by Ellen Lane
She should go back to bed. If Solomon was battling demons strong enough to dull his shifter senses, then she had no business here with him. She was, after all, merely a human.
It took everything she had to move a single step backward towards the hallway. Separating herself from him had suddenly become physically painful - or it would, at least, had she been allowed to do so. The moment Georgia stepped away, Solomon lifted his head, brawny arms encircling her to haul her back against him.
Georgia’s makeshift crutch clattered to the floor as she clung to him instinctively.
She told herself that it was wrong for perhaps half a second - that’s all the time her rational mind was given before she was completely overwhelmed by the rightness of being in Solomon’s arms. He pressed his head against her belly, an uneven exhalation escaping him as he drew her even closer.
Georgia only hesitated a moment before raising her hands to run through his hair gently. For once, she said nothing. Whatever comfort Solomon needed now wouldn’t come from empty words.
For a long moment, she reveled in being able to touch him. They’d been avoiding one another for what seemed like forever, and in that time, Georgia had realized how much she craved his closeness.
Like she had never craved being with Vincent.
“They want me to attack.”
The statement was so unexpected that, for a moment, Georgia wasn’t even sure Solomon had really spoken. She paused with her fingers against his scalp. “Solomon?”
His arms were tight around her - so tight it was almost hard to breathe. Bui Georgia didn’t dare ask him to release her. “The Elders...they want me to initiate an attack against the Doziers. To ensure that we have fewer casualties. They want me to take a small group to go after Ephraim myself.”
He didn’t have to explain himself - “go after” meant he would be killing the wolf who had murdered his pack members. The idea should have horrified her. Instead, Georgia merely slipped her hands down to cut the sharp jut of Solomon’s jaw. With firm pressure, she urged him to look up at her. When he finally met her gaze, his eyes were the bright gold of his inner animal.
Yet Georgia remained unafraid. She may not know much about shifters, but she knew that, for these people, killing Ephraim could save lives. She took a steadying breath before answering Solomon. “Do you think you could get him.”
“If he’s alone.” The Alpha answered without hesitation, before shaking his head slowly. “But he won’t be. And I won’t risk more lives. So, what the hell am I supposed to do, Georgia?”
At that moment, she wished she had all the answers. Her own life had been so convoluted and confusing that she was far from suited to guiding anyone else. Hell, she was surprised when Everly still listened to her sometimes. But this...this was entirely different. The pain in Solomon’s eyes took her breath away.
There was nothing more she wanted than to take it away - if even for a moment.
“Kiss me.”
Her words were barely more than a whisper, but Solomon’s pupils dilated instantly, his hawk-like gaze dropping to her mouth. Georgia could feel her heart thundering against her ribcage, and her pulse against her skin. She was an outsider in this world, but she still wanted him more than she had ever wanted any man alive. “Please.”
“Georgia…” His warning growl made her thighs clench reflexively. “I can’t stop this time. I won’t.”
A delicious shiver coursed through her. “Then don’t.”
She didn’t have time to overthink her request. In an instant, Solomon had hauled her into his lap and his mouth covered hers.
The low whimper that escaped her when his tongue pressed against the seam of her lips should have embarrassed her, but instead, Georgia merely opened for him, shuddering as he tugged at her lower lip with his teeth. Her hands fingers curled into the hair at the nape of his neck as she arched her back reflexively, her nipples pebbling against the thin material of the t-shirt she wore as a nightgown.
Sensation slithered through her, hot and demanding, until the throbbing between her legs became a dull ache that threatened to take her breath away.
After Vincent, Georgia had thought she’d be perfectly content to never let another man touch her. Why did she need someone to grope her, demanding their pleasure while never considering her own? To tell her how she should feel and what she should do?
This was nothing like how things had been with her ex-husband.
Solomon took his time with her. Though his hunger was evident in the way he kissed her - sensual, slow presses of his tongue against hers and nibbling at her lips as if he meant to drink from her - he didn’t rush to tear her clothes off. Instead, his hands moved firmly over her shoulder blades, skimming down her spine to curl firmly into her hips. His leverage there allowed him to press the very prevalent evidence of his own need against her - right at the crux of her thighs.
There was nothing beneath Georgia’s thin t-shirt save a pair of cotton panties, and Solomon might have laid a brand flush against the most sensitive part of her. A sharp, surprised sound of pleasure escaped her and he drew back almost immediately, his gaze concerned. “I hurt you.”
“No,” She breathed immediately in reply, wondering if there was a way he could touch every part of her at once. “It’s just...it’s been a while for me.”
Solomon merely frowned. “I haven’t been with many human women. Tell me if I hurt you.”
“You’re not hurting me.” She repeated earnestly. “It’s...” Georgia inhaled sharply as one of Solomon’s hands cupped her breast, his thumb strumming over the straining nipple through her t-shirt. His eyes, however, never left her flushed face.
“What is it?”
His voice was so low Georgia felt it as much as she heard it. “It’s good.” She managed, all but trembling as Solomon’s thumb stroked leisurely back and forth, each contact sending sparks of sensation through her. “So good.”
Instead of replying, Solomon merely lowered his head to replace his fingers with his mouth.
