"What are you saying?" Drake whispered. "That you'd have rather I left you there that night?"
The tension was so hot, they’d need a chainsaw to cut through it.
"No," Baz finally answered. "No, brother. I just,” deflating, Baz shrugged and shook his head, “If I’d known I could have just given you a piece of my soul and be done with it, I would have. Why didn’t Lucifer tell me that was possible?”
“I don’t know.” Drake crossed his arms. Damn, his jaw hurt from Baz’s strike. Fucker always did have a killer left hook. “I cursed myself and damned you because we’re a set. And for that, I will forever be sorry.”
Every day that passed, Drake had grown angrier at himself. For his self-imposed curse and for the fact that he’d somehow dragged Baz to Hell with him in the end. Jesus, Baz had been so close to freedom, and what did Drake do? He unchained his brother from the walls those assholes shackled him to, and fucking chained Baz’s soul to him instead.
“We were screwed from the beginning,” Baz exhaled a defeated sigh.
“Yeah, we were." Drake tilted his head back and stared at the ceiling.
“I can’t believe it’s taken us this long to talk this out. About our past, I mean.”
“I never wanted you to know. It’s still so hard for me to cope with it. And fuck, Baz, just the thought of you being in pain or used like I was still sends me through the fucking roof. That’s why I kept my head down and did whatever that fucker told me to do back then. All I ever cared about was you. You were all I had. When I saw our mother and realized it was a fucking trick… that our whole situation was planned and on purpose, I wanted out. I was done sparing her, thinking she was in jeopardy too. But I knew… I fucking knew you were in trouble. I just didn’t realize how bad it was. I was angry at myself for trusting our owner, believing him when he said you were spared each time I did his bidding and played nice.” Drake’s arms trembled with rage, “I close my eyes and still see you chained to that wall and I want to destroy the entire world for being so cruel.”
“Same,” Baz rubbed the back of his neck. “Any beating I took, I would tell myself it was one less you’d suffer. We were both fools.”
“We were both slaves, not fools. We had no say. And we found our freedom eventually. Just like we found each other after being separated for how long?”
“Too long, brother.” Baz grabbed Drake and hugged him. It was the first time they’d shared such affection like that. “And that separation ends today. Right now.”
“Agreed.” They squeezed each other tighter. “Fuck. I don’t know the last time I fucking hugged.”
Baz pulled away and chuckled.
"I blame Goldilocks for this.” Drake rumbled, “Or… not blame, exactly. I’ll give her the credit. It seems I've got the case of the feels in a big way. Can't seem to shut my goddamn trap or tap down the crazy emotions catching fire in here." Drake rubbed his chest. “It’s weird to not cringe when one of you touches me now. And I crave it. Especially her touch, brother.”
Baz exhaled while he shook his head. "I feel way too possessive of her."
"That’s the sign of a strong Hell Hound."
"Says who?"
"Me."
They almost laughed. "I was wrong to say it was a risk to take in a piece of her soul, D. You always took good care of mine. You'll do the same with hers.”
Damn straight he would. But Drake knew he was far from being fixed on the inside. This was a small patch job, but it was a damned good start.
"You never told me what they did to you," Baz said. "Back in the old country."
"You never told me what they did to you, either." They both tried to spare each other. Wasn't that the way with them? Always. Drake’s voice dropped to a whisper, "Something happened to me when I found her body out there."
"I felt it," Baz licked his bottom lip. "I don't know how, but I fucking felt it. I felt you."
Pieces started to slide into place for Drake. He had built his walls up long before his Hell Hound life. He began the day they were sold as kids and were separated from each other. Baz had his own damned walls, too. Walls Drake never bothered to look for and so he never saw them until today. “I got my soul back.”
Baz walked over and pressed his forehead to Drake’s. “You mean you finally broke your curse.”
“She did it. That was all Tilly.”
“Nope,” Baz shook his head, “That was all you, D. You just needed to see something worth having a soul for. Someone worth loving with your soul, too.”
“But I love my pack.”
