Wild and Fevered

by Long, Heather

  The kids didn’t understand any of it, they only knew fear and pain and that someone they loved had been hurt. “She’d be embarrassed by the fuss,” he said aloud, knowing the words didn’t matter to the younger animals.

  They needed to be distracted and, with the exception of Kid, Ben and Anthony responded to no one else as they did to him. They looked at him to lead. Age or ability aside, he didn’t know why and he didn’t care. He would do what needed to be done.

  “When she wakes up, she’s going to be cross about the mess, but you can tell her I ate the rest of her stew.” It had been left to warm in a pot throughout the day and he’d devoured it in the hours after returning in between feeding some to the kids, and then offering broth to Mariska when she shifted. Noah wanted her to drink as much as he could get down her throat.

  Water. Broth.

  She needed more to eat. Jo would fix food. So would Delilah. They were all simply waiting for her to wake. Kid sat in a chair across the room, saying nothing. His company was enough. Not once had he tried to mitigate Cody’s pain and oddly, Cody was grateful for the fact. Once upon a time, Kid would have taken the whole of it. But Cody needed to feel, he needed his strength for her.

  “She doesn’t ask for much, but she likes to help. She offers her time, and her skills without complaint. No task is too great or too small. Every day she makes an effort, and she puts up with me.” Another half-smile curved his lips and he looked at Kid, then. “I think she would do more, feed me more often if I’d let her.”

  “You ate her food this week.” Of course he understood, he’d been damn near poisoned by her during their first meeting. Accidentally. Yes, his mate never meant real harm to anyone, not unless they tried to harm her first.

  “She’s not a bad cook.” He sighed. “Of course, if she wants to practice more, I’ll eat all of it.” Even if he hated the meals, he’d choke them down. All she had to do was wake up.

  “You could learn to cook.” Like a gift from the spirits, her raspy, low voice carried like a clarion call. Kid sat forward, while Ben and Anthony jerked to their feet. Cody glanced down to find her eyelids cracked open slightly.

  “I could,” he said, quiet joy expanding in his heart. “If you’ll teach me.”

  “Even with herbs?” If she were well enough to tease him, she was…

  “Whatever you want.” The fierce happiness burst through him and he bent down to kiss her gently. “Thank you for waking up.”

  “Anthony?” She wanted to know about the boy. The young wolf whined in response and edged closer to nuzzle her, his gaze flicking warily to Cody’s then down again. Cody allowed the contact. Then Ben was there and the two tried to sort themselves out so they could be close to her without stepping on each other.

  They allowed the boys a few minutes with her before Kid herded them out, leaving Cody alone with his mate. Lifting her into his arms, he cradled her against his chest. “I’m very angry with you,” he said. “Do not ever try to die on me again.”

  “I didn’t try to die,” she argued and his mouth curved again. Even exhausted, she sounded testy. “I was fighting a bear.” With a groan, she tried to sit and when she couldn’t, he carried her to an upright position. “I feel like the bear ran over me. What happened?”

  Rubbing her arm gently, he pulled her dressing gown aside so she could see the three long ribbon thin scars diagonally bisecting her from shoulder to hip. The injuries had been gruesome in the initial aftermath.

  “Oh.” Paling, she tested the scars with her fingers. “What—I never felt it hit me?”

  “Battle doesn’t allow us to feel injury. You lost a lot of blood, but you never stopped fighting.” He could barely say the words around the lump in his throat. “Then you collapsed and I felt your life slipping away.”

  “Cody,” she lifted those liquid black eyes to gaze up at him. Their darkness haunted him, but it was the ring of true blue edging the black that pierced him. Her eyes had changed. “I—”

  “Shh,” he ordered her, because he had to say this. “I was terrified you were going to die. I could feel you slipping away from me, but then you changed. You shifted when I demanded it and again, and again. Cursing me over and over as you did so until you finally grew too tired and too irritated to listen. But it was enough. You saved yourself. You and your wolf, together.”

  Her lashes dipped down hiding the dazzling color of her eyes from him, then swept open once more. “You came when we called.”

