Mallory withdrew from her and moved onto her knees, running a hand up Cordelia’s thigh. Mallory drew Cordelia’s leg onto her shoulder before settling against her, clit-to-clit. Cordelia trembled, her body a living flame.
Mallory moved against her, their clits brushing in a kiss of friction that drew tight moans from Cordelia and a growl from Mallory.
As Mallory took her faster, Cordelia braced her hands on the bed and thrust against her, their bodies coming together in a slow grind that took her breath away. She gripped Mallory’s ass as Mallory rocked against her taking her with sensual efficiency.
“Mallory, you feel so fucking good,” Cordelia cried.
Mallory ground against her, rolled them over, and Cordelia was on top. She sat up, pressed her hands into the mattress, and rode Mallory with abandon. Her hunger tearing through her, a demand she couldn’t restrain.
Mallory gripped her hips, moving with her, the feeling sublime, the look in her eyes primitive. One more slide against Mallory and her orgasm exploded through her, catching her on fire. Cordelia jerked and let out a long cry.
Beneath her Mallory growled, holding her tight.
Long moments later when their breathing was back to normal, Mallory held Cordelia close stroking her stomach.
“You were fantastic,” Cordelia murmured. If there was ever sex worth sticking around for, it was with Mallory.
“Good enough to keep you in my bed?”
Cordelia smiled. “I’d never stay just for that.”
“It’s as good a starting point as any,” Mallory teased and kissed the side of her neck. “Let’s get cleaned up. Then, you can sleep on it.”
Chapter Thirty
In the morning, Mallory woke to the soft scent of jasmine wrapped around her. Her lips tilted in a smile and her animal huffed softly in a sign of true contentment that was marred by the ugliness of her sister’s death.
Mallory didn’t pretend her sister’s murder had deprived her of a great relationship. The fact was, she and her sister had drifted so far apart there was no real way to get back to where they’d been before their pack was attacked.
They’d all lost something. Never able to go back, forced to take on a very adult role with a heavy mantle, Mallory didn’t regret the path her life had taken, just that she hadn’t had more time to prepare for what she’d always known could be.
And she had been lonely.
Friends were nice, and playmates took the edge off, but when she closed the bedroom door at night, she was still alone. Being an alpha meant having a woman in her life capable of handling the challenges of her position. It wasn’t easy.
As a result, it had been better to stay emotionally detached.
Soft lips pressed a kiss to her nape and a hand caressed her arm. “Thinking about your sister?” Cordelia asked as if reading her mind.
“She’d wanted me to step down as alpha.” That had been the fight that had really torn them apart.
“Why?”
“She thought it made me gay,” Mallory said and laughed bitterly. “She thought without Sam and her friends and without being an alpha, I wouldn’t be hard, masculine.”
“She refused to see who you really are,” Cordelia murmured. “Strong and very much a woman.”
Mallory smiled, warmth bubbling in her veins. She needed this woman in her life and her coyote knew it, was already accepting her as its own.
“What did your parents think about you being a lesbian?”
“They loved me, accepted me as I was,” Cordelia told her and kissed her nape again. “Your parents?”
“My father was understanding, and he trained me like he trained my brother. He thought I’d be happiest being myself, not a carbon copy of other girls. I think he was proud of me.”
“He would be now, too,” Cordelia said softly. “I can see you’re a good alpha. What about your mother?”
“She wasn’t happy, but she dealt. I think she held out hope I’d become all sweet woman.”
“You are sweet,” Cordelia said.
“I’m never going to be anything but a dominant, Cordi.”
“I like you that way,” she murmured. “I’d never date you otherwise.” Her cell phone rang, and she climbed out of bed to answer it. “Hello?”
“Hey, where’s Mal?” Sam asked.
Mallory rolled over, realizing the phone was on speaker. Hers must have run down in the night. “What’s up Sam?”
“We’ve got a problem,” she said.
