by RJ Blain
I wrinkled my nose. “I’m a coward because I can’t ever do anything for myself.”
“You’ve lost me, darling. Back up. What do you mean you can’t ever do anything for yourself? You were doing fine on your own in Vegas until that creep ex-boyfriend and your so-called friend came along. You handled them on your own just fine.” My mate stroked his hand over my hair, and when there was a knock at the door, he spat curses, untangled himself from me, and went to answer it.
The room service arrived with enough food for four, and moments after the hotel’s employee left, I heard my mate greet Desmond, though he didn’t come into view of the bedroom. “Sorry to intrude on you two, but I thought I’d come by to pick up our bags so we don’t have to run around the hotel naked in the morning. Since I saw room service coming down the hall, I figured it was safe.”
I grabbed the edge of the duvet, flipped over, and burrowed under it.
“I took over the smaller bedroom because it was closer to the front door,” my mate replied. “What was the deal with Joseph?”
“You’re no longer ready to bite people?” Desmond asked, his tone wary.
Snarling at the mention of Seattle’s Second, I threw off the blankets, got out of bed, and went in search of my mate and Desmond. I found a dining room and a study before locating them in a living room. Desmond was perched on the arm of the couch while my mate arranged platters on one of the two coffee tables.
“Do I count as a people? Maybe I want him to bite me,” I murmured, considering where to sit. There were too many choices. I could sit on the couch with Desmond, the couch across from Desmond, or on one of the room’s four armchairs. “What is with this suite? I should not be able to get lost in a hotel room. This is excessive.”
“Bragging rights at the party,” Desmond explained. “If I’m willing to spend this much on a room for a couple of nights, they know I have serious money. These type of people treat money like it’s God, and he with the most to spend rules supreme. What they don’t know is that I’m being compensated for the expenses. What they don’t know won’t hurt them. Sanders’s suite is almost as nice.”
Deciding I would never understand such excessive waste, I turned my attention back to Joseph. “I hope I broke that fucker’s jaw,” I grumbled.
“You did, actually.”
I froze in place, my breath catching in my throat. “I did?”
“Nothing a change or two won’t fix, Sara. He deserved it for getting in your face and startling you. You surprised me, though. I didn’t think you had it in you,” Desmond replied.
“What I want to know is why he was anywhere near her, let alone in her face. I told him to stay away from her,” Sanders snarled, sprawling on the couch across from Desmond. I crossed over to him, and when I hesitated, he sat up, grabbed my wrist, and pulled me to him. I was so focused on him I tripped over my own feet, gasping as I landed on him.
Sighing, Desmond propped his feet up on the coffee table. “Chrissy claims he meant to apologize. She seemed honest enough. I spoke with Wendy, who had decided to interrogate both of them. I’ve been told they were operating under the assumption Sara was like other new pack members and could sense really strong feelings if they were focused on her. They got together and thought it’d be a quick way to make her uncomfortable enough to leave, thus proving she wasn’t fit to claim you during the winter rut. It seems they didn’t want to believe she’s your mate. They have been reeducated. They didn’t realize—according to them, at least—Sara was so sensitive. In short, she picked up far more than they intended.”
My wolf bristled at the idea she hadn’t sufficiently marked Sanders as her territory, and I whined at how upset she became over it. He wrapped his arms around me, kissing the side of my throat. “I hope you explained my beautiful, flawless mate rutted early. I’m simply powerless against her charms.”
“I didn’t. However, Dustin did and rather graphically. He made a brief visit on his way to his room, woke Joseph so he could enjoy his broken jaw, and educated them on what Miss Madison’s health was like prior to her swimming in the ocean compared to after. He made Chrissy cry, which earned her exactly no sympathy from myself, Wendy, or Holly. Joseph was appropriately horrified. It was quite educational.”
“I’ll have to thank him,” Sanders murmured.
“You’ll have plenty of opportunities, I’m sure. So you’re aware, I’ve already issued threats about stealing your pack. I figured they could use some extra motivation to keep their noses clean. I told them if I took over as their Alpha, I was giving you to Richard as a Christmas present. And I may have mentioned if I took over as their Alpha, I’d be seeking a suitable candidate for my replacement, seeing as there’s none currently in the Seattle pack.”
