Tainted Romance

by Simone Elise

  “Him and his benders,” Blake muttered.

  “Like you can talk,” I said to Blake. “Ok, I’m getting up.”

  “Good, because there are drinks to chug, weed to smoke, and Chase is up for a d and m.”

  I groaned. “NO! I did it last year!”

  “What’s a d and m?” Zane asked, looking confused and it was cute. I kissed his cheek.

  “Deep and meaningful, and considering he’s Blake’s brother, he should be the one to have to have it with him,” I said, giving Blake a pointed look.

  “Come on, Winters, he loves it when you listen because you actually do that. Listen!” He scoffed, “Now get up and put clothes on and don’t even think of telling me how you spent last night.”

  “What? You can’t give me a lecture. I’m guessing this dirt floor you slept on you shared with Ebony.”

  “I’m getting her on the weed too. I want to know what she’s like stoned.” Blake’s face lit up with his plan. “Because I know what it does to you. I wonder if it has that effect on all women.”

  “Actually, it didn’t do it to me this time. I think the stuff you brought is weaker than normal.” I frowned.

  “Harris, did she fuck your brains out last night? Like, did you see a side of her you haven’t even seen?” Blake actually thought it was acceptable to talk about my sex drive with Zane. I threw a pillow at him.

  “Shut up, Falcon,” I said.

  “Harris, answer the question,” Blake snapped. “I don’t believe my weed is letting her down.”

  Zane looked at me. “Does she normally do things on impulse when she smokes it?”

  “Yep.”

  “I do not!” I huffed.

  “Then yep. Saw a new side to her.” Zane looked back at him.

  “Seriously, you are considering that it was me acting on impulse?” I arched my eyebrows at him. Seriously, it was a blowjob! I didn’t do it on impulse. I wanted him to calm down and I knew that would work.

  “Well, you said you had never done it before,” he pointed out to me.

  “Yeah, because Blake isn’t my mate! Some things you just do naturally with your mate.” I did not feel like I had to explain myself or defend my actions, yet I was doing both.

  Blake picked up on it immediately. “What did you do with him you haven’t done with me?”

  “Nothing.”

  “Nah, don’t spin me that line, Winters. Since when did you get shy about your sex life?”

  “I don’t know, maybe the same time the only two men I have been with want to compare stories!”

  “Fine, I’ll drop it,” Blake said, putting his hands up. “I’ll get it out of you later today when you are stoned and drunk.”

  “When it comes to this, Falcon, it’s between Zane and me, and I won’t be repeating it.” I looked at him smugly. “Now, are you going to piss off, so I can get dressed?”

  He looked at me sharply. “You just want me to piss off, so you can fuck him again.”

  My mouth fell open. “OUT NOW!”

  “And you said my weed wasn’t working,” he said mockingly before turning and walking off.

  “IT ISN’T!” I yelled after him.

  It was when the door closed, and I knew he was outside, I looked at Zane.

  He had a smirk on his face. Reaching out, he tucked my hair behind my ear. “Some things come naturally with your mate, huh?”

  I nodded my head. “But if you didn’t like it, we don’t have to repeat it.”

  A squeal left my lips as Zane had me on my back within a second, leaning over me. “Never said that, sweetheart,” he said just before he kissed me. His hand was running down my stomach and I knew what he was doing.

  At least I thought I did until he pulled back. Looking me in the eye. “Do I have you? For today? Do I have you?”

  He had me for the rest of his life. He just hadn’t realized that yet. I said last night he had me for the night because I couldn’t tell him that I was staying, not after speaking with his dad, but his dad had only told me that because he thought Zane was still sleeping with other women.

  If Zane wasn’t, did that mean it didn’t matter anymore? That letting him go, wasn’t the right decision?

  I was starting to get confused, but his question was still in my head. He was asking for another day. I could do that.

  I nodded my head, running my fingers over his jaw. “Yeah, you do.”

  “Good.” He lowered his lips to my neck. “How much time do we have until he comes back?”

