As the others started to surface, some men joined Neil around the counter and scrolled through their phones. Others sat down together to watch the morning news. A few wolves padded in and curled up on couches, not ready to face the day as humans yet.
Heath set down his mug and took the seat next to Neil. "Where's Benjamin?" the Alpha asked.
"I haven't seen him yet."
"I don't think we'll be going to the work site today, but the guys still need breakfast. Go wake him up."
Neil closed his book and left the counter. He didn't mind the way Heath led the pack, but sometimes his requests seemed to be just out of laziness. Months ago, when they had first split from Malcolm, Heath never asked others to do what he could take care of himself. But as he became more comfortable with his power, he’d started to grow into a more and more traditional Alpha.
Neil knocked on Ben's door. “Ben, wake up." There was silence on the other side. He knocked harder. “Ben!" When there was still no answer, he cracked the door and looked. The bed was unmade, and Benjamin was nowhere in sight. He checked the showers, but that room was empty too. Neil's brows knit together. He couldn't imagine where else Ben could possibly be.
"He's not there," Neil said as he sat back down in his chair.
"The fuck do you mean 'he's not there?'" Heath snapped.
Neil shrugged. “Could he be up already? When was the last time you saw him?"
"I sent him to Grace's last night to explain the prisoner situation. I figured he would have the most patience for her arguments."
"You didn't see him after sending him to her cabin?"
Heath shook his head, his eyes narrowed.
"Fuck." Neil knew exactly what that meant, and so did Heath. Neil wanted Grace. She was so easy to be around; she was fun and light-hearted. And gorgeous. Especially her long chestnut hair that curled around her face and hung down past her breasts. She was so goddamn sexy without trying.
"Calm down," Heath growled. "I doubt she's taken Benjamin as a mate."
"Like you don't care? I've seen the way you look at her."
"She can sleep with whoever she wants," Heath said. "Until she takes someone as a mate. I just want to be on the list. One night with me and she won't want the rest of you fools."
Neil laughed. "I'm sure everyone else in this room thinks that way too, brother."
When the Wildwood pack split from Malcom's New Haven pack, the wolves all decided, rather unconventionally, to have a certain level of equality between the Alpha and the rest of the pack. No wolf is richer than the next. No wolf has a better job. No wolf lays claim to a partner. The Wildwood pack paid every wolf equally, coordinated work, and shared lovers. In Malcolm's pack, he was king. Malcolm could claim any lover, and he chose the partners and mates for the rest of the pack. Heath's pack had come to a new agreement, and Grace would prove if they could live by it.
As if on cue, Grace and Ben walked into the lodge together. Ben walked directly to the coffeemaker while Grace was stopped by a few wolves eager for some affection. Completely unfazed by the group of animals, she knelt down and scratched ears and rubbed bellies until Benjamin interrupted her by handing her a mug. She stood up and gave Ben a smile. Neil wanted that smile.
She walked over to Neil and Heath. “Morning."
The men rearranged themselves around the counter, making a space between Heath and Neil.
"Thanks," she said to Neil. He nodded and rested his hand on her leg, squeezing lightly. Grace turned away from him to face Heath. “What the fuck, Heath?"
The Alpha choked on his drink.
"Why lie to me? If you knew from the beginning that you wouldn't be calling the police, why didn't you just say so?"
"Would you have helped me?" he countered.
"Nope. I wouldn't have wanted to be a part of this. I wouldn't have used my magic to help you."
"But you are a part of it. Witches are under attack. Your sister was a victim."
"Damn it, Heath, you lied. And your actions have consequences for me."
Neil jumped in. "Grace, we needed your help. We will not hurt him; we just need to get some answers from him."
"And you'll get these answers from him without hurting him? I'm sure he'll cave as soon as you ask him nicely." Grace’s cheeks flushed and she clenched her jaw. "Did you know his plans, Neil?"
Neil shook his head.
"Grace, I told you we would keep you safe. I need to know who to keep you safe from," Heath said.
"You'll have to be concerned for your safety if you lie to me again. I'm not one of your wolves."
