Chapter 24 GRANT
GRANT
Graham points in front of us, making a signal along the trail. I turn back to see that Nate is already in position, with all of us in our wolf form.
The attacks have already begun all over the country, with hunters already being rounded up.
My two most trusted soldiers and I are in the woods near the city, hiding under the cover of darkness as we wait for our targets to pass us.
So far, we know that there's still one hunter hiding out here, looking for shifters to kill. That ends tonight.
“He's coming,” Nate states. “I smell him.”
The scent of gunpowder that had been vague a few seconds ago quickly becomes prominent. We maintain our positions as I hear footsteps getting closer. This is followed by very bad whistling.
“I'm so fucking hungry,” the hunter groans. I can clearly hear it’s just one man, which means this job is going to be a quick one.
He keeps moving before suddenly stopping when he gets close. The hunter stands in the middle of the trail, unmoving, his head cocked.
“Who's there?” he asks, carefully looking around. I see Graham's eyes widen in surprise, and I know exactly what he's thinking.
How does he know we're here?
The hunter brings his gun to chest level and points it around him. “I know someone's watching me,” he says. “I'm not a child, I've been in the game for decades. If you think you can take me on, step out and let's handle this.”
Graham tries to move, but I lift a hand, stopping him.
I can see the agitation on his face. Graham wants to get this over with, but there's more going on here. I can feel it.
The smell of gunpowder suddenly intensifies, but I know it's because there are more hunters around, not because this one is close.
We suddenly hear the three different sets of footsteps joining the first hunter. I can see them clearly from my hiding spot.
It's a trap. They knew we were coming.
Our ambush has turned into us being outnumbered. Still, I'm not sure they know exactly where we are; they just know that we're present.
They walk, aiming their guns in all four directions. Their movements are closer to Graham than the rest of us, and this is where I see an opening.
I signal to him and he barrels out of his hiding spot to attack. The size of the man surprises our attackers, but before they get a chance to react, Nate and I join the fight.
It's clear they weren't expecting more than one shifter. I knock one to the ground, crushing his skull immediately, while Graham makes short work of his opponent.
Nate goes for the throat of the third one but gets shot in the arm by the fourth, sending him to the ground. This incites Graham, who lands a heavy paw across the throat of one of the last two hunters still standing.
All that remains is the first attacker who is still holding his gun. Smoke curls from the barrel, fresh from his shot at Nate.
He points the gun at us, aiming between me and Graham, unsure of which to defend against.
Because of Graham’s size, he assesses him as the greater threat, and he points at him, but I'm far stronger and faster.
I close the gap between us in the blink of an eye and use my alpha power to push my claws into the hunter’s chest. His clothes are no match for my raw strength, and I rip through the fabric, tearing into him.
Blood runs down the mouth of the hunter as his gun drops to the ground. He looks down at my arm on his chest before life leaves his eyes.
I toss the body to the ground and return to my human form.
Graham does the same thing, and we both rush to check on Nate, who hasn't transformed yet. He reaches into his arm to remove the bullet, growling before slowly turning back into his human form.
“Are you alright?” I ask.
“Yeah,” he groans. “Sadly, it's not the first time I've been injured by silver.”
“Let's hope it's the last,” Graham says.
Our journey back into the city is mainly filled with good news, as the majority of our coordinated attacks were a success. However, there are a few hunters who've been able to escape, but now they have the fear of God in them.
It's clear that we're not going to have to worry about hunters again for a very long time.
“We did it,” Nate says in the seat beside me.
I maintain my hands on the wheel as I chuckle. “We've been far too passive. Those hunters are no match for us when we stand together.”
“I can't wait to go back to living a normal life without worrying about my mate’s safety,” Graham says, leaning into the backseat.
“It's why we do what we do,” I tell them. “To protect our mates.” No one would've guessed that I'd ever be part of a conversation like this, but here I am. I'm no longer an outlier when the topic of mates arises.
I drop Nate and Graham off at their houses before driving over to my place in the city. I park the car and quickly head inside, seeing Leena waiting just behind the door. She jumps on me before pausing to check for injuries.
“I'm alright,” I chuckle as she rains kisses on my face.
“I'm so glad you're not hurt. Are the guys okay?”
“Nate is a little banged up, but we're fine.”
