by Tamara White
I know what he’s saying makes sense, but I still can't help but feel guilty. I mean, I'm some reincarnated goddess, and that's going to paint a target on anyone I care about, including my babies. "I have to leave, don't I? As long as I'm around you guys, none of you will be safe."
Drew growls deep in his throat and my eyes widen in surprise by what that sound still does to me. It has a direct line to my libido and my panties are wet in an instant. Damn body betraying me. "You are not going anywhere, Katie. I didn't spend the last year searching the world for a cure to this curse just to let you go now! You are my mate and I will kill any who even thinks of laying a hand on you." Then his lips are on mine, claiming me in a hungry kiss. It’s so intense, like the emotions from our past explode out of both of us.
We kiss like wild animals, fighting to assert our dominance over one another. Drew breaks the kiss, but only so he can rip my shirt off. I moan, arching into his touch as he runs his hands over my naked skin. Then he grips my bra in one hand, ripping it clean off. Damn, I am going to need new clothes before long if he keeps this up.
He stands up and pulls me to my feet, pressing me against the tree. Growling softly, he explores my body with his tongue.
Before long, he has me trembling with arousal. He pauses to look at me, his eyes filled with desire. "Tell me, Katie. Do you want me to stop? We can go back to me being just your Alpha, and I will let my mate claim go. I want to do things right this time."
"Drew, I have always loved you, and probably always will if I’m going to be perfectly honest. It killed me to feel that way, though, because I thought the only thing we had in store for us in our future was pain. But now that I understand about the curse, that changes things. If you want me as a mate, though, you have to promise to accept the rest of my mates. I won't let them go for you."
I watch as he thinks it through. Then a look of resolve settles in his eyes. "I love you, Katie. I want you to be happy and if the others do that for you, then so be it.” With that declaration, he kisses me passionately, his tongue dipping inside my mouth to caress my own. Then he begins trailing kisses down my jaw and along my neck.
I moan and arch my back when he gets to my breasts. He playfully bites each of my nipples with a growl before moving lower over my stomach. He pauses and looks back up at me, his eyes filled with tenderness. "Seth would be happy to know you are bringing new lives into this world. To know there will be a couple of little yous running around.” He chuckles softly before whispering to my stomach, "Just take it easy on us. Okay, little ones?"
He presses one last gentle kiss just below my belly button. Then his hands move to the tops of my jeans, glancing up at me with a wicked smirk. Damn that bastard. He pulls my jeans and panties down in one quick pull and I groan because I know exactly what he’s planning. He loves playing with his claiming mark and making me beg for orgasm.
"Drew, don't you dare play with me today. I need you, please," I pant, arousal thick in my voice.
His mouth hovers over my wet pussy, close to his claiming mark. His breath brushes along my slit and I want to grip his head but I won’t give him the satisfaction. I know how much he gets off on making it last when I beg. "Don't worry, Katie, I'm dying for this as much as you are," he says on a tortured breath before his tongue flicks my clit. He groans as I buck in response. Damn cocky bastard.
He continues to play with me, his tongue teasing the most sensitive part of me. Then he pulls away to trace his tongue over his claiming mark on the right side of my leg. I feel the orgasm begin to build as he slides two fingers inside me, then clasps his mouth to the old bite, piercing the skin.
He fucks me with his fingers, using his thumb to brush against my clit as he suckles on my mark. I know exactly what he's doing but I can't stop, throwing my head back as my climax crashes over me. I cry out his name as he pulls his fingers out of me and releases his mouth from my flesh.
He gets up, moving to stand before me. "Still as responsive as ever I see, Katie." I am too absorbed in the after effects of my mind-blowing orgasm to respond.
Drew hoists me up against the tree, my bare back pressed into the bark. It’s uncomfortable, sure, but I don't have long to focus on the slight pain before his cock is pushing at my entrance, distracting me from all else. I stare deep into his eyes, refusing to look away as he eases himself inside me. When he's buried to the hilt, he presses his forehead to mine, panting softly. "Fuck, I forgot how good it felt to be buried inside you."
