by West, Tara
“I figured she was lying.” He shrugged, giving her a slanted smile.
She remembered how that smile used to melt her heart.
Roy looked apprehensively at her three mates, who’d flanked her like dogs guarding a bone. “Is there somewhere we could talk?”
No! Hakon commanded.
Chill, she answered back, her spine stiffening as a wave of regret washed through her. I know what has to be done. “No, we have to get Hakon home.” She did her best to keep it together as she plastered an impassive look on her face.
His face fell. He had the same look of disappointment she’d grown accustomed to after her aunt continually rejected him. Now she was about to do the same.
“Where’s home?” he asked.
“Far from here,” Hakon cut in, grabbing her elbow. “Come on, Amara.”
Her heart swelled and then burst with pain when her mates led her away. She tried to look at Roy one last time, but Drasko and Rone had created a wall behind her.
Rone quickly snapped Hrod into his child seat while Drasko shoved her into the back of the truck.
“Easy,” she hissed when he jarred her elbow.
“Sorry. We need to get you out of here.”
Tension radiated off her mates. She’d never thought any of her human family would find her.
The thought of leaving Roy behind was more than she could bear, but though she felt bad for her cousin, bringing that wolf back to the reservation was more important. “What about the lone wolf we scented? Are we just going to leave her behind?”
“Our father will send trackers to search for her,” Drasko said, jumping in the front seat. “Right now, my main concern is getting you far away from your cousin.”
“Hakon Thunderfoot?”
Her mates stiffened and swore when they heard Roy behind them. He stood beside Hakon’s side of the truck, hands in his pockets, rocking on his heels and looking like the sad and lonely little boy she remembered.
She watched with horror as he shoved a hand through the open door, forcing Hakon to take it. “You’re the foreman at the oil field who saved all those men. I just started working there. It didn’t happen on my shift, but I heard about it. It’s an honor to meet you.”
With little enthusiasm, Hakon took his hand.
“Hakon was injured, and we need to get him home.” Amara leaned over Hrod’s carrier, clutching the handle like a lifeline. “It was nice seeing you again, Roy.”
“So that’s it? You’re just going to disappear again?”
Drasko clutched the headrest with whitened knuckles. Amara, you have to break it off. Too much is at stake.
I know, she answered with a heavy heart. “Roy, I’m sorry.” She considered what to say without giving too much away. “My life has gotten very complicated.”
“So has mine.” He kicked at a rock. “After you left, my mom abandoned the family. My dad had to be put in a nursing home, and Annie and I were stuck in foster care.”
Holy shit! She’d had no idea. Now she felt like a ten-gallon bucket of dog shit for leaving them. Their mother had made Amara’s life unbearable; she should have known the woman’s cruelty would extend to her children. “I’m so sorry. I know what it’s like to grow up in foster care. It sucks.”
He pouted. “My mom was never a mother to me. You were the only mother I ever knew.”
His words were like searing arrows of venom racing straight to her heart. As if on cue, Hrod woke and let out a wail, reminding her that her number one responsibility was to her child. Inviting humans into her world not only put the tribe and her mates at risk, but her baby, too. She couldn’t let that happen.
Drasko turned on the engine and revved it. “We need to go.”
“I’m sorry, Roy,” Amara said. “I need to get my son home.”
Roy looked at the car seat and then at Hakon. “Are you her husband?”
“You’ve asked enough questions,” Hakon said and slammed the door on him.
Amara couldn’t bear to see the hurt in Roy’s eyes as they pulled away. She covered her face with her hands, choking on a sob as they tore off down the road. Rone leaned over the front seat to rub her back, which only made her cry harder. She had a loving family, and what did Roy have? How had she gone from feeling complete and happy to totally empty after just one look from her cousin? He’d never forgive her for turning her back on him twice. If only there was a way to explain why she had to keep her distance, but the risk was too great. Roy would just have to think she didn’t care for him. The thought was like a knife cleaving her chest, but it was her only option.