  Yes. He’d heard her howl and his blood had gone cold. Racing back to her had been the longest run of his life. Thankfully, the barrier had sent an alert out to Kid and to Jason or they’d never have gotten there in time. Still, it had been Mariska and her wolf embracing each other that had saved them.

  “Don’t ever die,” he told her.

  “I—”

  “No excuses. No arguments. You may fight me on anything else you wish, but on this you must give me your word. Do not ever die. I couldn’t survive it.” He wouldn’t want to. She was his and he was hers in every way that mattered. If he had harbored even one doubt on the subject, the battle would have erased it. Seeing Scarlett marry another had hurt his wolf, this had threatened to kill him. If Mariska hadn’t survived, he wouldn’t have needed to travel to die. He would have simply lain down with her and died there.

  Cupping his cheek, her palm was silk to his roughness. “I promise to fight to be with you. I will not die on you. Not willingly.”

  He could accept that. Dropping his head to kiss her, he claimed her mouth wanting to brand her soul as she had his. She clung to him, returning the heat of his kiss. The rapid rise and fall of her breasts against him drew his attention. Her scent turned heavy, the musk of her arousal perfuming the air.

  She needed rest, but he needed her. His cock jerked at the thought of sinking between her thighs. Somehow, he dredged up the strength to release her. “You should sleep.” The last thing on his mind was rest.

  “I don’t want to sleep,” she said and fisted his hair. “I want you.” With strength he’d always known she possessed, she dragged him back to her and they met in a fiery dance of tongues dueling, stroking, teasing and tasting.

  The first time he’d been with her, his wolf had snapped and snarled and fought him. Leashing his beast, he’d been enchanted by her. Though he’d hardly used the word at the time or any other, he’d still been drunk on the taste of her. Touching her had been a gift.

  Blazing a slow path from her mouth to her breasts, he teased her nipples one at a time. The dark tips, puckered with need, fit against his lips as though they had been made for him.

  Mariska arched her back, groaning at his caresses. Emboldened by her responsiveness, he glided his hand up the warmth of her thigh to tease the black curls that crowned her sex. Sunlight filtered through the curtains, but intoxicated by her nearness, he continued to explore every inch of her. She widened her legs, granting him access and he smiled.

  Her scent was as familiar to him as his own—because he shared nuances of her scent embedded in his as she did. The first time, he’d forbidden her to touch him. Now, she ran her fingers through his hair, her nails gently massaging his scalp. Down his shoulders she caressed and he delighted in the bite of her grip as he dipped his head down to kiss her sex.

  Soaking up her scent, and taste, he licked her from her entrance to the hard bud that he knew would give her pleasure. Locking his mouth on it, he feasted and vibrated his tongue on her until her groans turned to cries. When she came in his arms, he wanted to howl. Giving his mate pleasure filled him with an indefinable joy.

  Rising, he kissed another path across her, this time on the scars that had nearly stolen her away. They would fade further. He knew this. One day soon they would vanish entirely, but he would never forget.

  She tasted of honey, clean rivers, cool air, and cinnamon. What had been so exotic to him had become home. Then his mouth found hers and she grasped his shirt—the fabric floated away in strips. When she reached fo
r his pants, he broke from her long enough to strip and then returned in a rush.

  Legs wrapped around his hips, she welcomed him with another long, hot kiss. One motion and he was deep inside of her. The velvet heat searing him to his soul. He didn’t need words.

  He only needed her.

  Pleasure rolled through him. Pleasure and pride. His mate was stubborn, mean, strong, and dangerous. She was his. When he felt her grip on his cock tighten, and her whole body dragging on him, urging him deeper, he met her demand with a furious thrust.

  Every pump echoed through his soul, his body tightening as her hips surged up to meet him. He wanted to be gentle, but she didn’t allow gentle. When his wolf bucked inside his skin, he gave into the urge. Mariska’s eyes opened, the blue ring seeming to fire in the darkness of her eyes and he wasn’t surprised to feel her teeth. When she bit down on his shoulder, her scream of pleasure a vibration marking him to the bone he locked his mouth on her, biting down on the soft spot between her shoulder and throat and the last missing piece inside him snapped into place.

