by Crystal Dawn
My father started to give me an update. “They haven’t found her but they are working their way inside. He had a dozen wolves in there and they are putting up a fight.”
I closed my eyes and prayed to the goddess. It would be so easy for my mate to get hurt. My dad relayed no more information so I knew she hadn’t been found. We were almost there. When we arrived I jumped out before the vehicle stopped. I ran to the door pushing it open. I looked inside seeing my wolves and captured ones that were bound. I didn’t see Seymour or his father anywhere. Alpha James might have wolves here, but he wasn’t keeping T.J. here. It didn’t look like he stayed here either.
“What now?” I asked hoping someone had an answer.
“We need to interrogate some prisoners.” Newton said with a smile on his face. I think he enjoyed the thought and he looked a little scary. “I’d be happy to help. I do a lot of interrogating on the job.”
Now I had a purpose. Nothing was worse than waiting with nothing to do. I would help transport prisoners and interrogate the unlucky ones. I was one pissed off mate and there would be nothing lucky about whoever I questioned. “Let’s get these wolves to the pack house.” I said to our wolves. Everyone started moving the prisoners along and loading them into the vehicles. I took a guess at which one was in charge. I was sure he was the beta so he came with me.
We got back to the pack house and went to the interrogation room with the suspected beta. If he was in charge, he would have the information we needed. He looked a little pale as we placed him on the chair opposite my dad. I sat on one side of Dad while Newton sat on the other. Yeah, it seemed a little like overkill. Newton asked if he could start things out so my dad agreed.
“What’s your name?” Newton asked the prisoner. He wolf just stared at him refusing to answer. “Do you know who I am?” Newton asked. The prisoner shook his head.
“I am Newton Giles. I am a warden sent by the council to find out what Alpha James had been doing in this territory. He was ordered out of it by the council but came here anyway.” The prisoner paled even more and it looked like he was shaking. “So let’s try this again. Who are you?”
“I’m Fenton Pharis.”
“Okay, Fenton. What is your rank in the James Pack?” Newton asked looking him in the eye. It was a technique to help evaluate truthfulness. It didn’t always work but it might help.
“I’m a beta and I have been for about five years.”
“Were you involved in the abduction of T.J., Jericho’s mate?”
“I wasn’t there when she was taken. I was just here to look, listen, and give backup if needed.”
“Do you know where they are keeping her?”
“Alpha said he found a sweet little house that had everything he needed. I heard Seymour was the one that really found it. Alpha is real uptown if you know what I mean. He likes his luxuries so he don’t stay just anywheres.” I thought that was helpful. There couldn’t be too many houses available to rent that were perfect for a rich man that insisted on his comforts. Our pack owned one of the two companies in town that managed rentals. I should have thought to check out rentals earlier. Now I wouldn’t be able to until morning. Newton continued asking questions. Some didn’t seem to relate to T.J. at all. It made me wonder exactly what the James pack was into and what Newton was really investigating.
Since it would be morning before we could do much, we divided into groups so everyone would get some sleep but the search would continue. My dad insisted that I take a sleep shift too. He said I would do better with a clear mind that wasn’t tired. I went to my room thinking I’d never get to sleep. My mind finally powered down and I drifted off. I woke just before dawn. It was still too early to contact anyone but now that I was awake I knew I wouldn’t get to sleep again. I went downstairs to cook myself some breakfast. There were several wolves sitting around so I cooked extra for them. We sat around running through the possibilities. We started a list of likely houses and only came up with three. We listed them in order of which was the most suited to the purpose. I sent a scout to each house to see if they could find out anything. I was desperate to have her back and not ashamed to admit it.
My dad came in shortly after the scouts left. I told him what I had done and he approved. I fixed him something to eat so we could get on with our task to find T.J.. We went to talk to Darnel again even though I was sure he had told us all he knew. We walked around the house to enter medical. Doc wasn’t there but a nurse was. She took us to Darnel who was looking much better. He went through everything and verified Reefe was a traitor. Knowing who Reefe hung around with wouldn’t help. The guards tended to all hang together in their off time unless they had families. Since most guards were young, most had no families. We found out nothing new but it had kept us busy for a while.
