by Bethany Shaw
Chapter Fourteen
Daniel ran alongside Devon, Gene, and a few other’s as they chased the remnants of Juarez’s pack from their lands. They reached the fence at the property line and came to a halt. A few of Juarez’s men lay lifelessly on the ground. The fence hummed loudly as the electric current raced through it. Daniel growled motioning his head at the fleeing wolves. They should pursue them—finish them now.
Devon gave a firm shake no as his muzzle curled up in a snarl. Daniel huffed and trotted back into formation. Gene barked, and turned, sprinting in the direction of the ranch. Daniel raced alongside them, eager to get back to Nora. He needed to make sure she was okay.
The trees blew by him in a whirlwind. The wind blew heavily, bringing with it the stench of blood, dirt, and death. How many of his comrades had fallen tonight?
In the distance, he could see the orange hue of the sun. The bright hue was a stark contrast to the events that had just taken place. They reconvened with the rest of the pack—what was left of it, closer to the ranch. The group took one last look around before returning to their human body.
Gene pulled out a green trashcan and took the lid off. He grabbed a pair of sweats and hopped into them. Everyone quickly followed suit and then stood waiting for orders.
“Good job tonight. Everyone pulled together and we drove the enemy away,” Devon started looking to each man as he talked. “It’s not over yet. We need to cleanup and secure the perimeter. Be careful of the fence. It is still live and judging by the bodies around it, the voltage is deadly. Members of my pack will handle clean up and Gene’s will reestablish the property line. We need to make sure no one is still lurking out there. I want you to secure the house first, and then work your way out. I’m heading back to tend to the wounded. Gene will stay out here and help move the injured and capture any injured Gulf pack members,” Devon explained.
“All right, let’s get to work,” Gene hollered.
***
Nora stared down at her hands. They were caked with dried blood. Specks of red covered her arms and there were a few droplets on her blue shirt too. She had spent the last few hours tending to the injured. Emily would be fine, thankfully. However, one of the men had died while she’d been trying to staunch his bleeding. His dead, glassy eyes still haunted her. She doubted she would ever forget that look.
Nora turned on the kitchen sink and began to scrub at her hands. She looked up, catching a glimpse of herself in the glass window. Splotches of red were sprinkled across her cheek and forehead. Blood! She averted her gaze and gagged as she saw the red water swirling in the sink. Her breath quickened and nausea rolled in. She shut off the water and sunk down to the cool tile floor.
Her lip quivered as she recalled the events of the night. People had died. She’d killed someone—someone who was going to hurt her. Then there had been the way that Sarah had broken down. The girl had momentarily lost it. What had Sarah been through to snap like that? Nora shuddered at the thought.
The kitchen door creaked open and soft footsteps padded to the sink. Nora knew she should get up but remained motionless.
Natalia rounded the corner and took in her worried state. The she-wolf had changed into pajamas and had hooked a baby monitor to her waistband. She slid down onto the floor next to her.
“Are you all right?” Natalia questioned. “Are you hurt?”
“Physically I’ll be okay,” Nora answered. Save for a few bruises and sore muscles she had faired pretty well. “This is just so crazy. I don’t know how Lark—or anyone can possibly be okay with everything that is going on.”
“You were kind of thrust into our world,” Natalia said.
“Yeah,” Nora sighed, resting her head on the cabinets.
“I grew up away from the pack. My mother was a human. She ran from my father when she learned she was pregnant with me. We lived a happy, human life until a little over a year ago. My father had my mother killed and brought me into the Gulf pack. I was fortunate to end up here. For a while, I used to wish I could go back and be oblivious to everything that was going on. I felt like an outsider—an intruder, or prisoner. I wanted to escape, but then I realized that Gene was in my corner and so was everyone else,” Natalia smiled, licking her lips. “But now, this is home. No matter how crazy things are, or dangerous it may be, I have a family here. These people put their lives—their pack on the line for me. For someone they barely even knew, and that’s not something you see every day.”