I moan softly as he begins to move slowly. But judging by the pained expression on his face, I don't think he's going to last very long at this pace. It’s so intense and judging by the jerky movements of his hips, and his fingers digging into my ass, he’s fighting himself not to lose that thin thread of control he’s holding onto, and just fuck me hard and fast.
"How long has it been for you?" I ask softly, caressing his cheek.
"I haven't been with anyone since you, Katie. Curse or not, you are my mate and I won't ever betray you like that." Then he begins to thrust harder and there is no more need for words.
I pull him to me, putting everything into our kiss. The love and desire, but also the pain, hurt, anger, and betrayal, everything I’ve felt since he left. He seems to be putting just as much into the kiss if his frenzied growls are anything to go by.
He fucks me for who knows how long and when I feel my climax building, I know it’s going to send us over the edge together. "Drew, I'm close, baby. Harder. Make me come. Make me scream just like you used to."
My words seem to be his undoing and he loses his controlled focus, fucking me with reckless abandon. One second I'm hovering on the edge of bliss, and the next, I'm screaming Drew's name as he explodes inside me with a deep groan.
Drew continues to hold me up, his head resting against mine as he pants and my racing heart begins to slow. When our breathing finally returns to normal, he pulls out and leans forward a little to kiss me gently. "I would like nothing more than to stay here with you, to hide away from the rest of the world, but we have to get back. It’s not safe for us out here alone and I had to use my command to get the others to stay behind. Although for some reason, Colby was able to deny me. I'm not sure how exactly, but I think he may have grown in power too. I had to plead with him to give us this time. As it was, he stayed behind only out of respect for you, and because he was pretty sure you would cut my balls off at first glance. He didn’t want to risk your anger and possibly the removal of his own.”
I chuckle softly at the thought of my Guardian, who’s also another true mate, denying Drew. Man, I would have killed to see that.
"You can't control Colby. He’s mine. My Guardian, but also another true mate as well." At that, Drew’s eyes widen in shock. "Yeah, we're still dealing with that. I haven’t really had time to process everything. He only just told me shortly before we found out about me being some reincarnated goddess. And then after that, we got attacked by a group of witches. So yeah, I guess you can say I've had a pretty busy past twenty-four hours."
"It would seem so." Drew pulls away from me and lets me down, holding my hips for a second longer to ensure I'm steady before letting go of me completely.
I look about for my clothes, finding them all in one pile by the base of the tree. At least he had the good sense to put them in one spot rather than just throw them with abandon. He did that once when we had sex in the barn on my parent’s property and to this day, my panties are still up on that roof. How the hell he managed to get them out the skylight and onto the roof is beyond me, but that doesn’t change the fact they’re still up there.
I pull my panties and jeans on quickly before even looking at my shirt and bra, figuring they probably didn’t quite survive Drew's hurried rush to get them off. Sure enough, the bra is ruined, both straps completely ripped off. The shirt is okay, though, apart from a few missing buttons. It will hold closed, which I guess is better than nothing. But I really regret wearing a peach shirt now that there’s no bra underneat
h.
When I'm as dressed as I can be given the circumstances, I turn around, expecting to see Drew back in wolf form, but he is still human and still gloriously naked.
Damn, do not drool, Katie. While he looks much like the man I remember, I notice he’s bulked up some and has added more ink.
The last time I had the opportunity to explore him like this, he only had the two tattoos, one over his heart with his parents’ names, and another on the side of his ribs with his and Seth's names inside an infinity symbol.
Now, his whole chest is decorated in a variety of new ink. While I would love nothing more than to ask about each one, I know it's not the time. “Why haven’t you shifted? I don't think people will take kindly to seeing a naked male by my side as we head back to campus. Although, you may get a few sorority girls offering to give you a lift," I tease.
