“The whiskey is damn good,” Mayhem added as he pulled Hannah closer to his side, cradling her protectively.
“So Darc and Aubrey didn’t tell you girls where they were going?” Raven pushed forward in his seat, nailing both Hannah and Summer with a hard glare.
The women looked at one another briefly.
“No,” Summer said with a shrug. “I mean, I didn’t actually see them leave. I was reading a book in the dressing room.”
“And I was working with Dani on our next feature.” Hannah nodded to her cousin Dani, who was sitting in the seat next to Dave, the band’s manager.
“What’s up?” Dani glanced over at the mention of her name, distraction written all over her face. She and Dave had been spending a lot of time huddled together lately, which was fine. The pack had all found their mates so no one begrudged Dave the opportunity to get a little lovin’ too. And Dani was in on the pack’s wolf status—an unavoidable information share thanks to some unfortunate timing and an eyeful of wolf-to-human transformation. She’d handled it well, though, with only a bit of hysterical screaming before Hannah could give her the low down.
“You didn’t talk to Aubrey or Darcy before they left, did you?” Hannah asked her cousin.
“Nope, although I did hear them talking earlier this afternoon about slipping out to do some training or something.” Dani shrugged.
Raven grumbled as he pushed himself back in his seat. He didn’t like it—it didn’t sit right in his gut.
“Why so paranoid, Rav?” Jay asked with a sharp nudge. “You think the girls are getting into some trouble?”
“I don’t know what I’m thinking.” Not that Darcy was having an affair or having doubts about their relationship, no, but that she was keeping something from him for sure. “Aren’t you worried that Aubrey is taking off without telling you where she’s going?”
Jay snorted. “Nah, man, I learned my lesson. I’m not Bree’s owner. She can come and go as she pleases.” He rubbed the back of his neck and winced. “There’d be hell to pay if I tried to stop her from doing something she wanted to do.”
“Yeah.” Raven felt the frost in the air at the mention of the pack’s collective blunder the last time they had been in the States. On Mayhem’s orders, he, Jay, and Dy had incapacitated their women to keep them out of a battle with the Hunters on Order territory. The girls had been pissed when they’d awoken from their impromptu naps and it had taken months to even get them speaking to the guys again.
“If she and Aubrey left, they’ve got good reason to.” Summer crossed her arms and speared him with a hard look. “Maybe they went shopping.”
“At midnight?” Raven scoffed and shook his head. “Not likely.” He angled his phone and sneered. He hadn’t gotten a European cell phone plan for Darcy, which hadn’t been a problem for the bulk of the tour. She’d always been with him, waiting for him in his dressing room, usually naked, after a show. And when she went out during the day to sightsee or shop, she’d always been with the other girls.
Hannah leaned forward and touched his knee. “Raven, they’re together. They’re safe. Sometimes women just need a little time to themselves.”
Raven let out a sigh as a feeling of calm washed through him. He snapped his eyes to meet Hannah’s, then jerked his knee away. “Stop fucking with my emotions, Hannah.”
Hannah had the ability to amplify or subdue emotions. She’d grown more and more powerful, more and more skilled, over the months that they’d known her, but Raven could always tell when she was using it on him for some reason.
She flinched as she drew her hand back.
Mayhem growled, pulling Hannah closer his side, arm protectively coming around her once again as he glared at Raven. “Watch your tone, man.”
“I don’t like being manipulated,” Raven barked, his agitation growing.
“I wasn’t.” Hannah’s voice cracked. Mayhem growled again and she touched his hand, entwining her fingers with his. “I thought it would help. I’m sorry, you’re right, I shouldn’t have done that. Sometimes it slips out.”
“I’m allowed to feel irritated. My mate has been running off with no explanation for three nights in a row. I’m worried.” Raven harnessed his tone to appease his alpha.
“She’s trained to protect herself,” Summer said, her voice curt. “She’s a Huntress. You gotta give her a little credit.”
