by M. L. Briers
“Thank you for dinner, Sienna. It was wonderful.”
“Wow, someone with manners. I could get used to this.” Sienna gushed as her cheeks blushed. She was smitten with her new son, vampire or not, she already had a soft spot for him.
“I always like to compliment a beautiful woman and a wonderful cook, and I am forever at your service.” Nathan informed her as Wade growled out a chuckle.
“Easy brother, you’re making the rest of us look bad.”
“Then perhaps you’ll pick up your game and treat our mother with the reverence she deserves.” He offered with a wink and a wicked gleam in his eye towards Sienna, and she couldn’t help but chuckle.
Yes, she liked her new son, very much…
‘Wade, Rosie’s been attacked in her home…’ Wade roared with the anger that soared through him, and Nathan went to step away from Sienna, but the whimper that left her lips alerted him to her need, and he put his hand on her shoulder, trying to ease her burden.
“What’s happened?” He saw Wade rush to action.
“Another attack on a female…” Wade tossed over his shoulder as he headed for the front door. Nathan was at his side instantly.
“I can help.” Wade took a long moment to acknowledge his words and then nodded.
“Stay with me. Many of the pack will be close by.” Wade growled out his anger as he snatched open the door and took off in a steady run across the ground outside, not giving a damn to the clothes that were shredded when he shifted into his beast, Nathan at his side.
Nathan eyed the two wolves at the door to the cabin. The window had been smashed and the curtains, tattered and torn, billowed in and out in the wind.
“Let me in, I can evaluate her wounds…” Nathan watched the wolves instantly stand down from their posturing towards him at the sound of Wade growling behind him, and Nathan rushed inside, ignoring the mayhem that had befallen the inside of the house, he moved quickly to where the woman had been placed onto the sofa.
A Lycan knelt beside her, his hand holding hers, the look of burning rage within his eyes as he stared at Nathan, automatically scenting the air and coming up with Nathan’s species. He started to rise when he spotted Wade coming in behind him.
Having shifted into human form Wade wanted to see the old woman for himself. She was an elder of his pack and she deserved to be tended by her Alpha.
“Stand aside, Miko. Nathan has come to help.” Wade informed the younger Lycan, who hesitated for only a moment before he released her hand and allowed Nathan free passage.
Nathan took in the sight of the woman, battered and torn up and yanked up the sleeve of his top. His fangs unsheathed before he had time to calculate just how bad her injuries were.
“She needs your blood?” Wade asked, as he looked down at the elder. His rage at seeing her like this was masked by his need to stay in control of his beast. Going off half cocked in anger wouldn’t help anyone, but he would taste the damn rogue between his jaws, if it was the last thing he did.
“Doesn’t matter, why let her suffer when I’m here.” Nathan was already lifting the woman’s head and shoulders onto his lap. He looked up at the alpha for his permission, and Wade nodded quickly, before turning on his heels and stalking back out of the room, his rage too much to control.
Only just stepping out of the house before his beast broke through and he shifted back into his wolf. Wade threw his head back and howled with rage. He wanted the rogue dead before any more of his pack were attacked.
Nathan stepped out into the night and looked around him. Wade and the others were long gone in search of the rogue’s scent. He had it himself now. He made sure to pick up the scent from the wounds that the woman had sustained as he tended her.
He needed Wade’s permission to track on pack lands, and he wouldn’t do anything until he had it. But as soon as he had the alpha’s agreement he would happily track the beast down that did this to his mate and an old woman, and happily tear him limb from limb.
“Vampire…” The younger Lycan, Miko, came out from the house and strolled towards him. A deep frown was etched on his forehead as he regarded the vampire, still slightly uneasy in his presence.
“Nathan. Vampire is so vague.” Nathan offered and Miko nodded, holding out his hand for Nathan to shake.
“I thank you for what you did for my mother.”
“I’d say anytime, but let’s hope that it won’t be necessary again.” Nathan gave the younger man a smile of acknowledgement as he shook his hand.
“You’re Sky’s mate?” Miko pulled his hand back and eyed Nathan from head to toe, and Nathan nodded. “Welcome to the pack, brother.” Miko turned and walked back inside without another word, and Nathan couldn’t help the grin that spread over his face.
“The rest of the damn pack is accepting me faster than my own damn mate.” He shook his head as he started off into the woods.
Sienna rushed towards Nathan as he strolled through the front door. A look of alarm on her face, as she scented the air, taking in the scent of one of her own on him.
“How is she?” Sienna asked and Nathan forced a smile onto his face as he reached her side faster than she had expected. His hand was already on her shoulder, easing her worries.
“She’s fine. She took my blood and Miko’s with her. She’s going to be alright, Sienna.” Nathan offered and felt the relief wash over his pack mother. The bright smile of gratitude washed over her face as she reached up and brushed his cheek with her fingers.
“You are a godsend…” She fawned and he rolled his eyes.
“Really? Because most people see me as an abomination…” He couldn’t help the wicked grin that touched his lips and Sienna chuckled.
“I’m so glad my Sky found you for her mate.” Sienna turned and linked her arm within his as she started back towards the kitchen.
