by Aline Hunter
“It’s time to go. Those who are with me, let’s roll.”
Everyone followed but Kinsley. “Those who are following me, wait in the garage. I’ll be there in a moment.”
The pack members waiting for his orders didn’t argue, filtering past him to exit the kitchen. Kinsley waited until the shifters were out of the room before he approached Emory. There was an odd glint in the cat shifter’s eyes.
“This seems too easy.” Kinsley kept his voice low, so the conversation remained between the two of them. “Something’s off.”
The hair on Emory’s neck rose and tingled. “I was thinking the same thing.”
Why would Shepherds have Ava so close? It was a stupid move. And Shepherds weren’t known for their stupidity.
“Keep a close eye on your mate, Emory. Don’t let her out of your sight. When we get back Diskant’s going to have to accept that things are going to have to change.” Kinsley started to leave.
“Wait,” Emory called out. “What are you talking about? What’s going to have to change?”
Kinsley stopped and turned. “We’ll talk later. Remember what I said and watch your female.”
Emory couldn’t prevent the growl that crept up his throat. Trey had been taken as well, and it was up to the pack to find him. Ava was Diskant’s number one priority but his brother’s life was equally important.
“Diskant isn’t thinking about Trey, he’s thinking about Ava.” This time it was Emory who spoke softly, although there was venom in his tone. “Find my brother and bring him back. He’s pack. He deserves the same respect.”
“I haven’t forgotten about your brother.” Kinsley’s brogue thickened, making his words deep. “I’ll do everything I can to bring him home.”
Emory didn’t question the feline Alpha, the strongest and most feared of his kind. Kinsley was one of the most honorable shifters he knew, his reputation one he had earned.
“When you leave, I’ll turn on the alarms. I won’t let Mary out of my sight.”
Kinsley seemed to relax a bit. “Make as many calls as you can. This has to end before more people are hurt.”
A noise in the doorway got their attention. Emory tried to hide his shock at seeing Mary standing there, clothed in oversized sweatpants and one of his T-shirts. The clothing engulfed her small body, hiding all of her curves.
“I thought you were alone,” she said softly, her cheeks turning pink. “I’m sorry.”
Kinsley took a good look, starting at her head and working his way to her toes. She grasped the hem of the shirt, shifted her feet and tucked her chin to her chest. She had to be scared as hell after leaving the safety of their bedroom behind but she’d done so, showing Emory she was made of stronger stuff than she realized.
Sweet little female. So strong yet so shy.
“Kinsley, I want you to meet my mate.” Emory walked over to her and wrapped a comforting arm around her waist. “This is Mary.”
Kinsley prowled over to them, a grin on his face. Like the panty charmer he was, he took Mary’s free hand and brought it to his mouth. He brushed his lips against her knuckles and Emory had to force the wolf back, to keep the beast inside him calm while another man touched his female.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mary.” Kinsley’s Scottish accent was heavier, the words thick and husky. Mary didn’t move, no doubt entranced by the way Kinsley looked and spoke. If the Alpha’s dark hair and green eyes weren’t seductive enough weapons, Kinsley also had a body and face women couldn’t get enough of. Everyone knew the shifter was a ladies’ man.
Asshole.
“You too,” she murmured, her face a mixture of awe and curiosity.
“Keep your hands and your mouth to yourself,” Emory growled, no longer able to keep his possessiveness at bay. “Or I’m going to rip them off and shove them up your ass.”
Kinsley let Mary go, grimacing as he did. Emory knew the pained expression was purely for show. It was a known fact Kinsley could have any female he wanted. The women in his pride lined up for a night in his bed, hoping that perhaps they could reach the heart of the man and keep him as their own.
“So stingy with your good fortune. That’s not nice at all. I only wanted to greet the lass properly.” Before Emory could respond Kinsley bowed and smiled at Mary. “I’m sorry to cut you short, sweetest Mary, but I have to go. It was a pleasure to meet you. Perhaps next time we’ll have the opportunity to sit and chat.”