“She’s not invincible and she has a tendency to get her herself into trouble.” Raven let out a long breath. “Never mind, let’s just stop talking about this, okay? We’re not going to agree.”
“The tours are done over here,” Dave said with a little smile and wink for Dani. “We’re headed home. I think everyone has reached that point where a little separation is a good thing.”
“Dave’s right. You know this, Rav. The girls haven’t been on tour with us before. It gets a little crazy near the end, even when it was just the band,” Dy said from beside Summer.
Raven shook his head, crossed his arms, and shifted so he could look out the window. He didn’t care what any of them said. Darcy had better be back at the hotel or there’d be hell to pay.
* * * * *
“Darcy!” Raven barreled through their suite ready to rip down doors, his wolf in a frenzy, amplifying his own aggression. “Where the hell are you?”
He burst into their bedroom only to find the bed empty and steam billowing from the bathroom. “Darc?” He moved toward the door.
She landed on his back with a wallop, knocking him to his knees. “Gotcha,” she growled as she quickly nipped his ear.
He spun around, somehow disentangling her limbs until he had her flipped on her back, cock pressed between her legs, straining for release. “Where the hell have you been?”
She gave him a wicked smile as she reached between them, fingers popping open the button to his jeans. He snatched her hand, pulled her arms above her head, and clasped her wrists together in one of his hands.
“I’m not fucking joking, Darc. Where the hell have you been? I’ve been worried about you.”
She writhed her hips and licked her lips, rubbed herself against him, her nipples hard, little peaks poking at his chest as she shifted her body. “I’ve been right here, baby, waiting for you.”
“Darcy—”
She latched her legs around his waist and pivoted; within seconds, she had him on his back, straddling his hips, her hands suddenly free. His eyes grew wide as he stared up at her, wondering just what other tricks Hannah had been teaching his mate during their training sessions.
“I want your cock, Rav.” She whipped off her tank top and then popped the latch on her bra. She tossed both away so that her breasts swayed, begging for attention.
Any protests he had disappeared at the sight of her perfect, perky little nipples.
She leaned down and kissed him, her tongue snaking into his mouth, coaxing him to give up the fight, to let the words go, to fizzle his brain. By the time she released his mouth, he was a goner.
Her lips were puffy, glistening from their kiss, and curled into a little smile. “I’ve been thinking about that tongue of yours licking me right here.” She touched her nipples. “And I’ve been thinking about your tongue licking me here.” She ran one hand down her torso, over her belly and into her yoga pants. “Mmmm, yeah, right here.”
With a growl, he flipped her onto her back and ravished her just as she wanted. Cupping her breasts, holding them against his palms, leaving her nipples exposed so he could push her tits together and lick from one to the other, biting, sucking, making her moan.
She moved her hips and he pressed down onto her, rubbing his aching cock against her covered pussy, teasing himself as much as he was teasing her. Just rubbing himself against her felt so damn good.
“I missed you,” he growled against her flesh. Her skin was silky soft. He rubbed his lips
along the underside of her breasts, moving across her stomach a second after that. “Been thinking about you all night.”
Darcy giggled as she squirmed beneath him, spreading her legs wider and hooking her knees over his shoulders to push him down faster. “Less talking, more licking.” She reached up and ran her hands over her tits, flicking her nipples with her thumbs.
Raven moaned at the sight of her. Her eyes blazing with lust, her lips shining with his saliva. He cupped her ass and hoisted her up, the scent of her arousal making him growl. “You want my tongue, baby?”
She licked her lips and nodded, her eyes glassy, her legs pushing against him. “Yes.”
He stripped her bare, tossing her pants and lacy thong over his shoulder.
“You gonna come in my mouth?” He lowered his face to nuzzle her wet little pussy, her cream coating his lips, waiting for him to taste. He blew over her hot flesh. “You gonna scream for me?”
She nodded again as she wiggled her hips. “I’m going to fuck you so hard after you do, wolfie.”