“Not enough to love yourself in return. That’s what Tills did for you, man. She made you love yourself, just as you fucking are, just as we’ve always loved you.”
"Christ almighty, someone put this shit on the hallmark channel."
Chapter 9
Kill, kill, kill.
The word vibrated in Tilly’s bones, pumped into her blood steam, and roared in her mind. The world was a topsy-turvy planet that darkened with every breath she took.
"Easy woman."
Below, Tilly saw two shapes moving with caution. Her nostrils flared. Bishop. Valor. She felt the hot air on her skin like it was make of prickles and could bite.
Kill, kill, kill.
With stealth, she crawled around and positioned herself to pounce on her target.
"The Hound in her is strong," Bishop's voice was all low tones that felt like velvet in her ears.
"Aye, and she's fucking feral right now. Tread carefully." Valor’s stare snagged and held her in place. Tilly's eyes narrowed and she growled at him.
"She's going to try to challenge me," Valor's voice wasn't the strong bass she was used to. Nor was it the soft bedroom voice she'd learned to expect whenever they were alone. His tone was impassive with a hint of delight.
Kill, kill, kill.
Tilly got her bearings by touch and the use of her peripheral vision. No way was she going to break her gaze away from the alpha. The first to look away was the first to show weakness.
On hands and knees, she crept closer. Ceiling. She was on the ceiling. No idea how that happened, nor did she give a flying fuck, because at this angle, she could drop down and tackle her prey to the ground.
Rip out his jugular.
Fuck him.
Run.
Kill, kill, kill.
Her head was a clusterfuck of chaos. Too many instincts clashed against each other, making it hard for her to decide which to go for first.
"Leave, Hound." Valor's orders were directed at Bishop. Out of the corner of her eye, Tilly saw her Hound Dog leave. Tilly was all too aware of Bishop, even as he exited the room. All that bare skin, his scent, his swagger – she wanted to fuck him again. Now. The space between her thighs ached and was swollen with need. No matter how much she came, her body cried for more. The Devil had made her insatiable.
But more than she wanted another hard fuck, Tilly wanted blood to run and Val's would do. A growl rippled up her throat. Her lips peeled back to expose her teeth that were ready to snap and sink into flesh. She prowled a little closer. With Valor the only Hound left in the room, every ounce of her energy was spent focusing on him.
Steady. Steady. Now!
Tilly dropped on top of the alpha. Had she been in her right mind, maybe she would have realized he caught her to soften her fall, but that realization would come much later. For now, she only felt heat and flesh and wanted to chomp down.
She bit into his arm. Fresh blood poured into her mouth and the metallic taste did two things: freaked her out and sent her flying into battle mode.
Valor pried her away with a hint of a smile on his handsome face.
He showed no fear. It turned her on and pissed her off.
Tilly barked when he let her go. Still on all fours, her gaze stayed locked on his. When he rose to his full height, she didn't do the same. Staying at ground level, she could see all the tender pieces she wanted to sink her teeth into. And all the hard places she w
anted to grind against.
There was no room for thought or reason in this room. There was only him, her, and a lot of heat.
Bloodlust flickered in Valor's gaze. "Ye want to take another bite of me, lass?" He held his hand out, enticing her, tempting her.
Pissing her off.
"Well ye canna have it."
The fuck she couldn't. Tilly gnashed her teeth and lunged for him. Tackling Valor to the ground wasn't the hard part. Keeping him pinned beneath her was.
Valor didn't move like Drake did. Something in her made a mental note to rearrange them in her head from strongest to weakest. Drake let me win, her human side said. Valor wasn't going to.
The Hell Hound part of her bayed with the need to retaliate and try again.
Valor remained pinned between her legs. She straddled him, locked both her hands around his neck and squeezed.
He growled. Then the dirty bastard ground his hips up, pressing his hard shaft against her sensitive slit. He had the advantage - Valor was fully dressed while she was still naked and exposed. All she could do was turn it against him.