“I just got off the phone with Jen’s cousin. He and a few others were attacked last night. Jen’s barely hanging on by a thread and his cousin said they were coming after us.”
Mallory climbed out of bed. “They think we did this?” There was accusation in her tone.
“It was coyotes, Mal,” she said.
“Son of a gun,” Mallory muttered, tension tightening her body even as she felt Cordelia climb out of bed behind her. “We have to move fast, and I don’t think talking to him is going to change anything.”
“I’ll say. He’s screaming about retribution for all the lives we took, even though Jerry killed his own people.”
Mallory took Cordelia’s hand. “This is going to turn into a nightmare, but they’re going to leave us no choice.”
“Wait,” Cordelia said. “Couldn’t this be Bradley and his partners?”
“That’s possible, but I doubt Jen will be in a mood to listen, considering his sister’s death.”
“But he might if I tell him what she said,” Cordelia insisted.
“I’ve agreed to a meet at the Wolf Trap,” Sam said. “If Jen dies, he won’t hear reason, and even if he doesn’t, a confrontation is imminent.”
“We’ve got the numbers,” Mallory said firmly. “I think we should consider this meeting as a possible act of aggression.”
“I’ll get my back-up team ready and let Syd know how to handle things if I don’t make it back.”
“I’ll do the same with Brynn,” Mallory said. “Take care who you inform. If I have moles, you probably do, too.”
“Noted. I’ll see you at eleven. We can go in to town together.”
“I’ll meet you out on the main road.” Mallory told her and hit the “End” button.
“I’m coming with you,” Cordelia insisted. “If you’re expecting trouble, I’ll be helpful.”
Mallory sighed. “Honey, I didn’t ask you to stay so you could fight.” She drew Cordelia into her arms. “I meant what I said about wanting a chance with you.”
“I believe you.” She ran her hands up Mallory’s chest. “If you die out there, I’ll just leave here with a broken heart. If I’m out there with you—”
“I could still die.”
“I know, but I’ll be with you, and I’ll fight with you.”
Mallory hugged her tight. “I don’t want to lose you, Cordi.” She put her away from her, so she could look into her eyes. “I don’t want it to be like it was with my family.”
“Neither do I, but this is a double-edged sword either way. The cut is to be deeper if I’m not there when by your side is where I want to be.”
“No.” She shook her head, misery in her gaze, winter bleak.
That she cared that much tugged at Cordelia’s heart. And she knew they were fighting a losing emotional battle.
“You can’t stop me from coming.”
“Sam will be at my side,” Mallory told her urgently. “Your place in this is behind me, waiting for me to come home.”
Cordelia nodded. “I can keep the home fires burning like any good omega, but in this, I have your back,” she said softly.
Surprise sparked in Mallory’s eyes. “Do you know what that means to a coyote, Cordi?” Mallory asked.
“That our relationship has moved beyond the casual.” She knew about the ties that bound in the animal world, and Cordelia accepted the implications of what she was saying.
“Then, you’re staying?” Mallory asked, cupping Cordelia’s jaw.
“I’m staying.” She put her hand on Mallory’s wrist as she held her gaze. Those cat eyes spoke more than a thousand words as they poured into hers.
“I have a meeting to arrange. We’ll talk later.” Mallory gave her a quick kiss, released her, and sprinted from the room.
Chapter Thirty-One
By the time they headed into town, the streets had been salted and cleared. The crews were out restoring power leaving those without back-up generators to wait it out.
Cordelia sat next to Kamari in an SUV of dominant coyotes silently preparing for the possible fight. They were ten minutes behind the main vehicle carrying both alphas and their two guards. Another vehicle was five minutes behind them.
“The Snow Dogs have been itching for this fight,” one of the men said. “Even if we’re saved a fight today, it won’t be long before we have to throw-down with them.”
“We all know this,” Delaney muttered. “I just wish it wasn’t going to come to this.”
