The Protector's Heart (Wilde Creek Three)

by R. E. Butler

  She’d always been worried about Jack growing up in Damien’s pack. He would have been encouraged to see her as unworthy because she was completely human, and she’d always assumed that Jack would be treated differently because he was only half wolf. But Acksel’s pack didn’t care about that anymore. Brynn was carrying Acksel’s child, and Acksel had ensured that the pack laws were changed so that Brynn and their kids were considered full pack members. Nila wouldn’t be a true pack member like Brynn, because she was the alpha female and that was special, but Nila would be an honorary member, and Jack would have full membership rights. So would any children she and Malachi had.

  The time spent in the woods had been eye-opening. He’d told her not only about his people and their ways, but also the truth of his feelings for her. Love. He said he loved her. She loved him, too. She wasn’t exactly sure when it had happened, and maybe it was fast, but it felt right. She felt connected to him on a superior level, as if they really had been made for each other. Their relationship might have gotten off to a rocky start, what with her trying to push him away and him secretly stalking her, but they were solid now. It wasn’t just a connected feeling, she just flat-out loved him. Loved how sweet he was to Jack, how he treated her like a queen, and how he let her know that he supported her no matter what her choices were.

  When he stopped the SUV, he got out and opened the back door and removed a nearly-asleep Jack from the car seat, lifting the diaper bag over his shoulder. She stared at him in surprise as he walked around the front of the SUV and then opened her door.

  “What’s with the look?” He asked as he held the door for her.

  “You just constantly surprise me,” she answered, stepping down onto the snow and standing next to him as he shut the door.

  “Oh? I like being surprising.”

  He held her hand as they walked into the house together. She’d lifted her hands to take Jack from him and put him to bed when he said, “Why don’t you go run a nice hot bath for us? I’ll put him to bed.”

  “There you go again, surprising me.”

  He pressed in the code to secure the house and she listened as the electronic deadbolts on the front door engaged. She kissed Jack’s cheek and whispered goodnight to him. He kept trying to stay awake, his eyelids staying closed for longer and longer periods of time.

  She sat down on a small bench at the door and took off her boots, putting hers and Malachi’s on the rug at the door and hanging up their coats while he took Jack to bed. Her stomach clenched with anticipation as she thought about taking a bath with Malachi. She nearly ran back to the master bathroom, but instead forced herself to walk slowly. Peeking into Jack’s bedroom, she saw Malachi standing at the crib, rocking Jack in his arms, whispering to him. She couldn’t hear what he said, but Jack was smiling as his eyes fluttered shut. She blew him a kiss and walked to the bedroom, tugging off her sweater and dropping it into the laundry basket.

  The tub was a shower/tub combo with frosted glass doors. She pushed the door open and turned on the faucet, testing the temperature with her fingers and then closing the drain when it was just right. She’d never really been a bath person, but the idea of sharing a bath with Malachi made her want to reconsider that stance. Maybe baths were sexy when her mate was involved.

  She stripped and leaned out of the bathroom to put her clothes in the basket when she saw Malachi come into the bedroom. His face lit up when he saw her, and she smiled at him, stepping back into the bathroom. He carried a tray in and set it down on the marble counter; on it were two mugs, a carafe, mini marshmallows, candles and a matchbook.

  He tipped the carafe and poured what turned out to be hot cocoa into both mugs, dropping mini marshmallows on the top. Then he set the candles on the counter and began to light them. She glanced at the tub, decided the water was high enough, and turned off the faucet.

  Malachi flipped off the light, and the small room was filled with the golden flickering candlelight. She watched him strip. His thick sweater came off first, and then the t-shirt underneath, revealing his chiseled upper body. His arms were thick and roped with muscle, and his abdomen was a study in masculinity. Her gaze drifted down to his waist as he undid the button and zipper of his jeans. As he shoved his jeans down his legs, her mouth watered at the sight of his thick cock.

  He moved in front of her and touched her chin with his fingertips. She looked up at him. “The way you’re looking at me is driving me crazy.”

