by C. C. Wood
“I wish you wouldn’t say stuff like that,” I stated, my eyes moving to the sleek line of his collarbone.
“Why?”
I squinted at his throat when I heard the laugh in his voice before lifting my gaze to his. “Because it makes it impossible to stay pissed off at you!” I grumbled.
His grin became a full-blown laugh. I relished the sound because it was rare. He didn’t laugh often. “I’ll remember that for the future,” he murmured, lowering his head to touch his mouth to mine.
The kiss began as a light, gentle caress but quickly exploded into something more.
Our bodies were plastered together, the heat of his torso burning through my thin tank top. Asher’s palms cupped the back of my head as he tried to pull me closer. I wrapped my arms around his shoulders and lightly scraped my nails over his scalp.
Tongues dueling, we staggered over to the bed and tumbled onto the mattress. Asher rolled on top of me, sliding a hand beneath the hem of my top and up my body to cradle my breast.
I arched into his caress, moaning into his mouth as his fingers closed over my nipple and tugged sharply. He sat up, kneeling over me, and dragged my tank top over my head.
Rearing up, I wrapped my arms around his ribcage and threw him to the side, twisting until I sat astride his thighs.
Then I touched him. I ran my hands along each of his shoulders, tracing my fingers over the slope of his collarbones. Asher stared up at me, his beautiful blue eyes bright and glowing. My hands met at the base of his throat and I trailed them down his chest, lightly dragging my nails over his pectorals.
My hands moved down his abdomen and I watched in awe as the muscles contracted beneath my fingertips. When I reached the waistband of his jeans, I popped the button and slid down the zipper, revealing the waistband of his navy briefs and the sharply delineated muscles of his lower stomach that disappeared beneath the fabric.
Framing his hips with my hands, I ran my thumbs along the edge of that V. Asher sucked in a sharp breath as I leaned down and tasted those muscles with my tongue.
I yanked at his jeans, shocked as the material ripped apart in my hands. “Oh my God.”
Asher looked down at me and laughed. “No need to take out your frustrations on my clothing.”
“Your attire offended me.”
Grinning, I crouched over him as he kicked off the torn remnants from his body and shoved the briefs down his legs.
“Come here,” he growled, gripping my ass and pulling me down on top of his body.
Our mouths met but the desperation was muted now. There was a tug at my hips and I heard the quiet tear of my underwear before it was gone, leaving us skin to skin.
“I liked those!” I exclaimed, rearing up away from him.
Asher smiled. “Yes, but I bought those for you.”
“So? They were rapidly becoming my favorite.”
“I’ll buy you ten more pairs,” he assured me, pulling me back down into his embrace.
His hips surged up, the ridge of his erection grinding against my center, and I forgot all about giving him a hard time. Well, at least verbally.
I felt my fangs extend as his mouth moved down my throat to my chest and my head fell back. My hips rolled against his as I sat up to straddle him and his upper body lifted to follow my movement.
Asher closed his teeth around my nipple, his fangs piercing my flesh just as he thrust inside me. The climax took me by surprise, stealing my breath.
I wasn’t sure how much time passed before he released my nipple, giving it one last lick, and the orgasm began to recede. My eyes opened and I stared down at his face.
“Damn, what was that?” I asked.
“It was only the beginning,” he answered, pulling my head down to his. “We’re just getting started.”
* * *
Much later, Asher and I lay in bed together, my body oddly exhilarated by the multitude of orgasms he’d coaxed out of me. We were on our sides, facing each other in the dark. Though no lights were on, I could see his face clearly in the dimness.
“Am I really the only woman you’ve ever loved?” I asked quietly.
His eyes were closed, but at the sound of my voice, they opened. “Yes.”
“But what about the woman in France?”
“You mean Claire, the human woman I was once with?”
I nodded in response.
His jaw tightened before he spoke again, but his emotions were locked up tight. Even with our connection, I couldn’t read them, which told me he was shielding his thoughts as hard as he could. “Shannon, I’m not sure we should discuss this.”
“You can tell me anything, Asher.” And he could. I might not like everything he did or said, but I would still listen.
He sighed and I realized he let his guard down. I could feel his regret, sorrow, and the remnants of his love for her. “I thought we were in love. She didn’t know what I was, but it didn’t matter to me. I never drank from her and she thought my eyes glowed for her because of the power of my love for her. I should have known that I wouldn’t be able to stop myself, that I would lose control…..” He trailed off and didn’t speak again.
“What happened?” I prompted.
“One day, we were having a picnic in the country. She was feeling playful and she ran from me.”
My heart sank at his words. It was a mistake to run from a vampire or shifter. I might not know everything about supernatural beings, but that was Supe 101.
“I chased her and lost control. When she saw my fangs, it terrified her. She ran from me again, but it was out of horror. That only made it worse because my predatory instinct took over. I chased her down and bit her. It was her tears that brought me out of the bloodlust. I let her go, tried to explain, but she was out of her mind with fear. She fled from me as if the hounds of hell were on her heels. She was looking over her shoulder instead of where she was going and she didn’t see the edge of the hill in front of her. It was a small incline, but there were trees. Claire hit one and I’ll never forget the sound of her neck when it broke.”
