Jessica Lee

by The KinKaid Wolf Pack Trilogy

  Chapter Eight

  Arick slammed the door to his office and marched toward his desk. To hell with the lights. The dark suited his mood. Everyone else had gone home several hours ago, which was best for the continued health of his staff.

  He tugged the cell from his back pocket and tapped a number at the bottom of his contact list. The details popped up, and Arick hit Send Message. Quickly, he keyed out a note with two simple commands: My office. Now.

  Landry may not have given him the perfect dose of what he’d been craving, but this particular male would at least give Arick a much-needed release of tension.

  Dropping the phone on top of the desk, Arick sank into his chair and kicked his boot heels up onto the edge of the wood. The night had not gone as he’d hoped. Still, he had achieved part of his mission. Landry had sought him out.

  Arick smoothed a palm over the lingering bulge behind his zipper. The contact had a low hiss wringing out from between his teeth, and on their own accord, his hips lifted to deepen the pressure. Fuck. If only it was Landry’s hand stroking him.

  The male was every one of his dark fantasies come to life. And he wasn’t about to allow the shifter to ruin all his plans. Landry would be his whether the enforcer realized it or not.

  Arick hadn’t missed the interaction between Landry, Brick, and the other male at the bar. After Landry had walked out of the private room, Arick had followed him into the club. He’d assumed his lover would head straight for the door. But when Landry had scanned the crowd, the shifter’s spine stiffened, the response yanking the chain on Arick’s attention. The fierce male had marched toward the bar like a man on fire, parting the crowd in his path. Lingering nearby, Arick had heard every word of Landry’s declaration that the handsome male with long, dark red hair was his. And if Brick had been hitting on him, the new guy had to have been a shifter as well. The muscle-bound Dom made it a habit to only play with his own kind. Humans were too easily broken and bruised.

  Six months. Arick’s fist clamped down hard on his dick, his nerve endings firing. His jaw ticked, molars squeaked. Hardly no time at all since they’d last been together. He wouldn’t be so easily replaced. Not with the KinKaid female, and most definitely not with that long-haired shifter. Arick eased up on the chokehold around his cock. Blood surged back into the starved shaft, slamming into the end of his dick with a pounding fury. He groaned, closed his eyes, and seized the corner of his desk for stability.

  “Yes,” he mumbled to himself, stroking the aching erection behind the leather.

  The overhead lights flickered to life.

  “Shit!” Arick dropped his feet to the floor and snapped forward, his hand diving for the Glock he kept secured beneath his desktop.

  “What are you doing sitting here in the dark?”

  Lucas.

  “Fuck,” Arick spat. He shook his head and peeled his fingers off the semi-automatic. “You have a serious mother-fucking death wish.”

  “A tad paranoid, are we?” The older male released a wicked chuckle, sauntered forward, then took the seat in front of Arick’s desk.

  Arick needed the arrogant bastard—for now. Or he’d long since blown the cocky son of bitch’s head off.

  “I noticed your Spider out front,” Lucas went on to say. “Odd time of night for you to be here. I thought something might be up. Like a move on the KinKaids.”

  “A tad eager, are we?”

  Lucas’ wicked chuckle rolled into a full laugh. “Touché,” he added.

  “Tomorrow, we go.” Arick hadn’t had time to confirm the details with his brother, the alpha, since he’d made the decision mere seconds ago. But after tonight...more than ever, time was of the essence.

  “Well, I hate I’ll miss all the excitement.” Lucas crossed his legs. “I would love to see the look on the old man’s face once you leave, and he realizes his precious little girl has gone missing. But alas, we’ll all have to imagine it, won’t we?” He smiled, but the effect was thin.

  Old man...? The sentiment sounded like a male who had a little history with the other shifter. Lucas wasn’t a true-born member of the Gregorson pack. Allister claimed to be an immigrant from an eastern pack. His family was dead, and he no longer had ties to anyone. The male had moved west, ending up in Washington and at the Gregorson’s door asking for permission to make a fresh start with a new pack. That had been over twenty-five years ago.