Natalia sighed and tapped her fingers on the tile floor. “I guess I am trying to say that you have a home here. You are one of us and we will protect you.”
Nora smiled and looked down at her hands. “Thank you.” A blush crept across her cheeks as she met Natalia’s brown eyes. Calmness floated through her and she let out a long breath. The muscles in her back relaxed and she was able to draw in a deep, steadying breath.
Natalia nodded her head and stood up walking out of the kitchen. Nora sighed and pulled herself up using the marble counter top.
Nora thought about what Natalia had said. She might not know everyone here, but there was something about the way they looked out for each other. It was nice. They were a family and they would do anything to protect each other. That wasn’t something you saw every day.
***
Daniel stepped out of the bathroom and came face to face with Nora. She flicked off the light of the bathroom she’d stepped out of and gave him a small, tired smile.
Her long hair was still wet from her shower. A tiny rivulet of water dripped off the end and beaded on her bare leg. The long sleeve shirt she wore was loose on her, but the shorts showed off her long creamy legs.
“Hey,” she whispered.
Daniel brought his gaze back up to her. Her bottom lip quivered and tears shone in her eyes. “Hi,” he said quietly.
“You’re okay?” she breathed as if she were shocked to see him.
“Yeah. Are you?” Daniel asked, cupping her face, he gently turned it left to right.
He swallowed his thumb tracing over the light blue bruise starting to form. Anger clouded his vision and a low growl vibrated in his throat.
“It’s not that bad. You should see the guy that did it to me,” Nora smiled, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes.
“I hope he’s dead,” Daniel snarled. If not, he would hunt down the wolf and kill him himself.
“He is. A lot of people are,” she murmured.
Daniel ran his hand back into her tangled locks and she rested her face in his palm. He hoped that tonight had not been too much for her.
“How is Emily?” Nora asked before he could say anything.
“She’s still out of it, but Dev thinks she’ll be fine. Marcus will be too. He hasn’t left Em’s side since he came to,” Daniel informed as a rare smile spread across his face as he thought of his sister and her mate. He could only hope one day he would have someone he loved that much and loved him in return.
His heart swelled as he looked at Nora and for a moment, he considered she might be that person. But girls like her didn’t belong with someone like him. Whatever this was, it was probably just a passing fancy. He had saved her and she would get over it eventually.
“Excuse me,” one of the guys said as he came up and walked into the corridor. He walked down the hall and entered one of the bathrooms.
“Do you want to talk in my room?” Nora asked pointing behind her.
“Yeah,” Daniel admitted.
Nora pulled back and turned on her heel, padding across the grey carpet. She opened her bedroom door and motioned him inside. The door clicked shut and Nora went to her bed and sat down patting the place beside her.
“Were you hurt?” Nora questioned her eyes falling to the jagged laceration on his arm.
“It’s not that bad,” he said, staring at the scabbed over mark.
Nora smiled, gingerly touching his arm. “These look old. If I hadn’t seen you a few hours before, I’d think this happened a week ago, not
tonight.”
“I wish there was something I could do for you,” he grumbled. He clenched his fists around the comforter. A part of him felt as if he’d failed her.
“Just be here with me,” Nora whispered. “Please.”
She laid back in the bed and Daniel ran a hand through his hair. “You want me to stay?”
“If you want to. Could you just hold me?” Nora’s eyes pleaded with his.
Daniel slowly lay down on the bed unsure what exactly she wanted him to do. Her warm fingers found his hand encircling his. She pulled his arm over her and held him there. Nora sighed and Daniel breathed in her strawberry scent.
He’d never laid like this with a woman before. Any trysts he had were quick and he left almost immediately after. This was different—special.
“I killed a guy today. I shot him in the chest. I’m sure I killed others, but this one he was so close. He fell on top of me and...” Her voice broke and a sobbed escaped.
“It’s okay,” Daniel pulled her closer until her back was pressed against his chest.