“Who doesn’t,” another man said on a sigh. “But fact is, things would be better if a man was alpha instead of Mallory.”
“A man would have had it out with him by now,” Delaney growled.
“Two men would have worked this out,” he snapped. “Sam would never have been allowed to drag this pack into a fight with those hyenas. The Gray Tail lands would be Snow Dog property, and we’d be minding our own business.”
“I suggest you put your problem with Mallory in your pocket until this is over,” Cordelia snapped.
“You might be sharing her bed, but you’re just another disposable cup,” he muttered.
“You should be careful with that negativity,” Cordelia told him icily. “You could end up on the wrong side of a snowflake.”
“I’ll bury you if you come at me, little girl,” he replied.
“Take it down a notch,” Camden ordered. “We’ll be walking from here. Cordelia, stick with me.”
Camden pulled the vehicle off the road and cut the engine. They all climbed out and last- minute orders were given before they broke into teams and struck out toward the Wolf Trap Coffeehouse.
“No matter what you see, don’t distract Mallory,” Camden said. “If this is an ambush, it’ll be nasty so—”
“I smell wolves,” Cordelia broke in. “They’re coming up behind us.”
“What?” Camden drew in the air as she glanced around the quiet and empty street. “I’m not getting it.”
“It’s under the pine,” Cordelia said. “They’re using it to hide their scents. They were prepared.”
“Shit.” Camden touched the communications link in her ear. “Listen up, this is an ambush. Keep your eyes open and your ears—” Wolf howls cut her off mid-sentence.
Cordelia’s cat hissed in fury. She might not be close enough to Mallory to help her if they were attacked this far back. They might be too outnumbered.
If she lost her—
Focus, Cordelia ordered herself. You might not have ever been in a fight like this before, but you’ve been outnumbered and out-gunned.
Yet, here you are.
“Cordi.”
Mallory’s voice was soft in her ear, thanks to the communication device Camden had given her before they left the den. “Yes.”
“Follow Camden’s orders,” she commanded. “That’s one of the marks of a good soldier.”
“I’m not a soldier,” Cordelia replied.
“You are a survivor though,” Mallory told her. “And in situations like this, there isn’t much difference. Do your job. We’ll do ours.”
“I have your back, sweetie,” she said.
Mallory didn’t reply, but Cordelia didn’t have time to wonder why as wolves came running at them in animal form.
“Be strong,” Camden told her. “Shift because we won’t win this any other way.”
Camden shifted at her side, and Cordelia drew in a slow breath and let it out. The air chilled around her, and she spun around due to the feel of heat coming up behind her. The wolf leapt at her and she threw out a spell.
The icy energy slammed into him and knocked him out of the air. Cordelia remained facing that direction and sent out balls of hail at the on-coming wolves. The balls split and raced out smashing into targets with brutal efficiency.
The fight was rough, and Cordelia was forced into animal-to-animal combat near the end as she flagged mentally, but her power was still strong in that form allowing her to kill with her bite.
With nothing but bodies lying around them, blood turning the snow red, she ran with Camden on her flank heading for the coffeehouse. When they got there, Sam and Mallory were engaged in battles with three wolves each.
Camden ran for a wolf leaping up on Sam’s back, leaving Cordelia to take out a wolf attacking Mallory from the side. She quickly dispatched her target with a single bite before snarling.
One of the wolves attacking Mallory broke off, turning his attention to her. Cordelia knew him. He was one of the cops from the police station who’d attacked Mallory that day. She exhaled sending a breath of ice at him.
Before he could attack, Mallory had him by the tail. Cordelia took out his throat without further ado.
****
The wolves would out-number the coyotes according to his source in Mallory’s den. So, Sam would be dead soon, and he’d send in an attack against her den before her people had time to organize.
This would be more perfect than his plan, Bradley had to admit as he stared out the window of his home office.
