Primal Hunger (Primal Howlers MC Book 4)

by Piper Davenport

  While the bacon drained, he sliced a tomato, then dropped bread into the toaster. “It’s all good. Sometimes you just gotta vent it out.”

  “Yeah. Thanks.”

  “Welcome.”

  My phone buzzed and I glanced at the screen. “It’s Dad. He’s demanding to know where I am.” I fired a text back saying I was running errands and set the phone on the counter again.

  Right as Aero’s phone rang.

  He put it to his ear. “Yeah?” Glancing at me, he nodded. “Yeah, I can do that. Sure. Okay.” He hung up and slid his phone back in his pocket. “Your dad wants you locked down. I’m the one who is to find you and take you to the compound.”

  I rolled my eyes. “Can we eat first?”

  He laughed. “Yeah, we can eat first.”

  Violet

  FOR THE NEXT month, life was kind of blissful. We’d hang out at Aero’s apartment whenever we could, and we were getting to know each other on a level I’d never experienced before. We’d managed at least once a week, and I’d usually make dinner and we’d watch a movie before I drove home. Dad was distracted with a woman he’d recently met, so I was able to get away with telling him I was hanging with Everly, and sometimes, she’d join us. We were all becoming good friends and I wanted our bubble to last forever.

  But it couldn’t. Because Aero was hot as hell and our club was growing, which meant there were more women. And those women also noticed Aero was hot as hell.

  I realized this was a huge problem for me, and I realized this was a huge problem for me, because I was falling in love with him.

  Tonight, it was family night and I was weirdly nervous. I hadn’t seen Aero in a few days, and I missed him, but I was going to have to stow that emotion when I saw him and I had a plan to do just that.

  “Letti!” Drake called up the stairs. “Let’s go.”

  “Keep your pants on,” I replied. “I’m almost ready.”

  I spritzed a little of my favorite perfume on my wrists, then grabbed my purse and walked downstairs to meet my brother. “I could always meet you there.”

  “Yeah, like that would fly,” Drake retorted. “I’m gonna drop you off, then I gotta head to Alyssa’s for a bit.”

  I rolled my eyes. “I don’t need to know.”

  He grinned and we headed out to his truck, driving the short distance to the club. I’d packed a bag because I knew tonight would go late, so when we arrived, I headed up to my room, and dropped it off.

  A knock at my door came and I turned to see Aero grinning. “Hey.”

  “Hi,” I said, and took my phone from my purse and slid it into my jeans pocket.

  “No hug?” he accused.

  I chuckled and walked into his arms. “Hey.”

  “Hey, beautiful.” He gave me a gentle squeeze, then released me way too soon for my liking.

  “Is everyone here?”

  “Pretty much,” he said. “Your dad’s new… ah… friend just got here with her brother.”

  I raised an eyebrow. “Oh, yay. I was hoping she was real.”

  Wyatt was apparently gorgeous, successful, and smarter than the type of woman Dad typically went for. She also had a brother who had special needs and I wondered if I’d actually get to meet them.

  Aero grinned. “You go meet her, I’ll see you later.”

  “Okay.” I followed him downstairs, then split off and made my way through the great room where I saw my dad with his arm wrapped around a stunningly gorgeous woman who looked a little shell-shocked. “Daddy?” I called.

  “Hey, Letti,” Dad said. “Wyatt, this is my daughter, Violet.”

  I reached out to shake her hand and noticed Dad didn’t release her.

  “Where’s Drake?” Dad asked.

  “He’s coming later,” I said. “He was meeting up with Alyssa or something.”

  “My other kid,” Dad explained, then focused back on me. “How’s your giraffe?”

  I chuckled. “Ellie’s amazing.”

  “Violet’s gonna be a zookeeper, but for the moment, she’s got an internship at the Denver Zoo,” Dad said.

  “Oh, Ellie,” she said. “Didn’t she just have a baby?”

  I nodded. “Yes. Her calf is six months old now and she’s pregnant again. Ellie’s kind of amazing.”

  “Sounds like it,” she agreed.

  “I’m going to say hi to Cone,” I said. “It was nice meeting you, Wyatt.”