He grins happily, making his way over to me and taking hold of my hand. "I'm not stupid, Katie. I knew you would look for trees because you’ve always viewed them as a safe haven of sorts, and this copse is the closest wooded area within running distance. Then I used our connection to track you here in my car. Then when I reached the edge of the woods, I got out and started tracking you that way. I only shifted when I was deep enough into the forest that nobody would have seen me. Now, come on. Let’s head back before Colby starts hounding me through the pack bond again."
I chuckle at that and let him lead me out of the woods, feeling for the first time in a long time that maybe, just maybe, things will be okay.
As Drew and I get to a small clearing near the edge of the woods, I can't help but ask, "Did you send the guys after me? Is that the only reason they showed me any interest, why they protected me?" My voice trembles, a thread of vulnerability leaking through. I know that he must have had something to do with it. After all, they mentioned many times talking to their Alpha, and I remember hearing them bring up my name when speaking with him, which in my mind, with everything I know now, means they had to have known something about me.
Drew sighs sadly and pulls me to a stop, caressing my cheek tenderly. "I know what you're thinking, Katie, but none of those guys were ordered to get close to you. In fact, they were specifically told to stay away from you. I asked that they keep an eye on you, but only from a distance, to make sure you were safe. But they weren’t supposed to interact with you at all.
“When I heard Kaden had broken that one rule, I got a little pissed. I was almost ready to fly out here and deliver an ass whooping. But then Alex told me you already did the job for me the night of that party." He chuckles at that.
We walk a bit further, eventually reaching a pile of clothes. He lets go of my hand to pull them on. "I have never been more proud than I was when I heard you taught him a lesson like that. Kaden has always underestimated people, so to know you showed him exactly how strong you were made me happy.
“Then later on that night, Colby called and told me about what happened when he met Emily. He said that you helped him stop from shifting and managed to deescalate the situation, which I still need to thank you for. You have been a great Alpha while I've been away."
I cross my arms and glare at him. "About that, you and I will be having some serious words about how uneducated your pack is. For fuck's sake, Drew. Alex almost took me against my will when my heat was accidentally triggered. I had to talk him and Kaden through how to scent mark me. Now I get it, you were off God knows where, trying to get rid of the curse. While I love you for wanting to be with me so much that you went to such lengths, I don’t come before your responsibility to your pack, or is that packs? Because if I remember correctly, aren’t you still Alpha of your parents’ pack too?"
The guilt and shame on his face tells me everything. He really did drop everything for me.
"Drew you need to have both of your packs in one place. You can't keep doing this. If you had them both in one place to begin with, maybe the people from your parents’ old pack could have helped with your new one. Hell, you should have been here helping them."
"My parents’ pack is gone, Katie."
My heart freezes, dread uncurling in my stomach. The pain in his voice makes my eyes well with tears. "What do you mean gone? Like they went to another pack?" I ask hopefully, praying that 'gone' doesn't mean what I think it does.
"No, Katie. After I made you choose, I went back to my pack to do exactly what you just said. I was going to unite the two packs, but when I got there, what I found was a bloodbath. Everyone in my parents’ pack had been killed, their throats slashed. The entire pack land ran red with blood.
“I had to call in the Directorate to help me. But they had no clue who or what had killed my pack. After that, I became even more resolved to find a cure for my curse, even going as far as Africa to see the voodoo priests. It was there that I was finally cured. But they warned me I needed to hurry back here, to protect the goddess that would soon rise. That’s where I was before this. I've been there for the past month. They told me something called Fear murdered my pack. I have no idea what kind of creature it is, but if the priest I talked to is right, then I'm sure we'll be finding out real soon."
The name Fear sends a shiver of déjà vu through me, like the name is somehow familiar, but I just can't place it. I mean, fear is an emotion obviously, but for someone to name themselves that is just messed up. "Do you know what Fear is supposed to be? Is he like a vampire or something?"
"Look, Katie, can this wait until we get to the diner down the road? The guys are meeting us there, and I need to tell them some of this stuff too."