  “Interesting...” Arick stated and rocked forward, forearms sliding onto his desk and lacing his fingers. “You say that as if you and the former alpha might know each other? Like you have a personal stake in watching Barron KinKaid suffer?”

  “Did I?” Lucas cocked a brow, unfolded his legs, and planted his feet on the floor. “Not any more than you.” He waved a hand in the air as if dismissing the observation as fleeting. “They are a means to an end—a necessary recipe for the success of our plan, correct? But I have to admit, on occasion I do take a tad bit of pleasure in the misery of others.” The corner of his mouth curled in a knowing smile. “Not unlike the male in front of me.”

  A knock sounded at the door, interrupting them. Perfect timing. Arick was done with the hide and seek game Lucas liked to play—the one where Lucas hid his true motives to see if Arick could seek them out. The elder male seemed to think he’d dissected Arick’s psyche, knew more about Arick than he did himself. Well, that idea was something Arick would have to take care of once his plan came to an end and Lucas’ usefulness had run its course.

  “I see you have another visitor.” Standing, Lucas released a long exhale. “I’ll show myself out your private entrance.”

  “Do that.” Arick nodded and straightened from his chair.

  Lucas silently made for the door to Arick’s right. There, he glanced over his shoulder. “Enjoy yourself tonight, enforcer. Tomorrow...everything changes.” Flashing a twin pair of long canines, Lucas slipped through the doorway and closed the door.

  Inhaling slow and deep, Arick’s fingers curled into tight fists. Lucas was right. Tomorrow would be more than a new day. It would be the beginning of a revolution. One that would end with him in the seat of power. Precisely how it should have always been. Arick couldn’t hold back the grin spreading across his face.

  Another knock at the door jarred him back to the present. Yes. But first he had certain plans for tonight.

  Arick made his way across his office and opened the door. No need to ask who had arrived. He knew what waited for him.

  On the other side of the wood stood a tall male, who despite the summer heat, was draped in a long leather coat. His dark hair was closely cropped, his eyes hidden behind a pair of wraparounds, and beneath the outerwear, he wore black leather pants and a pair of scuffed biker boots. Mmm... exactly how he liked them. The harder the attitude, the more fun they were to break.

  Standing aside, Arick waved him in. The male strode into the room, his gait confident in spite of the sadistic pleasure in store for him on the other side of the threshold. But this particular sub did seem to always enjoy the role he played during their occasional encounters. Precisely why Arick had selected the shifter’s number.

  “Lose the coat,” Arick demanded, his voice gruff, unwavering, as he closed the door.

  The shifter pivoted, facing Arick, then shrugged the leather from his shoulders. The material pooled on the floor, baring his chest. Silver loops pierced the other male’s nipples and glinted in the beams of moonlight splintering the room.

  After his disquieting run-in with Lucas, Arick’s shaft once again twitched with renewed interest. Yes. He would do nicely.

  Arick made his way over to the latched cabinet, swung open the panel, and selected a long, dark red flogger hanging from one of the hooks. The thick, cool handle nestled inside his palm perfectly. He coiled his fingers around the weapon of pleasure, his pulse surging, canines punching from his gums as his cock kicked against the reverse side of his zipper. Arick’s mouth curled, and he glanced up at the boy toy awaiting his attention. The o
ther male’s gaze dropped to the floor, a tremor rolling through his long limbs.

  Fuck, yeah. He did love it when a hot dose of anxiety mixed with their anticipation, and the potent combination had them either shaking in their boots or pissing in their pants.

  “On your knees, sub!” Arick commanded.

  And the male dropped.

  ***

  Kaleb glanced over at the digital display on his dashboard: eight forty-five. At least he was on time for the sudden mandatory meeting the alpha had called at the KinKaid mansion, even if he felt like the dog shit someone needed to scrape off his boots. But it wasn’t the hangover alone responsible for the pain in his skull and his bad attitude...

  It was everything that had gone down after the alcohol.