  She smiled. “You too.”

  I left them and made my way over to where Snowcone was standing by the window, his head down, furiously texting someone.

  “Hey, buddy,” I said, and he frowned as he turned to me, then his naturally easy smile appeared, and he slid his phone in his pocket.

  “Hey, sweetheart.” He hugged me and kissed my cheek. “How goes it?”

  “Not bad. Everything okay?”

  “Yeah.” He grinned. “Bitch shit.”

  “I don’t want to know,” I said.

  “Smart girl.”

  “I’m going to get something to drink,” I said, and Snowcone gave me a chin lift.

  I headed for the kitchen, unprepared for what I would find, walking in to see Aero and Haven, Ratchet’s eldest daughter, standing close to each other and laughing.

  I saw red.

  No.

  I saw green, and before either of them had a chance to say anything, I turned and left the kitchen, walking up the stairs as calmly as I could before closing the door and sliding down the wood to my butt.

  Well, shit.

  Dropping my forehead to my knees, I took several deep breaths and forced myself not to cry. This was my decision. He had every right to find someone else if that’s what he wanted. And Haven was sweet. She was a friend.

  But it hurt. Worse than I could have ever imagined and that was totally irrational.

  Taking control of my emotions, I rose to my feet and took a few minutes to freshen up, giving myself a pep talk as I did.

  Once I felt like I could deal with seeing Aero macking on some other woman, I squared my shoulders and pulled open my door, walking into a chest made of granite, before being pushed back into the room.

  “You okay?” Aero asked.

  “Yep,” I said to his sternum.

  “You gonna look at me and say that?” he challenged.

  “Nope.”

  “What are you doin’, baby?”

  “I’m going downstairs to join the party,” I said, still unable to look at him.

  “That’s not what I’m askin’, and you know it.”

  “Jasper, I…” I swallowed convulsively, unable to finish my sentence.

  “You?” he pressed.

  I dropped my head to his chest and squeezed my eyes shut as his hands slid into my hair.

  “Say the word, Violet.”

  I shook my head.

  “Is that your final answer?”

  I shook my head again, and he lifted my chin, covering my mouth with his. I slid my hands under his cut, up his back and fisted them in his shirt. I heard the door shut and our kiss became frantic as he slid his tongue against mine.

  “Wait,” I begged, breaking our connection.

  “Last chance,” he warned.

  “No, not that.” I rolled my eyes. “I will not hurt Haven, so I need to know what you and she have.”

  “Nothing, baby. She’s cool, I like her, but tonight’s really the first time we’ve even had a conversation.”

  “Anyone else?”

  “I would have told you if there was.”

  “What about my dad? And Rocky? They can’t know.”

  He frowned. “Why not?”

  “Because you’ll lose your place here. Dad will kill you.”

  “Baby, he won’t kill me,” he assured me. “We can take things slow, but when it’s right, we both gotta tell him.”

  I nodded. “There’s something I haven’t told you.”

  He stroked my cheek. “So, tell me.”

  I bit my lip.


  “Jesus, it can’t be that bad.”

  “I don’t know.” I wrinkled my nose and leaned away from him. “Some guys think it’s a disease.”

  He frowned. “Spit it out, Letti.”

  “I’m… well, I’m…”

  “You’re…,” he encouraged.

  “I’m…ah…kind of a virgin.”

  “Kind of a virgin?”

  “Well, no,” I hedged. “I’m a full virgin. No one’s been near my clitty cat. Ever.”

  He stared at me for a few tense seconds. “Seriously?”

  I nodded. “A couple of guys have tried, but it’s amazing how my dad seems to know exactly when a guy’s about to try something and ultimately interrupts it. And it’s not like anyone in the club would ever come near me.” I sighed. “So I’m pristine and untouched.”

  He grinned wide.

  “Is that a good grin or one that means you’re gritting your teeth?” I asked.

  He leaned in, smiling wider. “Oh, it’s good, baby.”

  “I’m not saying you’re gonna be my hymen burner—”

  “What the fuck?” he asked, bellowing with laughter. “Did your dad never give you the sex talk?”

