by Lauren Dane
Galen and Jack shared a look. The man who did this to her had better get a good head start. They would hunt down and kill every fucking person involved in this if she didn’t survive it. He might just do that anyway. Yes, yes that sounded like a very good idea.
Her head rested on Galen’s shoulder, her skin was superheated, even to a shifter like him. This possession was like a fever.
Around them, the two women began to speak softly and slowly as they came to bracket Renee’s sides so she was surrounded.
“Renee, I’m your aunt Rosemary. I came a long way to find you. Your magic is very strong, so strong it called to me and finally led me here. I’d nearly given up hope. There’s darker magicks at work here. Someone has found a way inside you, he’s trying to hurt you and steal your life so he can have more. Fight him. I know you can hear me. Your sister is here too. She and I are here to help you.”
“Renee, I’m Kendra, your big sister. I need you to build a wall. Go inside where he’s leaking in and wall him out. You can do it. I know you can. Brick by brick, higher and higher. Just concentrate on that, we’ll push him back too. Hold on to yourself, find that place you’re connected to these men and open that. Close out the darkness and open yourself to their light. It’s the only way.”
Jack felt it, a trickle back through their bond. At first it started only to die off again, but then, she’d hold it for a little bit longer each time until she gasped, her head shooting back to his shoulder as it flooded through them again, that link between the three filled with the glory of their connection, of their bond. Brilliant and strong, it filled him like birdsong after a really long night.
She screamed, writhing, and then slumped against Galen, weeping.
“He’s gone. His spell has been broken,” Rosemary spoke. Jack had nearly forgotten she was there.
“I’m going to be sick.” Renee stood and tried to run to the bathroom but her legs wouldn’t hold her. Jack picked her up and carried her, but acquiesced once they got there, allowing her to push him out and shut the door in his face.
Her aunt stood with them, just outside the door to the bathroom. “She’ll be filled with dark magicks, negative energy. It’ll have made her sick. She’s safe for now. Kendra and I are going to go and cast some protection around the outside of the house. I don’t think he’s been here. Something like this would have taken a few hours to feel the full effects of. You can tell me about your day when we come back inside.” With that, she swooped from the room, Kendra in her wake, leaving Galen and Jack behind.
Chapter Ten
Renee opened her eyes, feeling like she’d been hit by a truck. Daylight filtered through the drawn curtains. The memories came back slowly, filling her with mixed emotions.
“Hey, there you are,” Jack said, coming into her line of vision. Just seeing him, knowing he was there even after all he’d seen the night before, made her feel better. His smile was soft, worry clear around the edges. “How are you feeling?”
She didn’t say anything, just held her arms open. He softened and got into the bed with her, holding her close. His scent comforted her, the way he felt, hard and strong, made her feel safe.
Words weren’t where she thought they’d be. Instead, she took his hand and guided it to her pussy. She needed him, needed that connection, to lose herself in pleasure and know she was still in his heart the way he was in hers.
He groaned, moving his hand to her belly. “Oh, sweetheart, you’ve been through so much. Why don’t you rest? We have time for this. Lots and lots of time.”
“You don’t want me?” Her voice sounded rusty and rarely used. She wouldn’t blame him if he wanted to be free of her. The things she remembered from the night before made her want to weep. But she found herself unable. That well was dry.
The blue of his eyes deepened as he moved even closer. “How can you think that? I want you so much my hands shake sometimes. Last night we nearly lost you. I can’t think about it too long or it makes me want to kill someone. You’re healing. It can wait. I’ll be right here when you’re ready.”
She turned to her side, curling into a ball. Right at that very moment, part of her wished the whole last week just hadn’t happened. Everything inside felt jumbled, out of order, and she couldn’t quite grasp the context enough to put everything back.
“You’re running again. I understand why. But don’t. Don’t run from me. There’s no reason to.” He rolled to curl around her, but she turned to him, burying her face in his neck, breathing him, needing him so much her head hurt with it.
He made a sound, trapping it deep in his chest, a sort of growl laded with so much emotion it tore into her gut. She gave over to that, to the feeling of being with him, of needing him. The rest would come later.
For then...
She got to her knees above him. His eyes locked with hers. His hands on her were gentle, but he didn’t stop her from pushing his shirt over his head. Such a beautiful body. Tawny skin, wide shoulders, slim waist.
Kissing over his collarbone, she scooted down and licked over his nipples as she pushed his sweats down, exposing more of that honey-dipped skin and a bare, hard cock.
Straddling his lap, she pulled her long T-shirt off before tossing the panties to the side. He slid his palms up her sides, caressing the underside of her breasts with his thumbs when he got there.
“Are you sure?” he asked.
No need for foreplay between them. She rose on her knees, angling him and sinking on his cock, not slow, not gentle. He arched as he freed that sound. The growl trickled from his mouth and wrapped around her. This is what she needed, it was what she’d needed before they got into that stupid fight the night before.
Each time she rose and then fell, she fell back into herself a bit more, took back control of herself, of her future. She claimed herself again, to rise and fall on her own mistakes and flaws. The bastard who’d gotten into her head the night before would never do so again.
