Shades of Deceit (Raven Point Pack Trilogy Book 3)

by Heather Renee

  He pulled back, grinning. “If this is what I get for the hallway, I can’t wait to see what you think of the bedroom.”

  “Show me,” I demanded.

  He carried me down the hall, but before we reached the bedroom, he set me down and covered my eyes.

  “I want you to get the full effect when you first see it,” Liam whispered.

  My body shivered in response. He was on his game tonight, and I wasn’t sure I’d survive whatever else he had in store for me. I’d yet to say with words how I was feeling, but I had hoped my body was telling him what I couldn’t.

  He nudged me forward, and I trusted him to keep me from slamming into the wall. I held my breath in anticipation, but when he removed his hand, I forgot to release it until he whispered in my ear to do so.

  The floor was nearly covered in fresh red rose petals, and the bed was sprinkled with pink ones surrounding a bottle of wine and plate of chocolate-dipped fruits. More twinkling lights dangled from the ceiling and the curtains were pulled closed, making it feel like night instead of the middle of the day.

  “This is perfect, and I love you for it. Though, I do have to ask… why now?” I asked as I turned to face him.

  I was genuinely curious, because it sure as hell seemed like an odd time to me with everything going on within the pack. I wasn’t about to argue with him, but I was curious, nonetheless.

  “As I mentioned earlier, there won’t ever be a right time if we keep waiting. I would have preferred last night instead of the middle of the day,” he shrugged, “but that’s okay. Now is going to be just as perfect as long as you don’t want to murder me for being overly sensitive last night and taking out my frustrations on you that my surprise didn’t go as planned.”

  I had been equally confused and upset by his previous actions, but it didn’t mean I didn’t still love him and want the blood bond. I knew life wasn’t going to be sunshine and roses for us every day. If I couldn’t take the good with the tolerable, I didn’t deserve him. I knew in my heart Liam was a good man. He’d make mistakes, but he’d also learn from them, just as I knew I would.

  “Neither of us is perfect,” I said. “I’m ready for forever if you are.”

  His lips curved up into a slow, sexy smile as he swooped me into his arms before walking toward the bed. I used my vantage point to show his neck some love before things got heated. I had always thought the blood bond was archaic, but now that I was moments from sinking my teeth into my mate’s neck, I couldn’t imagine it any other way.

  My wolf paced frantically inside me, begging to be let out. I half-worried I wouldn’t be able to control the partial shift necessary to complete the blood bond, but as my doubts reached her, she calmed enough to lift my unease.

  Liam laid me on the bed, coming down on top of me. He kissed me senseless before abruptly lifting himself up.

  I pouted, and he pressed his finger to my lips. “Clothes off first, then more.”

  Well, I couldn’t argue with that.

  Neither of us waited a second longer. Clothes flew from our bodies in record time. The romantic notions had already been made. He’d made me swoon. I was ready for more now. The time for romancing had passed. Need was taking control of the situation and I had no intention of stopping it.

  When not even a stitch lay between us, Liam settled between my legs as I raised myself up to meet him. He pushed into me with no restraint, proving how ready we both were.

  His eyes changed to narrowed slits as he called his wolf forward, so I did the same.

  Don’t overpower me or I’ll keep you locked up for a month, I threatened.

  She growled in reply, but I felt her excitement lessen. I knew better, and if I hadn’t reminded her of the consequences if she forced a shift on me, then our blood bond could have turned into a blood bath.

  My canines lengthened as I called my wolf forward just enough. My nails began to form claws, but I reigned the change in before it went any further. I could hear the panting of my wolf as the euphoria of what was about to happen truly set in. If we didn’t fuck this up, I owed her at least a half day in wolf form to do as she pleased.

  Liam began to make love to me, bringing my attention to where it needed to be. I wrapped my legs around him, pressing where I wanted to make it quick. For the blood bond to be successful, we both needed to be in climax before biting the other. I had no more desire to wait.

