A Family Portrait

by J. J. Massa

  “Boss!” Whit croaked. “Boss!” he bellowed.

  Before Tav’s agile mind could grasp what was happening, Whit backhanded Tracey across the mouth sending her flying backward into a tree. She landed hard and he could see blood pouring from her nose. Her cheek was a deep pink and he knew she’d have a bruise before too long.

  Rushing to her side, he checked her pulse and mopped at the blood. She was dazed but okay. Tav felt anger sweep over him.

  He began to growl low in his throat as he turned toward the man who’d hit his mate.

  He felt his fangs lengthen and his nails grow and curve as he advanced, still snarling.

  Whit dropped to the ground scanning frantically and spotted the gun under the truck.

  He scrambled toward it. With a roar, Tav leaped at the retreating man, changing in midair. His powerful jaws closed over the other man’s shoulder and clavicle, crushing them and tearing the flesh.

  Tav ignored his opponent’s screaming as they hit the dirt and he rolled with his enemy until he could get his four legs on solid ground. With a mighty shake, he lifted the wounded man and flung him away.

  It had taken great inner strength not to close his jaws over the man’s neck. He’d wanted to kill him. Over and over scenes of the bodies of his first mate and his little boy bloodied and unmoving flashed through his mind. Those images were followed by Tracey’s face, pale and lifeless, blood dripping down. He fought the urge to dive onto the still form of her attacker and rip through his flesh until he crushed the man’s heart between his teeth.

  “You okay, son?” Tav turned his bloody face toward the voice of his adopted father.

  “Son?”

  Mik approached him and licked some of the blood from his snout. Tav rested his forehead against the older wolf’s brow.

  “I’m okay, Mik,” he sighed. He felt a large paw come over his back as a tear trickled from his eye. “I’m alright—I—I … I’m fine.”

  “You’re a good man. Go look after your mate. The boys and I’ll clean this up for you.” With another lick, Mik turned toward Riker and Lakon who were approaching from the direction of the studio.

  One of Tracey’s kicks had rendered Jack unconscious so when he regained his senses, he was already tied up. Lakon, a recent convert to the versatility of Duct Tape™, had secured the men’s wrists, feet, and mouths with the sticky, silver tape. Nobody paid attention to Whit’s whimpering and moaning, although Lakon did tape his arm across his chest as if it were in a sling.

  ———

  Myles fought for control as the beefy Sheriff argued with him. The meddlesome Were was blocking his view of Ashley’s classroom and his last nerve was rapidly fraying.

  “Sheriff Timmons, you were advised that this place would be overrun by Montgomerys. If you don’t step aside, I promise you that a melee will ensue,” Myles tone was clipped. While he was speaking politely, he could feel his fangs lengthening and feel the hair sprout across his cheekbones.

  “This is a public elementary school, Mr. Montgomery. I can’t just let you do whatever you want. It’s my job to protect these children here,” Sheriff Timmons countered in a growl.

  “That’s bloody well fine, Sheriff. Protect as many as you want. I’m lookin’ after just one, so belt up, clear off and let me get on with it!” Myles snarled back, resisting the urge to shove the large man. If he did, he knew the Sheriff would go flying.

  “Sheriff, we just need to be able to keep an eye on Ashley West and they’re heading out the door, so if you don’t mind…” Yancey’s reasonable intervention was cut off by a whimpering sound that neither man would have heard if not for lupine hearing.

  “Myles!” Ashley cried out before her squeal was cut off abruptly.

  “Timmons!” Myles snarled, lifting the man by his uniform shirt. “When I’m finished, I’m going to kill you, revive you, and kill you again!” He tossed the Sheriff away, hearing his wrist snap when the large lawman landed. He’d already turned toward the playground and the street bordering it.

  Yancey headed around behind the building, transforming when he was out of sight of the school’s windows. His heart in his throat, Myles raced across the blacktop, around agitated teachers and whimpering children.

  Both werewolves converged on a fenced dumpster area behind the cafeteria. As soon as Myles registered the fact that one man, Del, was climbing a fence, Yancey had leapt up and sunk his teeth into the back of his arm.

  Yancey and the large blonde man fell to the ground causing the chain link fence to undulate wildly. Myles was looking around frantically for Ashley when her fear-strained voice choked out his name.

