“Son of a bitch,” he groaned, his voice shaky and hoarse, and she would have smiled if she could have, loving that she was giving him pleasure. She was intoxicated by his taste and the feel of his rigid flesh against her tongue, thrilled by the way he fisted a hand in her hair, holding it back so that he could watch. She didn’t have a clue what she was doing, her experience in this department a pathetic zilch, but it didn’t matter. Giving herself up to the Merrick, Chloe moved wholly by instinct, her movements sensual and feline, as if she had primal animal instincts working within her, as well.
“Damn it,” he growled, shaking so hard he nearly knocked her off the cot. “Chloe, Jesus. I can’t…I can’t take it.”
She tightened the suction of her mouth, silently telling him that he’d have to, and he pulsed in her grip, so sexy and gorgeous and impossibly male, she couldn’t stand it. His eyes burned as he watched her. She could feel the delicious intensity of his stare like a physical touch, and wondered if it was a werewolf thing…or a Kellan thing. She didn’t know…but she loved it. Loved the rush that it gave her, pleasure thrumming beneath her skin, enthralling and dark.
“I’m not gonna last,” he rasped, his voice shaking, his thighs and abs so rigid, she could see the outline of every breathtaking muscle. “You sure you’re ready for that?”
Chloe answered by sucking him even deeper, and he came in a rush of power and scalding heat, the intensity of it unlike anything she could have ever imagined, drowning her senses in pleasure. She waited until the sharp pulses had finally stilled, then pressed a tender kiss to the taut, swollen crown and lifted her head, staring up at him. He reached down, rubbing his thumb against the corner of her mouth, his heavy-lidded eyes hazy with satisfaction as he rumbled, “I think you just made this my best birthday ever. There’s not even a close second.”
She laughed, but the soft sound faded and she looked away, blushing.
“Now you blush,” he murmured with a husky laugh, stroking her hair.
She swallowed, wanting to say something…anything, but not knowing which words to choose. The silence stretched out, the air prickling against her skin, and she could feel the heat of his stare as he ran his gaze down the front of her body, everything on blatant display between the gaping sides of her shirt.
When she started to shiver, he finally broke the tension by saying, “I wish I could stay in here with you. Just hold you and sleep through the night.”
“Me, too,” she whispered, wishing they were anywhere in the world but there, painfully aware that the next few hours might be their last. She hadn’t let herself think about what Westmore had told them earlier, knowing she would freak if she did—but she couldn’t help worrying about Kellan and Raine, terrified they’d be hurt when the three of them tried to escape.
The irresistible muscles in his abs bunched when he sat up, his voice a low, throaty rasp as he said, “We’re heading out at about 4:00 a.m., since that seems to be when there’s the least security. We shouldn’t see anyone before then, but if something happens and anyone comes down here, don’t let them see that you’ve fed.”
“Right.”
“I mean it, Chloe.”
“Don’t worry,” she murmured, pulling her shirt together as she curled her legs to the side. Wanting to make him smile, she lowered her lashes and teasingly said, “You’d be amazed by how well I can fake it.”
He was laughing as he leaned toward her, putting his face close to hers, his big hand curling around the back of her neck. “You weren’t faking it, honey, and I’ve got you all over my hand to prove it. And if we were somewhere safe right now, someplace private, it’d be all over my face.”
“You’re so full of it,” she snickered, knowing damn well that he’d probably never touch her again, now that the Merrick had been fed. But that didn’t mean that her desire for him was any less intense.
Her skin heated beneath the warm touch of his lips, and she knew he could hear the increase in her heart rate as he whispered into her ear, “You’d like to be full of me, wouldn’t you, Chloe? You’d like to know what it’d feel like to have me packed deep inside you, where I could feel every shiver and pulse when you came apart. Isn’t that right, sweetheart?”
The Merrick silently purred with hunger, and she knew she was close to losing it. “If you…if you don’t want to have sex,” she said unsteadily, “then you need to get away from me, Kell.”
“I’ll go, but only because I know that’s what’s best for you.” He pressed a tender kiss to the side of her throat, then pulled away from her, moving to his feet as he did up his jeans, and her breath caught as he slid her a smoldering stare. “But once we’re out of here, you won’t be pushing me away anymore. I’m gonna be fucking you every chance we get.”
Whoa. The guy’s sexy was insane. Just hearing those words slide from his sensual lips had nearly made her come. Chloe squeezed her thighs together, trying to hide her reaction, knowing he was right about it not being the time or place, with Westmore and his minions liable to walk in on them at any moment. And with the thought of their enemies, her arousal fled, replaced by anger and fear and repulsion. She wished she were the kind of witch who could wield magic like a weapon, because she would have loved nothing more than to fry Westmore’s smarmy ass.
“Kellan!” she called out, as he headed across the cell.
Looking back over his shoulder, he said, “Yeah?”
“If we die, I just…I want you to know how much I appreciate what you’ve done for me and my family.”
His brows drew together over eyes the color of a Caribbean sea, the firelight playing beautifully across the wine-dark strands of his hair. “We’re not going to die,” he said in a low voice.
