Tallius (Spoils of War Book 2)

by Susan Bliler

  But why? Why was he in this with her? He didn’t have to be. He didn’t have to try and help her get her head and her heart right. But he was trying, and she appreciated it more than he’d ever know.

  Turning her head, she pressed a grateful kiss to his chest. The second she did it, they both froze.

  Shoving up off his chest, she apologized without meeting his eyes. “Sorry. I . . .” But she didn’t know what to say, so she didn’t say anything.

  “It’s alright,” he murmured.

  The gentleness of his tone had her looking at him. His eyes were soft and full of understanding, almost sad.

  “I’m sorry I slapped you.”

  He shook his head. “It’s fine. I asked for it.”

  Straddling him with her hands flat on his chest, she drank in the sight of him and had to admit that having the infamous War God Beta helpless beneath her was an exhilarating experience. No one had probably ever had him at such a disadvantage, and yet he’d gifted this to her.

  She studied his face before her eyes dipped lower and locked on his throat. When he angled his head to expose it, her eyes shot to his face. The gesture for wolf shifters was one of submission and was never given lightly.

  “What are you doing?” she breathed quietly, almost afraid to break the spell of their sudden truce.

  He didn’t answer, just watched her from the corners of his eyes.

  Attention going back to his exposed throat, Mira swore she could hear the roaring pulse in the vein that throbbed there. Fucking and biting went hand in hand for shifters, well, for mates. The male and female would claim each other with marks on each other’s throats, bites, and right now, Mira was imaging riding Tallius while she buried her teeth in him. The image was so vivid that she had to shake herself out of it. Eyes going to Tallius’s, she watched his gaze sharpen as it slid down to her lips.

  In a gravelly voice, he demanded, “Do what you want, Mira. I’m yours.”

  Was he? Tallius was inviting her to hurt him with her teeth. He had no idea that she was thinking of doing much more pleasurable things.

  “Taste me, if you want. Do it.”

  His words unleashed something molten low in her belly and had butterflies flitting to life.

  His eyes were flashing gold, but the color was starting to bleed away as his jaw ticked like he was barely holding himself back, but from what? His eyes kept dipping to her lips and then lower to where her thighs were straddling his hips.

  Me? Am I affecting him like this?

  The thought gave her an incredible sense of power that left her feeling light-headed. Could it be? Was she having that kind of effect on Tallius fucking War God?

  Reaching up, she ghosted her hand over one of his nipples. When Tallius grimaced and his cock jerked beneath her, she realized it was true, and holy shit! Having this kind of control over the WG Beta was so sadistically satisfying that Mira couldn’t help herself.

  Eyes locked on Tallius’s, she bent slowly never taking her eyes off his as she parted her lips and slowly licked his nipple then puckered her lips and blew a slow, gentle breath across it.

  Tallius’s lip kicked up in a snarl that vibrated her chest. “That’s not what I meant.”

  Mmm, interesting.

  ***

  Tallius couldn’t take his eyes off Mira. She was so fucking beautiful that she made it hard for him to breathe. Pale hair, creamy skin, full lips, and those eyes. Those big beautiful eyes were locked on his and he swore he could see into her very soul. But it was her scent that was his undoing. Her wolf was back, and it smelled like ten dozen wild roses filled the room. She smelled so fucking otherworldly that his cock actually jerked and evoked a startled little gasp from her. He liked that sound. Hell, it had probably just become his favorite sound in the whole world.

  Struggling to keep himself still, Tallius knew how he must look. With each passing second that held him unable to grab Mira and throw her down before pounding into her, he drew closer and closer to the edge. He knew the color was bleeding from his eyes as his pupils dilated, obliterating all color as he drank in the sight of her. Slowly, his incisors pushed through his gums and poked out from between his lips as he struggled for control. This was fucking torture, and, yeah, he’d wanted to give Mira this. She deserved her revenge, but he didn’t think he’d be able to handle much more. When he finally spoke, his voice was polluted so thickly with that of his animal that his words were barely intelligible. “This isn’t what I meant when I said you could torture me.”

