by J. L. Madore
The whirl of snow battering the bathroom window made that option less than ideal. Flashing there would be quick, but I just got all warm and cozy. How about a feminine pad and an elastic tensor bandage?
Her eyes widened. “If your machismo can take it, I can do that.”
I chuckled, thinking about Mika patching up Bruin when their shit hit a year-and-a-half ago. If the King of Weres can pull it off, no one will judge me too harshly. Of course, Bruin decapitates guys like dead-heading daisies. Still, I’ll be good.
She pulled a couple of plastic packages from under the vanity and set them on the countertop. “As long as you’re good and I get to keep my head.”
After she dabbed my side with yellow salve, I held the absorbent side of the pad in place while she wrapped things up. I tried not to focus on the rounds of her breasts pressed against my back as she reached around me and passed the length of bandage around and around my waist.
Tried. And failed.
I cleared my throat, and took the loose end of the tensor in one hand, the two metal clips in the other. Taking a leisurely stroll in the opposite direction of the bathroom, I avoided displaying massive tenting of my towel.
I stopped at the window and pretended the weather intrigued me. The polar vortex swirling around out in the barnyard slapped at the windows, and I gave thanks for the snow pinning us down for a bit. The two wolves I took care of. Were they here because they knew you had the Alpha’s mate? How did they find you?
“They smelled that I had been to Jessop’s farm, and followed. They were surprised to see that I had Myra.”
Did you go inside the Alpha’s farmhouse?
She closed her eyes against the memory and swallowed. “No. They were out front on the lawn. I didn’t go close or touch them.”
Did the two who attacked you make any calls or text the info back to anyone?
“Not that I know of. One was a wolf. The other, Carter, saw Myra, attacked me, and you know the rest.”
The growl that vibrated in my chest was nothing I could control. Hannah had been mere seconds away from death, from me never making things right, from Riley waking up to an empty house and another family nightmare.
If Julian hadn’t called Kobi . . . if I had stopped to grab my go-bag . . . any number of seemingly insignificant decisions would have wrought a devastating end. It fisted my guts and twisted tight. The storm will erase your scent and keep the wolves at bay. Not even Weres would go out in this. We have a bit of time.
“Good, I’ll go out, check on Myra, and start chores.”
I checked on the wolf before I crashed. She’s deep in a healing sleep and will be out for hours if not days. The herd is fed, the horses bedded down. You’re inside until dusk.
Hannah could stare a man down as well as any Talon Enforcer. It was damn impressive. “Believe it or not, bossy man, I can take care of you, get the morning chores done, and check on Myra, all by myself.”
Scary that she thought so.
I admired her independence—always had—but she didn’t know shit about injured Weres. I propped my ass onto the edge of the bathroom vanity and backpedaled. It would be best if you didn’t get anywhere near the wolf, doc. A Were in a healing sleep is vulnerable and dangerously aggressive. I don’t want you hurt.
“Myra’s my friend. She wouldn’t—”
I pointed to a healed bite mark scarring my right hip. Then I pivoted, tugged the towel down my ass to show her the matching teeth punctures on my back.
“What happened?”
Cowbo—your boy, Waylon, got hurt bad in battle and I had to muscle him back to base. Weres can’t always control their base animal. Wolves are known for it, some of the larger cat species are worse.
“There are other Were species?”
The surprise in her voice caught me off guard. Hadn’t she thought about it? If Weres existed, why wouldn’t there be other species? Maybe she didn’t want to think about it. Maybe the truths of my world would be too much for her.
“You’re not one . . .” she said, interrupting my mind-spiral. “I mean, you don’t shift into an animal, do you?”
The idea intrigued her. I recognized the sexual glimmer in her eyes and smiled despite myself. No, I’m a different kind of deadly altogether.
She popped her brow and blushed. “You’re not so tough. With a maxi wrapped to your hip and wearing only a towel, I bet I could take you.”
In two quick steps, I pinned her to the linen closet door. Careful not to hit her broken wrist, I restrained her, rendering her helpless to move or struggle free.
