by Dana Archer
“And feared.”
“Yes, but nobody would dare risk the anger of the goddesses by intentionally striking out at the girl.” The respect many ancient shifters held for the goddesses added a sense of reverence to Brock’s statement. Not only did they honor their creators, they also feared them. Xander understood this too.
“That’s also why some Council members want to put an end to any unusual pairing of mates before they’re blessed by the goddesses.”
“Exactly. My recommendation to any shifter wanting to enter into an unnatural bond would be to keep their relationship secret until they are blessed under the light of the moon.” Brock yanked back, dropping a solid wall between their minds. Then he stood there, staring at Xander with the same unwavering glare he’d worn while they’d shared the private exchange.
One of them would have to break the battle of wills. Xander couldn’t see the stubborn ancient shifter in front of him doing so. Though it irritated him, Xander eased the tension in his jaw and spoke. “We can keep up this dominance standoff for days, but I—”
“Weeks, actually.” Brock grinned. “I’ve done so before.”
“—don’t have time for it. I want to know about these ridiculous and trumped-up charges the Council has concocted so I can crush them before this gets out of hand.” Xander continued as if Brock hadn’t interrupted him.
“Too late. It already has,” James chimed in.
“Interrupting a conversation between an alpha and an ancient is disrespectful.” Brock focused his deadly glare on the single shifter. “Do not forget there is a hierarchy on the Council also and where in the ranks you fall.”
“All members of the Council wield an equal power.” James took a step forward. “Threatening me will result in—”
“We are not seated at the Council’s table. The only consideration I am required to give you outside of our official meetings is to not end your life. Nothing else. Remember that.”
“When we are on official Council business—”
Brock rushed forward and wrapped a clawed hand around the other male’s throat. Blood flowed in steady rivulets down James’s throat, and his nostrils flared on raspy breaths. He opened his mouth but no words came out.
“We are not on official business. We are here to offer the Winchester alpha the opportunity to save Vladimir and Gwendolyn from being charged with Molly Elizabeth Burnett’s death.”
Vlad stepped forward. Anger still tightened his features and roughened his voice, but he didn’t lunge at either James or Brock. Vlad stood with his hands loose at his sides and his stance relaxed. The calm mask was a ruse no sane male would believe. Restraint and willpower stopped Vlad from attacking the Council members. It had nothing to do with civility or respect for those in positions of power. “And what opportunity is that?”
Brock smiled as if he’d been waiting for someone to ask the question. He threw James backward, then faced Vlad. “Bring the child to the next Council meeting.”
Physical proof would destroy the Council’s attempt to hurt Xander’s mate and partner, along with Molly, but it’d be hard to deliver. Molly had yet to return to her human form. Until she did, she’d have to remain officially dead.
One look at Molly in her lion cub form, and they’d label her feral. Once a shifter bore that label, their death was already sealed. It wouldn’t matter if the shifter in question was five or five hundred. The only redemption they’d earn would be among the goddesses in the afterlife.
Chapter 33
Another day had passed without Gwen by his side to soothe his jagged soul.
Xander cut the engine to the SUV and pressed a balled fist to his chest. The ache centered there had grown since he’d given a piece of his soul to Gwen. It wasn’t an uncommon occurrence for mated males who entered into a breeding bond. The natural drive to return to the keeper of their soul was powerful and instinctual. If something happened to her, they’d lose their chance to breed.
Producing an heir had no bearing on Xander’s compulsion to seek out Gwen. He missed her smile, her scent, her touch. More importantly, he missed listening to her speak. Her words and actions reflected her strength, empathy, and passion.
By the gods, she was the bravest woman he’d ever known. He couldn’t wait to show her how much he appreciated her. How he respected her.
How he was falling in love with her.
First, though, he had to ensure her safety and Vlad’s. Any declaration of love or attempt to secure her forgiveness for his past sins would have to wait. At least until tonight. He wanted to go to her with a solid plan to protect Molly and Elias from being condemned for being perceived as feral.