One scout reported in. The house he was sent to was empty. He was headed back. That one had been the least likely since it was close to here. He would have had brass balls to steal my mate and remain so close. The second one reported in a half hour later. That house was full of humans. There was no wolf scent present at all. Now all that was left was to hear from the last scout. I had just one more chance to find her without waiting for the offices to open. I closed my eyes and once again sent a fervent prayer to the moon goddess. It occurred to me that I had never prayed so much in my life as I had since I had found my mate. I had never known so much fear but I also had never known so much happiness. I wanted to reclaim that happiness and I wanted it now.
I thought we would never hear from the last scout because it took so long. It turned out he had found something and wanted to confirm and get more intel. He was certain the James pack was in residence. There were over a dozen wolves in the house and surrounding property. It had taken longer because he needed to gather information while avoiding several sentries. He suggested an immediate attack because he saw signs of activity and feared they were about to relocate. I heartily agreed but I had to wait to see what my dad decided to do. He thought a moment then authorized the mission. Every available wolf would go and we would go in smart. We would use stealth to take out any sentries and try not to alert them to the attack as long as possible. It was a good plan that might work. The element of surprise was often the best way to keep down injuries or in the worst case, fatalities, on both sides. I had nothing against the pack wolves, my anger was all for the crazy alpha that thought he was above wolf law.
Once my mate was restored to me I would deal with him in the most severe way our laws provided. He had committed a serious enough crime that the repercussions would be severe. I could let the council deal with him but I didn’t trust them to do what was right. The council had become so corrupt that most wolves no longer had faith in them. It wasn’t all the council members. It was probably only a few. The old saying about a few rotten apples spoil the bunch had never been truer than it was when talking about the council. The rotten ones apparently had the power to do as they wished and the skill to protect and hide themselves from discovery. There were only a handful of council members that I would trust enough to turn my back on when leaving the room. The rest I would either have a trusted friend cover my back or find a way to either leave after them or back out of the room. Yes, it was that bad.
I would deal with Alpha James personally as was my right under wolf law. He would never be able to target an innocent again.
We were ready to head out. We would wait a few miles from the house until hunters took out the sentries. Hunters were well trained for these kinds of missions. I, myself, had been trained as a hunter as soon as I turned seventeen. I worked missions often enough to keep up my training. I would have gone to take out a sentry but my father felt my emotional attachment might hinder my decision making process. I didn’t agree but he was alpha so he made the decision. There were ten vehicles all but a couple trucks were loaded to capacity with wolves. The trucks would be used to hold the prisoners. Those who gave up would live. Those who fought would live if they could be subdued with
out killing as long as they didn’t anger my already worked up wolves.
The sentries were taken out quickly. They could not be given an opportunity to raise the alarm so they were taken out quickly. It was a shame most were probably killed. It was no wonder our numbers were decreasing. If the council had done as it should have it would have saved at least half a dozen lives. I tried to clear my head of everything but my mission. I would do what I could to see that only their alpha died from this point on. I would be certain that he would die very soon. We arrived close to the building. The hunters had taken out a few of the wolves near the doors. They must not have killed them since they were bound. The house was beautiful and luxuriously appointed. It was also big enough and the walls were sound proofed enough that the others inside didn’t know we were here.
The hunters moved from room to room like ghosts. We had the first floor cleared but still hadn’t found the alpha, Seymour, or most importantly, my mate. The house was huge with three full stories and a small attic. It was built as a corporate retreat by a wealthy man who had grown up poor in this very area. It was called Harper’s Folly because of the enormous expense that had gone into building such a grand home in a remote barely accessible area. It had a helicopter pad, but the road that led to it was barely a trail. Harper, the man who had built it, had spared no expense and most thought it an attempt to prove he had made something of himself. You could take the boy away from home, but home always called him. To his dying day, he had sought the approval of the people he had grown up with that had shunned him because he had grown up dirt poor. He was gone now but his heirs fought over his legacy like dogs over a juicy bone. Tied up in probate, no one knew how many years it would be before it was settled.