  Liquid heat melted his spine and he came in a burst of wildness bridging the gap between man and wolf. She came with him and the world shattered, only to come together again brighter and more brilliant.

  Inside his soul, his mate nestled close to his heart. The bond—his wolf understood it and through it, he felt her wordless pulse of love. Her wolf had as well. She was his heart, she’d always been—but until her soul was whole, they couldn’t complete the last step.

  Intertwined, they lay cocooned in the wonder of it all. When he finally found the strength to lift his head, he gazed down at his mate.

  Ours.

  Mariska

  One Month Later

  The air held the promise of rain and Mariska studied the horizon. Below, in the canyon, Cody led Ben and Anthony on a merry chase. He’d made a bet with the boys that they couldn’t catch him and so far, after nearly two hours, they hadn’t yet figured out that he backtracked along their trails, muddying his scent with their own. It was an annoying trick, one she’d fallen for on more than one occasion.

  Though he’d seemed to resent Anthony at first, Ben and the new wolf had developed a fast friendship and whether it was her newfound comfort with her wolf or the bond that had snapped into being between she and Cody, Anthony’s adjustment to life in their little pack had been swift. He, it seemed, was better at being a wolf than she was.

  No, wolf sister disagreed. Cubs grow fast and have less to unlearn.

  Unlearn. She wanted to snort and disagree, but she knew better. Stubbornness was both her gift and her curse. The trait helped her to survive, and she’d nearly lost herself in the process.

  Below, Ben and Anthony sprang a trap and the two gamboled into Cody, attacking from two sides. Laughter welled up within her and she placed a hand over her abdomen. She had another surprise for her mate, but they would wait to tell him. Wait until they were both certain.

  We are. Her wolf sister possessed a keen insight and Mariska wanted to share that same faith, but she’d been disappointed so many times. Escaping his would be captors, Cody chased the children off and then swung his golden eyed gaze toward her. A wordless pulse of love flowed through the bond.

  Ours.

  Yes. He was theirs. They were his.

  We are. Mariska closed her eyes and smiled. When she opened them, she found Cody kneeling in front of her. His nostrils flared and a feral grin stretched his mouth. He placed his hand over hers on her abdomen. Joy, unfettered and wild, twined through her.

  “Don’t,” she said, fighting the urge to celebrate. They’d arrived at a wonderful place, she didn’t want to spoil it now.

  “Why not?”

  “Because I’m not sure.” Trepidation fluttered in her belly. She wanted so desperately to, though. The desire for a baby burned in her.

  “I am,” he said, steady and certain.

  “What if…?”

  He scowled. “Mariska.”

  “I’m scared,” she said, not too proud to admit it. “I’m scared because this is the closest we’ve come and we’re so good, we’ve—the wolf. Me. You. Everything is so good.”

  “You’re worried, but you’re not alone.” He cupped her cheek. “We don’t know how anything ends, all we know is how we face it.”

  “Together.” And she could breathe again. The fear remained, but Cody’s support diminished its impact. Like the bear. Laughter worked free and she smiled. She’d faced down a bear. “I’m pregnant,” she whispered.

  His grin lit her up on the inside. A moment later, Ben and Anthony bounded toward them, but Cody raised his hand and they slowed and didn’t tackle them. Kissing her gently, he said. “We’ll talk to Noah, we’ll figure this out. Together.” The kids tried to wind between them, but Cody fixed them both with a look. “Gentle,” he ordered. “You’re both going to behave and be gentle.”

  The ferocity in his expression would have quelled a grown man, so it was no surprise that the little ones settled in obediently. Happiness bubbled up within her. Pregnant. Saying it aloud made it all the more real. But all she said was, “Be nice, Cody.” Then she patted her leg and Anthony edged closer with Ben bracketing her other side. “We have a family, we’re just going to grow it with a new cub.” Lips twitching, she studied her mate. Between one blink and the next, his eyes went from fierce to dazed.

  “Together,” she reminded him, still grinning and he leaned forward and nipped her lower lip before he kissed her.