He grinned up at her and winked. “I’m counting on it.”
He devoured her, his tongue lapping, teeth nipping, her pussy lips quivering. She mounted quickly, her orgasm clenching his fingers as he rubbed her G-spot and made her scream. He wanted to ride it out, suck up every last whimper and spasm, but Darcy had other plans.
She pushed him back, one foot on his shoulder, forcing him away as she sat up in a daze. “My turn.” She bent in front of him, her ass high in the air, fingers stroking his cock as he leaned back on his knees.
He was expecting her lips on his dick, closed his eyes, thinking that the best was yet to come, and then he felt the wallop of her magic and snapped his gaze down. “What the hell are you doing, D?”
She grinned up at him. His dick, still in her hands, was glowing with an iridescent kind of light.
“What the fuck?”
She stroked his cock and he almost came right then and there. Whatever she’d done to his dick, whatever that magic was, made him tingle with a warm vibrating pulse. “Holy shit,” he moaned as his eyes slid closed again. It felt so good, like she’d coated him in a sentient lube.
“You like it?” She was still stroking him. He could feel her fingers, her palm, rubbing him, amplifying the intensity from crown to balls.
“Hell yes,” he groaned.
“That’s what I thought.” She took her hand away and climbed on top of him, her pussy feeling a million times better than her fingers or her palm.
He looked down at her, his hands on her ass, adjusting so he leaned back on his heels more, leveraging her so she could pump her body, her breasts rubbing against his slick chest, her lips against his throat.
“Now it’s my turn to make you scream,” she said with a nip against his flesh.
* * * * *
“You’re good.” Raven chuckled, any frustration and anxiety he’d felt long gone.
Why had he been mad anyway? He barely remembered.
“I know.” Darcy rolled onto her side, her hand pressed to her forehead as she panted to catch her breath.
“What the hell was that?” He glanced down at his dick; the glow had faded to just a slight shimmer.
“Magical condom.” Darcy laughed. “Found a spell online. Thought I’d give it a try.”
“You experimented on my cock?” Not that he really minded. It felt damn good and he trusted Darcy’s skill with her spells.
She rolled up against him and kissed his arm. “You liked it, didn’t you?”
He moved so that he could wrap his arm around her and pulled her onto his chest, kissing the top of her head as he did. “Hell yes, I did. Best idea ever.”
He felt her smile, her breath coming out in soft pants against his hot skin. They lay in silence on the floor, his heart hammering as the presence of his wolf made itself known. Sunrise was coming. His wolf was restless. The long days cooped up in hotel rooms were beyond the point of tolerable for his beast. They’d both be glad when they made it back home where the safety of their forest waited. He didn’t need much sleep but he did miss the sunny days lounging in the woods and the freedom to run without risk of exposure.
He could have laid there content and dozy, let himself fall asleep for a few with his woman in his arms.
He could have.
“You gonna tell me where you went tonight?” That nagging feeling in his gut flared and he cursed himself for bringing it up.
A heartbeat passed. Just enough time for him to open his mouth for a second round of questioning.
“Bree and I just needed some girl time.” She reached down and traced her fingers over his cock. He felt the pulse of her magic once again. “One more round before sunrise.” She kissed his chest, then licked his nipple, her hand covering his cock as she murmured a spell.
Raven moaned. “You’ll be the death of me, Darc, you know that?” And she was totally distracting him. He wouldn’t be able to question her all day in his wolf form. But with his dick pulsing, he couldn’t say he actually cared at the moment.
She giggled as she trailed her lips down his body, her fingers working his cock until he was throbbing all over again. When her lips touched his tip, his brain misfired, obliterating any other thoughts after that.
Chapter Three
Darcy was a little sad to be leaving Scotland. The accents were great, the scenery amazing, and the forests teeming with beasts, ripe for culling. She knew she was thinking like a bloodthirsty killer, but the impulse to hunt the beasts was there, a constant throb, even more so now that she’d claimed her first fang. She finally understood what Aubrey had been talking about for months. Killing the beast had felt right and she wanted to do it again.
