Their mouths pressed together hungrily, as if each were determined to devour the other. Her strength rose to meet his, and he could feel it inside her. She was not a wolf, but she had a wolf-spirit, the same spirit that had caused humans to become shifters in the first place, to bond with the animal spirits that guided them, in the lost history of time.
His body felt like it was erupting in flames. Pain and pleasure mixed with desire, until he didn’t know what he felt except the desperation to make her his, to worship every inch of her with his body, his hands, his mouth.
He sank down into the soft grass under the tree, pulling Emma on top of him. He slid her upward until he could take her full, soft breast into his mouth. He kissed one side and then the other, licking and sucking until she was writhing and moaning on top of him.
He reached down and ran his fingers up and down the tender skin of her inner thighs. With each stroke of his hands, he came closer and closer to the slick wetness of her pussy. She was already so wet, wanting him so much. She rolled her hips, inviting him to touch her. “Jace, please,” she whispered.
Gently, he moved his fingers up between her legs. Today was no time for teasing, for making each other wait. It was about desperate need, but also about adoration, about worship, about cherishing each other.
Softly at first, he stroked her beautiful flowerlike folds. She moaned and spread her legs, opening her most intimate places to his touch. He did what she silently asked, finding her sensitive clit and stroking it as if he were touching the center of her soul.
She moaned, beyond words. He could feel her tremble, as if no one else had ever touched her quite that way.
He rolled her on her side and moved to pillow his head on her thigh. He slid his tongue up her sweet-tasting cleft, his tongue worshiping her until he felt her shuddering on the edge of climax.
When he moved away she growled, sounding almost like a wolf herself. He felt the frenzy of her desire, her need for him to take her and fill her and complete her. She reached down and stroked his cock, huge and rock-hard. Pulling him toward her, she slid down and kissed his shaft, the image of his maleness, kissing, licking, stroking, loving.
Power surged through him. All the power of the pack, all the love of his mate. Desire coursed through his whole body like lightning.
He pulled away from Emma and turned her so he was behind her. He rained kisses down on her neck and shoulders, and she moaned, “Take me, Jace. Give yourself to me. Make me yours.”
She leaned forward, hands in the grass, and he cupped her beautiful round ass, then drew her toward him and slid into her from behind. She moaned.
He pushed into her, feeling the power of the bond building. He slid almost all the way out and then pushed in again, and again. Emma rocked her hips to meet him.
It was exquisite.
He thrust into her, over and over, and as the power mounted he wanted to feel closer. Wrapping his arms around her waist, he pulled her backwards and sat on his haunches, thrusting deeply into her as she settled on his lap. He slid one hand down to stroke her clit, holding her to him with the other while he alternated kissing and biting her neck. She arched back, reaching one hand around the back of his head to pull him closer.
Jace could feel Emma’s muscles tensing as she came close to her climax. He kept his rhythm, feeling his own release building.
“Come on, come for me, babe,” he whispered.
Emma cried out and exploded around him. As the great waves of her orgasm began, he bit her neck, tasting her blood. It was like fire in his mouth, and she howled, her muscles clenching rhythmically. Jace lost the last of his control and thrust deeply inside of her, his own release cascading through them both.
They were one flesh, one soul. Mated.
Then the magic exploded through him, shattering him into a thousand million fragments.
Chapter 24
Emma opened her eyes. She was still lying on the bed next to Jace, but now she was as naked as he was—her clothes were strewn across the floor and the bed.
She sat up, clutching the blankets as a wave of dizziness passed over her.
Images flashed through her mind—a strange forest, a huge tree. Jace and her making love. Had any of that been real? Had she and Jace somehow made love here, under the influence of the potion, despite his wounds? Or had they really consummated their bond in some other reality?
She turned to Jace and examined his body. The wounds seemed to be healed, but he was still unconscious, and his skin felt cool. She watched for the rise and fall of his chest, but saw nothing.
Terror stabbed through her. He couldn’t be dead. She’d felt them bond, and surely, if he had died, she’d feel the loss?
She felt for the pulse at his neck, and leaned close to his face, trying to feel his breath. Both were so faint as to be almost nonexistent.
Emma shook him. “Jace? Jace, wake up!”
His body was limp and unresponsive.
Pain shot through Emma’s stomach, almost doubling her over. This couldn’t be happening. After everything they’d been through, he couldn’t die.
But the spirit bonding hadn’t worked. Not the way Amerind and Trish said it would.
What was she supposed to do now?
Outside the window, she heard raised voices. Gathering up her clothes and shrugging on her shirt, she padded softly to the window, pushing it open a few inches so she could hear.
Kane and Rafe were toe to toe outside, chests thrust out belligerently, yelling at each other. From the sound of the argument, only a few minutes had passed since she took the potion, even though it had seemed like so much longer in the spirit world. A few other pack members were gathering around—Emma saw Jesse and Israel. The others she didn’t know.
Kane was taller and bigger than Rafe, but Rafe was bristling with fury and power. They were both pretty damn scary.
Kane shouted, “This is no time to give in to emotions. Jace is dying, and no damn mystical ritual is going to save him. Someone needs to take over this pack.”
