by Mandy Rosko
His mouth found the side of her throat, kissing and sucking, and it was so hot. The heat, the intensity, she felt all of his desire for her. All those years of pent-up need was rushing through her, and oh God, how much had she been pushing him without knowing it?
“S-so sorry,” she gasped, another rush of pleasure surging through her, harder this time, so much more intense as her sex clamped down hard around his fingers. Katie threw her head back, a hard cry leaving her as she pushed herself down harder on his fingers as she rode that amazing rush of pulsing pleasure making her muscles seize and clench.
Incredible. It was absolutely incredible. The wave pushed her high before crashing her back down, the pleasure lingering even as she came down off that high and slumped against Jax’s strong body.
And he did feel strong again. There was a difference between how he held and touched her now compared to when she’d climbed into his lap.
“How do you feel?” Jax asked.
Katie smiled lazily, her cheek on Jax’s bare shoulder. “I should be asking you that.”
She snuggled him a little closer as he pulled his hand away from her sex, and only then did she notice he was still hard.
Katie tensed. “You didn’t…” Stupid question, and she stopped herself before the rest could come out. Of course he didn’t have an orgasm. Why would he? She’d barely touched him.
The worst part was, she didn’t know what he wanted her to do. Was this the part where they had sex now, or did that come after? Should she go down on him? Or use her hand?
“Don’t worry about it,” Jax said, his voice a low purr against the side of her throat, and God if that didn’t feel good, too. “I’m fine.”
As nervous as she’d been, it seemed wrong for Katie to just leave him like this after he’d just gotten her off. “I can do something. I can,” she insisted.
Jax shook his head, and then he shocked her when he brought his index finger, the one that had just been inside her, to his mouth. He licked the juices off, right in front of her. Heat climbed Katie’s neck and settled into her face. Holy shit. He was actually doing that and smiling about it. “Trust me, I waited a long time for you. I can wait a little while longer, and it’s going to be perfect when we get to that point.”
Katie nodded. “Okay.” Her voice came out in an embarrassing squeak. She had to clear her throat. “Okay,” she said again.
Jax chuckled. “You always were so proper. I like making you wild from time to time.”
Not wild enough that she would ever drink his juices down. She didn’t think. “What did it taste like?”
Jax’s eyes positively danced with mischief. “Tasted like you. Tasted good.”
That was a relief. “Good,” Katie sighed, then tried to smile. “I would’ve hated it if you’d done that and regretted it.”
She really would have. The idea that he’d licked his finger was still something she was getting used to. Good thing she’d had a quick shower before he’d woken up. If Jax insisted on always doing that, she was going to have to put a little more focus on her bathing routine.
“Are you sure you’re all right?” Katie didn’t want him to not continue because he was worried about her, because she’d spent so many years holding back that now he didn’t want to.
Jax nodded. “Trust me, never felt better.” He stretched his shoulders out. “I feel really good. Definitely in more control of myself than a minute ago.”
“But—”
“No,” Jax insisted, firmly but gently. “I mean it. I can control it now. You calmed the beast inside me.”
She smacked his shoulder for making such a corny romantic joke.
Jax just laughed at her, and then his expression turned serious, but still soft. “I adore you. I’m serious.”
More heat settled in Katie’s face. She had a hard time looking him in the eyes. “I know.”
“I know you’re ready, I believe you, but do me a favor. Let me at least doll up the room. I’ll go all out. Rose petals on the bed and champagne, all that good stuff.”
“Sound a little too romantic for me.”
“I know you’re not into that stuff, but I want to do this right. I’ll even put on a whipped cream bikini for you and everything.”
Katie smiled a little at that, but she couldn’t hold the smile for long. “I don’t want to wait if you’re still in pain, though.”
All joking and desire left Jax’s eyes. “Wait, what?”
“I want to make sure you’re all right,” Katie said again. “Sitting in here with you and holding your hand was helping, but the last time I only did that, you lost the ability to use your wings.”
His last injury brought on by Dennis and his pack of shit heads nearly killed him. Mated alphas recovered better when their mates were nearby. The sex helped out even more. Dane had learned that after going so long denying his mating to Lois, and Katie learned it long ago when Jax lost the ability to use his wings because she’d barely touched him when he was recovering just a couple of decades ago.
And for some reason, Jax wasn’t saying anything to her right now. He was staring right at her, as though trying to look through her. A frown marred his brow, making his perfect features seem a little…harsher.
Right. He probably didn’t treasure the idea that Katie had only done this because she’d wanted to heal him, but that hadn’t been the only reason.
Not really.
“Are you angry?”
“No.” He shook his head. “I’m not angry at all. Why would I be?”
He was definitely angry. “I didn’t mean it like that. Not really. I still wanted to be with you.”
Jax sighed and looked away from her. The firm set to his jaw told her he wasn’t exactly buying that.
His grip on her hips was cold and rough as he lifted her off him, depositing her easily on the bed beside him. “Well, thanks for the energy boost. I appreciated it.”
Katie’s chest ached. “Don’t you want me to help you if I can do it?”