“Like hell you will,” Emory snarled, watching Kinsley as he left the kitchen. His annoyance increased when he heard Kinsley’s chuckles, aware the arrogant fucker was laughing at him.
“That was rude,” Mary snapped and turned, jabbing a finger into his chest. “You didn’t have to talk to him like that.”
“He had it coming,” Emory replied smoothly, the wolf coming to life in the presence of his mate. He grasped her hand and tugged her to him, bringing them hip to hip. “I don’t share what’s mine. And you’re mine, angel eyes. Only mine.”
Her “oh” was a soft exhale against his mouth, the caress of her breath on his skin a temptation he couldn’t resist. He lowered his head and captured her lips with his. She sighed, going soft in his arms, placing her hands on his shoulders. When she invited him to take the kiss further, parting her lips in offering, he accepted with a smooth glide of his tongue. She tasted of mint toothpaste, the flavor mingling with Mary’s own sweetness. Then another scent came to him, this one flooding his nose.
Arousal.
Pulling away, he gazed into Mary’s flushed face. He knew she had to be tired and ravenous after completing two stages of the bloodbond. “What would you like to eat? I’ll make it for you.” He combed his fingers through her hair, fascinated by the long, soft strands that slid along his palm like silk.
“You’ll cook for me?” She trailed her fingers down to his chest, stopping when she came to his nipples. Mimicking what he’d done to her earlier, she rotated her thumb around the sensitive skin.
Sexy little minx. “Of course.”
Angling her head to the side, she peered at him through her thick lashes and whispered, “What if I said I’m not hungry for food?”
His cock went from zero to sixty, flaccid one second and flagpole stiff the next. “I’d say you’d better eat while you can.” Grasping the hair at her nape, he pulled her head back. “Once I take you back upstairs, we’re going to be there awhile.”
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. The honeyed scent of her pussy increased, drowning him in Mary’s succulent fragrance. He knew it wasn’t the time or place to indulge his mate but the lust in her eyes was almost enough to make him sling her over his shoulder and storm from the kitchen to their bedroom.
“How about a grilled cheese with tomato soup?” he asked, voice strained, his cock throbbing miserably.
The lust in her eyes abated and her stomach growled. “That sounds good, actually.”
After placing a chaste kiss on her forehead, he guided her to the table. “Take a seat.”
“What happened to Ava?” She sat and rested her elbows on the table, squirming in her chair. He swallowed a groan, wishing she was in his lap instead, the soft curves of her ass wriggling against his swollen erection, gliding around and around and then up and down…
Food, asshole. Not sex. It’s time to feed her, not fuck her.
He collected the soup from a shelf beside the stove and reached for the pan on the rack hanging from the ceiling. Terrifying Mary wasn’t an option, so he kept the important details to himself. “We’re not sure. Diskant thinks he knows where she is. The pack just left.”
“Was that all the noise I heard? How many of you are there? It sounded like an army invaded the place.”
“A couple dozen inside the city at any given time,” he answered, trying to keep on track, cursing the memories of his mate naked beneath him because they made him think with the wrong head.
“That many?”
The fear and crack in her voice had him
turning to face her. “There are more, actually.”
“More?” She gulped, brown eyes expanding as her face became a ghostly shade of white.
In three steps he was at her side. He kneeled at her feet. “You’re safe here. If knowing I would die for you isn’t enough to reassure you, Diskant put you under his protection. No one would dare touch you. They value their lives too much.” He paused and added, “And you’re pack now. My mate.”
“It’s so strange,” she murmured and reached out, touching his cheek. “Like a dream that doesn’t end.”
Catching her hand in his, he brought her knuckles to his mouth and brushed his lips across them. “Does this feel like a dream, angel eyes?”
“No,” she breathed.
He scented her excitement, her desire traveling from his nose to his cock. Closing his eyes, he imagined tossing her on the table, tearing off her clothes and taking her just as she was. Her lush breasts would bounce with each thrust and her whimpers of delight would fill his ears. When she was near climax he’d change his movements, moving nice and slow, watching as his cock slid in and out of the pink folds of her pussy.
