by B. J. McCall
Nash spoke up. “That you have fulfilled your duty by offering your services, but that I have refused. Tell your elders that no Arasani were will bear Talon’s mark.”
“But Elder Clay?”
“I will deal with Elder Clay,” Fawn said. “Thank you coming, Sason,”
Fawn closed the door. Heart pounding, she leaned against it. She heard the engine of Sason’s SUV fire up. “All hell is about to break loose.”
“You should have blamed everything on me. The exchange is over and it’s time for me to go home.”
This was it. The Arasani had already begun their trek home and he’d be leaving to join them. When she woke up in the morning in her bed, she’d be alone as she’d been every morning. But tomorrow would be different. Tomorrow she’d be lonely.
“I couldn’t do that.”
He crushed his mouth to hers.
Heartache mingled with hot desire.
The need for him welled inside, pushing through Fawn and bursting free. She’d never felt anything like it. She needed him, wanted him one last time.
She threw her arms around his neck, holding him tight. Tears slid down her cheeks.
Pressing his chest and groin to hers, Nash deepened the kiss.
She clung to him, ached for him.
A groan tearing from his throat, he reached between them. The backs of his fingers brushed her skin as he popped the button of her jeans. He pulled down the zipper and pushed her jeans off her hips.
“Love me,” he whispered.
The heat of passion drying her tears, Fawn stepped out of the jeans and shoved his pants down his hips and over his butt. She wanted him naked and inside her.
He palmed her ass in his big hands and lifted her against him.
She wrapped her legs around his lean hips. The feel of his muscled flesh against her set her senses reeling. She ached for him. She burned for him.
Hot and hard, he filled her, each mad thrust banging her back against the cabin door.
Fire burned in his eyes. Heat poured off his skin. His amazing scent infused her every breath. He was all alpha, all hard, hot male.
Her lycan senses swelled. She nipped his shoulder and raked her nails over his sculpted back.
Her pussy fluttered, gripping his swollen flesh as her orgasm pulsed closer. She shivered at the waves of molten pleasure building with each deep thrust. She wanted more.
Nash growled deep in his throat. Fur springing out along his spine, he pinned her against the door.
His cock jerked and pulsed. “I’m coming.”
Fawn dug her nails into his fur, holding on as she joined him in climax.
As the tiny quakes rippling inside her ceased, Fawn stroked his receding fur.
He pressed his forehead against hers. “I have to go.”
Nash didn’t appear to want to let go any more than she did. “I know.”
He exhaled, then set her on her feet and stepped back.
She pulled on her jeans, but Nash kicked his aside.
“Nash, I’m sorry—”
He grasped her by the upper arms and yanked her against him. He kissed her hard and fast, making her aware of the feral hunger humming just beneath the surface. Then he released her. “No goodbyes.”
He strode across the living room and stepped out onto the deck. Her heart aching, Fawn watched him shift from man to wolf. His fur gleaming in the sunlight, he trotted off the deck.
Fawn ran outside and spotted him racing up the mountain trail. She watched until the dark wolf disappeared into the thick forest.
Chapter Seven
“I told you the idea of having a female pack leader was ridiculous!” Elder Clay glared at Council Leader Lance. “It was bound to fail.”
Since returning from the cabin of the Moon God, Fawn had waited for this confrontation. She’d only had to wait twenty-four hours before being summoned to the elders’ chamber. The five elders were seated on an elevated platform reminiscent of an extended judge’s bench. Although Fawn had known the elders all of her life, sitting before them was intimidating.
Fawn addressed Elder Lance. “The exchange was completed in accordance with the treaty.”
“The Arasani refused to be tattooed,” Elder Clay said.
“Nash Blackthunder fulfilled his obligation,” Fawn said.
Elder Clay slammed his fist on the table. “She defends the Arasani werewolf’s action!”
“The treaty does not dictate the marking of the Arasani,” Fawn said. “The tattoo was Talon’s personal choice.”
“She’s right.”