“It’s not going to be you,” Rafe ground out. “I’m Second. With Jace wounded, I’m in charge. If he does die, I’d be happy to kick your stony ass at that time and take over officially. Until then, you better fucking stand down, because I’m in no mood.”
“It’s always about you and your moods,” Kane snapped. “We need leadership, not stupid pranks and half-cocked brawls. That idiot human girl has dragged a shit-ton of trouble down on us. Alexander Grant’s men are coming up the mountain right now, looking for her. I say we give her to them and wash our hands of the whole thing.”
Emma put her hand to her mouth to stifle her gasp. Alexander’s men were nearly here. And Jace—Jace was still incapacitated. Maybe dying. No. She couldn’t think like that.
“How far out are they?” That was Jesse, the voice of reason.
“Less than an hour,” Kane snapped. “I’m the Enforcer of this pack. I’m in charge of our defenses. Which means I’m in charge right now.”
Rafe gave him a sharp two-handed push in the chest. “You run the defenses, but you answer to me.”
Kane looked him up and down insolently. “Who’s going to make me?”
Even as a human, Emma could feel the alpha energy emanating from both of them. She wanted to scream at them to stop it, to stop fighting when the pack needed them.
“You can’t take over this pack without going through me,” Rafe said.
This was a disaster. Kane might be a jerk, but he was right about one thing. This was all Emma’s fault. It was what she’d feared ever since Jace had insisted on getting involved—that she would bring Alexander Grant’s wrath down on the whole pack.
They’d be decimated. Scattered—again. Everything Jace and the others had worked for would be destroyed.
She couldn’t let that happen.
She grabbed Jace’s phone, which someone—probably Jesse—had thoughtfully plugged in to charge on the night table. Hands shaking, she dialed Grizzly.
<
br /> No answer. The phone clicked over to voice mail, and Emma waited impatiently for the beep. “Griz? It’s me. I’m nearby on Silverlake Mountain, but Alexander’s guys are on their way. I’m going to try and get to you, but I don’t know if I can make it.” She hesitated. “If I don’t, contact Jesse here at Silverlake. He’ll—”
The recording cut off, and Emma didn’t have time to dial back. The argument outside was escalating. She had to lead Alexander’s men away from here.
She sneaked out into the living room, relieved to see that no one was there. Everyone must have been drawn outside to the argument.
Her bag was still on the counter where Jesse had left it, with Alexander’s laptop inside. She grabbed the laptop and stole outside into the cold, dark night. A crowd was gathering, and she could hear more loud voices. There were calls of “Challenge!” along with a chorus of growls.
Emma kept to the shadows, making her way to the gravel area where most of the pack’s vehicles were parked. The pack seemed to share everything, and they were far from any other people. Hopefully that meant they left their keys in their trucks.
Preferably, a truck with a gun rack on it, and the rifle still in it.
She lucked out with the second one she tried. She checked the rifle to make sure it was loaded, and then slipped inside and started the engine, waiting to turn on the headlights until she pulled out onto the dirt track that led to the main road. She glanced in the rearview mirror. Nobody had raised an alarm; nobody was following her.
Her entire body was filled with dread, and her hands were holding the steering wheel in a death grip. You can do this, Emma, she kept telling herself. You can do this.
But jumping off mountains in a hang glider and flirting with avalanches was nothing compared to this. The kind of danger she was used to affected only herself. And this time she was scared—scared of going back to Alexander, scared of what he might do. Scared Grizzly wouldn’t be able to get to her, or wouldn’t be able to help her.
But she was more scared for Jace and his pack. If by some miracle he could still recover, she didn’t want him to wake up to another battle to save his pack—or worse, wake up to find them destroyed. And she had no doubt Alexander’s men would not hesitate to do just that.
Emma made the highway and turned toward town. According to what Kane had said, Alexander’s men were heading this way, and there was only one road they could be on. They should have no trouble finding her.
She only hoped her plan would work.
Twenty minutes later, she’d found the right place to make her stand. It was a short, straight, level piece of road right between two sharp curves. They wouldn’t see her until she wanted them to.
The truck was in the middle of the road, engine running, headlights off. Lying in the road, inches from the oversized front tire, was Alexander’s laptop. The driver’s door of the truck was open, and Emma was standing behind it, her rifle aimed at the road in front of her.
It took another five minutes before they reached her. She heard their engines coming—more than one vehicle. It seemed like her ears were sharper than they’d been before she and Jace had done the spirit bonding—or maybe it was just adrenalin.
She adjusted her aim and waited.
The first truck came around the curve. Its headlights caught Emma’s truck, and it slowed to a stop. A man got out, his hands out in the universal gesture of peace.
Emma wasn’t fooled. There were probably half a dozen guns trained on her right now, and she could see shadows slipping forward from the trucks further back in line.
Her old friend Mr. Megaphone boomed out, “Clear the road. I repeat, move your vehicle and clear the road.”
Emma waited, just to piss him off. Then she called out, “No need for that. I’m Emma Wilkes, and I want to make a deal.” Before they could answer, she added, “And screw that damn megaphone. I have a rifle trained on your boy there. He walks forward slowly, and I talk to him.”