“Not if you feel like you have to. I don’t want making love to me to be a damned chore.”
Katie flinched. “It wasn’t a chore.”
Jax looked at her, then away. His anger was still very clearly there. He was pissed. Katie didn’t understand entirely why. She’d thought he would be happy that she was willing to give this a shot. Instead, he was angry with her for doing it? What did it matter if she’d touched him, kissed him, and let him touch her because he needed it? That was sort of the point, wasn’t it?
“Well, whatever. Thanks for that, but I should go check on the prisoner before Garret comes back.” Jax got to his feet and walked over the mahogany dresser, pulling out a pair of jeans. The joggers he wore had some wet spots on them from Katie’s pleasure.
“You should at least have your bandages checked.”
Despite how well he was walking around, and the energy he now had, there was no way in hell Katie would believe he was at a hundred percent.
“I’ll do that after speaking with the prisoner. I need to get downstairs.”
From the way Jax spoke, it was clear Katie was being dismissed, and she suddenly felt fearful for what would happen to the man in the basement if she did nothing.
She was a coward, however. Katie didn’t have the courage she often pretended she did, which was why she left him alone. He didn’t need her there anymore, and her words about the reason for finally coming to him had clearly hurt him. She didn’t want to hurt him anymore. That hadn’t been the point of kissing him, of inviting his touch.
For the first time since she’d found out there was a prisoner at all, Katie felt a twinge of pity for the poor bastard. If Jax was angry and wanted to see him, it was likely just so he could have something to take his aggression out on before Garret got back and could stop him.
Chapter 4
Anna slammed her palms against the heavy steel door of the factory again and again. She screamed long and loud.
She wasn’t screaming b
ecause she was scared. She was pissed. She was so blazingly pissed off that she was here, that she had to put up with this, that she hadn’t managed to figure out how to get the hell out of here yet.
Her fists hurt, which was why she’d started slapping at the metal, but then her palms started to hurt, so she stopped hitting the doors, glaring at them instead, panting for breath at the workout she’d just given herself.
She was sweating a little, and she’d barely put a dent in that door.
This old place…Anna couldn’t tell what it used to be. She was in a single room with metal walls on all sides and no windows. She couldn’t even tell what time it was. A couple of times she’d been taken to a bathroom, but she was willing to bet at this point it used to be an old factory farm.
If so, then she knew exactly where she was.
She’d thought it might be an old car factory, something else that would have big metal rooms, but the last time Laurence came in, throwing a standard plastic wrapped gas station sandwich at her with a sneer, he threatened to throw her to his betas.
The threat had made her shiver and keep quiet for a couple of hours, but then she’d gotten angry again and started kicking and punching at the door.
If she didn’t have the silver chain shackled to her ankle, she’d probably be able to bust it down.
Okay, maybe she wasn’t that strong. Not even close, but with enough time and effort, she could possibly dent it a lot, maybe break the hinges and bend it enough to get out.
It had been a while since anyone had come for her, and everything sounded silent in the factory. Anna heard no echoing voices, no argued shouts like earlier that morning. She was all alone in here, and it was kind of weird.
God, she wanted something to destroy so badly. Anything she could take her aggression out on. Her inner wolf had never been this desperate to get out and go nuts before.
Firsts for everything.
Dennis had taken the only chair in the room last night. He’d untied her and forced her into the shackle, but after she’d broken the chair and tried attacking him with the sharp wooden pieces, he’d taken them away from her.
It left her either to sit on the floor, waiting for someone to come back and threaten her, maybe hurt her while she couldn’t defend herself, or pace around the room. The chain had remarkable slack.
“Garret’s coming.” Anna bit down on her thumbnail. “Probably already called. He’s coming.”
Saying this calmed the quivering in her heart, but not by a lot. Barely a day and a half here and she was already losing her cool.
Anna jumped when she heard a bang echoing deep in the factory.
She held still, opening her ears and listening carefully.
Dennis’ pack of rogues. How many were there? Were they coming for her?
Or better yet, was it Garret coming for her?
Her heart skipped a beat and she actually gasped for breath.
Apparently, she’d been a lot more nervous about being here than she’d wanted to admit to herself.
Anna listened harder. Not a lot of people, not even a couple. One pair of footsteps stomped through the metal walkways of the factory. That was an angry sort of walk.
Why would Garret be stomping around when it might get him caught by security? If there was any.
Anna opened her mouth to call out for help, to yell that she was right here when she heard Dennis’ voice shouting through the factory. “Where the hell is everyone?”
Her heart sank all the way into her stomach.
No. No, no, no, come on. Not him. Why the hell did it have to be him?
Anna had gone through the stages of grief faster than any person living or dead probably had. Of course, right before she could get to the acceptance part, she backtracked all the way back to being angry and pissed off, and she could hardly contain herself when the door to her prison groaned and yawned open as Dennis stepped inside.
“Anna—”
She flew at him. She couldn’t bring her claws out because of the damned silver around her ankle, but that was what her manicures were for, dammit!
“What the hell! Get off me you little bitch!”
