Alex watched as the two men left the room, grateful for Sean’s calm intervention. She looked over at Tre, who was still seething with anger. She moved to his side and laced her fingers with his. He squeezed her hand and seemed to calm.
Dev walked over and placed a heavy hand on Tre’s shoulder. “Give the kid some time, Tre. He’s still raw from what happened to Nic. He’ll come around.” Dev chuckled. “And if he doesn’t, we’ll just kick his ass and send him back to Talon in Washington.”
Alex smiled. The Coteri general was backing her, even over the objections of one of his warriors. She felt her spine straighten and a renewed sense of strength washed through her.
She addressed the remaining warriors in the room. “All I’m asking is for you to form your own opinion,” Alex pleaded. “I may have been raised in their world but I am not Valta nor do I have any of their darkness flowing through me. I have made the choice to be Coteri because I believe in what you stand for. And I can only hope you accept me as part of your world. Part of your heritage. Part of you.”
Tre pulled their still-linked hands to his mouth and placed a soft kiss to her palm. “And part of me.”
She turned and looked into his eyes. For the first time in her life she felt she had finally found where she belonged. Finally she had someone who wanted her for who she was and not what she could do for him. She squeezed his hand and looked back into the sea of Coteri men in front of her.
Her gaze landed on Jude and she watched as a smile curved his mouth. He gave her a wink. “I don’t suppose you have any sisters we don’t know about?”
Alex couldn’t help but laugh at his playful tease. “Not that I know of, Jude. Sorry.”
He moved to leave, with Seth and Marcus following behind. “Well, shit. Why are the good ones always taken?”
Seth slapped him on the back. “When this is done, maybe we need to take another trip down to the Quarter. After all, that’s where Tre got lucky, the bastard.”
“I’m in,” Marcus added as the three men moved down the hall. “And did you guys catch that shift Tre pulled mid-flight? Fucking wicked skills, man. I think Michael almost shit himself.” Their voices and laughter trailed off.
She felt Tre’s hand on her lower back as he guided her toward the opposite hallway leading to his room. He stopped and turned to Dev. “The team is heading out in two hours to scout both locations. Given Michael’s earlier reaction, I’m not comfortable leaving Alex tonight.”
Dev was already headed to the stairs. “Not a problem, but we’ll need everyone tomorrow night, including Sean. Which reminds me—you still need to call Talon and fill him in on Sean’s involvement here. I don’t want to have to deal with his temper if he finds out his little brother was involved in an operation against Luca and he wasn’t told about it ahead of time. Shit, that man has a short fuse when lit.”
Tre laughed, agreeing with Dev’s assessment of Talon and knowing full well his best friend would definitely kick his ass if Tre didn’t tell him about Sean. “I’ll take care of it, General, first thing tomorrow morning. I plan on being otherwise occupied tonight.”
Chapter Eighteen
They walked in companionable silence to his room and once through the doorway Alex walked toward the bed. She heard the door shut behind her and the lock click into place.
Frissons of excitement shot through her at the knowledge that Tre was coming up behind her. With the recent adrenaline dump in both their systems, she could feel his lust coming off him in waves, and it only fueled her desire for him. Alex inhaled deeply, his scent surrounded her. She couldn’t get enough of him and never wanted to. Her longing for him was infinite and she never wanted it to end.
She worried about the danger he and his men would face in the coming nights but forced those thoughts from her mind. As she felt his strong hands slide around her waist and move to her aching breasts, she closed her eyes and gave herself over to the only man who owned her heart.
She was his. Body and soul. He felt it deep inside his chest as he moved in behind her and slid his hands around her slender waist. Alex was part of him now. His general and his team accepted her. He had to believe that Michael would come around eventually, but he had absolutely no qualms about carrying out his earlier threat against the man if he didn’t pull his head out of his ass where Alex was concerned.
