Chapter 5 - Dash
CHAPTER 5 - DASH
Alarm bells went off at Chase’s approach to the circle. To the side of the damn woman we competed affections for. The umbra heir who Father betrothed to my brother. The shewolf that came between us and broke my brother. Jealousy staked my heart when they smiled at each other and exchanged polite greetings.
Mine, my beast declared.
The thought of any man, my brother included, taking what belonged to me swept my beast into a possessive frenzy. My muscles primed to stalk to her side, sweep her away, declare her ours, and fend off any challenge who declared otherwise.
Not yours, I clipped back. Urges I ignored for her safety and mine.
The treaty between Pack Hester and Malice pronounced her belonging to that cuntface TJ, and the slightest interaction risked her safety.
Fury boiled in my blood at her betrothal to that spiteful, cowardly punk. Of all the females present tonight, Liv deserved a decent partner who treated her right, like the fucking werewolf royalty she was. Someone like Chase. Fate I intervened on.
Because of me, she went to that piece of shit TJ-fucking-Malice, a good-for-nothing hillbilly who would cheat on her, beat her, degrade her, share her with his men, and break her down. Fire decimated my chest at the thought of the Malices harming Liv or Whitney, if they had her.
Chase and Liv shared a laugh that ripped a howl from deep in my chest that I swallowed down. A smile that I wanted to earn. Smiles that once belonged to me before everything changed.
When she nudged him with her shoulder, I went to war with my wolf, fighting for control as he edged us closer. Wolf conquered man, and my legs stalked forward, breaching the distance between us, stationing myself at her back.
Protect her. Seize her. Own her. My mate.
Put a fucking stop to the marriage with that mutt Malice.
Her freesia and honey scent wrapped around me like a cloak of darkness twinkling with silver light. Fuck me, she smelled even better than I remembered. Moonlight and wilderness.
My wolf reached for her hair, dragging the back of my knuckle along her silken blond hair streaked with teal.
Sensing my presence, she tensed and glanced over her shoulder, eyes cracking wider for a second before settling back into place.
“Hi, Dash. Been a while.” Formal. Restrained. Tainted with an edge of coolness.
Four years, thirty days, three hours. But who was counting?
Air vanished from my lungs. God damn. Time improved her beauty. Golden highlights of her hair complimented the matching flecks warming the wintery steel of her eyes. A face that sucked men under her spell and tempted them to commit sin. Ivory skin glowed with youthful radiance, and I wanted to run my tongue over her jaw and apple cheekbones. Lips with a soft bow deceived men into believing she possessed a submissive and gentle nature. Anything but. A fierce-willed demon resided inside her. Every bit the Alpha female.
Fuck me. That body, rounded and curved, resembled the goddesses in the renaissance paintings and brought a man to his knees, thanking the stars for getting so lucky. Sturdy shoulders slanted in a V down to a small waist giving rise to wide, childbearing hips. Plenty to grab onto when fucking, and the thought made me stiffer and strain against my boxers. Perky tits hidden beneath a woolen coat reminded me of the time we swayed at the Fall Dance, her chest brushing mine, nipples hard and straining for more contact with my bare chest.
Desperate to feel her in my arms again, my hands reached for her, daring to drag our bodies together, fitting the missing puzzle piece together. At the last second, I snapped back, dropping my hands to my side.
Fuck, what did she say? Greetings? Tell me I was an asshole? Whatever.
Screw the pleasantries. Rumbles rolled in my chest, warning my brother to fuck off. “Liv.” My wolf barely let me get anything more out.
Chase rolled his shoulders and shook his head, irritated I crashed his party. Old habits never died between us. Big brother never stood a chance with my mate, and my competitive ass made sure of it.
A fresh scent toyed with my nose. Maple syrup and cinnamon apples, almost as sweet and irresistible as Liv’s scent.
Heather.
Liv’s younger sister. Fuck. I forgot she stood to Liv’s left, leaning on her good leg. My wolf only cared about staking his territory, and anything apart from that faded into the periphery.
Almond-shaped hazel eyes peered up at Chase beneath long, dark lashes attempting to gain his attention. He didn’t notice her. Few did. The curse of invisibility, thanks to her physical afflictions. Pity pinched my chest, but I scorched that fucker, fulfilling a promise I made to Heather never to feel bad for her.
Four years ago, the two sisters, Chase, and I hung out a bit when Liv and I dated for six months. From what I knew of her, Heather was a cool chick. Witty, creative, a great listener, a riot when she got drunk and let her guard down. Though, times changed, and she might be different now.