  Like the little sass that she was, Mira bounced her head from shoulder to shoulder in a silent potato potahto gesture. But these two tortures weren’t interchangeable. Pain he could take, but her teasing him sexually had sweat beading on his forehead and his abs tensing as he inhaled sharply when she gently raked her nails over his stomach.

  Her fingers tucked into the waistband of his boxers, and her eyes didn’t leave his as she slowly slid her hands from the front to his sides and back again. Images of spreading her thighs, gripping her hips, and sucking her tits as he pounded deep and hard inside of her had a soft snarl barreling its way up his throat. When she took her bottom lip into her mouth and tugged his boxers a little lower, Tallius snarled, “Untie me, Mira.”

  Her eyes, which had been focused on the skin she’d exposed, lifted to his. There was an intensity in them, like she finally just understood that he was one hundred percent at her mercy.

  “I mean it,” he demanded gruffly. “Let me up.”

  Her eyes left his and dropped back to where her fingers eased his boxers lower.

  “Mira!”

  But it was too late. In one deft movement, the hard length of his cock was free and held firmly in her tiny hands as she started to stroke him. Already pre-cum was beading the tip and making it easier for her hand to glide as she jerked him off.

  Pinching his eyes shut, Tallius arched his neck, the back of his head pressing hard into the pillow as pleasure ripped through him.

  “Stop,” he rasped, but he didn’t want her to stop, not really. She worked him with her hand until his hips bucked.

  Mira ordered, “Look at me.”

  Lowering his chin, he tried to calm his ragged breathing as he glared at her and demanded, “You’ve had your fun. Enough. Untie me. Now!”

  But he could see it now. Heady power was etched in every delicate line of her face, and if he questioned whether she was enjoying herself or not, her next words verified it. “Oh, I’m just getting started, War God.”

  Releasing his cock, Mira stared at him a moment, her eyes glittering with some unknown intention before she crossed her arms and grabbed the hem of her sweater before pulling it over her head. Beneath her shirt she wore a pretty pink camisole that came off next. Eyes glued to the swell of perfect breasts that were tucked into the cups of her lacey bra, Tallius struggled to force his eyes up with a menacing, “Don’t start this game if you don’t want to finish it.”

  Without a word, Mira reached behind her and unhooked her bra before peeling the straps off her shoulders and tossing the article aside.

  Tallius’s eyes were back on her breasts, and now there was no hope of stopping the rolling growl that was rattling his chest and vibrating his body.

  Mira climbed off him quickly and relief and disappointment raged inside Tallius in equal measure. Head slumping back against the pillow, he struggled for control, glad that Mira had finally come to her senses. The relief lasted only a moment, though, because the bed dipped and had Tallius’s eyes snapping open.

  Mira had stripped naked, and as she climbed back on top of him, straddling his body, Tallius’s eyes went to the riot of dark curls that hid her sex from view.

  “Mira!” he warned again, but she only responded with a devilish grin as she slid down his body and grabbed his hard cock again. Eyes on his she winked once and then took him into her mouth.

  A long hiss exploded from Tallius’s mouth as his eyes snapped closed and his head slammed back. It was followed b
y a throaty, “Ffffffffffuck!”

  Her mouth was heaven, and she worked him to near completion, but stopped just short. When she pulled back and sat up, her nipples were beaded, her lips swollen, and now he could smell her. She was wet, ready for him.

  Licking him from her lips, her mouth lifted in a cocky grin. “I like being in charge.”

  “I’m gonna fucking devour you,” he promised on a snarl, his restraints going tight as his whole body tensed.

  “Promises, promises,” Mira mocked before lifting a finger and slipping it into her mouth where she sucked on it before pulling it out and trailing it down her chin, between her collar bones and the swell of her breasts, and lower.

  Tallius’s cock jerked, and his eyes were riveted on that finger as it skimmed her navel and then disappeared between her legs. Mira threw her head back and gasped, and that was it! Tallius had had enough.