“Well firstly, she didn’t have a choice, and secondly…”
“I always have a choice, vampire.” Sky informed him from the top of the stairs as she eyed him with her mother below, and he tipped his head up to look at her standing there.
“Do you always eavesdrop?” He gave her a playful look of disdain and she shrugged.
“I’m female, how else am I supposed to discover what’s going on?” She informed him loftily on the shrug off her shoulders, and Sienna released his arm and nudged him forwards with her hip.
“Go talk to your mate.” She chuckled as she turned and walked back towards the kitchen.
Nathan took two steps towards the stairs and then he was standing next to her on the landing, his sudden appearance made her jump back on a gasp of surprise.
“You didn’t know vampires could do that?” Nathan teased, holding his ground even though he wanted to advance on her.
“I’ve never seen a vampire do that.” She informed him, trying to recover herself as she narrowed her eyes on him. It was as if she were accusing him of something and Nathan’s smile started small and spread over his face, and then he did take a step towards her to see what she would do.
“You’ve never seen a vampire…” He reminded her and she shrugged.
“What else can you do?” Sky tried to look as if she wasn’t that interested, but she was. The fact he had gained ground on her so quickly thrilled and amused her. Even if she was in wolf form, she would still have a problem evading him, she thought.
“Lots of things and you’re just going to have to discover them all for yourself…” He closed the space between them, bringing his hand up to run just one finger over the bare skin of her shoulder. “One, by one, by one.” He leaned in and whispered against her ear. “I promise it’ll be fun.” He vamped up his pull on her and felt her shiver, her body leaning in towards him, naturally pulled in his direction.
“I’m kind of busy right now…” She whispered back, using every last bit of willpower within her to drag herself backwards away from him. The sound of his melodic chuckle nearly undoing all of her willpower and pulling her back against h
im, but she kept walking backwards down the hallway, until finally she turned and escaped into her room. Closing the door behind her and resting back against it as she rolled her eyes and fanned her face with her hand.
He was just getting harder to resist.
Wade slammed the front door behind him and stalked through the downstairs of the house towards the kitchen. The look on his face was as sour as his mood, and he had no patience for the look of disinterest his mate gave him from the top of the staircase where she chose to reside.
The fact that he was naked probably wasn’t lost on her, but he had shifted earlier without removing his clothes and didn’t have the luxury of worrying about his mates sensibilities. But damn, he could feel her eyes on him as if she were already touching his bare skin, and he had to fight to keep his half mast from growing under her stare.
Jasmine looked down upon him with a mixture of emotion within her. The anger that rippled through him was to do with the rogue attacks and not her, she knew that, and while she wanted to rile him just for the frustration she felt within her own circumstances, she chose not to. Now wasn’t the time to be selfish when he was faced with the dilemma of how best to protect his people.
The fact that he was naked and one part of his anatomy was practically waving at her, made her flush with a desire that coursed through her veins, and made her swallow hard against the lump in her throat.
His broad shoulders and muscled chest, covered in a dusting of black hair, begged for her attention. Following the contoured muscles of his abdomen down to where his thick penis bid her a welcome, she swallowed again. Her mate was absurdly well endowed, and she couldn’t help it when her mind wandered to the thought of having him inside her.
His dark eyes flicked up to hers and held her gaze for a long moment as he walked through the house. The resounding kick of her heart within her chest symbolic of the pulling towards him that was getting stronger. And when he could no longer look up at her and his back was to her, she eyed the way his muscles moved within his back and the tight movement of his backside as he stalked into the kitchen.
Wade reached for a pair of jeans, neatly folded and placed on the pile of clean clothes, and he flicked out the legs and climbed into them. Seated low on his hips, he zipped them, but couldn’t even be bothered to do up the button as he strolled towards the coffee pot and reached for it. He’d prefer Scotch, or even a beer to ease the anxiety within him, but right now he needed a clear head. He was tired from the hunt and weary from everything else that was going on with regards to his pack. Having his mate watching him with what he thought was akin to distaste wasn’t helping his mood.
He heard her soft footsteps as he reached for a mug, turned it and with half his attention on what he was doing, and half on his approaching mate, he managed to pour the burning hot liquid over his hand. Cursing as he felt the skin on fire, he almost slammed down the coffee pot as he stared down at his reddening skin.
“Under the tap.” Jasmine’s voice was soft and he thought it could have been touched with concern, as he turned to look down at her. She was at his side looking down on his hand, and when he made no move to action, she reached for his hand with one hand and turned on the cold water with the other, pulling on his arm until he moved with her to place their hands under the coldness of the water.
“It will heal…” Wade made no effort to pull his hand away from hers. The first time she had actually deliberately touched him was like a gift in his mind, and his arousal grew hard just from that minimal contact of his palm against hers. He looked down at her, but she kept her eyes down on his hand, and he took a moment to take in the contours of her face against that fiery red hair.
“I know, but that doesn’t mean you need to suffer the pain.” She offered, still not meeting his eyes.
“You hate me and yet you care for my hand…” Wade offered. Hearing her sigh made his stomach knot within him.
