Chapter 12
Chapter Twelve
My heart was threatening to burst out of my chest. The Iron Wolves Club looked like a scene straight out of a horror movie.
The truck I’d been riding in hadn’t come to a complete stop when I’d jumped out.
The scent of death and blood assaulted my senses.
Seeing the doors ripped off, the other men and I ran through, some shifted, others half-shifted.
I searched for Lyric through the fighting.
Kellen told me to follow my nose. I wasn’t sure what the other man meant until I’d come face to face with an onslaught of wolves I’d never met.
Instinct and scent told me which were on our side.
I ducked as a wolf came sailing over my head.
The lifeless body was one of our enemies, making me breathe easier.
Abrupt gunfire brought everyone to a grinding halt.
The sound was one I was familiar with from my combat days.
I wasn’t sure who had fired the deadly weapon until the petite form of my mate was the only one near the sound still firing.
She held the black gun, shooting at two large wolves as they charged her.
My eyes widened when another wolf, larger than any I’d seen, leaped on top of her.
I would kill the wolf. I shifted, uncaring of my clothes ripping.
The brown wolf had Lyric caged beneath him while she taunted him.
Oh, I was so gonna spank her or bite her.
The big gun looked ready to bend beneath the pressure of the wolf.
A sinking feeling that I was too late entered my mind.
I wouldn’t allow it. She’d saved me. It was my turn to save her.
Then I’d bend her over my knee and spank her beautiful heart-shaped ass, after I made love to her.
My wolf pushed the human side of me back, snarling a warning at the larger wolf.
With Xan coming at the wolf from behind, Lyric was in a very precarious position.
I could see the metal giving. Her strength was no match for man or beast as she used the gun to keep the wolf from getting to her throat.
And then she shocked me by shifting. The swiftness of the action startled the wolf as well, allowing Lyric a chance to shimmy out from under him.
Lunging across the space, I slammed into him head-on.
The gun went off, causing everyone to jump except me.
Blood oozed from wounds on the other wolf.
The fucker swung his head back and forth, looking for a way out.
With Xan blocking one end and me the other, he had no chance of escape.
I flicked my wolven tongue out and licked my fangs, taunting the other beast. My focus narrowed down to what the other would choose to do now that he was cornered.
My opponent’s hind legs shifted, a slight twist. A bullet had hit him in the left leg, making the leap over the bar almost impossible.
He looked to be thinking of trying, and then turned toward Xan, barreling into Lyric’s brother with all his might.
The action was swift and vicious as he swiped a huge paw aimed to take out Xan’s jugular, but my mate’s brother was faster.
Xan’s growl was chilling. He knocked the brown wolf to the side, falling into the pool of blood.
I glanced around to check on Lyric. Her wolf stood proud, shaking debris from broken bottles from her fur. Acceptance of what I had to do shone in her amber depths.
Stalking the beast that tried to kill my mate across the cement floor, I snapped my teeth, growling out a challenge.
A huge man, with tattoos on both arms, and two other men, equally as big, blocked the door, grins on their faces that did not make them look any less menacing.
The brown wolf turned around, his gaze taking in what was left of his crew.
A howl of rage flew from him. My howl was louder.
Not knowing the protocol on wolf fights, uncaring about how they should go, I charged the wolf.
His injuries were too severe, and the brown wolf didn’t put up much of a fight.
The light of battle had already begun to dim as I locked my jaws around the other’s throat.
I took pleasure in ending the wolf’s life, not repulsed by the blood in my mouth.
My wolf shook its head back and forth, making sure the enemy wouldn’t get up.
“You can let go now, my love.” Lyric stood behind me, her face streaked with grime.
“You, little missy, owe me an AR-15. Do you know how much they cost?” Turo walked up holding the pieces of his gun.
I wanted to smile, but, in my wolf form, found it probably didn’t quite look the same. “You scared of being naked in front of all these boys?” she asked, scratching my head.
Yeah, my woman was in so much trouble. I shifted, uncaring of my nudity. “I’ll get you the newest model.” I looked up at the man standing far too close.
“Rowan, this is Arturo, but he goes by Turo. Turo, this is my mate.” She shifted from foot to foot as she realized what she’d called me.
Her words caused my wolf to settle. “Dude, put some clothes on. You’re gonna make Xan jealous and shit.” Kellen slapped me on the back, a pair of sweats landing at my feet. They obviously kept supplies of extra clothes everywhere. My shoes were trashed, but I’d walked over a lot worse.
“Pretty sure I ain’t heard no complaints, bro. As a matter of fact,” Xan stopped talking, laughing as Lyric tossed a piece of metal at him.
“If you value your manhood, I suggest you don’t finish that.” Lyric glared at him.
Turo nudged Xan aside. “Shut it. This guy was just explaining how he was replacing my baby.” The light that shone in the otherwise harsh face was almost comical.
“I can get you a replacement. No problem.” I waved away his concerns.
I recognized the woman with flowing black hair that would stop traffic in any major city, strolling through the door.
Her blue eyes reminded me of the clearest ocean.
If I wasn’t already head over ass in love with Lyric, I’d have fallen in lust at first sight.
As it was, my mate elbowed me in the side, a smile on her beautiful face.
“That’s my best friend, Karsyn Styles, Syn to her friends, trouble with a capital T to her brother, Kellen. Oh, and here it comes.”
I was going to question what she meant, but her meaning became obvious in less than twenty seconds. All the wolves in the room stopped what they were doing, stood straight, and stared toward the entryway. Kellen’s shoulders stiffened. His hands flexed into tight fists.
“Karsyn, did I tell you it was safe to leave?”
