He took a bite of food just as he heard his brother Willy.
“What the fuck happened? Is Ava all right?” Willy asked through their mind link, sounding groggy and very pissed off.
“Excuse me,” Mick stated, grabbing everyone’s attention as he rose from his seat. His brothers knew where he was going and that Willy awoke, but not Ava. She was too tired to notice Mick’s abrupt departure.
* * * *
“Where is she?” Willy asked as he slowly sat up on the couch and ran his fingers through his hair. He was trying to regain his focus, but his body felt heavy and his mind groggy.
“She is in the kitchen with the others. They’re eating,” Mick stated.
“Is she all right?” Willy asked.
“She has some bruising along her cheekbone. She may have a shiner by morning.”
“Fuck! When I saw that piece of shit strike her I nearly shifted,” Willy stated as he debated about standing.
“Do you want to see her?” Mick asked, sounding cautious and rightfully so, because right now Willy’s wolf was furious and the man just as angry.
“No. If I see her now in the state I am in I will throw her over my knee and paddle her ass for what she has done. It’s better if the rest of you monitor her. How does she seem otherwise?”
“Ready to bolt.”
Willy widened his eyes before he shook his head. “She’s scared. We have to make her see that we mean to protect her, not place her in further danger. Obviously we underestimated her.”
“More easily said than done, Willy. She’s a tough one. She tried taking off after we ensured her that you would be okay after the sedative she gave you.”
“What? How far did she get?”
Mick chuckled. “Not far at all. She can feel the attraction. If we can just make her understand and accept it, then we can find out more about her and this Fenly character.”
“Tread carefully and restrain her if necessary. I’m not up for another excursion of chasing her. I’m going to go take a shower then head to bed. We’ll deal with this when I have a clearer head. Oh…and make sure she doesn’t have any more tranquilizers on her.”
Mick chuckled as Willy headed upstairs.
Chapter 10
The house was totally quiet. Ava awoke, startled and unsure where she was for a moment until the softness of the bed, warm and king-size, encased her body. It must have been one of those special foam mattresses that contoured to a person’s body. She hadn’t remembered even getting into bed. She was so exhausted she hadn’t even awoken with one of her nightly nightmares. She looked around. The light of the early-morning sun filtered through the shades on the large custom windows. Her body fought to remain in place and rest a little longer. She wasn’t sore, just worn out.
She thought of them. The Declan brothers and their claim to her. Damn Walt, and damn the stupid Circle of Elders. She wasn’t going to let these men control her life, nor would she let a group of were she never met or knew existed. This wasn’t what she wanted. She had to kill Fenly and gain back what was rightfully hers and her ancestors’. She was wasting time dwelling on what could possibly happen between her and the men when she should be focusing on getting out of here. She wasn’t going to get all soft and cuddly with these men and forget her responsibilities. As wonderful as it felt to be held in a man’s arms and kissed so deeply, revenge mattered more. If she could get back to her apartment she could grab more syringes and perhaps kill Fenly here in the States. Then she could just hop onto a plane and reclaim the castle. More easily said than done, Ava.
Carefully, as to not make any noise, she slowly rolled to her side and slid off of the bed. Still in her jeans and T-shirt, she looked around the floor and found her sneakers. She recalled Mick carrying her upstairs after she nearly passed out in the kitchen. He must have tucked her into bed, being sure to remove her sneakers. Considering that her clothes were still on, she was confident that the Declan brothers were gentlemen. They also seemed much older than her, despite their youthful appearances. Maybe it was their professions or just the whole confident wolf mentality, but it kind of made her feel inferior. She should be used to having to prove herself. Hadn’t she been doing that all her life? Even when it came to the family business and her father, she had to prove her capabilities.
