by Shannon West
He sat up in bed so suddenly I gasped and sat up too, scooting as far away from him as I could on the narrow bed. “Goddamn it, I hate it when you keep saying that!”
Beside us, Carrie whimpered in her sleep, and I moved to go to her, but he pulled me back around to face him, hissing his anger at me. At least he'd stopped the yelling, and Carrie was settling back down. “Stop avoiding this. I remember exactly what I said to you. I told you we were good friends, and that we shouldn't mess that up. We couldn't, because we had a responsibility to the pack. You weren't in love with me anyway—you just couldn't stand not getting your way. Your daddy spoiled you rotten, and you thought every man should fall all over you.”
“You really are clueless,” I whispered back viciously. “Fuck you, if that's what you think. And you wonder why I keep leaving you.”
“Oh, I knew why. If I wouldn't let you spread your legs for me, then you'd find yourself some other alpha who would. I can't believe it took me by surprise to find out you were just a typical omega.”
I launched myself at him with my fists, so full of anger and resentment and all kinds of emotions roiling around inside me that I didn't even care at the moment that he could easily tear out my throat if he wanted to. He caught me in mid-leap and threw me down on my back on the bed, then threw his leg over my hips to hold me down. He levered himself over me, even as I was twisting and heaving wildly to get away. We were locked in a parody of a lover's embrace, but there was nothing lover-like about how either of us was feeling. I put up two hands to shove him off me, but I couldn't budge him.
“Get off me.”
“Make me.”
We were still whispering so we wouldn't wake Carrie up. The situation would have been almost funny if it hadn't been so deadly serious. The two of us blazing away at each other with all the pent-up rage we were both feeling and still we were whispering in the dark. I gave another abortive lunge upward, and he raised up and whipped me over to my stomach, so I was lying face down on the bed. I grunted in pain as my dick, which for some reason was fully erect, came into painful contact with the mattress.
Logan lay on top of me, his whole body pressing into mine. He pushed my legs out with his feet to make me spread wide, then he pulled out his cock and with a sudden solid thrust, pushed his way inside me.
I gasped and groaned, and my head fell back against his shoulder. “That hurt, damn it.”
“That hurt, what?”
I twisted my head around to glare at him incredulously. “Seriously?”
Logan gave another experimental thrust, planting himself even deeper inside my ass. “Did I stutter? Now try that again…that hurts…what?”
I knew what he wanted me to say. He was trying to put me squarely in my place. I should have just gone along with him, but I couldn't. He gave me a slap on my ass. “Say it.”
“Alpha,” I muttered.
“What was that?” Logan thrust a little harder.
“Ow! Alpha.”
Logan relented and pulled out a little, allowing me to adjust myself. “That’s right. I'm your alpha, and don't you forget it. At least for now and for as long as I want. And especially when I have you underneath me naked.” He bit down gently on my shoulder.
“Ow! Don’t bite me, damn it.”
“You’ll have my bite marks all over you before I’m through with you. I'm angry with you, Kade. And you're no longer pregnant or hurt or recovering or any of that shit. I finally have you physically fit and ready to fight me as you just so helpfully proved to me. And you like the idea of my marks on you, don’t you?”
I squirmed, trying to get some friction against my cock, his words turning me on, but Logan put a hand under me and pulled my hips up away from the mattress. “Oh no, you don’t. Now answer my question.”
“What question?”
Logan thrust harder into me, causing me to gasp, and let my head fall back again. I was gasping for air and so turned on I couldn't even form words.
“You like my marks, don’t you?”
There was a long hesitation while I huffed and tried to squirm away, but soon gave up as I realized I was well and truly impaled on the end of Logan’s dick.
“Don’t you?”
“Yes,” came the sullen reply.
“Yes, what?”
“Yes, Alpha. I like your marks.” I tried to lean forward again to rub my cock against the mattress to get some relief, but Logan pulled me farther away.
“Ask me to mark you then.”
“Please, stop. I need to… Okay! Will you please mark me?”
