Joe rounded up Ringo and several others. “Let’s go see who is on that plane.”
“Samuel and I are going to get Kat and Julie. They aren’t in the house but I know where they are.” He glanced at Cactus and Sara and knew they’d be coming too. He looked out over the other lycans. “Take the house, men. Round up as many as you can and be careful.”
Using the preternatural speed of their kind, Gabe, Sam, Cactus and Sara took off running through the woods. The others didn’t know exactly where he was going and he couldn’t really tell them that he was simply following his heart. Suddenly they broke into a clearing where a small cabin stood. Several men lolled about at the entrance until a lycan with long, pale hair stepped outside.
“Get ’em,” Gabe growled low.
Sara and Cactus immediately shifted into their wolves and rushed them. The outlaw lycans stripped as they ran, shifting into their wolves some bursting out of their human garments leaving scraps littering the ground. Cactus and Sara met them in lethal battle as other wolves, lycans from the Hellfire pack crept out of the woods. Sam and Gabe braced themselves to shift if necessary but they had to get inside that cabin first. Suddenly the door flew open and two naked women rushed outside.
“Kat!”
As one, Samuel and Gabe ran forward. Gabe wrapped his arms around Kat and she screamed. “It’s me. I’ve got you.”
“Oh my gods! Gabe.” She pressed herself to him, shaking like a damn leaf, trembling so hard he wondered what held her together.
Gabe glanced over to see Sam stripping the shirt from his body and whipping it over his sister’s head. She clung to him, crying as Sam did the best he could to comfort her. He looked like he wanted desperately to kill somebody and Gabe understood the feeling. Once he peeled Kat from him, he reached for the hem of his tee shirt but Kat whirled away. “No time!” She yelled the words as a pale wolf with startling blue eyes loped toward them, fangs bared. Kat’s curls whipped up around her head, whirling crazily. Her face was eerily calm. “Stop!” She flung out her arm as she yelled the single word. The wolf yelped as he flew backward but he got up again. Gabe stepped to Kat’s side offering what emotional support he could. The waves he sent her way were calm, comforting, supportive, proud. Yes, proud. Damn but he was proud of her.
A tiny, slightly scary smile, lifted her lips but she didn’t look his way. Again, there was simply no time as the huge wolf hunkered low and snarled. His fangs snapped as he vibrated with rage. “Fly,” Kat cried and the wolf lifted high, twisting in the air before being flung by Kat’s power into the side of the cabin. He lay motionless after impact and Gabe raced forward, unhooking a pair of handcuffs from his belt as he went. Gabe watched the unconscious wolf shift back into his human form and wasted no time in cuffing his hands behind his back.
He turned to his naked mate absorbing her utter fierceness. Possessive pride and love bolted through him. She seemed not to realize she was naked. Bless her warrior heart! Gabe yanked the tee shirt over his head and pulled it into place on Kat’s body. Finally she seemed to shake herself from the trance she’d fallen into and looked at him.
Tears instantly filled her eyes and he could feel her absolute exhaustion. “Gabe,” she whispered. “Oh, Gabriel.”
Gabe pulled her close. “I’ve got you, darlin’. You just lean on me now, okay?”
Off in the distance several men lay on the ground, defeated in battle by Cactus and Sara, who looked positively bloodthirsty for such a pretty little thing. They were both naked and in human form again. Splashes of red streaked across Sara’s face and chest and Gabe averted his gaze when Cactus pulled his warrior mate into his arms.
Samuel Rainwater sat on the ground cradling his sister in his arms as she wept. Julie, small and delicate, clutched at her brother’s long, inky-black hair but he was oblivious. His eyes were closed as if his body simply couldn’t contain his relief. Gabe picked Katalin up and held her close as he approached the other lycan. “She’ll be all right, brother,” Gabe said. “Give her some time. We’ll help make her right again. All of us.”
Joe and Ringo walked out of the woods and into the clearing. Relief flooded their faces when they saw all was well and the women had been saved. “Good job, everyone,” Joe said. “I want some of you to round these assholes up. We’re hauling them back to west Texas where we’ll dispense pack justice.”