  She placed her hands on his waist. “How am I looking at you?”

  He smirked. “Like you could eat me up.”

  “I thought the big bad wolf was the one who did the eating?”

  He chuckled, picking up the mugs and stepping into the tub. “I know I froze you outside while we were talking so I wanted to warm you up the right way.”

  He handed her the mugs and sat down, stretching his legs straight out and leaning against the tub. She knew it had to be freezing against the back of the tub, but he didn’t show it. He patted his thighs and she straddled him, handing him one mug.

  “Let’s toast getting warm,” she said.

  “And our mating,” he added.

  “You warm me from the inside out, even without the hot cocoa and bath.”

  “Me, too, sweetheart.”

  Their mugs clinked softly and they both sipped on the cocoa. It was sweet and chocolately, and just warm enough to make her groan in pleasure.

  They drained the mugs and she set them on top of the toilet and looked at him. “I want you to know that even though it was suggested to me that we do this tonight, I’m not mating you because my alpha thinks it’s a good idea. I’m doing it because the thought of you going one more day without my mark in your neck would make me insane.” His hands rested on her knees, his fingers kneading the flesh. “If you don’t want me to mark you tonight, I won’t. It’s your choice.”

  “Can it be undone?”

  His eyes narrowed slightly. “No. Mating is like marriage for my people, more important than a piece of paper from the government.”

  “I just…it’s not that I don’t want to be yours forever, I just wanted to make sure you’d be mine, too. You won’t have any marks; how will anyone know that you’re mated?”

  He relaxed. “I’ll smell like you, for one. It would be hard for anyone to not realize a male is mated, because they’ll scent his mate on him. If you want to bite me, you can.”

  “It won’t be like your marks though.” He had explained that when he marked her, his fangs would be elongated and would cut through her skin, leaving two permanent marks on the side of her neck. She knew it would hurt, like getting poked with two big needles, but she didn’t care. She wanted to belong to Malachi in every way.

  “No, but I don’t care. I want you to trust in me, and if that means you want to bite me and mark me, I’m okay with that. Whether I wear physical marks or not, when I bring you before the pack on the full moon as my treasured mate, everyone will know that I’m taken. I would never betray you, Nila. There will never be anyone else for me but you, forever.”

  She could have cried at the sweet words, but she didn’t want him to think she was an emotional nutcase. Instead, she leaned forward, placing her hands on the cool tile on either side of his head, and kissed him.

  His fingers slipped into her hair and he took over the kiss, angling her head the way he wanted to deepen it. Damn she loved him. He rocked her world in every possible way.

  One of his hands slipped from her hair and inched its way down her chest to brush his fingers against her nipples. She wiggled on his lap as he tugged them lightly, alternating from one to the other as his tongue swept possessively into her mouth. His hand fisted in her hair and he gently pulled her away from him, arching her neck and bending his head to suck on her nipples. He plumped her breast and licked at the tip as she wiggled further up his lap. Her hands left the tile and she gripped his shoulders, arching her back and pushing her breasts into his face. Grinning against her flesh, he n
ipped at her nipples, tugging and teasing them in turn until she was writhing on top of him.

  With a soft growl, he lifted from her and kissed her hard. She moaned as his hand slipped down the front of her body. He rubbed her clit lightly.

  “Damn you’re wet, babe,” he groaned against her lips.

  Her hips canted as he stroked her clit with the tip of his finger. “You do that to me.” She reached for him, fisting his hair in her hands and kissing him. He teased her, flicking her clit with quick strokes until her body shivered and her pussy clenched. Need filled her like something wild and alive, and she couldn’t think of anything better than his cock inside her as he claimed her.

  “Please,” she whispered as she lifted from his mouth and gazed into his eyes.

  His finger slipped to her entrance and he stroked her lightly before lifting his finger to his mouth and sucking off the silky evidence of her arousal. “You taste so sweet.” His lips parted and she saw a hint of his fangs. She shivered in response.

