by Lacey Thorn
“It could paint a big target on her back,” Cody warned.
“Good thing there will be four of us to protect her,” Adrian added. And there would be four. They weren’t losing Michael. Not now. Not like this.
“Good thing she’s standing right here and not getting pissed about being talked around instead of talked to,” Jess informed them.
Derrick laughed. “Hell, I’m not even sure the four of us can handle her.”
“What the hell does that mean?” she practically yelled while Cody and Adrian both laughed.
“It means you’re perfect,” Derrick stated, tucking her against him before kissing her.
Adrian’s heart swelled. If she were his mate, he’d be able to do the same thing. Pull her close. Kiss her. Touch her. Love her. He saw the same longing on Cody’s face. He didn’t doubt Michael felt the same. This could work. He’d heard a rumor once about brothers who’d shared a mate. There’d only been two of them, not four. But if they all wanted this, it could work. They could work. And Jess would be the most loved and protected mate who ever existed.
Chapter Fourteen
“I’m not leaving,” Derrick thundered, but Jess stood firm.
“You are. You all are. This needs to be about me and Michael. You said it yourself. He’s more animal than man right now.”
“Exactly,” Cody argued. “There’s no way we’re leaving you in here by yourself.”
“He’ll be more combative with all of you here. Not to mention, I have no doubt you’ll interfere.”
“I won’t let you be hurt,” Derrick told her, and she loved him for it. God, it was crazy how close she was to him in just a matter of days. She hoped it would be that way with all of them.
“Then let me try to save him. Please, Derrick. Give me this chance.” She leaned into him. “You’ll know if I need you.”
She saw his internal struggle.
“If this is going to work, if we’re going to try to form this bond, then I’ll have to spend time with each of you. Alone. And the others will have to trust it’s what I want, what I need. You’ll all need to understand it doesn’t mean I want or need any of you any less. We’re either all okay with that or we’re not. I won’t go into this half-assed with false expectations and promises.” She made sure to meet each of their gazes, conveying her genuine emotions to them.
Derrick stared at her for a long moment. She sensed Cody and Adrian watching for his reaction before they said or did anything. Then Cody surprised her.
“I’ll be in my lab, within shouting distance if you need me. I have plenty of work to keep me busy for the rest of the night.” He crossed to her, gently cupping her face and running his thumb along her jaw. “If you feel even the slightest bit uneasy, call for one of us. It’ll do no good to save Michael if he hurts you in the process. He’d never forgive himself, and we’d lose him just the same.”
“Before you go, take this.” She held out the paper she’d written her dad’s email on. “I’d like for you to send my father the tests I noted there. The email is secure. He’ll probably call you and ask a million questions. Answer what you feel comfortable with and tell him you can’t on any you don’t. Just… He’s my dad.”
“And you love him,” Cody said, taking the paper from her. “I’ll take care of it.” With that he turned and walked away, leaving the room without another glance.
“I could use a shower and some sleep,” Adrian stated. He reached for her, pulling her close for a hard hug. He might take a shower, but she doubted he’d get any sleep until he knew Michael was okay.
“He’s going to be fine,” she whispered though she knew Derrick could hear her.
Adrian nodded, dropped a kiss atop her head then turned, and with a nod toward Derrick, left the room.
“He’s hurting,” she told Derrick.
“He blames himself. He thinks the dart was meant for him. Black wolves make up the smallest community of wolf shifters but the most loyal. Taking him out would serve two purposes. First, it gets rid of a powerful alpha. Second, it leaves the most loyal of wolves open for new leadership.”
“And there’s a member of these pure bloods in the wings just waiting to step in?” she asked.
Derrick shrugged. “There doesn’t have to be. No one would be able to fill his shoes, which means his pack would be left isolated and alone. Easy to pick off. Which is exactly what the purists want. It plays right into the hunters’ hands.”
