by P. Jameson
“Ahh.”
She couldn’t keep quiet. Her wolf writhed at the sensation of his tongue on her flesh. Her mate. Her real mate. He was hers. Only hers. If anyone ever tried to take him away…
Looking down, she saw his head moving and it brought her closer to the edge. His hair hung forward, covering his face. She reached down to sweep it aside so she could better see, because god, it was amazing. But Cael snarled against her wetness and she jerked her hand back.
“Mine,” he growled, and then went back to licking and sucking.
“I want to see,” she argued.
He paused, and she wanted to tell him never mind, keep going. But then he grabbed her hand and moved it to his head. Besh moved his hair, and the site of his mouth on her almost sent her flying. But then on the next lick, he met her eyes, watching her every reaction to him.
It was the single most erotic thing she’d every experienced in her life.
The sensations were too much. The seeing, the feeling, the needing. She exploded, coming apart inside and falling back together in a pile at Cael’s feet. A confetti cannon. Or a glitter bomb. It didn’t really matter. She floated to the ground feeling happy and whole and safe. Everything she needed.
But the best part was, they weren’t done.
***
His wolf went crazy. Isabesh’s arousal on his lips was fucking divine. Her orgasm on his tongue? There were no words miraculous enough.
He held her hips while she jerked haphazardly against his mouth. So beautiful. So fucking gorgeous.
She moaned a low, whimpering sound that made him feel like he owned the world. He’d done that. Pleasured her so much she was helpless.
When she went totally limp, he rushed up to kiss her lips. “Oh no, baby. I’m not done with you yet. We’ve got years to make up for.” He pulled her earlobe between his lips, sucking, grazing it with his teeth.
“Cael,” she breathed.
“I love your lips when they same my name.” He fused his mouth to hers, rolling onto his back and taking her with him.
She gasped, pulling back and staring into his eyes.
“Please, Isa. Don’t make me wait.”
Her eyes went wide and a tiny little coy smile slipped onto her face as she dragged her nails lightly down his chest. “Oh, but didn’t you make me wait?”
Holy shit. Her teasing him was about the sexiest and most frustrating thing he’d ever experienced. It took all his strength not to toss her on her back and pound into her.
She kissed his chest, rubbing her cheek against his pebbled nipple. “Didn’t you say you wanted to take your time?”
She inched downward.
“Well, I do too.”
And farther. Was she doing what he thought she was doing? The mere idea made him feverish. Lower she went, dragging her lips and hands along the way until his erection bobbed in her vision. Cael clenched the sheets in his fist. If she put his cock in her luscious mouth, he’d rip the damn things.
She took him in one hand, and shit, he was wound too tight for this. Her touch felt too good. Bending, her damp blond strands fell over his tensed abs as she ran the tip of her tongue around his head.
Pleasure like nothing he’d ever had before, ripped through him. His wolf bowed to her. His alpha wolf surrendered completely. He was hers. Hook, line, and motherfucking sinker.
Then she did it. She parted those pouty lips and took him in.
Cael’s eyes rolled back in his head.
Mine. His wolf roared, and he agreed.
He placed a shaky hand on her head to stop the torturously slow rhythm she’d created. “I need to be inside you now.”
She slowly crawled back up his body until she straddled his waist. Too slow. He’d die if he didn’t find home soon. Isabesh braced her hands on Cael’s chest and rocked upward to taunt him more, but the hunger in her eyes told him she needed him buried deep inside just as bad as he did.
He effortlessly lifted her hips, placing her at the tip of his erection. All she had to do was take him. She rocked down and her breath caught as the first of him slid inside. Cael clenched his jaw, determined to let her have her way. She lowered herself, taking all of him, and the resulting growl split the room. His fingers gripped her ass, urging her to move.
“Amazing,” she whispered. “This is…”
Cael watched her breasts as she found a rhythm. The tips jutted out, demanding his attention. He leaned up to suck one into his mouth, and was gifted with a guttural moan.