She swallowed hard, feeling the tears fill her eyes. In the last twenty-four hours she hadn’t thought about him. The men had been a distraction. She couldn’t think straight here. She couldn’t plan her revenge and destroy Fenly from here and under the Declan pack’s perusal. She felt her belly quiver with fear, and her hands began to shake. She had survived on her own for the last two years, but she admitted to herself she did have money, Walt, and Brennan. Maybe this was a battle she would lose. She swallowed hard and shook the defeating thoughts from her tired mind. She was an O’Brian, and O’Brians didn’t give up easily.
Ava debated about heading out of the window or walking through the house and chancing an encounter with one of the men. She opted for the window, but as she opened the blinds she caught sight of a wolf walking in the yard. She had to do a double take and be sure that her eyes weren’t playing tricks on her. It appeared as if it watched her or was guarding outside the window waiting for her to appear. So much for feeling unthreatened and trusted by the wolves. She felt a mix of emotions. She felt scared that the wolf may attack her just as Fenly and his crew had, she felt keenly aware of its high intelligence, as if she could understand him and know that he was watching for her, and she felt guilty. That was the oddest feeling she had. She didn’t owe these men anything. She didn’t owe these wolves a damn thing, and she certainly hadn’t asked for the danger and conflicts in her life. She felt angry and determined to fight being controlled. She wanted to take charge. She wanted the final say, and the faster she got these Declan men out of her life, the stronger and more independent she would feel and be. She fought those feelings of guilt at sneaking away from them. Hadn’t they proven they didn’t trust her? If they did trust her or feel what she felt when they kissed, then they wouldn’t be able to walk away like Kyle did from her. They wouldn’t be able to guard outside her window untrustingly and waiting for her attempted escape. A relationship starting with distrust and lies wasn’t going to last as a relationship at all. Taking a deep breath, she made her decision to leave.
She slowly walked backward, away from the window and out of the wolf’s sight. She was tired, her eye ached a little, but a quick glance into the mirror revealed that she hadn’t gotten the black eye after all and Mick was right about the ice pack. Thoughts of his orders to ice the bruise as he caressed her cheek gave her a funny feeling inside. She was scared of what these Declan men made her feel and scared to be susceptible to their control and more especially their wrath. They were animals, and in anger or at her defiance of their rules and demands they could turn on her. With fear leading her way, she opened the bedroom door. Upon entering the hallway she didn’t hear a sound, so she headed toward the staircase. The house was gorgeous. It had an old-world charm that reminded her of a villa or something located in a wooded area secluded from civilization to be one with nature. She didn’t want to be one with nature right now. She wanted revenge.
As she slowly walked down the staircase, she looked over the balcony that stood above the large entryway and near the living room. No one was in sight. She looked out the large window that sat above the front doorway and was reminded of the wooded seclusion of the house location. She panicked a moment, wondering what direction to go in. Hadn’t there been some kind of road last night? She was at the front door when she took a last breath, preparing herself to run. That’s when she smelled something familiar and pleasant. Was it cologne? Did wolves wear cologne? Her body tingled with an awareness and hunger for more of the scent. She fought the urge to stay. The Declan men had saved her from danger. They took her in and offered her safety, even if it was simply because they wanted to have sex with her and fill her body with their seed. The thoughts w
armed her body instantly, but her mind fought for control as she leaned her forehead against the door. She held the knob with clenched fingers, trying to will away the guilt and just run, damn it. That was when she felt the eyes upon her. She looked up to the right with her hand still gripping the doorknob, and she saw Willy.
“Don’t run. We’re not here to cause you harm,” he whispered as he stood up from the couch, holding a mug of something hot. She could see the steam wafting up through the air. He looked so content and normal. His hair was slicked back with mousse or gel to spike the edges, and the black T-shirt he wore stretched across his massive muscles. His large upper body was in great contrast to his slim waist and the tight fit of his jeans. But she could tell by the way the thighs of his jeans stretched across thick trunks of steel that he was pure muscle. He was also probably ready to pounce on her for drugging him. She began to turn the knob.
“Don’t,” he whispered as he placed the mug onto the table and looked up at her as if weighing whether she would run or not and if he had enough time to catch her.