While her hands stayed wrapped around his throat, she fought the urge to ride his face. Her hunger to get tongue fucked clouded her thoughts. Her gaze sailed to his mouth and beard. Heat bloomed and she felt a surge of wetness between her thighs. Snapping out of it, she was a second too late.
Valor rolled her over and pinned her to the ground. She still had her hands around his throat, but he now had his on her throat too.
Growling a low and deadly threat, Valor lowered his face until it was inches away from hers. She honestly didn't know if she wanted to kiss him or bite him.
Both. Do both.
If she applied pressure to his neck, he did the same to hers.
"Whatever ye do, lass, I'll do the same."
Kill, kill, kill.
Her instincts roared out of her with a head rush. The room started spinning. Tilly kicked her legs and tried to scramble out from under her alpha. His grip tightened around her throat.
"I can't," she croaked. "I need to kill something."
Valor's hot breath in her ear made her groan. "Ye canna kill me, so doona try. Breathe through it, lass."
Breathe? How the fuck was she supposed to breathe? There was no air in here. There was just him and her and a lot of what the fuck rocking her system.
Valor ground his hips against her. "Breathe, mo leannan. I doona want to mark ye any more than I already have."
Her hands eased off his throat. He didn't return the favor.
"What's the matter with me, why... why..." Tilly gasped, her heel dug into the carpet as she tried to escape. She needed to run from this. The feeling and thoughts she had weren't her.
They are now.
"Easy, lass." Valor let go of her neck, slowly, one hand at a time. "Look at me, Matilda Jane."
She was afraid to. What if when she did, she got the urge to fight him again? Control. She needed control and had none. "I'm... I'm..." lost, scared, confused, fucked up, "I'm...”
"Shhh," Valor placed one hand on the side of her head, and slipped the other down between their bodies to rub his thumb over her slit. "Och, Gods you're so wet."
Tilly placed her hands on his shoulders, totally prepared to push him away, but the second he dipped his finger into her pussy, she clung to him instead. Every thrust he gave her brought Tilly one step closer to a place she couldn't crawl the fuck out of.
"I'm alpha," Valor warned. "Do ye accept this, or do ye wish to challenge me?"
Challenge? She didn't want to challenge him right now. She wanted to fuck him.
When Valor added a second digit, Tilly's eyes rolled in the back of her head. "I don't know what I want," she confessed. And that was the damned truth. She had no clue why she wanted to fight him to begin with. But yes, if she was going to be honest, some piece of her wanted to challenge every member of the pack. Someone needed to rule them. Why not her?
She'd leave it for another time. Tilly was immortal now. She had all the time in the motherfucking world, right?
The foggy haze of violence and fury lifted with every thrust he gave her with his thick, long fingers. Valor made sure to hit that secret place deep inside that caused Tilly to drive her heel into the floor again.
Valor's one-word command was all it took for her body to obey him. "Release."
Everything inside Tilly tightened, and with two more thrusts of Valor’s fingers, she detonated. Her back arched and she clawed his shoulder blades. Her body clamped down around his fingers as she flew apart. Then she howled and it didn’t sound human. It sounded beautiful.
When Valor was satisfied he'd wrung every last drop of pleasure from her orgasm, he pulled out and licked his fingers. Chuckling, he rose to his feet and scooped her into his arms. "Let's get ye cooled down, lass."
He brought her into the bathroom and sat her on the counter top while he started the shower.
"I don't want a shower." The scents of my pack will wash away if I get in there. Tilly shook her head at the thought. What a ridiculous, primal and clingy thing to think. "I want a shower."
Valor didn't respond to either comment. Instead, he started pulling off his clothes, dropping them into a heap on the floor. "Come on, mo leannan." He picked her up and she hooked her ankles around his waist. His beard tickled the space between her breasts. She clung to his neck with one hand and the other went running through his rusty hair.
"Foxy Boy," she purred.
Valor stepped into the shower and held her under the spray of water. "Tilt your head back, lass."
