Steadily my pleasure built, my anxieties drifting away until I could barely remember Cyan's face, even when fearful thoughts of him flickered back to life for a second, only to burn out and disperse like dying sparks. Thorne increased his pace, his grip around my back tightening as he braced himself against the mossy ground with one hand, damp tangles of his brown hair hanging loose in the moonlight as his hips pushed forward against mine, driving himself deep with every thrust to fill my softening sex completely, my juices mingling with his to coat his swollen shaft and ease its entry until even his hardest bucks only filled me with bursts of pleasure.
The chill of the water was gone, the dry moss soaking up the moisture dripping from our skin until it was replaced with pinpricks of sweat, my arms and legs aching from clinging on so tight. It was a comfortable ache that I didn't want to let go of. My lips were glossed with Thorne's saliva and his with mine, the kisses coming every time we had the breath to give them, my mouth feeling empty whenever it wasn't filled with his tongue, desperate to lick and suckle and savour the taste of him inside me in every way I could.
He held me tight, bracing my body for his hard thrusts as he bore down on me, the intensity of his lovemaking building like crashing waves beating against a barrier, struggling to surmount it. I was tight and tense, but inwardly melting with pleasure and longing, safe, it seemed, for a short moment in the embrace of my lover, despite the dangers surrounding us.
The need for release swirled in my belly, catching against the friction of his thrusts to send sparks of ecstasy shuddering through my muscles and low moans from my lips. His friction fired me on, the heat intensifying until he clutched my cheek and leaned in suddenly, a breathless cry building in his voice as he whispered into my ear, that he loved me, that he was there for me; it didn't matter what he said, but I felt it, and as I clutched his heaving shoulders my body spasmed with pleasure, the climax crackling through me as I whimpered between gasping breaths.
My fingernails dug into Thorne's shoulders, my body arching up to rub against him as every touch of skin against skin sent another ripple of tension through my muscles, squeezing and shuddering around his shaft as he twitched within me, filling me with his orgasm as his heavy breath huffed through clenched teeth into my ear. My thighs had locked unconsciously around his waist, rubbing weakly up and down his sides as he emptied himself inside me, a wet trickle of moisture running down my rear from between my thighs as we drew out the moment for as long as possible, everything else wiped away completely by the blissful moment of intimacy we shared.
He gave me everything I needed, everything I wanted, and I knew that for as long as he was by my side, he always would.
It was painful to let go of my instinct this time. The maddening desire of my wolf had needed to be dealt with, but at least it had blotted out the rest of my worries for a few blissfully innocent minutes. As my feral urges receded and my wolf settled into the corners of my mind I was plunged back into reality, a reality where Cyan and the Mine Pack were still out there, and my sister was lost somewhere in the middle of it all.
We wrung the water from our damp clothes and dried them on the moss as best we could, and I sat huddled in Thorne's arms as the pair of us gazed up at the distant roof of the ravine, watching the thin slivers of moonlight that shone between the tangled branches and vines. We listened in silence to the howls of the wolves, each minute stretching into infinity as we waited for our pursuers to move away. It couldn't have been more than half an hour since we'd crawled through the hidden passage in the waterfall, but already it felt like half the night had passed by. A lot could happen within a few minutes. A lot of people could get hurt.
Finally Thorne raised his hand, gesturing for me to listen. The howls were more distant, but still not far enough away for comfort. Something seemed to have changed, though, and it took me a moment to realise exactly what it was before Thorne spoke.
"That's not Cyan's pack, it's someone else."
"Our friends?"
He nodded, helping me to my feet and pausing to listen again. "I think it's safe. Come on, there's a way up at the end of the ravine, we should get out of here while we can."
I caught Thorne's arm as he tugged on his jeans. "But... Ellie."
He shook his head, his expression tight with pain as he squeezed my hand. "We can't get her back by ourselves. Cyan wants you to go to him. We'd be playing right into his hands all over again." He paused. "But he won't sit back doing nothing, either. Sooner or later I think he'll come looking for us, and then we might have our chance."