“I know I had to, but... all I can see is his eyes. How do you do it? How do you get over it?” Nora questioned rolling over to face him.
Daniel frowned and licked his lips. “In instances like this you had no choice, Nora. If you hadn’t struck, he would have. I don’t think you really want to think about what would have happened if you hadn’t of acted.” He paused, thinking of how he could possibly make her feel better. “My dad had me make my first kill when I was fifteen. He said the man was a traitor. I didn’t even question him. I should have,” Daniel sighed.
“You were just a kid,” Nora answered.
“I messed up a lot because of my dad. Did things I didn’t want to,” Daniel admitted through gritted teeth.
“You never stood up to him?” Nora asked.
Daniel flinched at her question, though there was no malice in her voice, it still stung. “I tried once. Dev had snuck out and Emmett had caught him. I think he was fifteen at the time. Dev was old enough to take care of himself. Emmett promised my mom he wouldn’t lay a finger on Dev, but that didn’t stop him from having others do it for him. He made me watch. They beat him until he passed out and then Emmett told me to wake him so they could have another go at him. I told him no. Instead of taking it out on my brother, they took it out on me. That was the first time my dad had me beat. Dev and I had always coexisted before that day, but after,” Daniel shook his head and looked up at the ceiling. “After that day everything changed between us. Not that I blame him.”
“Is that why the two of you don’t get along?” Nora asked in a hushed voice. Her free hand went to his chest and she traced tiny patterns across his pecks.
“That was just the first time it happened. I watched my own father do a lot of things to Dev. I always wanted to stop him, but I couldn’t, not after that first night. After Emmett was finished with me, I had to clean the barn, scrub all the blood away. Dev had been sent inside. When I got back, my mom and he were fighting. It got physical. I tried to stop it. Like an idiot, I challenged my father. That’s how I got these.” His hand went absently to his back where the long jagged claw marks were. “I lost. A thirteen-year-old adolescent wolf is no match for a grown were. Emmett told me if I ever defied him again, in any way, it would be worse, and not just for me.”
Nora gasped her eyes widening, and her fingers squeezing his tighter. “Your mom?”
Daniel nodded and sighed. “I never openly went against him again, but he found other things to pick at. Nothing was ever good enough.”
“It sounds like you and Devon were both victims, and he doesn’t even know what happened to you, does he?” Nora’s brow crinkled down as she studied him.
“It doesn’t matter now. There were lots of other times I should have done something that I didn’t. I got older, stronger, I could have done—“
“Don’t do that to yourself. Parents should never put you in that position. My mom always used to make me think it was my fault she left. She’d come back and then when she’d get bored she’d say I was annoying, and she just had to leave.” Nora drew in a long breath. “It’s never your fault—it’s them,” Nora leaned in and kissed the tip of his nose. “Thank you for telling me that. I’m sure it wasn’t easy.”
“I’ve never told that to anyone,” Daniel realized. “I haven’t ever really talked to anyone—not like this.”
Nora smiled and leaned forward brushing her lips against his. “I’ll always listen.”
She pressed her soft lips against his again. Her mouth parted and his tongue darted out, tracing along her lower lip.
Daniel groaned as his cock tightened and her soft breasts crushed against his chest. The shirt she wore was so thin, he could feel her nipple's pebble beneath it. Nora’s hand ran through his hair, melding them together.
His hand slid to her hip and slowly trailed up the bare flesh of her belly. Her skin was silky beneath the pads of his fingers and he needed to know how it would feel sliding against him as they made love. The heat of her core pressed against his length and he rolled, pinning her beneath him.
Nora moaned her slender fingers burned against him as they trailed up and down his back. Her legs wrapped around him as he slipped his hand further up her shirt until he found the swell of her breast. Rolling the tight bud between his thumb and forefinger, he kissed along her jawbone and down to her throat.
A tiny gasp escaped her lips and she stiffened beneath him. Daniel looked up to meet her eyes.