ROY SKULKED BACK TO his booth in the bar with a heavy heart. Though he wasn’t old enough to drink, one of the waitresses had slipped him a beer in a to-go cup. The locals here had been nice so far, all except his cousin and those growly friends of hers. After losing his sweet cousin six years ago, he never thought he’d see her again. He hadn’t even gotten to see her baby or learn if his new cousin was a boy or girl. Hell, after talking with Amara for all of five minutes, he felt even more disconnected from her than before. She’d changed, and not for the better, and Roy knew it had something to do with those possessive men with her. He had no idea which one of them was the father of her baby, as they’d seemed to guard her as if she belonged to all of them. He shuddered. What kind of shit had his cousin gotten herself into?
“Hey. Roy, right? You one of the new guys?”
Roy looked up at a familiar drunk with a bushy red beard, staring at him from across the tobacco-stained pool table.
Roy shrugged. “Yeah.”
Red Beard held up a pitcher of beer and waved Roy over.
Against his better judgment, he joined the man and his five inebriated friends.
He held out his hand. “I’m Skunk.” He nodded to the others. “This is my crew.”
Roy wanted to ask Skunk where he’d gotten his nickname as he shook the man’s clammy hand, but when he practically gagged on the stench of old whiskey and greasy sweat, he had his answer.
Skunk pushed a full mug of beer toward Roy and nodded at the bar entrance. “How do you know the Thunderfoots?”
“I don’t.” Roy frowned into his drink. “I guess my cousin married one of them.”
“They didn’t seem to want to talk to you,” Skunk remarked.
Roy looked at the man’s hooded eyes. “No, they didn’t.” Something wasn’t right. Amara’s friends had been on edge from the moment he’d first walked up to their table. Why wouldn’t they allow her to reconnect with him? “How well do you know the Thunderfoots?” “I worked under Hakon once.” Skunk scowled. “He’s a hard-ass. His brother Drasko is an even bigger asshole.”
“Don’t say shit about the Thunderfoots,” a skinny Native dude at the other end of the table muttered.
Skunk turned to him with a snarl. “Why not?”
The guy looked at the bottom of his beer mug. “Because.”
Skunk gazed at the man derisively. “You been acting strange ever since the explosion, Henry.”
A fat white dude with ruddy cheeks nudged Henry in the ribs. “What’s going on with you?”
Henry slouched in his seat. “I can’t talk about it.”
Skunk arched a bushy brow. “Why?”
Lifting the beer mug to his lips with a trembling hand, Henry looked first to Roy and then at Skunk. “Because I’m scared.” He took several long swallows before setting down the empty mug and sagging so low, Roy feared the man would slip under the table.
“Of what?” Skunk demanded.
“Nothing,” Henry snarled. Slamming a twenty on the table, he stumbled to his feet.
Skunk threw up his hands. “Where you going?”
“Home,” Henry mumbled. “I’m tired of talking.”
The ruddy-faced white dude started to go after Henry, but Skunk whistled him back. “Let him sleep it off,” he said to his friend. “We’ll get him to talk later.”
Roy clutched his beer mug like a lifeline. “I want
to be there when you make him talk.”
Skunk’s forehead wrinkled, and he gave Roy a long look. “Why do you care?”
Roy swallowed a knot of apprehension as determination solidified his insides. “Because I have a bad feeling about them. They’ve done something to my cousin, and I’m going to find out what.”
Chapter Four
Realizing the authorities would probably be looking for the human Takaani, she’d snuck out of her apartment in wolf form with Mako, her loyal husky and best friend. She didn’t know how long she’d have to remain a wolf, but after spying unmarked cars pulling into the drive, she knew she couldn’t return to her home. She’d probably have to change her identity again. Damn. All that money for a fake ID and social security card for nothing.
Thankful for their warm coats, she and Mako wandered all night while the temperature dropped. Instinct led Takaani to the other side of Anchorage, where she found a cabin at the edge of the woods. She didn’t know why she had to be there, but it was important. Maybe the familiar scent reminded her of her childhood, the feeling of home.
