Wild and Untamed (Netherworld Series Book 4)

by Olivia Hutchinson

  “It's another chick flick, isn’t it?”

  “Yup.” She laid back against the arm of the couch and made herself comfortable by pulling her feet up next to him.

  He groaned and rolled his eyes. He was hunched back, long legs stretched in front of him. What she wouldn’t give to swing around the other way and press herself against his side.

  Lord, he was strong. He stretched, his muscles rippling. She swallowed. Whiskers darkened his clenched jaw. The muscles contracted and released as he stared, unblinking, at the television screen.

  Why couldn't she push away this attraction? It would be so much easier for her if he would just start belching the alphabet or something. Or if that annoying constant pull wasn’t there. She could ignore him and just wait out the days until she could leave his apartment, a free woman. Wouldn't it be wonderful if she could go a few hours without becoming hot and bothered because he got too close to her?

  She needed to get laid. Maybe if she had some sort of outlet, she wouldn't be affected. How long had it been? She’d been asking herself that more and more lately. She had to think about it. Years. It was time to think about getting cats.

  I'm a spinster.

  No wonder she wanted him so much. He was the tall glass of water after wandering the cockless desert for years. She needed to get a grip. Sleeping with him wasn’t an option, although wouldn’t it be nice? More than nice.

  Imagining his mouth on her skin, those whiskers scraping her sensitive skin, made her shiver. She bit her fingertip, imagining what it would be like to crawl between those long legs of his.

  What would he do if she lowered those shorts down on his hips? Would he lean back and close his eyes as she stroked him with her tongue? Or would he tangle a fist in her hair and pump himself into her mouth?

  She shifted in her seat, the throbbing between her legs quickly becoming uncomfortable.

  Mentally kicking herself, she forced her eyes to the television. She didn’t even like sucking on a dick that much. Why was that all she could think about? Why did she want to know how he tasted so damn bad?

  When he moved next to her, she startled.

  “What?” he asked her. His green eyes seemed dark as he regarded her and all her discomfort.

  Pressing herself against the arm of the couch, keeping as much distance between them as possible, she shook her head. “Nothing.”

  “You jumped.”

  “Did I?” Feigning ignorance sounded much better than admitting how much he got to her.

  “Yeah, you did.” His voice was thick but soft.

  He could probably smell how wet she was, she realized. Hell, he could smell everything else. Her face burned and she stared at the screen, unblinking.

  The next movie had started and Gerard Butler was arguing with Hilary Swank.

  The tension between them was suffocating her. She closed her eyes, willing it away and trying to slow her racing heart and mind. Her arousal was natural. She shouldn’t feel humiliated but she couldn't help it. She didn't want him to know how she felt, how he got to her.

  Kaleb cleared his throat. “We're five minutes into this movie and he’s already dead?”

  She let out a shaky breath, relieved for the abrupt change in atmosphere. “Yes.”

  “Why do you like these stupid movies?”

  “They’re not stupid!” she argued, sitting up straighter. “It's a touching story.”

  “The story is already over. He’s dead.”

  She shook her head. “He may be dead, but look, he's helping her from beyond the grave.”

  “It’s fucking depressing and stupid.”

  “We’re watching it,” she argued.

  He looked miserable, a frown plastered to his face. “Are you really going to force me to sit here and watch these stupid movies all night?”

  “Yes! You wanted to keep me company? Well, this is what we’re doing. It’s not like we can go anywhere.”

  Groaning, he shifted in his seat and moved further away from her. He was as quiet as the movie played, only occasionally making a grunt of irritation.

  “You can sit there and be miserable or you can try to enjoy the movie,” she told him after listening to him grunt and groan for thirty minutes.

  “I would say the same to you about your current situation.”

  His quick come back surprised her. “Touché.”

  She didn’t miss the lift of the corner of his mouth. Relaxed, she chuckled and watched the movie.

