by Cait Ashwood
Hound’s eyebrows drew together. “Why would it be different now?”
She stared at the water between them, not meeting his gaze. “Because it’s you.”
He had no clue what to say, but for the first time this evening he knew exactly what to do. He put his fingers under her chin and tilted her face up towards him, bringing his lips down gently on hers. He kissed her once and then paused, their faces a breath apart. She was just as still as he was, like they were both waiting for the world to end in the wake of their actions. When nothing actually happened, he reached for her through the water with his other hand, finding her hip and tugging her closer to him. The hand that had been under her chin slid down, wrapping behind her neck and drawing her to him, their lips meeting once more.
One kiss melted into ten, a hundred, and all he was aware of was the way she pressed herself against him, the small sounds she made in the back of her throat, and the fact that he wasn’t the only one clinging. She had a hand tangled in his hair and still couldn’t get close enough to him.
A flicker of light made him push her slightly away, his gaze alert as he looked around them. His eyes were drawn immediately to the sky, where ribbons of green light undulated against the black velvet of the night.
She stared up at him with wide eyes, brows furrowed until she followed his gaze. She turned in his arms to see the lights, her rapt attention on the sky. He rested his chin on her head and she backed into him, pressing herself in all the right places. He groaned but only pulled her tighter. She’s going to be the death of me.
“They’re so beautiful.”
“Mmhmm.” Though what he was staring at wasn’t the sky. He was staring at pale flesh in the moonlight, the smooth line of her neck, and the place where the water lapped at the skin of her chest. He couldn’t resist any longer, pressing soft kisses along the side of her neck, delighting in the surprised moan he drew from her as he worked his way up to her ear, nipping gently at her ear lobe.
She shifted in his arms, looking up and over her shoulder and reaching with her hand to bring his head near. He couldn’t refuse her, so he kissed her again, feeling the shiver roll through her entire body. Almost without thinking, he reached up to cup her breast which had broken free of the water’s warm embrace, trailing his thumb over her nipple. She shuddered in his grasp and he’d never in his life felt more possessive of a woman. It was sudden, shocking him so much that he opened his eyes.
Her normally gray eyes were now as white as the moon, emitting a soft light all their own. There was a scent in the air so intoxicating that it completely drowned out the sulfur of the springs, and though he’d been hard before, now it was nearly painful. Each movement of the water was agony; he had to get out of there.
“We should get you inside.” He almost didn’t recognize his own voice it was so deep, but she didn’t seem alarmed in the least.
“If you say so.”
He arched an eyebrow at her, gritting his teeth as she pulled away, turning to look at him face to face again. She stood on her tiptoes, pressing her breasts against his chest and leaning in for another kiss.
The growl that came out of him sounded less than human as he reached for her, picking her up by her hips and using the water to help hold her as he lined them up. When he brought her back into him, he was inside her and she wrapped her legs around him like a vice grip, her arms looped around his neck, her back bowed so her forehead could rest on his shoulder.
“I say so.” He let the rhythm of his steps as he headed towards the hut move them, teasing her almost as much as it teased him. Taking the shallower exit from the springs, he didn’t even bother to grab the towels as he hurried them inside, the cold air merciless on their wet skin.
It wasn’t long before he found himself tripping on the huge piles of blankets and pillows he’d lined the floor with and he grasped for the door frame, desperate to keep them from falling. The mortar crumbled in his hand and they were going down. She clung to him and he managed to land on his knees first, hands hitting the ground a moment later. She never even touched the blankets, wrapped around him like a second skin. Her face was flushed and as she tipped her head back and started laughing, it did something amazing to him as he was buried inside her.
“You okay?” He was panting, but terrified that he’d hurt her.
The laughter died off with a giggle or two and she loosened her grip. He lowered her the rest of the way onto the blankets and she stared up at him, cocooned in luxury with sex in her eyes.
“I will be.”
