Chapter 32
Briel had already decided she was going to give Tyce a chance. She was going to do what Aries had suggested and let him in, trust him. She’d been excited that his revelation, whatever it was, was going to bring them together. But standing in the conference room below Apex, she was stunned. Surprisingly, mostly by his words, which was shocking considering what she’d just witnessed.
Tyce hadn’t been “afforded the luxury” of delaying the affliction? He’d told her it couldn’t be helped, couldn’t be changed, but the way he’d said it sounded like he’d just now become resolved to the idea. But now, she was worried that he wanted it changed. It stung like a motherfucker, because she was finally ready to give them a go and here he was saying stupid shit. Her chest had actually physically ached as she’d refused him, but his instantaneous response that she had no choice only served to turn that ache into red-hot rage.
“You’re not giving me a choice? Excuse me?”
He didn’t respond. A strange look passed over his face, and when he swallowed hard, she wondered if he was going to pass out.
She lowered her hands from her hips, but wasn’t about to let him off that easy. “Listen, you don’t get to tell me who I am and am not going to be…”
One second she was giving him what-for and the next she was crushed up against him as his mouth claimed hers.
She knew she should struggle, or try to pull back and act offended. But she was tired of fighting. She was tired of always resisting, so she didn’t. She let Tyce kiss her a moment before she lifted her arms and wrapped them around his neck, opening her mouth to kiss him back.
She felt his body tense, whether from shock or something else, she didn’t know. She didn’t care. She pulled on his neck and he lowered, one arm shelving her ass as he lifted her so she could wrap her legs around him. She could feel them moving and didn’t know where they were going until her ass landed on the conference table.
Breaking the kiss, Tyce didn’t pull back but spoke against her lips. “I’m keeping you.”
She smiled against his mouth, pulling back a mere fraction. “I’m letting you.”
This close, she studied his face, his scars. He was a beautiful man, all battle hardened with proof of his survival etched into his appearance. Unable to stop herself, she leaned forward and kissed the scar on his bottom lip before pulling back and grabbing one of his hands from where it rested on her hip. She studied his palm, the nicks and scars on his fingers, the proof that he didn’t come by anything easily. She traced a stark white scar on one of his fingers before lifting it to her mouth and pressing a kiss to it. Her eyes lifted back to Tyce, and she watched with heavy-lidded eyes as she parted her lips and slid his finger into her mouth.
Tyce’s lip ticked up in a snarl. His eyes narrowed on her mouth. The sensual tension in the room ratcheted higher, and it wasn’t lost on her that Tyce’s eyes had lost all their silver and were now fully black. Hell, even his frame seemed larger, more menacing. It was heady, controlling this monster of hers.
Briel closed her lips around his finger and sucked. She had plans on seducing him further, but Tyce wasn’t having it.
With a deep growl, he pulled his hand back, and then he was shredding her clothes. It was sexy as hell!
In seconds he had her in nothing but her bra and panties, a cute matching powder blue set she’d brought with her from DC.
Tyce pulled back and started taking off his own clothes, but his eyes never left her. “Lock.”
The word made her brows dip in confusion, but seconds later the sound of the door locking had her head whipping toward it, then snapping in the opposite direction when Tyce barked, “Curtain.” A large, thick curtain slid out from one wall and a motor whirred as the curtain slid to cover the expanse of the windows.
By the time Briel’s eyes landed on Tyce, he was completely naked. Holy hell!
Her imagination hadn’t done him justice. Thick, heavily veined muscle covered his body, and there was barely an inch that wasn’t bisected by scars. Her eyes skimmed down his chest, over abs that bunched and flexed with each breath, and settled on the heavy cock between his legs. He was already dripping, and the sight flooded her with heat, gathering wetly between her thighs.
Tyce reached for her and, shyly, she looked up at the ceiling. “Lights?”
“Uh-uh,” he shook his head, dipping it predatorily. “I’m watching this. I want to see myself buried inside you. I wanna see you come apart in my arms. I want to know who I belong to.”
His words left her stunned, but it was only momentary as his hands shot out and ripped off her bra and panties. She was naked on the conference table, her knees raised and locked together as she considered using her arms to cover her breasts. She didn’t get the chance.
Tyce forced his large frame between her legs and cupped the back of her neck to gently lower her to the table.
***
Tyce had to do this right, and he knew it. He didn’t want to just take her like some rutting beast on his damn conference table, but there was no way she was leaving this room without his seed spilling out of her and down her inner thighs. Still, he wanted to give her something. He had to give her something that would cement her belief that he was man enough to protect her and Fena both. He gave her the only thing he had. He gave her himself.
Eyes still holding Briel's, he bent until his large frame hovered over her, his nose just inches from his. “I, Tyce Declan Steele, take you, Briel Solomon, to be my friend, my lover, the mother of my children, my wife, my mate…my Angel.”