Oh, yes. Oh, fucking yes. She was close again. He could feel her tightening around him.
“My wolf,” she purred. “Cael, my wolf, she…”
“What?”
“She’s insatiable. She’s…”
With his thumb, he found her most sensitive spot, applying pressure while she continued working her hips.
Her orgasm ripped through them both. She cried out, tensing, but Cael grabbed her hips and took over the thrusting, arching up to meet her halfway. He saw stars as she convulsed around him.
But he wasn’t ready to be done.
As he sat up, her legs wrapped around his waist and he flipped the script again. The bed bounced as she landed on her back with him still deep inside her.
With one hand, he held her arms above her head, putting her breasts in the perfect position for his undivided attention. He sucked a nipple as he thrust hard and fast, his back flexing and tightening.
“Cael,” she breathed, looking almost distraught.
“Yeah, baby.”
“I never want this to end.” He thrust harder. Had to brand her again. Every night from now on. “Never… want this to… end.” She tossed her head back and forth, lost in ecstasy.
With a great roar, he released, giving her wolf everything he had. His past, his present, and his future. His love, his adoration, and his honor.
Chapter Eleven
Besh lay draped over Cael’s chest. He’d been quiet for hours, but he was still awake. His hand swept leisurely up and down her back, pausing sporadically to trace circles on her shoulder.
She had her closure, and she had her new beginning. She’d never felt so complete, so fulfilled. But she wondered, did he feel the same?
She rubbed her cheek on his strong chest, drawing in his scent. “What do we do now?”
Cael sighed long and heavy. “In the morning we’ll leave, walk to an area where I can use my phone and I’ll call someone to come get us.”
“Do you think Vesh is safe?”
His hand stopped stroking her back. “If he is, he won’t be when I find him.” His harsh tone sent a chill up her spine.
“He wouldn’t have let him go without a good reason. You must know that. Besides, you said Avan wants to be alpha? She wouldn’t have let him live.”
“She does.”
Besh worried for her brother, but she had faith in him too. He was the strongest person she knew. Brave and smart. Something must have happened.
She chewed her lip, her mind running through possibilities. “A female alpha. And you plan to let her have Ozarka? Why not unite the packs instead?”
“Too much bad blood. The packs need to remain separate. It’s what’s best for Ozarka.”
Good for the pack. The Elder had said…
Besh felt the blood drain from her face. No. It couldn’t be.
She jolted up, finding Cael’s careful gaze.
“I just remembered something the Elder said. That Avan would return with a mate. That… that…” She narrowed her gaze at him. “She called you mate. When you were fighting Jax in the lodge.”
Cael sat up, his face registering a hint of panic. “It’s not what you think—”
“Is she yours?”
“Yes and no. Let me exp—”
“Avan is your intended.” Besh scrambled backward off the bed, holding her belly where their young grew. This couldn’t be happening now, when everything was finally right, when she realized it was possible to be happy.
“Isa, please. It’s not important—”
“It damn well is!”
“Listen to me!” he boomed.
Tears pricked her eyes. Cael jumped from the bed, scooping her into his arms before she’d even had a chance to blink the wetness away. “No.” His voice threatened to break. “No, no, no. Just hear me out, baby. Please.”
She let her forehead drop to his chest as she shook her head hopelessly.
“I scented her when I snuck into the Ozarka camp last fall.”
Last fall. He was there? Had he been trying to free her all this time?
“I was going to take him out, even then, I was going to have revenge for what he did to us. But I didn’t know why you stayed. I didn’t know you needed help. Not until Vesh came to me.” He drew her closer and she let him. “I recognized her scent right away, and she of course recognized mine. But I didn’t care, Isa, and my wolf was hardly even riled. I’d given my heart to you all those years earlier. And I never thought I’d have you back. I never imagined we’d have this.”
This. He said it like it was the answer to a prayer.
He kissed the top of her head. “I left the camp that night, and never looked back except to figure a way to get you out. That’s the truth, Isa. But Avan tracked me down and offered me a deal.”