I grimaced, but there wasn't much room for me to disagree. In the back of my mind I knew I still had the option of giving myself up to Cyan, but that would mean trusting him to keep his word that my sister would stay safe. If I had to choose between trusting him and trusting Thorne, I'd put my faith in my mate every time.
We dressed quickly and made our way to the end of the ravine, finding a tight path between the rocks that led us gradually upward until we were pushing through the vines at the top, emerging out into the moonlight through a tangle of fallen logs that looked as though they'd been positioned specifically to conceal the hidden entrance. I looked back over the ravine, catching sight of the stream that fed the waterfall off to one side and a jagged barrier of rocks on the other. Enclosed on both sides, it was as perfect a hiding place as we could have asked for.
"You never showed me this place before," I said as I grabbed Thorne's hand to help him up over the logs.
"I haven't come back here for a long time," he panted, dusting himself down and following my gaze, a sombre note entering his voice. "I might never have if we hadn't been desperate. It was where I used to go with Niya."
I glanced over at him. "Is this where..?"
He closed his eyes and nodded. "I didn't want to be reminded of it."
I put my arms around him, resting my head against his chest in a warm hug as we caught our breath. I hadn't been the only one struggling with the bad memories of my instinct down there.
Thorne held me for a long moment before taking a sharp breath and letting go, nodding towards the rocks on our left. "That's the way back towards the others. Listen, they're close."
I listened, and sure enough a few moments later I heard the low howl of one of the Wood Pack patrols echoing through the trees. We crept towards the sound, navigating the sharp rocks as best we could with each other's help, the chill of the night air seeping in through my damp clothes to make my legs tremble and my hands shake as I struggled to keep my balance. I'd need my wolf's fur to keep me warm before long.
Once we were back amongst the trees I froze, noticing the gleaming eyes watching us in the dark. I put out a hand to stop Thorne, nodding towards the bushes. I could hear more of them around us, prowling through the undergrowth. The pair of eyes in front of me blinked, then disappeared, and a moment later their human owner was stumbling out of the undergrowth.
"Thorne, Lyssa!" Ethan said. "Thank god it's you. We saw you with those others, but they scattered before we could get to you. Are you alright?"
I nodded as the rest of Ethan's patrol emerged from the trees, most of them looking tired and anxious. "We managed to get away, thanks to you," I said. "But they've got my sister, Ethan."
He ran a hand through his blonde hair. His jacket was spattered with mud, his wrist marked with the scratches of brambles—or perhaps claws. "I wondered why there was a little girl with them. I'm sorry, but we can't go after Cyan with you, we've got bigger problems now."
My throat tightened for a moment at the dismissal, but I held my frustration in check.
"The Mine Pack have been avoiding us," Ethan continued. "There's been a few scuffles here and there, but nothing serious. They always break and scatter before we can fight them. Cyan's not answering Rowan's challenges, and neither are the Mine Pack."
"No surprises there, then," Thorne said.
Ethan bit his lip, glancing at my mate. "They're pushing further into our territory. They're
in small groups, so we can't keep track of them all. Sooner of later they're going to find the main camp, and then the orchard."
"So what are you going to do?"
"I don't know!" Ethan sounded desperate. "I sent a runner to Rowan, but we haven't heard anything back. We're supposed to stay out here to keep track of Cyan's pack, but I don't have a clue where they've gone. They could be anywhere for all I know!"
I looked to Thorne, and he rubbed his chin, gazing down at the ground in contemplation.
"We should go back. We can't leave the people at the orchard by themselves," he said.
Ethan and I both spoke at the same time.
"But Ellie—!"
"But Rowan said—"
Thorne growled sharply, cutting us off. "Rowan isn't here. You can spend all night trying to chase down a pack of wolves who're probably long gone by now, or you can go and help the people who need helping." He turned to me next, his expression softening. "Cyan wants you to go to him. He's played it smart so far, but he isn't patient. If you don't go to him, he'll come to us, and that way we'll have the advantage, and maybe the chance we need to get Ellie away from him."