She watched the cabin for at least an hour, and when she was certain nobody was inside, she shifted, broke a window with a rock, and climbed inside. She landed on a sink full of dirty dishes, alarmed when the familiar scent, stronger now, hit her again. Whoever lived here had been here recently, and she was almost positive she knew him. She sure as hell hoped he wasn’t a patron at her bar and that he wouldn’t be back for a while.
She let Mako inside and then scrounged for clothes, slipping into a pair of sweatpants and a flannel shirt. She found leftover fish in the fridge and fed it to Mako, then she fixed herself two boxes of mac and cheese, devouring it as if it were her last meal. She washed the dishes and laid on the narrow cot, Mako curling up on the bearskin rug beside the bed. She thought about lighting a fire as a chill crept into the house, but she dared not alert anyone that she was inside. She stared up at the warped logs crisscrossing the ceiling, listening to Mako’s gentle snores and cursing herself for getting into this mess and wondering how the hell she would get out of it.
AMARA’S DOGS RAN CIRCLES around her legs when they returned home. She felt bad for leaving them, but Rone had arranged for a tribe member to feed them and let them out while they were gone.
Exhausted and depressed over her cousin, she went to bed with her mates, laying her hands on Hakon once more to heal any lingering cuts and bruises—except one. The shrapnel scar that dissected his eyebrow didn’t want to go away. Though he’d taken another shower, the strong oil smell still lingered on his skin. She knew that odor, a grim reminder that she’d almost lost Hakon, would haunt her memories for years to come.
She slept like the dead, waking only to nurse and falling right back to sleep. She was finally roused by the aroma of bacon and maple syrup. She and her mates wordlessly ate breakfast. Amara greedily finished off three waffles, a platter of eggs, and several strips of bacon, washing her food down with two cups of coffee.
After feeding Hrod once more, she handed the sleeping baby to Rone, who took him upstairs to his crib. She fell into Hakon’s arms on the sofa, tracing the eyebrow scar.
“I don’t know what to do about this,” she said.
“Leave it.” Drasko sat on the other side of her and handed her a fresh cup of coffee. “It’s a symbol of his bravery.”
“Or stupidity.” Hakon snickered.
“Don’t say that.” She set down her cup and clutched his arm. “You saved your men.” She searched his weary eyes. “You should be proud.”
“Several humans saw my protector form.” He groaned. “I’m not sure I can go back to work now.”
She wasn’t worried about the money, even though the pay was very good, and she couldn’t deny she enjoyed the perks that came with it, such as her beautiful clothes, her camera, and their boat and hot tub. If he lost his job, they’d manage. She could charge more for healing. She was far cheaper than a doctor and more effective to boot. She deserved to get paid what she was worth. But as much as Hakon complained about having to leave the family, he was proud of his job, and he’d be devastated if he couldn’t work. Her desire for him to be happy warred with worry over his safety.
“Johnson will take care of it.” Drasko pulled back his shoulders, looking far more confident than she felt. “You’ll be back in the field in no time.”
The thought of Hakon going back to work so soon didn’t sit well with her, not after he was almost killed. She still didn’t know what had happened, but she hoped there’d be an investigation, and Hakon’s company would take more safety precautions as a result.
She rubbed his thick arms, admiring the tribal tat on his bicep. “You should stay home a while to recover.” She batted her lashes, hoping a little bit of seduction would sway him.
He took her hand in his. “I’m already recovered, thanks to you.”
A trill raced up her arm at his touch. “They don’t know that.”
He stiffened, which was an odd reaction. “I’m not afraid to go back.”
“I never said you were, but I am.” She climbed into his lap, stroking his stubbled jaw. “Stay with me.”
“I will.” He cupped her face, kissing the tip of her nose. “Johnson will probably need some time to clean up.”
“Good.” She giggled, rubbing her ass across his growing erection. “I’m sure we’ll find a way to pass the time while you’re home.”
He answered with a low growl, possessively wrapping his arms around her and taking her bottom lip between his teeth.
She let out a satisfied sigh when he trailed kisses down her neck and slipped a hand under her shirt to massage her tender breast, squeezing until milk pooled around his fingers.