  Gripping her hips, he lifted and pulled her forward until she hovered over his cock. She reached for him with one hand, grasping his thick length and holding him until the hot head of his cock breached her. She gasped and he froze, holding her in place. She shifted her hips, wiggling on him, and her knees spread wider until she straddled him completely and then she sank down on him slowly, feeling every inch of him as he filled her. His hands gripped her hips tightly and she inhaled deeply and looked at him.

  He looked so sexy, teeth bared in concentration, his fangs elongated slightly. The steam from the water around them made his skin glisten. She leaned forward and touched the edge of one fang with her finger. It seemed to get bigger as she touched it, and his cock throbbed in her pussy.

  She lifted her hips slightly, letting him slide nearly free before she pressed herself back down onto him, until the backs of her thighs were flush with his legs. He touched her clit again, his thumb pressing against the bundle of nerves and making her close her eyes in pleasure. She hooked her hand behind his neck and leaned in to kiss him again as she began to lift herself from him in a slow rhythm. His thumb stroked her clit and she sucked on his tongue, her stomach twisting as heat flared through her. Their bodies moved together as one, his hips lifting as hers descended, the water splashing as they made love. His chest vibrated as he growled, and his thumb began to work her clit faster. Her pussy clenched his cock as he rubbed her just right. Sparks lit her vision, and she lifted her mouth from his and moaned.

  She couldn’t move fast enough; the tidal wave of pleasure that rose inside her was fueled by his firm touch on her clit and the growls that rumbled in his chest. Her nails dug into his chest as she came, her body quivering as heat rolled through her and she shouted his name.

  His thumb kept rubbing her clit, and his other hand pressed into the small of her back as he moved her on his cock. He latched his mouth onto the side of her neck and she moaned loudly. She felt the heat of the bruise that would form as he licked and nuzzled her neck and pushed her body to another climax. The pressure on her clit increased, as the bud throbbed under his attention. She wanted to tell him that it was too much, but her body revolted at the idea of him stopping. He did things to her body that no one had ever done before. She wanted everything that he could give her.

  “Oh, yes,” she moaned, closing her eyes and letting herself go into the sensations. He sucked on her neck in the same spot, his thumb driving her wild and his cock moving in and out. She felt herself draw close to the edge, the pleasure spiraling tightly inside, pushing her forward to another dizzying height of bliss.

  Her body jolted as pleasure flooded her. She cried out his name as she came, and felt his fangs press into her neck. She was so overwhelmed with her climax that she couldn’t even muster a complaint as he pierced her with his fangs and marked her. He growled and she felt his cock spasm deep inside. He extracted his fangs and licked across the tender wound, then pulled her close and leaned back. She was cradled against him as the pleasure slowly ebbed.

  Even the rapidly cooling water couldn’t make her want to leave his arms right then. She’d just sleep right here, with his cock still lodged in her pussy and her neck aching from his mark.

  She didn’t think she’d ever felt safer.

  Chapter 12

  After dropping off Jack, Nila, and Brynn Tuesday morning, Malachi returned to Acksel’s house and trained for the day. Sam and Zander were guarding the girls personally, and two other wolves were stationed at the daycare. Malachi was a good fighter. Not the best – that was Acksel – but not the worst by any stretch. He had a feeling that Damien was a dirty fighter, though, and he wanted to be as sharp as possible for the fight. He didn’t expect to lose; there was too much at stake. Both Nila and Jack’s life hung in the balance. He had no doubt that Damien would not be kind if he got his hands on them again.

  He ducked a punch from Ren and smashed his fist into his chest, knocking the big male back a few paces. “Ah, shit,” Ren grumbled, rubbing his chest.

  Ren was the beta of the pack, Acksel’s right-hand. Not only was he a great fighter, he was an honorable guy. He wasn’t going to the fight tonight because he was staying in Wilde Creek to keep an eye on the pack, but when he’d volunteered to spar with Malachi, he’d been happy to take him up on it.

  “You’re getting slow in your old age,” Malachi taunted, bouncing on his feet a few times. His energy was running high and his mind was racing. Nila was in danger until Damien was put down. The fight tonight would change everything.