  My heart started beating faster, did that mean I was going to get another dose of Zane?

  “Twenty minutes to half an hour.”

  “I guess that means I have to make this quick.” His lips ran down my neck, stopping on my mark and I moaned.

  “Don’t tease me.”

  He pulled back smirking. “But I love teasing you,” he said, just as he slipped a finger into me. “Getting you hot and ready to come.”

  I gritted my teeth. “Stop it.”

  “You did it to me with that insane blowjob you gave me.”

  “And you paid me back for that last night.”

  He kissed over my breast. “Nah, sweetheart, I haven’t even begun to pay you back for that.”

  I groaned. “Zane, I just want you!” I wasn’t above begging. He was surprised to hear it though as I could tell by the look on his face.

  He may have wanted to tease me, but me begging had his expression change in a second. He wanted to please me, and I had been counting on that.

  He pulled out of me and flipped me over, so I was on my knees, and I just put my hands out to kneel, when he entered me with haste.

  “Is this what you wanted?”

  I was already panting. “God yes.” I looked over my shoulder. “But harder.”

  He groaned. “You are going to kill me, sweetheart.” And his speed increased, giving me exactly what I wanted and needed. Would I ever get enough of him?

  ***

  “Come on, Ebony, just take a hit,” Blake said, trying but failing to get Ebony to do his drugs. “You won’t regret it.”

  “Yes, I will, which is why I’m not doing it,” she said, in between his legs.

  We had set up for the day in the middle of the field. The music was playing, the sun was burning my back, and I had never felt more relaxed. I leaned back against Zane, being in between his legs, and his arms wrapped around me.

  “Here, let me try it,” Taylor said, putting his hand out for it. “If I’m doing it, Ebony, you have to. You know our deal.”

  “Taylor, that’s not fair!” she snapped. “You know very well what I think of drugs and,” she looked at me then Blake, “People who do them.”

  I just smiled. I was high. I could feel it. My grip on reality was less tense. All my problems were gone, but I still wasn’t sure if that was because of the drugs and alcohol, or the fact I was in between Zane’s legs, and he was holding onto me like he was never letting go.

  Blake lit another joint up and handed it to Taylor.

  “So, does this mean you are trying it?” Blake grinned at Ebony.

  She rolled her eyes. “You are basically forcing this on me.”

  “Come on, babe, you’ll love it.” He kissed the side of her face. They had successfully gone back to the lovesick couple they were before my accident.

  I hope Zane and I never got that loved up.

  Blake groaned just as Ebony sucked on the joint.

  “What? Am I doing it wrong?” she said.

  “No, it’s not you, it’s him,” Blake muttered and looked at me. “I’m not doing it.”

  I looked across the field and spotted Chase heading towards us, looking about as depressed as someone at their own funeral.

  “He’s found her,” I said, grumbling and looked back at Blake. “You can’t expect me to deal with this.”

  Blake groaned again. “Well, how we normally settle this problem isn
’t going to work, is it?”

  He was right. Usually, Blake and I had a deal. Who was the one to put up with Chase’s deep and meaningful, the other pleased them in bed but, considering we were both with different people now, that wasn’t going to work.

  “Why do you two look like doomsday is approaching?” Ebony said, and by the sounds of it, the weed was already hitting her.

  “Because it is,” Blake and I said together.

  “Literally,” I added as Chase got closer.

  “Well, if he has found her that means he won’t spend the rest of the festival looking for her,” Blake pointed out. “So, he might actually come back with us on Monday.”

  “True,” I said. Poor guy. I watched Chase’s face twist into a sad welcoming smile and Blake groaned again.

  “Hey, guys.”

  “Hi, Chase.” I smiled at him. Please don’t pick me.

  “Found her,” he said, confirming what Blake and I had been expecting.

  “Well, has he budged on the price?” I said hopefully. Taylor, Ebony, and Zane looked at me confused, then to Chase.

