by Kali Argent
She had the children’s full attention now, and even Cade held his breath as he waited for her to elaborate. He’d heard her mention the Others once before, just in passing, but never like this. Her tone held confidence and authority, a certainty that what she said could and should be accepted as truth.
For about the dozenth time since her rescue, he wondered what the hell had happened to her during those missing weeks. She looked like Abby. On the rare occasion that she talked to anyone other than Luca, she sounded like Abby. Yet, at the same time, everything about her had changed.
She hadn’t changed in the way Mackenna’s experience had changed her. Not in the way Roux had become stronger and braver. There had been a fundamental change at Abby’s core that frankly made a lot of people uneasy these days.
“What do they look like?” the first little girl asked.
Conner held his drawing up again. “Do they really have wings?”
“Some of them.” Abby nodded slowly as if carefully choosing what she wanted to say next. “They’re not from our world, but they come here sometimes to help us. You don’t have to be afraid of them.” Her smile returned with a little more enthusiasm than seemed genuine. “Okay, it’s almost time for dinner. Let’s get this cleaned up and go wash our hands.”
Not wanting to be caught lurking in the background, Cade slipped back down the hallway and through the double doors to the kitchen. The cafeteria was in full swing preparing for the evening meal, just as Abby had predicted. Cade didn’t have much of an appetite. Instead, he crossed the dining area largely unnoticed and pushed open the glass doors that led out onto the patio.
A cold front had moved in earlier in the afternoon, plunging the temperature to below freezing. Winds gusted down from the mountains, stinging his exposed skin and causing plumes of steam to puff from his lips when he exhaled. At least the snow had melted, and according to the three werewolves in residence, it would remain clear until after the full moon.
How they knew that, he couldn’t guess, but it probably said something that he didn’t question it, either.
The door swung open behind him, bringing the enticing aroma of garlic, roasted tomatoes, and freshly baked bread.
“The spaghetti smells good,” Mackenna commented as she came to stand beside him. “And the breadsticks.” She folded her arms across her breasts and tucked her hands close to her sides as she shivered. “I even heard someone say something about dessert.”
Grunting, Cade shrugged out of his jacket, draped it over her shoulders, then pulled her into his arms. “I’m sorry,” he mumbled into her hair as he breathed in her scent and let it calm him. “I shouldn’t have walked out like that.”
“Believe it or not, I understand. I probably would have reacted the same way, but I can do this. I know I can.”
“I don’t doubt your ability, baby. The logical part of me knows that you’re the best person for the job, and if you weren’t mine, I’d probably have been the first one to suggest it.” He brushed a kiss over her forehead. “The part of me that’s in love with you, however, doesn’t want you anywhere near this.”
“But that’s not the world we live in.”
“That’s not the world we live in,” he agreed with a resigned sigh. Everyone had a role to play. Everyone did their part. She would do it regardless, so he could either help her or get out of her way. “If something goes wrong, if you feel like even the smallest thing isn’t right—”
“I’ll get the hell out of there.”
God, he loved her. He loved her so much it hurt. If anything happened to her, he’d lose his mind. He’d burn the whole damn world to the ground to keep her safe, but she didn’t want his protection. She wanted his support. She wanted him to believe in her.
He’d fought shifters, been drained by vampires, and had almost been eaten alive by Ravagers. He would rather face all of that a hundred times over rather than let her walk into a Coalition town alone.
“You make me fucking crazy.”
Taking her face in both hands, he sealed their mouths together, plunging his tongue between her gasping lips. It was a kiss of possession, a brand of ownership, a dark and primal display of dominance.
He didn’t tease or coax. He didn’t wait for her to set the rhythm. He consumed her, overwhelmed her. He demanded she keep pace with him as he poured every ounce of frustration, fear, and worry he felt into the mating of their lips.
Mackenna arched against him, moaning into his mouth. Her fingers twisted in his shirt to drag him closer, and she raked her teeth across his bottom lip, nipping the flesh with a quiet growl that set his blood on fire.