  Tremors began to rock my body as Liam’s chin went rigid. He made one last motion, and I screamed out as his teeth sank into my shoulder. I immediately followed his actions, hesitating for only a moment at the thought of drinking his blood before my wolf reminded me of the benefits, taking away the last of my worries.

  Emotions slammed into my body I’d never known existed. I was riding a cloud of euphoria as everything came to fruition. I didn’t want to pull back, afraid the feelings would fade, but Liam gently brought me back to reality as I lifted my mouth from his body.

  Love. Happiness. Desire. So much of everything, it was almost overwhelming.

  He wrapped his arms around me as we came down from the high to a more manageable level. My body shook from the adrenaline, and I couldn’t figure out where I ended and he began. We were now one in every way possible.

  He kissed his way from my shoulder to my face, then stared longingly into my eyes. “How are you feeling?”

  “Better than I’ve ever been in my entire life.” I sighed. “You?”

  His grin said all I needed to know.

  “I love you more than I thought possible, and now I know without a doubt that you love me just the same.”

  I laughed. “You had doubts and still wanted to complete the blood bond?”

  He winked. “I had to lock you down somehow before you realized you could do so much better than me. I’m far from perfect, but I couldn’t live without you.”

  He was laying on the romance like I’d never seen before. I didn’t understand his doubts, but I wasn’t going to argue with him. Instead, I planned on showing him how much he truly deserved my love over and over again.

  The pack would have to wait for the day. Our door remained locked and we cemented our blood bond several times until we both passed out, sated in pleasure.

  Tomorrow would be soon enough to return to the real world. It was just as important for Liam and me to be in a strong place emotionally as physically, but I’d have to disappoint him in the morning. I had no intention of revealing our bond to anyone else. At least, not yet.

  Chapter 14

  The following morning, we woke before dawn. Normally, I would have forced myself back to sleep, but we’d gone to bed earlier than usual after the blood bond and I was wide awake, completely refreshed. I was a new woman.

  My mind was more aware of Liam. My entire being had been changed on the inside. As he was cooking breakfast, I tested our bond for the hundredth time, sending doses of love his way. My favorite part was the smirk that graced his face when he felt it. When he knew exactly how I was feeling in that moment. The gift was priceless between bonded mates.

  “We should probably check in with my dad and Augie this morning.” I pushed back from the counter to walk around and get the cooked food.

  “I’m surprised neither of them attempted to bust through the door last night.” He laughed.

  I shrugged. “Dad knew we needed some time. It’s why I came home early.”

  His eyes widened. “What did you tell him? Does he hate me now? Shit, you need to tell him it wasn’t what you thought.”

  “Easy there, lover boy. He didn’t know why I was upset, just that I was. I don’t plan on telling anyone why we were missing last night, though.”

  His head cocked to the side. “Should I be worried as to the reason why?”

  “As of right now, people know you’re my mate, but they can also guess to the tension our mating has brought. If anyone tried to use you against me, I’d be able to convince them you meant nothing to me, hopefully sparing your life. Until we find D
eclan and the traitors within our packs, I don’t want them having more information than necessary.”

  “It worries me that you’d feel so confident in convincing someone I didn’t mean anything to you. Yet another thing that doesn’t bode well for my self-esteem.”

  I grinned. “My favorite part of my job as your mate is knocking you down a peg or two, so that works.”

  He shook his head at me. Then, we finished the rest of our breakfast before heading to the pack house.

  When we arrived, my dad was already in his office on the phone.

  He waved us in. “Got it. They just walked in, so I’ll let them know. Yup, see you soon.”

  Liam and I took a seat in front of the desk.

  “Who’s coming?” I asked.

  “Good morning to you, too.” He smiled. “Caleb and Jamie will be here to help out this afternoon, and Sera will be here within the week.”