He kneaded her firm breasts in his hands, plumping her nipples between his thumbs and forefingers as he nuzzled the silky skin of her neck. Her scent was addictive and her soft moans of pleasure had his dick straining against the confines of his jeans in an effort to get inside her. He felt the sudden urge to take the one step he’d never thought he would be able to take. The step that would ensure she would be his and his alone.
Mark her.
The need was overwhelming but he wouldn’t do it here. Not under the same roof with his team, his general and a handful of humans. No—he wanted Alex all to himself.
Tre slid one hand down her stomach to the juncture of her thighs, feeling the heat of her arousal through the thick cotton of her sweatpants as he circled his fingers over the tight bundle of nerves. He pulled her body tighter against his. She was so responsive and her moans only fueled the burning desire building quickly inside him.
Tre bent forward and closed his mouth over the silky-soft skin of her neck. He felt her blood pumping quickly through her veins under his tongue and knew she wanted him with an intensity to match his own when she pressed her sweet backside against his cock, grinding her hips against his erection. He lifted his mouth and licked up the side of her neck to her dainty earlobe. Giving her a quick nip, he sucked on the sting as he breathed in her scent and wished he was already at LeBeau.
After Tre had met Alex months before, he had been consumed with trying to find her. He knew his demeanor had changed from the jokester to someone all the other men on his team tried to avoid. He was having a harder time keeping his darker side in check, his beast under control. To have some peace to himself, he’d found the old LeBeau plantation sitting abandoned in the shadow of the old Domino sugar plant. After doing some research into the building, he’d found it was abandoned and, with the local ghost stories surrounding it, he’d figured it would be a good place to get away when he needed time for himself.
The dilapidated structure was on its last legs but he loved it there. Even in its current state of disrepair, the shadows of its former glory could be seen if one looked close enough. Tre had worked on strengthening the studding and floor supports on the southern side of the second story. He’d given in to his one vice for creature comfort and brought in a king-sized bed but other than that, all he had was a gas-run generator and a couple of fans to circulate the heavy Louisiana air. It wasn’t much but it was his and, more importantly, it was private. Dev and the rest of the warriors knew about the location but they knew not to bother him there. If he went to LeBeau, it was because he needed time alone, and his team respected that.
And right now he needed time alone with Alexandria.
“Alex, sugar. I’m burning. I want to be inside you more than I want my next breath.”
Alex let out a little moan as he felt her push her ass back against him, making his eyes nearly cross with the pleasure. She lifted her arms above her head and wrapped them around the back of his neck, tilting her head back on his shoulder to look up at him, her deep-blue irises swirling with desire. “Then take me, Tre,” she whispered.
He groaned. “Not here, Alex. I want you all to myself this time. I want to take it slow this time. Lick and taste every inch of you. Hear you scream over and over from the pleasure I plan to give you. And we can’t do that here.”
He felt her entire body shiver at his statement.
“Then where?” she asked, still grinding against him.
It took all his restraint to loosen his grasp on her body. He reached for her arms and brought them back to her sides before he turned her around to face him. He took one look at her full, pouty lips and couldn’t resis
t a quick taste. He captured her mouth with his as he nipped and licked at her lips, pushing his tongue inside as he tried not to devour her all at once.
Tre forced himself to pull back. “I want you to come with me, Alex,” he whispered. “I’m going to shift and you need to follow me. It’s not far from here and no one will bother us where we’re going. Just you and me, sugar. That’s all I want right now.”
“I want that too, Tre. Just lead the way.”
He smiled down at her, knowing that what was about to take place would be one of the most important things he would ever do. Binding this female to him meant everything. The ache inside his chest at the thought of not being with her was almost all-consuming. He didn’t want to spend another minute without her. The past six months had been hell and now all he wanted was to spend the rest of his days with Alex by his side. Yeah, Mathias and Talon were going to be relentless when they found out about this, given all the shit he’d thrown them about being pussy-whipped over their mates. Tre smiled at the thought, because he realized he didn’t give a fuck if they flipped him shit. Hell, he was sure he deserved it. All that mattered was that Alex was his and, after tonight, everyone would know it.
