BirthMark

by Sydney Addae

  She hung onto his arms as he pistoned into her, barely able to keep up with his pace.

  Breathless, she closed her eyes to enjoy the sensations flowing from the top of her head to the soles of her feet. She cried out in pleasure as he took her with long, fast strokes, sending indescribable pleasure zipping through her body.

  Her back arched. Her mouth opened but no sound was emitted as her pussy muscles clenched while she spiraled up and over into the blinding light of her release. She shuddered, gasping for air as ecstasy buffeted her.

  “Shit,” Silas grunted, his face wild in mid-shift, sharp canines crowded his mouth as he threw back his head and howled. The pleasure of his bite sent another shudder rippling through her.

  Smug pride filled her chest as he surged into her over and over again. Seconds later he came with a loud cry, spilling his seed into her body.

  Chest heaving, he slumped over and placed his forehead on the side of her neck. His raspy tongue lapped her neck.

  “Ummm, feels good. You make me feel so damn good,” she whispered, holding the back of his head as he licked and sucked on her bite. Tingles of pleasure shot through her.

  “I need to see my mark on you. It looks good.”

  She laughed. “What time is it? You have to work, remember?”

  “I’m the boss. I can push it back a bit.”

  He rolled over, pulling her close to his side. She placed her hand on his chest and breathed in his masculine scent. “Why are you working tonight? It can’t wait until morning?”

  He rubbed her shoulder. “Some of it will wait. But I need to do a search for the rogues that set Rese up.”

  She stiffened. He tightened his hold and explained everything they had discovered, including how it tied into the bomb going off this morning.

  “Oh my God, I bet Rese is blaming himself, isn’t he?” She looked at Silas and saw the answer before he spoke. “That boy always did have a superman complex. He is not infallible. There was no way he could have known about the spy, hell, sounds like the spy didn’t even know what his real job was.”

  “Calm down, Mama Bear. Tyrese is damn good at what he does. And he’s smart. We didn’t have the proper intel, but we are working on catching up. It won’t be long before we’re on the offense instead of defense.” He placed a kiss on her forehead which helped calm her concerns.

  “What about the cop, I mean detective? What’s the plan to get him to back down, because the next time he disrespects Rose, she’s gonna rip him a new one.”

  “He’s infected.”

  “What?”

  “His wolf’s infected with something. I think his wolf is dying, but I’m not sure.”

  “Is that…possible? How can one exist without the other?”

  He inhaled and her heart wept for him. It seemed there was one new problem after the other for him to fix. But this problem might impact her, no, their kids, so she wanted to know what was going on.

  “Jazz, a year ago, I would have said it was impossible for you to birth my litter or become my mate. I don’t know what’s possible or not any more. Someone changed the rules and didn’t pass out a rule book. At least I don’t have one. So I can’t answer your question without more information from the doctor and lab techs.”

  “But…what if someone tries to mess with Rese or Rone or Rose’s wolves? Will that kill them?” she asked, voicing her biggest fear.

  Silas shrugged and this was one time she wished he’d lie even though they promised never to lie to each other. “I don’t know. You met Jenkins, did he look like he was dying?”

  She thought of the tall, slim hipped man with the blue eyes and brown hair. “No. Quite the opposite. He was a jackass.”

  “See? There’s no way to know what’s really going on until after the tests are done.” He rubbed her chin. “Be patient.”

  She nodded. “Are you still going to allow the Alpha challenge?”

  “Yes,” he said with a bit of a bite in his tone. She had beat that topic to death and moved on to other things.

  “Are we still waiting for David to be stronger before presenting the babies to your people? I only ask because I want my mom and Renee here for that. And I’ve been putting them off.”

  “You want your family at a wolf event? You sure they’ll be up for that?” He looked at her and she wondered just what a presentation involved.

  “Maybe we’re not thinking along the same lines because I’m thinking a presentation is similar to a baptism.” He looked at her blankly. “It’s when the priest offers blessings over the babies, asks the families or godparents to make sure the kids are taken care of.”

  “I will care for my pups, no one else,” he said with a dark scowl.

  She realized he couldn’t fathom a baptism. “Tell me what is involved with presenting them to your people?”

  “Normally, I’d travel to the four regions, and the Alphas from those areas would come meet the pups, renew their vows to include my mate and litter. Several days of celebrations would follow.”

  She waited for him to continue. When he didn’t, she looked at him. “Okay, so you’re not doing it that way, so what did you have in mind?”

  He closed his eyes. “I don’t know. I asked Jacques to handle it on his return visit.”

  Jasmine lay back and wasn’t sure if she was offended or not. “So you have no plans for presenting the babies yet, and you shot down the baptism, which is a part of my culture.”

  He didn’t say anything.

  “Well, since you have nothing to say, I’ll fill in the blanks and plan a baptism so that my children can be blessed in my faith. I will invite my mother and her husband, my sister and her lover, and the nurses who care for the children. It will be closed to immediate family only and the minister.”

  “What minister?”

  She hadn’t thought of any one in particular, but she was sure she could work that out even if she had to fly in her former pastor. “I’ll let you know.”