  “I’m only a year older than you.” Ren cracked his neck and snarled.

  “Stop teasing each other like school girls and fight, for fuck’s sake,” Acksel grumbled from where he stood on the porch watching them. The air was cold but calm, no harsh wind whipped at his skin. They’d abandoned jackets to make it easier to move, and the shirts had come off a bit later as adrenaline and sweat combined to make them uncomfortable.

  “Would you fight dirty, you bastard?” Malachi challenged. “I know they don’t fight fair up there, don’t pussyfoot around.”

  Ren growled angrily, his dark eyes flashing to the amber of his wolf, and just as he tensed to strike, someone barreled into Malachi from the side and he went down to the ground, hard. His head swam and his vision blurred, but he could see the fist swinging at his face and he threw up his arm and blocked it. Acksel had tackled him. Malachi had been so intent on fighting with Ren that he hadn’t been prepared for the sneak attack.

  Acksel snarled, his teeth bared, as Malachi fought to keep the alpha’s fist at bay. Ren stormed over to them and lifted his booted foot in the air above Malachi’s groin, and every instinct in him went haywire. No one threatened to hurt him like that.

  Kicking out, Malachi arched up and rolled, throwing Acksel off and knocking Ren off his feet. Ren hit the ground with a grunt. Malachi snarled as he stood and glared at Ren. “Low blow, man. I use that.”

  Ren chuckled as he got to his feet, dusting the snow from his skin. Acksel rolled to his knees, and packed snow into a ball and threw it at Malachi’s chest. It exploded in a burst of white.

  Acksel brushed off his jeans as he stood. “You’re right about one thing. I don’t think that Damien’s pack is above fighting dirty. I’m going to increase the guards at the house here. Mia and Jack can stay here while we’re gone; I’ll have one of the omegas help Brynn make up the spare bedroom for your family, and Mia can crash on the couch. I don’t trust that pack not to try something funny while we’re distracted.”

  Malachi nodded.

  Ren picked up his shirt and jacket. “You’re ready. All I did was hint at screwing up your ability to have sex with your mate and you went nuts. When you’re face to face with her ex, I have no doubt that you and your wolf will protect her just fine and beat that sorry fuck within an inch of his life.”

  Malachi shook Ren’s hand. “Thanks.”

  “Anytime.”

  Ren walked away, and Malachi and Acksel stood
on the snow-packed ground watching him disappear around to the front of the house where his car was parked. Acksel cleared his throat and said, “If something happens to you tonight, I hope you know that we won’t let Nila be hurt. I don’t care what the alpha thinks is going to happen, but if by some small chance Damien beats you, I won’t let her be taken against her will. She’s human, and not bound by the mating laws.”

  Malachi felt some of the tension leave him. Not much, but some. “Thanks, Acksel.”

  “Hey, our women are friends. Brynn wouldn’t let me live it down if I let her friend be hurt. Besides, she thinks of you as a brother, and that means we’re family as much as we are pack members in my mind. Family sticks together.”

  Malachi nodded. “I feel the same way.”

  Grabbing his shirt and jacket from where they’d landed in the snow when he tossed them aside during training, he jogged around the corner of the house and headed to his SUV. He glanced at the clock on the dash, surprised to see it was after one. He’d head home, shower, change, and then pick up his mate and son. They had to leave early so they could make it to Dorlan by sunset.

  In a few hours, he’d be facing off against the male who had terrorized his mate. He would set her free and then bring her back to their home, where they’d celebrate his win with a tumble in the sheets. It sounded like an excellent way to enjoy her first night of freedom.

  * * * * *

  Malachi held Nila close as he sat in the second row of Sam’s SUV. Acksel was in the passenger seat while Sam drove. In two more vehicles behind them, six more protectors and Dade were traveling with them. Nila shivered, and he hugged her closer.

  “It’s going to be fine,” he whispered to her.

  She looked up at him and fisted his shirt. “I don’t want you to get hurt because of me.”

  “It’s a given, sweetheart. But I’ll take whatever he dishes out to make sure he leaves you alone.”