Guilt tore through me. I frowned. Could I really do this? If I was going to get the information I needed within two weeks, being her friend wasn’t going to cut it. Neither was posing as an ally. I was going to have to seduce.
My cock stiffened, reminding me that I’d wanted to seduce her from the beginning, but doing it because I wanted her secrets instead of just wanting in her pants made me feel like scum. I wasn’t that guy. I didn’t use women. I didn’t manipulate their emotions.
“Can you do it?”
Indecision warred within me, but I shoved my feelings down and nodded. It didn’t matter if I didn’t want to, I had to. I needed that money. “I’ll get it done.”
“Good, good.”
Clearly dismissed, I stood from my seat and headed toward the door. I paused for a moment and looked back at Alton, weighing my next words carefully. “If the Pack was willing to end hostilities, would you be open to that?”
He snorted in disgust before a coughing fit took hold of him.
I waited for him to get himself under control, his breaths wheezing out of him.
“They’re beasts. They don’t know the meaning of—”
“They’re not. They’re as intelligent as you or I and have the same deep-seated resentment your people seem to carry. But,” I held up one hand. “Other cities have learned to coexist. Would you be willing to if it were made possible?”
His eyes met mine and I could feel the weight of his assessment. I didn’t know what he was looking for or whether he found it, but his next words made my chest loosen.
“I only care about the interest of my people. If an agreement with the Pack led to their safety and prosperity, I would consider it.”
Lindy
Embry staggered into my room. Shirtless, with his chest and abdomen still wrapped in bandages, he leaned just inside the doorway. Steely abs met my gaze, coupled with broad shoulders and a sculpted, sun-kissed chest his injuries were unable to hide. His breaths were labored. A thin layer of sweat covered his neck and shoulders.
I became painfully aware of the state he was in and jumped to my feet, moving to help him. “What are you doing up?” I hissed, helping him over to my bed. I eased him down, careful of his still-healing injuries while inwardly I cursed him for being such an idiot. He should be in bed. What was he thinking?
“I needed to see you.”
I rolled my eyes. “And it couldn’t have waited until you could walk?” I sighed and shoved a pillow behind him, helping him into a semi-seated position against my headboard.
Embry shook his head, a look full of longing on his face. “No. My wolf wants you. He’s agitated.” He grabbed my hand and tugged me toward him.
Not this again, I mentally groaned.
Crawling onto the bed beside him, I waited for him to say something else. Embry always claimed his wolf needed me. It was his way of trying to convince me we were mates. That our wolves had already decided and being together was a foregone conclusion. But my wolf—
I chewed on my lower lip. I just wasn’t sure. She cared for Embry. Deeply. But, I didn’t believe he was my mate. He was someone important, to both myself and my wolf. Someone I cared about greatly. But … I didn’t love him as a mate should.
“Lay with me.” His eyes pleaded with me, a silent request I couldn’t refuse, not when he was like this. When his eyes were so full of need, it made my heart hurt.
I sighed and tucked myself beside him, my head resting gently on his chest. His arm wrapped around my shoulders, pressing me tightly against his muscled frame as his thumb stroked lazy circles along my bare shoulder. I squirmed, my full breasts pressing against him and he pressed his palm against me, holding me in place, unwilling to allow any distance between us. Taking a deep breath, I forced myself to relax and stopped fighting his hold, succumbing to his embrace.
“Thank you,” he said, a sigh escaping his lips. “I needed this. Needed you.”
I pulled away to look up at him. “You don’t need me.” He needed to let go of the idea that I was his. He needed to move on, find someone new to spend his time with in moments like these. I didn’t want to hurt him and despite his rough exterior, I knew my rejection took its toll. But this wasn’t healthy, for either of us.
His lips pressed into a thin line, his eyes sparking. “I need my mate—”
“And I’m not her,” I finished for him. Something inside me clenched painfully.
Gold flecks filled his amber colored gaze, and a snarl curled his upper lip. He gripped my chin with his other hand, his hold strong despite his injuries, and in his eyes I saw his wolf. “You are my mate. I don’t need a ceremony or anything else to confirm it for me. I’ve known you were mine since we were children.”