  With a hard jerk, he ripped his hands and legs free. Mira’s head jerked down as a startled sound left her. She tried to jerk back but wasn’t fast enough. In a blurringly fast move, Tallius gripped her hips and rolled them until she was beneath him, legs spread wide around him as his iron-hard cock slid easily into the slick folds of her sex. He hadn’t meant to penetrate her yet. He’d meant to make sure this was what she wanted, but their bodies were too primed, too aligned. Pushing his hips, he held Mira’s wrists captive on either side of her head as he buried himself in her tight little pussy. Once he was fully seated, he stilled as her dark lashes fluttered then drifted over her eyes in clear pleasure. When she arched her body, her breasts pressed against him, but it was the bucking of her hips that pushed him over the edge. Cock buried deep inside of her, Tallius pulled back and rammed back in. She was so wet, so hot, so fucking tight. His eyes drifted from her face down to her breasts, and that’s where they stayed as he started to move. He went easy at first, but the tight grip of her cunt on the steely length of him was too damn good. His movements became frantic until he was pummeling into her with shuttling thrusts. The wet sounds of her their lovemaking and the slapping of their skin mingled with his grunts and Mira’s feminine moans. Her breath tore from her in ragged pants, but it wasn’t enough. Being buried inside of her with her neck exposed to him in total submission was more than humbling, but it wasn’t enough. He needed more. He wanted more! He wanted his teeth in her. He wanted to claim her. He started leaning forward to do just that, but Mira lifted her knees, her legs hiking higher, which drove him impossibly deep between her spread thighs. She cried out, and it was fucking beautifully perfect, so much so that it had him wishing they could stay like this forever. Taking a mental photograph, Tallius committed to memory the image of Mira spread open for him, her pale hair sprawled across his pillow, framing her delicate face that was pink with a flush that only came from a proper fucking. Her pink-tipped breasts thrust in the air, just begging for attention, and the riot of soaking curls at the apex of her thighs had his balls clenching and shooting a short spurt of seed his inside her.

  He was gonna come. He was gonna come so fucking hard! Mira gasped, her eyes and mouth opening wide as her channel seized around him. Releasing her wrists, he cupped her ass brutally as he continued to fuck her hard and fast, sweat beading his brow as snarls wrenched their way up his throat. Mira’s luscious tits bounced with each punishing thrust, and as he bent to take one stiff peak into his mouth, that was all it took. Tallius came hard and deep, his cock pulsing with each burst of semen he shot into her pussy.

  Mira’s body tensed and then released and tensed and released again, her thighs quivering as Tallius emptied himself inside her.

  Finally, when every last drop of his seed was poured into her womb, he rolled them, with his cock still buried deep inside her, until he was on the bottom and she was sprawled across his chest.

  Not wanting her to think that their completion was the end of his ownership, Tallius’s hand found her ass cheek and slid over the soft mound before he let the tips of his fingers sink between her cheeks, his fingertips drifted back and forth against her rosebud. At first Mira tensed, but then her body went lax as her eyelids fell to half-mast. “That might have been a mistake,” she mumbled sleepily.

  Her words felt like a gut punch, and to punish her for even thinking them, he slid his fingers through the seed that was spilling from where they were still connected before he pushed one digit into her ass. Mira gasped, and her body went rigid.

  “Don’t say that again,” he demanded, and that’s how they stayed. Mira’s body went lax against his until her breathing evened out, but Tallius was enjoying himself too much to sleep. Cock still buried deep inside Mira, finger impaling her ass, he realized he’d never get over this. He’d never recover from bedding the Fury Beta. Hell, even now his mind was working on how to make this last forever. Regret seared through him with such blinding intensity at the fact that he hadn’t marked her. If he had, she’d be his now, there’d be no going back. The thought was jarring and startled him into wondering if that’s what he actually wanted. Would Mira even take him as a mate?

  Chapter 17

  Loud pounding had Mira startling awake. Glancing around Tallius’s room, she found that she was alone. Naked and covered up, she knew he must have tucked her in before he’d disappeared to wherever in the hell it was he’d gone off to.

  The banging sounded again, and for a moment, Mira thought it was Tallius out knocking more snow off the front of the cabin. But when the sound came again, she knew it was definitely a knock.

  Shit!

