by Ellis Leigh
Deus let his hand fall to Zoe’s thigh, squeezing the flesh. Gripping tight as he said, “She’s mine not because I own her, but because she owns me. Everything I do is for her—her comfort, her safety, and her pleasure. That’s how you treat a female, fated mate or not.”
Rudkin looked as if he was about to say something, but a loud howl sounded from the woods nearby. He snapped his head in that direction, listening, his entire body on alert. Then he shifted. That same dark, scraggly wolf stood where Rudkin had lain, eyes bright but coat dull. Skinny, too. Far too skinny. He gave Zoe a final glare and growl, even as Deus snarled back at him, then turned and rushed off toward the hangar. Deus let him go, too worried about his mate to leave her side. Knowing he and Luc would take care of the problem with this pack eventually.
One yip from Rudkin was all it took to open the floodgates. Or the doors, as it were. The wolves of the Brooks Range pack streamed out of the hangar, all of them running for the woods, heading farther away from town. Those still alive, at least. The two Deus had killed lay on the ground, abandoned by their brethren.
But even two dead shifter bodies needing to be dealt with couldn’t take priority away from his mate. Away from his need to protect her at all costs. Deus couldn’t turn around, couldn’t take his eyes off where the shifters had disappeared in case the pack came back. He still expected a fight, a war. Something coming for Zoe or him. And his mate—his strong, independent, beautiful mate—trembled against him. He could sense her fear but he could also feel it, and that only made his wolf that much more worked up. His rage at those bastards having scared her ratcheting the fury of both sides of his personality all the way up.
If the pack came for her, he’d be ready. He’d be a fucking force of nature against them. He’d get her out of this place and to safety, which was what his priority needed to be. Starting now.
“Are you okay?” he asked, giving her thigh another solid squeeze.
“I am now that you’re here.” Zoe sighed before slipping in front of Deus, rubbing her body against his as she did. Not breaking contact for a second. The wolf inside Deus appreciated that. The man appreciated how good she looked standing naked in the sun.
Do not fall into the lust of the mating haze.
As Deus fought to keep from dropping to his knees and worshiping her sweet pussy, Zoe stayed calm and focused. Looking up at him with gorgeous, dark eyes as she asked, “Did you mean what you said?”
That he saw her as a gift.
That he recognized no dominion over her.
That he respected her enough to let her go.
That she owned him.
“Every fucking word.” Deus leaned down, pressing a soft kiss against her lips. One that quickly deepened as she pressed her hot little body to his and opened her mouth. He couldn’t resist her, even as out in the open and unprotected as they were, so he grabbed her ass and tugged her in tight as he plundered her mouth. As he took advantage of all that she offered him.
When they finally broke apart, she took a deep breath and whispered, “My name is Zophiel, and I’m an Omega wolf born of the Northern Appalachian pack. That Alpha wanted my power, so he ordered the pack to take me away from my family, stuff me in a cage, and starve me as they tried to get my wolf to be the Omega. My mom busted me out and we ran. She never explained where she was from or their history before she and my dad arrived in the Appalachians, but I always felt as if she knew what that was like. To be taken—to lose control over your own life. She refused to let a pack lord over her, so we lived as nomads after the escape. My parents were killed by hunters when I was still an adolescent, and I’ve been alone for a lot of years. I’m afraid of having a mate and being in a pack.”
Stunned. There was no other way to explain his reaction to her admission. To hearing her angel name given to him so freely. No, he was wrong. So very wrong. There was one more word. One more description of how she’d just made him feel.
Grateful.
Deus dragged her back against him, needing to feel more of her. To never let her go. She pressed her body against his, running her hands over his chest. Breathing with him as she settled into his arms. Where she belonged. But he couldn’t let her take the leap of faith she just had and not respond, so he took a deep breath, and he told his own truth.