Xander closed his eyes for a moment, blocking out the view of the Jager alpha’s home, and built the image of his sanctuary. Gwen’s soft, wavy brown hair framed her rounded face. Her warm brown eyes burned with a mixture of innocence and passion. Her curvy, lush body invited her lover’s touch. Tonight, while Xander dealt with legal and pack matters, it would be Vlad’s hands on her.
His partner would seduce her. Love her. Make her tremble and moan his name. Xander knew it. Vlad had told him of his plans. They hadn’t bothered Xander. They’d excited him. He had his own fantasy to play out with Gwen. Then they’d take her together.
Shoving those thoughts aside before his body reacted to the images, Xander got out of the SUV and approached the large home. Intricate landscaping surrounded the place, but whoever had planted the gardens had done so with surveillance in mind. Nothing in the yard offered any spot large enough for a wolf or person to use as cover.
The small detail spoke of the thought processes of those who lived here. Practicality governed them. Hopefully, it would in all things, and they’d agree to Xander’s plans. If they didn’t, the Winchester pack might very well have to move. Again.
The front door opened, revealing the tall, lean frame of the Jager alpha. Wearing a dark gray suit, complete with a tie and a large gold watch, the male didn’t look as if he should be leading a pack, but appearances deceived those who didn’t listen to their instincts. Xander’s warned him this male wasn’t what he appeared. Power, confidence, and composure surrounded him. The qualities would make Ethan a shrewd leader, a dangerous enemy, and a loyal ally.
As expected, Ethan Jager locked his gaze with Xander’s and closed the distance between them, stopping less than a foot from him. “This is Jager territory. Explain your purpose for being here, or your headless body will be left on the outskirts of my pack lands for your pack mates to find.”
Although aggressive, Ethan’s greeting echoed the traditional one given to outsiders viewed as inferior. Hearing it brought a small smile to Xander’s face. Most single shifter groups feared Royals. Xander would rather be surrounded by bold shifter groups than those willing to hide behind or blindly follow the dictates handed out by the Shifter Council.
“Ethan Jager, it is an honor to finally meet you. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Xander, alpha of the Winchester pack. I have settled my pack nearby, and I am here today to offer my oath of peaceful coexistence and protection to you and yours.”
“Protection?” Ethan’s blond brow quirked. “Who do we need protection from? We are not at war with anyone.”
Here was the conversation he’d preferred to have waited until after Ethan had accepted his oath of peace. Putting it out there now was for the best, though. Then Ethan couldn’t come back and say he’d been tricked. “Not yet, but once I file papers with Shifter Affairs requesting to build a facility to rehabilitate shifters, you might need my pack’s protection from the backlash of the shifter community and the Shifter Council. Not all members of our species see the value in assimilating our victimized brethren back into society.”
Ethan stared at him for a long moment before opening his arms for the embrace that very well might end Xander’s life as easily as it could end Ethan’s. If either of them wanted to, they could rip each other’s head off.
Without wasting another second, Xande
r accepted the formal greeting, wrapping his arms around Ethan in what humans would assume was a hug.
“You ever touch my mate again, even if it’s only a handshake, you’ll return to your pack without a hand,” Ethan spoke the threat softly, likely so his mates, who were no doubt watching from the house, wouldn’t hear.
“No worries, neighbor. I can regrow any limb I lose.” Ethan’s growl and the press of his sharpened nails in Xander’s bare back tore a chuckle from him. “And after my partner chops off my penis for disrespecting our female by touching yours, I’ll be grateful for the ability to regenerate body parts. However, since I’d rather not go without sex while my penis regrows, I will refrain from shaking either of your mates’ hands.”
Laughing, Ethan stepped back. “So Hannah’s assessment of your mated status was right.”