The man nodded and walked slowly forward. Emma waited until he was within comfortable shouting distance and then said, “That’s far enough.”
He stopped.
“Give us the laptop,” he called out.
“I intend to,” she said. “That’s it right there under the tire of my truck.”
The man glanced down, then back up at her.
“Here’s my deal,” she said. “You can have the laptop. I won’t shoot you, or any of your buddies. All you have to do is turn around again once you have it, and go back to Alexander. Leave me alone; leave my friends alone.”
The man didn’t answer at once. Emma heard him murmuring, and assumed he was passing her terms along to his superior through an earbud communicator. She waited.
The man said, “Alexander Grant wants you back. The deal is for you and the laptop. You won’t be harmed.”
Yeah, right.
“No deal,” Emma said. “You can try to come and get me, but as soon as you do, I release the brake, and this bad boy crunches the laptop. You can spend the evening gathering up computer parts to prove to Alexander that you got his data back.”
She added, “Then you get to chase me through the woods, in the dark. With me picking you off one by one with my rifle. Don’t know for sure if you can catch me or not but damn, it’s going to take you all night to try.”
The man watched her warily.
“Or, you can take my deal. You get the laptop, I disappear, and there you are. Mission accomplished. Go have a beer.”
There was another pause while he conferred with his superiors. Finally, he gave a curt nod. “Deal.”
“Okay,” Emma said. “Everyone but you stays where they are. You stay where you are until I’ve backed up the truck to that curve back there. Then you come forward and take the laptop, and it’s sayonara. We never see each other again.”
The man gave another nod. Emma could almost see the wheels turning in his mind.
She knew they’d still want to come after her. And she probably would have to take to the woods. But spending the night chasing her was a better way for Alexander’s men to spend their time than attacking the Silverlake pack. And there was always the chance that she could find her way to Grizzly’s before they got her.
She climbed back into the truck and put it into reverse. She backed up slowly, dividing her attention between the rearview mirror and the men in front of her. As she approached the curve in the road behind her she slowed to a stop.
The man darted to the laptop and snatched it up. Just as he did, Emma switched on the truck’s headlights, set on high beam. The man blinked, temporarily blinded by the light.
Grabbing her rifle, Emma slithered out of the truck, dropped to the ground and rolled underneath it. She scrambled into the woods at the far side of the road.
They’d find out the truck was empty soon enough, but hopefully they’d been blinded, and they’d think she’d gone into the woods on the driver’s side. This might just give her the lead she needed.
She heard shouts and running feet, and started to scramble up the slope in front of her. Just as she did, a wave of dizziness rushed over her. It felt like the huge surge of energy that she’d felt in the spirit bonding, except in reverse—like the energy was being sucked out of her instead of filling her.
Emma stumbled and fell, sliding down the slope. She couldn’t move, she couldn’t scream. Every scrap of energy was pouring out of her, into…
Her mate.
Jace was alive. He was alive, and pulling on the power of the bond. The energy surged out of Emma like water rushing off the beach to feed a tsunami. And seconds later, it all crashed back over her, and blackness overtook her.
Chapter 25
Jace was shattered, suspended outside of time and space for what seemed like an eternity, and yet no time at all. Then he slammed back into his body. Power and energy poured into him. Power and energy from Emma. His mate.
She’d broken open his soul. He could feel the whole pack. He was outside witnessing
his lieutenants fighting; he was inside each and every wolf. He was Kane, with a crippling sense of guilt and a need to preserve the pack at all costs; he was Rafe with his insatiable lust for life and his desperate need to make good, to matter, to make a difference. He was Jesse, with his fear of not being strong enough. He was Israel, with his hidden fears and his deep loyalty to his adopted brother. He was all the wolves; he was all the pack. Then his awareness spiraled out to encompass his whole territory: every tree, every stone, every living thing, the mountain itself.
He claimed it and it was his.
And the magic protecting it answered to his call.
He felt his wounds knitting up, faster by far than he’d ever healed before, as though his shifter healing had been supercharged by the power of his mate and his pack and his territory. His blood renewed itself; his strength returned. He was better than healed. On this night, he was invincible.
Jace opened his eyes.
He was alone in the cabin. The place in the bed next to him was cool. Emma was gone.
Power still roared through him, sparkling in his veins. He reached out in his mind for her. He could feel her, near the boundaries of his territory, but there was darkness around her, and she didn’t respond to his call.
All around her were intruders. People who didn’t belong, who were hostile to his pack. They were enemies, and they had Emma.
They were going to be destroyed.
Jace dressed quickly and strode out of the cabin. From the porch, he could see the pack gathered in the field by the fire pit, fear and stress and anger rippling through them like shards of glass. Rafe and Kane were locked in combat. Rafe had Kane in a choke hold, and Kane was fighting back with every ounce of strength he had. Jace could feel them on the edge of going wolf, tearing each other to shreds.
They were challenging each other.
They were challenging him.
It had to be stopped.
Jace summoned the power of his territory, augmenting his alpha power a thousandfold. “Enough!” he thundered. “Stand down!”
Fugitive Mate (Silverlake Shifters Book 1) Page 14