Every one of them knew it was tantamount to a death sentence. The deadly hunt could go on for hours but each knew the outcome was certain. Death by the pack. Though the hunt would be fair, it would be final for the criminals.
While the injured lycans were bound and hauled off to waiting trucks, Joe turned to those who remained. “Viktor, alpha of the Hellfire pack, and Dee are gone in my plane. A very slippery couple. They might be hiding out for awhile but I swear we’ll get them one day. For now, I’m just glad the ladies are safe. They are safe aren’t they?”
Gabe knew what Joe meant and started to speak but Kat did it for him. “We weren’t assaulted. Julie and I are both fine but this was sure a close call.” Katalin shivered from reaction and Gabe fought down his fury.
“What do you say we get these ladies comfortable for the night,” Gabe said. “Then tomorrow we’ll take them home where they belong.”
Joe clapped Gabriel on the shoulder. “Sounds like a good plan, Sheriff.”
Chapter Nine
Where on earth had all these women come from, Kat wondered as she sat in the living room of the house she shared with Gabriel. Her feet were at this exact moment, soaking in a warm vat of sudsy water while one of the Cloverfield women worked her nails over with a buffer. A couple of teachers from the high school were arguing about which nail polish she should use for tonight’s consummation between her and Gabe.
“I think she should do an American. Very classy, so elegant,” the sophomore English teacher noted. “She should definitely do that and it lasts a long time.”
The biology teacher jiggled a bottle of pale, pale pink color. “Uh-uh. Love this. It’s so delicate.”
Maria, Quinn and Joe’s housekeeper, marched up, a silver platter in her hands and arched a brow. “The American for her fingers. The pink for her toes. Now shoo. Off you go.”
The ladies laughed good-naturedly and headed back upstairs. Gods only knew what they were doing up there in the master bedroom and Kat was almost afraid to ask. They’d been running up and down the stairs for the past hour. Every lycan girl dreamed of her consummation night but never in her wildest imaginings had she expected all this attention. Maria smiled at her and held out the platter, which was piled high with a mountain of beautifully decorated chocolates. “Here you go, querida. This will settle your nerves. Breathe now, si? Just relax and let Maria take care of you.”
Kat picked up a fat chocolate and bit into it. She rolled her eyes as the flavor burst over her tongue. “Ohhh. Gods! So good.”
When Maria set the platter on a small end table within easy reach, Sara, Rayne and Quinn walked in carrying mimosas. A bright strawberry decorated the edge of each crystal flute. “I propose a toast,” Quinn said handing a glass to Katalin. The ladies lifted their glasses. “To a future filled with every happiness. And to a consummation night that is everything you dreamed it would be.”
Rayne sat on the sofa and leaned back. Her eyes drifted shut as she smiled sappily. “Um. I still remember mine. Wow. Ringo is such an animal.”
“Literally.” Quinn snorted.
Rayne tossed a throw pillow at her.
Kat listened to the chatter as her friends sprawled here and there around her. At the moment she sat bundled in a bathrobe and a white towel was wrapped around her hair. Sara moved behind her and after removing the towel, grabbed a comb and began to work it through the damp strands. “This is fun, huh?” Sara said for her ears alone.
“I never imagined.”
“Neither did I, considering the way we grew up. Our lives have really changed haven’t they? I haven’t had much of a chance to talk to you si
nce what happened a few nights ago.”
Kat thought back to the danger and craziness and suppressed a shiver. She never wanted to go through anything like it again. Sara moved from behind her. Quinn and Rayne fell silent as they listened. “I’ve never been more proud of anyone as I am of you, sis.”
“Stop. You’re gonna make me cry.” Kat sniffled as tears filled her eyes. “Never figured I’d make anyone proud, ya know?”
Quinn grinned at her. “You are a total badass. Everyone is town is telling stories about what you did out there. I’m proud of you too.”
When the manicurist stepped back into the room to finish the mani-pedi treatment, Maria returned to place a mountain of brilliantly wrapped gifts on the coffee table. “A pre-consummation party wouldn’t be complete without gifts.”
“Aw, you guys shouldn’t have done this.”
“Of course we should,” Rayne said around a bite of chocolate. “You only have one consummation, you know. It has to be memorable. That’s a rule.”