She gasped, and I pressed my hips forward. The sexual glimmer sparked a flame. I kept her there, locked down in my clutches, and drew my tongue down the pulsing rhythm of her carotid artery. Fight or flight was real.
Her adrenaline pumped with feeling and, since she wasn’t panicked, worked in my favor.
“Riley’s cooking . . .” Her head dropped back, and I nipped the base of her throat. Gods, she tasted good. I missed having my mouth on her.
Bastard that I was, I recognized her hunger and took advantage. Wound like this, she’d be fast. I could ease her before her brain caught up and she pushed me away. Reveling in how the lush curves of her body accepted mine, I reached under her knit sweater and palmed the mound of her breast.
She gasped and pressed harder into my palm. This was happening. Hannah wanted it—I needed it. Making quick work of opening her jeans, I pulled them down her thighs.
She yanked one ankle free, and that was all I needed.
My bare knees hit the tiles, and my excitement drowned out the sound of the storm in my ears. I swung her freed leg over my shoulder and went for her core. Heaven. Teasing and nuzzling her simple cotton underwear, I blew hot kisses against her damp heat.
A gift. Being granted access to sweep my mouth over her fired every cell in my body. It was better than I remembered and more than I deserved. Playing. Priming. Promising. I met the feminine fragrance of her arousal and breathed deep, winding her up and feeding my soul.
Oh, fuck. Heat singed my balls so hot, I came. I groaned against Hannah’s core and fought not to draw attention. It wasn’t a wild explosion but a release so achingly sweet, I had to fight against the wave of dizziness that followed.
Thankfully, fighting was my superpower.
With my mouth still moving on her core, nothing would stop me from making amends. The damp cotton that kept me from my goal snapped in two, and my path was clear. It wasn’t romance. It was raw need.
A need to taste her before I lost my mind.
A need to coat my throat with her essence.
A need to quench the raging thirst that had plagued me for three fucking years.
More than all that, it was a need to wash away the pain I caused and replace it with even one moment of blissful pleasure.
Craning my neck, I suckled the sensitive bud of her clit into my mouth and devoured. No sweet nuzzles—no butterfly-kiss bullshit. I licked and lapped like a wildcat given the gift of the finest cream.
“Oh, yes.” She ground against my face and a fresh rush of nectar met my tongue. She tasted like honey and sunshine, and I groaned at the perfection. Her clit, tight and swollen, met my swiping tongue as she rode my mouth.
I slicked my fingers with a frenzied front to back in her moist channel. The pulsing grip of her core took hold the instant I slipped inside and another wave of dizziness hit.
“Yes,” she hissed. She gripped my skull, pulling me harder to her core. Her reckless buck and grind had me so fucking wound, my vision fritzed. Such a greedy girl.
I fucked her in long, teasing strokes of fingers and tongue, and worked her to a throbbing passion. I knew her moods. And with her, this wild and panting, I pushed further.
With my fingers pressed deep inside her, I brushed my thumb over the tight flesh of her backside. I didn’t enter. I didn’t want to throw her out of the moment or start her mind. This was only about sensation. Playing. Teasing.
&nbs
p; Hannah came apart with a throaty scream. I held her up as her legs quivered and her body convulsed. I lapped and swallowed. Her cream warmed my tongue and coated my throat. The gift of pleasuring her soothed my restless soul more than anything else ever could.
Panting, she stepped to the side and leaned against the edge of the counter. Cheeks flushed. Chest heaving. Hair tossed. Eyes heavy-lidded and sexy. So. Fucking. Beautiful.
I rose before her and raked the length of her hair down her sweater, my breath tight in my chest. Thank you.
She shook her head. “That was sex. Nothing more. It wasn’t for you. It was for me.”
Fair enough. I’d take the “just sex” train and ride it as long and hard as she let me. When she stilled, watching me, waiting for my reply, I nodded my understanding.
Just sex. Got it.