The heat was enough to make her gasp, clutching at his scalp for purchase. There was no way she was so sensitive when there was still a thin layer of fabric between him and her skin, but somehow, the way Solomon’s tongue dragged the wet material over her nipple was almost enough to undo her on the spot.
Georgia felt her body go limp as her head fell back, pleasure consuming her.
Solomon, however, had no trouble supporting her, one hand splayed against her lower back, the other still gripping her hip as he bit and licked at the small, cloth-covered nub he’d captured.
Georgia’s hips undulated against his unabashedly, the heat between her thighs rising in increments until she felt she could hardly breathe. A coil deep her belly - one she’d almost forgotten existed - begin to tighten, drawing up inside her womb until she was shaking in sweet anticipation…
Until Solomon pulled away.
A soft cry escaped her, and she clung to him in a blatant attempt to bring him back to where she wanted.
The wickedly amused chuckle that greeted her attempts made her squirm. Solomon caught hold of both her wrists, gently disengaging them before leaning down to suck lingering at her lower lip. “There are better places for this, Sweet.” With that, he lifted her easily into his arms, rising from the armchair as if she weighed no more than a feather.
Then he was kissing her again, and Georgia was aware of very little until her back slid against cool cotton sheets. When Solomon left her, she was granted a brief moment of clarity to realize that she was, for the first time, inside his bedroom. She got an impression of dark wood furniture and organized chaos before his body was pressing against hers.
His absolutely bare body.
Georgia had seen Solomon naked before but feeling him was an entirely different story. She groaned at the hard, unyielding lines of him - from shoulder to hip and beyond. The strength in taut muscles and tendons should have frightened her - but instead, Georgia reveled in it. Wrapping her legs
around his waist indulgently, she sought out his mouth again, trembling at the growl that sounded against her lips.
Solomon was more dedicated now - more single-minded in his goal. But that didn’t mean he neglected her throbbing, needful body. When his mouth left hers, it was to blaze a trail down her throat as he inched her shirt up and over her head. Once he had tossed the garment blindly from the bed, he bit at her neck, her shoulder, and the curve of her breast - nowhere near hard enough to hurt her, but with enough pressure to make her breath hitch and her heart stutter.
When his tongue soothed the indentations of his teeth, Georgia moaned - the sound turning to a cry as he latched onto her nipple again. She had never known how sensitive she was there until Solomon applied his lips and teeth to the sensitive flesh.
Sure, fingers slid over the quivering flesh of her belly and beneath the cotton material of her panties to find her wet and wanting - so much so that she could feel the moisture-wicking her thighs. Solomon groaned at the feel of her, raising his head to speak huskily against her ear.
“You’re so ready for me, Sweet. So hot and slick…” His fingers dipped briefly inside of her and Georgia gasped his name, bucking her hips in an effort to have him deeper. Solomon, however, merely withdrew the digits, bringing them to his mouth to taste.
The sight was enough to draw another moan from her. Georgia needed him more than she had ever needed anything in her life, and the way she tugged at his hips, her fingers curling into his taut behind, made him curse lowly. “Impatient little human…” He bit down at the juncture of her neck and shoulder, holding her in place as he ripped her panties down her legs before spreading them wide.
Georgia felt the blunt, scalding tip of his erection an instant before he pushed in a single stroke that stole her breath.
She was so wet that there was no pain - just a stretching sensation as he filled her - deeper and deeper until her fingernails raked down his shoulder blades, her inner muscles contracting in a blithe and completely sudden orgasm. “God!” The exclamation ripped from her as she shuddered and stars burst to life before her eyes.
She grasped blindly at Solomon as the pleasure coursed through her, as unbridled as wildfire carried on a gust of dry wind. She was still clinging to him, gasping, when he began to move to withdraw
Solomon released his hold on her neck, raising his hands to pluck her wrists from his shoulders. He pinned them easily to the mattress on either side of her head, his hips snapping forward to bury his length inside her still clenching heat once more.
Georgia writhed.
She arched and grasped - might have whispered or screamed his name like some inhuman thing as he rutted against her. Her body wasn’t her own anymore - the only thing that tethered her to reality was the impossible, breathtaking pleasure wrought with every stroke of Solomon’s body against hers.
He was saying something - growling and grunting against her ear as he drove into her, over and over - as Georgia strained against his grip and felt the slide of his sweat-slick body against her overheated skin - and dear fucking God she was going to come again.
“Wait.” Solomon’s snarled command barely registered and Georgia only responded when a hand wrapped firmly around her throat, the pressure just enough to quell the wild swell of her threatening orgasm. Her wide eyes met Solomon’s wild golden gaze - watched the gorgeous, feral features of his face tighten as he rode her faster and faster and then - “Now, Georgia. Now.”
She shattered.
Georgia was only dimly aware of the way she thrashed - of her nails raking furrows down Solomon’s back and the way his shout of completion filled the room. His warmth filled her - drawing tears of pleasure to her eyes as her high consumed her - and then, there was nothing.
It seemed like hours before she came back to herself, but the first thing Georgia noticed was that the moon had barely moved across the skin.