My stomach twisted at his words. “I’m so sorry, Asher. It was a horrible accident. A tragedy, yes, but you never intended to hurt Claire. I wish you would forgive yourself.”
He shook his head. “It doesn’t matter if I meant to do it or not. I should have known better.”
“You were in love. Love makes people do stupid things.”
“It wasn’t love,” he responded. “I know that now.”
“We don’t have to discuss this now.” I offered. It hurt him to talk about her, and I didn’t want to cause him more pain.
“I did love her, but it wasn’t wholly and completely,” he continued. “There are people in this world that we can love, but for vampires, if we’re lucky, there will only be one who is part of our very soul.”
I cupped his face in my palm. “I understand what you mean.”
I could sense his relief as he covered my hand with his. “You do?”
“Yes. I’ve never felt this way before either.”
His fingers squeezed mine. “What way?”
I hesitated. It was so soon. I barely knew anything about him, and we’d only spent a short period of time together.
Except I did.
I couldn’t explain it, couldn’t quantify it. I knew him. My heart knew him. I understood what he felt and why. I’d seen visions of his past and our future—the life we would make together, the family we would create, all the wonderful ways he would show his love for me and his children.
“I—” My voice caught.
His eyes flared brightly. “Please say it, Shannon.”
“I love you,” I whispered.
Asher pulled me into his arms, his mouth crashing down on mine. I responded with everything I had. I opened not only my lips, but my heart and mind as well. His touch was reverent and gentle and I realized that he was making love to me.
Our physical relationship was so new and our chemistry so combustible
that every encounter was a mating, a staking of a claim.
We touched and tasted each other, the urgency building gradually, until neither of us could stand to be separated any longer. I spread my legs, reaching down between us to guide him inside me.
When he filled my body, he also filled my soul.
We reached the peak together and I sank my fangs into the flesh of his shoulder at the base of his neck. I felt his teeth pierce my skin at the same time.
I held him closer as we fell endlessly from the precipice, never wanting this moment to end.
Chapter Eighteen
Asher, Conner, and I were in the study, hashing out details of our plan to draw Cornelius out.
Unfortunately, the plan hinged on all five of us being together and Calder wasn’t returning our phone calls. It was clear he wasn’t lying when he said he would do whatever was necessary to keep Ricki from becoming involved.
After a lot of frustration, I decided to circumvent him. Since he wasn’t answering Conner or Asher’s calls, I tried Ricki’s phone. She didn’t answer either. I didn’t bother to leave a message. I imagined Calder had given her a different burner phone, one we didn’t have the number to, and ditched her old one.
Ricki was going to be pissed when I finally got ahold of her.
Finally, I called Chloe.
“MacArthur.”
“Hey, Chloe, it’s Shannon Frye.”
“Shannon, is something wrong?”
“Yes and no,” I answered. “You know Calder came over to Conner’s yesterday, right?”
“Yeah, did something happen?”
I huffed out a breath. “You could say that. Look, did he tell you anything about it?”
“No, but he did come back to the compound looking more pissed off than I think I’ve ever seen him. Even more than when Ricki’s granddad showed up and tried to bite off her arm.”
I sighed. “I’m afraid I’m the cause for that.”
She was silent, so I continued.
“Asher turned me a few days ago, and while I was unconscious, I had visions. I saw how we defeat the Faction, but the plan is dangerous.”
“I would assume it would be, considering that the Faction wants most of us dead.”
“Well, all five of us would have to be in one place.”
After a long hesitation, she said, “I see.”
“I promised him that Ricki wouldn’t be hurt. I know we all survive the attack and most of us without serious injury, including Ricki, but he was adamant.”
Chloe laughed. “I think adamant might be an understatement.”
“Has he even mentioned it to her?”
“Nope.”
I licked my lips before I spoke again. “Could I talk to her?”
“About this?” Chloe asked.
“Yes.”
“You realize she’s pregnant, right?”
“I know, and I swear nothing will happen to her.”
“Shit, Calder is going to be pissed at me and Ricki is going to be pissed at Calder.” She paused. “Hang on, I’ll get her. But if I’m stuck with that snoring asshole sleeping on my couch, I’m calling you when he wakes me up at 3 a.m. with his grizzly bear impression.”
I swallowed a laugh. “Thank you.”
She must have pressed her phone against her shoulder, because I could hear the rasp of the material against the mic.
“Ricki!” she called.
“What?”
“Shannon’s on the phone for you!”
I could hear Ricki’s voice getting closer. “Well, why didn’t she call me on my phone?”
“I’m guessing Calder forgot to give her your new number,” Chloe answered.
Well, that confirmed my earlier suspicion that Calder had thrown away her burner cell.
I heard Chloe hand the phone over.
“Hey, Shannon. Is everything okay?” she asked.
“Um, well, a lot’s happened, but I’m doing okay.”
“What happened?”