"Noted." Heath choked back laughter, obviously amused by her threat. "I'm sorry, Grace. I'm just trying to do what’s best for your family and my pack."
"Fine," she said, staring into her cup of coffee. "Thank you for bringing me here."
Neil gave Grace's leg another light squeeze. “This will be all over before you know it. We'll let him go as soon as we find out who he is and what his motivations are."
Heath stood up and put an arm on Neil's shoulder. “Let's go," he said, pulling Neil's hand off of Grace's leg.
The two men left the lodge and headed toward cabin one. They had locked the prisoner inside and left a wolf standing guard outside the door.
Neil asked his Alpha, "How do you plan on interrogating this guy without hurting him?"
"I don't plan on killing him, but I won't keep my hands off of him, either."
"Fuck, Heath, the witches are going to lose their minds if they found out you lied to them twice."
"Grace will get over it. So will Eileen and Brianna. I don't think anything I do could please Cara."
"You're wrong. I'm not sure Grace will get over it. Remember all the bullshit about their goddess karma?"
"Well, protecting the pack is worth losing their trust and Grace isn't hurting him, I am."
Heath opened the door to the cabin and gestured Neil inside. The prisoner was still zip-tied to a chair in just his boxers. They'd taken his shoes, pants, and shirt in order to search him thoroughly and make it a little more unpleasant to run away. He didn't have anything notable in his pockets, just a box cutter and pepper spray. No wallet, keys, or identification of any kind.
"All right," Heath started, "let's start with a name."
"Fuck you."
"No?" He opened up the prisoner's box cutter. “Then settle in because I'm going to last longer than you are."
Neil had no desire to see what came next; he left the cabin as Heath took a step toward his captive. Fuck, this is what they had come to.
Later that night, Heath appeared at his office door. “Get everyone into the common room."
"Yup," Neil answered, setting off to collect the rest of the pack from their cabins. Something Heath could have done on his way to the lodge. Neil intentionally stopped at Grace's cottage last. He was happy to find her reading in bed instead of passing the afternoon with Ben.
"Grace," Neil said through the screen door, "can I come in?"
"Of course. What's going on?"
"We're having a meeting in the lodge; I think Heath is going to share what he found out from our attacker."
"Can I come?"
"Yeah, I'm here to get you."
Grace jumped off of the bed and slipped her shoes on. She was in a pair of leggings and wore a loose, sheer sweater over a black bra. Fuck. She was either completely oblivious to the fact that every wolf wanted her, or she loved the attention. Neil was pretty sure it was the former. Grace seemed too naïve and kind to tease an entire wolf pack on purpose. Neil could not take his eyes off her. He wanted to keep her here. Keep her for himself. Instead, he held the door for her and watched as she stalked ahead of him toward the lodge, her hair swinging behind her. The whole pack was doomed.
The men gathered around the dining table. Neil gave Grace his seat and stood behind her with a hand resting on her shoulder. Heath waited until everyone was seated. “Okay, our friend's name is Oscar. I don't know if I believe that, but his nam
e is the least of our worries. He is a speciesist piece of trash who thinks shifters and vampires, and I'm sure every other creature, should be exterminated? Segregated? Fuck if I know. Somehow though, he doesn't have a problem with witches. He thinks you're human."
"Has he read a biology book in the last forty years?" Grace asked. "We clearly have different DNA. We don't even have the same number of chromosomes! At least shifters and vampires are human with genetic mutations."
"I don't think the truth matters much to him. But I think that's how or why he had and his friends were chosen. They’re all part of some Human Supremacy club."
"Chosen? So there is someone else behind the attacks and they’re just the muscle?" Neil asked.
"I think so, but I'm not sure. Oscar isn't sharing. He claims that he doesn't remember anything after a few weeks ago. His club answered a Craigslist add for movers, and everything after that is blank. He claims he doesn't remember the address on the ad. And he claims he doesn't remember the attacks."