Her heart pounded inside of her chest. She was so confused and so needy suddenly. She shook her head then pressed her forehead against the door.
“Please let me go. I don’t belong here,” she stated, sounding so breathless to her own ears that she cringed from the fragility she felt.
* * * *
William was trying so hard to control his wolf. Still licking his wounds from the fact that his mate had gotten the upper hand on him last night, it was difficult to act so calm. He couldn’t let her leave. She was in danger, and she belonged to them. Their job, their lives now revolved around this one tough, independent human who made him angry as damn hell then horny as a young cub on the prowl for pussy.
Fuck!
She was struggling with indecisiveness which could only mean that Mick was right. Ava was feeling the attraction. If she were a wolf, then she would submit and they could move on to strategic plans of protection.
She began to twist the knob of the door, and he jumped into action as she pulled it open and ran down the front porch.
He was immediately after her, and to the right of her across the front lawn he saw his brother Kyle in wolf form heading straight toward her. She apparently caught sight of him at the same time and screamed in fear then bolted to the left. Willy grabbed her around the waist and hoisted her up and over his shoulder. He carried her back up the steps and into the house, closing the door behind him.
He heard her gasp as he grabbed ahold of her, turning her body to face him and pin her against the front door. He used his stomach and thigh to keep her body in one spot as he held her hands in front of her and against his upper chest.
She was out of breath as she stared at him with her gorgeous green eyes wide with surprise and fear.
“Where’s the wolf? Don’t let him hurt me,” she cried out, sounding terrified.
He caught sight of the bruised cheekbone, and his wolf wanted to roar in anger.
“Please don’t hurt me. You don’t need me. I’m nobody and nothing but trouble. Please just let me go. I have things to do.”
He held her gaze, absorbed her scent and the feel of her feminine, curvy body against him. She was scared of his brother in wolf form and now scared of him, too. He inhaled her scent, letting it flow over his body like a blanket of contentedness. She belonged to him. She was his mate.
“Hear me out, Ava. There’s nothing but danger beyond those trees. We can protect you here.”
Her fingers trembled beneath his grip as he leaned down and kissed the tops of her fingers. She gasped as if she expected him to harm her, perhaps bite her, and it irked him. He squinted his eyes, his anger getting the better of him. What had Fenly and his pack done to her? He held her gaze as he softly kissed her fingers again. She watched him, and he could tell that she was calming down as the green of her eyes softened. But he wasn’t a fool. He knew that trust did not come easy for Ava. He would tread carefully. He adjusted his stance. His cock protruding against his pants was unavoidable. Her eyes widened, and he pressed deeper, holding her gaze and emitting his desire as only wolves could do. As he inhaled again, he caught her arousal then locked gazes with her.
“You’re wrong, Ava. You are more important that you think because you are our mate. We are here to protect you, to provide for you and make you feel safe and secure. Tell me that you don’t feel the attraction to each of us. Deny me all you want, but I can smell your arousal,” he whispered down to her as he held her gaze.
“The wolf? Where is it?” she asked, her body shaking again as her breaths sounded short and raspy. Her concern over the wolf told him she wouldn’t be comfortable with any of them in that form. His chest tightened, but he would press further. After all, she was their mate, and she would be theirs in both body and soul.
“He won’t hurt you. It was Kyle. He was just watching over you and making sure that you wouldn’t get hurt. He’s your protector now, just as I am and the rest of my brothers are.”
She shook her head in denial, and the green of her eyes glistened with unshed tears.
“Protect me? By stalking the house, my bedroom and turning off emotions like a switch? That’s not the kind of protection I want. I will not be a possession.”
He was shocked at her words, at her belief that they couldn’t possibly feel the same intense attraction she felt. What did she mean by turning it off like a switch? What had one of his brothers done to her while he was passed out? That thought angered him, but he had to push that aside. He was determined to make Ava understand.
“Ava, don’t be scared.”