  His beast churned inside his chest, threatening to burst through his ribcage. Beth's heady scent filled the air until he had no choice to breathe through his mouth. But then he swore he could taste her.

  He didn't care what she made him watch, he wasn't paying attention to it anyway. His focus was on her. He hadn't missed the way she’d studied him, hadn't missed the desire written all over her.

  Every light gasp, every small adjustment in her seat, made him clench his jaw. He was trying to keep the beast under control and failing rapidly. The way the tip of her tongue touched her index finger as she held it between her teeth...she wasn't the only one struggling.

  His dick throbbed and, while her eyes were averted, he adjusted himself so she couldn't see his raging hard-on. His movement made her jump in her seat and he realized then just how on edge she really was.

  It was tempting to throw all his reservations out the window. More than tempting. They wanted each other. Neither one of them could deny the truth.

  When her face reddened, he realized just how much she was struggling with her own desires. In an instant she'd gone from sucking in deep breaths, her heavy breasts bobbing under her t-shirt, to being so tightly wound he honestly thought she may bolt. He didn't want her miserable because of how she was reacting physically toward him.

  He did the only thing he could think of: he picked a fight.

  And it worked.

  By the time the movie finished, Beth's mood had lightened significantly. He bid her goodnight and went to bed. He heard her move around a little before the door to Gabriel’s bedroom closed. It wasn't long after that he heard her soft snores through the wall.

  He’d managed to keep it together for her but he had to get a grip on himself now that he was alone. His dick was still hard, his beast still demanding he go into the other bedroom, grab her ankle and drag her to the bottom of the bed. He'd hold her hips, bringing her hot cunt to him, before burying himself inside her.

  He gripped himself, desperate to alleviate some of the desire raging within him. Maybe, just maybe, he could temper his own need.

  He could imagine Beth crying out, her moans filling the air around them as she allowed him to sink himself inside her, over and over again. He’d crawl over her, her thighs wrapping around him, beckoning him deeper.

  He’d bury his face in the crook of her neck, inhaling her scent. Canines erupted in his mouth as he imagined sinking his teeth into her shoulder. He exploded in his hand at the thought of breaking her delicate skin and making her his.

  With thoughts like these, he was in deep shit.

  Finally finding sleep, he dreamed of her. About what she would look like with her belly swollen, carrying his child. He woke up early the next morning even more disturbed than he'd been the night before.

  He was brewing a pot of coffee when she came out of the bedroom and beelined to the bathroom. It didn't take her long before she joined him in the kitchen. She plopped at the table, her cell phone in hand.

  “Coffee?” she asked him.

  He was already grabbing a mug to pour her a cup. “Done.”

  It didn't require super sensitive hearing to hear her stomach growl. Her brow lifted as she inquired, “Food?”

  "Cereal?” he asked, handing her the steaming mug.

  “Please.”

  He made them two bowls before sitting down across from her. They ate in silence. When she was done, she sat back and patted her stomach. She drained the last of her coffee before getting up and getting herself a ref
ill. She turned around a second later and topped off his mug as he finished eating.

  She sat back down across from him, sipping her coffee as she picked up her phone in her other hand. Hitting some buttons, she held the phone to her ear.

  He finished his breakfast and sat back, observing her as she made her phone call.

  “What?” he heard Lila’s grumble when the phone connected.

  “It's a beautiful day outside and you're wasting it by laying around and being lazy.” Beth smiled, looking at him. He was happy someone else was on the receiving end today or at least that’s what he told himself.

  “I'm up."

  “You were not. I just woke your ass up.”

  “So what if you did.”

  He couldn't help himself. If she wanted to torment Lila, he could torment her. Reaching across the table, he plucked the phone from Beth’s hand.

  “What the hell?” Beth demanded, standing up and trying to get the phone back from him. He jumped from the chair and ducked around her, going into the living room.

  “It's Kaleb,” he said into the phone. “I just want to let you know that your friend here is freaking nuts. I'm not going to tell you what she did.”