"And what if something happens to her before then?"
"I don't think Cyan will let it. If he's this desperate to get you back, he won't compromise the only leverage he has to make you come willingly."
I pressed my teeth together, but alongside my concerns for Ellie there was still the thought of the other children back at the orchard. They had sisters, too. Parents and siblings and families of their own. Doing the right thing wasn't just about charging blindly after the one person I cared about most. That had already gotten us caught once this evening.
"Okay then," I nodded. "I trust you."
Thorne gave me a smile, and Ethan's agitation seemed to ease a little. He sighed, shrugging his acceptance. "You've got a better head for this than I do. Lead the way then, Thorne."
My mate looked quickly to the other members of Ethan's patrol for their assent, then shifted into his wolf form, hitting the ground running as his heavy paws pounded against the dirt, leading us back towards the orchard.
Even the still moonlight felt tense and frantic as we ran through the trees and meadows of the Wood Pack's territory. We passed by patches of torn up grass and dirt, tufts of fur caught on brambles, and more than once the faint scent of blood lingering in the air. There was something else, as well. Something stirring in the distance. A dangerous and familiar scent, something that reminded me of the city and the stench of machinery. It was too vague to make out, but it clung to the trail of the Mine Pack wolves as we crossed the paths they had taken, following their distinctive coal dust scent back towards the orchard. They seemed to be heading right towards it now. Perhaps they were already there. I tried to count how many of them I could smell as we hurried on, but the scents became a blur as the wind picked up. At least a dozen, maybe more. Niya and Sabi wouldn't be able to hold them off by themselves. If my decision to run off with Thorne meant something happened to them...
I smelt the fire before I saw it. Acrid smoke on the wind, tinged with the scent of gasoline. Whatever was burning, it hadn't been lit by accident. I yowled with anguish, the others around me lifting their heads and whining with apprehension as an orange glow peeked over the treeline in the distance. Thorne was the only one who remained silent, keeping his head down as he picked up the pace, his breath huffing doggedly as he led us straight towards the source of the flames. It was the orchard, it had to be.
We broke out into the open meadow, tall grass lashing at my face and stinging my eyes as the smell of smoke intensified. Beyond the hilly ridge surrounding the orchard I could see flames licking at the night sky. A small blaze, but it would spread. There was no way out of the orchard besides the main entrance. Even if Sabi and Niya could defend that bottleneck, even with Agatha's help, the fire would drive them out eventually.
Thorne kept us off the main path, sticking to the cover of the tall grass as we approached. We were hidden, but without a clear line of sight ahead there was no way of telling how many of the Mine Pack might be waiting for us at the orchard. My mate slowed as we approached, blinking his smoke-reddened eyes as he gazed at the small gate through the grass. It was hanging half-open, one post almost torn from the ground, the wood scarred with fresh claw marks. I almost didn't notice the dark figure sitting on a low branch of one of the trees until his bitter scent reached my muzzle.
"Wait there, Wood Pack," he called, curling back his arm and sending a rock thudding into the path in front of Thorne.
My mate growled, the rest of us slipping out of the grass to join him and taking our human forms. The man in the tree was young, dark hair falling across his face, a wicked smile on his lips. He was smaller than Thorne or Rowan, but still wiry and well-built. Every inch an alpha. The same one we'd seen pursuing his mate out in the woods that night we'd spent sleeping in the tree. On his own he wasn't a match for all of us, but the wild look in his eyes frightened me.
"Where are the others?" Thorne demanded.
The Mine Pack alpha touched a finger to his nose and gave a shrug, before pointing over his shoulder towards the orchard. "In there, with my people. Safe, until the fire spreads."
I looked past him, squinting into the darkness, and sure enough I could make out the shapes of wolves moving between the trees, the frightened sounds of the Wood Pack's young and elderly reaching my ears over the growing crackle of the flames.
