Chapter 7
CHAPTER SEVEN
I grabbed Julius’s shoulders and slammed him into the wall, causing the door to rattle. I allowed my wolf to surge and felt alpha will begin to bubble within me, but I pushed the urge down, needing to make him respect me without that influence.
Alpha will should be used only as a last resort, when nothing else would work, or if there was a deadly risk if someone did not obey. Respect should be earned, not forced, whenever possible.
“I get that you're upset.” I did. Hell, I was upset, too. My life hadn’t been bad, and though he’d had it a lot worse than I had, my past hadn’t been a walk in the park, either. “But you can’t act out like that. I didn’t cause this. Why would you think I was involved? I would’ve loved having a sibling growing up.”
He held his chin high in defiance as his lips flattened. Despite the rage pouring from him into me, he held the picture album and journal tight against his chest and snapped, “Are you going to let me go now?”
Keeping my gaze locked on his, I shook my head. “Not until you tell me that you understand.”
Griffin stepped beside me and cracked his neck from side to side. “And apologize before I have to make you.”
Oh, dear God. Please stop. You ’ re going to make this worse. I loved that Griffin wanted to have my back and support me, but all he was doing was antagonizing Julius—and all I wanted him to do was calm down. He needed time to process his emotions, but not in an explosive, disrespectful way. All we’d done was help him.
“You and what army?” Julius sneered at Griffin, while a faint glow lightened his silver irises.
They were having yet another pissing match. “Yeah, we get it. You’re a big, mean, silver wolf.” I let the sarcasm drip from each word. “But I’m one, too, and stronger than both of you.” I glared at Griffin as well. There, I’d insulted both of their manhoods. Maybe that would wrap things up more quickly.
If I didn ’ t love you, that would infuriate me , Griffin linked.
All strong wolves desired to be the strongest alpha. That was how most supernaturals were wired and one reason why there was so much corruption in our world. In wolves, alphas not only wanted to be the strongest, but also to protect their pack. It was an internal struggle that was always at the core of our wolf.
Dad had taught me that each supernatural race had some sort of inherent conflict it struggled with. Angels had their lack of emotional range—they were built to be warriors and tended to be colder and more closed off, making them seem heartless at times. Vampires were born or turned with humanity, but they had a thirst for blood and power that was always at war with their empathetic side. The list went on and on.
For silver wolves, strength and weakness were tied to the same thing: the moon.
The larger the moon, the more powerful we were, but the less the moon glowed until it waned to a new moon, the weaker we were. Our power grew and lessened. Naturally, our kind had dubbed the full moon “the silver moon.”
“You don’t think I know that?” Julius growled as his nose wrinkled in disgust. “Your power is the only reason you kept escaping.”
“That’s not true.” Strength was great, but that wasn’t how I’d survived. Maybe it had been at first, but not now. “I have a mate and friends who love me and would sacrifice anything to keep me safe. Because of that, we brought you with us. You should remember that, since you were afraid of being killed.” He needed to come to grips with the fact that we’d saved him.
He thrust out his chest and remained silent.
Yeah, this was pointless. Me holding him here would only make things worse with us relationship-wise. “I’m going to let you go, but if you treat anyone in this house, including me, horribly again, then I’ll kick your ass. You can be angry, stomp, cry, or scream at the moon, but not at any of us. Got it?”
Just when I thought he wasn’t going to acknowledge me, he negligibly nodded his head. Got it , he linked with me, probably not wanting Griffin to hear.
I wanted to roll my eyes at his childish antics, but I’d scolded him enough for one night. I wasn’t his parent, after all, and he was an adult. I couldn’t help but wonder who’d raised him. Someone had put a roof over his head, but he was packless and had abandonment issues, so they’d messed with him. That was the one thing I knew for sure.
Not wanting Griffin to chime in, I linked with my mate as I released my hold on Julius. He said he got it, using our strange bond.