All eyes shifted to Elder Wynd, the pack scholar. “The mark is not mentioned in the treaty.”
“It’s tradition!” Elder Clay pointed a long finger at Fawn. “She shouldn’t be our pack elder.”
Elder Lance spoke up. “Fawn is the only direct blood descent of Talon.”
“Then she must take a mate,” Elder Clay said. “Chason would make a fine mate. He isn’t a direct descendant, but at least Talon’s father’s blood flows in his veins.”
No way was she mating with her younger cousin.
“Her male child would carry Talon’s blood,” Elder Clay said.
Fawn doubted Chason knew anything about Elder Clay’s idea. He would be as horrified by the idea as she was.
Elder Lance rubbed his chin. “I don’t know if Chason is the best choice.”
Fawn sagged with relief.
“But taking a suitable mate and producing a male offspring is a reasonable solution to the problem,” Elder Lance said.
The only mate she wanted was Nash and the elders would never accept him.
Elder Clay gave a rare smile. “We can certainly oversee Fawn’s leadership until her child comes of age.”
Oversee? Insulted, Fawn gripped the arms of the chair. Remaining silent was difficult, but Fawn wouldn’t fall into Clay’s trap. He wanted her to lose control and cry. He wanted a reason to ridicule her.
She kept her gaze on Elder Lance and waited for his decision.
“Elder Rayne and Elder Skye will work up a list of suitable candidates,” Elder Lance said. “We’ll all meet again in a week.”
Elder Skye wasn’t on Fawn’s side. Rumor was he’d approached Elder Lance about being chosen as the pack leader.
Fawn spoke up before Elder Lance closed the meeting. “I’m not ready to take a mate. The duties of pack leader are demanding and perhaps the subject could be discussed after the summer exchange?”
“That is precisely why you need a mate,” said Elder Clay. “Males are equipped both mentally and physically to handle the demands of the job.”
“Taking a mate isn’t a business transaction,” Fawn said.
“Affection can come with time,” Elder Lance said. “This issue is too important to the pack. The leader must be willing to make sacrifices.”
Fawn recalled the many hours she’d worked beside her father while her brother Damon had been allowed to play sports and have fun with his friends. Damon’s heart was never in the job, but Fawn loved the work and thrived on the responsibility. “I think I have demonstrated my commitment to the pack and I have proven leadership and administration skills.”
“The council is fully aware of your abilities,” Elder Rayne said. His blue eyes were empathetic and his voice was low and calm. “Many pack members support our decision to give you temporary status as pack leader, but there are some who have voiced concerns. It is a break of tradition. Many of those concerns would be mollified if you were to take a mate.”
Fawn got the message. She’d get the job on a permanent basis if she mated and produced a male.
* * * * *
Nash drove his official Arasani security SUV along the river. He hadn’t worked a night shift in a couple of years, but one of his officers was awaiting the imminent birth of his first offspring. Driving all night was far better than lying in bed and thinking about Fawn.
He pulled up along the bank, lowered his window and turned off the engine. Brig
ht moonlight filtered through the tall trees lining the river and silvered the rushing water. He pushed his seat back and closed his eyes. The sound of the tumbling water soothed his tired brain.
He hadn’t slept well since he’d returned from the cabin. Once his father told him that the Chanta elders wanted Fawn to take a mate and ensure Talon’s bloodline, Nash hadn’t slept at all.
Nash wanted Fawn for his mate, but both of them would have to give up their jobs and leave their packs.
Her brother Damon had been popular among the Chanta, but that was where his leadership abilities stopped. Fawn was the administrator and decision maker. She loved the job. Nash wished she loved him.
Even if she did, Nash feared she’d love the job more. Being pack leader was in her blood.
Once she mated, she’d be lost to Nash forever.
He scrubbed his face and adjusted his seat. He reached for the ignition key.
A scream rent the night. Then a frightened shout followed. “Ella! Where are you, Ella?”
The male voice came from upriver. Nash turned on the headlights, grabbed a flashlight and jumped out of the SUV. “You need help?