  Lila’s laughter greeted his ears.

  He was smiling internally when he scolded, “This isn't a laughing matter. She's insane.”

  Beth was right behind him, trying to reach for the phone but falling short.

  “Don't act like I can't hear you!” she yelled at him, jumping up.

  “Frankly, woman, I don't care if you can hear me or not,” he barked, backing away from her.

  Lila was still laughing. “You two just need to play nice.”

  Play nice? There was some playing he was thinking about, but he doubted it qualified as nice.

  “Huh. Tell that to your friend. It's her fault that—”

  Beth caught his wrist and jerked the phone away from his ear. He pretended to struggle with her as she wrestled, trying to get the phone out of his hand. If he didn't want her to have it, she wouldn't. But he enjoyed watching her determination.

  “I swear, he's so overdramatic,” she said when he finally let her take it from him. She backed away, but he stayed close so he could hear both sides of the conversation. “One chick flick and he’s freaking out. Last night I thought he was going to gouge out his eyeballs.”

  “It was more than one," he corrected her.

  “Please,” she said to him, rolling her eyes. “The big strong werewolf can't handle Steel Magnolias? Cut me a break.”

  “Beth, please ease up on him a little bit. You forget that he's doing us a favor,” he heard Lila say. At least he had one person in his corner.

  “And why should I make his life easy?”

  “Maybe because he's risking his life to keep you safe!”

  Beth rolled her eyes once more. “Yeah, okay. Make him out to be the hero.”

  He couldn’t help puffing out his chest just a little.

  “Really, Beth. Knock it off,” Lila said, annoyance in her voice. “Kaleb doesn't have to be burdened by you. He could easily kick you out on your ass and then where would you be? None of them have to be burdened by us. Gabriel doesn’t have to be burdened by me.”

  He caught Lila's tone at the same time Beth did. Kaleb's jaw tightened, and his eyes narrowed on the cellphone.

  "Oh. My. God. You fucked him, didn't you?"

  Anger clouded his mind. “What?” he yelled as Beth spun further away from him.

  What the hell was his brother thinking? It was hard enough for Kaleb to keep his hands away from Beth but his brother had been all but obsessed with Lila for years. He'd mate her if he hadn't already. He was a dead man walking if that were the case.

  “You have!” Beth's voice cut into his thoughts. "I bet you fucked the hell out of him!”

  Her laughter covered Lila's response but he knew what Lila had said as soon as he heard Beth's reaction. “When has it ever been none of my business? As your friend, it’s always my business to know who you're sleeping with. Hell, I knew you wanted to, I just didn't think you had the balls to go through with—”

  He snagged her cell phone, determined to find out from Lila whether his brother had mated her.

  “Hey! Let go of my phone!”

  Lila’s voice sounded through the phone as he tried to take the phone from Beth's hand. It wasn't easy since he didn't want to hurt her in the process. She managed to slip from his grip and take off into Gabriel's bedroom, slamming the door in his face.

  Heavy breathing sounded through the thin piece of wood as he stood on the other side in disbelief. She’d gotten away from him. He pounded on the door, knowing her body was in front of it. He wasn't about to force it open and hurt her.

  “I'm in front of the door,” Beth said, confirming what he already knew, “so don't even try breaking it down. You certainly don't want to hurt the woman you're supposed to be protecting, my big howling hero.”

  He growled, stepping away from the door. He wasn't going to verbally spar with her right now, not when he wanted to know precisely what Gabriel had done.

  He went into his own bedroom and snagged his cellphone from the bedside table. A minute later his brother's voice sounded over the line. “Hey.”

  “You slept with her.” It wasn't as much of an accusation as it was a statement of fact.

  “I did.”

  Kaleb sighed. “Did you mate her?”

  “I'm not discussing this.”

  It was like a slap in the face. Kaleb worked to quell the anger that was building inside him. His refusal to admit what he'd done was all the information Kaleb needed.