My mate growled. “I have already informed Sara I was willing and considering the idea of abdicating as Alpha and transferring packs. I may consider petitioning to start a new pack in a different city.”
“The uppers are not going to approve, and you know it.”
“They can go fuck themselves if they think I’m going to risk my mate again.”
Desmond chuckled, hopping to his feet. “I was thinking I’d do a hostile takeover of Seattle, systematically exile each and every one of them, and force them to petition Sara to be allowed back into the pack. Should they not satisfy her with their sincerity, they would be relocated. I am going back to watch Wendy snarl and snap at your Second. It’s the best entertainment I’ve had recently, second to watching your little lady hunt you down.”
“I’m so glad you find me as prey so amusing,” my mate muttered.
With a wicked gleam in his eye, Desmond came around the coffee table. Leaning over us, he met my mate’s gaze and held it. “You know it is my job to take over packs should certain situations arise. You’ll make a lovely Second for me in the interim, Sanders. I could take you out right here and now and not even break a sweat. I already have your lady, which will make it even easier to subjugate you. With your pack in flux, they wouldn’t have time to get their shit together to prevent me from taking you from them. If you ask really nicely, I’ll be very gentle with you.”
My mate stiffened, and he sucked in a breath. “You wouldn’t.”
“Oh? I wouldn’t? You’re going to sit still and wait while I deal with your mate.”
Snarling with each exhale, my mate froze, his eyes blazing a brilliant yellow.
I sat up, my eyes widening as my wolf worried. “What’s going on? What—”
Desmond bit my neck. Pain stabbed down my spine, and I went limp. Catching me as I slumped, he lifted me up and carried me to the other couch. Once I was stretched out on it to his liking, he kissed my cheek. “Sorry, Sara. This’ll only take a few minutes. You just relax. I’ve got to decide if I’m taking his entire pack or just him. I suppose I should just take the entire pack along with him, but lock down the bonds so they can’t sense him—or you—at all.”
Sounding far too pleased with himself, Desmond sat on the couch beside my mate. “So, there’s two ways this could work, Sanders. I have your mate in my pack. I know full well your wolf is itching to reestablish pack bonds with her. You’ll try to fight me, being the stubborn mule you are, and your wolf will ultimately betray you and submit because he knows I have your mate. You could just accept I’m going to win the dominance fight, submit quietly, and let me deal with your pack while you and your mate have a great deal of quality time together without you stressing over the state of your pack. While I may want to feed them to Dustin’s sharks, I’ll restrain myself. I really recommend the second option, as I don’t think you’d like your mate witnessing a full-fledged dominance battle tonight. We can put on a show for her when I’m ready for you to take back leadership of your pack.”
“You son of a bitch,” my mate growled.
“You’ll thank me tomorrow. You’ve already lost, and you know it. I told you to sit still and wait, and you obeyed me.”
“Why are you doing this?”
&
nbsp; “So many reasons, so little time. I’ll pick my favorite two. I like you. I like Sara. Those are my reasons. As you can’t argue with such logic, you’ll simply have to suffer while I do what is best for both of you.” Desmond reached out, wrapped his arm around my mate’s shoulders, and pulled him close. “You need to give Sara all of your attention tonight, and this is the only way I can guarantee you’ll have no distractions.”
My mate stared at me for a long moment, drew in a deep breath, and let it out in a long exhale. “If this hurts her at all, if you slip even a bit, I will fight you with everything I have.”
“Sara will be safe and sound, don’t you worry. I’ll make this as painless for you as possible,” Desmond promised. “I make no such promises for the rest of your pack, but sacrifices must be made sometimes. I’m sure they’ll get over it eventually.”
“You’re a real asshole sometimes, Desmond,” my mate grumbled.
“I know, but you love me anyway, even if you’re too shy to admit it.”
Desmond did something to my mate, and whatever it was, it hurt; his pain lashed into me, a searing burn against my bones. My wolf, in her fury, broke free of the paralysis of Desmond’s bite, and before I could intervene, she lunged over the coffee table.