“We’re going to beat them, Derrick. Both groups. We’ll figure this out and find a way to stay one step ahead of them until we can stop them completely. But first, we have to save Michael. Trust me. Please.”
“I do,” he swore, pulling her close again. “If you’d told me a week ago I’d be falling in love with a woman I’d end up sharing with other alphas, I would have laughed and called you crazy. But I’m the crazy one. Because I’m here, planning to do exactly that, despite a lifetime of craving the one woman who’d belong with me and only me. My other half. Mine alone. But I’m learning love isn’t about possession. It’s about understanding and accepting what’s meant to be. It’s about protection and knowing if anything happens to me, you’ll still have Cody, Michael, and Adrian.”
“Derrick—”
He stopped her with a kiss, hard and commanding. One that had her nipples hard as diamonds and her sex slick with desire as he stepped away. He moved to the bed, where Michael was still tied down, though wide awake.
“Hurt her, and friend or not, I’ll kill you.” Derrick’s voice was hard and deep, and she swore she felt the vibration of his words in her chest. Michael snarled as if insulted at the idea he’d hurt her but nodded his understanding when Derrick leaned close and growled, his teeth appearing wickedly sharp in the light.
He turned back to her once more. “I’ll be waiting upstairs, doing my best to keep Adrian distracted.”
And himself, as well, she thought. This was hard for him. The bond they were forming let her see how hard it was. But he believed in her. Perhaps, more than she believed in herself. And he believed her mating all four of them was the right choice. He kissed her once more as if he couldn’t be near her and not reach for her. Then he broke away and left the room, tugging the door closed behind him and leaving her alone with Michael.
Nerves settled in, but she ignored them. Ignored the what-ifs as she headed to the bed where Michael was tied down.
“Looks like it’s just the two of us,” she said as she stopped at the foot of the bed. She slowly released his left foot before crossing to where his right was restrained. “I’m going to release you. I know you won’t hurt me. I’m going to show you how much I trust you. That kiss earlier was nice. Maybe, we can do that again.”
She released his right foot, expecting him to move. He lay completely still. His gaze tracked her as she moved up toward his right wrist. His eyes glowed, the brown of his irises so light they almost appeared golden. She licked her lips as she freed his arm then forced herself to walk slowly around to his left side. He could have removed the last restraint on his own. They both knew it, knew he could reach for her at any time, and there would be nothing she could do to stop it. She felt as if he were trying to show her she could trust him.
She released the last tether that held him to the bed. Slowly, he sat up, turning so he sat on the side of the bed facing her. There was something so primal about him. She held her breath as he rose to stand before her. He wasn’t a man with an animal inside him. He was the animal looking out of the man’s eyes. He fascinated and terrified her all at once.
Before she realized she was moving, her back hit the wall, and Michael had her caged in, leaning close to sniff her neck where Derrick had bitten her. Michael’s lip curled back, his teeth flashing as he snarled in displeasure.
“Michael.”
His gaze zeroed in on her lips. They parted on an inhale, and he dove. His tongue thrust against hers and led her in a dance that ended with her exploring his mouth. Little rumbles vibrated th
rough his chest, but he was careful to keep his hands on the wall beside her. Caging her in but not touching her with anything but his lips and tongue.
She didn’t follow his lead. She gripped his waist, groaning at the firm muscles under her fingertips. Her palms slid around to his lower abdomen, and she almost groaned again at the feel of him. Muscle on muscle and the heat pouring off him would have her ripping clothes off both of them. She dipped her fingers beneath the hem of his shirt and reveled in the way his abdomen quivered as she explored every ridge. She edged her hands higher, lifting the fabric with her. She brushed her thumbnail over his nipple, and the next thing she knew, he’d ripped his shirt over his head and tossed it aside.
She stilled for a moment, wondering if he’d strip her next or finish undressing himself. Instead, he stared at her, arms held loosely at his side. Waiting. She wondered how much it cost him to wait for her to make the moves. Then she stopped thinking and stepped into him again. Skimming her lips over his chest, she placed soft kisses and flicked her tongue out to taste him.