  “Myles,” came her whispered rasp.

  When he looked up, Myles thought his heart would explode. He felt the cold rush of anger and adrenaline upon seeing Al Washington hovering over his tiny mate, holding a knife to her throat.

  The wiry little man turned to glare at Myles and his lush lips curved in a smug grin.

  Myles felt a blast of hatred when he saw Al twitch his knife causing a whimper from Ashley and a gush of blood from the thin cut on her throat.

  “Shh, Princess,” he soothed from below, “hang on and I’ll get you.”

  He heard the sound of her reassured sigh even through the taunting laughter of her captor. Vaguely, he noticed the other man whining and Yancey snarling as he gauged the distance from where he stood on the ground to where Ashley needed him to be.

  “You’ll get her!” Al snorted in disbelief. Turning back to the frightened girl he shouted, “Move, ya little bitch!” He raised his leg behind her and kneed her in the thigh.

  “Don’t!” Ashley snapped at him angrily, tears dripping down her cheeks as she clung to the fence.

  He turned his head more fully toward her and leered, “You’ll say “Don’t” one time before I…”

  The impact of a large weight caused the fence to ripple and wave, the jingling and ringing of ten feet of stainless steel links so loud that nothing could be heard above the noise. Myles let his presence speak for itself.

  Al began to sweat and beg as he edged clumsily along the fence and away swaying and swearing. Myles ignored him, reaching a muscled arm out to Ashley.

  “C’mon Princess. C’mere. I have you now,” Myles crooned, scooping an arm over her back.

  His voice seemed to release her from the frozen fear and she leaned toward him, wrapping her arms around his neck as soon as he pulled her to his chest.

  “Myles, Myles, Myles, Myles,” she chanted, as if in prayer.

  He cupped her head in his hand, pressing her face into the crook of his neck and shoulder and jumped to the ground. Loathe to release her, he wrapped both arms around her and stalked to where Yancey straddled Del, snarling into the big man’s face.

  “Go collect the trash, Yancey,” Myles growled, not letting go of Ashley. “I’ll stand on this git for you.”

  “She okay?” Yancey asked, edging off of Del.

  Myles rubbed his cheek on the top of her head and kissed her. “She’ll do,” he said, hugging the small girl more tightly. He looked down at the man under his foot and snarled baring his teeth, fully aware of his frightening appearance.

  Del blanched and clutched at the gravelly pavement under his hands, staring fixedly at the dark-haired man. Yancey nodded once and padded away. Within a minute, Myles heard the jingle of the fence accompanied by a strangled scream. He felt his grin widen as he stared at Del. The big man began to cry.

  Chapter 14

  Tracey carefully pulled the door closed as she stepped into the living room of Tav’s house. With her own house full of werewolves for one more day, the couple was grateful for the gift of privacy awarded them in this second house.

  Tav had been waiting for her here while she soothed her children to sleep. It had been a long week dealing with Jack and his cohorts. Although things were still strained between Myles and the Sheriff, some semblance of normalcy had been achieved. The convicts had been sent to a Federal prison on charges
of kidnapping, the murder of Rusty, and the attempted murder of Tracey and her children. The family would be notified if there was to be a trial.

  Earlier in the evening the entire entourage had gone to watch Ashley sing and dance in the school play. Her performance had been flawless but she’d broken down afterward, knowing that Myles was leaving the next day.

  While Tracey knew her little girl loved all of her new family, she recognized that Ashley had a special bond with Myles. She didn’t know how she felt about that, exactly.

  It didn’t matter tonight. The children were asleep and she had a very handsome man of her own right in front of her.

  “Can little Tavist come out to play?” she whispered with a teasing smile.

  “Mmm, maybe later,” Tav mumbled, seated at his desk. “I’m drawing a picture, wanna see?”

  Surprising her, he held out a pastel sketch of a beautiful woman with flowing hair and a come-hither look on her face. Is that how he really sees me? A bolt of desire shot through her as she looked at the picture. She felt sexy through and through.

  “Hmmm,” Tracey considered him, eyes narrowed. “Drawing a picture, huh? That sounds like more fun than what I had in mind.”