“I thought you'd never ask,” Logan said, laughing softly, bitterly enjoying this game between us. “You’re still being punished. I'm putting you in lockdown when I get you home, and I may not let you out of my room for weeks. Months. Hell, you might not ever see the light of day. With your track record, I should also probably put this dick in a cage.”
I groaned and bucked beneath him, but he ignored me effortlessly. He sank his teeth into the back of my neck and bit down—hard. I stuffed the pillow in my mouth and screamed into it. He pulled his mouth away and started licking at my neck to stop the blood I could feel trickling down my shoulder.
“Good boy. You just lie there and take it. That was to put all other alphas on notice. I've claimed you, Kade, and I'm not through with you. Not by a long shot.” He kept thrusting into me and caressing my body with his free hand until I was mindless with pleasure. From time to time he would bend down and bite me on my shoulder or my back or suck up the blood on my skin, hard sucking that brought the blood to the surface. He carefully licked over every one of them, but took his time fucking me and biting me and marking me until my shoulders and neck were covered, and I was panting for breath beneath him.
His thrusts grew more rapid and much harder, until he was pounding me so hard he pushed my head up into the cloth covered headboard. I didn't kid myself that there was much love in what he was doing, but there was a great deal of passion on both sides. He pulled me up and back against him so that I was sitting in his lap and began to torment my nipples. They hardened instantly as Logan’s fingers teased and tormented them. I arched my back and moaned out his name, pushing one of his hands down to my erect and swollen cock.
“Stroke me, Logan. Please.”
“No,” he said in my ear. “You're being punished. Wasn't I clear?”
He thrust into me, and I was feeling overwhelmed with every sensation and with the need to come—the strong hands holding me so tightly, the roughness of his hands, the aching pleasure of being fucked so thoroughly were all combining to make me crazy. My orgasm hit me like a violent storm at the same time as his hit him. A lightning bolt of pure pleasure coursed through me, and I screamed and arched upward as he filled me with his cum.
Beside us in the dark, Carrie woke up screaming.
Logan snapped on the light and pushed me roughly back down in bed when I went to reach for her.
“But you don't know what she wants,” I protested. “Let me take care of her.”
He ignored me and settled her back on her stomach, beginning to pat her back. He bent over her, crooning something to her, and in a few minutes, she started settling down. He put her covers back over her, gave her the stuffed bunny she slept with, and came back to stand over our bed.
“She never really woke up.” He glanced down at me. “Get up and go get a washcloth for me. Clean yourself up while you're in there.”
Sullenly, I got out of bed and went to the bathroom to clean up. My first look in the mirror was a shock, and I realized the bruises would be even worse in the morning. I figured that was really why he'd sent me in here--so I could see his handiwork. So I could see the marks of his ownership. I knew that the blood marks and most of the bites would fade but the deeper bites on my neck would leave scars. Just the way he wanted.
I brought him the washcloth as I came back in. He was lying on his back with his hands behind his head. I stood over him and held it out, and he nodded. �
�Clean me up.”
I was apparently still being punished. I wondered how long this would last, but I shrugged and bent to my task. I should probably have been grateful he hadn't made me use my tongue. When I was done, I took the cloth back to the bathroom and then got back in bed. He made no sign he was still awake, but I knew he was just lying there stewing over all that had happened and what he'd learned about Carrie. I was too exhausted, both emotionally and physically, to lie there and worry about it. He had so far shown me no signs of forgiveness or understanding, and I knew that things would only go from bad to worse when we got to the mountains. I had no idea what I was actually facing until he got over this, assuming he ever would. In the immortal words of Bette Davis in All About Eve, it was going to be a “bumpy ride.”
Chapter Nine
“Wake up.”
I jumped as Logan's voice came from right beside me. I sat up, rubbing my eyes, and saw him sitting on the bed beside me, holding Carrie in his lap. She looked at me and smiled, holding up a slimy piece of banana she was gnawing on.
“Nanna, dadda.”