Her voice was deep and sultry and oozed seduction. He could take a hint. His lips dropped to her neck and his hand once again caressed her breast as he rolled his hips, trying to keep the pace slow. He couldn’t believe he was so close already; he was half convinced he’d lost his ever-loving mind. There was a haze in his brain and he couldn’t think straight, but god all it took was the sounds she was making, the flushed look to her face, and he was gone almost embarrassingly fast.
He rested his head on her shoulder, panting heavily and afraid to look at her. Her hands trailed lightly down his sides and he felt nothing but acceptance through the mark.
“It’s the pheromones.”
Sure it is. It’s called I haven’t been with anyone in nearly a decade, that’s what it’s called. He was waiting to go soft, but as the seconds stretched into a minute, it didn’t happen.
“Believe me now?” She was smug, and that so wasn’t going to work.
He pulled out, shaking his head. He lifted one of her legs, turning her so that she was half on her side, though her shoulders were still nearly flat. He pushed himself back in, groaning at the new angle. Her gasp beneath him was much more appropriate and he slid his thumb over her clit as he started thrusting again.
He lost track of how many times they climaxed, all the different ways he had her, and it wasn’t until dawn was breaking that they finally lay side-by-side in the tangled mess of blankets, both panting and too tired to move, that he was even aware of time passing at all. She shivered and he pulled her onto his chest, reaching out for a blanket that he draped over her haphazardly. She curled up on him, covering as much of him as she could. When she laid her head on his chest, he finally knew what heaven felt like.
He dozed off for a while until she got restless. She was moaning in her sleep, writhing on him. Still? This thing is relentless. His cock responded even though he had no clue where he was going to find the energy, but he shifted her just enough to get them aligned right.
He couldn’t believe she was still asleep as her body took over, her hips pounding into him in a merciless rhythm. He held on for dear life and was rewarded with the most amazingly surprised look as she finally woke up, clenching on him through the wave of yet another orgasm. She flopped back down on his chest, wrapping her arms around his neck and making soft little sounds as the aftershocks rippled through her.
He reached up and attempted to brush her hair out of her face. It was a tangled mess, but he wouldn’t trade it for the world. The fire had gone out sometime in the night, but she’d put out enough heat to keep them both warm. Sometime later, she forced open bleary eyes, bleary gray eyes.
“Bath.” Her voice was hoarse, and he was sure his was, too.
“Agreed.”
They stumbled out to the springs on legs wobbling almost too much to hold them upright. He helped her into the water, then slipped over the ledge himself. The heat did a better job of slowly bringing him awake, easing abused muscles. The steam rising off the water gave Audrey almost a magical glow as she went about the simple task of combing through her hair. Even looking at her now, it was hard to believe the night they’d had. Once they were cleaned off, he was going to get her fed, and then hopefully nap for most of the rest of the morning.
“You didn’t happen to bring breakfast, did you?”
He chuckled, wondering at how in-sync they were. “Yeah, there’s a basket in there somewhere.”
“Good.” She waded t
hrough the water to him, hand resting on his arm as she reached up to give him a kiss. Something on her chest caught his attention, and he pulled her closer.
Noticing his scrutiny, she looked down, standing on her tiptoes to reveal the area over her heart. Whereas his mark was bright, nearly white, with a wolf howling at the moon, the design on her chest was done in tones of brown. There was a she-wolf, paws placed carefully with one hovering in the air, head lowered and ears partially flattened as it stared out of her chest.
“So that’s what they meant.” She sounded thoughtful, not at all alarmed as she peered at her new artwork.
“What…how did that…does it hurt?” He was so confused and exhausted that he wasn’t making any sense at all, even to himself.
She smiled softly, shaking her head. “No more than yours does. This would be the ‘cementing’ Ellen referred to.”
Her calm seeped into him, gently easing away his fears. “I didn’t mean to do that.”
“See that? How calm you are right now?”