  Yep, we weren’t talking about a woman. We were talking about a car. A car Chase had fallen in love with, literally, and every year he tries to buy her. Every year the guy gives an unreasonable price.

  “Nope. Asking more for her this year.” Chase didn’t sit down, and I knew the d and m was coming.

  I looked directly at Blake. “Maybe Blake can talk him around.”

  Blake looked back at me not impressed I had just thrown him in hot water. “Come on, Winters, we all know you are the one with the charm.”

  Chase sighed. “Doesn’t matter anymore. I’ll never get her. I’ve had a lot of time to think about that and everything else.”

  And so, the d and m starts. I pushed myself away from Zane and got up. “Come on, Falcon, I want chips. You can tell me all about it while I get them.”

  Zane grabbed my hand. “Are you feeling alright?”

  Was he talking about the fact I had just been the one to volunteer to listen to Chase’s d and m, or could he pick up on the fact I was on another planet right now. Everything was slightly blurred, and I knew I was stoned when I started to think like Chase.

  “Fine.” And considering the amount of weed I had smoked, I was. “We’ll be back.” I locked my hand with Chase’s. “Now, you were saying about time to think?”

  Chase sighed and started explaining what he had been thinking. I glanced over my shoulder and saw Blake mouth a thank you to me. Yeah, he really did owe me one for this.

  Chapter Seventy-one

  ZANE

  Allie still wasn’t back. Ebony was wasted by this point and couldn’t stop laughing. Even Taylor was finding things funny; the two of them were taking pictures on his phone with filters.

  It was when Chase sat down next to me, I could breathe easy. If he was back, it meant Allie was… wait.

  “Where the fuck is Allie?” Blake snapped at him.

  Chase looked up from his hot food frowning. “Um, she was. Well, she was with me and then… well…”

  “She’s stoned, Chase!” Blake roared at him getting up. “You and I both know she doesn’t think straight when she is stoned! One of us always keeps an eye on her. I leave you with her for a minute, and you lose her!”

  “She isn’t that stoned. Anyway, you’re the one that normally keeps an eye on her when she is. Not me.”

  “Fuck, you’re more stoned than her! Bloody useless.”

  “She isn’t that stoned!”

  “What does she do when she is stoned?”

  “Fuck you.”

  “Apart from that.”

  “Eat.”

  “Where did you go with her?”

  Chase’s face melted in understanding. “To get food.” He finally switched onto the situation. “Well, she seemed switched on. She even promised me something, but now I’m not sure if she was thinking clearly.” He frowned.

  “Where did you leave her?”

  “Can’t remember.”

  I was up. I would search the whole festival looking for her if I had to. I could feel something was wrong with her, but I didn’t know if it was because of the drugs or not. Why did she have to do drugs?!

  “You can read her mind. Read her mind and find out where she is,” Blake snapped at me. Like he could force me to do it if I wouldn’t willingly.

  I was already searching for her before he even demanded it of me.

  Ok. Where is Blake when I need him? Calm down, Allie. We are around people. He won’t make a move while in front of others.

  Ok. He’s touching me. What the hell do I do? Change and kill him? We are in front of humans and who was I kidding. I couldn’t kill someone even if I wanted to.

  I could feel her panic. She was with someone she didn’t like. She felt unsafe. She felt scared. ‘Allie, what the hell is going on?’ My voice filled her mind.

  ‘Are you with Blake?’ Her voice entered my mind high on panic.

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘Tell him Dan has got me. He will know what to do.’

  I frowned and looked at Blake. “She said Dan has got her and you’ll know what to do.” Why wouldn’t I know what to do? Why didn’t she want me right now?

  Blake cursed and looked panicked. “Of course he would find her when I wasn’t around. Do you know where she is?”

  “Around food.”

  “Well, you’re really fucking helpful, aren’t you?” he snapped and pushed past me heading for the food vans.