Tre reached for her hand and led her toward the french doors. He opened them and scanned the area. Not feeling any threat, he pulled her out onto the balcony with him. He turned back toward her. “You ready?”
Her smile was the only reply he needed.
Tre turned back toward the darkening sky, closed his eyes and willed his body to shift. In an instant, skin was replaced with golden-brown feathers and his human form transformed into a large hawk, his preferred form for flight.
He stretched his long wings and took to the air, circling high above the street below, waiting for Alex to join him. Within seconds she’d shifted into a beautiful white owl form and was in the air and following close behind him.
They headed south toward the river. Over to Jackson Square, above the throngs of tourists flooding Café Du Monde, and finally over the murky water of the Mississippi.
Tre led the way down the river, flying over the Natchez riverboat on its early evening tour of the Port of New Orleans as well as an old movie set Brad Pitt had once worked on.
The Domino plant came into view and he banked left, heading for the run-down building hidden behind it. He landed behind the house and shifted back into his human form. Alex landed right next to him and did the same. He watched her take in her surroundings and smiled when her brows knitted together in confusion.
Smiling at her, he reached for her hand and led her to the boarded-up door at the back of the house. Tre pushed the wooden panel aside and Alex went through and waited for him to follow. Once inside, he grasped her hand again and led her across the old plantation kitchen to the stairs in the center of the room.
“Walk on the left side, Alex. These steps are weak.”
He carefully led the way up the rickety steps, and once on the second-floor landing he turned left and guided her to his sanctuary. Again he pushed a wooden panel on the doorway to the side and pulled Alex inside the room, giving her eyes time to adjust to the darkened interior before he released her. He replaced the panel and walked over to the generator. He loosened the gas cap and checked for fuel. Satisfied that there was enough, he pulled the string and brought the little machine to life. It wasn’t large, so the sound wasn’t bad. Just a constant humming. He lit two thick pillar candles by the bed before he walked over to the two fans and turned them on. Warm breezes sailed across the room and Tre watched as Alex’s gorgeous hair began dancing around her shoulders.
She looked around the room before turning to face him, her cerulean-blue eyes wide with curiosity. “What is this place, Tre?”
“It’s the old LeBeau Plantation. It used to be the largest plantation south of New Orleans. It was supposed to be refurbished years ago as a historical landmark but after Katrina hit, no one seems to have enough interest in taking on the project. No one comes around here much. Just the occasional ghost hunter. And those I can get rid of pretty easily by shifting into my wolf form and snarling at them in the dark. You’d be surprised how fast some humans can run when they’re scared shitless.”
Alex cocked her head to the side. “Ghost hunters? Are you telling me this place is haunted?”
Tre smiled again and was amused by her slight trepidation at the idea of a paranormal presence. “That’s the story. Supposedly lights go on and off in here at night, but electricity was never installed on the property. Never seen it myself and I’m pretty careful not to use any lighting other than the occasional candle when I’m here. I like the seclusion of this place and flipping on a flashlight at night would just lend more credence to the humans intent on finding ghosts down here. And as I said, I like my privacy.”
He watched as Alex looked around the room again, her gaze finally landing on the big bed located against the far wall. “Well, that’s a surprise.” She looked back at him, her brow raised in question.
Tre smiled. His voice came out deep with the lust he was barely containing for this female. “The rest of the place might seem pretty rough but I like my comforts, baby. And tonight I’m going to see to all of your comforts.”
Tre began to slowly walk toward her, unable to wait another minute to get his hands on her. He watched the subtle changes taking place on her face with every step he took. By the time he reached her, her eyes were deep pools of blue that had gone liquid with desire, her cheeks were flushed and her breathing was labored with anticipation.
He reached out and pushed her long hair behind her shoulders, running his fingers through the thick ebony strands. He leaned down and placed a soft open-mouthed kiss on her neck, letting his canines gently glide over the sensitive skin. She shivered. “This is where I’ll mark you first, Alexandria. Your silky skin will carry my bite for every other male to see.”