One of his arms held her lower back, keeping her steady. His legs were spread wide enough to hold his balance. Like Tilly weighed next to nothing, Valor held onto her and ran his free hand through her hair, making sure it got completely saturated. Her skin erupted in goosebumps. The water felt cold on her skin, yet steam was everywhere.
"Your body temp is hotter than the water heater can get. 'Tis why it feels cold to ye now."
Just my luck, I'm going to have an eternity of cold showers. How shitty is that?
Valor continued holding her steady. He repositioned his stance so his one arm was under her ass, the other was across her back. Then he rocked her from side to side in the water. "Ye canna imagine my pride in ye right now, lass. I'm over run with it."
What the hell? "I've turned into a lusty ball of sex with a craving to kill. Unless you've always wanted a pet serial killer, I can't understand what you have to be so proud of."
"It'll pass," he smiled. "Well, it'll simmer down. The violence and lust is always there. But it willna rule your thoughts as much. You're still finding your balance. Once ye do, even this water will feel warmer on ye."
The water stung. Her skin was too sensitive for the setting of the showerhead. She tried to climb down from Valor’s torso, but he doubled his hold on her, making it impossible for her to escape. "No, mo leannan. I'll not be letting ye go yet."
She wanted to ask why, but the answer came with a brush of his fingertips.
With his body blocking the showerhead from spraying her, Valor’s eyes darkened as his gaze roamed over her face. "I'm the alpha of this pack. But... ye doona have to lay with me. Doona think that's part of this."
"I was told a Hell Hound fucks and fights."
Was it possible his eyes grew even darker? Yup, it sure was. Valor's cobalt blue eyes were now the shade of midnight. "Satan made us in his image. So aye, we protect and we pleasure. We feed our cravings, be it blood or body." He stared at her mouth. His pupils dilating and swallowing all color left. "I canna deny that I want ye for myself. And I also canna deny that I want ye for my pack. However, the choice is not mine to make. I canna force ye to stay with us any more than I can force my body upon yours."
Tilly's legs screamed to release their tight hold around him. She unhooked her ankles and let them dangle. Valor had no choice but to hold her like a ragdoll or let her fall to her feet and stand on her own.
She si
ghed when her feet hit the tiled shower floor. "I don't understand what you're saying. You've already had me." She and Valor had fucked so many times, she’d lost count.
"Aye, but that was when ye were human, lass. You're different now. Your tastes will change like the rest of ye. What ye liked before, might not be what ye like as a Hell Hound."
Her eyebrow arched. The wicked witch in her wanted to fuck with him. "I never was much for gingers."
The moment she said it, she felt like shit. No matter how stoic his expression was, Valor's eyes showed the sting of her words. He eased away and she swiftly made up the difference. Cupping his balls, she massaged them, "Not until you."
His dick was hard as stone. Jutting out, it poked her in the belly when she got closer to him. "I wanted Bishop and still do. I wanted Drake and Baz... still do. Why on earth would you think the same wouldn't apply to you?" She wrapped her hand around the base of his shaft and started stroking. Valor groaned, his lids fluttering and he bit his bottom lip. Water beaded off his beard. He looked like a warrior in a thunderstorm.
"Do you want me in this pack?" She gripped him harder, stroked him faster.
"What I want doesna matter."
The hell it didn't. "Do you want me, Valor?"
Up until this moment, she hadn't thought about what it meant to be in a pack. She’d jumped in, headfirst, with the idea that she could change the world one hunt at a time, and live the life she wasn't going to have any other way. God gave her a death sentence, the Devil granted her a second chance. The added bonus of joining Valor's pack was almost a given. Or so she thought.
Was that not how it was going to be? Would she be sent away to join another pack and they were just keeping her for now to break her in? Tilly’s gut twisted. She was going to be sick. Her head spun and legs gave out. Valor caught her immediately, as if he’d been expecting it.
“I want ye in this pack.” He repeated it over and over to her. His voice grew deeper and fiercer every time he said it. But eventually, all she could hear was the beating of her heart as it tried to break through her body so it could run off and hide to protect itself.
Hard to Kill (Hell Hounds Harem Book 6) Page 7