As soon as we were moving, she released some of her control over me. I cleared the table and the dishes, set to land on Desmond with both of my knees aimed at his spine. He twisted, whipped out his arm, and caught me across the stomach. With a grunt and far more strength than a human could hope to possess, he threw me down on top of my mate. Sanders wheezed, and we sprawled in a tangle.
“You really are a little hellcat, aren’t you?” Desmond muttered, grabbing hold of my neck in a hand, squeezing tight enough I struggled to breathe. “Sara, that’s enough.”
At the command in Desmond’s voice, my wolf recoiled, though she forced several snarls out of me. Without her needing to suggest it, I bared my teeth at Desmond, but with his hand around my throat, I didn’t dare move.
“It only hurt a moment, silly bitch. Sanders, please calm your mate so I don’t hurt her.”
My mate, still gasping for breath, wrapped an arm around my waist. With a little help from Desmond, he sat up while holding onto me. “And here I thought Richard hit hard, but you’re something else. Ouch.”
“That’s not very calming,” Desmond scolded.
Someone rang the suite’s doorbell, and snickering, Desmond rose. Without releasing my neck, he stared down at my mate. “Can you control her or do I have to take her to the door with me?”
I didn’t need prompting from my wolf to growl again. My mate worked his hand under Desmond’s, seizing my throat in a gentler grip. “I’ll calm her down. Sara, it’s all right. Killing your Alpha is typically considered bad form.”
Desmond let go, and when he ruffled my hair with his hand, I snapped my teeth at him, although my mate’s hold on me prevented me from landing a bite.
“Protective little bitch, aren’t you?” Desmond asked, his voice rich with affection. The warmth my wolf so enjoyed seeped into me, and she settled. I kept struggling in my mate’s hold, but I couldn’t escape him. I breathed hard and fast, and unable to keep fighting, I stilled. Once the Alpha left, my mate adjusted his hold on me, pressed his mouth to my throat, and teased me with his tongue before scraping his teeth against my skin.
My wolf melted under his caressing touch, and I shivered, gasping at the way he made me burn for him.
“Watching you go after Desmond is seriously sexy, I hope you know that,” he growled, his lips moving against my neck. He worked his way up towards my ear, and I closed my eyes as the pleasuring heat intensified. “I’m fine, Sara. Yes, it hurt, but I’m fine. He’s buffering; it just took him a moment to situate himself. His word is good. In the grand scheme of things, he was as gentle as he gets.”
A phone rang, and sighing, my mate pulled away from me and reached into his pocket.
“Don’t you even think of answering that, Mr. Sanders,” Desmond called out from the other room.
My mate hissed curses between his teeth, set his phone on the coffee table, and grunted his displeasure. “I hate taking orders from that rat.”
“I heard that.” Moments later, Desmond appeared, confiscated my mate’s phone, and chuckled. “You’ll survive for a week or two. Suffer until then. In the meantime, do keep each other company. I’ll bring your things here and leave them in the foyer. Give me the key to Sara’s room, please.”
Sanders sighed, reached into his pocket again, and pulled out the key to my room. “There.”
“Have fun, puppies.”
Desmond left, and my mate waved his fist at the Fenerec’s back.
“What did he do?” I demanded, snapping my teeth at my mate’s neck. With a soft laugh, he pulled away out of my nipping range. “He hurt you.”
“He did exactly what he threatened. He yanked Seattle’s pack right out from under my ass. It’s not the first time he’s done it; he took over temporarily right after Mary’s death to buffer me from the pack. Then, he did it with the pack aware he was going to. This time, he just went and did exactly what he wanted as usual.” Sighing, my mate relaxed on the couch, closed his eyes, and stretched his legs. “It hurt because every instinct I have as an Alpha is to keep my pack secure. Even allowing him to do it, I couldn’t help fighting it. So, instead of a painless transition, I got my ass handed to me.”
I frowned, and because my wolf had calmed, I followed her lead. “It happened so fast.”
