Chapter 8 #2
Standing, I was shocked to see the wolves still fighting.
I could easily pick out Slater’s wolf and gasped as he fell beneath the large brown and gold wolf that was Bar.
Instinctively, I knew it was the bastard.
The two wolves rolled, their lethal claws raking each other’s sides. The other fought for a killing blow.
Once I knew LeeLee was no longer in danger from the old woman, I turned my full focus on the big wolf who’d slunk off after the fighting started.
Bar had taunted LeeLee with what he was going to do to her, yet when we’d shown up, he’d run off.
Just as I’d finished off one of Greta’s enforcers, the worthless prick had snuck up on me.
I spun in time to face him, his putrid scent hidden, thanks to the downwind, which nearly cost me my life.
Now, I didn’t need to watch her back. I exhaled.
She was fine. Better than, except she’d just killed a being, and I wasn’t sure how that would affect her psyche.
I wanted to reach out and ask if she was okay.
When I finished Bar, I’d wrap her in my arms, and she’d never have to face anything so terrifying again.
I dodged another swipe of claws, growling low in my throat, knowing if I suffered too many more blows, I’d be the one they carried home. We rolled across the ground, breaking free, then turning back toward the snarling brown wolf. Amber eyes stared at me with death in them.
I launched myself in the air, meeting the other wolf head-on. My teeth sank into the other’s neck, locking on with deadly precision. I held on, shaking and biting, as the copper-tasting liquid filled my mouth. Once I was sure Bar was dead, I released him.
All around, wolves lay from the other pack.
Niall shifted back to human, followed by Zayn.
The two brothers were almost identical in looks, with commanding presence and equal forces I wouldn’t want to fuck with if I didn’t have to.
Niall’s Alpha aura was hard to miss. They stood shoulder to shoulder with Kellen and Xan from the Iron Wolves.
The four males were an impressive sight.
“I was starting to think you were gonna need a hand,” Niall said, clapping me on the back once I shifted back to human. Zayn laughed. “I knew you were just playing with the puppy. Um, you wanna introduce us to your mate?”
“I’m really not sure if I like the way you boys travel.” Kellen’s growl sent a shiver down my spine. He waved a hand around the clearing.
Xan slapped him on the back. “Ignore him. He’s not a fan of flying either.”
Kellen raised his right hand. His huge, tattooed bicep flexed as he flipped Xan off. “Go fuck yourself. Who in their right mind likes to be enclosed in a silver tube with wings?”
“Nah, I got Breezy.” He cleared his throat, then winced. “Sorry, my name is Xan, and this is my alpha, Kellen.” He nodded toward LeeLee. “Hello, LeeLee. Slater, it’s good to see you. As the cousin of my mate, you and yours are also welcome as members of the Iron Wolves as well.”
Kellen stared at LeeLee and me. A faint stirring in my mind, very similar to what I felt when Niall first became my alpha, clicked.
“Thank you, Alpha.” I held my hand out. The grip was strong, but not overly so.
Kellen repeated the gesture with LeeLee, making my mate smile, then she stepped back, sadness and uncertainty crossing her features.
LeeLee stood with her arms wrapped around her waist. “I left the rest of the pack in the hall. I’m not sure who’s good or bad. I sort of just threw up a shield that was supposed to protect the innocent.”
I nodded. “Where’s your mother?”
“I don’t know.” She bit her lip. I hated to see her pain. “Let’s go check on the others.”
Niall waved and led the way, ever the alpha and leader. “We’ll start a fire out here, unless the Goddess has a way of cleaning this shit up?” Kellen glanced around at the carnage.
I wasn’t sure what she could or couldn’t do. “We’ll help as soon as we handle the other matter,” I promised.
“You need help in there, holler. We’ll hear.” Kellen raised his hand and moved to help with the cleanup.
We entered the hall, finding pandemonium breaking out in a weird, contained way.
I held my mate’s hand as we surveyed the interior.
She was now officially the heir to the original pack.
I wondered if she’d want to stay or go. The town was quaint, but I didn’t feel at home or welcome.
What the hell was up with all the blond men and blonde women?
For fucksake, you’d think they bought stock in hair dye.
LeeLee waved her hand, the shield allowing the fighting group who were leaning against it to fall. Silence descended, and then the alpha stepped forward, his mate behind him.