Briel gasped.
“I will be your strength in times of weakness, your want in times of need, your joy in times of sorrow. I will sacrifice my health, my triumph, my hopes, and my desires to put yours and Fena’s needs ahead of my own.”
Briel’s eyes filled with tears that slipped free to slide down her cheeks. “Tyce…”
He kept going. “I promise to cherish and respect you both, to care for you, and protect your lives and the lives of our children, with my very own. I vow to comfort and encourage you, to guard and keep you, and to love you until my time on this earth ends.”
When he finished, Briel simply stared at him, lifting a hand to place it on his bare chest, right over his heart.
“I love you,” he declared. “I want you, Briel. I need you. I choose you.”
Unable to speak, she nodded.
Warm bodies pressed up against each other, Tyce tensed and used one strong arm to scoot Briel’s body closer. Their eyes remained locked as he slowly pushed inside of her. His hands read the goosebumps that erupted along her thighs as deftly as a blind man reading Braille. The bumps told of Briel’s passion, her need, and he had every intention of filling that need.
His hips started working against hers and Briel cried out, her head tilting back as her eyes fluttered closed. Her nails clawed at his shoulders, and he prayed they left marks. The only scars he’d welcome. He was deep inside of her now, sliding in and out, over and over, his thrusts rocking her body as his hands roamed every sacred inch of her.
As he tunneled into his mate he had to concentrate on not exploding inside her too soon. She felt so damn good, so right.
She lifted her head. Eyes opening, the whiskey color caught the low light and, in their depths, he read a thousand words.
Harder now he thrust, and when Briel’s eyes widened, her mouth parted in an ‘O’, he knew her orgasm had snuck up on her.
Wildly, he bucked into her, drawing it out and trying to tamp down his own feral need. But her pussy was milking him too hotly, too tightly, and in a few more thrusts, he was shooting his seed deep inside of his Angel.
***
After he’d emptied himself deep inside of her, Tyce had collapsed and hadn’t stirred. Briel had been worried at first, but his chest rose and fell steadily, so she chalked it up to the end of his affliction. Not only had he not been able to eat or drink, he’d been drugged to sleep each night as well. She looked at him tend
erly realizing that this was his first real sleep since they’d met.
Watching Tyce sleep, she couldn’t stop touching him. Her hand trembled as she smoothed the hair back from his sweat-dampened face. Mine. It’s the first time she’d had the thought, and it settled something deep in her bones.
Her mind kept replaying the words he’d said to her. He’d called her his friend, his lover, even though they hadn’t gone that far. He’d also called her the mother of his children, his wife, his mate, his Angel. The words had been shocking, and yet something about them felt right. He felt right. He’d vowed to sacrifice his health, triumph, hopes, and desires to put her and Fena’s needs ahead of his own. It’s all she’d ever wanted. He was all she’d ever hoped for. Emotion clogged her throat and blurred her vision as she realized she was in love with him. It had happened so quickly, so unexpectedly, but there was no denying it. I love, Tyce Steele!
Chapter 33
Tyce sat at his desk, his brows furrowed as he stared at the request on his desk. He was trying to focus, but was having a hell of a time. His mind kept back to last night. He’d made love to Briel and it had been the final step in his claiming. She was his, now, and the realization had pride tearing through him. Mine! His palms were actually fucking sweating, and his knee was bouncing in a rapid beat with the need to go find Briel and confirm for himself and his beasts that it was actually true.
A mental nudge jerked him from his reverie. Before, he’d enjoyed ignoring most of the attempted contact with other Walkers, but now he had precious cargo at the Estate and he couldn’t take that risk.
James’ voice carried to him through the mist, “You there, Dom? I’m on my way to your office. Almost to the door. Should I knock or just come in? I’ll knock.” As he knocked he was still connected to Tyce through the mist. “It’s just me. Can I come in?”
Tyce let his head fall back and he pinched the bridge of his nose as James poked his head into the room with a, “See. Just me. Can I come in?”
“James!” Tyce snarled, and the Sentry hurried into the room and stood at attention in front of the Dominant’s desk. It looked ridiculous though, because one arm and hand were flattened at his side, while the other was bent in front of him holding up an opened bag of cheesy tortilla chips.
Tyce’s eyes narrowed on the chips. He didn’t even bother with a reprimand. The argument was more than it was worth. “I’ve got an assignment.”
James instantly relaxed and looked right at him. “Oh. Okay, shoot!” A smirk took his lips before he reached into his bag and popped a chip into his mouth, chewing loudly.
Tyce’s frown hardened. “You are so annoying that it makes it hard to see straight.”
James’ lips stretched into a full-on smile. “Well thanks, boss.”
“It was not a compliment, James!”
James shrugged and ate another chip. “You just told me I have, like…superpowers.”