“That’s Desmond for you. He doesn’t draw things out. Quick and painful as hell is his preferred method. He was right, though. With the pack in flux, I couldn’t ward him off long enough for them to help me. By the time they realized I was in trouble, he already had me. Desmond has quarantined me with you, and knowing him, he’s going to make them sit and stew, wondering if he killed me taking over the pack. If they think about it, they’ll know he hasn’t. He has a very aggressive sense of pack justice. Whoever came to the door was probably told to keep their mouth shut, and it’s damned difficult to disobey direct orders from Desmond.”
“Quarantined,” I echoed, my wolf growling at the thought of us being treated like we were diseased. “What do you mean by pack justice?”
My mate cracked open an eye and smiled at me. “Eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth, darling. Maybe they didn’t mean to drive you so far, but they did. The bastard is projecting a sick amount of pleasure and satisfaction in my direction. Unless I’m mistaken, all you’re getting is a healthy dose of affection, probably from Wendy, as Desmond’s having far too much fun being a sadist. He’s projecting echoes of it in my direction so I know he’s keeping his word.”
My wolf was basking in the odd source of warmth, which blanketed me when my mate wasn’t touching me. “Oh. Will he hurt them?”
“The only ones you have to worry about tonight is you and me, Sara,” my mate growled. “And I seem to recall it is my duty to feed you tonight, by hand, morsel after morsel, as though you were a Roman Empress and I your slave. You’re going to need a lot of energy for what I have planned for you. By morning, you’re not going to have a single doubt how much I want and need you. And who knows, maybe I’ll show that insufferable Dustin I know far more than he thinks I do. Maybe if you’re really lucky, I’ll dig out a couple of my ties,” he said, narrowing his eyes as he took his time looking me over from head to toe. “I’ve had this urge to catch and tie up a certain stripper ever since I first saw her. My wolf wants to hear you moan, woman, and so do I.”
Had anyone else suggested such a thing to me, it would’ve frightened me, but the idea of Sanders taking control sent my wolf into a lustful frenzy. I trembled, fighting off her need to grab him and put an end to his teasing. Breathless from the effort of staying still, I asked, “And what do you intend to do with the stripper once you catch her?”
“Anything I want. Tonight, I think I’ll just worry about making you feel beautiful, wanted, and desired, and c
rushing any doubts you might have rattling about in that pretty head of yours. I’ll be forced to enjoy every moment of it. It’s a terrible price to pay, but I’ll suffer for the cause.”
My wolf wanted him now, and no longer able to resist her desires, I crawled onto my mate’s lap, staring at his throat. He took hold of my chin, tilted my head up, and kissed me. Grabbing hold of me, he sat up, twisted, and lowered me to the couch, all without his lips leaving mine. When he finished with me, I panted to catch my breath.
“Not yet, darling. Soon. If I don’t feed you first, you’ll surely fall asleep before I’m finished with you, and that simply won’t do. Maybe I can’t take away your memories of earlier tonight, but I’ll replace them with so many good ones they won’t matter as much. Tomorrow, the day after, and the day after, I’ll do it all over again. I’m going to do my damned best for the rest of our lives to make sure I never give you a reason to ever go away.” He smiled at me, pressing his thumb to my lips. “We Fenerec can live a long time, so prepare yourself, Sara.”
Chapter Twenty
My mate’s growls woke me, and grumbling a protest, I snuggled closer to him. Filling my nose with his scent, I relaxed when all my wolf could detect was mild annoyance.
“It’s too early to get up,” I mumbled. “Go back to sleep.”
“Good morning, Sara,” Desmond said, and his amusement irritated a growl out of me. “You need to get up. It’s ten.”
Two hours of sleep wasn’t enough to function, and thanks to my mate’s enthusiasm, I was sore and achy from head to toe. “Why do I have to get up?” I whined.
“I require your mate for a phone call, dear.”
“So bring him one of those fucking portable phone thingies, hand it to him, and go away so I can go back to sleep.”
“I believe cell phone is the term you’re looking for. Unfortunately, it’s a conference call.”
“Unacceptable,” I declared, and while my mate stretched and yawned, I wiggled under the blankets so I could nuzzle his throat, making contented noises. “It is sleep time, not social hour. Social hour is at eight, which means I don’t have to be awake until four. Go away.”