He continued to hold him and kiss him softly as he and Max both came down from their lovemaking. Their hearts beat in unison, and their breath gradually calmed, and the moment was perfect.
Henrik wanted to stay like that with Max on his lap with his cock buried inside him, feeling the warmth of home with the touch of his mate. Max was the first to move probably because the cum on his front was beginning to cause discomfort.
Henrik loosened his grip slightly but did not release him, he couldn’t, not yet. Reaching to his left, he grabbed several tissues from a box there and began cleaning up Max. Max made a move to take the tissues, but Henrik refused. “Let me do this. I’ll take care of you.” He said.
Henrik let his now softening cock slip out of his sweet mate’s lovely hole and moved to slip Max’s jeans back up and into place. He finished cleaning him and tucked him gently back inside his jeans and closed them.
“I should get off you,” Max said while resting his head against Henrik’s shoulder.
“You’ll stay right where you are. I need to hold you for a while longer.” Henrik dictated and wrapped his arms around Max, pulling him close and rubbing his cheek against Max’s. It was the wolf in him determined to mark their mate every way that was possible.
“I’m sorry I’m being such a bother,” Max stated and pulled back from Henrik’s shoulder but glanced away as if embarrassed.
Henrik held Max and forced him to look at him. “You’re no bother. I’m glad to be here for you. I will always be here for you.” He punctuated that statement with another ravenous kiss that left no doubt as to whom Max belonged to.
Henrik’s phone went off, and he pulled it from his pocket, seeing that it was Derek, he answered. “I got him,” Derek announced. “It’s Taylor Bond, one of your housekeepers. I’m bringing him in now.”
“Thanks, I’ll meet you out front.” Henrik closed the call and turned his attention back to Max. “Derek caught the guy who has been harassing you.” The moment he said that, a light came on in Max’s eyes.
“I wasn’t hallucinating.” He said with relieved finality.
“You weren’t hallucinating.” Henrik followed with determined finality. He helped Max to his feet and then stood. He tucked himself in before taking Max’s hand and heading for the door.
“Who is he?” Max asked as they left the side room and entered the outer living area.
“A young man who works here as part of the household staff,” Henrik stated. “Derek’s bringing him around front.” Henrik draped his arm over Max’s shoulder and as they made their way to the front yard.
Taylor was fourteen, and the younger brother of one of the men Henrik had banished from the Pack. A group had started causing trouble and fomenting insurrection, and he had no time for such bullshit in his Pack. He eliminated the leaders and banished every follower and supporter of which Taylor’s brother was one.
It was likely the situation at hand was tied to the previous Pack purge. Too bad, Barnaby, the house manager, had vouched for the boy and convinced Henrik to give him a chance and let him work at the Mansion. Taylor had betrayed his Alpha, but more than that, he betrayed the only person willing to stick their neck out for him. He also put a pall on all the families of men banished. Each of them would now carry the shadow of Taylor’s betrayal.
They stepped off the front porch just as Derek rounded the side of the building dragging a frightened Taylor with him while Leo brought up the rear. Henrik stepped up to them as they approached, and Leo moved to stand by Max.
Derek grabbed Taylor by the back of the neck and forced him to face Henrik. “He sent the texts and then snuck into the bedroom and erased them. He was also the man on the beach. I caught his scent when he shifted in front of your mate. I found him hiding on the cliffs, probably planning his next attack.” Derek completed his report in his usual flat, emotionless manner. It tended to unnerve people, but Henrik knew that was Derek’s intent. Taylor was shaking so badly that he couldn’t speak.
Henrik just stared at the boy and waited for an explanation. It took several minutes before he was able to speak, and his voice was weak and cracked when he tried to speak. “I didn’t know he was your mate, sir. I thought he was just a boyfriend. You took my brother from me, so I wanted to take your boyfriend from you.” That was the boy’s explanation. Henrik did not respond just continued to stare.