  As if things couldn’t get any better after our blood bond. I missed Jamie so much, and I knew Liam missed his brothers. I was also excited to see Sera and get to show her the home her son now called his own. I wanted her to know he had made the right decision in a mate and a pack.

  “Do we need to go pick them up?” Liam asked.

  Dad shook his head. “Caleb wanted to grab his own car from the airport. Sera said we’d see them after lunch sometime.” He picked up a paper before changing the subject. “We have two more groups being transported out of the area and then the only members present on pack land will be those trained to protect.”

  I leaned forward. “What can we do?”

  “Contact Aiden and see if he’s picked anything up through his resources. No detail too small,” he said. “Also, keep an eye out for the next wave of visitors. Augie might need help with getting them settled.”

  Liam stood. “I’ll go give my brother a call right now. I wanted to check in with him on a few other things anyway.” He leaned down, giving me a goodbye kiss on the cheek, then shut the door behind him when he walked out.

  Dad eyeballed me. “You’re feeling better. I take it your talk went well yesterday?”

  I nodded. “Everything is great. It was a misunderstanding, and we worked it out.”

  “You’re going to have many of those over the years. Try to remember to talk with one another before jumping to conclusions when they happen. It will save you a lot of grief throughout the years.”

  “Yes, Dad.” I laughed.

  It was an odd feeling, getting mate advice from my father. So much had changed in the past few months. If this was me sitting here before we lost Cord, I’d likely be getting reprimanded for something I had refused to do or did when I wasn’t supposed to.

  There hadn’t been many adult conversations between my father and I over the years, and I was beginning to realize he was smarter than I had given him credit for. I’d never tell him that, but the fact that I knew it made our relationship that much stronger.

  “Do you know where Augie is? I can go see what he needs.”

  “He was on mid-shift last night, so he’s probably still sleeping. I told him I didn’t expect to see him before ten this morning.”

  I glanced at my phone. It wasn’t even seven yet. “I’m going to head to the training center, then maybe go for a run. I’ll be back by ten to meet Augie. Tell him not to disappear without me if you see him before me.”

  He grinned, causing his wrinkles to show. “What do you think about us leaving Augie a note and I’ll come with you?”

  “I think that’s one of the best ideas you’ve had in a long time.”

  I snatched a pen and paper from the desk, scribbling out a message for Augie. He might be butthurt that we did something fun without him, but at least he’d smile when he read it.

  I taped the note to the back of the chair, so it wouldn’t be hard to miss, and then we left the pack house. I sent Liam a text, letting him know I wouldn’t be around my phone for a while. His reply was quick and sweet, telling me to have fun.

  I headed for my locker in the training room and changed in the stalls, while my dad set up an area for us. When I got back out, I was even more excited, because we would be going hand-to-hand.

  I slipped on the grappling gloves and bounced on the balls of my feet. I hadn’t done any sparring in a while and it got my blood pumping.

  Dad laughed. “It’s scary how excited this stuff makes you. You never were one for dolls and dresses.”

  “Nope. Never going to be, either. Now, quit procrastinating and let’s do this. Don’t go easy on me, either, because I won’t be going easy on you, old man.”

  He shook his head at me, and we both moved on to the mats. He surprised me by not hesitating, instead, taking the first swing. I ducked and rolled, evading him, but not by much. He must not have liked my ‘old man’ comment.

  We continued to jab, punch, and take each other down until we were both covered in sweat. I tapped first, completely out of breath.

  “Whatever stamina pill you’re taking, I want some,” I huffed.

  “Come join me in here more often and you’ll be the same way.”

  I was going to take him up on that offer, as long as he changed his training time to dawn instead of four in the morning. No way was I getting up that early every other day to get my ass kicked.

  The door in the training room slammed open, causing both of us to jerk our heads in the same direction. Augie was headed for us and I had been right about one thing. He wasn’t happy to have been left out.