“Thank goodness.” She escorts me to the bedroom upstairs, where I drop, letting the mattress cushion me.
Leena doesn't rush me, waiting until I'm ready to share what happened. “The attacks were mostly successful,” I inform her. “There were a few hitches here and there, but no hunter will threaten us in the foreseeable future.”
She lets out a relieved breath. “I wish I was there with you.”
“I know, but you're still recovering.”
Leena sighs, falling back on the bed for a second before sitting up again. “I need to get my hands on one and make them pay.”
“Don't worry, if we ever see a hunter again, I'll let you tear them apart.”
This brings a smile to Leena's face. “It's weird, I was worried, but I could feel that you were safe. I'm not sure if I'll ever get used to this bond.”
“It's taking me a lot of getting used to as well,” I confess. “You know this isn't a life sentence, though. I never want you to feel trapped.”
Leena quickly shakes her head. “Don't say that, I don't feel trapped with you. I want this and I want you.” She leans in even closer. “I fully accept our bond. I'm trying to be the best wolf I can be for an alpha.”
I smile at her, moving closer. “You're already perfect,” I assure her. “Nothing about you should ever change. I love you for who you are.” Leena gives me a small smile and places her lips on mine. I let myself get sucked into her embrace.
Leena's kisses feel like heaven. She pulls me as close as possible before I make her lie flat on the bed.
Our bodies sink into the mattress as I kiss every part of her exposed skin.
My lips are on her neck when I get annoyed about the clothes keeping us apart.
I rip the fabric off her, pulling off each piece of clothing until her skin is left bare in front of me. Leena reaches up and tears my shirt apart. It's a small price to pay for the amount of pleasure that's coming our way.
I get rid of my pants, covering Leena with my naked frame. She pulls me closer, moving her nails into my back.
Leena pulls me back into a kiss that gives me life. She moans into my mouth as our flesh touches each other. I slide my fingers to her neck, applying enough pressure until I control her breathing.
Leena smiles in return, clearly enjoying how I take control. I bite her bottom lip, slowly moving my hand away from her throat and going to her chest.
My fingers linger around her nipples, making Leena moan even louder. I move from kissing her lips to kissing the side of her neck before my mouth joins my hand.
I take her nipples in my mouth, sucking hard on them. They rise in response, and so does her back. Leena places her hand on my head, feeding her breasts to me.
I go from one to the other, keeping both of them stimulated as my fingers continue their trip down her body.
Every touch is heightened, and her body reacts each time my fingers make contact. Once they reach her legs, she begins to shudder.
I slide one finger into her, followed by another. Leena's mouth flies open, but she's unable to come up with the words she needs.
Her moans only keep rising as her wetness increases. I slide in and out of her with ease, still sucking hard.
“I love that,” she confesses. “I love that so much.”
Leena's back arches even more. I rub against her insides, running my thumb on her clit. Each flick sends a shock that I can feel through her body. The more her pleasure rises, the more mine does too.
The bond lets me feel when she's close, and she doesn't even have to give instructions before I know what makes her tick.
I keep up the motion, moving from her tits to get a good look at her face. Leena's eyes close as her jaw hangs open, and the pleasure erupts within her.
As her body tries to calm down, I go back to kissing her. She returns my kisses with renewed energy, reaching for my member.
Leena grabs my hardness and begins to rub along the entire length. I moan, getting closer to her opening and sliding my dick into her.
Her body offers no resistance as I push deep into my mate. “Yes!” she cries.
“I love you so much,” I whisper into her ear.
“I love you more,” she says, taking all of me in. My length goes deep into her, making her moan in barely controlled pleasure.
I slide in and out of her with intent. Every stroke has a purpose as we both get closer to our peak. Leena pulls my face close, kissing me with more passion than I can handle while deep inside her. My mate’s tongue wraps around mine, sucking hard.
“Oh, fuck,” I groan, knowing I can't take anymore.
She encourages this by digging her fingers into my back and pulling me further into her. I'm unable to resist anymore and I cum as soon as I hear her climax.
We lie in each other's arms, basking in the afterglow of our time together. Leena wiggles into me, hiding her face. “I've never felt this good before,” she confesses.
“It's always going to feel this good,” I promise. “Here, I'll prove it to you,” I say, kissing her again.