  I slapped my palms on his cut. “Stop. It’s an inside joke between me and Everly. Regardless, I don’t know if this is going to go that far, but I just wanted you to know, so you’d understand if I wasn’t jonesing to climb into bed with you.”

  He leaned down and kissed my forehead. “Your timetable, Violet. There’s no rush or pressure. Except behind my zipper.”

  I met his eyes. “Is there any chance you’ll give up being a biker and become an accountant?”

  “No way in hell.” He squeezed my chin. “If you want that, honey, you need to go get that, but it’s not me.”

  I sighed. “I have a problem with that, unfortunately.”

  “Yeah? What’s that?”

  “I want you.”

  “What a coincidence,” he mused.

  “You want you too?” I sassed.

  He grinned. “You’re gonna be fun.”

  “I’m already fun.”

  “Yeah, but you’re gonna be even more fun once I get you naked.”

  I shivered, dropping my head to his chest again. I was standing so close to him, I felt his phone buzz in his pocket. He slid it out and glanced at the screen. “Rocky needs me to meet him out back.”

  I nodded. “Okay. I’ll see you later.”

  He held his pinky finger up and I wrapped mine around his. He kissed me gently, then kissed me again, before leaving me and closing my door behind him.

  Well, shit. I was in trouble.

  * * *

  Aero

  “How the fuck should I know what it says? I don’t speak Russian,” Rocky said.

  “I think these instructions are in Ukranian,” I replied.

  “How would you know?”

  “Because this package came from Kiev,” I said, reading the shipping label.

  Rocky stared back at me blankly.

  “Kiev. The Capitol city of Ukraine. Where you ordered the pushrods from,” I said.

  “Shit, man. I’d have sponsored you in the club a lot sooner if I had known what a cultured sonofabitch you are,” Rocky joked.

  “Yeah, well I’m still not sure patching into this club is the best idea,” I said.

  “You and me both,” he said with a laugh.

  “Hey, why didn’t you order these parts from Hatch’s shop?” I asked.

  “I saw the rods online and the guy was asking a fair price, so I ordered ’em. I didn’t know where they were coming from.”

  “The price was so low because these aren’t the correct pushrods for a ’64 panhead,” I said, tossing the useless part on the cluttered workbench.

  “Fantastic,” Rocky snapped. “What the hell are we gonna do now?”

  “What would they do in Ukraine?” I asked.

  Rocky broke into a wide smile before exclaiming, “Drink Vodka!”

  “We may have to settle for a couple of beers,” I said, opening the shop’s fridge.

  “Even better,” Rocky replied.

  I procured us two bottles, before opening them both, and handing one to Rocky.

  “I’ll call Hatch and see if he’s got a set of rods on hand that he can overnight us,” Rocky said.

  “You talk to him recently?” I asked.

  “Who, Hatch? Sure. We usually catch up every week or two. How ’bout you?”

  “No. Not since I left Portland. I probably should,” I said, taking a long pull from my beer.

  “And what about Harmon?” Rock asked, carefully.

  “What about Harmon?” I snapped. “Fuck Harmon. That’s what. How ’bout that?”

  “Okay, okay,” Rocky said, waving a hand of surrender in the air.

  “I’m sorry,” I rushed to say. “I shouldn’t have…I was out of line. I would never disrespect you. I—”

  “Forget it, kid. I know that,” Rocky said with a sympathetic smile. “What you went through was as rough as it gets.”

  I nodded.

  “But you’re not the only one, you know?”

  “Rocky,” I began to argue. “That motherfucker should have—”

  “Should have what? It was an accident, kid. An accident that could have happened to any one of us.”

  “It wouldn’t have happened to me,” I replied.

  “Maybe, maybe not. But at some point, you’re gonna need to—”

  “Don’t you dare fuckin’ say that I have to forgive Harmon, because that shit ain’t ever going to happen,” I snapped.

  “I was gonna say you’re gonna need to forgive her.”

  I respected Rocky as much or more than anyone on the planet and his words burned deep into my heart, but I just wasn’t willing to face any of that right now.

  It was the reason I’d gotten out of Dodge, so to speak. If I was buried in enough shit that distracted me, I didn’t need to face any of it.