“Yes! Help,” the male said. “Ella’s fallen in the river! I can’t see her.”
Nash recognized the voice. This wasn’t the first time Derek Trakker had been caught romancing a she-wolf by the river. Nash had no idea who Ella was.
A faint cry came from upstream. Then Nash saw a pale arm in the moonlight. She was heading his way. Soon she’d be in the beam of his headlights.
Nash dropped the flashlight and kicked off his shoes. “I’m going in after her,” he yelled. “Stay onshore.”
He stripped off his jacket, shirt and pants as he headed toward the river. Wearing nothing but his underwear, Nash dove into the icy water. Battling the current, he swam toward the center of the river.
He saw a slender arm come out of the water. Kicking hard, he shot out his right arm and caught Ella by the wrist. He let the current take him while he struggled to get a hold of her slippery skin.
Getting an arm firmly around her chest, Nash hauled her back against his chest. Stroking with one arm, he kicked hard until he thought his lungs and heart would burst. The current carried them downriver, but slowly Nash worked closer to the bank.
Then his foot touched bottom. By the time he’d carried Ella to shore, his body was shaking and his legs were cramping.
Nash dropped to his knees and laid Ella on the ground. She was a ghostly figure in the moonlight. Ella didn’t have a stitch of clothing on and her skin was ice cold. “Ella?”
She coughed and sputtered. Her teeth were chattering.
He was freezing, so Ella had to be chilled to the bone. The best thing for both of them was to shift and use their thick wolf coats to bring up their core temperatures.
“You need to get warm. Can you shift?”
After a few seconds of silence, she spoke. “I don’t have the energy. Is Derek okay?”
If the fool didn’t jump in the river, he should be. Nash stood and called out. He didn’t get a response.
Nash had no idea how far downriver he and Ella had been swept by the current, but his SUV had blankets and a first-aid kit.
“I’m going back to my vehicle. Stay here and wait for me. If you can shift, do it.”
“Who are you?”
“Security Chief Blackthunder.”
“You’re the pleasure pact were.”
Nash had been getting that reaction a lot. “Who are you?”
“Ella Rayne.”
“Tell me you’re not related to Elder Rayne?”
“Sorry, he’s my father.”
The last thing Nash needed was an injured daughter of a Chanta elder on Arasani land. “Did you come across the river to meet Derek?”
Ella’s teeth chattered. “Yeah.”
“It’s winter. You could die in that water. What were you thinking?”
“We do it all the time. I come in wolf form, shift, jump into the boat and cross the river. As soon as I’m across, I shift back. But the rope broke. I tried to catch it and fell out of the boat.”
The teenagers had placed a rope spanning a narrow bend in the river. In the summer they swam across, but in the spring and fall the current was stronger and they were forced to use small boats and pull themselves hand over hand.
The teenagers often partied or met lovers.
The Chanta took a hard line when an Arasani werewolf was caught on their side of the river. Chanta Security always called his office and Nash had to go pick up the offenders. The elders complained to the parents and kids who got caught were grounded. But that didn’t stop them.
Nash understood why the teenagers were crossing the river. The Chanta had an abundance of females while the Arasani had more males. When the numbers are skewed, males will ignore the rules and risk being caught. Nash ordered his men not to harass the teenagers, but to send any Chanta caught on Arasani land quietly back across the river. The teenagers caught on quick and now they regularly met on the Arasani side.
“Derek and I love each other.”
Derek had loved a lot of she-wolves, but maybe Ella was the one. “Let’s hope Derek is waiting by my vehicle. Will you be okay for a few minutes?”
“Yeah. Make sure Derek’s okay.”
“I’ll find him.”
Nash pulled off his wet underwear and shifted, welcoming the warmth of the fur covering his skin and the enhanced night vision of his wolf form.
He shook from head to tail, then ran through the brush until he reached the dirt road running along the river. Paws pounding the dirt road, Nash drew every ounce of strength from his powerful wolf body.