  He wasn’t sure which had him more shaken—his reaction to Landry’s advance or the admission that had followed? Kaleb sucked in a long deep breath. He’d been stunned when Landry had launched from his seat and climbed over him. Then shock had morphed into one hell of a turn-on, and drunk or not, he still wasn’t sure how far he would have gone if Landry hadn’t been the one to pull back. But the info Landry had been hiding—the fact that six months ago he’d been fucking Arick Gregorson—was enough to douse an icy chill on their moment.

  Granted, Landry said in the beginning he’d had no idea who the male was. Neither of them had laid eyes on the Gregorson lead enforcer in many years. But still...

  “Fuck,” Kaleb muttered and jammed his SUV into park. The image of that bastard with his hands on Landry made his gut roil. And the shifter had lured Landry to him again last night, though according to Landry, nothing had happened. Instead of the fucking Arick had been after, Landry had used the opportunity to confront the enforcer about his involvement in the latest tension between their packs.

  Shit. His friend had more than enough baggage without this. And Kaleb knew Landry. His partner would feel as if he were responsible for the trouble they were experiencing with the Gregorsons and toss that burden up there on his shoulders as well.

  Even though Landry would never admit any of the crap from his childhood had fazed him in the least, Kaleb wasn’t blind. The male bore deep and jagged scars, mental and physical. Growing up without a father—one who had abandoned him before birth and walked out on his pack—was enough to live through without the bullying he’d endured from the others. Landry had worked hard to gain the respect of his pack and had earned every square inch of his rise up the ranks to lead enforcer. He was a pro and as hardcore as they came and just as private, which meant when it came to the aspects of Landry’s sex life, he kept them to himself. Yet, it wasn’t like his sexual preferences were a big secret, but Landry didn’t run his mouth about what he did on his off time. So the fact something from his private life had crossed over, affecting the pack and his duty to the alpha, would eat Landry alive.

  The sound of another vehicle pulling up drew Kaleb’s attention. Rosa’s Jeep rolled to a stop beside him. She glanced over, spotting Kaleb behind the wheel and smiled. Just like that, his heart clenched.

  Damn, he had it bad when it came to the blonde shifter. His mind hit rewind, back to the last time they were together. Kaleb straddling her on the ground from behind, the sight of the telltale brown stripe making its way up her spine, burning its image into his retinas. The ominous memory had every hair on his arms lifting. What the hell was he going to do when her heat reached its peak and she didn’t choose him? A crazy question coming from him when all he’d ever done was shove the idea of bonding to any one female out of his mind. But this was Rosa. And he had a pretty good idea he wouldn’t be on top of the list, since she’d given him no indication he was anything more than a dear friend. But considering his reputation of a “loving them and leaving them kind of guy”, he couldn’t blame her. What sort of mate material would he make? Yet, the idea of her giving herself to another—lying in some other male’s arms...

  He swallowed back the knot in his throat at the thought, the bitter taste of bile lingering on his tongue.

  Shit.

  Maybe it was time he reconsidered how he saw his future when it came to the female?

  Kaleb palmed his keys, stepped from his SUV, and slammed the door. Rosa rounded the front end of her vehicle, her blonde locks billowing around her shoulders and down her back. Inside his fist, the carved metal dug into his flesh. Between Landry and Rosa, something had to give, and he was the only one who could make it stop.

  Decision made. Come his next night off, Kaleb was exorcising those two out his mind and definitely from his body.

  Kaleb jogged up the sidewalk, catching up with Rosa. “Hey there,” he said. “What are you doing here this morning?”

  “Morning,” she replied, slowing her step. “Same as the rest of you. I want to know what’s the latest with the Gregorsons.” Rosa wasn’t officially part of the alpha’s staff, but as his twin sister, she was granted extra leeway when it came to the rules of who was allowed within closed meetings.

  “So, how are you feeling?”

  “I’m okay.” She nodded. “Thanks for asking.”

  She smiled as if everything was fine. Yet, the dark circles beneath her eyes and the tight lines around her mouth revealed she was anything but.

  He quickened his pace and stepped in front of her, blocking her path. “Try again,” he stated, narrowing his gaze on her.