He loved the sounds she made for him, the way her small body vibrated against his. He loved the way she matched his need with her own desire. The carnality that burned between them was potent and palpable, making his heart pound and his cock throb.
Too impatient for propriety, needing her too much to bother with social niceties, he dragged her into the shadows of the patio and pinned her against the side of the building. Her eyes blazed with amber light, and her fangs elongated beneath her upper lip. Cheeks flushed with adrenaline, hair fanned out over her shoulders, her primal nature on full display, she was a siren, and he had never been more captivated.
Spinning her around, he pushed her roughly against the wall, pinning her in place with the weight of his body. Hand splayed over the bricks, she pushed back into him, grinding her tight ass over his trapped erection. The little vixen knew exactly what she was doing to him, and she showed him without words she wanted it just as much as he did.
If there had still been any doubt in his mind, however, she quickly erased it. “Hurry.”
It took little work to push her sweatpants down around her knees, but a lot more feverish fumbling for him to undo his own pants and free his swollen cock. Gripping the base, he guided the head to her entrance, groaning when her slick heat welcomed him easily.
God, she was tight, and so fucking wet for him. Her soaked pussy gripped his length, squeezing around him as he sank into her. With one hand on her hip, he gripped her hair in the other, pulling her head back as he began a punishing rhythm. Her feminine moan mingled with his grunts and the slap of flesh against flesh, creating an erotic symphony that echoed into the night.
Cade snapped his hips forward, driving into her and relishing the way she arched against him, meeting him thrust for thrust. As their need grew, their coupling turned frenzied and chaotic, pushing them both closer to the edge.
Mackenna’s breaths turned to gasps as her muscles tightened around him. Her head fell back, and her small frame trembled, his name a quiet chant on her lips.
“God, yes,” he groaned when she squeezed around him like a vise. “That’s it, baby. That’s it. Come for me, baby. I want to feel you come for me.”
Mackenna cried out, and her pussy clamped around him as he reached the precipice and tumbled into freefall. Only when she turned to putty in his hands, her lithe body sated and pliant, did he finally let himself follow her, thrusting through his orgasm and spilling into her depths.
As the adrenaline ebbed and the storm of need dissipated, he eased out of his mate and helped her set her clothes to rights before doing the same to his own. Then, he gathered her into his arms for a slow, gentle kiss.
“I love you,” he whispered against her lips. “So much.”
“I love you, too.” She squirmed in his arms, and her nose scrunched adorably. “Not to ruin the moment, but I really need a shower.”
A part of him wanted to laugh. A bigger part of him, however, was already picturing her naked and wet, her skin slick with suds, her pert nipples begging to be licked and kissed. His softening cock twitched with renewed interest as he ushered her toward the double doors.
“You can have your shower,” he told her, “but I can’t guarantee how clean you’re going to get.”
Chapter Eighteen
The morning of the full moon arrived without pomp or circumstance.
Teams woke up and patrolled the borders around the hospital, covering up to three miles in every direction. Some checked weapons and gear. Others sparred, battling each other across the frozen ground behind the hospital.
The only exception to this routine was that Luca had taken a small group to retrieve the vans they needed for the rescue. No one questioned where he would find them or how he planned to commandeer them. By four o’clock that afternoon, they’d simply appeared in the north parking lot.
That evening, Mackenna picked at her dinner but didn’t actually eat much of it. A pity since macaroni and cheese had always been a favorite of hers. Cade noticed, of course, but for once, he didn’t say anything about it. Maybe because he’d barely eaten anything on his plate, either.
Afterwards, while everyone else geared up and began loading the vehicles, Mackenna headed to her room for her own preparations. There, she grabbed a long-sleeved white tee and a pair of blue sweatpants off the sink in the bathroom.