“I see that, baby girl. Is it good?”
She gave me a gap-toothed smile and stuffed the piece back in her mouth.
“I ordered some fruit and eggs from room service. I have to go out, so you need to get up and finish feeding her.” He plopped her in my arms and turned to go. “There's coffee here too, and there should be enough for both of you. Just set the tray outside the door when you get finished. I'll be back before lunch, but if you need something else from room service, go ahead and order it.”
Carrie reached up and put a messy finger on my neck. “Dadda, boo-boo.”
“Yes, baby, but it's okay.” I angled a look up at Logan, who was still at the door looking back at us. “It doesn't hurt. Much.”
He didn't have the grace to flush or be embarrassed. Instead, he ignored what we were saying and frowned at me. “I wonder if I can trust your word that you won't leave this room while I'm gone?”
Since that seemed to be rhetorical, I decided not to answer. Instead I got up with Carrie in my arms and went over to sit by the food tray to take off the cover. The fragrant smells of eggs, bacon, and toast wafted up to me, and I was suddenly starving.
“Kade, I'm talking to you.”
“Oh, are you? I thought you were talking to yourself.”
“Maybe I should take the baby with me. Maybe that will get your attention.”
“Her name is Carrie,” I reminded him coldly. “And leave her out of this. This is strictly between you and me. Besides, she doesn't know you, and she'd be scared.”
“And whose fault is that?”
I went back to ignoring him again, and he reached down and grabbed my boots. “I'll just take these with me.” He patted his pocket. “I already took your wallet and ID too. Surely you won't get far with no money, and no shoes.”
“There's no need for all this.”
“Isn't there?”
I just shook my head and wished he would just go. I knew he was spoiling for a fight.
“Make no mistake, if you leave this room, I won't rest until I find you.”
I sighed. “I'm not going anywhere.”
He finally nodded, then turned and went out, slamming the door behind him.
Carrie and I finished our breakfast and then watched some of the shows she liked. I gave her a bath and dressed her in some baby blue jeans and a shirt. Then I went in and got a very fast shower, not liking to leave her alone for long. I used some of Logan's toiletries and his razor too, keeping the door open for that and not caring if he liked me using his things or not. I repacked the suitcase, finding some of the underwear and one of the few T shirts I had thrown in for myself, and pulled them on with the same jeans, because I hadn't packed any of those. After that, I just sat beside Carrie and waited for Logan to come back.
I finally heard his key in the lock around 11:30 and when the door opened, I was surprised to see Emalia from the pack step inside ahead of him. She had the same look I probably had on my face. She looked surprised to see me, but she was obviously furious at Logan. She laughed out loud though when she saw me.
“A fellow runaway. So he rounded you up too, huh? I thought we had the right to choose our own packs, Logan.”
“You do, when you're old enough to know what you're doing.” He glanced over at me. “Or mentally competent enough. As for you, Emalia, you're fourteen and have parents. They tell you what you can and can't do for now.”
“They treat me like a child! I won't go back there!”
“Yes, you will. And you can talk to them about more freedom when you get there. Considering your past track record though, I'd say you won't be allowed out of their sight for the foreseeable future.” She folded her arms in a huff and flung herself down beside me. Logan tossed me my boots.
“Put these on. We're leaving, and we can get lunch on the way.”
“I don't want anything from you!” Emalia shouted, and Carrie scooted closer to me and looked over at her with alarm.
“Stop your shouting. You're scaring the baby,” Logan said sternly to her. Since Emalia was a true omega, she cowered immediately and dropped her gaze. “Now behave yourself.”
“Yes, Alpha,” she said, but I saw her stick out her tongue at him when he turned his back, and I laughed. He turned and gave me a look that almost, but not quite, took the smile off my lips.
I was already packed, and Emalia didn't have anything, so once Logan got his bag ready, we went downstairs and waited for the valet to bring around the SUV. While we were waiting, I moved closer to Emalia and bumped her with my shoulder.