  “Who’s this Dan guy?” I caught up with him. I couldn’t understand why Allie was feeling so scared, but it made me want to fucking find her more knowing she felt unsafe. Yeah, I was feeling how Blake looked.

  “A jerk. He made a move on Allie years ago. She said no. He trashed our shit because of it. The next year Allie and I blew up their van as payback. We were meant to be on a lifetime ban because of that.” Blake pushed through the crowd.

  I felt Allie’s panic go up as Dan gripped her arm, stopping her from running. She was stoned, her reflexes were slower.

  “Werewolf or human?”

  “Werewolf. Allie could handle a fucking human. Why else do you think I’m panicking?” He was scanning the crowds looking for her.

  I didn’t need to look. I could feel her. I was naturally drawn to her. I pushed a few more people out of my way and, instead of following Blake, he was following me.

  I saw her. He had her up against a food van.

  ‘I’m coming, Allie.’ Surely, she knew I would come.

  ‘Thank you.’

  Blake spotted her and pushed past me and broke out running.

  He ripped the guy's hand off her, and that was my job!

  It was when Blake wrapped his arm around her, pulling her back to him like she was his – well that sent my blood pressure up.

  “Here, I thought you left your prize possession completely alone, Blake,” the guy said to him. “Allie and I were just catching up.”

  As soon as I reached them, I gave Blake a pointed look to let go of her. My mate. He had his hands on my Allie. He let go of her and pushed her towards me. Not fighting me on it. It was only natural to wrap my arms around her.

  I heard her exhale slowly as soon as I did, but she was still stiff. Her heart beating like it was last night, only this time I wasn’t causing it, and it was beating out of fear.

  ‘Calm down, sweetheart. I’m right here, and so is Blake.’ I wanted to reassure her that she was safe. She had to know I wouldn’t let anyone hurt her while I was around, and I doubted Blake would let anyone hurt her while he was around.

  As much as that annoyed me, it was the truth. He wouldn’t let anything happen to her either.

  I guess it wasn’t a bad thing if Allie had another person looking out for her.

  “I told you last year to stay away from her.” Blake’s fists were clenched at his side. “You suffering memory loss?”
>
  Dan’s eyes weren’t on Blake. He couldn’t give a care about Blake. His eyes were on Allie and me.

  “You got yourself a friend, Allie?” He turned, looking at us more closely. “One with Alpha blood.”

  “Not a friend, a mate,” I corrected him, feeling the need to make a stake on Allie.

  His face twisted with understanding. “Allie and Alpha. What do you know?”

  “An Alpha that will ruin you if you go near her again.” I pushed Allie behind me. Normally I didn’t like threatening people, or using my blood to do the threatening. I liked to consider myself as a relaxed type of guy, but I wasn’t feeling relaxed right now, knowing how scared Allie was. “Don’t go near her again or you answer to me. Simple really. Fuck with her, and I’ll ruin you.”

  “Yeah, because you would really start a war over her,” he scoffed.

  My expression didn’t change. His did though with the realization of how serious I was.

  “She’s pretty, mate, but she isn’t worth a death sentence.” He started to back away. “But just for the record, Allie and I aren’t over.”

  “Considering there was nothing between you and her, I think it’s fair to say, it is over.” I took another step towards him, and he took an automatic step back. “Touch her or go near her, and I’ll personally take care of you.”

  Just like that he backed away completely - leaving us. Again, I couldn’t help but think why was it everyone’s mission to get in the way of Allie and me? Trouble followed Allie like a shadow and I knew for the rest of my life, I was going to be the one stopping that trouble from hurting her.

  I was so tense watching him disappear in the grounds. If he went near her again, he was a dead man. No man, not even my father was going to stop me from being with Allie.

  I’ll do anything to keep her in my life now, even walk from a role that I had been groomed to take over. Dad never wanted Ryder to take over. He never wanted Ryder to be the next Alpha. He had always wanted me, but as soon as he released Allie from her commitment to the pack, he also released me in a way because wherever Allie went, I followed now.

  But she was yet to know that.