“It will be in a couple of days. As it is, my relationship is on a need-to-know basis. The Purists of our species would act to ensure our mating isn’t blessed under the light of the full moon.” Sharing the detail which could damn Xander, Vlad, and Gwen would go farther than anything Xander could do to earn the Jager alpha’s trust. Once Ethan gave his, the Kagan alpha would follow suit. Or so Xander had heard from Devin. The Kagan and Jager packs were bound by strong familial ties.
“Understood. Your secret is safe with me.” Ethan studied him for a long moment, then motioned toward Xander’s SUV. “Care to go for a ride? I have someone who’s been asking to meet you.”
“Yeah? Who’s that?”
“My brother, Owen. He’s dreamt of you.”
The sight of Gwen at the railing of their bedroom stirred Vlad’s hungers. The glimpses of her heavy breasts as she brushed her hair from her face didn’t help. She’d stepped outside wearing a simple robe. Nothing underneath.
He knew why. The wind had picked up. She loved feeling it on her face. Or so he assumed. After years of watching her, he’d come to expect the behavior. Whenever the wind howled, she’d step outside and tip her head back while the wind whipped her hair around her face. Then when the first drops of rain fell, she’d slip inside. Alone.
Not today.
Vlad crossed the backyard, staying out of her line of sight, and entered the house. He kicked off his shoes on the way to the stairs, stepped from his pants once he reached the second floor, and tossed his shirt before approaching their bedroom.
With a soft click she’d never hear, Vlad closed the bedroom door behind him, then zeroed in on her, moving soundlessly. In this instance, she was his prey, a prize he’d hunted for years. Today, he’d claim her as his female, once and for all.
The cool early evening air washed over him the moment he stepped onto the raised deck. It did little to dampen the fire in his blood. Or the possessiveness. Before he left her tonight, she’d be his, irrevocably.
He clamped a hand over her mouth, stifling her gasp, and stepped behind her, pressing his body along hers. She tipped her head back against his chest, completely at ease in his embrace. “Are you trying to entice a lover, my female?”
She shook her head and mumbled something, but his hand over her mouth made her words indecipherable.
He grinned and brushed his open mouth along her jaw to her ear. “Well, you’ve succeeded in arousing me. I’m hard for you.”
With a firm hand, he pressed against her shoulder. She made a shocked sound and grasped the railing of the balcony. He leaned over her. “I need you. And I’m taking you. Do you deny me?”
Again, she shook her head. It was all the confirmation he needed. He touched her. Took from her. Every moan and whimper belonged to him. Her pleasure was his to enjoy. With a skilled hand, he wrung every ounce of ecstasy from his true mate.
It wasn’t enough.
The bite mark Xander had left on her drew Vlad. His fangs slid into place. An image flashed before him, courtesy of his wolves, showing him what he had to do to keep Gwen permanently. He wanted to make it a reality. Freakin’ craved it. Never wanted anything more.
It also wouldn’t happen without her permission.
Vlad pressed his lips to her ear. “Take a piece of my soul, Gwen. Claim me, flaws and all. I am yours.”
“Forever, right?” She reached back and dug her nails into his backside. “You’re mine forever.”
“Always have been, even before I found the key to your soul.”
“The key to my soul?” Gwen glanced over her shoulder. The question showed in her lust-hazed eyes: What was he talking about?
He tore his gaze from hers and focused on the raised entry points of her mate bite. Vlad had to make it his too. He licked the bumpy skin, numbing her for his bite. Her shaky exhale might’ve brought a smile to his face, knowing he too could stimulate her as only her mate should be able to do, but the primal instincts gripping him stopped him from enjoying the knowledge.
Vlad had to mate this female, his female, now. He couldn’t wait. He’d lose Gwen if he did.
“Xander,” Vlad answered then bit Gwen’s shoulder. She gasped, and her soul opened to him.
The purity of his true mate’s soul beckoned him closer. The shock of seeing the scar running through the center of the white globe stopped him from basking in her warmth and goodness. There was no mistaking the proof in front of him.