I jerked out of his grasp, unwilling to have this argument for the millionth time. When I moved to climb out of the bed, he tightened his hold around me, a growl rumbling deep in his chest.
My wolf rose to the surface. “Let go.” I pushed against him but he refused to budge.
“No.”
I cursed and pushed again. “Embry—” My voice held a warning.
His narrowed eyes settled on my face, his expression mutinous. Then in a flash his frustration cleared, leaving behind weary eyes and a haggard expression. “I’m sorry. Just…” He heaved out an exasperated breath. “Please don’t go. Give me this.”
When I didn’t answer right away, he offered another, “Please.” And tugged me back to him, this time pulling me half on top of him as one of my legs settled between his.
The “please” did me in, and I relented telling myself that it was only because he was hurt. When he was better, I’d find a moment to sit him down and we’d talk. I’d explain my feelings. I’d encourage him to move on. To find his happiness elsewhere, in someone else’s arms.
A pang in my chest made me flinch, sudden doubt making me question if I was willing to accept Embry with another woman. I closed my eyes, my thoughts racing before I settled on a definitive yes. Of course, I would be okay with it. I wanted him to be happy.
Embry nuzzled my hair, a low rumble vibrating his chest. I settled more firmly against him, my fingers trailing over the bandage on his stomach. His hard length pressed uncomfortably against me but quickly disappeared when he tilted his hips away.
I swallowed hard and ignored his obvious need. “Has Amelia checked your injuries?” I asked.
A grunt. “The wounds are sealed, but the skin is still thin, healing. I’m supposed to rest so I don’t tear them back open.”
I slapped an uninjured expanse of his chest and looked up with a scowl. “Then why were you up walking?”
He placed a firm hand on the back of my neck, pushing me back against his chest and holding me to him in a tight embrace. “Told you. I needed to see my mate.”
I bit down on the inside of my cheek and fought the growl struggling to escape my lips. Could he be any more reckless? Taking a deep breath, I pushed my anger away. It didn’t matter now. He was already here, the damage already done.
I sat up and tugged at his bandages, wanting to see for myself that he hadn’t caused himself more damage. As gauze pulled away, exposing bronzed skin over tight muscle, I felt my heart rate quicken. It’s been too long. That’s all it was. It’d been close to a year since I’d been intimate with anyone. I’d made the mistake of sharing my body with Embry last year when I’d found out my father didn’t have long before he passed and joined my mother in the afterlife. But that’s all it’d been, a mistake. One I was loath to repeat despite my wolf’s hunger for intimacy. Despite my body’s need to touch and be touch.
Feeling the change in the air, I looked down and met Embry’s heated gaze, grateful he was too injured to act on it. Unsure if I was strong enough to deny him in my current state.
I ran a finger down the angry pink line that covered more of his body than I liked, careful to keep my touch gentle. I pressed at the puckered skin, satisfied when it held. Content with the knowledge that the skin was fused
back together, I set the bandages aside and settled back down beside him doing my best to keep some measure of distance between our entangled bodies.
“Do you know why it’s taking so long to heal?” Usually, flesh wounds healed within a matter of minutes. Sometimes hours. The Lyc-V in our systems did quick work to knit skin back together and replenish blood supplies. Broken bones could take longer. Days, sometimes weeks if a bone was shattered instead of having a clean break, but Embry should have been healed from his injuries by now.
His chest rose and fell beneath my cheek, his hot breath tickling the back of my neck. “Amelia believes the weapon was made of silver or, at the very least, coated in a silver alloy. My skin around the edges turned black for a while before my body forced out the poison. That’s what’s taking so long. Now that all remnants of silver are gone, I should be fine in another few hours.”
I nodded, relieved. “Good.”
We lay there for a while, a comfortable silence stretching between us. I’d just closed my eyes, sleep tugging at my mind when Embry’s words broke through my subconscious.