  Scrambling from the bed, she snatched up her clothes from the floor and dressed as quickly as she could. Hoping into her socks, she bounced toward the bedroom door before righting herself and finger combing her hair.

  She was nearly to the front door of the cabin when it was pushed open.

  Shock ripped through her when the figure covered in a thick parka shook off the snow covering him and tossed the hood of the coat back to reveal her Alpha, Aydin.

  “Aydin? What . . . what are you doing here?”

  “We didn’t hear from you.” He glanced around the cabin and then looked her up and down before stomping his booted feet on the rug in front of the door. “Word of the avalanche hit the news and we came racing up.” He jerked his finger over his shoulder. “But the road’s closed at the base of the mountain, and there are so many damn Rangers out there that I couldn’t shift and come up until half the people cleared out.” His gaze bore into her. “Are you okay? What happened?”

  “I’m-I’m good,” she stammered, eyes scanning the cabin for signs of where Tallius had gone. “We were out front when the avalanche hit. We were buried, but Tallius dug us out and got me back inside.”

  “Got you back inside?” His eyes narrowed on her. “Were you hurt?” His brows shot up. “Are you hurt?”

  “I was knocked unconscious.” Lifting a hand, she ghosted it over her hairline. “I took a pretty hard hit and bruised my back pretty bad. I was down for a few days. I’m better now.”

  Aydin looked skeptical as his eyes left her to scan the cabin. “Where’s the WG Beta?”

  “Hunting,” she lied. “We needed meat, so . . .”

  Aydin’s eyes found hers again, and she could tell by the way he was staring intently at her that he’d scented her lie. “Just tell me you didn’t kill him.”

  Chuffing a laugh, she confirmed, “He’s alive.”

  “I’m assuming your car is buried out there somewhere.”

  She nodded.

  “Well, I’ve got several of the pack waiting down at a hotel in town. I’ll have them come up and help dig out the rest of the cabin—” he motioned toward the window “—your car—” he grinned “—the goddamn road.”

  “It’s a lot of work.”

  “Yeah”—he scrubbed a hand down his face—“but it looks like the WG Beta got a good head start. The cabin is mostly dug out, but none of that matters. What does is that you’re okay.” Lowering his hand he took a step closer. “You are okay . . . rig
ht?”

  Ducking her head, Mira backed up a step and muttered, “I’m fine.” She didn’t want to go over the tumultuous emotions roiling inside of her, and she sure as shit didn’t want her Alpha smelling that she’d had sex with the WG Beta.

  A frown claiming his face, Aydin looked confused as he offered, “Good. I was worried. I know you and the WG have a history, and I know it isn’t pretty. But the pack has your back and we support you. We’re glad to have you in the Fury, Mira.” Blinking at her, he fidgeted a moment before saying, “I’m glad to have you in the pack.”

  His admission caught Mira off guard. Aydin was a good-looking man. She’d heard other females comparing him to Jake Gyllenhaal, and they weren’t wrong. At about her same age, Aydin was a young Alpha, but he was a good one. He’d started forming his new pack just before War and his WG had decided to clean house. After several packs had been demolished, Aydin didn’t hesitate to take in the survivors. Mira had been one of them.

  “I didn’t mean for that to sound as weird as it did.”

  Aydin’s words pulled her from her momentary shock. Flashing him a smile, Mira shrugged. “Wasn’t weird. I’m glad to be with the Fury too.” But now she was feeling weird. Did Aydin have a thing for her? Had she missed it?

  “So,” he clapped his hands, looking uncomfortable. “We’ll get you down to the hotel, and if you’re up for it you can take one of the cars back to pack territory while me and the boys help clean all this up.”

  She pulled a face, and Aydin quickly amended, “Or you can wait for us at the hotel, whichever’s more comfortable. It’s totally up to you.”

  She glanced around the cabin. “When were you thinking?”

  Aydin jammed both hands into the pockets of his jeans and rocked back on his heels. “Now.” He looked around. “If you’re ready. No reason to stay. Right?”

  She was ready to get off the mountain but . . . “What about Tallius?”

  Aydin’s brows dipped in a scowl. “What about him?”

  “Should I just leave without saying goodbye? He might worry something happened to me.”