  “Kaleb...” She sighed and crossed her arms.

  “You haven’t told anyone that your heat’s rising yet, have you?”

  “I can’t,” she bit out in a harsh whisper, then did a quick survey of the area. “Keep your voice down.”

  “Unless you tell someone soon—like your brother—I’m not going to keep my voice down at all.” He would have to, if Kaleb were to save Rosa from herself. What she was trying to do on her own was insane and could be disastrous, affecting the rest of her life.

  “Kaleb Dalton...if you do that...” she growled, revealing the tips of her fangs. “I’ll never forgive you.”

  “I’m not trying to be a bastard here. I simply care too much about you, and you know that. Four weeks have already passed, and from what I understand about this subject, the whole process normally takes about six weeks. You’re running out of time,” he rasped.

  “I can take care of myself.” She marched forward, weaving to the left and attempting a quick getaway.

  Kaleb sidestepped, blocking her. “Of that, I have no doubt, angel. But what exactly is your plan? When it comes to this going into heat, you’re dealing with a whole new territory. It’s a biological force of nature, and no matter how strong the female, it will take control. You can’t do this alone.”

  Rosa’s bright gaze pinned him, then her chin lifted ever so slightly. Damn, sometimes the female had too much pride. “I appreciate your concern,” she said. “But I’ve got this, okay? I won’t let it go too far without alerting my brother when the time comes.” She glanced down at her nails, then at some distant spot over his shoulder. “I just need a little more time to sort some things out. This has to be my call.” Once more, she faced him, but this time weariness lurked in her blue depths. And it stirred something deep inside him, as if she’d reached out and stroked his soul, seeking mercy. “You can understand that...right?”

  And there was no other course of action to take than to give her just that—mercy. Kaleb nodded. “I do.”

  “Thank you,” she whispered and brushed past him.

  “Angel?”

  She glanced back over her shoulder.

  “Please...just don’t wait too long and make me have to rip into some male who might lose what few brains cells he has and try to touch you.”

  A smile chased away the shadows from her eyes. “You’d do that for me, wouldn’t you?”

  “In a heartbeat.” He closed the couple of feet separating them. “I’d never let anyone hurt you,” he stated, his tone deadly serious. Kaleb gently traced the back of his knuckles along the smooth surface of her delicate jawline. Rosa l
eaned into his caress, her eyelids fluttering closed.

  Clasping her fingers over his, she opened her eyes, their gazes colliding. “I promise. I won’t put you in that situation. What I’ve asked of you already, keeping this secret for me... It was more than you should have ever been asked to do. I shouldn’t have placed you in the middle of this.” Rosa shook her head, letting him go and turning away.

  “Being there for you is never a hardship, angel.” Because I love you. The words screamed for release inside his skull. But a part of him knew his confession was the last thing she wanted to hear right now. She had enough emotional stress of her own without having to deal with his as well.

  “I don’t ever want to hurt you, Kaleb.” Her voice cracked, tearing him in two. “You don’t deserve that.”

  “Rosa...” God, he never could stand to hear the sound of pain in her voice. He reached out, but as if she’d sensed his intentions, Rosa pulled away before Kaleb made contact. He watched as she disappeared inside her family’s dwelling.

  “What’s going on?”

  Kaleb’s spine stiffened at the sound of his friend’s dark voice. Landry stepped up beside him. Yet, both stared straight ahead at the closed door as if the act of meeting each other’s eyes would prove too much, too...overexposed.

  “Nothing,” Kaleb muttered.

  “Didn’t look that way to me.”

  “Then maybe you should get your vision checked ‘cause you’re wrong.”

  A grunt registered from the other shifter before he sauntered forward.

  “You planning on making some big reveal to Evin regarding what you told me last night?” Not that it would make a damn bit of difference about the outcome if he spilled his guts or not. But knowing Landry, Kaleb wouldn’t be surprised if the male laid it all out like a martyr with his head on the chopping block.

  Landry’s footsteps drew up short, his back to Kaleb. “The alpha deserves to know the whole truth about what he’s dealing with.”