“I’m sorry. I should have listened to you.”
Startled, I blinked several times. Clearing the fog from my mind, I wondered if I was hallucinating. “W-what?” I frowned.
Embry heaved an exasperated sigh. “I said, I’m sorry. I fucked up. I shouldn’t have attacked that human. I was wrong.” His hand glided over my side until his fingers spread across the bare skin of my lower back.
I squirmed so I could look up at him, taking in his apologetic gaze. My nostrils flared, and I took in his scent. Musk and soil without any hint of a lie.
I pushed myself into a sitting position, my wolf immediately mourning the absence of contact. “You’re sorry?” I asked, needing confirmation.
He nodded and reached out, trailing a finger down my jawline before placing his hand on the back of my neck. “We’re a team. I shouldn’t have reacted like that. Shouldn’t have given in to my impulses.” He pulled me forward, our foreheads resting against one another as he sucked in a shuddering breath. “I know you have your doubts. I know you worry about my ability to lead. I just…” Another harsh exhale. I could feel his reluctance to voice the words, knew the strength it took for him to admit he was wrong.
Embry squeezed his eyes shit. The tension was evident on his face, in the stiffness of his body, the tightness around his mouth.
Stomach in knots, I swallowed several times and waited for him to continue. Indecision held me immobile. I didn’t know what to do. How to respond to his sudden apology. Embry never apologized for his actions. He was always right. Always confident in the choices he made, and that was why I knew I couldn’t be with him. He was unwilling to bend.
Seeing this side of him… could he change?
“I won’t lose you over my own stupidity. I won’t leave you bereft, as though your wants, needs, and opinions mean nothing.”
Licking my dry lips, I gave him a hesitant smile. “Okay. Thank you.”
He nodded and before I knew what was happening, his lips met mine, a whisper-soft touch before he pulled back. Stunned, I sat blinking as the corner of his mouth tugged upward into a smile.
“Come here.” He tugged me back down, and I lowered my head against his chest, hiding the blush rising up my cheeks. Embry kissed me. Sure, he’d kissed me before but not like that. My lips tingled, a seed of doubt taking root deep in my chest. I couldn’t wrap my head around this new Embry. Couldn’t bring myself to believe that maybe he could change. But maybe…
Red
Trees closed in all around me. Thick Evergreen trunks towered above, their heavy branches coated in a thin layer of snow. The ground was sparse, the heavy over brush protecting the forest floor, leaving behind a bed of pine needles that silenced my footfalls.
I squinted ahead, unable to ignore the eerie quiet. Instinct told me I should have come armed, the forest wasn’t safe. But I was no willing victim, either. Years of military training honed my instincts, and daily workouts kept me in top physical form despite my current civilian lifestyle—if you could even call it that.
The wars may have ended, but the battles hadn’t.
A wary attentiveness clenched my muscles in anticipation. “Where are you?” I scanned the surrounding area, no hint of Lindy in sight. As the breeze chilled my skin, a sudden flash of color had me jerking to the left.
Like a warrior princess, Lindy walked toward me, her head held high and her movements both predatory and graceful. Her white-blonde hair floated on the breeze behind her as she neared. Dressed in a pair of fitted jeans and a heavy white sweater, she held my jacket in her delicate hands.
A frown marked her expression. I wanted to kiss away whatever worries gave her that expression, but forced myself to hold still as she neared. Forced my heart to slow to a normal thrum lest she hear it.
“You came,” I said when she was only a few feet away.
A small smile, a blush in her cheeks that had the corners of my mouth lifting. “I did. Here, I forgot to give this back to you.” She extended her arm, returning my coat.
I fought the urge to refuse to accept it. I wanted her in it but, that was an irrational feeling, so I took the worn leather from her hands and slid it on over my body. It smelled like her. Like crisp winter air with a hint of vanilla sweetness. “Thank you.”
She nodded.
“Is… Is everything alright?” I asked, not liking the worry in her gaze. Was she second-guessing meeting with me? Was she no longer willing to work together?