  “I’m not comfortable with a lot of strangers on the grounds near my pups. There are too many unexplained events happening now. Can you wait until the end of the year?”

  She leaned up on her elbows. “You do realize that the babies are pulling up trying to walk and they’re only six weeks old. By the end of the year, they might be driving me to the church or singing a song or reading poetry. The thing is, nobody knows what things will be like in another six months, but right now, they are babies who can be held and blessed by my pastor.”

  “Everyone entering the grounds has to be scanned,” he said, laying on his back and playing with her fingers.

  “I know.” She released a sigh at his tacit agreement to the event. Hopefully Renee wouldn’t put up too much of a stink over the tight security. “How much can I tell them? I mean, this place is huge and everything inside is top notch. It looks like you’re rich, what should I say?”

  “Tell them the truth, I am rich and you’re my bitch.” He rolled over, pinned her down and kissed her before she could react. The kissed turned steamy as he stroked her mouth and rubbed his hard length against her.

  When they broke apart, she gasped for air but rose to touch his lips with the tip of her tongue. “Cancel the damn meeting,” she said in a husky tone, licking his lips.

  “I’m canceling the meeting.” He sealed her mouth with another searing kiss.

  Chapter 12

  “Are you sure you need all of these people?” Silas asked Dr. Passen as he walked to the security point to scan the new arrivals.

  “Yes, Sir.” The man nodded a few times as if the extra nods would strengthen his point. “We are working feverishly on two projects instead of one. These five individuals were able to commit to work with me on short notice. They understand they cannot leave until the work is done and that communication will be limited. But…” He stopped and looked at Silas. “We need more help, not only to meet your deadline, but to make sure there isn’t a deadly chemical or drug out there that affects our wolves. T
hat is of the utmost importance to every wolf in the lab.”

  Sensing the doctor’s resolve, Silas nodded. Every time someone new entered the compound, even if it was a different wing from his private quarters and below ground, it was still too close to his mate and litter for him. But as Patron, he needed to put aside those feelings and do what was best for the wolf nation. There were times when his role as Patron and Alpha of his den, or daddy according to Jasmine, clashed. He didn’t think that would ever change.

  “Okay, we’ll do this then.” He walked into the room and greeted the four men and one female. As the doctor introduced each person, Silas shook their hand and did an in-depth scan of their bodies and mind. The third man smelled familiar but Silas couldn’t place it, but the fool was hiding something. Silas poked a bit. The man winced. Silas let it go and finished the scan. When he finished with the last person, he went over the rules.

  “You can all follow Dr. Passen, except you, Dr. Chism.” Silas pointed to the tall, lanky red-haired male with the secrets. The color left Chism’s face, making him look guiltier.

  Silas motioned for him to follow him. Chism’s green eyes widened, his mouth opened and then closed with a snap. With a swipe of his tongue across his lips, Matthew Chism stood, glanced at a frowning Dr. Passen, and followed Silas out of the main room into a much smaller one.

  “Take a seat,” Silas said as he took one at the small wood table.

  Matthew sat down and looked at him. Silas sensed his nervousness and didn’t prolong the issue. “You’re hiding something, what?”

  “S-s-s-ii-rr?” the man stammered.

  This was not the way he'd planned to start his morning. When Hank had contacted him regarding the new arrivals, he and the twins were preparing to pick up the trail of the rebels. It would be slightly harder to do this morning than last night, when he'd canceled the meeting, but everyone agreed it was in their best interest to bring the group in for questioning.

  “I will say this only once. Tell me what you are hiding in the next minute or security will be carrying you out of here in a body bag.” The man jerked back, his face devoid of color. “I…my mate and I, we....” He exhaled. “My mate and I took a chance answering Dr. Passen’s urgent request for assistance. I specialize in tissue identification, did my dissertation on it in fact, and when he sent word for me to come, I said no. Then he mentioned there might be a virus attacking the wolves of the half-breeds. And I knew I couldn’t live with myself if I didn’t help. I am the best in my field, not bragging, it’s just the truth,” he said in a rush before inhaling.

  Silas leaned forward. “Why is that so important to you? You’re a full-blood.”

  “My mate…he um…well, his sons are half-breeds. And even though they don’t, you know…uh, talk to each other, he…we want to make sure they are safe.”

  Silas blinked, inhaled again and closed his eyes. Hell, no. Wasn’t the bomb and virus more than enough yesterday? It’s not like this week didn’t already hold the honor of the absolute worse ever, he did not need this complication. Not today. He inhaled the man’s scent again to be certain and released it with a muttered curse.

  “Who is your mate?” Silas growled, needing to hear him say it. As much as he prayed to the Goddess that the devil hadn’t risen from the dead and walked through his front door, he knew he wouldn’t be so lucky.

  “Please, Sir. There are complications… people could be hurt. If it’s alright with you, can he remain anonymous?” The man’s face tightened in fear.

  Remain dead you mean. “It’s not alright, now tell me his name,” Silas said in a low timbre, unclenching his fist beneath the table.

  “Davian Bennett.”

  Silas allowed the name to roll through his mind until it settled and solidified in his brain. This had the potential for all kinds of fucked up shit to jump off. “Wait here.” Silas walked out and met Dr. Passen in the hall, who was obviously waiting on Chism.