“I’m Asmodeus—my brothers call me Deus—and I’m a Dire Wolf. We formed a pack of sorts to take care of one another. My pack isn’t like a normal one—we don’t even all live in the same states—but when one of us is in trouble, the others come to help. No Dire fights alone unless he wants to, which is why we ended up in Alaska. My Alpha wanted help. I’m sorry I looked into your past and didn’t tell you—I was worried, but that’s not a good enough reason. I should have talked to you. I should have given you more of a chance to open up to me. I wasn’t trying to control you, Beautiful… I was trying to keep you safe. I went about it all wrong, and I’ll probably fuck up again another million times, but that’s only because I care so fucking much. My pack—my family of Dire Wolves and their mates—they will all care about you as family. You’ll see—there is absolutely nothing those six men and the five other females in the Dire pack wouldn’t do for you. And there’s nothing I wouldn’t do for you, Zophiel.”
She nodded, her brow furrowed and her eyes thoughtful. “You forgot something.”
His stomach dropped. “What’s that?”
“You’re my mate.”
Fuck yeah, he was. Deus picked her up, carrying her toward the hangar. “Only if you’ll have me.”
Those deep, hazel eyes met his—so open and honest, they nearly stole his breath. But it was her words that caused his lungs to stop working.
“I don’t know if I can do this.”
“You can.” He crouched a bit, needing to be in her face for this conversation. “We can. I’m not a pack wolf—I don’t want you under my thumb and doing everything I say. I love that you’re independent and strong. I love that your wolf plays dominance games with mine. All I want—we want—is the chance to be a part of your life.”
“I might panic.”
“We’ll bring you peanut butter and calm you down.”
“I prefer Spam.”
Deus blinked. “Really?”
“Yeah.”
“Then I’ll buy it by the case.”
She frowned. “I might try to run.”
“We’ll follow you. Not too closely though—just so we know you’re okay.”
“I like my job.”
“I love your job. Especially if it means I get to see you in those skintight leather pants again. You can steal from me anytime so long as you’re wearing those.”
Zoe rolled her eyes and lifted her lips in a reluctant sort of smile. “I’m serious.”
“So am I. About you and us and possibilities. And about not forcing you into anything. When you’re ready—if you’re ever ready—we’ll talk about mating bites and claiming. Right now, I just want you with me. All the time.”
She stared up at him for a long moment, her eyes locked on his. He could practically feel her worry, her indecision, her past experiences battling with her instincts. He had no idea what side of her was stronger.
At least not until she let out a breath and whispered, “Okay.”
One word, and all was right in his world again. Two syllables, and his future was right there at his fingertips once more. He couldn’t hold back another second. His lips met hers in a kiss that seared him down to his soul, that caused her to moan and wrap that hot little body around his in a way that should have been illegal. He wanted her. Wanted to fuck her right there in the hangar, wanted to lay her down on the concrete floor and plunge his cock so deep inside her as he gave her his claiming bite. As they finally completed their bond and became one. But he wanted her safe more, and that meant he needed to get her biteable ass on a plane and the fuck out of Alaska. Away from the pack that threatened her.
Away from him.
His wolf whined at the very th
ought. His human side knew it was the only way. “I’ll send you your stuff.”
“What stuff?”
“Your clothes. The things you brought with you. I’ll send it on to you.” Hopefully to Bez’s place in Texas. He felt certain that the taciturn shifter would protect Zoe at all costs, and Bez’s mate Sariel was a sweetheart of a woman. Not that the other mated females were anything less, but Sariel had a natural mothering instinct that Deus sensed Zoe would appreciate.
Plus, Bez was a beast of a man who hunted and killed the worst of their kind. Who had taken on a fucking werewolf and lived to tell the tale. Twice. Deus wanted a soldier between his mate and the outside world if he couldn’t be by her side. That described Bez to a tee.
Zoe didn’t seem to like the idea, though. “Deus, no. If I’m leaving, you should come with me.”