Tyce’s eyes narrowed to vicious slits and he pinned James with a lethal glare. “Frustrating the fuck out of me is not a superpower. It’s a death wish.”
Undeterred, James tucked the corner of his grab bag of chips to his lips and tilted his head back, emptying the few remaining crumbs into his mouth. A few rained down onto the carpet before he righted himself and pointed at Tyce. “It’s only a death wish if I use my superpowers on you.” Wiping his greasy hand on the dark BDU’s covering his thigh and leaving a cheesy smear, he beamed. “I just need to practice my powers on someone else. Someone less…,” he canted his head studying Tyce. “Cranky. Like Shane.”
Heaving another sigh, Tyce handed James a large manila envelope. “Here’s the assignment.”
When James’ orange-coated fingers reached for the envelope, Tyce jerked it back and held the Sentry’s gaze when he looked up.
“I want it done right!”
James nodded. “Duh! I don’t know any other way.”
Tyce held out the folder again and James grabbed it before turning for the door.
“By the way,” Tyce called, just before James left, halting the Sentry halfway out the door. “I got another note here from the Chef.” He held up a piece of paper, his brows arching. “Didn’t I ask you to do something about the foxes trying to get into the greenhouse?”
James’ eyes lit up. “Oh! I did. I named them Juicy B. Jones and Jewels. Now, there’s a Juicy Junior.” He gave Tyce a thumbs-up and a goofy grin before disappearing out the door.
“Not a superpower,” Tyce sighed as James left, but even James couldn’t ruin his day.
Shoving back, he left everything on his desk just as it was. His promise to himself to make it at least to lunch before quitting for the day was out the window. He wanted to check on Fena, and after that… His smile turned wicked as images of Briel naked in their bed shot through his head. In the space of two steps he was already hard and had to take a detour on his way to the den to see Fena. She’d have to wait until he took care of his “problem”, because there was no way his erection was going down now.
Following his nose, he hunted Briel by her scent. It was easy enough, because she was so unique. She smelled like his. The realization that she was caused an odd sensation to tingle in his chest. It took him a second to realize it was happiness. Briel made him happy. And again, he was back to being pissed at Monroe because the ass was right. Tyce owed him his gratitude, but it’d have to wait. Right now, he wanted to show his gratitude to Briel. He wanted to show her how happy he was. He ached to make her feel the same. He never knew wanting someone else’s happiness could be so all consuming. His heart thundered in his chest in giddy anticipation.
He found Briel in the second floor surveillance room, bent over monitors and talking to Shane about where she thought they should erect the fourteen-foot wall that was being built. Tyce wasn’t paying attention to her words though. She could build the wall wherever the hell she wanted. His eyes locked on her ass as he stalked quietly up behind her.
Without a word, he curled his body over hers and scooped her up at the knees. She shrieked, and he grinned. They were heading out of the room before her eyes even landed on him.
“Tyce!”
He loved the way she said his name, all breathy, just like she had said it last night when he was buried inside of her. He didn’t respond or give an explanation. He couldn’t, because he knew his beasts were too close to the surface and would pollute his voice. He gave her the only response he could, which was a growl that rattled his chest as his hands tightened on her.
The scent of her heat filled his nose and he walked faster, because he knew if he didn’t get to their room soon, he was going to strip her right there in the hall and take her fast and hard up against the wall.
One of her hands lifted and cupped his cheek. Just outside their door, he stopped and looked down at her. She bore a serious expression, and it worried him.
“Thank you,” she breathed.
His brows dipped.
“Thank you for coming for us. Thank you for saving us.” She grinned. “Thank you for keeping us.”
His lips parted as his incisors elongated, pushing his lower lip down. He was right on the edge now, and the surge of feral possessiveness that tore through him made his body shudder with the need to claim his mate.
Looking up at him with those beautiful, whiskey-colored eyes, Briel pulled him down. Gently, she kissed what he knew were wickedly sharp teeth. She kissed one then the other before pulled back to smile up at him warmly. “I love you, Tyce Steele.”
His Adam’s apple dipped low in his throat as he swallowed hard and nodded, forcing words past his lips. “I love you, Briel Steele.” The words didn’t feel like enough. He ached to to show her just how revered she truly was.
Without taking her eyes from his, Briel reached down and opened the door. He carried his Angel inside the room and seconds after the door closed, there was the gentle click of a lock.
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My pack territory is in Central Montana, between Stone Crow Estates and the North Fortress. Born and raised in an untamed location that bridges the gap between rolling prairies and majestic mountain peaks, I am born to a family that also bridges the gap between cultures. My father’s people boast a fiercely proud Scandinavian ancestry while my mother’s tribes descend from two savagely beautiful and unique nations (White Clay and Nakoda) that inspire my Skin Walker series.
Skin Walkers Page 15