He released her hands and gently touched along her cheekbone opposite of the bruised one. She struggled to be free as he used his body to keep her in position, and his erection grew harder from the close proximity to his mate.
He cupped her cheek and held her gaze. “You’re more beautiful than I ever could have hoped for in a mate. You’re strong willed, independent, and you need to face the facts. We are all your mates and you belong to us, Ava, just as we belong to you.”
“Where is she?” Sean yelled as he came running down the staircase in only a towel.
Ava’s mouth gaped open before she shyly turned her head away.
Willy got a funny sensation in his gut. Her innocence shined through unintentionally, and it seemed his brother’s near nakedness aroused her, too. Willy took that moment to hoist her a little higher up his thigh.
* * * *
Ava closed her eyes and willed away the desire to stare. She didn’t want to feel the sexual pull toward Willy or Sean. She didn’t want to feel it toward any of them, and just as she made the decision to fight Willy for her release, she felt his erection against the sensitive flesh between her thighs. Sinful images filled her mind as Sean came out of nowhere half-naked. Just as she tried to recover from his near nakedness, the side door opened, and someone came running toward them. She gasped as Kyle appeared completely naked with his hands on his hips and anger filling his face. At least she thought that’s what she saw. Other parts of his body seemed way more important to absorb than his blue eyes.
Her breathing grew rapid, and her pussy actually throbbed. Was this a normal reaction to a naked man?
“I…I…” She was at a complete loss for words. Dips and curves of muscular flesh dipping into more ridges of muscular flesh filled her vision. Lean waist, solid, wide shoulders, and oh, lord, a cock that stood up straight, thick, and very long. She swallowed hard and felt the tightness in her chest. Kyle was just a wolf ready to attack her just moments ago.
She shook her head and haphazardly tried to push Willy away, but he wouldn’t have that. His firm hold, the intensity of his eyes drew her in deeper. Her body hummed with awareness and need. She wanted him to kiss her, to taste her, to do something before she lost it.
“Ava. It’s okay. We won’t hurt you. In fact, you might be quite pleased just how good we can make you feel.” Before she could give any type of verba
l or facial retort, he kissed her. Willy licked the seam between her lips then plunged in deep. He pressed her body against the wooden door then pushed her hand over the erection between his legs. The hunger in his kiss fed her own inner hunger she was trying so desperately to ignore.
He deepened the kiss and caressed her breast as her hand remained glued to the long, thick cock. The jeans he wore prevented the skin-to-skin contact, but she could have sworn she felt the heat penetrate through the material anyway. He touched her everywhere from breast to neck, to shoulders, then back to her breast. When he slowly released her lips to trail kisses along her neck, he made his demands while she battled to remain upright.
“Touch me, Ava. My body is yours to do as you please with it. Feel my desire for you. Accept the hunger you feel and let us satisfy that hunger.”
“Oh God,” she moaned as she moved her fingers up and down the shaft, feeling how hard he was, and scared out of her mind about whether he could fit inside of her. How did she go from being kissed to wanting to give up her virginity and seek the ultimate action of love? Love? There wasn’t any mention of love or falling in love, just protection, possession, and security. Could she accept those things and not love? She felt like crying out in frustration. Were the need to be held and the need for a deeper connection with another person so great that she could throw aside her virtue, her independence? His strong, thick arms felt so good holding her. She clenched her eyes tighter, relishing in the moment as her mind argued to fight this thing, this wild, out-of-control attraction invading all her senses.
“Don’t overthink this. Just go with how you are feeling and we will take care of the rest,” Kyle said, touching her cheek. Somehow she knew it was Kyle despite the fact that Willy remained holding her and spreading kisses along her neck and shoulder. As Kyle’s fingertips touched her cheek, sparks of warmth and need filtered through her skin and across her entire body. She opened her eyes, and while holding his gaze she saw sincerity and something else she didn’t recognize.
Task Force Three and the Irish Jewel [The Men of Five-O #3] (Siren Publishing LoveXtreme Forever) Page 10