Anna wouldn’t stop clawing at him. She tried desperately to get to his face, but his arms were up, defending himself until he finally shoved her hard enough that she couldn’t hang on, even with her thighs clamped around his middle.
The wind rushed out of her lungs when she hit the ground hard. Anna coughed and gasped for air from the sudden shot from an alpha. She curled up to her side, protecting her stomach instinctively from an attack while also trying to get her breathing back in order.
What the hell had she been thinking doing something as stupid as that? God. This was the man that had killed her father before she could remember him, had terrorized her pack for as long as she could remember. Basically was a crazy psycho.
“Shit, you all right? Hey.”
He nudged her back with his foot. Anna didn’t dare get out of her protective position. No way in hell was she doing to fall for this.
Of course, if he decided he was going to just yank her to her feet and force her to show him her neck and belly, to submit to him, there wouldn’t be much she could do.
Even gasping for breath, she had her pride.
Anna flinched when she felt a hand, his hand, touching her shoulder. “Breathe, come on. You’re all right. Just be calm and breathe.”
Anna took in another gasping breath, a big enough one that she could say a few words. “Trying…idiot.”
Okay, she was pissed, but she shouldn’t be calling her captor that. He could choose to make her suffering about a thousand times worse if he wanted to.
He rubbed her shoulder instead. “Cut it out, just focus on breathing,” he said, pausing. “I can’t give you back to Garret dead. I won’t get my money.”
She glared back at him, still gasping, but no longer feeling like she was about to pass out.
He actually smiled at her and shrugged, the bastard. “You’re fine now. Not about to make yourself faint?”
“Make myself faint?” She was incredulous as she pushed herself to her feet. She was going to get back at him for this bullshit!
Finally able to make it to her wobbly legs, Anna threw her fist out at him, which he easily caught, his fingers coming down around her clamped knuckles, and when he gripped just a little bit tighter, it strangely hurt a lot more than she thought it should have.
Anna gasped silently, falling to her knees while Dennis kept holding onto her fist, his dark eyes intense. “Now, here’s the thing. Despite popular opinion, I actually don’t take any pleasure in hurting omegas. Especially omega girls.”
Anna wanted to growl at him for that one, but she was too focused on the way he kept her on that teetering edge of sharp pain. It hurt. A lot, and that same pain shot all the way up her arm and paralyzed her. She couldn’t move, couldn’t focus on anything else.
“Are you going to stop attacking me?”
It took everything she had to get that one word out. “Yes!”
The pressure instantly vanished, and Anna gasped at the sudden relief as she fell back on her ass. She clutched at her wrist, gasping for breath, looking at her red fingers just to make sure nothing was popping out where it shouldn’t be. Everything looked to be in order. She gingerly tried to move each finger, one at a time, just to try out what she could do.
She could move her fingers, not much pain. That meant she was all right, right?
She snarled, glaring up at Dennis, who had turned his back on her, not even bothering to close the door to her prison as he picked up a plastic bag on the floor. She hadn’t noticed him bring it in, or drop it.
“What the fuck is your problem? You could’ve broken my fingers off!”
“Then you should be grateful that I didn’t,” Dennis replied coldly, glaring back at her over his shoulder.
Dennis. He was living proof that just because someone was good-looking, it didn’t make them a good person. He
was the living embodiment of an asshole. A bottom-feeding, scum-sucking prick face.
“I thought you said you wanted me back with Garret in one piece?”
Dennis looked back at her, a bored expression on his face. He didn’t answer her question. “I brought you something to eat from the store. Do you need to use the bathroom?”
She did. “Uh, yeah. You’re not going to come in there with me and wait until I’m done, too, right?” Anna sneered at him when she said it, not expecting the sudden sharp glint to shine in his eyes, or his lips to curl back as he revealed his teeth.
“Who did that to you?”
Okay. He seemed…angry.
“Your asshole followers. Who the hell else?”
Dennis’ face twisted, his nose scrunched up and his lips curled, and that couldn’t be anything other than disgust on his face. “What was his name?”
Anna shrugged, frustrated with this whole dance where he pretended to give a shit. “How the hell should I know? You think they introduce themselves to me when they’re trying to get in the stall with me?”
“I’ll take care of it. Tell me what he looks like and I’ll see him punished. Was it Wallace? If it was Wallace, I’ll rip his head off.”
Anna frowned. She tentatively described the man. “Tall, skinny. I don’t know if he keeps his head shaved or if he’s naturally bald, but—”
“I know who you’re talking about. I’ll talk to him.”
From the growl in his voice, it sounded like he wouldn’t be doing much talking. Anna shivered a little.
“When were you left alone? Jesus Christ, I wasn’t gone for that long. Someone was supposed to be here protecting you. Derek at least stuck around, right?”
“Right, because you can really trust a bunch of rogues, and I don’t know who Derek is.”
“Technically, we’re not rogues, and never mind who Derek is, I’ll talk to him, too. Answer the question.”
He pulled some more of those gas station sandwiches out of a bag, along with a bottle of orange juice. Anna was hungry, so even though the food was starting to make her a little sick, she took the offerings.