By the fates, his name sounded so good in her breathy voice. His cock practically wept at the sound, but he had to ignore the lust shooting through him. Had to put Zoe’s safety first. He also had an Alpha who needed him. “I can’t leave just yet—Luc needs me to help him figure out what’s going on with this pack. And you heard Rudkin—there are two females somewhere in these woods who likely need us to get them out of here. I know you want me to stay with you, but I can’t leave my brother or those women behind. And I won’t be able to concentrate if I’m constantly worried about you or if the pack is going to come back and give us three females to hunt down. I won’t risk your safety, Zoe. Not today, not ever. So, you go and I stay. I just need to alert the pilot that you’re leaving and get your ass on the plane.”
Zoe shook her head, clinging to his arms. “I want to stay with you.”
He kissed her forehead, wishing they could just go back to the cabin again and spend some hours lost in one another. Knowing there was no way. “It’s too dangerous. I will not risk your freedom that way. I know you’re not happy about it, but please agree to get on that plane. Let me send you someplace safe where my brothers can take care of you. I won’t be able to focus if I think there’s any way these fuckers can get their grubby paws on you.”
“You don’t want me to go home.”
Deus paused, looking up at her, making sure she understood the seriousness of his words. “I want you safe. This…this was too much. It will take days for my wolf to settle, and I won’t have you with me during the process. I want to send you to Dire Wolf Bez—he has a sweet mate who I think you’ll like and a big, guarded property in Texas. You’ll be about as far away from this pack as you can get without leaving the country.”
“And what about you?”
He’d be missing her every second of the day. “I’ll come for you as soon as I can.”
The sad sort of look in her eyes gutted him, as did the softness of her voice as she asked, “Promise?”
“Promise. And you don’t have to stay there if you hate it. I need to know you’re away from here and safe, but if you choose to leave Texas, it’s okay. I don’t care where you go—I’ll track you down. I’ll never let you go unless you push me away.”
She sighed, big and loud and exaggerated. “Fine. I’ll go to fucking Texas. Next time, can we make it an island somewhere with cabana boys?”
“Island, yes. You in a bikini, fuck yes. Cabana boys, no. We’ll work out the details once this job is over.”
“Fine. Now, let’s get me out of Alaska.”
His wolf made a plaintive sound as he set her down just inside the hangar. The smell of the other wolves permeated the space, putting every one of his instincts on alert, but he could tell they were alone. Something he needed to change no matter how much he hated the idea of another man coming anywhere near his mate. And he especially hated the idea of another man around her while she was in the state she was—naked.
Fuck, Deus loved her naked.
“You need a cloak,” he said, his voice far too deep. “I have to call the pilot out here.”
Her head cock accentuated the length of her neck and the curve of her shoulders. “Won’t he think it odd that I’d be wearing nothing but a cloak?”
Deus snarled and grabbed her again, tugging her into his body. Rubbing himself against her and making sure his scent coated her skin. “He won’t know. And if he’s smart, he won’t even fucking look your way.”
“Such a caveman.”
He tweaked one of her nipples as he grunted a harsh, “Mine.”
She rolled her eyes at his possessiveness, but there was no denying her grin. She liked him as a caveman. “I’ll find something to cover what’s yours.” Her dark eyes ran up and down the length of him, pausing as she took in his very large, very hard cock. “And what’s mine.”
Hers. Always. His wolf chuffed, proud to be called hers. Deus couldn’t focus on that, though. He needed to call the pilot, set up Zoe’s trip to Texas, and keep her safe until she was in the air and away from the Brooks Range pack. So as Zoe padded through the hangar, digging in boxes and turning up her nose at the mess therein, Deus headed to the office in the far corner. Two phone calls and one transfer of a ridiculous amount of money later, Deus had a pilot on his way to the hangar and a Dire Wolf brother preparing his home to welcome their newest member. Thank fuck for Bez and Sariel.
