11. Chapter 11 #2
Conall bit her earlobe and thrust inside her.
She wrapped a leg around his thigh and the other around his hip.
When he reached in and stroked her clit, her body locked and her energy flared around them.
She came long and hard, and when she stopped pulsing around him, he pulled out, grabbed her hips, and flipped her over, bringing her up to her knees.
Pushing her shoulders into the bed, he drove into her from behind, his wolf urging him as he pistoned his hips.
When she wailed softly and pushed back, his rhythm broke, and he shoved himself deep inside. His knot swelled, locking them together and sending Riley into a second orgasm, right along with his.
Their bond flared between them as Conall folded over her, as if protecting her from the world. Their ragged breaths filled the room, and their mingled scent filled his nostrils.
He lowered Riley onto the bed and nestled her against his chest as their breathing evened. He traced lazy patterns on her bare shoulder, savoring their time together before they parted and the world intruded again.
She turned into him and brushed her lips across his collarbone. “Before I go cold again, I need to tell you something. I love you. No matter what happens with this implant, or Apex, or even my father. I want you to know.”
“I love you too, Mate.” He brushed sweaty strands from her cheek.
Her words sounded almost like a goodbye, and his heart pulsed.
Conall leaned in and gently kissed her forehead, then her cheeks.
“I don’t give a fuck if you go cold sometimes.
The implant, the Feds, your job—they can’t have you.
You belong to me and my wolf. And I’m jealous of him because I think you like my animal better. Make sure you come back to us.”
Riley’s eyes glistened as she nodded.
After lunch, Conall stood at the door and watched Riley, his Betas, and the hellhounds drive away.
Riley was quiet, and the warmth they’d reveled in was receding as her mind shifted back to her investigation and her father.
He kept his hands in his pockets and struggled to quiet his wolf’s instinct to go after her.
Ash stood next to him. “Owen didn’t give Riley a hard time while she was here, and he’s been quiet and subdued.”
“Maybe he’s growing up after everything that happened over the past year.”
Ash hummed. “Maybe.”
They walked to Conall’s office. “Any issues with the Pack Run?”
Ash sat in the chair across from Conall’s desk. “Nothing besides Lexa. A few are in the barn still sleeping it off.”
“Is she still here?”
Ash’s mouth quirked. “No. She left early this morning, still licking her wounds. She won’t challenge Riley again.”
Conall’s jaw clenched. “She shouldn’t have tried it in the first place.”
“I agree, but it was interesting to see how Riley responded.” Ash’s lips twitched. “She growled at Lexa, and it was a possessive, angry growl. Nothing cold about it.” Riley’s reaction to Lexa had been visceral and immediate, her energy crackling with territorial anger.
Conall slowly grinned. “You’re right, and she laughed with Sahara.”
“Dr. Wharton’s theory appears solid.”
Conall ran his hand through his hair. “But now she’s heading back into an investigation where she’ll be using that intelligent, analytical mind of hers. Everything about the situation will reinforce the implant’s programming.”
“She’s fighting it.”
“I know she is. But they designed that thing specifically for her. It’s like a parasite that feeds on her natural tendencies. Her intelligence, her focus, her ability to compartmentalize.”
“She’s stronger than he anticipated.”
“You haven’t felt what I have through our bond. It’s like watching someone’s soul being slowly buried alive in ice.”
Ash’s gaze was steady. “It’s not going away. You know it will likely kill her if they try to remove it.”
“What are you trying to say? Spit it out.”
Ash’s expression remained calm. “She needs to find a way to incorporate it without losing herself. To find a middle path where she harnesses its analytical power without surrendering her humanity.”
“And if she can’t maintain it?”
“Then we keep doing exactly what we’re doing. Be her link and remind her who she is. That may never be exactly who she was before Roswell. That doesn’t mean she’s lost.”
Conall closed his eyes briefly, his wolf stirring restlessly beneath his skin. “I don’t need her to be, but I want her to feel joy and pain and everything in between. To not lose what makes her Riley.”
“She won’t,” Ash stated simply.
Conall raised his eyebrows. “How can you know that?”
“Because she’s still fighting the Feds and Apex, and putting herself in danger to help people. And also still trying to find out what happened to her father.”
His shoulders eased fractionally. That’s why Ash was his first Beta, because he could examine an issue’s complexities, cut through the bullshit, and offer perspective when Conall was lost in the weeds.
“True. She’s also stubborn as hell.”
Ash folded his arms. “Her energy is changing, sharpening, and becoming more lethal. You saw her lightning.”
Conall nodded slowly. “She’s right to be wary.”
Two days later, as Ash and Conall walked into a Pack Council meeting in D.C., Drew called.
“Talon just contacted me. He’s monitoring surveillance cameras, and he just spotted Commander Marlowe at the Wyoming border.”
Conall’s wolf snarled inside his head. “Where?”
“Near the eastern entrance to Grand Teton National Park. He was monitoring the security feeds we hacked. The feeds aren’t live, but facial recognition picked up Marlowe at a gas station just outside the Park. He had several operatives with him.”
“When?” Conall’s voice had dropped to a dangerous growl.
“A day ago. They’re heading north.”
“Toward Yellowstone,” Ash guessed.
“Toward Riley.” Conall’s eyes flashed gold. “Call Freda. Now.”
Drew shook his head. “I tried her first. Reception is spotty in the mountains, and she isn’t answering. Neither is Jamie.”
“Keep trying. Fuck. I should’ve sent a satellite phone with her. Contact our people in Jackson. Have them ready to move the minute we have a location.”
“Got it.” Drew hung up.
Ash glanced toward the conference room they were about to walk into. “What do you want to do about the rest of the meetings?”
Conall’s stomach clenched. “Marlowe wants Riley. The deranged fucker calls her his pet. I also think he wants to see how his implant is affecting her. If he gets his hands on her, he’s probably going to re-chip her.”
“What are you going to do?” Ash asked.
“Go after her, and you’re going to attend the rest of these meetings in my stead.
” Conall’s voice left no room for argument.
“Tell the other Alphas there’s been a security breach involving my mate, and you speak for our Pack.
” Conall’s eyes were hard. “If they insist it’s me at the table, they can reschedule once I’ve eliminated the threat. ”
Ash nodded. “Council meetings are one long eternal hell. I’d rather go with you, but I’ve got you covered. Hunt well, Alpha.”