"Obviously, we need to spend more time jogging his memory," Sampson grumbled
"But how does answering a Craigslist add lead to wreaking havoc in Wildwood? How do they know who to attack? How did they know to have so many men ready the night we set our trap?" Grace asked. "And if his people are really cool with witches, then does that mean I'm safe?"
"I'm going to keep working him tomorrow, but I needed a break. And so did he. I still don't think you're safe, Grace. It doesn't matter if you're a witch or not; you're still the person who injured their men, got one kidnapped, and helped wolves."
Neil asked, "Why would Malcolm hire human supremacists? Why would they work for a shifter? Maybe the mission aligned with their values so it didn't matter who was giving orders?"
"Values?" Grace raised an eyebrow.
"You know what I mean," he said. "I was willing to believe that Malcolm would hire humans to attack wolves and punish us. Or attack witches and frame our pack to start some infighting between creatures. But I don't think he would hire human supremacists; he has too much pride to work with that kind of trash."
Heath nodded. “I agree. I don't think Malcolm is behind the attacks. However, I think we still might have good theories as to why the attacks are happening. The human supremacists would not have been happy that a new pack had come to town, so I do think they were targeting creatures to start some shit."
"How did you get all of this info, Heath?" Grace asked.
Neil couldn't see her face, but he could guess what kind of expression she wore, and Heath refused to look at her.
"Heath?" The other man still didn’t look at her and the others were staring at the table or some spot on the wall directly in front of them.
“Heath!"
"Stop, Grace," Heath growled, teeth bared. “I did what I had to do. For this pack. For you. I didn't enjoy it, but I would do it again."
"Fuck you. Do you break all of your promises? Or just the ones you make to me?" Grace was shaking; Neil squeezed her shoulder, hoping she wouldn't carry on this fight in front of the rest of the pack. Heath erupted with a roar and walked out of the lodge.
No one at the table moved until Neil spoke up. "Let's eat, guys." Everyone got plates and beers in silence, still uncomfortable after Heath's outburst. But slowly the ice melted and quiet conversations turned into raucous laughter, and by the time dinner was eaten, the mood within the lodge was back to normal.
Neil and Grace played cards with some other men around the coffee table, and Neil forced himself to swallow his jealousy every time a wolf curled up against Grace or Benjamin kissed her head as he walked by. Neil assertively claimed his spot next to her the entire night with a hand resting on her thigh. And when she stood up from the table and announced she was going to bed, Neil leaped to his feet and offered to walk her to her cabin.
Grace's smile shone as they left the lodge, and she reached for his hand. They walked across camp and paused at Grace's door as she tried to open both doors with one hand. Neil reluctantly let go of her fingers. He tried to think of how to kiss her, how he could get her to let him stay, how to make her forget Ben. He followed her inside, and before he could put his plan into action, Grace's lips were on his.
She grabbed his belt loops, pulling him toward her, and Neil responded automatically, lowering his head to meet her lips. Her tongue danced in his mouth. She tasted like coffee and sugar. His Grace. She was feisty and fiery, and yet the taste of her mouth matched the sweetness of her smile. He wrapped his arms around her, burying his fingers in her hair. She moved her hips against his thigh, matching the tempo of their kisses.
He lifted Grace and threw her on the bed, entirely consumed by the excitement of claiming a piece of her. He devoured her mouth, and she grasped at his back of his biceps trying desperately to press her body against his. Neil laughed, loving her wild need and how powerful it made him feel. His sweet Grace was filled with passion, and she wanted him. Tonight, she chose him.
"Don't laugh. I just want to fuck you," she scolded breathlessly.
"You'll have to be patient," he said as he slipped her bra and sweater off before flipping her over onto her stomach. Placing his knees on either side of hers, he slipped his hands under her and palmed her breasts while trailing kisses down her spine. The lines of her back were perfection. He wanted to taste every inch of her.
Once he reached her waist, he pulled her leggings and panties off and stood back. Grace remained on her stomach, and her hands traveled to her core, disappearing beneath her body. Her back arched and her ass moved rhythmically as she ground against her fingers.