A shy smile. “Everything is great. Were you able to… ” she trailed off.
“I spoke with the head of the Lethbridge council. He’s open to the idea of peace.” I shrugged my shoulders. “He’s wary. From the sounds of things, the Pack and the town have never gotten along.”
A nod of confirmation.
“But, he’s more concerned with the safety of his people. If everyone could get along, end the bloodshed, I think with time, the deep seated fear and hatred can be extinguished.”
A relieved exhale. She lifted her gaze to mine, her rich brown eyes filled with emotion. My gut clenched. Was I giving her false hope? Probably. But I wanted to see her smile. Wanted to wipe her worries away.
I took a step closer to her and reached out for her hand, wrapping my fingers over her thin delicate ones. Lindy stared down at our joined fingers before looking up at me, a question in her eyes. One I didn’t bother to answer.
I wanted her to feel comfortable with me. To be comfortable with my presence and my touch. “Do you think your Pack could stop attacking the humans without provocation?”
A small furrow formed between her brows. “It’s never without provocation.” She looked away into the distance.
I lifted my hand to her jaw, felt her stiffen, but she didn’t pull away. I gently turned her face back to mine. “Can the Pack stop attacking the humans unless they attack first, with physical force, not just words?”
She nodded. “My father supports a peace agreement. If the people will leave us be, we’ll do the same.” She licked her lips, and I inwardly groaned, my eyes fixating on her mouth.
Her breaths grew choppy, her eyes dilating with need that matched my own. She was so fucking beautiful. Painfully slow, I leaned toward her, giving her every opportunity to pull away. When she didn’t triumph rushed through me. She wanted this. Wanted me as badly as I wanted her.
When my lips settled on hers, she gasped. I took full advantage, sweeping my tongue inside her mouth and tasting her kiss, exploring what made her breath hitch and her body tremble.
With one hand behind her neck and the other on her lower back, I pulled her flush against me. Her arms wrapped around my neck, pushing her full breasts against my chest and my hips involuntarily thrust toward her. My dick was hard as steel and I knew she could feel every inch of my need and desire.
I was a bastard.
She was going to kill me when she found out what I was doing, but the though
t of not being able to bury myself inside her seemed worse than the betrayal. Worse than the knowledge that I was seducing her without pure intentions. I slid my hand beneath her sweater, my calloused palm brushing smooth, silky skin.
Self-loathing tried to surface, but I shoved it down and focused on her lips. On her erratic breaths and soft skin. I wasn’t looking for love. And a relationship was off the table. I had nothing to offer Lindy except a great fuck. Giving in to this need, this desire to fuck her until I couldn’t see heads or tails of my life anymore, was beyond selfish when fucking her with my dick wasn’t the only way I planned to screw her over.
She deserved a lot more from me. She deserved honesty.
A decent man would walk away.
I wasn’t a decent man though. Not where Lindy was concerned.
Her body responded to me. Her hands slipped from my neck and tugged at the bottom of my shirt in search of skin. I hissed as her cool palms splayed across my lower abdomen. They wandered higher, over my chest and back down again.
With each caress my need deepened. “You’re so fucking beautiful,” I said between kissing her and nibbling on her full lower lip.
Her eyes darkened and I could see the moment her wolf surfaced. It was exhilarating. A smile curved her lips as she slid my jacket from my shoulders, a sudden boldness in her movements making me that much harder.
My jacket hit the floor and then she was tugging at my shirt. I ripped it over my head, uncaring about the cold, and slid my hands back beneath her sweater, peeling the material from her body to expose smooth bronze flesh.
She didn’t wear a bra and my mouth watered at the sight of her full breasts, her rosy nipples. I reached up and cupped her, brushing a thumb over one stiff peak. When she didn’t object, I leaned down, sucking one into my mouth. Oh, fuck yeah.
My heart nearly leapt out of my chest. Releasing her nipple with a loud plop, I moved to give the other equal attention, lightly biting it between my teeth.
Trouble with Wolves: An urban fantasy romance novel (Magic and Bone Book 1) Page 6