“I’m sorry.” He added, and Henrik didn’t doubt that he was, but sorry wasn’t going to cut it.
“Was your intent to kill my mate?” Henrik spoke with thunder in his tone, and Taylor visibly recoiled and tried to duck his head, but Derek kept him in place with his face to his Alpha. Taylor was not running away from this.
“No, sir.” He quaked, but his words held urgency. “I was paid to scare him into leaving the Pack lands. I got satisfaction from being able to take something from you and was also paid for my trouble; it seemed the perfect setup.” He wasn’t trying to lie his way out, and Henrik respected him for that.
“And why do you think this person who paid you would want my mate off Pack lands and away from me. Why would they want him alone and vulnerable?” Henrik saw understanding dawn in Taylor’s eyes, but his patience was getting thin, and he wanted to know who hired Taylor before he passed judgment on this boy.
“They wanted to hurt him,” Taylor said, and Henrik nodded.
“They want to kill him, Taylor, and you were helping them.” Henrik made the situation crystal clear and also demonstrated his disappointment in the actions of someone he had allowed into his home by pushing his anger onto the boy and letting him feel the rage of an angry Alpha. “Was it Raymond Russo who hired you?”
“No, his name was John Kriss. He was big with a shaved head, and he was a jackal.” Taylor was falling apart, but Henrik felt no pity for him.
“Raymond’s driver,” Leo stated. Henrik felt the rising confusion and fear coming off his mate. Max was afraid but not for himself; he feared for this boy. Then he heard it just a faint whisper, but it was filled with distress.
“Don’t hurt him, Henrik, he’s just a kid.” Max said from behind him, his voice tight with emotion. Henrik continued to glare down at the boy held motionless in Derek’s grip.
“Those words just saved you.” He said intent on making this boy understand the severity of his crime. “Remember those words and remember who spoke them.”
At that moment, everyone’s attention was drawn to a car driving towards the Mansion. It was a small nondescript vehicle with plenty of rust and rattle.
“My car.” Max erupted and made to move towards it. Leo held him back with a hand on his arm. They watched as it came closer and parked next to the curb about a hundred feet from where they were all standing. Henrik watched as his enforcer Javier got out and closed the door behind him.
“I found it parked on the main road not far from the gate. Doesn’t appear to have anything wrong with it apart from the ravages of age of course.” He gave a small smile and started towards them.
Max shook off Leo’s hand and hurriedly approached his vehicle, anxious to check it out. Henrik looked over and saw a man standing at the corner of his home, watching Max. The recognition of this man and the awareness of what was happening hit him, and he tore after Max.
“Stop, Max, stop.” He yelled as if his life depended upon it because it did. If anything happened to Max, he knew he would never be the same man and would likely not survive the loss. It was the way with Alpha’s; they were powerful and fierce in every aspect of their existence, including their passion. To lose his mate now would be to lose his heart and his center and his reason.
Max stopped and turned back to him just as the car went up in an explosion that rocked the earth beneath their feet. Henrik flew through the air and landed on top of Max, bringing him to the ground beneath him. When the air cleared, Henrik sat up and stared at the far corner of the building just as the man turned to run. “Derek! Zayn!” He shouted and took off after the stranger. Derek eyeballed
his mate to make sure he was okay, then tossed Taylor to Javier and quickly followed his brother and Zayn into the backyard.
…
Max rolled over just as Henrik disappeared around the corner of the house. Leo rushed over and helped him to his feet. “Damn, that was my car, Leo.” He said not sure what had just happened, but seeing his vehicle a smoldering heap caused him to shudder at what might have happened if Henrik hadn’t moved so fast.
“Come on.” Leo urged and grabbed him by the arm, hurrying him along. “They’re chasing someone.” He added, and the two of them ran for the back of the large house. Javier tossed Taylor to Barnaby with a stern warning of, ‘don’t let him go’ and followed the others.