“Well, hello.”
Nathan’s voice didn’t do anything to quench Emory’s lust but Mary was an entirely different matter. In a split second tension filled the air. The peppery fragrance of anxiety pierced his nose, followed by the burning scent of her fear. He rose to his feet and turned to greet their visitor, wanting to put Mary at ease.
“This is Nathan,” he said and smoothed back a strand of hair that had fallen over her temple. “He’s the pack Beta. Diskant’s first in command.”
“Hi,” Mary whispered and clutched Emory’s wrist.
Nathan walked over and extended his hand. “It’s wonderful to meet you finally. Emory’s told us so much about you.”
Slowly, Mary’s fingers loosened around Emory’s arm. She reached out, the motion cautious, and accepted Nathan’s gesture of welcome. The moment they touched, Emory knew Nathan was absorbing her fear, taking it into himself. It was his gift as Beta of the pack, to keep those under stress in control. Due to their newly formed bloodbond, Nathan was able to establish a connection with Mary through Emory’s wolf. Although she didn’t have the final mark, she had enough of his beast inside her to establish a link. Mary’s shoulders relaxed. She lifted her head, giving Nathan one of the rare smiles Emory had missed.
“Nice to meet you.”
Nathan nodded, let her go and stepped back. Then he turned to Emory. “There are more than three dozen numbers. I called half. Those I couldn’t contact I left messages with. I wanted to let you know that I have things covered.” He glanced down at Mary, his eyes revealing a small trace of envy. “Take care of your girl and get her settled.”
“I’ll do that,” Emory replied, stroking the back of Mary’s head. “Thanks.”
Another quick look at Emory’s mate revealed Nathan’s longing, his wish for a female of his own. “Don’t mention it.”
“He’s nice,” Mary said softly when Nathan exited the kitchen.
Emory didn’t think she’d appreciate the knowledge that Nathan had influenced her emotions so he kept the information to himself. “I’m glad you think so. Until we choose a home of our own, you’ll see a lot of him.”
“A home of our own?” Those brown eyes of hers widened as her pupils dilated.
“What did you think? That we’d stay here forever?” She shrugged and he laughed. “When things blow over, me and you are going to comb the city until you find the one place that suits you.”
If they blow over, a voice chimed in. He hoped Diskant found Ava and brought her home safely. If not, the shit was going to hit the fan in a messy fucking way.
Licking her lips nervously, she asked, “And then?”
“We’re buying it and moving in, of course.”
“Of course.” Her words deepened, becoming husky. With her fear gone, they were back to square one. The second stage of the bloodbond ramping her libido. Making her ache for him in a way she probably didn’t understand or comprehend.
Fuck, she was tempting. Too tempting.
He left her side and kept his thoughts to himself. Food first, the rest later. Damn if it wasn’t hard to concentrate with her so close, knowing she wanted him as much as he wanted her. On top of that was his concern and worry for the pack. If he hadn’t found Mary he’d be with them now, searching for Ava. He didn’t like feeling divided, as though he needed to go but had to stay.
“Hi, big guy,” Mary said softly and Emory spun around.
Diskant’s beloved mutt Oscar stood in the door way. The huge dog was one of the ugliest mongrels most people had ever seen, unnaturally large with thick fur and a bulldoglike face and ears. Oscar stayed where he was, waiting to see what Mary thought. Everyone in the pack found it odd that the mutt understood the word ugly and got incredibly riled-up when people referred to him as such.
“Aren’t you sweet?” Mary crooned and held out one of her hands. “Come here, cutie.”
Oscar’s ears perked and he wagged his tail. Emory almost laughed when the dog trotted to Mary with his head held high, like a fucking dog prince.
“His name’s Oscar,” Emory said, studying the canine that was larger than his mate. The mutt soaked up her attention, licking her hands as its tail whipped from side to side.
“Oscar? You’re not a grouch, are you?” Mary laughed when Oscar snorted and licked her chin.