Gwen’s soul had been torn in half.
One side of the line bisecting her soul appeared stark and barren. The other side looked incomplete with only the small piece of Xander’s soul twined into hers. The realization of what the division of Gwen’s soul meant rocked Vlad. Gwen was the gateway between their souls. Their home. Their miracle.
Using mental fingers, Vlad traced the line dividing her soul. “Xander left room in your soul for me.”
Gwen reached for him, drawing him closer with her welcoming metaphysical arms. “Then claim me.”
He didn’t have to be told twice. He pushed a piece of his soul into the unmarred side of her soul, claiming this half of her as his. Her body seized. Pain whipped through her.
Vlad did the only thing he could to ease her. He opened his soul and took her agony inside. “It’s okay. You’re safe with me.”
His words drew forth a memory he wished he could’ve scrubbed from his mind. He fought the recollection, but Gwen latched on to it, giving it life. He cursed but couldn’t stop it.
* * *
The flicker of candlelight danced shadows over the walls, and the lulling aroma of freshly cut lavender saturated the air. If Vlad had the right to touch the woman in front of him, the ambiance would fit a long night of slow, satisfying loving, the kind Elizabeth preferred. Vlad knew her favorite form of sex. He often watched Xander pleasure his wife for hours on end before she fell into an exhausted and sated sleep.
Vlad didn’t have the right to touch Elizabeth, though. All he could offer was his comfort. Lately, it did little to soothe his friend’s human wife. Her tears came more often and lasted longer. Vlad hated seeing her curl into a ball and rock back and forth. Hated seeing her cry until her face turned blotchy and eyes puffy. Hated that she thought herself worthless and barren, unable to conceive a child. Hated that she feared her husband was sleeping with other females. Mostly, though, Vlad hated his friend for lying to her.
No more. If Xander was too weak to tell his wife the truth, she’d hear it from Vlad.
“Elizabeth.” Vlad brushed a lock of Elizabeth’s red hair from her wet cheek. “You need to stop this. The tears don’t help.”
She weakly shoved at his hand. She never let him touch her, no matter how innocent his caress. “They are all I have.”
He sighed and balled his fist. What had he done in life to deserve this? Who had he shamed? Whatever his sin, it had to be grave. He could think of no other explanation for the longing he experienced for this woman who belonged to his best friend.
No matter how many times he reminded himself of how wrong this was, he couldn’t stop the desire or the sick, depraved urges that compelled him to carry Elizabeth to her marriage bed and pump into her
body until his pleasure seized him and he covered her stomach with his seed.
The fantasy stirred his shaft to life. He hunkered down next to where she lay on the floor in an effort to hide his aroused member. His kilt would offer some camouflage, as long as he didn’t stand.
“Tell me why these tears trouble you.” Though, he could likely guess. Xander had left this morning for a long run in the woods, the only opportunity his wolves had to be free. Either that or another month had passed without a child being conceived.
“My husband broke a promise to me.”
This was new. Despite Xander’s misguided beliefs that led him into this sham of a relationship with a forbidden human, Xander would never break his word once it was given. “About what?”
“Wanting a child.” Elizabeth sat up. Her face was as blotchy as ever, but fire lit her eyes. Vlad had never seen it there before. It intrigued him. “I overheard him talking to the man who often brings us supplies. Dante. Do you know him?”
“Yes.” Dante was the only other shifter who knew about Xander’s secret human wife.
“Xander said he was glad I was barren. He couldn’t imagine creating a baby with me.” More tears rolled down her cheeks, but her nostrils flared. She pushed to her feet and leveled a hard glare at him. “You know why, don’t you? I see the pity in your eyes. Tell me. Why doesn’t my husband want a child with me?”
* * *
Gwen pulled back from the memory and shoved Vlad from her soul. He eased back, licking the wound on her shoulder shut, and met his true mate’s furious brown eyes.