  “What did you have in mind?” Tav rumbled, moving from his chair to stand a few feet in front of her.

  “Freeze tag,” she giggled.

  “Um, how about naked tag?” he closed the distance between them in a lunge, catching her against his chest and covering her mouth with his.

  Tracey moaned and sank one hand into his thick, soft hair. Her other hand moved down his muscled back, sliding over his toned and rounded buttocks. She moved both hands to his rear end and squeezed firmly, pulling him against her pelvis at the same time.

  She was rewarded with a growl and felt his cock swell against her, hard and throbbing. His lips moved over hers, searing and hot, his tongue sliding across her lower lip, followed by nipping and nibbling teeth.

  Before she could catch her breath, he swung her into his arms, gently chewing on her throat and shoulder. Tav nipped and chewed, laved and kissed her from her neck down sending spikes of pleasure rippling through her.

  Tugging and tearing, they managed to remove piece after piece of clothing until warm skin moved and stroked over warm skin. They stumbled backward, grappling and grunting as the fire that licked their bellies continued to blaze hotter and higher.

  Tracey felt her rear end bump up against the edge of the desk and realized that she’d pulled Tav along with her during their erotic game of “naked tag”. While she tried to find the lungpower to proclaim him “it”, big hands gripped her hips and lifted her onto the desk.

  He parted her legs with a nudge and slid in between them. He tilted her hips back aligning his burning erection with her hot feminine core.

  “Ohhhh! Oh, Tavist!” She groaned, clutching at his and pulling him into her.

  With a strong tug and thrust, Tav pulled her onto him, groaning as loudly as she did.

  “Me!” he groaned. “Only ever me!”

  “Yes!” she answered him, “Only you!” she moaned.

  “Laughing, playing, working, only me, Tracey!” he half pled, half growled at her.

  Breathing deeply, Tracey inhaled his soapy, sweaty, musky wild animal scent.

  “Only you, Tavist,” she whispered, nodding.

  Locking eyes with her, Tav slowly pulled his hips back and thrust forward. Her breath hitched and she groaned. Still looking deeply into her eyes, he pulled out again, one centimeter at a time and then thrust in again.

  Sensual hunger clawed at her. The friction of his thick, throbbing sex moving in and out of her was excruciating. The heat zipped through her and Tracey sank all ten of her fingernails into his back and told him, “Do it. Don’t tease me. You’re it!”

  All at once he snapped, rocketing forward and pounding into her forcefully. She wrapped her arms and legs around him and hung on, carried away by the wanton and starving animal that had moved into her body.

  She heard someone mewling and moaning and realized somehow that she was the one crying out frantically. Tav seemed incapable of no more than inarticulate growls now and she heard herself begging him not to stop, anything but that.

  With the force of an explosion, her climax hit and she screamed, the sound drowned out by Tav’s roar of completion. For a moment or two, all she could feel was the shock of her explosion and his, reverberating through her body.

  With a soft groan, Tav sank to the floor, pulling her off the desk and on top of him.

  For long minutes, neither said a word, letting their sweat soaked bodies cool and their thundering hearts slow to a normal rhythm.

  “Tavist?” she whispered after a while.

  “Hmm?” he opened one eye.

  “What was that?” her voice still sounded awestruck.

  “Mmm,” he grinned lazily. “That’s how good we are together.”

  “Oh,” she mused, turning it over in her mind. “Thought so,” she grinned, fading to sleep with his warm chuckle chasing goosebumps across her heart.

  The End

  About the Author:

  J.J. Massa began writing when the computer school where she taught began struggling to find students. What seemed like an unhappy event became another blessing in disguise. She especially loves meeting deadlines in her Corona Light nightshirt and cow slippers.

  Currently a Jersey Shore resident, J.J. lives with her patient husband, long-suffering teenage daughter and very curious stepchildren. Her favorite writing partner is her yellow lab, although the visiting cats try to help her with the occasional plot twist. While she's lived all over the world and met a million people, the most unpredictable are the ones that show up in her books. Her favorite part about writing is finding out about these people and seeing what they decide to do.

  She loves reading and writing paranormal stories because of the endless possibilities they present. Most of her books include suspense because she believes that every romance includes a conflict to be resolved. That's what keeps life interesting.

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