He pulled back slightly, nostrils flaring.
“Our connection through the mark is stronger now. I don’t have to guess as much anymore.”
Things that had happened throughout the night were starting to make more sense. He’d assumed it was a wacky combination of pheromones making them function simultaneously, but on some level, he’d known that couldn’t possibly be it. They were literally using the mark to communicate, wordlessly filling each other’s needs without even being aware of whose they were. It was surprising and, if anyone had told him he’d willingly subject himself to it he’d have called them crazy, but with Audrey, well. Maybe it wouldn’t be so terrifying.
“Hmm. Well, you should be getting the message that I’m starving.”
Her laughter was the best medicine on the planet and she splashed him playfully. “Grumpy before breakfast, huh? Let’s get you fed, then.”
He got the fire rekindled and they dried off and dressed properly. Audrey even removed some of the blankets and put the rest into an almost bench-like arrangement so they had somewhere to sit while they ate. It was a pretty light breakfast, just bread and soft cheese, but it was enough for now. Hound was cutting into the second loaf when a buzzing sound from beneath the pile of blankets in the corner rang out.
“That your coin?” Audrey had paused, a piece of bread halfway to her mouth as she stared at the corner with concern.
“Yup.” He put the loaf down and crouched, digging through the blankets until he finally found the coin. The second he touched it, he knew who was calling: Ace.
“The twins.” She’d gone white as a sheet and the bread dropped from her fingers. She stayed poised for all of a moment before bursting into a flurry of action, flying around the hut and throwing on shoes. She was ready in record time, nearly before he’d even had a chance to wrap his mind around the situation.
“Can you get us straight to the balcony?” Her eyes were wild and her panic spurred him into motion.
“I’ll have to stop within sight, but yes.”
She put her hand on his arm and he didn’t bother about anything else, just phased them away. He left his boots on the ground just long enough to sight the balcony to her quarters and then phased them once more.
“Audrey, let me—”
But she was already gone, flying through the doors and into the chamber, nearly slipping as she turned the tight corner to get into the nursery.
A whole wave of pheromones that weren’t hers assaulted his nose, and damn his body if he didn’t respond. He stalked in after her, moving faster than he’d like but she was already in the nursery, sobbing. If it weren’t for the waves of relief pouring off her, he’d have been nearly sick.
He had no clue how she’d done it, but she’d picked up both twins and had them cradled against her chest, relieved tears pouring down her face as she kissed first one head, then the other.
A door opened and Hound turned, hand on his dagger with the thing nearly drawn. Visual confirmation that it was Ace didn’t ease his aggression; if anything, it multiplied tenfold. Even while the rational part of his brain argued against it, he was putting himself between Ace and Audrey, his blade now bared.
Ace held up his hands, backing away slowly. “I get it, I do, but Gwyn needs her. I’ll back up to the door, just let her get in there.”
With the increased distance, it was easier for him to think clearly. For a second there, he swore he’d literally seen red. When Ace finally reached the door to the chamber, Hound stalked closer to him, keenly aware of every movement. Audrey had put the twins down and was wiping the tears off her face, trying to look around him at Ace.
“What’s wrong with Gwyn?”
He could hear the fatigue in her voice, but underneath it was that iron core of strength he so admired in her. He found that if he remained between them, the urge to chase Ace out was significantly less. What was strange was that Ace didn’t question his behavior at all. Did it have something to do with the Order and being struck?
“I’m not sure. She came last night to see the twins, then said she’d stayed too late, had to take her herbs while here. I was supposed to take her back afterwards. She said she’d be a bit loopy, but Audrey, she hit the floor. She’s hardly moved since. I’ve been checking on her constantly, but now, she’s—” He waved his hands loosely at the door to the bedchamber Audrey never used. She nodded curtly and disappeared inside.