“I’m sorry,” he mumbled, starting to pull away. “I know you wanted to take things slow.”
Nora bit her lip as she stared up at him breathlessly. After a long moment, her hand skimmed down the back of his neck and pulled him back to her lips. Her tongue met his and they danced hungrily against each other.
Daniel swallowed not wanting to push her. He cared about her and didn’t want to mess this up. “Nora?” he questioned.
Her fingers ran through his hair as she blinked up at him. “We both almost died tonight,” she whispered. “If something would have happened to you, I would have regretted that I held back.” Her breath caught and cheeks reddened. “I want this.”
“Are you sure?” he needed to be positive this was what she truly wanted.
Nora nodded, pulling him back to her. She crushed her lips against him and wrapped her legs tighter. He groaned as he hardened and ground against her.
As if sensing his need, her hands went to the waistband of his pajama pants and slowly slid them down. Her palms traced along his bottom and dipped down over his pelvic bone. He watched with bated breath, as she took his cock into her hands and gently stroked it.
Daniel grunted shoving her shirt up, he found her breast and took it into his mouth. Nora bucked up into him and he tugged her shirt up higher, and over her head.
Her hands stopped their ministrations and went to her chest. At first, he thought she was shielding herself from him, but her mounds were almost fully exposed. He raised an eyebrow in question and slowly she moved her fingers away, revealing a fine silvery scar. It stretched from the crook of her neck down to the middle of her ribcage.
She averted her eyes and swallowed. He bent down and placed a tender kiss to the tip of the scar by her neck. He had more than enough scars of his own—it didn’t matter to him that she had one too. Although, he was curious how she’d gotten it. That didn’t matter now. He peppered kisses along the mark until he felt her hands run through his hair. Moving down, he shifted his thumb into the waistband of her shorts.
He looked up, silently asking if he could proceed and she gave him a firm nod. Daniel took her shorts and panties off and dropped them to the floor, laying back down, he nestled himself between her legs.
With a growl, he met her lips and pushed into her tight, wet heat. Nora moaned, her hips rising up to meet his. Daniel thrust his tongue into her mouth as he slid in and out of her. Her legs wrapped around his waist and ankles locked together pulling hi
m deeper.
He’d never been with a woman like this before. It had always been about reaching their mutual peak. With Nora, he wanted to take his time and worship her. Bring her pleasure and then take his own.
Nora moved her tongue with Daniel’s as it glided against hers in perfect time to his thrust. She moaned loudly when he found that special place inside of her. Lifting her hips to meet his thrusts, she grazed her fingers along his back, feeling his muscles flex as he ground against her.
His mouth moved to her jaw, placing open-mouthed kisses down her neck, to her shoulder, and then breast. Daniel licked and teased her nipple as his hand found the other. Nora’s breath quickened as her inner walls tightened and then white heat burst through her. A scream tore free from her lips and she called out his name.
Daniel’s mouth covered her lips, stifling her yells. He pumped against her faster, harder, their slick bodies rubbing against each other’s in the most sinful way. His body went rigid a growl vibrated from his mouth into hers, and then he relaxed on top of her.
His forehead rested against hers and Nora closed her eyes as she tried to regain control of her breathing. Her heart beat rapidly against her ribs and she shuddered still feeling the aftershocks of their coupling.
No one had ever taken the time to make her feel like this before. Daniel had made this special—he didn’t even comment about her scar. In fact, he’d worked extra hard to ease her fears. She was sure he would ask about it eventually, but for now, she just wanted to enjoy the moment.
“Stay the night with me?” she asked, kissing him.
Daniel pushed matted, sweaty strands of hair off her neck. “Yeah.”
Chapter Fifteen
Daniel blinked his eyes open. A heavy weight lay across his chest and something tickled his nose. He looked down into a mass of hair. Nora! Her soft, creamy, naked flesh pressed against his. One of his arms was wrapped around her torso, the other behind his head. She lay peacefully against his chest. Long, even breaths puffed against his bare chest.