Neil wanted to fuck her, to claim her, but right now, he was mesmerized by her complete abandon. His cock ached, begging for attention. He hurriedly shed his own clothes before sliding his forearm under her, pulling her toward his mouth. He inhaled deeply, drowning in the smell of her arousal. He had fucking made that happen. Unable to stop himself, he bit down on the curve of her ass and growled lowly.
CHAPTER FOUR
GRACE
Neil had been trying to lay claim to Grace from the minute their eyes first met across The Brew. He touched her every chance he had and growled at any other wolf who dared approach her. His hand on her thigh earlier comforted her, but when Ben had kissed her head and Neil squeezed her leg hard enough to bruise, it had sent waves of warmth to her very core. Grace had been looking forward to this moment. She wanted Neil to claim her, for a night.
She knew the pack shared everything. Neil clearly didn’t have a problem taking her after she’d been with Benjamin. And Benjamin hadn’t tried to stop them leaving together. She hadn’t tried to sneak out, and she’d been ready to face him if he had.
Maybe she wasn’t hiding anymore.
She loved the way Neil manhandled her and threw her around. Anticipation swelled in her as he pulled down her pants and lifted her cunt toward him. She felt electric and entirely at his mercy. She was so ready to be fucked that she could literally feel herself dripping around her fingers as she played with her clit. His heated breath on her thighs made her arch her back even more, urging him to come closer.
The shock of Neil’s teeth sinking into her skin was fucking fantastic, pain and pleasure set her on fire. Her eyes flew open, a cry of pleasure boiling in her throat.
Her scream was cut short when she made eye contact with Heath. He stared back at her with the most mischievous grin on his face.
"Fuck, Heath!"
Neil roared and pulled his mouth away from her, his fingers digging into her thighs. “Did you just fucking call me Heath?"
Grace shook him off and sat back on her heels. The only light in the cabin came in through the window, and Heath sat in the semi-darkness, his blond hair falling around his face. He was smirking with a devious glint in his eyes.
"Get out!" Neil yelled.
"What does Grace want?" Heath purred. "She sounded... excited when she screamed my name."
"You goddamn asshole—" Neil started.
"You want me to pick you?" Grace asked. Neil put his hands around her waist, staking his claim. She leaned into Neil; Heath was not a threat tonight. "You think this is how you get me? Hiding in my room waiting for me to come home? To what, jump on me?"
"I wanted to talk." Heath shrugged and stood up to leave.
"Sit down," Grace commanded.
She had been a little excited when she saw Heath; the idea of an audience was fucking hot. Heath was still a dick for secretly watching, but, with a little consent, this might be fun. She could show Heath just how much control he didn't have. He could lie to Grace, but he could not fuck her.
She turned to face Neil and leaned into his chest and kissed him, sweeping her tongue through his mouth and punctuating the kiss with a quick bite on his lower lip.
"What are you doing?" Neil asked.
"Do you want to stay?" She slipped a hand around Neil's cock, gently running her hand along the shaft.
She definitely wasn’t hiding anymore.
"I'm not sharing you," he snarled, glaring at Heath.
"Then show him I'm yours tonight," she said as she sunk down on all fours in front of Neil, her back to Heath. Grace spread her knees and rocked back, showing Heath everything that may never be his. She hoped his dick ached as he stared at her dripping pink cunt. Grace took Neil into her mouth, rolling her tongue around his tip and working his length with her hands and lips. Neil's dick grew harder, and he moaned as she opened her throat and slid him deeper into her mouth.
She reached down to touch herself, and Neil growled as pulled away from her. He picked her up as if she weighed nothing and turned her around. One look at Heath sent a new surge of excitement through her.
Neil's fingers delved inside her, stretching and opening her pussy. She sighed and leaned into his hand, but her gaze never left Heath. A shadow had fallen over his face, and he looked at her through hooded eyes. His hands rested on the chair's armrests, fingers digging into the upholstery; he looked like he wanted to tear Neil off of her.
SOMETHING WICKED Page 8