The afternoon rushed by. The house looked spectacular, the floors gleamed with cleanliness and the scent of flowers filled the air. Several of the ladies wished her well and headed out leaving only Maria, Quinn, Rayne and Sara behind. Maria handed her a gaily wrapped box. “Come on, Katalin. It’s time to open your gifts.”
Katalin sat in the comfiest chair and attacked the presents with gusto. By the time there was only one gift remaining, she’d received naughty undies, body creams, a hairbrush inlaid with mother-of-pearl and lush scented soaps. One gift remained and Sara picked it up and laid it in Kat’s lap. “From me.”
Opening the beautifully wrapped gift, she pulled out a length of midnight blue and listened to the gasps of the others. The truly spectacular nightgown was a totally sheer, ankle-length confection that featured a single satin ribbon beneath the bust in an empire style. A tiny matching thong completed the seductive ensemble. “Wow.”
“It will complement your fair skin perfectly, I think. And Gabe will love it.”
“I have not a single doubt about that.” Kat looked around the room at her friends as love for them blasted through her. “I don’t know how to thank you guys for this.”
“Just be happy, honey.” Quinn said. “That is thanks enough.”
* * * * *
Gabe walked through the front door of the house later that night figuring a florists’ shop had exploded in his living room. Flowers sat atop every flat surface along with candles that sent flickering light over the room. He walked up to the coffee table and ran a finger over the petals of a purplish flower. Ladies had taken up residence here for most of the afternoon so he’d purposely stayed away. He knew how they liked to fuss and his heart warmed that they’d done this for his mate.
He had cleaned up for the event as well, having borrowed one of the bathrooms at Joe and Quinn’s. He’d wanted to stay away and give them all their time together. Gabe bent down and hauled his boots off and removed his Stetson. Looking around to find a place to put this stuff that wouldn’t mess up the pretty scene, he finally moved through the darkened house and put his things in the mudroom out back. Gabe stopped in the kitchen as came back through and noted a wedding cake sitting on a round crystal cake plate. Bending over it, he smiled at the words Happy Consummation Kat and Gabe. Then he went to the fridge and found it stocked with food, no doubt provided by Maria who took such good care of Joe and Quinn. Warmed to his toes by the generosity these good people, he headed toward the stairs. A mess of flower petals were scattered over each step. As if he needed a path of petals to find his bride. He had only to open his heart and mind to find her.
Gabe’s heart tightened as he walked up the stairs, bypassing other bedrooms until he finally reached the master suite. Sucking in a breath, he opened the door to the big man-sized space and went in unsure of what he would find. He wasn’t a nervous man by nature but a flock of butterflies set up residence in his belly, beating away and reminding him that consummation nights were a first for him too and he sure as hell didn’t want to fuck anything up. Pray the gods he did this right.
More candles, all flickering their little wicks off, more flowers and a whole lot more petals were everywhere and some kind soul had turned down the bed to rain petals all over the pristine white sheets. Gabe glanced toward the closed bathroom door and sighed. His bride was obviously doing one more girly thing so he decided to leave her to it and headed across the room to the double doors leading outside. They had been left open to catch the night breeze so he stepped onto the sprawling deck he’d built many years ago. A heavy railing went across the length and near the right edge a double wide set of steps led to ground level. This little convenience was perfect for a shifter who liked to roam the prairie at night. Gabe leaned against the railing and looked out over the vast land. For the most part it was as flat as hell but off in the distance plateaus and buttes rose up to meet the endless sky. Tonight stars were scattered everywhere and to his way of thinking, they might be smiling down on them tonight. When had he become a whimsical man? Gabe smiled and drew in a breath of fresh air thinking that was most likely when he’d met and fallen in love with the sweetest little she-wolf north of the Rio Grande.
“Gabe?”
Gabe turned at the sound of her voice and leaned against the railing for just a second to catch his breath. She stood there in the doorway, candlelit from behind and wearing a darkly beautiful bit of fluff that he aimed to strip right off her gorgeous body the minute he could breathe again. Gabe saw her uncertainty and straightening from the railing reached out his hand to bring her close. He sent a long, lingering gaze over her, loving the way the darkness of the sheer material made delicious shadows on her nude body beneath. “You are the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen. Just stand here and let me look.”