We headed up to the second floor with the hunters in the lead. We found Seymour easily in one of the bedrooms. It was clearly the one he had been staying in. “T.J. is on the third floor. My father is on this one. There are two sentries near her door. She’s tied to the bed but no one has harmed her and I’ve seen to her care. She has no serious injuries.” Seymour said looking at me with concern. He probably feared I would kill him and all his pack mates. I was angry that she was tied but I was not so cold that I would kill them all. Two hunters headed up to the third floor. Stealth wasn’t so important now that we nearly had the house under our control. Two more headed to the next room continuing our search and capture mission. A few hunters were outside to catch any that attempted to escape or that might have been gone should they attempt to return.
I heard no sounds from the third floor even though I was sure enough time had passed for the guards to be taken down. I started up the stairs. No one would keep me from my mate one second longer. As I hit the hallway on the second floor, I noticed both guards were tied up. I entered the room where the hunters carefully removing my mate’s bindings. She looked a little pale and drawn but otherwise unharmed. I would grant the alpha a quick death instead of punishing him first. As soon as she was free, I pulled her into my arms. I held her tightly against my chest, closed my eyes, and drank in her warmth. I felt her to my very soul. We were one and it was never intended that we should ever be separated. I breathed her scent in deeply smelling sweat, tears, and the underlying rich feminine scent that was all hers. I stepped back just a little to get my fill of the sight of her that I had been denied for what seemed like forever. My eyes took in every part of her checking her for any harm even the smallest of them. I took in her wrists with the red marks from the ropes that bound her. Maybe I would punish the bastard before I killed him after all.
She looked back at me as if she feared I was a dream come to taunt her. Her lips parted slightly and her bottom lip trembled. I leaned in and kissed her gently to assure her all was now well. This time would be the last time and I would ensure it. I continued to kiss her until passion flared between us. We forgot the hunters who surrounded us as the kiss took on a life of its own. Goddess, I had missed her so much. Someone cleared their throat behind us. I paused and sanity returned chasing passion away for the moment. My dad stood there wishing to welcome his new daughter back. Doc would check her out as soon as we returned to the pack house but for now he also needed the assurance that his new daughter and his first grandchild were doing fine.
Once my dad was convince that she could travel, I picked her up and carried her downstairs and out to a vehicle that had been pulled up for us. My dad rode along and we headed home. We arrived and I took her straight to Doc. He was waiting when we entered. He directed me to a room with a bed. I placed her in the bed and sat close so I could hold her hand. Doc worked around me without complaint. “Is she okay?” I asked when I could stand his silence no more.
“She’s dehydrated and fatigued. Seems like I’m saying that a lot lately. I want her to drink plenty of fluids, get a lot of rest, and feed her a big juicy steak every meal for a few days. Wolves are susceptible to certain deficiencies just like humans are. It doesn’t kill us but it saps our strength. It could also endanger the pup. I also want her to get plenty of fresh air and some regular exercise. It will help her regain the strength she needs to carry and deliver that pup.” Doc drew in a breath and looked at me to be sure I understood.
“I will see to all her needs.” I said thinking already about everything she would need. I’d make arrangements with the kitchen and Kaleb or I would take her for a daily run. All her needs would be taken care of no matter what I had to do. I pulled my mate up and into my arms to carry her to our room.
“Jericho, I can walk.”
“I need you in my arms right now. I feared we wouldn’t find you or that something would happen to you or the pup. I nearly went crazy from it.” I put her on our bed to help her undress. I stepped back to undress myself. We would shower together since that was what she wanted first. We showered in my private bath. It gave me a chance to take care of my sweet mate.