She’d worn the clothes earlier when she’d gone for a run with Cade through the woods. Both smelled like she’d rolled around in something dead, which was exactly the point. As gross as it was, she hadn’t showered after their jaunt, either. If she wanted the Coalition to believe that she had escaped Hunters and traveled miles to find help, she couldn’t waltz into town smelling like soap and fabric softener.
Next, she pulled her hair from its ponytail and dragged her fingers through it, letting it fall in untamed waves down her back. Maybe she’d add pieces of leaves and a few broken twigs to it once they reached their destination. There was just one more thing she needed to add to her disguise, but that, too, would have to wait. For the time being, she’d done all she could.
Grabbing her jacket off the bed, she tugged it on and headed out to find Cade and Roux. Since the story was that the Hunters were holding other Gemini in their compound, there had been no need to avoid the shifters and weres staying in the hospital. Still, it would be best if the strongest scent clinging to her was human.
She found the pair waiting for her near the front exit. Cade looked grim, but Roux gave her a bright smile when she approached.
“Well, you smell terrible,” the female said cheerfully. “That’s a good start.”
Zipping her jacket up to the neck, Mackenna snorted. “You say the nicest things.”
Cade grunted at them both and turned on his heels. “Come on. Let’s get this over with.”
Following him out into the cold night, Mackenna walked close by his side but said nothing. She had no words of comfort, nothing to say that would make the next few hours any easier.
“It’s about damn time,” a terse voice called from the parking lot. “Move your asses.”
Mackenna jerked her head up and frowned. “I didn’t know Luca was coming with us.”
Cade shrugged. “Don’t look at me. He insisted.”
“Is it just me, or has he been more of a dick than usual lately?” Roux asked as she fell into step on Mackenna’s other side.
Mackenna didn’t know the male well enough to say one way or the other. Luca certainly seemed to take charge of any situation he found himself in, and he didn’t put up with bullshit. Unless he was asking questions or giving orders, he didn’t talk to anyone except Abby or the two human males who followed them around. While he hadn’t exactly been friendly toward her, he hadn’t been unkind, either. Sure, he seemed a little anti-social, but she didn’t know if that necessarily made him a dick.
Cade, however, nodded. “Something is going on with that whole group.”
“Especially Abby.” Roux mirrored his nod. “I’ve noticed as well.” She bit her lip and stared down at the ground. “She barely even talks to me.”
According to Cade, the two females had become close after meeting in Pennsylvania. Mackenna tried to imagine what it would feel like if, after so much uncertainty, she found Jess, only for her friend to act as though they barely knew each other.
Obviously, it would hurt. She’d probably also feel confused and maybe even a little angry. All scents she was picking up from Roux.
Wanting to comfort her, but not knowing what to say, she patted Roux on the back instead. Sometimes, a simple touch could go a long way when words failed. She hoped this was one of those times.
The two-hour drive into Aspen passed in relative silence with everyone seemingly lost in their own thoughts. Mackenna used the time to go over the plan in her mind, rehearsing what she would say and how she would say it. She practiced facial expressions, grinning sheepishly when Roux giggled at her from the other side of the backseat of the SUV.
Their destination was a former ski resort twenty-seven miles from the Hunters’ compound. By the time Luca turned onto a narrow dirt road about two miles out, nerves had set in. Worse, the problem was compounded by the fact that the moon was steadily climbing toward its apex.
Mackenna scratched at her forearm through her jacket. Her entire body felt tight, tense, like a rubber band stretched to its limits. Her muscles ached. The gums around her canines throbbed. Her eyes sporadically shifted between human and lupine, blurring her vision and forcing her to blink several times to get them to focus.
“Breathe,” Roux instructed as they gathered beneath the full moon at the edge of the trees. “You can do this.”
“It’s going to be harder to control your shift if you can’t calm down.” Resting his hands on his hips, Luca studied her. “Are you sure you can do this?”
“She’s fine.”
Mackenna gave Roux a grateful smile, then turned to nod at Luca. “I can do it.”
Cade wrapped and arm around her and kissed her temple. “You don’t have to, baby.”
“She kind of does,” Luca interjected.
