.
The silver wolf growled and pinned the massive troll with his glowing blue stare. The troll backed away. Then the wolf snarled and blinked.
In an instant, the troll vaporized, leaving behind nothing but ash. Damn, that was powerful.
The silver wolf shifted into a tall, dark-haired man clad in black. Tristan leaned against a tree trunk.
“I would never let him hurt you, Aiden. You’re a good leader, and she needs you.” The wizard sighed and Aiden blinked in surprise. Tristan seemed almost weary.
“This is not a good place for you. For anyone. Return to your mate, give her the second rabbit. She will need all her strength soon.”
Aiden licked his lips and nodded. He didn’t know what the wizard wanted, but his wolf sensed no threat.
He picked up the kill and began to leave the glen.
But not before stopping at a tree Tristan had sniffed and lifting his leg. Sniff this, wizard.
As he raced off with the dead rabbit, he heard Tristan’s amused chuckle float on the wind.
CHAPTER 12
When Nia, Aiden and Rickie finally returned to the lodge the next morning, Carol, Rickie’s mother, ran outside to greet them, screaming with joy as she hugged her son.
Rickie, who’d seemed to mature in the last day, pulled away. “I’m okay, Mom.” He looked at Aiden, who nodded.
“I’m sorry I upset you by running off.”
Carol hugged her son harder. “Don’t ever do that again. We’ll find a way to deal with whatever problems we face. As long as you’re with me.”
Rickie looked up at Aiden. “You going to stick around? You’re not going to leave us like my dad did? My dad ran off five years ago and said he’d be back and he never came back.”
Her heart turned over.
Aiden smiled and ruffled the boy’s hair. “I’m not leaving. I promise.”
Then he gave Carol a respectful nod, and took Nia’s hand, leading her back to her cabin.
Aiden herded her inside, until they reached the bedroom. He swiftly undressed her, and then ripped off his shirt. Buttons popped as he tore it off. He sat and tugged off his boots, and then removed the rest of his clothing.
As Nia climbed onto the bed, he joined her, kissing her and tumbling her backwards onto the mattress. She curled her fingers around his broad shoulders as he moved inside her. Aiden’s gaze glittered fiercely.
Her hands rose up, fisted in his thick, silky hair. Nothing else mattered at the moment but having him inside her, now. Her aching, wet pussy squeezed with need.
He kissed her, his mouth moving over hers in desperate, frantic intensity and she knew he felt the same frenzied need. After the horror of the storm, she needed to get lost in him, feel him so deep inside her Nia knew he would never leave.
Feel him imprint himself on her flesh, brand himself upon her body so days later, she would walk and feel him inside her still.
Brand him with her flesh, so she would stay with him, forever.
All those fantasies she’d had of Aiden were girlish dreams compared to his hard body moving swiftly on top of hers, his strong hands pinning her wrists against the mattress.
He sucked on her lower lip, releasing it with a slight popping sound. Nia writhed and moaned, eager to have him join his body to hers.
Aiden growled again. She recognized his possessive need to claim her physically, to mark her as his own. To merge them so completely they could not tell where one began and the other started.
This was Mitchell, her Mitchell, the alpha male who beguiled her, vexed her, wooed her and made her sweat and scream and beg in bed. She wanted no other. Her mate.
He devoured her mouth in hot, hungry kisses and she gave it back to him with equal intent. Aiden’s palms skimmed up her belly, to her breasts and he flicked his thumbs over her hardening nipples. Then he bent his head and sucked her right breast, his tongue whirling over the pearling bud. Nia wrapped her legs around his narrow hips and opened her thighs wide.
“Take me,” she ordered, panting.
Lifting his head, he stared down at her, his gaze dark, a pulse beating strongly in his neck.
“Please,” she begged.
“Ask me again, nicely.” Aiden fisted a hand in her hair and stared at her. “You’re mine. Tell me you’re mine.”
Beneath the arrogant words, she heard the faintest hint of loneliness, as if he needed her as much as she needed him. Not merely for sex, but something far bigger than themselves, to usher aside the dark moments when it seemed they were the only ones holding it together, the leaders whom everyone assumed would have all the answers, even when there were none.
“I’m yours. Do it, now!”
He entered her in one single deep thrust, and she stiffened beneath him. Pleasure and pain shot through her at the force of his entry. Nia squeezed her legs around his hips and pumped upwards to meet his demanding strokes. Panting, he stared down at her, his fingers laced through hers, his gaze wild, sweat beading his forehead.
His scent wrapped around her like a blanket, intoxicating her more than any drug ever could. Aiden took her in hard, almost violent strokes, his balls slapping against her flesh, his cock rigid and slick with her juices.
“More,” she demanded.
They began a rhythm, male and female, a dance older than time itself. Nia’s throat closed
tight as she stared into his eyes, darkened to onyx. She could have lost him to the Banshee Winds, and the mere thought made her want to weep. To see this magnificent, virile and proud alpha with the tender heart die, his heart forever silenced, his eyes vacant as they stared at the sky as the others had…
A sob wrung from her throat. Tears filled her eyes as she clung to him, her fingers digging deep into the thick muscles of his shoulders. Don’t leave me, don’t ever leave me, please… stay here, love me….
Tiny muscles in her sex throbbed and pulsed around his thick cock. Give and take, she thought in a haze of sensual pleasure. Male and female, each needing each other. The way it was meant for Lupines.
He fucked her hard and fast, making her sob and plead. Then he drew back on his haunches, wrapping her legs around his waist. Aiden leaned over her, pushing into her, playing with her clit. The friction of him sliding over her, combined with the light flicks of his fingers, brought the tension to an explosive burst. Nia screamed as she climaxed, her body bucking and shaking. Waves of pleasure slammed into her again and again.
Then he stiffened, giving a loud groan, his cock growing thicker inside her. The wolf’s knot, tying them together. He kept climaxing and each jettison of his semen sent her into fresh waves of orgasm all over again.
His heavy weight pressed her deep into the mattress as he eased his body onto hers. Perspiration slicked their skin. Nia felt his cock throb inside her as Aiden rested his head on the mattress beside her.
Aiden rolled to the side, taking her with him, their bodies still tied together. Finally his penis returned to normal and he slid out of her body. Cuddling against him, Nia toyed with the damp curls on his chest, her breathing ragged. She had never imagined making love with Aiden Mitchell could be this intense and exhilarating, and emotionally draining.
He did not let her leave the bedroom for the next six hours. He brought her food, and drinks, and made love to her non-stop.
She’d sensed Aiden would be fantastic in bed, judging from his confident manner, the graceful way he moved, those muscles moving fluidly beneath his tight jeans. But nothing prepared her for the reality. Not even her wildest sessions with a vibrator.
Bad Boys of the Night: Eight Sizzling Paranormal Romances: Paranormal Romance Boxed Set Page 139