  “Mine.”

  Whatever the world brought at them, she and her mate could handle it. They were wild and Fevered, together.

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  * * *

  Enjoy an excerpt of

  The Quick and the Fevered

  Book 7 of Fevered Hearts

  The Quick and the Fevered Sneak Peek

  Jimmy, Somewhere in Northern Texas, Autumn 1852

  Jimmy dropped two pinecones into the fire and the crisp scent of their destruction mingled with the wood smoke. Sitting on his bedroll a couple of feet away, Shane sneezed. “Every night you throw those things in. I don’t understand why.”

  After running a hand over the butt of his rifle, assuring himself it lay within reach, Jimmy pulled out the block of wood he’d begun to whittle. It would be a horse to go with the other three he’d already done. The next town he passed, he’d package them up and pay someone to take them back to the ranch. Micah and Jo’s child would be born before he returned—if I return—and he wanted the boy or girl to have toys. He’d made a full set for Scarlett’s children, and a second set of wolves was stowed away with Buck for Cody and Mariska’s children. Noah held a set of high desert animals and buffalo for Buck, along with a dream catcher Jimmy made. Whittling helped him think, and he’d done a lot of thinking over the past couple of years.

  “And you do it every night.” The weight of Shane’s regard leaned on him like the oppressive wave of heat they’d ridden through the last several days. Not two minutes passed before Shane shoved a rock with his foot and sent it flying beyond the circle of flickering flames. The horses snorted and stamped their feet, but even they’d gotten used to the momentary displays of temper from the boy. “I don’t get why we keep skirting towns. Do you even know where the hell we are?”

  “Yep.” Jimmy dedicated his efforts to shaving the wood carefully. Carving horses took concentration and patience, particularly around the legs. Thinner, fine-boned, they required a steady, yet gentle hand.

  A sigh, then another rock flew. “That’s it? Yep? What about towns? I thought we’d actually see some things on this ride.”

  “We’ve seen lots of things.” Pausing in his whittling, Jimmy reached for a tin cup filled with tepid water. He’d save the chicory for dawn. For supper, they’d made do with hard tack and what was left of the bread after they pulled off the molded bits. Before they settled into camp the next night, he’d hunt. He hankered
for some fresh meat. “We don’t need to see towns to get where we’re headed.”

  The boy remained silent for a beat. “Why not? We’re chasing this doppleganger fellow, aren’t we? I bet he’s bunked up in a soft bed, while we’re out here sleeping on rocks.”

  Spoiling for a fight, Shane didn’t seem to want to let the topic go. Emptying his cup in three swallows, Jimmy set it aside and fixed his gaze on the younger man. The constant fidgeting, while annoying, was to be expected. The kid possessed a lot of power and a lot of anger—neither bothered Jimmy overmuch. “We avoid towns unless we have to because it’s better to move unseen, something the doppleganger knows.” Especially since Ryan was on the run—running from them, running from MacPherson and, if Jason’s assessment proved right, likely running from himself.

  “How do you know?” Another challenge dropped, one burning with a quiet show of temper. When Shane volunteered to follow Jimmy, he’d understood why the boy would offer. He didn’t want to be left behind. The kid grew up hard. Harder than some of the Kanes understood, despite Shane growing up on the Flying K. Evil wore a lot of faces, the worst being the guise of a friend or a trusted confidante.

  It added another reason for Jimmy to catch the bastard Ryan and bury him. He’d committed both crimes—replacing Sam’s trusted deputy then shooting Sam. Later he’d worn Jimmy’s face and tried to lure Cody into a trap. If Ryan reached MacPherson with what he knew…no, the shadowy enemy inflicted enough damage on Jimmy’s family. He wouldn’t be allowed to do more harm. None of those thoughts, however, answered Shane’s impatience.

  “Because we’re Fevered. We avoid being noticed if we can help it.” Don’t get noticed. Don’t be remembered. Stay in the shadows and out of the light. It kept the family safe and avoided a target being painted on their backs. Hard not to be noticed in Dorado, though, so they’d taken it over and controlled the information.