Of course he did. Griffin wasn’t pleased.
None of us were happy at the moment. Too much shit was going on, and even though we’d gotten closer to the bad guy, we still had no clue who we were up against. Time to try to gain some knowledge. “So…we’re here, and you’re safe,” I said to Julius. “Who’s trying to kidnap me?”
“That information is the only reason for all of you to keep me around.” Julius sneered. “I’m not telling you a damn thing until I learn more about who created me. If you want information, then I need mine first.”
Dear God, this was going to be never-ending. But I wanted to try to cooperate with him—after all, he was my brother.
Rosemary stepped into the room. Her face was set into her customary mask of indifference.
“Is everything okay?” Griffin asked as his shoulders sagged. Lately, it seemed like we couldn’t catch a break.
“Yeah.” Rosemary arched an eyebrow. “I wouldn’t walk in like this if there was something we had to address.”
And there was my blunt angel friend. She could come off as aggressive, but I found her refreshing. She didn’t shy away from the truth or confrontation. “I think what he meant to ask was is there something you need?”
“No.” She pointed at Julius. “I figured I could take him to sleep in my room. I can keep an eye on him.”
That, actually, was the best plan. We couldn’t trust Julius, so we needed someone to watch him. Since she was the strongest of us, it made sense. I was just glad she’d offered instead of one of us having to make the request. “Okay, you know where the extra covers and pillows are if you need them.” Under normal circumstances, I’d have offered to get the blankets and help out, but I was exhausted; I wasn’t sure how I was still standing. Before I could crawl into bed, though, I needed a shower. Being locked in that cell for half a day hadn’t been pleasant—the entire basement had smelled like piss and body odor.
“Or he could just sleep on the floor without any luxuries.” Rosemary shifted her weight to one leg as she looked at Julius with cold disregard. “I mean, after all he’s done, that’s better than he deserves.”
I didn’t have the energy to argue with her, nor was she wrong. I turned and headed toward the bathroom and waved a hand. “Do what you have to do.” At the end of the day, as long as he was safe, that was all that mattered. Maybe being a little harder on him would make things more bearable for him. He seemed to struggle with us being nice, like he was afraid that we’d take it back.
“Come on, Beta,” she teased. “Let’s get you settled.”
Julius harrumphed but followed the angel out of the room.
I ’ m going to make sure he doesn ’ t cause any problems. I ’ ll be back in a minute , Griffin linked as I made my way into the bathroom.
Don ’ t be long. I needed him after the day we’d had. For a second, I’d thought that I wouldn’t be able to make my way back to him.
I removed my pale pink tennis shoes and socks and relished the cool gray tile that my feet now touched. Walking past the dark granite bathroom sink, I turned on the shower and pulled off my clothing.
Steam billowed from the top of the glass door of the shower, and I climbed into it and let the warm water hit my tight, sore muscles for a moment before quickly washing myself. Even though I wanted to stand in there forever, my body required sleep.
After getting clean, I wrapped a fluffy white towel around myself and strolled back into the bedroom. Clean clothes in hand, I dropped the towel right as Griffin came into the room.
He shut the door quickly and took a rapid intake of breath before the spicy scent of arousal hit my nose. I ’ m so damn lucky , he rasped.
My body responded to his smell and sexy voice, and I turned to face him.
His lips parted as he erased the distance between us. He kissed me with so much passion, my mind grew hazy.
I can’t risk losing you again. His arms wrapped around my body, and his fingers dug into my ass. I almost went insane. It gets worse each time.
Our bond strengthened every time we had sex or spent time together. I’d heard that mates fell in love more each day, and now I knew it to be true. At first, it was lust, with love taking root within our hearts, but the lust never went away. Fated mate bonds ever deepened within each other.
You know I wish things weren ’ t like this. In a perfect world, we’d have only regular pack issues to take care of, not someone breathing down our necks, wishing captivity or death on me. Maybe fate messed up, putting the two of us together. Griffin deserved to not live under constant threat. He should’ve been given a mate who could not only make him happy but didn’t put him at constant risk.