Besh’s mouth dried. A deal. This couldn’t be good.
“She’s dominant. An alpha female. She could never be a first mate, and she knew this. When I didn’t come to claim her, she found a way to make our mating work to her advantage. She’d help me get to Jax if I turned the pack over to her in the aftermath… and as long as I left her alone.”
He pulled back to look straight into her eyes.
“And you know what I like to say.”
Besh swallowed. Relief mixing with uncertainty. “Done fucking deal?”
She saw the humor in his eyes, but he didn’t smile. He nodded solemnly. “Done fucking deal.”
Besh gnawed her lip. The whole thing made her nervous. “How will this ever work? With her in such close proximity? Won’t you two… be drawn to each other? This isn’t going to work, Cael.”
His brows dipped low, his expression troubled and sad. He gripped her face with both hands, his fingers threading into her hair. “Baby,” he breathed. “How can you wonder after what we just shared? Our bond is strong. Can’t you feel it? It’s steel cable. Iron chains. There’s no breaking it. Feel it, Isa.”
She did feel it. She had to trust it. Her wolf felt secure. It was the rest of her that kept waiting for the axe to fall.
She nodded, covering his hand on her cheek. “I feel it.”
He kissed her softly, and she melted against him. His teeth gently tugged at her lower lip as he pulled back. “Don’t ever doubt me,” he rumbled. His hands slid to her backside, squeezing hard enough to make her yelp. “Ever. Or I’ll have to find new ways to prove my loyalty.”
He walked backwards with her until they fell onto the bed in a tangle of limbs and desire.
***
Cael jerked awake to the sound of incessant banging. Isabesh was asleep in his arms. Safe. Where she’d stay. Forever. It was set in fucking stone. And when they got home, he’d have her set it in his skin. A proper branding to make it official.
He turned his head listening. This time, the banging was accompanied by a voice.
“Cael! Open up, you bastard.”
Vesh.
“Come on. I know you’re in there. Damn,” he muttered angrily. “And I know what you’ve been doing. Get your ass out here and talk to me.”
A growl rumbled in Cael’s throat. It was dark out, but apparently, this was happening now. Vesh had better have a damn good reason for letting Jax live.
Isabesh sat up. “Is that…?”
“It fucking is. And he better be ready to do some explaining.” He went to the closet and pulled on a pair of Magic’s jeans before turning for the door.
“Cael, wait.” She grabbed his arm, her eyes pleading. “He’s my brother.”
“Yeah, and he put our lives in danger. Your life in danger.”
“He also saved me. You said you wouldn’t have known to come for me if it weren’t for Vesh.”
“Don’t ever forget he was a huge part of the reason you were with that bastard to begin with.”
The stern expression on her face stopped him from pulling away. “Don’t do that,” she said quietly. “Vesh might have given the alpha—his alpha—information about us all those years ago, but don’t think for one minute that he did it gladly. I know my brother. My choices were my own, and were as much for you as they were for him.”
“Isa,” Cael sighed, caressing her bottom lip with his thumb.
Her level head and quick forgiveness brought the wind out of his sails. But he also didn’t possess the same forgiving nature when it came to his wolves disobeying a direct order. Especially when the disobedience could have gotten her or their young hurt.
“Let me handle this, okay? Trust me.”
She gave a quick nod.
Vesh banged again. “I swear to fucking hell, if you don’t open this door, I’m going to tear it off the hinges.”
Cael stalked through the cabin and kicked the chair out of the way. In less than a second, he’d thrown the lock and swung the door wide.
Vesh took a breath to speak but before he could get a word out, Cael reared back and threw a punch. Stumbling backward, holding his jaw, Vesh muttered, “Son-of-a-bitch.”
Cael pounced on him, taking him all the way to the ground, and landing a hit to his gut at the same time. “It’s alpha to you, shithead.” He jumped back to his feet. “Get up.”
Vesh actually obeyed the command, but that was when Cael realized he was completely stark nude. It was too late though. The other wolf was furious. He swung right, but only grazed Cael’s chin since he anticipated the move.