“I’m sorry. I don’t mean to sound rude. I know you’ll do your best, but if there’s one thing that I’ve learned during the past few months, it’s that nothing’s ever a given.”
He stared at her across the distance of the room, his expression a mixture of frustration…and something that looked incredibly like soul-deep determination. “You don’t have a lot of faith in me, and I get that. I mean, I’ve never been the kind of guy who instills a lot of faith in people. But that’s changed. I’m not going to let you down, Chloe. I’m something you can count on, and it’s going to be okay. It’s going to be better than okay. You get that?”
Feeling as if she was in a trance, she nodded, watching him as he made his way back out of her cell—and despite the freezing temperatures, the heat of his gaze stayed with her long after he’d gone.
CHAPTER NINE
The Watchmen base camp, the Wasteland
Tuesday, 9:00 p.m.
“DEKREZNICK IS FINALLY getting ready to make his move on the compound.”
Kierland Scott dropped down from the thick branch he’d been using for pull-ups, and turned to face Aiden Shrader, one of his oldest friends and a fellow Watchman from Kierland’s unit. Taking the towel Aiden offered him, he wiped the sweat from his face and asked, “How soon?”
“We reckon he’ll hit them sometime between 3:00 and 5:00 a.m.”
There was an edge of strain in his friend’s voice that Kierland knew came from more than just the news about Gregory DeKreznick. Aiden had left Olivia and Jamie Harcourt, the two most important females in his life, back at the safety of Harrow House in England, and come on his own. Leaving his girls behind had been a tough decision for the Watchman to make, but Ade had promised Olivia that he’d be there to help get her sister to safety.
Of course, the fact that the spells cast over the region made technology ineffective and rendered cell phones useless within the Wasteland only made Aiden that much more frustrated, since he couldn’t call home to check on them. It also meant that everyone there at base camp was completely cut off from the rest of the world, making it impossible to contact Quinn and the others.
“Are you sure it’s Gregory?” Kierland asked, rubbing the towel against the back of his neck.
The tiger-shifter’s mouth
was curved with a smile, but it was one that only Aiden could pull off, kind of mean and happy looking all at the same time. “I’m sure.”
Anticipation rippled along Kierland’s nerve endings, and he fought to keep calm. The past few days had just about killed him, as he and Morgan had waited for Kellan to escape the compound with the Merrick witch. They’d been watching for Gregory, after it’d been reported that a Casus matching his description was traveling through the region, and assumed that DeKreznick had decided to make his own move against Westmore, since the Kraven had tried to have him sent back to Meridian. Knowing how his brother thought, Kierland had no doubt that Kellan would use the Casus’s attack on the compound to make an escape—and when that happened, they’d be there, ready to help him.
“When do you think we should leave?” he asked, heading toward the full-size tent that he shared with Morgan. They had a surveillance station set up on a high ridge a few miles southeast of the compound, which they used to monitor the fortress, but the base camp was farther south, ensuring them more safety. Grouped around a cabin that was used by the Förmyndares, tents had been set up for individual use in the camp, leaving the cabin to function as a central meeting area.
Following him into the tent, Aiden said, “We should plan to head for the compound in a few hours. We’ll have to hold position until Gregory shows, but the snow will help cover our scent.”
“Sounds good.” Kierland pulled off his sweaty T-shirt, tossing it into the bag they’d set aside for laundry. “Can you ask the others to get ready?”
“I already have,” Aiden drawled, his expression eager, as if he was actually looking forward to the coming fight.
In addition to Aiden, they also had Noah Winston and a young Lycan named Jamison Haley there, as well as the help of the exiled Sabin family who resided in the Wasteland. Juliana Sabin had recently befriended Kierland and Morgan, and the vampire had offered them her full support, even using her personal guards as scouts so that they could gather more intel. And if they were lucky, Quinn and Seth would be joining them soon, along with the Granger brothers, which meant their numbers would be even greater. Together, they were going to mount one hell of an offensive against Westmore and his men, but it still felt like they were missing something without Kellan there.
Using her powers, Saige Buchanan had gone through Kellan’s things in his room back at Harrow House when he’d first disappeared, trying to see if she could learn anything about where he’d gone. The female Merrick had sensed Kellan’s restlessness with his life and his desire to redeem himself, as well as his worry for all of them, which had made Kierland and the others feel like shit. They’d been giving him a hard time ever since his screwup in Washington, and all along, he’d been even harder on himself. Now, looking back, Kierland couldn’t help but feel that he should have been more supportive, instead of such a belligerent hard-ass. If he had, Kellan might have confided in him about his plans to rescue Chloe Harcourt and the brothers could have worked together, instead of Kellan taking off on his own and putting his life in the hands of a madman.
“I heard about Gregory,” Morgan suddenly said, pulling Kierland from his thoughts as she came into the tent, her warm, lush scent instantly hitting his system, easing his tension with ridiculous ease. She headed straight for him, and his heart stuttered the same damn way that it always did when she came into a room. Considering he’d always been a man who worked to keep perfect control over his emotions, he might have actually been worried about the female Watchman having such a powerful effect on him, if he hadn’t been so crazy in love with her. As she nestled against Kierland’s side, she looked toward Aiden, saying, “It’s a good thing you brought several of the Markers with you. With any luck, we’re gonna take care of that bastard once and for all.”