He heard her intake of breath at his declaration and felt her fingers dig into his forearms as he skimmed his hands down her shoulders. When he reached her hips, he slid his hands under her T-shirt—his T-shirt—and lifted it over her head. Throwing it to the side of the room, Tre lowered his head to her chest, where he kissed the swell of her breasts. He sucked the skin between his lips and teeth, first one and then the other. “And then I’ll mark you here. Your breasts will look so damn good with my mark on them.”
He continued to suck and nip at her skin. He moved his hands to plump her breasts, never happier that he had destroyed her bra earlier and she was bare to him now. Her nipples were puckered, tight and beautiful. He opened his mouth and surrounded one hard peak with his lips, suckling it against his tongue.
Alex’s sharp cry broke through the hot air and fueled his desire for her. He felt the sting of her pull as she threaded her fingers in his hair and tugged him closer. Wanting more of him.
He reluctantly released his grasp on her nipple and watched her breast bounce from his hold. His hand replaced his mouth as he moved his thumb over her nipple, keeping it taut and tight as he paid the same reverence to its mate.
Tre straightened and looked down at Alex’s face. Her eyes were closed, her mouth slightly open and her damn tongue once again perched on her upper lip. That little move of hers drove him crazy and she probably had no idea.
“Alex, sugar. Look at me.”
At his order she opened her eyes and he was immediately lost in them.
“Do you want this, Alex? Tell me now before I can’t stop. I need to know you’re with me on this.”
Alex slid her hand around his neck and pulled him close. He felt her sweet breath on his face, her fingers digging into his skin. “Tre, I want this so bad I ache.”
Tre cupped her face in his hands, needing her to be absolutely certain about what he was asking her. He might play the clown when necessary but the truth was that his animal side was more dominant than in others of his kind, which gave him a hard edge at times. He needed to make sure she fully understood that side of him. He tilted her chin
up with his thumb and looked directly into her gaze. “Alex, this isn’t just sex. This is eternity. With me. Do you understand, baby? Tell me you understand and that you want that.”
Alex leaned up and gently placed her lips over his before she whispered, “I love you, Tre.”
Tre felt an instant surge of relief and desire. His beast howled in excitement. He dropped his forehead to hers and released the breath he hadn’t even realized he was holding. He bent to pick her up and cradled her in his arms before moving quickly to the massive bed. He pulled back the covers and gently put her down on the soft, white sheets. He quickly slid her borrowed sweatpants down her long legs before following suit with his own clothing. As he crawled in beside her and felt the combined heat of their skin, a low growl escaped his chest. He pulled her flush against him. “Mine. You’re mine now, Alex. Infinitely.”
Chapter Nineteen
Alex lost her breath at the first touch of Tre’s lips to hers, his earlier words pounding through her head as she realized he truly wanted her to stay with him. His hungry moan as his tongue devoured hers own sent frissons of heat to her core. She was wet, she ached and she needed him inside her with a desperation that bordered on pain.
His hands were everywhere, stroking her body, making her writhe with need. His lips moved down her throat and lower—kissing, licking, sucking. She pulled at the thick strands of his hair, trying to tug him closer. Tre latched on to a tight nipple, gently closing his teeth around the sensitive bud before sucking it into his mouth. She arched her back in response, trying to feed him more as she cried out at the pleasure.
Tre lifted his head and smiled, a devious gleam in his eyes. “Oh, sugar. We’re just getting started and believe me, I want to hear every one of your screams.”
He lowered his head and continued his path down her body until he forced his wide shoulders between her spread thighs. She felt the spasms in her womb before he even touched her. Her body was strung so tight and so ready for his that she could feel her juices on the insides of her thighs. Tre placed his hands on the backs of her knees before settling her legs over his shoulders. He inhaled deeply before using his tongue to drag a long, lazy sweep up her center. Alex nearly shot off the bed at the sensation.
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