by Tasha Black
What were they going to do about Sadie?
Ainsley was pretty sure Ophelia would know whether or not Sadie would shift. But she could see already it was better not to ask.
Clearly, the Federation wouldn’t want to entrust a pack to an alpha who let one of her own into an out of town hospital in a coma.
Chapter 7
Erik made his way back out to the truck. When he got in, he realized the envelope with his ID and papers was clenched so tight in his fist it was crumpling.
He threw it on the seat next to him and looked over at it like it was alive. Son of a bitch. How was he going to do this?
It was probably best just to power through. He backed slowly out onto Main Street, and prayed the Millers’ house wasn’t up one of those ninety degree driveways he’d seen on the way in.
He passed a Rite Aid - the first sign of any franchise. Without any fanfare, the little town ended and he was following the creek around a curve on Main. He turned left over a bridge - more the suggestion of a bridge, really, hanging merrily above the creek without guard rails or expansion joints. The side of the mountain edged so close, it was practically touching the passenger side door. On the driver’s side, the creek separated the road from a row of 1920’s bungalows. He passed the Millers’ house and circled around taking another small bridge to get to it.
He squeezed into a small spot in the front of the house, right along the retaining wall for the creek. Erik tried not to imagine all the misfortunes that could befall the F150. Instead, he hopped out and climbed the stairs to the front porch of the little white bungalow.
A beautiful wooden bench and matching wooden swing faced each other on opposite sides of the porch. They looked handmade. In between them, an army of baby dolls and bicycles choked the grassy green astroturf rug.
Erik knocked gently on the front door. The sound of little feet inside thundered toward him.
“Ruth, Rachel, Zeke, only grown-ups get the door!” A woman’s tired voice cut through the hubbub.
The door opened with a click to reveal the speaker, LeeAnn. She looked to be in her mid-thirties, with light brown hair to her shoulders. To her credit, she was dressed and made up, with a clean sweatshirt and jeans. Erik wasn’t sure he’d be able get himself together if Ainsley were trapped in a mine.
Two little girls peeked around her legs. One sported two ponytails, the other had one.
“I’m Erik, Erik Jensen. The sheriff said you had a room to rent?” He tried to make himself look less imposing than usual and as a result probably came off a little weird.
“Oh, okay. Hi. I’m LeeAnn. Girls, please let go of my legs so we can show this gentleman the spare room.”
“It’s NOT a spare room. It’s MY room!” an angry little voice said from inside the house.
“Sorry about Ezekiel. He’s worried about his daddy. Are you in town to help with that?”
Erik swallowed past the lump in his throat, “Yes, I’m here to try.”
“Are you a drill specialist?”
Oh fuck.
“Nope, I’m a psychologist.” The lie was already getting easier. “When the men come out of the mine they may need help to adjust back to their every day life.”
She nodded, looking about as sold on the concept as he was.
After an awkward moment she said, “Well, come on in. We’ll show you the room.”
Erik followed her into a small but immaculately clean living room. A large, boxy television showed Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
LeeAnn led him down a small hallway and up a steep flight of stairs. Oddly enough, the upstairs reminded him of his own house.
In the first bedroom, a teenaged girl with a blonde ponytail and large glasses sat on a double bed, her nose in a book. Catcher in the Rye. Ha. Erik had loved that when he was about her age. Fifteen going on thirty.
“Mom, could you knock?” she cried.
“Mary, this is Erik Jensen,” she turned suddenly to Erik, who nearly fell down the stairs. “Or is it Dr. Jensen?”
“Erik is fine.”
“Dr. Jensen is going to be staying with us a while,” she continued. “He’s here to help with the mine.”
“Okay,” Mary said with a hint of incredulity as she studied Erik’s outfit.
“Good book,” Erik said.
Mary peered at him suspiciously through the glasses, no doubt scanning the comment for sarcasm, then slowly nodded. “Yeah, it’s alright.”