“So beautiful. Strong.” Jack arched into her, his hands all over her body, everywhere he could reach. His fingertip danced over her clit as she rolled her hips, undulating, grinding herself into him to get him as deep as she could.
She traced the outline of the mark Galen had made on Jack’s side and he shuddered beneath her. What a gorgeous man he was. And his eyes held only her, even as her lids dropped as orgasm approached.
Bracing her weight by holding on to his biceps, she leaned her upper body forward so she could press back against him. Waves of sensation moved through her each time, wider and wider until she was pulled beneath willingly.
With a ragged moan of her name, he thrust up as she thrust back, coming deep inside her body.
He held her as she slumped forward onto his chest, his hands sliding over her back as she caught her breath.
“I’m sure,” she managed to say, prompting him to laughter.
“Damn if I don’t love you more every single second. I thought I was going to lose you last night.” His hands never left her, as if he couldn’t bear not touching her. And that was all right with her.
She pulled free and slipped into the space next to him. “I’m sorry about all that.”
“Sorry for what?” He made slow circles up her spine.
“All the drama. You must regret this whole thing. I’m sure Grace and the other women you know aren’t in need of saving all the time.”
He tipped her chin, capturing her gaze. A grin made him look even sexier. “You and I need to revisit the whole Grace conversation later. Grace is married to one of my best friends. I don’t want her, I want you. As for regret? Don’t ever say that. I started that fight by being stubborn and stupid. What you did to fight for yourself, I’ve never seen anyone braver. You came back. You didn’t let him win. And now I’m going to spend the rest of our lives proving to you how much I love you.�
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She blinked back tears and then sat up. “Holy crapdoodle! Did I hallucinate an aunt and a sister?”
“You didn’t. They went back to their hotel after we got you to sleep. We invited them to stay here but they didn’t want to impose even though we both assured them you’d want them here. Your aunt didn’t tell us a lot, she said she wanted to tell it to you first. But she says she’s been looking for you since before your mother died.”
She swallowed the lump in her throat. “You know, I distinctly do not remember getting any fortune cookie saying my entire life would change totally this week. If there was a memo, I so did not get it. Where’s Galen?”
“He went to get some food. I volunteered to stay here with you while he was gone. Not like it’s a chore to watch you sleep. However, just for future reference, this sort of wake up is better than the one where you slapped my hands when I tried to touch your nipples.”
She sent him a mock frown. “I’d been awake a little while. I needed you. I felt, well I didn’t feel anything. I felt a lot of stuff, but nothing I could hold on to. I needed you to touch me, to fill me, to help me come back to myself. But don’t get used to it, I don’t think this will make me a morning person.”
“Do you think it might make you a non-Bee Gees person?”
She rolled her eyes. “I need to shower. I also need food and some coffee.”
“Go on and grab a shower. I need to talk to the people who’re supposed to help me move today. Cancel and reschedule.”
She got out of bed, feeling distinctly bruised and battered. “Ugh, I hurt in places I didn’t know I could hurt. By the by, you’re not going to do that. Why would you? Unless you don’t want to move in.”
He got up, moving to her, and she got caught in the spell of how he looked just then—muscular, sexed up and totally naked.
“You have no tan lines,” she said, gobbling up the sight of him. Maybe she’d need some assistance with back scrubbing. She looked at him through her lashes. She was sore, but she wasn’t dead and hoooo boy did he look pretty all naked and golden there in her bedroom. It would be downright un-American not to take advantage of such an opportunity.
The door opened and closed, followed by the sound of Galen’s footfalls into the kitchen.
“Of course I want to move in. But you need rest and quiet. Stop looking at me like that, you’re playing with fire.”
She laughed, kissing his chest and stepping back. “Okay, fine. I’ll stop objectifying you. For now. I’m going to shower and get dressed. When will the moving peeps arrive?”
Galen opened the door carefully and then when he saw she was awake, moved to her quickly, pulling her tight to his body. “Babe, you scared the life out of me. Never do that again, got me?”
She hugged him back. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
“You’re naked and soft and warm.” He looked her over, his eyes changing, deepening in color and intensity. “And you smell like sex.” He breathed in deep and she shivered.
“I am. You should take advantage of that.”
He laughed. “Tempting, but we will shortly be invaded. Take your shower. I brought back a huge amount of food and coffee is making. Your aunt and sister are coming over in a few and, Jack, I saw someone in a truck looking for a place to park. Dude looked wolfy.”
Renee shrugged. “Guess that solves the issue of whether to call them or not. Okay, I’m going to shower. Be out shortly.”
The shower was just what she needed. Time alone to rinse the night before from her skin. She felt violated, dirty and wrong inside and though it had improved some, the sense of invasion hung about her brain.
On top of that insanity, she suddenly had relatives to contend with. An aunt? A sister? How could she have a sister? Why hadn’t her father told her? Why hadn’t her mother told her? Why now after all this time? Who were they and what did they want?