“Is it?” Vesh roared. “Or is it brother-in-law now?”
Cael clenched his fist for another blow, but something in the field caught his attention. Before he could discern it, Vesh pounced. Cael rolled with him, straddling the wolf’s waist and laying into his snarling face with his fists.
From the corner of his eye, he saw Isabesh running over. “Cael,” she cried. She knew pack dynamics, as well as he did. He couldn’t stop now. He had to put her brother in check.
Grabbing Vesh’s throat, he squeezed just enough to make him see stars. “You are in deep fucking shit, Vesh. You disobeyed me. You disregarded my authority. But most importantly, and the reason I’m a hair’s breadth away from killing you, you put the mother of my young in danger.” He bent low to get in the prick’s face. “That’s un-fucking-forgivable.”
Vesh’s bulged eyes jerked to his sister. They were screaming with sadness. The depths of which Cael would likely never understand. The guy was so fucked up.
A tortured growl came from the field.
Cael rolled off Vesh and stood to guard Isabesh. Her hand landed squarely between his shoulder blades.
“I’m sorry,” Vesh croaked. “I knew you’d keep her safe. You’re the only one I’d ever trust with her.” He lumbered to a stand, rubbing his throat. “They distracted me, Farrow and Trager, and fucking Jax got away. But I was coming for him,” he rasped. “I was going to get to him before he found you.”
In the field, Cael could make out three people. Avan, Trager, and… Farrow. The younger wolf kicked viciously at a lump lying on the ground. He screamed obscenities. Dragged his hands through his hair, yanking with all his might. Trager was doubled over, hands on his knees, while Avan stood to the side with her arms crossed under her naked breasts.
She glanced at Cael, raising a single eyebrow. Isabesh’s nails curled into his back, and if the situation hadn’t been so pressing, he would’ve taken the time to acknowledge how her possessive side turned him on.
“What the hell is going on, Vesh?”
At his words, Farrow’s head snapped in his direction. Cael recognized the murderous glimme
r in the man’s eyes as he charged toward him. But before Farrow could get very close, Avan’s hand snapped out, grabbing him by the throat, and he froze.
“Let go.”
“No,” she said calmly. “If you do this, you’ll die. Then who will find Gabby? Huh? Trager? He doesn’t have the balls to pull that off and you know it.”
“Shut the fuck up, Avan,” Vesh snapped.
She shrugged. “It worked didn’t it? He stopped his suicide mission. Damn, it’s like all I have to do in life is keep you guys from fucking things up or something.”
“Someone better start explaining,” Cael barked.
Trager’s tense voice came from behind the others. “The bastard had Gabby. Now he’s dead, and we don’t know where she is.” He pulled back and kicked the lump on the ground, and that’s when Cael realized it was a wolf. A dead wolf. They must have tracked Jax to the woods, and dragged him here.
“I couldn’t let Vesh kill him. He took my mate.” Farrow growled low, his eyes narrow and crazed. “Now how will I find her? Tell me,” he roared.
Shit. Shit. He understood why Vesh hesitated to kill the alpha. Didn’t mean he forgave him though.
“Have you tracked her?”
“I tried. He’s masked her scent.”
“Masked her scent?” Cael didn’t realize it was possible. “With what?”
“With mine,” Isabesh spoke up. All eyes turned to her. “I know where she is.”
Chapter Twelve
Besh had been so wrapped up in her own trauma she hadn’t given the girl a second thought. But even if she had, there wasn’t any way to get word to Farrow from up here on this mountain.
“Please,” Farrow breathed, hope and fear in his eyes. “Lady Besh—”
“Don’t call me that,” she snapped, but then tempered her tone. “Not anymore. I belong to Cael now, and I don’t want to be referred to by title.”
It seemed harsh, her reaction, but as soon as the name had left Farrow’s lips, it made her stomach twist with revulsion. Her hand shook as she found Cael’s and gripped it.