  Gabriel had screwed them all. Once the council realized Lila was human, council enforcement would take them both. The council would make an example of Gabriel, especially considering who their uncle was. Even Malcolm couldn’t stop his own nephew’s execution. They'd find out everything they want to know through him or her. Torture was extremely useful in these situations and the CE excelled at it.

  Who else had he told about what he was? Who had she told? One way or another, it would come back to him, to Beth, to Declan, to Natalie.

  The CE would come for them. One by one, they'd track them down, take them back to Boston and start their questioning until they were all finally executed for treason. The women would be used as leverage before being taken care of. Nothing more than loose strings needing to be tied up.

  Bile rose in his throat. Nothing could be done now. It was too late, their fates sealed.

  “Why didn't you tell me?” Kaleb asked him, his voice quiet.

  “I don't know.”

  He growled in frustration as his brother's lack of answers.

  “How's Beth?” Gabriel asked, cutting through Kaleb's racing thoughts.

  “Driving me crazy,” he responded, slowly. His chest ached at the thought of her being taken from him.

  Gabriel chuckled softly. “I'm sure she is. Be good to her.”

  Be good to her?

  He wanted nothing more than to stick his clawed hand through the phone and grab his brother by the throat.

  Be good to her?! You've killed her!

  His jaw clamped down, his fist was dangerously close to crushing the phone.

  “I have to go," Gabriel said abruptly after a second.

  Kaleb hung up without a word. He dropped his cell phone on his bed and stared at the wall of his room. It still smelled like lemon floor cleaner.

  Pacing the floor, he was at a loss as to what to do. What could he do? What would stop the domino effect?

  They could run but they'd be found out eventually. And what of Declan? Kaleb was sure Gabriel hadn't told him since he hadn't even told his own brother.

  Kaleb picked up his phone again and found Declan's number. He answered on the second ring.

  “We have a problem,” Kaleb said, his voice low.

  “Hold on,” Declan told him. Kaleb waited for a few moments before Declan asked, “What's wrong?”
<
br />   “Gabriel's mated.”

  There was a long silence on the line and for a second Kaleb thought Declan had hung up.

  “Thank you for telling me,” he said, not betraying a single emotion.

  The phone disconnected and Kaleb dropped his phone onto the bed. He wondered what was going through Declan's head. He was probably having many of the same thoughts Kaleb had.

  Out of everything to have come out of that morning, Gabriel mating Lila hadn't been on his list. Having to tell Beth she may never be safe now wasn't on his list either. Taking a deep breath, he thought of everything he'd been holding back from her. None of it really mattered now.

  He could be upfront with her. He could make it clear that he wanted her, that he'd wanted her since their initial encounter in his truck.

  Sighing, he realized he would also have to be upfront about everything else. Beth wouldn't be going home. There was no way he'd willingly let her out of his sight. When the CE came - which they would - they would try to take her and there was nothing he’d be able to do to stop it.

  He left his room and when he didn't see her in the living room, he went to Gabriel's bedroom door. Taking a deep breath, he knocked twice, preparing himself to face her.

  The image of the house she was saving up for flashed through his mind. The house was only the start of what Gabriel had taken from her. She'd probably argue with him but this time he wouldn't deliberately push her buttons. He'd lay out their situation in front of her and let her decide. He could give her that much control back.

  When she didn't answer the door, he knocked again, this time his ears straining to hear what she was doing. There was nothing but silence. No phone chatter, no soft snores. Just silence.

  He pushed open the door.

  The room was empty. There were no signs of Beth except where she'd left her bag sitting on the bed. It was open, clothes were strewn about on the bed.

  With a roar, he spun from the room. He knew exactly where she'd gone. He'd go after her and drag her back, kicking and screaming if necessary. Grabbing his wallet from the coffee table, he stopped short. The wallet was there but his keys were gone.

  She’d stolen his damn truck.