Emory hissed when he burned his finger. He left Mary and Oscar to their introductions, making sure he didn’t char his digits a second time. When he finally finished and brought her soup and sandwich to the table, Oscar gave Mary one final lick and left the kitchen. She watched the dog go, an enormous smile on her face.
“I’ve always wanted a dog. We moved too much to get one when I was a child.”
When she looked up at him, her eyes were happy and unafraid. Emory felt on top of the world. This was how he always wanted her to be.
“Then we’ll have to get you a puppy,” he murmured, tucking a stray piece of hair behind her ear. “So you can get the full experience from start to finish.”
She continued smiling but didn’t speak as she removed a napkin from its holder and placed it in her lap. Even now her manners were impeccable. He remembered thinking she’d be horrified if she saw the pack chowing down on game day, watching football as they devoured food with their hands and fingers.
She moaned with her first bite of the soup, licking her lips. His softening dick did an impressive U-turn. He went baseball bat hard, the wolf inside determined to take over. It wasn’t easy to force the animal back, to watch as Mary took bite after leisurely bite of her food. She wasn’t doing it on purpose, was legitimately enjoying her meal. But she might as well have been waving a red flag in his face, daring him to take her hard and fast against the wall. He’d been soft with her before, wanting to introduce her to lovemaking in a way she’d understand. Only now he didn’t want to make love.
His wolf wanted to fuck.
Damn it, he snarled in his head. Back the hell off.
Mary finished her sandwich and dabbed at the corners of her mouth. Most of the soup was gone, only a small amount coating the bottom of the dish. He wondered how long it would take her to eat the rest, if he could hold himself back until she got to the finish line. To his shock, she dropped the napkin on the table, looked at him and grinned.
“Emory?”
“Yeah?” He sounded like a man walking the line, holding on to his restraint by a rapidly fraying thread.
“You can take me upstairs now.”
His head bolted up, his eyes meeting hers.
Son of a bitch.
He’d been wrong. She had been trying to seduce him while she ate, the tempting flashes of her tongue done on purpose. Not a single bite of food she’d taken had been innocent, it was her playing a game and taunting him.
He knocked over her chair when he yanked her close, lifting her into his arms. She
yelped when he took off, dodging obstacles in his path as he rushed for the bedroom. Once they made it to the bed, he intended to pay her back for every single minute he’d suffered, tormenting her as she’d tormented him, until she didn’t know which end was up. Right now they both needed the distraction, something to take their minds off the craziness of the world around them.
For a moment he remembered he had to turn on the alarm. Then Mary giggled and ran her hand up his chest. To hell with it. Nathan was home and Oscar had probably returned to his place in the basement, so the house was protected. With his mate’s earlier teasing, she’d be lucky if he made it past the starting gates. After they finished he’d make sure things were in place. Until then, everything else could wait.
He made it to their bedroom and closed the door with his foot. Then he stomped to the bed and deposited her on top. Her hair swept around her shoulders, blonde strands thick and bouncy, her eyes dark.
“Mary?” he drawled, advancing on her.
“Hmm?” She rubbed her legs together and leaned back, balancing her weight on her arms.
“I’m going to eat you up.”
He growled in satisfaction when she grinned. “My very own big bad wolf?”
In one swift motion, he had her trapped. He caught her hands in one of his and lifted them above her head, using his weight to keep her in place. Lowering his head, he paused when they were nose to nose, gazes locked.
“That’s right. Your very own big bad wolf.” He swept his mouth over hers, using light circular motions. “But there’s a catch.”
“There is?”
“Oh yeah.”
He intended to wring every sound he could from her, to have her begging and pleading for more. Looking into her eyes, he allowed the wolf to shine through. They both wanted her, needed her.
“Show me,” she whispered.
The wolf howled, his head spun and he thrust his tongue into her mouth, sampling her above before he ventured down below. She didn’t hesitate, returning his kiss, shifting her hips so that he felt her hot cunt rubbing the length of his cock.