His phone rang, and he reached for it. The humans would be alarmed if any of them witnessed the scene, but he doubted there were many of them out in this since their neighborhood hadn’t been cleared yet.
He’d made sure of it.
“Yes?”
“It’s over,” the masculine voice said. “They’re coming back.”
“How many?”
“I’m not sure yet, but I can tell you Summerfield is very much alive,” he said.
“Are you certain?”
“I was given that intel from someone out in the field,” the coyote said. “Mallory was hurt, but there’s no word how bad.”
“Damn it,” Bradley muttered. “Find out what’s going on and get back to me.”
“Will do.”
****
“You did good,” Camden told Cordelia as they waited for the healer to work on Mallory.
Cordelia glared at the wall, hating the lack of light in the small waiting room.
“She’ll be fine,” Camden assured her.
“I know.” Cordelia nodded. Mallory had been attacked by a jackal, but that wasn’t what had her bothered. It was what she’d seen after finishing off that jackal that had her quiet.
The healer came out with an irritated expression. “You can go in, Cordelia. She’s asking for you. Cam, she wants me to check you out. Come on.”
“It’s nothing serious,” Camden said trailing behind her.
Cordelia entered the small room that reminded her of an exam room in a clinic. This was an infirmary, she chided herself.
Mallory was sitting on the edge of the exam table with a bandage around her arm and some bruising on her stomach and chest.
“It’ll heal,” she said. “I didn’t want her wasting her healing energy on me.”
Cordelia went to pick up Mallory’s shirt. “She gave you something for the pain?”
“Yeah, but I’ll be sore for a few days.”
“I’ll fix that when we get back to your quarters,” she said. “My parents had excellent potions for self-care including muscle creams.”
“I can’t wait,” Mallory said. “Help me on with that.”
She helped Mallory into her shirt.
“You handled yourself well,” Mallory told her as she slid to her feet. “You’ll make a good soldier.”
“With a low rank,” Cordelia said ruefully.
“You can’t get special treatment because you’re the alpha’s bitch.”
S
he snorted. “Mallory, I saw coyotes out there hiding in the trees.”
“What?”
“There was a jackal with them,” Cordelia told her. “The mobster I knew used to say coyotes were good extras. He always kept a coyote-run mercenary firm on stand-by. I’m not saying it’s the same firm—”
“You’re saying someone hired coyotes to attack Jen and his buddies.”
“Exactly.”
“Okay. I’ll see where we are on that money trail. Good catch.”
Cordelia nodded. “I scented them before I saw them. They were using pine and spruce to hide their scent,” Cordelia said. “Just like the wolves that attacked us.”
“Jenner has either picked up a new ally, or he’s just a pawn in a game Jerry started,” Mallory said. “He’ll have to be brought around or we’re all going to suffer some heavy losses.”
Chapter Thirty-Two
That evening, Mallory settled into her office with Sam, Mica and Delaney. The cream Cordelia had made for her had left her capable of movement without pain to her relief. The bruising was already healing, too.
“My contact hasn’t been able to get anything concrete, except Jerry had ties to a coyote pack in Stonington,” Delaney said. “I’m looking for a paper trail, but it’s not visible right now.”
“We need a forensic accountant or something,” Mica said. “Somebody who specializes in hiding money, right?”
“That would help,” Sam replied. “But that’s not what any of our people do.”
Maybe it was what Cordelia did, Mallory mused.
“Other than that, our options are slim,” Delaney said. “We’ll have to keep digging as this thing plays out.”
“We can expose Bradley, but is it worth it to tip our hand?” Mica quizzed.
“It would be better to wait,” Sam said what Mallory was thinking.
“We’re going to have to take out one of them,” Mallory said. “If Bradley’s partner is willing to pay for mercenaries, that’s going to become a problem for us.”
“And for Jenner,” Sam said. “If they take us out of play, he could be next.”
“But how do we convince him of that without tipping our hand?” Delaney asked.
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