She fingered the trophy and then pulled it out of her pocket to gaze at it one last time before she had to pack it in her carry-on. It was huge, rutted with pits and streaks of stains. The root of it was at least half an inch, the tooth itself more than an inch. Massive and deadly, and it didn’t smell all that great either. Gross, yes, but also a symbol of power. She’d done her duty and she’d do it again just as soon as they got back to the US.
“You all ready to get going, Darc?” Raven came into the room, a jacket slung over his shoulder. “Flight leaves in two hours.”
The sun must have set without Darcy noticing, too caught up in last-minute packing. She quickly shoved the tooth into her pocket and spun to face her suitcase before putting a few last pieces of clothing inside.
“Yep, all ready. Just gotta get this case closed. You wanna give me a hand?”
Raven swooped in, his arm around her waist as he pulled her close. “Too much shopping, huh?” he said with a smirk as he planted a kiss on her lips.
“Just a tad.” Darcy shifted away, her thoughts almost entirely focused on getting the tooth from her pocket to her bag without him noticing. She didn’t want to have to answer any questions at security and was worried about losing the damn thing altogether if it wasn’t secured in a safe place.
“Hey, you okay?” Raven pulled her back into his embrace, trapping her fingers in her pocket where she’d been trying to fish out her prize.
“Yes, of course.” She chuckled uncomfortably then kissed him, letting her tongue play along the seam of his lips. “Just thinking about what kind of trouble we can get into on the flight.”
Raven grinned. “What’ve you got in your pocket, sweets? Another surprise for me?” Before she could stop him, he yanked her hand out of her pocket and held it up to his face.
She closed her fist around the fang. “No, just a souvenir.” She tugged her hand, but he tightened his grip on her wrist.
“What the hell is that smell?” Raven scrunched up his face.
Darcy’s heart ramped up and she tried to pull her hand away again.
“What the fuck, Darcy?” He used his other hand to pry her
fingers open. “What the hell is that?”
The fang rolled from her palm to the floor. She snapped down to pick it up. Raven beat her to it, pinching it between his fingers like it was toxic. A low growl started in his chest, rumbling up like a volcano. Darcy took a step back, crossed her arms, and met his icy glare.
“It’s mine. I won it. I want it back.” She held out her hand, trying her hardest to keep it steady despite her revving heart.
“You won it?” Raven held the fang up with a sneer. “As in you cut it out of a beast’s mouth? When did you get it?” He held his other hand up. “Never mind, I already know the answer to that. You’ve been hunting, haven’t you?”
“I’m a Huntress. That’s what I’m meant to do.” She stared at him defiantly. “You can’t ignore my destiny.”
“Your destiny? To get yourself killed by a fang?” His voice was a low roar. “What the fuck are you thinking, Darcy?”
“This is my role, I’m supposed to—”
“You aren’t trained for this! You can barely wield your spells properly lately!”
Darcy flinched. Low blow. “I’m a capable Huntress. You need to respect that.”
“Respect what? I don’t need to do shit! You’re going to get yourself killed out there and for what?” He held the fang up. “A fucking trophy?”
“No, Aubrey says—”
“Aubrey?” Raven growled. “So that’s what’s going on? You girls have cooked up this little fantasy of hunting beasts down? Jay!” he shouted. “You need to be hearing this!”
Darcy winced, knowing she’d just gotten her best friend into a boatload of trouble. “This has nothing to do with Bree. It was all my idea. I went out alone—”
“Don’t you fucking lie to me, Darcy.” Raven glared at her before walking out of the room altogether.
She trailed after him, trying to think of some way to stop the shit-show that was about to go down.
The entire band seemed to walk into the giant living room of their penthouse suite at the same time. The men looked agitated, most likely picking up on Raven’s vibes, which seemed to be the way they worked.
Beast Rising: The Order of the Wolf, Book 7 Page 2