Max couldn’t believe what he was witnessing when they came to the edge of the lawn that leads to a path down to the beach below. There below them fighting a vicious and bloody battle were beasts, horrifying wild beasts. He turned away, and Leo caught him and turned him back.
“This isn’t what you think, Max. Nothing to be afraid of here, and you aren’t hallucinating.” Leo was not afraid, he was worried that was evident, but he was not frightened by the scene below them. “They’re shifters, human and animal. Raymond’s driver is a jackal shifter, and most of the muscle he has hired to harass us have been jackal shifters. They’re ruthless and will do anything for a dollar, according to Derek.” Max felt his mind spinning as he listened to Leo and watched the blood bath on the beach.
He reeled backward when the largest of the beasts, a black wolf of sorts, rose up and destroyed two of the twisted, nightmarish looking creatures. The large beast appeared to look right at him after the carnage with blood dripping from his fangs. Max felt his eyes upon him and could not stand there a second longer. He wrenched his arm away from Leo and ran for the house. He wasn’t sure where he was going, but he had to get away. This couldn’t be real; his mind was shattering; he was going insane.
…
Henrik saw his mate on the crest of the hill looking down at the slaughter with terror clearly present in his expression and stance. He was confused and once again questioning his sanity. Henrik didn’t have time to deal with it now, so prayed that his mate was strong enough to endure until Henrik had eradicated the threat.
Seven jackals had entered from the beach, having overpowered and gravely injured the guard. Rory was still alive; Henrik could feel his life force, but he was fading. The intruders needed to be finished immediately. The one who set off the explosive in Max’s car and appeared to be the leader, was making his way from the brawl. He was angling to get away while his soldiers stood and paid the price. Jackals were heartless, especially the leaders. They valued nothing; they honored nothing.
Derek and the others were making short work of the remaining jackals, so Henrik made it his focus to take out the man who nearly destroyed everything. If Max had gotten any closer to that car, he would be dead right now. With that thought in mind, he leapt onto the man-beast as he darted to the left and made for the east end of the beach. It was the way they came in, and no doubt he had a car waiting for him there. He had half shifted back to his human form before noticing Henrik and tried to regain his beast before Henrik took him down, but he was too slow.
Henrik sliced across his chest, laying him open. The man continued to try and shift, but he was too weak to complete the physical change. He came at Henrik charging in an attempt to bring him to the ground with the weight of his body. But a jackal, even a massive beast like this one, was no match for a black wolf Alpha. Black wolves were larger and meaner than any breed on the planet, and no mere jackal could equal.
He moved to the left, and the jackal glanced off his side to stumble and drop to his knees. Henrik went in for the kill taking him by the throat and twisting his head backward until it snapped. Henrik continued to twist until the head broke away from the body, which dropped onto the sand. Henrik stood and dropped the head between the thing’s legs. He looked up the beach and saw his men gathering the bodies there for disposal. Derek and a couple soldiers were coming down the beach to meet him.
Henrik ran over to Rory, who was severely hurt but thankfully still breathing and lifted him into his arms. “We’ll get you set to right, don’t worry.” He comforted his guard until he handed him off to one of the soldiers who would take him to Dr. Abrams.
Derek glanced towards the remains of the jackal just down the beach from where they stood. “The driver?” He presumed, and Henrik nodded.
“Yes, large bald-headed man as was described. Raymond’s driver was a jackal and was probably how he managed to hire so many such creatures.” Derek motioned for one of the soldiers to take care of the corpse while he and Henrik headed back to the Mansion.
“There has been no sign of Raymond either here or in Chicago,” Derek commented. “Maybe he set these guys lose just hoping to do as much damage as possible and then took off.” He speculated.
“I wouldn’t doubt that Raymond would take off without a care to the mess he’d set into motion. But let’s not let down our guard not until we know for sure the fight is finished.”
“The Russo brothers have helped to point out some of our weaknesses both here and at the Hotel.” Derek threw out there for consideration as they climbed the back porch and stood looking out at the water.