He growled, and she froze, glancing up at his face. Every muscle in his body seemed to clench as he tried to hold himself still for her. He failed. Jess’ clothes were ripped from her body. From one moment to the next, she was stripped naked and tossed onto her back on the bed with an equally naked Michael, hard in all the right places, as he covered her.
Now, he took control, tasting and touching every inch of her as he worked from her lips, down her neck, to the tight buds of her nipples. He sucked with strong pulls that resonated in her core. Her desire spilled from her sex, dampening her folds and inner thighs, and he glided down her body as if drawn to taste her.
“Michael.” His name was a breathy moan from her lips as his tongue slipped between her folds, tracing a path from her opening, up and around her clit, then back down to dip shallowly inside. “Oh, god!”
She reached for his head, wrapping her fingers in the thick, brown locks as she encouraged him closer to where she ached to feel him. With another growl, he leaned into her. His lips tightened around her clitoris while his tongue jabbed and flicked over the bud. Two big fingers thrust inside her, robbing her of breath as she gasped in ecstasy. Her pleasure went from zero to a hundred in mere seconds, throwing her body into orgasm almost immediately.
His mouth dropped down, tongue replacing his fingers as he consumed her release, locking her in the crest of ecstasy. When she was sure she couldn’t take another stroke of his tongue, he rose over her, gripping one knee and lifting, opening her wider before sliding deep. She arched up into him, hands rising to grip his shoulders as he took her with a hard, fast rhythm.
He caught her mouth, sharing the taste of her release between them before sliding down to her neck and nipping her on the opposite side of where Derrick had bitten her. Michael licked over her skin, sucking it into his mouth several times before gripping the skin between his teeth and holding her. His thrusts came faster, the cadence no longer as smooth, and she knew he was close to coming. When he slid his hands to her shoulders, lifting her neck up to him while balancing on his elbows, she let her head fall back, offering him what he wanted.
The grip of his teeth grew harder. Sharp canines broke her skin, tasting and marking her like Derrick had. The pleasure that rocked through her was indescribable. Everything else faded as sensation took over. There wasn’t a part of her he didn’t touch and claim. It crashed over her, through her, and she swore she felt the beat of his heart inside her own chest.
He’d barely finished coming when he moved, flipping her to her stomach and lifting her to her knees, entering her again with a powerful stroke that had her grasping at the covers beneath her to keep from slamming into the headboard. He was rough and powerful, each thrust lifting her slightly off the bed as he came over her back, his head dropping to her shoulder. He whispered her name at her ear, almost like a mantra. Jess turned her head, lifting one arm to wrap around his neck as she met his lips softly with hers, a direct contrast to the way he fucked her.
He came again and again until his seed spilled from her, until it coated her skin much as his scent did. They stayed there for the evening, and he reached for her several times. She came to him, always slick and ready for what he needed. Slowly, the intensity lessened. The hard, primal fucking gave way to softer exploration. He made love to her, a slow and easy claiming that wrapped around her heart as he placed gentle kisses over her body.
The last time he reached for her, it was only the man who met her gaze. Whatever drug he’d been hit with was gone, and man and beast were once more in sync with one another.
“You saved my life,” Michael told her as they lay together afterward, his palm smoothing along her side as if he couldn’t stop touching her. His voice was still deep but nothing like the guttural tone he’d had when the wolf had been so close to the surface.
She leaned close, dropping her head to his chest over his heart and listening to the steady beat. She didn’t realize she cried until he lifted her chin so she met his gaze.
“Hey.” He wiped his thumb along her cheek, capturing her tears and easing them from her skin. “None of that.”
“We could have lost you. They could have lost you. There’s so much I don’t know, yet nothing has ever felt so right as it does for me to be here with all of you. And you’re fine. I can see you’re fine, but I’m still scared. Because I don’t know what’s next or who’ll get hit next or how. All I know is I can’t lose you. Any of you. It makes no sense.”