Hound could finally breathe again and he sheathed the blade. His brows furrowed. “I’m sorry, I—”
Ace shook his head. “It happens. She called it a ‘biological imperative’ — some explanation for going all testosterone-crazy and defending your mate or something.” He was giving half an explanation, but his eyes were glued to the door Audrey had gone through. He wasn’t really paying any attention to Hound.
The men stood in silence for a while, finally pulling up chairs and sitting side by side as they watched the door. Eventually, Audrey emerged, looking even more exhausted. They both rose to their feet and Ace took a step forward before belatedly realizing that was a bad move. He stopped in his tracks and Audrey looked between them for a moment, seeming confused.
“Uh, she’s…well, it’s not great.” She shook her head. “The good news is, it should wear off in a few hours. The bad news…” she trailed off, pinning Ace with a pitying gaze.
“She’s already struck.” Ace dropped the words like a bomb.
Audrey nodded, resigned. “She said it’s all right, that you’re the only one she would accept anyway.”
Hound looked over at Ace. Dumbstruck was not a strong enough word to describe his reaction.
“Me? But, why me? We’ve barely ever spoken!”
Audrey frowned, her brows creasing. Hound couldn’t take it anymore; he took her his chair and poured her a glass of water, which she sucked down gratefully. He hovered near her, not used to these instincts. It was like someone had snuck in during the night and re-wired his brain.
“The best I can explain it, because our communication in the trance is hard to translate directly, is that you’re ‘safe’.” Audrey shrugged, looking apologetic.
Ace paced around the room, looking strung-out. “Why did this even happen? Weren’t the drugs supposed to put her out until the whole thing was over?”
“She left her stash at the Institute. She used herbs your mother had. Whether they weren’t prepared the same, or something else happened to them along the way, the effect wasn’t what she was expecting. She can move just fine, she just can’t feel what she’s doing to guide her movements.”
Ace pulled at his hair, looking like a wreck. “Don’t tell me you honestly expect me to go in there when she can move again and just…” He flapped his hands at the door.
Audrey glanced at Hound, which he found somewhat odd. Why does she need me to back her up? She’s got this.
“Ace, you have to. It’s inhumane to leave her unattended, and we can’t afford to lose her.”
&
nbsp; He paced a bit longer, eventually collapsing in a chair. “This is not what I wanted.”
“I know.”
Hound was hit with the poignant double meaning of their words. Ace was finally getting a dose of what Audrey’d been putting up with all this time.
Audrey sighed heavily, leaning back in her chair so her head was resting against Hound’s stomach. “You’re the only one she trusts that knows what to do, Ace. We can’t throw some green nobody in there; he’d be overwhelmed.”
Hound watched with more than a bit of humor the transformation that came over Ace’s features at the mention of introducing another man to the situation. His chest puffed up, he squared his shoulders, and his eyes narrowed, nostrils flaring as his body took in more oxygen in preparation for a fight. That’s probably what I looked like half an hour ago. Funny to observe in someone else, not so funny to feel. Ace stalked back into the bedroom, closing the door gently behind him.
Audrey sighed audibly in relief.
Hound arched an eyebrow. “You did that on purpose.”
She opened one eye and looked at him. “You’re an inspiration, what can I say?”
“Remind me not to piss you off. You’ll play me like a fiddle.”
She snorted softly. “Too bad it doesn’t work on Tops.”
Hound shook his head, rubbing at her temples. It really was odd, knowing every detail of her emotions, where she hurt. He hadn’t even realized she had a headache until he caught himself at the massage. He focused on the connection, found exactly where to apply the pressure, and was rewarded with a sigh of relief.
“I should probably take the kids to the Tower while they’re--” she waved a hand towards the closed bedroom door. She didn’t want to get up, he could feel it, but her children tugged at her.
“Want help?”
She turned, pinning him with an inquisitive stare. “You’d do that?”
He raised an eyebrow at her. “I did have a younger sister, you know. I’m not completely inept.”
“Always full of surprises.”
26