“I’ve been too lax in our security, not taking into account the fact that there are people who don’t know us and don’t realize that to attack us is sure death. I have leaned on my reputation as a black-hearted killer to keep the intruders away.” He said, and Derek barked a laugh.
“The world is getting larger by the minute, and our place in it has to be protected.” He turned to Zayn, who was approaching the porch. “I want the beach secured at all times, and I want the men armed with whatever is the latest deterrent to paranormal invaders. Silver bullets, sedative darts, mystical amulets and shields, long knives, short swords, whatever they need to do their job.”
“Yes, sir.” Zayn smiled. He’d long wanted to get up to speed with the paranormal hoodoo that was currently in play. Zayn came from a long line of magically inclined Dire wolves from the mists of the British moorlands. Magic was in his blood.
“You’re playing with fire.” Derek smiled. “Zayn’s just been waiting for his chance to pull us all into the lore of the moorland myths. He’ll have us wearing hex bags and shouting curses at our enemies.”
“You’ve got the cursing down pretty good already, Derek.” Zayn shot back good-naturedly. “And there is nothing wrong with a good hex bag. He reached into this shirt and pulled out a small leather pouch on a leather cord. Never leave home without it.” He laughed.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Max knew that Leo ran after him when he took off for the house, but he couldn’t stop until he reached his room and sat down on his bed. For some reason, he felt safe inside secure in this room with its four walls and no shifters. He saw Leo at the door and motioned him inside.
“I know this is a lot to take in. It was for me too when Derek told me who he really was and who his people are. It’s mind-bending, I know, but it’s real.” Leo sat down next to Max but did not touch him. Max turned to look at him with an expression of absurdity.
“I’m pretty sure I’ll be waking up in a hospital soon, and all this will have been a dream.” He turned to stare at the window that looked out onto the beach, but he couldn’t see anything from his seated position. He didn’t want to see anything.
“You’ve completely healed, no marks inside or out remain. Don’t you wonder how you healed so soon from the extensive injuries you had? It’s only been two days since you stumbled into the lounge right into Henrik’s arms.” Leo was being careful and succinct in his words, not wanting to upset Max.
“Maybe it wasn’t as bad as it looked.” Max offered weakly. He knew how bad he was and how he felt that first time he woke up to stare into the most wonderfully adoring deep blue eyes and felt the most tender of touches.
“You were near death until Henrik
healed you.” He said with all the bluntness of a slap.
“How?” Came the abrupt one-word response.
“He’s your mate. Fate brought you here to him, you belong together.” Leo blurted. “I can’t say any more than that except listen to him and open your damn mind for once. Not everything is black and white, and in perfect order, all smooth with no frayed edges, sometimes truth and reality are messy as hell.” They both turned towards the doorway when they heard something and saw Henrik standing there.
“I’ll leave you now, but please, Max just listen.” Max nodded and patted his brother’s hand.
“I will.” He nodded again and looked up at Henrik. “I will.” He watched as Leo got up and left the room. Henrik moved to let him pass and then stepped into the room and closed the door.
“May I sit with you?” He asked, and Max nodded. Henrik walked over and took a seat close to him on the edge of the bed. They sat in silence for several minutes before Max spoke.
“What’s going to happen to Taylor?” Max remembered the young man who tormented him and set in motion his belief that he was crazy.
“He’s being held in a cell on the basement level. His parents have been notified of his crimes, and they are on their way to see him. His punishment has not yet been decided.” Henrik spoke like a leader, concerned but not emotional.
“What happened to my car? Also, thank you for saving my life again.” He added the last with a small smile. Max looked at Henrik, marveling at how good he looked. He was wearing another crisp cotton shirt and black jeans and black boots. If he hadn’t seen it with his own eyes, he wouldn’t believe the man had looked a near beast, covered in blood and in the middle of an inhuman battle just a short while ago.
Alpha: Bay Harbor Wolves Vol. 2 Page 7