“It makes perfect sense,” Michael challenged. “Some things are meant to be, just as some loves are destined to happen. Do you believe in fate?”
She nodded.
“This is fate. We’re fate. All this time, we’ve been planning and fighting, knowing something was missing. Now, you’re here, and nothing’s felt more right for me, either. Even when I was more animal than man, I knew who you were to me. I knew I needed you. Even when I smelled Derrick’s claim on your skin, I wanted you. That’s abnormal for a wolf. Smelling the scent of another’s claim should negate any desire on the part of another male. It’s a warning. But it wasn’t one for me. It only made me want you more. Made me want to have as strong a claim on you as he does.”
“My whole life will change now that I’ve found you,” Jess admitted to herself as much as to him.
“It will for all of us,” he agreed. “Now, let me hold you while we rest. Give me just a little longer before we break the spell we’re both under.”
She cuddled closer to his side, settling next to him and closing her eyes. Fate. What a beautiful way to describe what was happening. They’d been fated for one another. All of them. She’d spent her whole life searching for them, and Michael’s words made her wonder if maybe, they’d been searching for her, too.
Chapter Fifteen
In the wee hours of early morning, Cody had opted to head upstairs for a shower and catnap in his own bed. He could have taken a shower downstairs, but exhaustion sent him seeking the comfort of the king-size mattress above. He’d managed a solid three hours before coming awake with a need to get back to his lab and the tests that awaited him.
Even if sex worked to help Michael, there was no assurance it would last. Michael could be in the same situation again and again and again as long as whatever drug he’d been given remained in his system. And what about others who might become infected and wouldn’t have the option of sex? How could they be saved? It was his job to come up with the answers. He’d watched far too many wolves die. He’d be damned if he didn’t do everything he could to save as many as he could. The color of their fur didn’t matter. A wolf was a wolf. It was too bad others couldn’t understand that.
He took the stairs as quietly as he could, not wanting to disturb Jess and Michael. He was surprised when he stepped into his lab and found Jess leaning in to read something on the computer screen she worked on. Her hair was still wet from the shower she must have taken, dampening the shirt she’d pulled on. His shi
rt. His chest rumbled as his wolf took note and pressed with the need to reach out and claim her. Cody held his animal back.
“Surprised to see you in here,” he admitted as he walked in, pushing the door closed behind him.
“Why?” She didn’t even glance up.
“Thought you and Michael would be sleeping.”
“Michael is. I woke him long enough to take a couple of vials of blood. Then I made him lie back down. He’s so exhausted, and he’s finally resting peacefully.”
“Thanks to you.” God, it made him ache to know Michael had indulged in what Cody could only imagine.
“Thanks to all of us,” Jess countered, glancing up at him. “We’re in this together.”
Cody smiled and gave a nod as he moved closer. “What does the blood show?”
She gave him a look that had him bracing for whatever she said next. Then she turned back to the computer, adjusting the monitor so Cody could see what she was looking at.
“The levels are lower,” he murmured.
“Still elevated, but nowhere near where they were,” she agreed. “I’m hoping they continue to go down.”
“How was he…?” He stalled, trying to decide how to word his question.
“Are you fishing for comments on what kind of lover your friend is?”
“Good god, no!” Cody was appalled at her suggestion then relaxed as he noted the humor in her expression. “Very funny.”
She twisted until she faced him then cupped his face in her hand. “When was the last time you slept?”
“I just woke up.”
“When was the last time you slept through the night?” she asked.
“I don’t sleep that way,” he told her. “I catch a few hours here and there as I can.”
“Cody, that’s not healthy for anyone,” Jess reprimanded. “And you’re too important to everyone to be burning your candle at both ends that way.”
“I’m here to find answers,” Cody reminded her. “For Michael. For all of us. Do you know where shifters turn when they’re sick? Injured?”