He’d just hung up the phone after locking in Zoe’s flight details with Bez when the woman herself walked into the room. She had covered herself in what looked as if it had once been a simple, tan raincoat but that she’d turned into a sexy-as-fuck dress with a plunging neckline and a slit showing off way too much thigh for others to see. For him? It wasn’t nearly enough.
He sat back in his chair, rubbing his thumb over the corner of his mouth as he looked her up and down. “Not sure that’s much better than being naked, Beautiful.”
“You can use my name now, you know.”
“I do, but you’ll always be my Beautiful.” He crooked a finger at her. “Get over here, mate.”
“So bossy.”
But she came. And he’d make sure she was well rewarded for that.
“We’ve got forty-five minutes,” he said as he tugged her into his lap. Zoe spread her legs over his, straddling him and giving him a peek at the pussy he hadn’t gotten a taste of in far too long.
“That’s it?” She placed her hands on his chest and pouted her bottom lip. “I was hoping for a little more time.”
Yeah, so was he. And yet he needed her out of the state. Needed to know she was safe so he could take care of his Alpha and finish the job he’d been assigned. Still…forty-five minutes wasn’t very long for all he wanted to do.
There wasn’t a second to waste.
Deus slid his hands under the coat-dress Zoe wore and dragged her up his thighs, rocking his hips into her once he had her settled over his cock. Teasing her as he growled.
“I can do a lot in that time.”
“Prove it.”
So he did.
21
A week without Deus was far more taxing than Zoe cared to admit. She worried about him endlessly, especially since he’d gone radio silent the second she’d made it to Texas. One text was all she received after she’d let him know she’d landed.
Be careful. Going into the wild and won’t be able to text. Call this number if you need anything.
He’d left a phone number, one she didn’t recognize. One Sariel—mate of the man who was supposed to be her guard—said belonged to another member of their pack. He’d sent her to one brother and given her the contact info of another just in case. He truly must have trusted these shifters.
She hadn’t called the number, though. Hadn’t felt comfortable being around his pack without him there either. Sariel had seemed nice, but the man…Bez. He unnerved her with his ice-like stare and harsh voice. She’d lasted a whole three days before taking off for New York, something that had caused Bez to offer her the first smile she’d seen on his face.
“Deus deserves a woman like you,” he’d said. Zoe still wasn’t sure if that was a compliment or not, but she didn’t c
are. She’d made it back to New York, back to the city where she could disappear, where she could stroll through her neighborhood and feel confident in her safety. Where she could revisit the coffee shop where she’d first met her mate and wallow in how much she missed his scent. Which was what she was doing…wallowing and waiting. At the same table where they’d met. With a cup of tea on her hands just like the first time. She was fully aware of how pathetic the entire situation made her seem to the average person. She also gave no shits about it. She missed her mate and found the coffee shop comforting.
Still, being alone and not knowing if Deus was safe tore her up inside. With every passing day, she grew that much closer to flying back to Alaska to find him or calling the number in her phone to see if the voice on the other end knew anything about what was going on. She wanted Deus home, wanted to see him and feel him and…complete her mating bond to him. She’d never thought she’d give in to such an instinct, but with Deus, the choice was easy. He’d come for her when she’d needed him, said all the words she’d always dreamed of hearing from a man, and he’d practically worshiped her body as he’d whispered all his promises and vows. She couldn’t have asked for a better mate, and she wasn’t going to let him get away.
But she needed him to come home before she could lock that down.
“Excuse me. Are you waiting for someone?”
Zoe looked up at the strange man before her. Tall, blond, handsome in that overly polished sort of way—he had a smile that probably got a lot of attention from women. Before Deus, she might have returned the look, might have flirted a bit. Might have even agreed to a date or two if she liked the way the conversation went. This was not before-Deus time, though.
“Yes, I am.”
He gave her a smile, one that seemed charming enough but did nothing for her. “Any man would be a fool to keep a beautiful woman like you waiting.”