When she felt Drasko’s hands on her back, she raised her arms over her head, allowing him to remove her shirt. He unsnapped her bra and held her other breast in a strong grip. Hakon unzipped his pants, scooting to the corner of the sofa, and freed his large erection. She knew what he wanted when he cupped the back of her head, a plea in his big, dark eyes.
She let out a hiss of pleasure when Drasko slid her pajama pants off and pushed her onto her knees. She bent over Hakon when Drasko hoisted her ass in the air. Drasko rubbed her clit with undulating circles, applying just enough pressure to draw out moisture.
She groaned and took Hakon in her mouth, sliding all the way down until the cockhead scraped her tonsils. Drasko finger-fucked her, gliding a thick digit halfway inside and drawing out more moisture to circle around her clit. She gasped and shuddered as Drasko’s rhythm increased. She nearly forgot Hakon was inside her mouth, but he reminded her with a few upward thrusts. Drasko’s fingers matched the tempo set by her mouth, making her gush like a busted water pipe.
She winced when Drasko dug his fingers into the globes of her ass, anchoring her to his big cock as he slid inside with one thrust. When Hakon let out a warning growl, she found her rhythm again, sucking while getting fucked.
The pressure inside her built higher and higher. Drasko slammed into her weeping pussy, their wet junctures smacking loudly as she moaned around Hakon’s erection.
Come with us, Amara, Drasko projected with a cry between pleasure and pain.
Hakon’s head spurted deep into her throat, and Drasko shot off, thrumming against her swollen cunt. She drank Hakon’s juices, sucking his buzzing flesh while he roared his delight. Arching her back like a cat and banging against Drasko’s pulsing cockhead, a potent climax consumed her. Her brain detached from all other thought and feeling, except for the throbbing that was the center of her universe.
She released Hakon, burying her face against his hard stomach and letting him stroke her hair while Drasko fucked her through one climax and into another equally powerful orgasm. Her tight sheath clenched Drasko like a vise. She sucked in a sharp gasp when a borderline painful contraction gripped her. Drasko carefully probed her pussy with gentle thrusts until that gripping orgasm slowly passed, replaced by little shock waves of pl
easure.
She looked behind her when Rone cleared his throat. She hadn’t even heard him come downstairs. Drasko slid out, mopping up their fluids with a T-shirt before making way for Rone.
She let out a groan when he filled her, banging into her with short, choppy thrusts. Over the past year he’d gotten better at self-control. He lasted long enough to give her one more orgasm; it washed over her like a wall of water, knocking her on her elbows before he grunted and stilled inside her.
After Rone cleaned her up, she climbed into Hakon’s lap, snuggling with him and drinking steaming coffee sweetened with vanilla creamer. Rone rubbed her feet. At some point during their snuggles, she straddled Hakon, their lips melding in a heat-searing kiss when he entered her. She clung to him, matching his deep thrusts and moaning into his mouth, locked in that kiss as if they had been glued together. The orgasm held her in its clutches, and she cried Hakon’s name. After they were both spent, she slumped against him, and he stroked her back.
She tenderly kissed the eyebrow scar, thanking the Ancients once more for sparing his life. “I almost lost you,” she breathed against his skin. She’d said it before, but she was still in shock over his accident.
“Never,” he whispered, placing his palm across her heart. “I’m yours forever.”
AMARA RESTED IN HAKON’S arms while Drasko and Rone went fishing. At some point, while he tenderly stroked and petted her, she fell asleep, waking up in a warm puddle of drool. She sat up with a yawn, rubbing sleep from her eyes. The thick blanket that wrapped them like a cocoon fell to her waist.
Hakon wiped moisture from her chin, flashing a teasing smile. “Have a good nap?”
“The best.” She stretched, letting Hakon get his fill of her bare breasts. “What about you?”
“You knocked me out.” He chuckled.
She vaguely remembered the sound of his gentle snores while they slept, and she was glad to have been the reason for his deep sleep. He’d needed it. She grabbed a napkin off the coffee table and wiped her drool off his chest.