  “Do you really need him?” Silas asked harshly, hating the position he was in.

  Dr. Passen frowned. “Yes…yes, we do. He is the foremost authority on the physiology of half-breeds. He’s years ahead in research, started it before anyone else. It’s an honor to have him here.” He paused and then straightened. “Sir, he’s our best shot at discovering what’s happening to that wolf. I’ve done all I can, and the wolf is still unresponsive. We need his expertise on this.”

  Silas nodded. His mind raced to calculate the fall-out. The twins might be a little upset, but nothing major. But Jasmine, he didn’t want to think about her reaction when she discovered Silas had known all along Davian was alive and his mate was working on a cure for the sick wolf. He closed his eyes and prayed to the Goddess for guidance.

  He could lose Jasmine behind this. Human breeders were not tethered to their mates like full-blooded bitches were. She could leave him, if not physically, then emotionally. Either way would cripple him. He clenched his jaw and inhaled.

  “La Patron?” Dr. Passen called out. “We need to get started with the testing.”

  Silas looked at him for a moment and made a decision. “Go ahead, I will accompany Dr. Chism. There are a few things I need to go over with him.”

  Dr. Passen looked like he wanted to argue, but wisely nodded and walked off. Slowly, Silas gathered his thoughts and returned to the room. Matthew watched him enter with wary eyes.

  “Is everything okay?”

  Silas nodded. “Where is your mate?”

  Matthews’s eyes widened. “Why? Is he in trouble? Is this about Davian?”

  “No. I just need to make sure he is safe so you can work without distractions.”

  Matthew stared at him a moment longer. “Capital Inn in town.”

  Silas sent a message to security to keep Davian under surveillance, the Bennett clan was supposed to be coming to town, and if they wanted a family reunion they needed to do it away from West Virginia.

  “La Patron?” Matthew said when Silas didn’t say anything for a few moments.

  “There is a problem, Matthew.” He looked at the man sitting in front of him and wished for all of their sakes things were different. But he had to play the hand dealt him and so did everyone else. Things were about to get sticky, but what else was new?

  “Problem?” There was a thread of panic in the man’s voice. His mouth opened slightly and he appeared tense.

  “Yes, Tyrese and Tyrone Bennett are here. In fact, they are on my security detail. The only reason they aren’t with me now is because I have them handling other duties.” Silas watched the other man’s reaction and felt bad for them both.

  Matthew’s eyes widened at the mention of the twins. He took a deep breath, looked at his intertwined fingers on the table, and then glanced at Silas. “Okay…well, they don’t like me that much. I guess they feel I broke up their family. But that’s not true, Sir. Davian and I are mates.” He looked pleadingly at Silas.

  Normally, when wolves found their mates, it was cause for celebration, and as Patron, he would be the first to pat these two wolves on the backs and wish them well. But these were not normal times and patting Davian and Matthew on their backs was the furthest thing from his mind right now.

  He nodded. “I understand. I don’t think the twins feel you broke up their family. They hate that Davian didn’t just let their mom go so she could have a better quality of life, maybe meet someone else. But because he never did that and was with you, they were mad he cheated on her. If he’d come clean, divorced her, I don’t think they’d mind you one way or the other.”

  Matthew looked thoughtful for a moment. “You’re probably right. For whatever reason, he never thought to do that.” He gazed at Silas. “Do you want me to leave?”

  “Dr. Passen believes you can find out what’s going on with the wolf and clue me in on how he came to such a state. Most importantly, he believes you can find a way to make sure it doesn’t happen to any other wolves.” Silas eyed the man. “I hope you are as good as he says, because we are a
ll going to pay a high price for you solving that riddle.”

  Matthew nodded. “I’ll…I’ll do my best, Sir. But Davian has to be safe, I won’t be able to function if he’s hurt or in danger.” He swallowed hard, as if it was difficult getting the words out his throat.

  Silas nodded in total understanding. “I’ll make sure of that. I’m not going to lie to you, there will be distractions and disruptions.”

  “The twins didn’t want me around before, but they are older now. Surely they’ll understand I don’t mean them any harm and I’ll be gone as soon as we finish this project.”

  Silas chuckled. It was a dry mocking sound that did little to ease his burgeoning anxiety. Plus, there was nothing remotely funny about the situation he was in.

  “I’m sorry, you misunderstood.” He looked at the frowning man and sat forward, his tented fingertips on his lips. “It’s not the twins I’m concerned about.”

  “Then…Who?...What?”

  “Jasmine Bennett is here as well.”

  Matthew’s brow’s rose to ridiculous heights as he leaned back in the chair as though someone had knocked the wind from him. “What? Jasmine…she’s on the west…no…oh my God. What is she….” He ran his hand through his hair and closed his eyes. “Oh shit.”

  Yeah, that about summed it up. “She thinks her husband is dead,” Silas said, in case the man in front of him forgot the crazy scheme he and his lover had cooked up.

  “But…I’ll tell Davian to leave. She doesn’t…”

  Silas shook his head, sorrier than he would ever admit. “I cannot lie to her. And the lies have to stop.”