“I apologize for the wrongs that the old pack did to you, LeeLee. I have spoken with your mother, and you are welcome as one of our pack.”
Her mother wouldn’t meet her eyes. LeeLee snorted. “Thanks, but no thanks.”
I breathed a sigh of relief. I didn’t even know if I had a job, yet I couldn’t fathom the thought of living with these shifters.
The woman named RozLee—no way would I call her my mate’s mother—moved next to her mate. Sorrow burned in her gaze. “I don’t know what was wrong with me. I couldn’t wait for you to be born, then within a year, something happened,” she whispered.
Whispered words floated into the air. The Goddess allowed them all to see the truth of how Greta had shown up and slowly poisoned her parents’ minds, taking little bits of them to stay youthful.
Her ultimate goal had been to take LeeLee along with RozLee, but her father had broken from her thrall that fateful day, leaving her mother a shell.
Greta had been able to use her as a puppet.
I felt a twinge of sorrow for the woman, but my loyalty lay with my mate.
“I understand, but you will always have a home here,” Alaric said, holding his hand out to me. With one arm around my mate, I shook it, feeling the strength in the older man’s grip.
“Sorry, we can’t stay and help clean up, but we need to return home.” Zayn flashed a bright smile. “We have some friends starting a fire out in the field unless you have a way of taking care of things.”
Niall looked at the other alpha. I listened with half an ear as the alphas ordered the wolves around during the cleanup. My friend Jett laughed, and I swore several young girls sighed. Jett’s mate would rip their throats out, which the other male knew. He turned his dark gaze toward me and winked.
RozLee reached out a hand. LeeLee stilled, her nails digging into my forearm. “I can’t forgive you right now. Someday, but not yet.” The older woman nodded, tears welling in her eyes.
“Get me out of here, please.” The plea was my undoing. I looked around wildly, wishing one of the Fey were around. I wrapped my arm around her and began walking back toward the door—and then we were no longer there.
Blinking, I looked around, trying to figure out where we were. The hotel room came into view. “Did you do that?” I asked her.
A frown marred her face. “I don’t know. I just wished us away. I don’t know if I like this ability. Goddess touched might not be so cool,” LeeLee muttered.
I touched my thumbs beneath both her eyes, drying the wetness. “Hmm, it could be cool. We want to go to Maui. You blink, and bam, we are there.”
A nod was my answer. “I don’t want to think of anything right now, except making love to you. We could have lost everything.” She stroked her hand down my chest.
“LeeLee...” I tried to protest. A low moan wretched from me when her hand continued to the fly of my jeans, caressing me through the denim. My head fell back, eyes rolling back as she squeezed me. I was already needing release, and she hadn’t even touched my bare flesh.
“Need you naked.” Desire burned in her blue eyes.
I wasted no time tugging my clothes off, watching her do the same with hers. The silky pieces of lace, her final barrier, were too much for me. “Everything, LeeLee. Take it off before I rip them off.”
Her hips rolled as she stepped out of the panties.
She looked at me. “You are built so beautifully.” Her hand reached out, touching the slit on the end of my cock and spreading the fluid over the head.
I watched as she lifted her thumb and sucked my essence into her mouth.
“Mmm, you taste delicious.” She slid to her knees until her lips hovered over my erection, her tongue popped out, teasing the end.
“Like honey and ambrosia. Sweet and salty combined,” she hummed around the end, nearly making me go mindless.
Before I could make a fool of myself, I fisted my hand in her glorious locks, giving a little tug, bringing her to her feet.
Holding her eyes, I lifted her in my arms. “Bed first. I want to slide between your thighs and claim you with my cock inside you. I want to feel your heat surround me, feel your body squeeze mine while you come. I need to know you’re alive and well. ”
My dick was so hard, the purple plum-shaped head looked even larger than I’d ever seen it. I wasn’t sure if it was the battle or the fear of almost losing my mate. Placing LeeLee in the middle of the bed, I climbed next to her, running my hand over her soft skin.
With a shaking hand, she reached out, her teeth sunk firmly into her bottom lip while she traced the heavy veins up and down my length. It was an act of major willpower for me to allow her to explore for a few minutes, but I let her, my dick twitching with every soft pass.