LeeAnn had already headed through the adjoining door to the second bedroom. Erik followed.
The room was simple: a bed with a Star Wars comforter, a dresser, a built-in bookshelf over the window covered with action figures in homemade dioramas.
“Give me half an hour to clean up and bring fresh linens and it’s yours,” LeeAnn said. “Twenty-five dollars a day and I’ll give you breakfast.”
“I don’t want your little guy to lose his room,” Erik said. “I’ll pay the same to sleep on the couch.”
“Doc,” LeeAnn smiled sadly. “I wouldn’t share this, except I know in your line of work you’ll understand. Ezekiel feels like he’s the man in the family right now. So even though he’s scared with his daddy gone, he can’t ask to sleep with his sister. You being here to take the room is a godsend, believe me.”
Erik nodded, not trusting himself to speak. After all, what could he say? He tried to think of a way to deflect the conversation, but his hesitation quickly grew into an awkward silence.
“I’ll go grab a few things in town - be back in an hour, okay?” he said finally, walking through the door and remembering too late that there was no hallway and he was in Mary’s room again.
“Sorry, Mary! I forgot to knock,” he said.
“That’s alright, Erik,” she replied, adjusting her glasses self-consciously to peek at him from behind her book, then looking away quickly with reddening cheeks.
Perfect. A school girl with a crush.
Why did the universe seem to be conspiring against him at every turn?
Chapter 8
Ainsley paced the covered back porch of her childhood home, waiting for Cressida.
She had always loved the peacefulness of the backyard, with its tall trees and white picket fence, but tonight Ainsley couldn’t relax. The late afternoon air was crisp and cool. Sunset was coming earlier and earlier as the seasons changed. Soon it would be dark. They didn’t have much time.
Javier was raking leaves. The rhythm of his raking had subconsciously adjusted to match Ainsley’s pacing. His muscles bunched and stretched under the white t-shirt of Erik’s she had given him to wear. With each sweep of the rake, red and yellow leaves swirled and settled into the gigantic pile he was accumulating on a burlap tarp.
Ainsley tried not to allow herself to pretend it was Erik out there. It was strange to be suddenly sharing space with a new wolf. In some ways she longed for privacy to mourn Erik’s loss. At least Javier was forcing her to focus on the present.
And he certainly was making himself useful.
Ainsley knew Javier was grateful to her for taking him in. He had been fixing odds and ends around the old house all day. She’d almost sprained her wrist opening the door to the third floor tonight. It had always been loose and needed a really good twist to open. Somehow Javier had coaxed the old bronze knob into proper alignment and now it turned firmly, like other knobs. Ainsley wasn’t sure whether to be thankful or worried.
What would he do when he ran out of household jobs?
She wondered if he was concentrating on housework to distract himself from the teasing pull of the moon. Though he had given Ainsley every hint that he wanted to serve her completely, she had so far refused him and evaded any questions about it. She didn’t relish telling him, or anyone, that although she was alpha, she wanted to be faithful to a mate who was gone, and wasn’t a wolf anymore anyway.
The moon pulsed and madly pulled at her , even though the sun diluted its light. Ainsley was frantic with worry about how she was going to
make it through the full moon without mating, but she pressed that feeling down, putting the pack’s needs first.
Just as she was ready to reach for Cressida through her bond as alpha, there was a clattering at the gate.
“Ainsley?”
“Hi, Cressida.” Ainsley turned back to the growing leaf pile. “Javier, please come talk with us.”
The young man laid down his rake immediately and jogged up to the porch to oblige her.
Ainsley sat on the bench of the picnic table. Cressida trotted up the porch stairs and stood, leaning against one of the porch columns. Javier stood respectfully in front of the other.
“I need your help tonight,” Ainsley said.
“Yes, my alpha,” Javier said quickly.
Cressida started to smirk, but then thought better of it and nodded coolly.