  “Did you read the note?” I asked. “I’m thinking not, because you’re doing the exact opposite of what I said.”

  He narrowed his eyes at me. “Yes, I saw the note. No, it did not make me smile. I never get to see you anymore. You should have woken me up.”

  Awe, poor Augie was jealous.

  I patted his shoulder. “Well, you’re here now. Want to go for a run? That’s where we’re headed next.”

  Dad cleared his throat. “Actually, why don’t you two kids go do that? I really shouldn’t be away from the office for longer than I already have been.”

  Liar. He was trying to make Augie feel better by giving us some best friend time. I didn’t mind, though. Especially with Jamie and Caleb coming into town later today, spending some quality time with Augie was a great idea.

  I gave my dad a hug. “Love you. We’ll check in soon.”

  I turned toward Augie. “So, do you want to go for a run or something else? I’m up for whatever until you need to be back on duty.”

  His mood seemed to be a little better now that he knew he was getting one-on-one time, but I knew I wasn’t completely off the hook for not checking in with him more often.

  “How about ice cream and taking it down to the pond?” he suggested.

  I laughed, because that was something we used to do all the time as kids, but it was still early. Ice cream wasn’t exactly a breakfast or even brunch food.

  “Pond, definitely. Ice cream should probably wait until it’s officially afternoon, don’t you think?” I teased.

  “Nope. Ice cream is acceptable at any time of day when you’re hanging out with your best friend. Didn’t you know that?”

  His face was serious, but I saw the twinkle of amusement in his eyes. I was never good at telling him no, and today would be no different. Ice cream it was.

  “I’ll shower and change, then meet you in the kitchen in ten?”

  He nodded. “It’s a date.”

  I hurried to get cleaned up, ready to spend some time with Augie. I was even more ready for life to just settle down and Declan to be dealt with, but he just barely kept slipping through the cracks. I was fed up with it. The anger I felt at watching him limp away before still simmered beneath the surface.

  I’d kept it in check for the most part, but when I was alone and let my mind wander to Declan, it went dark. I was afraid of what I would sacrifice just to make sure he paid the ultimate price for all he had done.

  I did my best to shake off the thou
ghts and focus on the much-needed time with my best friend. I finished getting ready and headed toward the back side of the pack house. Before I came all the way around the corner, I heard someone getting angry, so I slowed down and listened. By the time I made it close enough to make out what they were saying, the man began whispering, making it hard to identify who was speaking.

  “I told you I’d deal with it. Don’t hound me when I’m working. There’s too many people around here. I’ve gotta go.”

  I turned the corner, but nobody was there. I ran forward, but just as the man had said, there were too many people. Whoever he was, he managed to get lost in the crowd of shifters on their way from the pack house. What the hell were so many people doing out here?

  Fuckery! I almost had him, but I did have clues. He said he was working. Nobody worked this close to the pack house unless they were on one of the guard patrols. Any of the farm workers would be in the fields already. The rest of the pack had jobs outside of the pack area if they even had one at all.

  I needed to find Augie and ask who was on day shift. Whoever it was, I hoped it was worth it, because I’d make sure they rotted in a tiny cage for the rest of their life. Traitors didn’t deserve a quick death. They deserved to be reminded of their mistakes every day for the rest of their lives.

  Chapter 15

  I stormed into the kitchen in search of Augie, but I couldn’t see him. I didn’t have the patience to search the house, so instead I did the adult thing, and screamed his name, hoping he’d hear me.

  “Holy shit, woman!” Augie’s head slammed against the counter. “Was that necessary? I was just getting bowls for our desserts.”

  I shrugged my shoulders. “We need to speak in private.” I paused, then added, “Now,” for emphasis.

  “Can I at least get the ice cream first?” He pouted.

  I growled. “No.”

  “You’re such a party-pooper sometimes.” His eyes rolled, but he followed me to my dad’s office.

  The room was empty. I turned toward Augie. “Where is Dad?”