She appreciated his bluntness. “He’s right,” she said when Cade glared. “If I don’t do this, the whole mission falls apart. I’m good.” If he didn’t like what Luca had to say, he really wasn’t going to like this next part. “Okay. Let’s get on with it.”
Sliding her jacket off, she passed it to Roux. In exchange, the female offered her a long-handled knife with a smooth blade. Cade had already started shaking his head before her fingers had even touched the leather-wrapped handle.
“You’re not going to be able to take that with you.”
“I know.”
She didn’t give him a chance to question her, nor herself time to overthink it. Holding the knife in a desperate grip, she dragged the blade across her flank, cutting through both her shirt and her skin. The pain was immediate and intense, but she squeezed her eyes closed and clenched her teeth, determined not to cry out.
“Jesus, Mackenna.” Stepping forward, Cade snatched the knife from her shaking hand and threw it to the ground. “What the hell?”
“No one is going to believe I escaped a group of Hunters that big without a single injury.” She took a step back when he reached for her. “I’m okay. I’ll heal.” Hopefully, not before she reached the town. “Okay, I need you to hit me.”
Cade narrowed his eyes at her. “I’m not going to fucking hit you.”
She’d had a feeling he would say that. “Roux?”
“No.” Cade stepped between her and the female. “Stop this.”
Behind him, Roux nodded. “I’ll do it.”
Cade didn’t turn, but a low growl rumbled up from his throat. It was a wholly human sound, lacking the tonality of a fanged predator, but it sent a shiver through Mackenna, nonetheless.
“Knock it the fuck off, Jennings.”
Pressing her hand to the side of his neck, Mackenna urged him to meet her gaze. “Do you remember when you found me, love? Do you remember how bad it was?”
His nostrils flared, and a darkness shuttered his eyes. “It’s not something I’ll ever forget.”
“I was bruised and bleeding, barely able to walk. That is what someone looks like when they fight like hell to escape monsters. Hey.” She stroked her thumb up and down the jumping vein in his throat when he looked away.
“It’s going to be okay, but I have to do this. I have to make them believe me before I even say a word.”
They stared at each other for a long time before Cade finally leaned forward and claimed her lips in a hard, possessive kiss. “I swear, no one pisses me off like you do, Mack.”
She beamed back at him. “I love you, too.”
“Okay,” Roux said, rubbing her hands together as she stepped around Cade. “Where do you want it?”
“Try not to break my nose.” It would mend quickly, but that also meant that it would probably heal crookedly. The last thing she wanted was to have to rebreak and set it again later.
“You got it.” Turning her attention to Luca, she tilted her head at Cade. “Do you mind?”
With a nod, Luca stepped forward and grabbed Cade by the elbow. Cade clearly understood why, because he didn’t try to fight him…yet.
The first blow came as a surprise, and Mackenna growled as her head snapped to the side. Damn, for such a little thing, Roux packed one hell of a punch. Spitting blood onto the ground, she straightened and pulled her shoulders back.
“Again.”
Despite being prepared for the next hit, that didn’t make it hurt any less. Apparently, she wasn’t the only one in pain, either.
“Damn,” Roux grumbled, shaking out her hand. “Your jaw is made of freaking steal.”
“Again.”
Three more times, Roux hit her, and with each blow, Mackenna fought the urge to strike back. Her lips ached where it had split. Her jaw and cheek throbbed with her pulse. The last hit had opened the skin above her eyebrow, and the blood that trickled from the cut made her eye sting.
“Enough.” Cade didn’t speak loudly, but his tone didn’t invite argument. Luca held him with an arm across his chest now, forcibly keeping him from intervening. The gleam in his eyes was murderous. “That’s enough.”
Roux rubbed her bruised knuckles. “Yeah, he’s right. I think that’s enough.” She shoved her hand forward in offering. “No hard feelings, right?”
“None.” Mackenna took the hand and gave it a brief but friendly squeeze. “I’d do the same for you.”