“There’s something else,” Aiden rumbled. “Juliana just received word from her scouts that Seth, Garrick and Quinn are in the Wasteland. They spotted them from one of the mountaintops. It looks as if they’re still a few hours away, but they should make it here before we have to head out.”
Sensing Morgan’s tension, Kierland pulled her closer against his side, his arm curved around her waist in a possessive hold. “Ashe and Gideon aren’t with them?”
Aiden shook his head, and for the next ten minutes the three of them discussed what needed to be done before they could head out, then Aiden left to coordinate with the others, leaving Kierland and Morgan alone.
Catching her troubled expression, the Lycan asked, “What’s wrong, angel?”
Her long hair spread over her shoulders as she shook her head. “Nothing.”
“Tell me,” he coaxed, pulling her against his chest.
She closed her eyes for a moment, then opened them and said, “The truth is that I’m scared.”
Kierland ran his hand down her spine in a soothing motion, while his wolf tensed with agitation, hating to see her upset as badly as the man did. “What are you scared of?”
“At the moment,” she sighed, her gray eyes troubled and dark as the words poured out of her in a breathless rush, “it feels like everything. I’m worried about Kellan and about what has happened to Ashe, since he isn’t with Quinn. I’m worried about how everyone is doing back in England. But mostly I’m worried about you and this war and the Markers and what you’re planning on doing with them once we finally have them all.”
Biting back a smile, he said, “I love it that you worry about me—but, honey, if it turns out that the Markers really are the keys that will open the gate into Meridian, like you suggested last week, then we don’t have any choice about what to do.” He lifted his hand, tucking a dark lock of hair behind the delicate curve of her ear. “We’ll use them to get into Meridian and kill the bastards, the way they should have been killed before.”
“But we don’t even know where Meridian is,” she pointed out in a quiet voice.
Utterly confident, he murmured, “We’ll find it.”
She lowered her gaze to his chin and took a deep, shaky breath. “Then you should probably know that I’ll be going with you.”
Over my dead body, he thought, his jaw hardening as she lifted her gaze and he read the determination burning in her eyes. “I’m not even happy about you going with me tonight,” he growled. “So trust me when I say there isn’t a chance in hell I’d let you go into Meridian to face off against the entire Casus race!”
She lifted her chin in that defiant way that always made him hard and aching, even though he knew she was going to be stubborn as hell. “We can argue about it all you want, Kier, but it won’t make any difference. I plan on being there to keep an eye on you, and there isn’t anything you can say to change my mind.”
“It won’t happen,” he rasped, secretly loving that she was strong enough to stand up to him, even though it sometimes drove him out of his ever-loving mind. “I’m fully prepared to fight you on it, Morgan.”
Her soft lips curved with a slow, provocative smile. “I’ll still win.”
Like hell you will, he thought, leaning down to claim her mouth with a hard, dominating kiss, but she stopped him with the press of her hands against his chest, and Kierland could tell from her expression that she’d suddenly seized onto a new worry.
Taking a deep breath, he waited as she asked, “What do you think the Consortium will do, once they realize what your plan is?”
The Consortium was a kind of preternatural United Nations comprised of leaders from each of the remaining ancient clans, their purpose to govern the clans and to keep peace—and it was the Consortium the Watchmen actually worked for. Lately, however, the Consortium had become too bogged down in politics and bureaucracy to do what needed to be done. Although they should have been heading the war against the Casus, they’d actually decided to turn a blind eye to the situation, and tensions between the leaders and Kierland’s Watchmen unit remained high.
Answering her question, he said, “To be honest, they’ll probably fire my ass.”
“That’
s not fair!”
“I don’t think fairness is something that really concerns them,” Kierland pointed out in a dry tone.
Frustration laced her words as she said, “But I just don’t get it, Kier. Why won’t they take action against the Casus?”
“Because they’re worried about their own asses?” he drawled, shrugging his shoulders. “Waiting to see who comes out on top? Hell, at this point, who knows what they’re thinking?”
“They’re idiots,” she muttered. “The entire situation is ridiculous.”
“I’m beginning to think the same thing,” he admitted in a low voice.
She stared into his eyes, studying his expression. “I know that look. What are you thinking, Kier?”
Wondering how she was going to take what he was about to say, since she’d devoted her entire life to the Watchmen cause, Kierland exhaled a shaky breath. “I just have doubts about the role we’re playing. The Consortium has become something different than it was meant to be.”
“Ohmygod.” Understanding dawned in her eyes, and she lifted her brows. “Are we going to start a revolution?”
He loved the sound of that we, knowing she would always be there to stand beside him, through good times and bad. “We need to talk to the others, but it might be time that we break ties and go our own way. Hell, we’re not following their orders as it is. And we have the funds to keep us going. We might as well take control.”
“Kellan’s never going to believe it,” Morgan murmured with a grin. “His perfect brother planning a mutiny. I’ve always known that deep down you were a rebel.”
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