  Rocky laid a hand on my shoulder. “I’ve got your back, brother. Never doubt it. You need to talk it out. It doesn’t have to be to me, but it needs to be someone.”

  “Didn’t realize you were in therapy,” I spat out.

  “Did I say therapy?” he challenged. “You can’t hold this shit in, brother or it’ll eat you alive.”

  “I’ll take your opinion under advisement.”

  He slapped my shoulder and nodded. “Let’s head inside. Can’t do anything until I get those parts.”

  I nodded and followed him into the cabin, my heart and soul heavier than it had been in a long time. I hated that he was right. It was eating me alive.

  Violet

  A FEW WEEKS later, Dad, Orion and a few of the officers were heading to Denver for a few days to take inventory at a couple of the cannabis shops, which meant I was free to move about the cabin, so to speak. Dad had been in a shit mood all week, growling at everyone, so it was good that he was getting out of town.

  I told Drake I was going to stay at Everly’s, but went to Aero’s instead, excited to get to spend an entire night together. I’d gone on the pill the second I’d decided I wanted to sleep with him, so I was now fully in the safe zone.

  Of course, I hadn’t talked to him yet, but I planned to tonight.

  Leaving my car at home, I took a ride share to his apartment, waiting for him to come and retrieve me. He grabbed my bag, then kissed me as the car drove away.

  “Hey, beautiful.”

  I grinned. “Hi. I brought dessert.”

  “Yeah?”

  I nodded. “Whipped cream and berries. Thought you could lick the cream off me.”

  “Jesus,” he hissed, pushing open his door and guiding me inside. “Are you shittin’ me right now?”

  I faced him as he kicked the door shut. “I went on the pill, so I’m good to go.”

  He closed his eyes and dropped his head back. “Fuck, fuck, fuck.”

  “Yes, please.”

  He met my eyes and sm
iled. “You sure, Violet?”

  I nodded. “Absolutely.”

  “You in this with me?”

  “Absolutely.”

  “Pinky swear,” he demanded, and I chuckled, wrapping my finger with his. Then he kissed me gently. “Okay.”

  “Now?” I asked hopefully.

  “Yeah, baby. Let me put the meat back in the fridge.”

  “Oh, yeah, put that meat back in the fridge,” I said in the sexiest voice possible.

  Aero laughed and headed into the kitchen, then walked back toward me, taking my hand and leading me to his bedroom.

  “I’m gonna go slow, Letti. You set the pace, though. Need you to be communicative.”

  I nodded, settling my palms to his chest. “What if I’m, like, in the throes of an orgasm. How much do you need me to say?”

  He kissed my nose. “We’ll figure it out.”

  “Cool. Can we get naked now?”

  “Yeah, beautiful, we can get naked now.”

  I started to strip, and Aero laughed.

  “What?” I demanded.

  “You don’t want to take it slow and let me peel you out of your clothes?”

  “Does it get my v-card punched any sooner?” I sassed, lifting my T-shirt over my head, not at all concerned about my state of undress in front of him. I don’t know that I’d ever be able to explain it, but I felt safe with him. Unlike any of the other guys I’d ‘flirted’ with or got close to doing more with. Aero made me feel totally comfortable.

  “Jesus,” he hissed.

  I immediately crossed my arms over my chest. “What’s wrong?”

  He pried my arms away and smiled. “Abso-fucking-lutely nothin’.”

  “Oh,” I said, and smiled. “Can I keep going?”

  “Please,” he said, stepping back and crossing his arms.

  “You have to as well,” I said.

  “I’m liking the show,” he countered.

  “Jasper,” I growled. “Shirt. Off.”

  He raised an eyebrow, but reached behind him and pulled his shirt over his head. I let out a whimper and stepped toward him.

  “Nope,” he said. “No touching until you’re naked.”

  I reached behind myself and unhooked my bra, letting it slide slowly down my arms before dropping it to the floor.

  “God damn,” he breathed out.

  I smiled. I knew my boobs were good. I was a double D on a bad day, and since I was taller than the average woman, I could carry the weight a little easier.