Her entire body felt warm and heavy - and she was alone in Solomon’s immense bed.
Slowly, Georgia maneuvered herself until she laid on her side, favoring her injured ankle. She hovered between wakefulness and sleep for a long moment until she felt the bed dip behind her. A gentle hand on her shoulder maneuvered her back into a supine position. “Stay off that leg.”
Solomon’s gruff chastising barely roused her. He was, she realized, running a warm, damp washcloth over her bare form. Tenderly over her breasts and belly, then cleaning the mess between her thighs. Briefly, he touched her injured ankle, making sure her makeshift splint was still in place. With a grunt of approval, he laid the washcloth aside.
There was a reason she shouldn’t be here, Georgia tried to remind herself. Now that her body had cooled and her rational mind began to come awake, she tried to remember what that reason was.
But for the life of her, all she could think was how warm and perfect Solomon’s arms felt as he slipped them around her, drawing her against his side. The Belleview Alpha said nothing more, merely cradling her against him - and Georgia was too tired to question him.
Within minutes, she fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.
Chapter 10
He must have lost his mind.
Titus had never been the type to take unnecessary risks, but then again, he had never believed he’d live to see another war between Shifter packs. Not while Raymond was Alpha.
But Raymond was dead.
During the first few days of Ephraim’s reign of terror, Titus told himself that he could bide his time. That all the pain he witnessed could be justified if he came up with a solid plan to get rid of their crazed new Alpha. But as days passed with no viable opening, the suffering around him began to weigh far too heavily on Titus’ conscience.
He could hear the screams of the Belleview female they’d capture nightly - her anguish robbed him of any sleep he might have gotten. That, and the way that Ephraim punished their own for the slightest infraction of his new laws was more than enough to make his blood boil. While Titus’ own tolerance for pain was abnormally high, he had never been able to watch others suffer.
His desperation moved him to act even though he knew his chances of victory were slim.
After a week and a half, he had gained little traction among his fellow pack-members. While he had always been well-respected as Raymond’s second, he was now shunned for the same reason. Few wolves would even listen to him whisper about overthrowing Ephraim for fear of his retaliation, and, frustrated as he was, Titus could hardly blame them.
They watched Ephraim slaughter innocents in cold blood and worried that they might be next. Unlike many of the Dozier wolves, Titus was not yet mated. He had no partner and no pups - any risks he took he took alone.
And perhaps that was for the best.
Titus made his move under the cover of darkness. These days, he spent most of his time confined to his stone cabin, unable to face the atrocities perpetrated by those he’d once called brothers. Ephraim hadn’t come for him yet because he hadn’t shown his face - and because he knew that, in a one-on-one fight, Titus had the advantage.
The problem was that Ephraim was rarely alone these days. Though no one was suicidal enough to challenge him for Alpha - especially after the death of the Elders - Titus had no doubt that any challengers would be dispatched by the Alpha’s cronies far before they could lay a hand on the top wolf himself.
Which meant that he had to play dirty.
Titus might not have emerged from his house much, but he listened well enough. It was times like these where he most appreciated the enhanced senses he’d been blessed with. He was well-aware of everything that went on around him - including the fact that Ephraim liked to “borrow” the Belleview female he’d given away on a pretty regular basis.
There were rumors that the girl had tried to take her own life numerous times, and that she’d been punished for even that small dignity.
If Titus had his way, she wouldn’t suffer it again.
He waited until the rest of the pack had bedded down for t
he night - until the only sounds were whispers and crickets. When Ephraim went to assuage his desires, he didn’t take a guard. Which meant it would be one of the only times Titus might be able to catch him alone.
He slipped from his house, careful to make his way around the edge of the settlement towards the far edge - where Amon kept his “mate”.
He could smell her blood from a hundred yards, and the scent was enough to sicken him. No doubt she was half dead already, but that didn’t seem to dampen Ephraim’s appetite.
Titus could hear his footfall now.
He was coming.
He positioned himself behind Thomas’ cabin, careful to remain downwind. He nestled his large form uncomfortably among a few cords of fresh-cut cedar wood - it would help disperse his scent even more.
The minutes it took Ephraim to reach the cabin seemed to last an eternity - and then they were gone all too soon.
“Have you used her today?” When Amon stepped from his cabin to greet his Alpha, he reeked of blood.
“Only a little, Alpha. She still has plenty of energy.” Titus’ stomach roiled at the words. He could imagine few things worse than forcing a woman against her will.
“Very well. Give me until dawn.”
“Certainly, Alpha.”
Titus had always considered Thomas a bit stubborn, but he had never known he possessed this kind of cruelty. Not until Ephraim cultivated it in him.
Titus listened to the steps of the younger wolf retreating as Ephraim entered his vacated house. The moment he stepped inside, the woman’s breathing doubled. Low, pup-like whimpers began and Titus tensed.
“You don’t seem very happy to see me, Leia.” The sick pleasure in Ephraim’s voice made Titus see red - but he had to wait. Leia was huddled against the wall against which he hid. When Ephraim got close enough to her, Titus would lunge through the window above him and snap the Alpha’s neck - clean, simple and efficient.