I started with her hair gently massaging the shampoo into her scalp. “Mm, that feels good.” T.J. said as she leaned closer to me.
I felt my body react to the sound of her sexy voice, her bare skin, and the pleasant scent of coconut shampoo. I felt my cock begin to come alive in rapid jerks. I rinsed her hair then put conditioner on it. I left it on while I put body wash in my hands and lathered up. I started at her neck washing in slow gentle circles as I worked my way down. I couldn’t resist playing with her breasts a little before I continued on. She moaned in approval so I tugged on her nipples with my fingers. This time I groan. I wanted nothing more than to suck her responsive nipples into my mouth. I worked my way down before I gave into my impulses and got a mouth full of bitter soap with her tempting flesh. First things first then I would savor every part of her luscious body.
I continued around to her back before I went down further. I slid my hands down to her ass where I gently squeezed her cheeks. They felt delightful and she moaned. I continued down her legs to her feet. I moved from her heels to her toes before working my way up to her thighs. My fingers worked their way around then between her thighs until my thumb found her clit. I just intended to make one pass over it but I was encouraged by her whimpers to go back a few more times before I remembered I needed to rinse the soap off her skin. I pushed her under the steady stream of water and watched as it hit the top of her head and ran down in streams taking the conditioner and the soap with it. My mouth watered as I looked at the water as it ran over her lips, breasts, and pussy. I wanted to run my tongue everywhere the water was going and leave no part of her untouched. When she was completely rinsed off, I started to soap myself up, but she wouldn’t allow that.
T.J. took the shampoo out of my hands. She pumped some into her hands and lathered it up before gently massaging it onto my scalp. The slight scratching of the tips of her nails felt heavenly. Once she had thoroughly worked the shampoo through my hair, she rinsed it off. I got goose bumps as she pumped the body wash into her hands and lathered it so she could rub it on my body. She started to swirl it on my skin starting at my neck. I was ver
y close to her and as she leaned in to wash me her hot breath hit my skin making me ache to feel her mouth on me. She reached my chest using her thumb to circle my nipples. They hardened and her touch was incredible. Her hands glided down and over my torso, the slippery body wash feeling just right as she slid her hands around me to do my back next.
I was so turned on that a drop of pre cum dripped off the end of my engorged cock. She went from my back to my ass lovingly squeezing my cheeks till my cock jerked with barely restrained desire. By the time she had soaped in my legs and finally made it to my groin, my whole body was tight trying to hold in my need. When her soapy fingers tentatively touched my aching balls, I nearly died from sharp shooting ecstasy that filled me. Her other hand went to my straining shaft which was filled to bursting with the need to empty. Just like a volcano about to erupt, any stroke could set me off. I held off so I could bury myself deep inside my mate and find my release when she found hers.
“Enough, T.J..” I whispered. “I’ll cum if you don’t stop and I’d rather be inside you right now.” She stopped, looking at me with hooded eyes.
“I want you too. I want to feel you long thick cock sliding into me. I want you to fill me up and make me cum.”
I smiled at her. Goddess, I loved that she wolf. “I can do that!” I stepped under the water to rinse all the soap from my skin. I shut off the water and I picked up my mate holding her against the shower wall. I carefully slid my arms under her knees with her help. I pulled my arms up exposing my target fully. I slid myself into her heated slick center. Oh goddess you blessed me with her. It felt so good I moaned long and loud as I found myself balls deep in my favorite place. Mine!
I wanted to go slowly to savor the delicious feeling of being inside her, but I couldn’t. I started slow but ended up slamming my hard cock into her yielding pussy until she screamed my name as she came and the vise grip of her channel forced the seed from my overburdened shaft. I came in jerks and streams for the longest time I could imagine. Shivers ran through my body and my mind was lost in an explosion of pure ecstasy. She slowly slid down my body as I held her against me but feared holding her up as my legs felt almost too weak to hold me upright. “Wow, just wow.” I said almost speechless.