CHAPTER FOUR
Hannah tidied the bathroom and hung the damp towels before getting changed and grabbing Savage’s wet clothes. Her legs still trembled, and she needed to regroup. Sex with Savage always unraveled her. When he touched her like that—when he worshipped her body the way only he did, she was lost. The sensation was deceiving. The ecstasy didn’t last. She learned that when he left her broken three years ago.
Dropping the basket of wet and dirty in front of the dryer, she took solace in the mundane motions of laundry. Simple tasks anchored her to reality.
Savage wasn’t simple. He was the opposite of simple.
She didn’t consider herself an overly impetuous woman but asking him to build a life with her on the ranch was by far the most reckless thing she’d ever done. She laid her heart on the line, and though she thought they had something extraordinary, he disappeared within hours and proved her wrong.
Why go down that road again?
He made his choice. The pain and embarrassment that speared her was good. She needed to keep it in her mind and heart to avoid making the same mistake again.
After checking the pockets of his jeans, she threw them into the washer with her load and tossed his shredded and bloody t-shirt in the trash.
She tried not to think about the wound on his side and headed out to the kitchen. Riley was busy destroying the kitchen as Savage knelt at the hearth on the far side of the open room, reviving the burned-out fire.
Chief bounded over to her and she ruffled his ears before heading over to start a pot of mocha latte coffee. “So, I heard you met Savage.”
Riley looked up from the dough-splattered griddle and smiled. “Yup. He was nakey in your tub. Good going, Han. He’s like ohmygod Olympic god ripped.”
Hannah smiled and got down two mugs. “He’ll be here for a day or two, helping me with a wolf problem. Are you okay with that?”
“Okay that there’s a wolf problem I didn’t know about? Umm, no, definitely not okay. Since when? Did they get in the barn? Is that why you went out last night? Geez, Hannah, you shoulda told me. You coulda got munched out there by yourself. Is that what happened to your arm?”
“Whisky Jack threw me and I landed badly on my arm.”
“But Whisky threw you ’cause of a wolf, amirite?”
“Yes, but it turned out fine. The wolves caught me off guard, but Savage was there to help. He offered to watch over us for a bit, and I took him up on it. I don’t want you uncomfortable with him in the house, though. I’ll set him up in the barn if you are. This is your home, first and foremost.”
Riley stacked another round of golden-brown discs into the warming bin and turned down the bacon. “I’m good. He’s not much of a talker, but if he fights off wolves—so cool. That scar on his throat is righteous too. Oooh, do you think a wolf did that? I was thinking more like a Jack the Ripper scenario.”
Hannah stopped pouring. “Riley, why do you think up stuff like that? Girls your age should be obsessing about boy bands and retro fashion trends, not the scars of strange men.”
Riley faked a big yawn and headed to the table with two platters. “Breakfast is ready, dude.”
Dude? Great. Of course Savage wouldn’t put her on alert. She was a teenaged freak of nature and loved all things dark and dangerous. Honestly, that apple didn’t fall far from the tree. She’d been the same at her age.
“Oh, I’m loving the pink jammie pants. Only a truly secure man could pull it off.”
Hannah couldn’t help but laugh. Riley was a kick. Nothing phased the kid. Putting Savage in pink was childish, sure, but it made her feel better, and he seemed determined to take whatever she dished him.
She read his comment and relayed the message. “He says everything looks and smells great. Thank you.”
Savage had impeccable table manners.
She remembered that once they were elbow-deep in syrup and coffee. It always struck her as odd. Now, knowing a bit about his past, she was even more curious. Would his vow to answer her questions with full transparency still be in effect? Only one way to find out. “So, after your falling out with your brother, where did you live?”
Savage set down his cutlery and wiped his fingers on his napkin. He looked to her and she nodded that she would translate. A man named Maximus Reign recruited me into a military group called the Talon. He is a highly-respected warrior and runs a sanctuary for misfit orphans where he trains them and gives them the skills they need to succeed.
“Like Hogwarts?” Riley asked, adding another layer of syrup to her plate.
Savage seemed to consider that and then nodded. Actually, yeah. A lot like Hogwarts.
“So cool. What’s it called? Can I look it up?”