I took a deep breath. “Well, Asher pretended to kidnap me and took me to Cornelius, but they knew we were working together on behalf of the Council and tried to kill him. We managed to escape, but I was badly wounded in a car accident, so Asher had to turn me into a vampire. While I was unconscious, I had a bunch of visions about the future and I know how we can beat the Faction, but we’ll need your help and Calder said no way in hell.” I stopped for another breath, but before she could respond, I said, “Oh, and Asher is my mate.”
Ricki was quiet for so long, I wondered if we’d been disconnected.
“Ricki, are you still there?”
“Give me a sec, I’m digesting.”
I waited. And waited. “God, say something!”
“You’re a vampire now?” she asked.
“Yes.”
“And you know how to defeat the Faction?”
With each question, her voice was getting higher.
“Yes.”
“You told Calder the plan and he said no way in hell?”
“Yes.”
A low growl came through the phone. “Get your ass out to the compound. We’re going to talk and then you’re taking me to Conner’s McMansion and Alpha Asshole can boss someone else around for a change.”
“Uh, Ricki—” That wasn’t exactly the response I’d planned on.
“Just get your ass out here!” she snapped and hung up the phone.
I put my phone on the table and looked at Asher. “We need to take a field trip.”
He nodded. “Let’s get on the road. I don’t want to be out long.”
As we got to our feet, Conner looked up at Asher. “Take Duncan with you.”
After tilting his head, Asher walked out of the room, and I followed right behind him.
“Is your weapon here?” Asher asked.
“Yes. Duncan brought it when he brought my clothes.”
“Bring it. I’m going to find Duncan. I’ll meet you in the garage in five minutes.”
I nodded and jogged up the stairs to the guest room. I checked the gun carefully, noting that everything was in good working order. Normally, I would carry the weapon in my bag, but considering what was happening around us, I decided not to conceal it at all. It would provide quicker access.
I pulled a belt through the loops of my jeans and slid a holster onto it. Once my gun was secured inside, I shrugged on my leather jacket and headed down the back stairs that led to the garage.
Asher and Duncan were waiting on me, impatience coming off them in waves. They both looked up as they heard me coming down the stairs.
“Hey, it’s been less than five minutes.”
Duncan grinned and opened the door. Asher just shrugged. The garage housed several vehicles, including two large black SUV’s with tinted windows. I’d never asked, but I was fairly certain that they were armored and the glass was bulletproof.
We piled inside and were on our way. None of us spoke much on the drive out to the pack compound north of Dallas. The closer we got, the more unsettled I became. The skin on the back of my neck prickled. Something was about to happen. My vision dulled, the edges dimming until all I saw was black.
“Oh my God,” I gasped just before the vision took over.
We were driving, but it was dark. Duncan, Asher, and I had just finished talking to Ricki. I felt worried and hopeful. Then a figure stepped out of the shadows into the middle of the road. He wore all black and the hood of his jacket was pulled up around his face. As soon as the lights from the car hit him, he threw back the hood. It was Cornelius, or was it? Though he had the same features, his blonde hair was longer, the strands caught in the wind. And his eyes. They weren’t crystalline blue, but completely black. There was no white, no iris, or pupils, just an abyss of pain and despair.
“My name is Rhys,” he whispered. “Help me.”
Asher slammed on the brakes and I was jarred out of my vision.
“Shannon, what’s wrong?” he asked.
I shook o
ff the remnants of what I’d seen. “I had a vision.” My hand trembled as I lifted it to brush my hair away from my face. “He looked just like Cornelius, but he wasn’t. His hair was longer and his eyes…..” I trailed off, wondering what in the hell I’d just seen.
“What about his eyes?” Asher prompted.
“They were completely black. There was no white at all.” I looked up at Asher. “He asked me for help.”
“Have you ever seen him before?” he asked.
I thought about it for a moment and realized I had. “In my visions, I’ve seen him, just for a split second. He’s there the night we defeat Cornelius.”
“So he helps us?” Duncan asked.
“I think so.” I glanced out my window and realized that night was falling. “Asher, we’ll talk about this later tonight. If we don’t get to the compound soon, Ricki will be calling me—”
As soon as the words were out of my mouth, my phone rang.
“Hello?”
“Where are you?” she asked.
“We’re on our way.”
“Hurry up.” The line clicked.
Well, it seemed she was still angry with Calder.
Chapter Nineteen
As I tucked my phone back in my pocket, Asher put the car in gear and asked, “Are you going to bring her back to Conner’s with us?”
“Hell no,” I replied, which made Duncan chuckle. “She’s safer here until we need her at the mansion. I only wanted her to know what was going on and to be in on the plan.”
“Um, do you plan on telling her that?” Duncan asked.
My eyes cut to him. “No, I intend to make you do it. I figure a pregnant werewolf would be someone you could handle with one hand behind your back.”
“Are you kidding me? Shifter females are the deadliest while they’re pregnant!”
I laughed. “I’ll tell her. I don’t think she’ll maul me too badly. Or I just won’t stop Calder when he chains her to the bed.”
“I could do without hearing about their kinky sex lives,” Duncan muttered beneath his breath. “It reminds me of the kinky sex life I’m missing.”