After Chase and Liv’s disastrous alliance, her father attempted a second alliance with our pack, between Chase and Heather, thinking the two were good for each other. My asshole of a father declined the deal. My brother didn’t put up a fight for it either when Liv was the one he wanted. Shame. Heather would have made a good match for my brother, sympathetic and understanding of his challenges and vice versa. My wolf yawned at her, throwing in his approval for their pairing.
Who knew what the Lunar goddess intended tonight. I just hoped Chase wasn’t paired with a Malice bitch. Father refused the last two pairings after one female sabotaged us and gave TJ’s men intel on our pack, leading to an incursion we barely fended off.
The same went for Heather. I fucking hoped the Lunar goddess didn’t trade her like her sister. My fist clenched and shuddered by my side.
“You’re looking good.” Liv’s sultry purr brought my attention back to those captivating eyes. Fuck, I’d missed them. “Still a bad boy, I see.”
Her eyes left a trail of fire, glancing from my cleanshaven face to the ink peeking through my unbuttoned collar, raking down my cut, jumping to the fire demon riding a Harley on my left wrist and the snarling wolf on my right arm.
She made an amused groan. “Fuck fate, huh?”
The pads of my fingers brushed the letters on my knuckles, reminded of the softness of her back when we danced four Wolf Moons ago at the Fall Dance.
“Had them done three months ago.” I stopped short of mentioning Pack Lumbry ran into trouble, tempting fate by pissing off the Lunar goddess. “Like them?” Aching to touch her, I lifted my fist to bump it with hers.
She laughed and returned the gesture, kindling a soft glow in my chest. “You always welcomed danger.”
Shock snapped through my body, and I rocked on my heels. Fuck. Danger. My middle name. Immaturity and recklessness broke my brother. Behavior I strived to stamp out but did a shit job of it. Silence crushed my lungs, and I struggled to breathe.
“You’re not participating?” Liv’s tipped head and raised brow didn’t go unnoticed on me. Vested interest we shared a long time ago rekindled. Enticement I refused to invite.
Fresh tears ripped in my heart like the moon split in two and fell from the sky. I could never be the one for her. People I loved got hurt because of me. I offered her nothing but doom and failure. Better for me to remain single. No mate. No love. No harm.
“Good seeing you, Liv.” I tugged at my hair and backed away.
Chase jumped at the chance and inserted himself back into the conversation. Liv glanced over her shoulder, watching me retreat. Heather’s shoulders slumped and she tucked her head, dropping her sister’s hand as if it burned her palm.
Needing to cool the burn of Liv’s starlight, I receded into the trees’ shadows, tugging at my shirt and popped another collar button. Alone. Where I belonged. Where no one got hurt.
Coming here was a bad idea. Seeing her again awoke feelings I buried long ago. Shame. Regret. Guilt burned hotter than ever.
Fuck this ceremony. Fuck fate. Fuck it all.
Soft strikes of the gong signaled the ritual’s commencement. Moonlight hit its zenith in the ceremonial circle, the grass and flowers bathed in silver. Shifters seeking pairing strolled into it, glancing about, nervously twitching, wondering who their intended was.
My wolf growled at me, urging me to take Liv’s hand and lead her into the circle. The animal part of me recognized her as ours and demanded we make her ours with the blessing of the Lunar goddess. Impossible. Dangerous. The prospect of hurting her set off a deep ache in my belly.
The priest recited a summoning ritual for the Lunar goddess, intoning Lycan words that sounded like spitting and cursing in another language. Ancient markings in the circle shimmered like stars on a cloudless night, illuminating the skin of the participants to an unearthly silver. Flowers ejected spores resembling thistle seeds, which floated into the air, twinkling like fairy fucking dust.
Heather stood rooted to the spot until a gentle nudge from Liv jostled one foot over the line. Slyly, she reached back to pluck at her behind, making it look effortless and casual. Amused, I rubbed at my chin. Underwear riding up her crack. I envied the lucky bastard who got to tap that.
Fuck, what I wouldn’t give to keep my mate. Part of me simmered that fate stole my chance of our happy ending, but the other side cautioned me to remain safe.
Commotion on the circle’s edge demanded everyone’s attention.
TJ Malice was getting heavy with two of his crew. “Get your fucking ass in there.”
Cocksucker smacked the back of his lieutenant’s head who refused to step into the circle, humiliating the poor sucker in front of the crowd of observers. That asshole better not be paired with one of our females.