Since the river marked the boundary between Arasani and Chanta lands, his officers regularly patrolled the area. Nash thanked the Moon God he’d happened to stop at his favorite spot to view the river. If he’d kept driving he wouldn’t have been around when Ella fell into the river.
He saw the headlights of his SUV coming at him.
Nash stopped in the middle of the road. His breath clouded the cold air.
A worried Derek climbed out of the patrol vehicle. His dark hair was plastered to his head and he was wrapped in an emergency blanket.
“Chief Blackthunder. Where’s Ella?”
Nash shifted. His body shuddered, changing from wolf to man. As soon as his fur receded, the cold chilled his skin.
“Ella’s safe,” Nash said, rising from a crouch. “She’s too exhausted to shift. She’s cold and we’ve got to get her core temperature up.”
“Your pants and stuff are on the passenger seat. I hope you don’t mind about the blanket,” Derek said. “Even with the heater, I was cold.”
“That’s why I keep them in the vehicle.” Nash jumped into the passenger seat. “Drive.” He dressed as Derek drove. “How did Ella end up in the river?”
“The guys set up a rope across the place where the river narrows. If you hand-over- hand, you can get across. We saw your headlights and Ella started across. She lost her hold. I was behind her, but she was gone in a flash. I couldn’t see her. I started yelling.”
Nash hated the fact that he’d spooked the teenagers. Maybe if he hadn’t been here, she wouldn’t have been rushed. But what if her hand had slipped and he wasn’t there? “Today was unseasonably warm, but that water is too damn cold to cross the river. You got lucky tonight. One of these days someone’s going to drown.”
“If the packs weren’t at odds, we could build a footbridge and come and go. Humans get along with us. Why can’t we get along with the Chanta?”
Nash adjusted the heater vent to hit his chest. “It’s because of the treaty.”
“That was made like over two hundred years ago. It’s stupid now.”
Shivering, Nash flexed his cold fingers and rubbed his arms. “Is that the way most of you guys feel about it?”
“Yeah. Even my dad thinks it’s outdated, but my grandfather sticks to the old ways. His sister was a sacrifi
ce one summer. It was a long time ago, but he still hates the Chanta.”
They reached the spot where Nash had left Ella. Leaving the engine idling and the heat cranking, Nash grabbed an emergency blanket out of the duffle bag he kept in the back of the SUV and hustled to Ella. He helped her to her feet and wrapped her in the blanket.
Ella was shivering as Nash carried her to the vehicle and put her in the backseat. “Get in the back with her, Derek, and hug her. She needs all the heat she can get.”
With the teenagers huddled together in the back, Nash drove away from the river.
“Where are you taking us?” Derek asked.
“To the clinic.”
The pack had invested in a medical center with an emergency care unit staffed around the clock. Human hospitals were ill-equipped to handle the needs of werewolves. Young werewolves who wanted to attend medical or nursing school were given an all-expenses-paid education if they worked at the center.
Most werewolves were able to heal themselves by shifting, but there were times when wolves weren’t able to shift or the shift was inadequate to deal with the trauma.
Nash didn’t believe Ella was in danger, but he had to be sure.
He parked in front of the clinic and carried Ella into the facility. Instead of shifting, Derek secured the blanket around his waist and followed Nash.
Nash turned Ella over to the staff and sat in the waiting room with Derek.
“You gonna call my folks?”
“Are you serious about Ella?”
“I really like her and I hate having to sneak around to see her.”
Nash thought about Fawn.
“I’m not calling your folks. You can go home.”
“I’d like to stay and make sure Ella’s okay.”
“I bet they have coffee and hot chocolate in the staff kitchen,” Nash said. “What would you like?”
“Coffee’s good. Cream and sugar.”
Nash walked into the back, poured two cups of coffee and returned to the waiting area.
“What’s wrong with the Chanta elders?” Derek asked. “I don’t like Ella having to cross the river. It’s stupid that we can’t just date. We can hang out with the humans in town, but not the Chanta werewolves that live close by. I like humans, but I’d rather date Ella.”