Syn flicked her long hair over her shoulder. “Kellen, did I ask you for your permission?” She drew his name out in a long drawl. “I don’t believe I need to ask you if I may leave my home. The alarm was lifted, hence I’m here.”
“She’s itching for a fight,” Lyric whispered.
I had figured that out. Why, was the question.
Placing her hands on her hips, exposed by her barely there daisy dukes, Syn stared her brother down.
Her gaze raked over him, then around the room.
Who she was looking for, I wasn’t sure. Testosterone levels increased so much that my wolf itched to push Lyric behind me.
Several growls echoed around the otherwise quiet space.
“I came to tell you the police have heard of a disturbance. Luckily, I was dating the chief a couple of weeks back, and he called to see if I was okay. You know how they hate coming this far outside the city. However, the sheriff’s department doesn’t have such an affliction.”
At the mention of her dating, or whatever, the big man named Bodhi stomped out from behind the bar. “What the fuck do you mean, you were dating the chief?” he asked, his dark eyes blacker than the blackest night.
Syn shrugged. “Let’s work on getting this place cleaned up if we plan to open any time soon.” She didn’t so much as walk, but sashay across the blood-and-dirt-filled room, carefully stepping over bodies as if it were an everyday occurrence and she was the queen of the castle.
“Um, baby, do you dress like that?” I tilted my head in the direction the other woman had disappeared.
Lyric laughed. “I’m not sure where she found those shorts. I think they’re from like ninth grade, but they got the response she was looking for.”
“If you mean she has her brother ready to rip every man’s head off and Bodhi’s blood vessel in his right temple ready to explode, then, yes, mission accomplished.”
“Yep, that’s exactly what I mean,” Lyric agreed.
We worked as a team to clean up the mess left behind by the fight.
I was surprised when the fallen wolves didn’t shift back to men until Kellen explained that when shifters died in their shifted form, they stayed that way.
The biggest problem we faced now was that we were unable to learn their identities, leaving the question of why we were attacked unresolved.
“Did you find Taya?” Lyric asked as we loaded up into my big truck.
I turned to look at the bar, a scowl on my face. “Yeah, she’s a little worse for wear, but she’ll recover.”
Lyric shook her head. “Xan cares about her, but she’s not his mate. I’m glad she’s okay. She’ll probably head back home to Mystic, South Dakota. That’s where she’s originally from.”
“Is there another pack there?” I asked, thinking I really needed to learn more.
“Yes. I don’t know all the details, just that she has family there.”
I felt sorry for the other woman, but my first worry was for my own mate.
I wanted to get her back to my place and shower the stink of fighting and death off both of us before I made love to her.
I’d heard the word mate bandied about, saw the flash of fear in Lyric’s eyes every time.
I knew what it meant on some levels. My own mind had flashed the word to me earlier.
My wolf wanted her and no other, and so did I.
We both needed to let our woman know she was it for us.
Mate. She was our mate. Our woman. My wolf settled as I accepted it.
I laced my fingers through hers. We’d both washed our hands and faces.
However, our clothes, and everything from our necks to our toes, were covered in dirt and grime.
When I pulled into the garage, Lyric’s fingers loosened, but mine tightened, pulling her across the seat and out my door.
After the night I’d had, the fear of what could have happened to her, I wasn’t sure I could let Lyric out of my sight for the foreseeable future.
She didn’t seem to mind, wrapping her legs around my waist as I maneuvered us through my quiet home.
My bare feet left traces of what we’d been through on the tile and wood.
How I’d explain the mess to my housekeeper, I had no clue, nor did I care.
Ignoring the big bed that dominated my bedroom, I carried my precious woman into my en suite. The luxurious room was one I’d spared no expense on.
“Do you like this outfit, darlin’?”
“Oh, fuck, no. Get it off me.” Lyric locked her legs around my waist, pulling her T-shirt off, trusting me to hold her up.
The tiled shower drew me, but I could also picture setting her on the double vanity with the mirror behind it. The height would be perfect for me to sit Lyric on the edge while I fucked her, or I could bend her over and watch her expression in the mirror as I pounded into her from behind.
“What has that look on your face?” Lyric bit at my lower lip.
I captured her mouth with my own, telling her in explicit detail what I’d imagined doing to her. “Holy fuck me running. You keep that shit up, and I’m liable to come in my panties.”
A growl escaped me at her words, and the smell of her arousal let me know she was telling the truth.
I used my strength to unlock her feet from behind me, stripping the remaining clothes from both of us.
“Why, you little liar. You don’t have any panties on.
” I swatted her behind. The playful tap had the fleshy little cheek bouncing. A pink flush covered her face.
“Oopsie, I must have left them back at the clubhouse.” She blinked over her shoulder at me, smiling playfully.
Damn, I loved her and her dirty mouth. “In you go.” I watched her look at the large, decadent shower with the wide shelf built into one wall.
When I’d had the blueprints drawn up, I’d had it designed with the sole purpose of sex in mind.
The builder had raised his eyebrows, probably did a little math, and came up with the exact height of me, but I didn’t care.
I’d wanted to be able to set my wife on the ledge and be at the perfect height to slide between her legs.
With a few button presses, the multi-head showers came on.
I allowed a few minutes for the water to warm up before I settled Lyric in front of them.
Taking the time to wash her and then myself nearly killed me.
Her breathing had turned into little pants.
My mate was clean, and my dick twitched to be inside her.
I sat her on the platform, wedging my hips between her legs.
Her pussy was right there, glistening with arousal all for me.
“Mate. I like it. No.” I shook my head, water droplets flying. “I love that word. From what I know about wolves, that means life. Right?” My cock poised at her entrance. Her startled gasp had me smiling.