She pushed back, trying to remember her life before Boston. What had her life been? She couldn’t remember a single teacher, neighbor or friend. She’d been seven when her mother died, those were memories she should have been able to recall.
Trying to push too hard made her nauseated so she gave up for the time being. She needed to hold it together and get some answers.
She sighed, taking one last look in the mirror. She looked okay for someone who might have died the night before. At least Jack’s friends wouldn’t think she was a junkie or something.
The weather had turned cold, fall finally taking a solid grip, so she pulled on a sweater and jeans. The loft was always cold anyway, for Galen’s and now she supposed Jack’s comfort. But she drew the line at the point where she saw her breath.
When she emerged from the bedroom, the house was full of people she didn’t know. Normally this would not be such a big deal, but wow, right then it made her want to run away.
Galen looked toward the bedroom door and stalked over, with eyes only for her. He wrapped his arms around her, burying his face in her hair. “Sorry, I had a moment when you came through the door... I remembered your face, the feeling of loneliness.”
She hugged him right back. Needing that contact. “I wouldn’t have made it back without you. But I’m back. I’m fine and he won’t catch me unaware again.”
“I’m going to kill him.”
Renee didn’t know how to reply to that.
“Querida, are you sure you want to do this today? Why not go back to bed? When Rosemary and Kendra arrive, I’ll send them in.”
She tipped her head back to look at him. They locked gazes, neither speaking but both understanding. “I’m fine. Really. Can I ask you a question?”
He smiled. “Always. Your tits look awesome, as does your ass.”
She laughed, kissing him again for the simple pleasure of the moment. “Good to know. But the question is about Rosemary and Kendra. What do you think? Are they here for me or for money or what?”
“I didn’t smell any lies on them. We’re checking into their background, just to be sure. They seem to be the real deal. But I think we should be cautious until we know more. I know you’re excited about having a sister, but I’ll be damned if anyone else hurts you on my watch.”
“I trust your nose and we’ll wait and see. Who are all these people?” She looked around his body at all the faces.
“Jack’s people. He ran downstairs for a moment, he’ll be right back.”
“Good thing I got out of bed then.” She laughed, letting his presence comfort her.
He took her hand, kissing her fingertips. “I love it when you do that.”
“Do what? Get all tingly ’cause you’re putting the moves on me?”
He laughed, taking the tingles to a whole new level. “Well that too. I mean using the link, letting it help you. You used to hesitate.”
“I know. I’m working on it. I believe in it, I trust it. But sometimes it’s hard. I’m sorry if that hurts you.”
“It’s your way.” He shrugged. “And before last night I understood and respected it. Now I understand a lot more.”
“I can’t talk about that right now.” She scrubbed her hands down the front of her jeans, feeling dirty again.
“Whenever you’re ready, I’ll be here. Or if you want to talk to someone else, that’s fine too. We’ll get you whatever you need.” He kissed the top of her head. “You sure you don’t want to go back and lie down?”
“These people are important to Jack, so they’re important to me too.” Wow, wolves were a lot louder than cats. So much laughter and talking and they were all huge.
“Get something to eat. I put a plate for you in the oven.” Galen took her hand and led her into the kitchen. She poured herself some coffee and looked around at her living room.
Galen put the plate on the counter and she smiled gratefully. “You went to the Me
rcado?” Her favorites heaped on the plate. Beans, fresh tortillas and eggs scrambled with chorizo and potatoes.
“Of course I did. Now eat.”
Jack walked through the door, holding some boxes. He grinned at a group of men, tossing them the boxes. “Let’s get this show on the road.” She liked the way they responded to him, liked knowing he had people who loved him in his life.
He turned. “Hey, there you are.”
She smiled and waved.
“Everyone, this is Renee.” He moved to her side, hugging her. “Good to see you eating, sweetheart,” he murmured briefly. “Grace and Cade couldn’t be here this morning. They send their apologies and say they’ll see us tomorrow night.” He introduced her to the others, who all treated her with genuine friendliness.
Still, she was relieved when they all began to leave to get the move done.
“I’ll see you both in a little while.” She tiptoed up and kissed Jack and turned to Galen who shook his head at her. “What?”
Jack sighed. “He’s not going anywhere. You think we’d leave you alone? After what happened last night?”
“Fine. Then I’ll come too. I can help.”
Galen shook his head. “Babe, he’s got a dozen giant werewolves to help him with that. Your aunt and sister should be here shortly anyway.”
“I hate being managed.”
“I know. We’ll be back in a bit.” Jack kissed her quickly and headed out, ignoring the wrath of her frown.
“We’re protecting you. Get that look off your face.” Galen took her plate to the table and pulled the chair out for good measure. “Sit your pretty behind down and finish eating.”
She would have glowered but, but, but chorizo. How could a woman resist handmade tortillas and chorizo in eggs? She was only human after all. She even liked that he pulled her chair out, not that he’d be able to get around her all the time by being all cute and stuff.
“Why didn’t you ever tell me about what Susan did to you? Does your father know?” Galen sat as close to her as he could and still allow her to eat. She knew he needed the contact, she did too.