“One of our packmates, Sadie Epstein-Walker, is in the hospital in a coma. We need to get her out of there before the full moon tonight. We can’t have her changing in front of human doctors and nurses.”
“That sounds...difficult,” Javier said carefully. “What do you need from us?”
“Ophelia is expecting me to meet her tonight to run. I need a distraction,” Ainsley replied.
Cressida rolled her eyes. “Why am I always the distraction?”
Ainsley gave Cressida a stern look, then turned to Javier. “I need you two to meet Ophelia before she leaves Erik’s place and keep her occupied as long as possible.”
“Keep her occupied?” Javier asked.
“By fucking her, Einstein,” Cressida said.
“Oh,” Javier replied. “Wait... which one of us needs to do that part?”
“I’m not sure,” Ainsley said. “That’s why I need you both to go. I know she likes guys, but she seemed into you last night, Cress. She might choose either one of you.”
“Or both,” Cressida said lightly. Ainsley knew Cressida well enough to know that although she’d said it in a nonchalant way, it was wholly intended to make Javier nervous.
“Both?” Javier asked, trying hard not to sound surprised and failing.
“Oh, I’ve heard she’s a freak,” Cressida continued. “She might just get off on watching us do each other while she rubs one out in the corner. I’ll bet she packed the whips and nipple clamps for her little visit. Or maybe even a big-“
“Thank you, Cressida,” Ainsley interrupted, seeing no reason to put Javier any further off his game. Assuming he had one. Hopefully Ophelia would be so taken with his good looks and bountiful muscles, she wouldn’t care that much about his technique. “Are you up to the task?”
“Yes!” Cressida said immediately.
Javier studied Cressida with his serious eyes for a moment.
“Yes,” he said at length. “I think I’ll manage.”
For once, Cressida seemed to be caught off-guard. Ainsley tried to hide her smile as she turned to Javier.
“You’ve done this before?”
He blushed furiously and looked down at his hands, nodding once.
“Good. I will give you one piece of advice,” Ainsley said quietly. She waited, needing to know he was paying attention.
He looked up immediately with solemn eyes.
“The thing to remember with Ophelia,” she continued, “is that it’s all about Ophelia. Concentrate on making her happy, and it won’t matter how much or how little experience you have. Okay?”
He nodded again and she couldn’t resist tousling his hair affectionately.
“Good boy.” She smiled gently at him. “Thank you for helping me.”
His face was suddenly brighter and he managed to smile back.
“Come on, new meat,” Cressida said, jostling him slightly.
Ainsley smiled as the two of them ambled off in the direction of the gate. She wasn’t sure how much time they could buy her, but she planned to use every minute of it.
She slipped her phone out of her pocket and texted Grace to tell her the game was afoot.
Chapter 9
Cressida normally loved the full moon but tonight it was cramping her style. They weren’t at Erik’s house yet, and the ache in her pussy was already radiating out into her whole pelvis. They hadn’t even fooled around.
By this point in any other full moon, Cressida would have found someone to pound the life out of her until they were both satisfied half a dozen times over.
Fucking Ainsley Connor.
Cressida loved Ainsley.
Also she hated her.
The position of importance Cressida now held in the pack was awesome. Cressida especially liked having one over all those college weirdos.
But having to do stuff when she didn’t feel like it, or not do things when she did, sucked.
It didn’t help that the new kid was joined at her hip. Emotions were hard to ignore when you were a wolf, and feelings were rippling off of Javier. His chest was thundering with fear. But the heartless moon affected him anyway, and the scent of his lust poured off him in waves, pushing Cressida’s own need to the breaking point.
She gritted her teeth and looked over at him.
He met her gaze bravely. His chocolate brown eyes were luminous. Yes, he was afraid, but there was something else in his eyes too.
She winked at him and grabbed his hand.
“Ainsley was right, just concentrate on Ophelia and you’ll be fine.”