“You'll really be glad to get back home, won't you? To see your parents and your friends. It's not easy being on your own in this city.”
She sighed and nodded. “I guess so. But I've only been gone a couple of days. I was staying in an omega shelter I heard about when Logan found me.” Her shoulders sagged. “I just wanted a little freedom. A little bit of fun.”
“This city is dangerous for omegas, Emalia. I'm glad Logan found you.”
“I guess...maybe I am too. I got scared a couple of times on the street. Maybe I should wait until I'm a little older.”
I opened my mouth to tell her that was probably for the best, when the SUV was pulled around and Logan barked at us to get in. I put Carrie in her car seat and got in next to her. Emalia sat up front with Logan, and we took off for home.
I think, like Emalia, I was feeling relief. I was going home to see my dad and the rest of the pack, and even though they'd all be angry about me leaving, they'd forgive me eventually, because they were my family. I wasn't so sure about Logan ever forgiving me, but at least I didn't have to do all this on my own anymore, and I kind of had to face the fact that I wasn't very good at taking care of myself anyway. That was a bitter pill to swallow, since I prided myself on my strength, but I needed to stop trying to run from it. Maybe I just wasn't any good without my alpha. And Logan was my alpha, whether I liked it or not.
We stopped for some burgers for lunch and Logan got me a plastic spoon, so I could feed Carrie some of the junior baby food he'd bought for her. He offered to hold her so I could eat, but I'd learned how to eat and feed her at the same time a while ago, so it wasn't a problem. I appreciated the offer though. We got on our way again, and Carrie fell asleep in her car seat.
We were within a few miles of our turn to go up the mountain when Logan said, “I think we're being followed.”
“What?” I turned and saw a dark car, low to the ground, about five or six car lengths behind. “Followed? Who the heck would follow us?”
“I don't know, but I don't like it. They've been behind us since we left the Interstate, and he's made every turn we have. Both of you hang on tight. I'm going to lose them.” He pressed down on the accelerator and took off fast, passing the car in front of us and weaving in and out of traffic. I saw the dark car pull out too, and it did look as if the driver was trying to keep up. I m
oved closer to Carrie and put my arm around her. I looked up once and saw Logan's gaze on us in the rear-view mirror.
He'd always been a terrific driver, and it didn't take long for him to pull ahead and then take a side road and watch with satisfaction as the car passed us by. After a few minutes, he pulled back on the highway, and we made it to the pull off that led up the mountain to our property. We'd only gone about five miles, but the incline was steep. We were at probably three thousand feet, and I had begun to breathe easier when Emalia, in the front seat beside Logan, suddenly gave a little cry. I peered around her and saw two cars--one of them the dark car that had been following us. They were pulled across the dirt road leading up to the lodge, completely blocking it and the shoulder of the road. There were trees growing close to the road on one side, and a sheer drop on the other, so we couldn't go around, and in this curve, it would have been really hard to back down, and impossible to do it quickly. They had us pretty well trapped.
Logan stopped and watched as the occupants of the cars got out to face us. There were five of them, all young males. With complete shock I saw two familiar faces. One, incredibly, was Diego, from the bar. Even more chilling, the asshole alpha from Virginia stepped out in front of them. The same one I'd shot, and the one who was supposed to be “connected” to the so-called pack that people called La Esse.
I remembered Logan mentioning them to me after I almost got shot going down those steps at my little attic apartment in Virginia. He had been telling me what the cops had told him.
They think it was some members of La Esse, coming for a little payback for the incident at the FOCS. They said the best thing we could do is get you out of town and let you lay low for a while. They said they wouldn't give up trying to find you for a while...if ever...
“Logan, that's the guy I shot in Virginia. That alpha at the omega center. That mean, ugly son-of-a-bitch.”
Logan turned a startled face toward me and then turned back around to stare out the windshield at them. I could see him squaring his shoulders. “Okay. You stay here and get the baby down in the floorboard. You too, Emalia. Keep down. I'm going out to talk to them.”