"Fine, but if you don't give me answers, I am just going to force you to." I wink at him playfully, only half serious about my threat. Although if he doesn't fill me in, I really will get the answers I seek, whatever it takes.
"Sheesh, don't worry so much. Do you really think I'm going to risk pissing off a hormonal you? It's bad enough when your red friend comes to visit, but I’m sure pregnant Katie is much worse.” He shudders dramatically, his lips twitching as he tries to hold back a smile. "I don't have a death wish. Which reminds me, are you having any cravings? Do I need to make sure the diner has it before we arrive, or should I send one of the others out to get whatever you're wanting?"
"I want chocolate. Chocolate cake, chocolate milk, pretty much anything chocolate. That's my only real craving right now. Well, that and pickles. But that's not as important as the chocolate." Hell, even the thought of getting my hands on the sweet treat is making my mouth water.
"Okay, chocolate it is.” He smiles warmly and pulls me after him. But then after a moment he stops, turning to me with a worried glance. "Colby said you've been pretty tired lately and he wants me to make sure you aren't overexerting yourself."
I purse my lips to hide a smile. Sweet Colby, always trying to make sure I'm taken care of. "I'm fine, but tell him thank you for caring."
Drew concentrates for a moment, sending that through their pack bond. Once that’s done, he grins wickedly at me. He moves too fast for me to react, swiftly scooping me up into his arms. "I don't care if you really are fine. I'm not getting my ass kicked because I didn't take proper care of you."
I smirk at Drew and twine my hands around his neck as he carries me through the trees. After a minute, we reach his car, which is parked on the side of the highway.
"Are you scared of Colby?" I tease as he sets me back on my feet. He doesn’t answer right away, instead pulling the keys from his pants and unlocking the car. He opens the passenger door and I climb in, smiling gleefully. Drew is rarely ever afraid of anything, so to think he might be afraid of Colby? Well, that just brings a certain amount of happiness to my day.
Drew leans against the open doorway, looking down at me. "I may be Alpha of this pack, Katie, but never forget that Colby is an Alpha too. He just lets me lead because he doesn't want the responsibility. Have you seen him fight yet?"
I shake my head no, and Drew grins at me, all teeth. "Well, when you see him fight for the first time,
you’ll see exactly why I don't want to anger him. He doesn't just know the newer styles of fighting, he was also trained in advanced weaponry growing up. Guns, swords, you name it. And then after his father’s death, he dedicated years of his life to becoming stronger. He never wanted to feel as weak as he did when his father was killed in front of him."
Wow, it makes so much more sense now. He doesn't want anyone hurt at the hands of witches, just like me. Well, I don't want anyone hurt at all. I want peace, but I'm not naive enough to believe that can be achieved without bloodshed.
"Buckle up, Katie. The others are getting antsy." Drew steps back from the door and closes it, then moves around the car to the driver’s side. It doesn't surprise me he kept this car. It was a gift from my father. Granted, when Drew got it, it was hardly more than a pile of junk, not this thing of beauty. After months of work, he and my father transformed it from nothing into something unbelievable. The dark green Camaro now runs smoother than the day it was released from the factory.
Once Drew is behind the wheel, he takes off faster than I expected and my heart starts to race. I close my eyes as my fear gets the better of me and my heart pounds loudly in my ears.
The next thing I know, the passenger door is opening and someone is pulling me from the car. I open my eyes to see Colby's blue eyes looking down at me in concern.
He cradles me like a child and I cling to him, tears welling in my eyes. Being in a car is still hard to stomach. I thought I might have gotten over it when we drove back to campus without me having a panic attack. But the speed with which Drew drove proved that wrong, though, triggering another one.
Colby holds me for a few seconds before handing me off to Kaden, who helps me stand, his own worried gaze running over me. I take deep breaths against his chest, feeling Bas and Alex on either side of me. But before my breathing can steady, the sound of shouting reaches my ears.