He growled and lifted me, his body pressing my back against the wall. One hand snagged my wrists and held them over my head. Don ’ t ever talk like that again. He pulled his mouth away from mine and kissed down my neck, all the way to my breasts.
Last time we’d almost lost each other, he’d demanded slow and tender lovemaking, so when he bit my nipple, I gasped in both surprise and delight. His tongue flicked out, giving me the sensation of both pleasure and pain, and my fatigue left me.
All I wanted and needed was him.
My wet hair clung to my shoulders as I leaned my head against the wall. He nipped and teased me as one of his hands slipped between my legs.
Now that one hand was free, I took a fistful of his hair, pulling his head toward me. I wanted to taste him.
No , he chastised me as his fingers increased both the pressure and pace, rubbing the place that built the friction inside me faster.
My breathing grew ragged as his mouth devoured me and his hands pushed me toward the peak. Every time I tried getting closer to him, he pulled away and bit and touched harder. My body was teetering so damn close to the edge. Fuck me now. I growled.
I was done playing nice. There was only one way that I’d get fully sated.
Take it back, then. His teeth grazed against my skin, making my body somehow warmer. Tell me you’re glad that you ’ re mine.
Of course I am. I had trouble even forming the words in my mind—my body had never been through so much torture and excruciating pleasure before.
Say fate had it right , he linked as he slipped a finger inside.
Right as my body almost contracted, he removed his hand, causing the building sensation to stall.
I bucked under his hand, wanting that release so damn badly.
Say it , he growled, commanding me.
I’d never been so turned on in my life. As an alpha, I thought I wouldn’t like being dominated, but Griffin was the exception to the rule. Fate had it right, okay?
Good. He stumbled back and yanked off his clothing. His scent of arousal was as strong as mine, though I hadn’t even touched him. He grasped my waist and tried to turn me around so I wasn’t facing him, but it was my turn to dominate him.
My wolf surged, and I pivoted so that we switched sides with him against the wall. His eyes widened, which meant my plan had worked. He thought he’d be in control the entire time.
I climbed him, and he bent his knees enough that my legs could touch the floor on either side of him. When he slipped inside of me, I rode him fast and hard. After the torture he’d just put me through, I wouldn’t take it easy on him.
He thrust into me, slamming deeper, and soon, I was close to falling over the edge again. My fingers fisted his hair, and I pulled, wanting to give him a taste of the pain he’d given me as I sucked on his neck. He shuddered against me, making me feel even more powerful and sexy.
One of his hands slipped between us, pinching my nipples as I pierced his skin with my teeth. Our bond filled with raw attraction and need, and I could feel him as he orgasmed with me. Our bodies rocked in sync as he filled me, and we stilled as we floated back to reality.
Damn, that was amazing , he said huskily, as he started to pull back. He scanned my breasts. I didn ’ t hurt you, did I?
Just the perfect amount. We’d done “fast and hard” before, but that was something a little different, raw and carnal. And that was amazing.
He chuckled and kissed my lips sweetly. Yeah, you can say that again. He scooped me up in his arms and carried me to the bed. He laid me down and pulled the covers over me. Get some rest. I ’ m going to jump in the shower and then join you.
My eyes grew heavy, and before he even made it into the bathroom, I’d fallen asleep.
I woke cuddled in Griffin’s arms. On mornings like these, life felt normal. The exact way things should be.
His chest rose and lowered steadily, indicating he was still asleep, but he pulled me closer in his arms. I took a moment to breathe in myrrh and leather, his unique scent, which had quickly become my favorite smell in the world.
The essence of home.
But footsteps stomped down the hallway, and soon, we heard a loud knock at the door. Julius’s urgent voice called out, “Sterlyn, we need to talk. Now .”