He shook his head. Sorry kid. Sworn to secrecy on that one. Besides, you’d never find it. Reign’s adopted son, Julian, is a computer genius and makes sure nothing about us leaks into the real world.
Hannah translated, and her sister looked like she might bug out completely. “Ri, I’m sure it’s not as clandestine as all that. You’re teasing her, aren’t you?”
Savage frowned. Nothing but the truth, remember? I swear. We’re there, but nobody would ever know.
“Can I go there if I’m with you?”
Yes, but that depends on your sister and whether or not I can fix what I fucked up.
Hannah didn’t translate. She glared at him and shook her head. “No, sorry. You’re stuck here.”
Riley frowned. “That’s not what he said. What’d he really say? How do you know sign language, anyway? Why didn’t I know you knew? What else don’t I know?”
Hannah finished her coffee and started stacking plates. “My best friend in high school developed a brain tumor in the summer before our senior year. About six months in, they operated, but whether it was taking the tumor or the treatments afterward, she became deaf afterward. In the weeks it took for her to recover her strength, we spent our time learning to sign.”
Did she live, though? Savage asked. Healthy after that?
Hannah nodded. “Yeah, she got married to a pilot and moved to Arizona. Last I heard, they had three kids.”
“That’s nice,” Riley said, starting the rinse and load for the dishwasher. “Is that where you got the Arizona State sweatshirt you wear? From her?”
“That’s where.” Between the three of them, it didn’t take long to clean up and get things squared away. “Okay, I’m heading to the barn. Savage can help me with your chores this morning, Ri.”
“Woohoo, thanks, Sav. Can I call you Sav?”
Savage nodded and signed.
“He said you’re welcome to call him that. All his closest friends do.”
“Sweet. I knew it. I’ve got a sixth-sense about things like that. So, no chores. Maybe I’ll—”
“Work on that group project that’s due on the twelfth.”
Riley groaned. “What part of ‘group’ don’t you get? We’re snowed in, and snow days are days off. Besides, townies sleep in. They don’t have to do morning chores before school.”
Hannah headed down the hall and grabbed her coat. “There’s this thing called Skype. You know, you’re on it all the time
. It can be used for good as well as evil. Have your shower, do what you can on your own, and then call your friends after ten. They’ll survive.”
I followed tight on Hannah’s nine, blocking the wind the best I could. Futile effort. The stormfront blew in from the north, straight across the acreage, the gusts hitting the outbuildings and swirling like a snowmageddon from every direction. Icy pellets pummeled our faces as we sank knee-deep in fresh snow with every step.
As much as I hated it, the violence of the storm was the only thing buying me time to spend with Hannah before shit hit. I couldn’t complain. Except, we weren’t getting far, and Hannah winced every time she corrected her balance and stiffened her broken wrist.
After what seemed like ten minutes trying to wade across the yard, I gave up. Wrapping my arms around her, I Flashed us to the tack room of the barn. It was a risk, sure, but I didn’t have the luxury of time to wait for my openings when she didn’t want to talk about anything serious.
I held her close while she adjusted to her warped reality. Flashing took getting used to. The first few times, it felt like a buzzsaw whirled in your head, and ants crawled on your skin.
She recovered too soon for my liking and shook me off. Pulling back, she stumbled out into the corridor. “What the . . . How’d we get here? Did I black out?”
I brought you here with my powers. I wasn’t lying, doc. Hogwarts, remember? My world is very different than yours. Weres and magic are only the tip of the iceberg.
Her horse reached its head over his stall door and gave her an insistent shove. She steadied herself and scrubbed its brow. “Do it again. I want to see. Go to the end of the corridor and back.”
I Flashed the fifty feet to the far end of the corridor and then back. Materializing a good ten feet away. I gave her enough space that I hoped she wouldn’t feel threatened.
I am a soldier for a man named Castian. He is the god of the Fae and bestows the ability to travel by materializing and dematerializing at will to his senior officers. We call it Flashing. I stood, palms up and open to her. Letting the truth of my words shine through, I waited.