CHAPTER FIVE
“I don’t hate you…” Jasmine offered with no emotion in her voice at all.
“But you don’t like me…” Wade moved a step closer to her, it was instinctual. Her body pulling him in, her scent, her proximity, just the sound of her breathing all conspired to lure him towards her.
“I don’t know you…”
“Do you fear our bonding?” Wade saw her eyes for the first time. The green, like spring grass drew him in even closer and he had to physically rein in his need to lean over her, taste her lips.
“No. But I don’t welcome it either.” She thought she might as well be honest. When he tipped his head slightly to regard her with a small smile that stretched his lips upwards and a sparkle within his dark chocolate eyes, she felt lost within his presence, and when his hand cupped her cheek she found herself leaning in towards his soft touch, brushing her cheek against his palm and revelling in the feel of the sensations it created inside her.
The feel of his thumb stroking against her cheek made her close her eyes to the warmth of feeling against her skin and the fire it stoked within her womb. Her body wanted his touch, drawn to his heat like moth to a flame, she could no more deny her destiny than the moth could, burning her wings of flight against the needs and desires he invoked within her.
The brush of his lips against hers had her stomach in freefall. Turning into his body she pressed herself against the length of him, searching for his flame, needing his warmth, and when his arm came around her back and he pressed her closer, the feel of his arousal against her stomach, the heat of his arm around her body, the feel of his hand against her cheek, and the press of his lips against hers, had her body almost begging to be taken.
The slow build of his kiss made her want more. Her hands found his chest and the ice cold of her wet fingers against his hot flesh made him shiver. Something akin to desperation burned within him to taste her, and he teased his tongue over her lips until she couldn’t deny him entry, parting her lips to his demands, he swept his tongue over hers, kick starting the desire within her to take, as well as give.
Wade found her hips with his hands and lifted her against him. Turning her and sitting her on the counter, he pulled her to the very edge, wanting to feel the heat of her sex against the ache within his jeans he rolled his arousal over her and caught the low moan in his mouth as he devoured her with his talented tongue.
Jasmine wrapped her legs around his hips and pulled him closer with her feet locked behind him. But still not close enough. The feel of his hard length rolling over her nub filled her with a longing for more, and she hooked her fingers into the belt loops of his jeans and pressed her hips forwards, as his growl of approval and desire rolled through his chest and over her hard nipples and she wrenched her mouth from his, gasping in a breath. His lips burning a path of sensation down her throat as she tipped her head back, revelling in the glory of what he was doing to her.
The hard thud of her head against the kitchen cabinet brought a curse to her lips and she tensed as the pain shot through her, calling his attention away from her body as he lifted his head, his eyes questioning.
“Did I hurt you?” Wade growled. His voice even more sexy with the deep base of his desire and she shook her head.
“Cupboard door. Head. Fine.” She breathed, dismissing it and wanting to get back to the good stuff, like his lips on her skin. Wade growled out his annoyance. His fingers were already in her hair feeling lightly over her scalp to trace any abrasion that he could find. “It’s fine. Can we get back to the…”
“Hold on.” He growled. Wrapping his arms around her and lifting her against him as he turned and started out of the kitchen on fast legs.
“Don’t…” She buried her head against his shoulder when she realised that nothing she could say was going to stop the torture of being carried, and at speed, through the house.
Her arms wrapped tightly around him and her fingers curled against his muscles, as she practically counted the seconds until the sound of a door slamming shut and the feel of a soft mattress at her bac
k allowed her to slightly uncurl her grip on him.
Jasmine looked up into his smiling eyes. Mischief resided in the deep dark depths and she was more than ready to give him a mouthful, but his deep amused tone got there first.
“So you don’t like to be carried, one more thing I know about you, Jasmine.” He breathed down at her, settling in between her thighs. His hips rolled, and his hard shaft pressed over her nub and a moan rolled within her throat. The sensation that jolted within her womb made her brain soft and she forgot to scold him for terrorising her.
Her silence was all the encouragement he needed to continue what he had started downstairs, a slow detailed exploration of her neck. He lowered his head and nuzzled against her soft skin, where her neck met her shoulder, and where he would place his mark, claiming his mate for the world to see.
Wade closed his lips over her skin and sucked against her. Her hips rose and her back arched as she tightened her hold around his hips with her legs, gasping in a breath. He ran his tongue up over the vein and nipped against her lobe.
“Tell me you need me…” He breathed against her ear, the warm caress of his breath felt sinful, but not as sinful as when his thumb found the hard bud of her breast and he rolled it.
“I want you…” She admitted as she pushed her head back into the soft comforter of the bed and allowed him free access to her neck. When he repeated the actions, sucking hard against her skin, running his tongue up her vein and nipping her lobe, he tried again.
“Tell me you need me.” He breathed against her ear and she pushed her hips into him and arched against the feel of his thumb circling over one hard nipple.
“I want…” Jasmine heard his growl of disapproval. His fingers caught the fabric of her top and bra at her shoulder and he slide them down, exposing her breasts to his hand and mouth, and he held nothing back, devouring her with his tongue, before nipping against the bud, and then sucking hard until she cried out with the tightening of the knot deep within her.