"Cyan," the alpha tittered, covering his mouth with a hand. "He was very clever, really. He followed your scent right back here after you slipped through his claws. Good job on escaping him, by the way. I wasn't betting on him sticking around once he got what he came for."
"Is he in there? With my sister?" I said through gritted teeth.
"Oh yes. Very cruel of him, dragging little Ellie along, wasn't it? But it gave me the most wonderful idea for how to deal with Rowan."
"He'll be here soon," Thorne said, "along with the rest of his pack. They'll see that fire from miles away."
"That's the plan, yes," the alpha replied.
Hail. That was what Sabi had called him. It was a fitting name for a wolf with such cold humour in his eyes.
"Rowan's going to come here," he continued, "along with the rest of your people, and then I'm going to explain how you're all part of my pack now. I don't want fighting, I don't want able bodies being wasted, I just want all of you," he twirled a finger in the air, before tapping it against his chest, "to become more of us. And you're going to do it, because the alternative is listening to all of those poor souls in the orchard burn. Now come along." He beckoned to me. "You and the big boy. I promised Cyan he could have the pair of you, so that's exactly what he'll get. The rest of you stay put until your alpha arrives. Then we'll have a little chat."
I took Thorne's hand and stepped forward, panic threatening to take hold of me. I was terrified. Cyan was one thing, but this other alpha... if he was really that vicious, that cruel, then what chance did we have to reason with him?
"If I agree to go with Cyan, will you stop this?" I said. It was a thin hope, but I had to try.
Hail smiled and shook his head.
"Then accept Rowan's challenge!" Ethan called from behind us. "Settle this between the pair of you, and leave the others out of it."
"If I challenge him," Hail said, "I could lose. This way, I won't. Honour and challenges are for wolves who still like to pretend they're human. Now hush and sit yourselves down quietly like good little puppies." He whistled sharply and motioned for us to hurry along, plucking another rock from his pocket and tossing it from hand to hand.
Thorne and I walked into the orchard together, the glowing eyes of half a dozen Mine Pack wolves watching us from the darkness on either side of the path. The air was already thick with smoke, the blazing trees at the far end of the orchard painting the surroundings in long black shadows and orange light. The young and old of the Wood Pack were clustered in a circle, Niy
a and Sabi supporting a dishevelled looking Agatha as she glared at her captors. They were surrounded by members of our old pack. Hail hadn't made his dash for the orchard in full force, but he had more than enough manpower with Cyan's pack to back him up.
"I don't see Ellie." I clutched at Thorne's sleeve.
"She'll be here somewhere. Just stay calm, we can do this."
"Do what?" I hissed under my breath. "Thorne, they've got everything. Everyone. That alpha isn't like Cyan, he's crazy. We can't reason with the Mine Pack, and we can't fight them without putting the others at risk!"
"Not the Mine Pack, no." He nodded at the group of wolves occupying the orchard. Our old friends. Before I could respond an imposing figure stepped out of the trees, a dark silhouette against the firelight. Cyan glared at me, his eyes sore and moist from the smoke.
"I didn't want it to come to this," he said.
"You're a monster," I hissed back.
"Shut up. Get over there with the others. Once this is over, we're leaving." He bared his teeth, and Thorne rested a hand on my shoulder, guiding me away towards the group. My fear and anxiety were numbing. I couldn't see a way out any longer. The prospect of sitting in wait as the Wood Pack was brought to its knees made me feel sick.
"I'm sorry," I whispered, on the verge of tears as I sank down beside Niya and Agatha.
"What did I tell you about worrying over the past?" the old woman said.
"The Mine Pack were always going to play dirty," Niya said. "Just sit tight. If anyone can get us out of this, it's Rowan. Our people won't just give up without a fight."
"They might, if they're scared enough," another female voice said, and I looked up to see my old pack mate Baya standing over us, gazing into the flames with her arms folded.
Wild Instincts - Complete Edition (Werewolf Erotic Romance) Page 25