Kat’s curls fell freely around her pale shoulders and rather than look the seductress she had a sweet innocence about her that did funny things to his belly, not to mention his dick. As she bit her bottom lip, looking so unsure of herself, his cock filled to harden behind his fly. Needing to chase away her uncertainty, he reached out to draw lazy little circles around her nipple and when it went hard, puckering tightly, his mouth watered for a taste. Just one. Gabe bent down, sending one arm around her, and took that sweet little gem into his mouth. With the tip of his tongue he teased and pressed that delicious bit knowing she would feel the scrape of the fabric against her sensitive flesh. A little cry left her lips as her fingers speared into his long hair. When she tugged incrementally, Gabe switched to the other breast and insinuated his thigh between her legs. Rubbing her hot pussy, he knew the combination of denim and the gossamer fabric would tease her, taunt her, and make her want more of what he planned to give.
Off in the distance, wolves howled a mournful tune and he knew that tonight pack justice would reign for the outlaw members of the Hellfire pack whom they’d captured. The news had purposefully been kept from his mate because no one wanted to mar her day. Gabe continued to manipulate her nipple as her breathing picked up, growing heavy and fast.
Stepping back, Gabe swept his eyes over her and reached for the flimsy straps holding her gown to her body. “I want to look at you in the moonlight.”
Kat went still. He reached for the bit of fluff, running his fingers beneath the miniscule straps to touch warm flesh. Dipping his fingers beneath, he lowered them over her shoulders and tugged at the satiny tie beneath her breasts. The garment shimmied to the deck to settle in a heap around her feet.
Gabe looked his fill. The scent of her filled his head and he knew there was no need for all those flowers everywhere. She was fragrant and perfect all on her own. Unable to resist temptation, he stroked her breasts and ran his hands over the curves of her naked body. A tiny scrap of fabric hid her pussy from him but he knew he had to touch. Reaching out he slid his thumbs beneath the satin-covered elastic, palmed her bare butt and traced a pearl encrusted decorative thing that nestled atop the shadowy crease of her ass. He trailed his f
ingers over it and Kat sucked in a breath, her eyes never leaving his face. “Pretty but I want them gone,” he said.
She stayed still, silently watching him and finally he dipped his thumbs into the front of the thong and tugged until it too slipped down her legs. Gabe drew his fingers over her slit finding the tender knot of her clit already swollen. Gently he plucked the knot and had the pleasure of watching Kat’s eyes drift shut.
“Gabe.”
“I’m here. I love how I can read every emotion on your face. Maybe I sound like a damn fool but I like watching your face when I touch you.” He stroked the damp flesh, continually circling and pressing her sweet, little clit until he pushed two fingers deep into her channel. Immediately, she whimpered. Repeatedly he stroked her, one hand settled at the tender dip of her spine. Kat shivered and trembled, gasping a breath and he knew she was close to the edge. Yes, it was only the beginning of what he planned for her but he couldn’t stop. Nothing was more important than her pleasure.
Kat rocked against his hand, her vaginal walls squeezing his thrusting fingers until the slippery flesh began to quiver with the beginnings of orgasm. Gabe crooked a finger, unerringly finding and pressing her G-spot. Kat’s head fell back as she moaned low, the speed of her movements kicking up a notch. She gripped his arms and hung on for the ride he gave her and when she flew apart, he caught her in his arms and carried her inside not stopping until he reached the side of the bed. “I can’t wait to fuck you, darlin’. All day long I’ve thought of nothing but how it feels to be with you.”
“Me too,” she whispered, sending her arms around his neck to hang on tight. Gabe kissed her hard and released her enough that her feet could finally touch the ground. When they broke apart, she reached for the mother-of-pearl snap buttons on his black, Western-style shirt and popped each one, following each undoing with the touch of her lips on his chest. Her warm breath rushed over him like a balm and unable to resist touching, he sank his fingers into her red curls. When the buttons were done and his shirt gaped open, she glanced down, frowning. “Where are your boots?”
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