His hand was warm and dry and he squeezed hers back hard enough not to be a pussy, but not so hard that he seemed like he had something to prove. He nodded, but there was still something about the way he was looking at her. He turned away before she had a chance to think too much about it.
They were at Erik’s anyway. The grassy field by his house glowed with moonlight as they made their final approach.
Game time.
Cressida was suddenly at a loss about what would happen next. She handled it like she did every crisis - pounding up the porch steps two at a time to confront it.
Javier followed like a good puppy, his fingers still entwined with hers.
She let go of his hand to knock on the door.
No answer.
Cressida banged on the door again.
She waited three heartbeats, then strode on in. Ainsley wasn’t in there so she wasn’t worried about the knocking.
“Councilman Winter?” she called.
There was a sound of running water upstairs, and the whole house smelled like steak and some kind of perfume.
“I’m upstairs, come on up and get comfortable.”
Cressida shrugged and headed for the stairs. She could feel Javier following behind her. Though he was a liability, it helped a little to feel that she outranked someone here.
The smell of the perfume increased as they climbed the stairs. Once they reached Erik’s room, Cressida immediately began to undress. She was down to just a black lace thong & matching bra when she sensed that Javier wasn’t moving anymore.
She turned to catch him staring at her, deer-in-the-headlights style. He hadn’t removed a stitch of his own clothing yet.
Great.
She waved a hand in front of his eyes and he blinked, then she gestured to indicate his clothing. He blinked again, then shook his head and pulled the-shirt over his head.
Cressida hadn’t been planning to check him out, at least not until they got down to business. But now that she had to babysit him, she couldn’t help but notice his six pack abs and the shadow of silky black hair between his chiseled pecs. The tattoos on his arms drew your eye right to the widest part of his bicep. Nice.
He unbuttoned his fly. Then he pushed the jeans down his narrow hips. A pair of black boxer briefs peeked out.
Before Cressida could wonder about what was underneath, he looked up at her inquiringly.
She shook her head to tell him not to remove the boxers.
He straightened and held eye contact with her. There was an intensity in his gaze. His posture had changed from that of an earnest young boy to a man in charge
.
Shit.
The air between them was crackling. The moon took no prisoners.
Cressida knew that if she fucked him, Ophelia would know it, which wouldn’t be good.
That knowledge sealed her decision to do it anyway.
Suddenly, the water that had been running in Erik’s bathroom turned off.
Crap.
There was a bang as the door flew open and hit the wall, and then Ophelia was framed in the threshold.
She was completely naked. Water ran off her muscular frame in rivulets. She was very tall, and her height combined with her fierce expression gave her the look of an Amazon.
She paused dramatically in the doorway, then strode through and looked from Cressida to Javier and back. Her dark eyes narrowed.
“Ainsley thought you might want to take the edge off before your run,” Cressida said, hoping her voice sounded bored instead of scared.
“Yes,” Ophelia replied, “I’m just trying to figure out why she sent you two.”
Bitch.
Cressida was ready to throw down, super-alpha or no, but she could hear Javier’s heart thundering.
“If you prefer we can send for Tweedle-dee from last night,” she said instead. “Maybe he’ll bring Tweedle-dum to help.”
Ophelia’s stern exterior cracked and she gave Cressida a smirk.
“Let’s see how this plays out,” she said, circling slowly behind Cressida.
Cressida held herself motionless against every instinct. She could feel Ophelia’s eyes on her, making her skin suddenly hyper-sensitive. Ophelia’s hot breath grazed the back of her neck. One wet finger trailed down from Cressida’s neck to the middle of her back.
Suddenly Cressida’s bra was open. Ophelia was smoother than a high school football player.
Cressida took in the odd feeling of the undergarment going from being like a second skin to a foreign piece of lace drooping from her shoulders. It scratched against her nipples, which had gone instantly hard from the cool air in the room. She held her breath, waiting to see what Ophelia might do next. The pleasure of her anticipation surprised her.
