by K. S. Martin
“No problem.” Mikey went up to the little ramshackle house that belonged to Luke and disappeared inside.
“Elijah and Julian, follow us home to get the other one, and then take both pieces of shit back to lock up. Ava and Kerry will go with me. Julian, my beta will help you so Elijah can go get laid.” Julian nodded and Elijah grinned wickedly.
Ethan stepped around to the driver’s side of the pickup and pointed to the passenger seat. Ava’s shoulder was beginning to heal, but Ethan could see that she was in pain and still bleeding. His suspicions were confirmed when she slid across the seat without arguing. He let Kerry get in to sit in the middle and climbed in after her.
Ethan started the truck and circled the gravel area in front of Luke’s house. His bed was full of pack members. The Jeep followed, as did Thelma’s pickup. The pack members in the bed behind him looked happy and healthy. He supposed that they should. They’d just bonded over a rescue of their Alpha female. It wasn’t often that a pack had to do that in this day and age. Kerry scooted closer to him and buried herself against him. He grinned down at her and wrapped an arm around her.
“You guys are cute together,” Ava said, smiling across the cab at Ethan. “I’m glad you found someone.”
“It’s what I always wanted.” Ethan said.
Kerry listened and watched the road in front of them. She wondered who this female was to Ethan and why he was bringing her home with them. He’d said that she was an enforcer, but she didn’t look like one. The others were rough and hard looking, but she looked like a pop star. She was too cute to kill people for a living. She wondered how long Ethan planned to keep her with them and hoped it wasn’t long.
Chapter 12
They’d sent the prisoners on their way with Connor and Julian, then they’d eaten burgers. Ava’s wound was dressed, and she was resting in one of the guest rooms. Kerry was loading the last of the dishes into the dishwasher while Ethan sipped his coffee. It was late, and he was tired, but he wasn’t ready to sleep yet. They still needed to talk. She came around the counter and nuzzled into his side when he held his arm out. Good. He sighed. Kerry tried to step away, but he kept his arm banded around her. Putting the coffee cup down, he wrapped his other arm around her and hugged her. She patted his chest with one small hand. It felt dismissive.
“I want a shower. I feel gross.”
He nodded and kissed the top of her head. He wanted her to have one, too. She smelled like Luke’s bed, and that wasn’t doing him any favors. He watched her go down the hall as he finished his coffee. They still needed to talk. He had to tell her about her father’s death. They needed to discuss “them” too. He needed to be inside her. If he could kick his own ass, he would for making that stupid promise about no sex until she wanted it. However, a promise was a promise, and you’re only as good as your word, so he would keep it for now. He rinsed the cup and put it in the dishwasher, then went down the hall. He heard Ava snoring in her room and grinned as he passed her door.
Kerry was coming from the bathroom with her hair in a towel when he walked in. God, she was beautiful. His erection got uncomfortably granite-like behind his zipper. She tossed him a saucy grin but went to the drawer to find her pajamas. She chose a short silk nightgown that was bound to leave him uncomfortable for the next week. She pulled it over her head and pulled the towel out from under it. He’d been looking forward to the towel dropping and was now disappointed. She pulled the other towel off her head and rubbed her wet hair, then padded back to the bathroom. Ethan stripped off his clothes and folded the leathers, leaving them in a pile on the chair. He’d put them away tomorrow.
“Are you ready for bed?” Kerry asked when she returned. He was standing at the big window and staring outside.
“Yeah, but we need to talk first.” He turned around. He noticed that she’d brushed her hair, but it was still wet.
“I know I was stupid to get captured. Don’t yell at me. It’s been a long day,” she said without looking at him.
He held up the comforter to let her in, and climbed in behind her. She was facing the wall and not him. “I wasn’t going to yell at you. None of that was your fault,” he said quietly. She turned over. “I wanted to tell you something else. Something happened at the compound today.”
She waited, watching him. Most people would’ve said “what?” by now. He thought about what he had to tell her and decided it was best to just spill it. “Your dad was killed today.” Kerry simply stared. “He was chasing you. My wolf didn’t like it.”
“Are you sure?” He nodded. “You killed him?” He nodded again.
“I’m sorry,” he murmured.
“Why?” she asked, so softly that he barely heard her.
“He meant to do you harm, and I couldn’t…”
“No.” She shook her head. “Why are you sorry? Didn’t you mean to kill him?” Her face was quizzical, and he wasn’t sure what to make of it.
“Well, yeah I meant to¾”
She cut him off. “Then why be sorry about it? I’m not. I’m glad you did it.” She kissed his cheek, and his eyes narrowed on her. “Look, he was my father. I was born because he raped my mother every chance he got. She never consented to him doing that to her. She didn’t love him, and neither did I. I mean, when I was little I did, and I tried to get him to love me, but he didn’t because I wasn’t a male. I gave up on him a long time ago. I’ve spent years avoiding him, and I’m not sorry he’s gone. Can your friends find my mother? Can they bring her home?”
Ethan was still stuck on her not being sorry about him killing her father and the fact that she’d said he repeatedly raped her mother. That explained a lot.
“Probably. I’ll ask Ava.”
She smiled then and kissed his chin. “When I was tied to that bed, I did some thinking.”
He waited. Was this where she said she wanted out of this?
“I told you I felt like a prisoner, and that was wrong. When I was tied to the bed and stuck in the basement…it was then I knew what a prisoner feels like, and I don’t feel that way here. You were only trying to keep me safe. I get that now, so I want to apologize for saying that. I don’t feel like a prisoner.” He smirked. “I also wanted to tell you something else.” He raised his eyebrows. “I said that I don’t like sex.”
Here it comes, he thought, the part where she says never again.
“That’s not entirely true. I like it sometimes.” She chewed on her lip, thinking, and his dick got impossibly harder. “I didn’t like it at first. It was uncomfortable, and it hurt when I had to pee, but sometimes I do like it. Sometimes it’s nice.”
“Nice?” he growled softly.
“Not nice?” Her mouth worked while she thought about it. “Good?” Ethan wanted to pounce on her. “Um, some of the things that we do, I like, and I wanted you to know that I liked them. I want to…well, I’d like to…”
“Tell me what you liked.” The predator in him watched her mouth, waiting to strike. He was going to kiss her, then he was going to take her. He was going to bury his face between her legs and not come up for a week. He was a man starved for her. His wolf paced anxiously, unwilling to wait.
“Some of the things.” Her face went pink.
“What things? Be specific and tell me what you liked, what you want me to do to you,” he growled, and she giggled. “We’ll start with what you like, and later you can tell me what you don’t like so we don’t do those things again.”
“I like when you kiss me…” His mouth was on hers in an instant, eating at her, and his tongue pushed inside her mouth to taste her. He heard her heart pounding and her little cries as he moved against her, her clothes keeping them separated. He finished by kissing her cheeks and forehead. Her eyes didn’t open for a long time. Her nipples were beaded into stiff little peaks. He kept her against him, loving the way they felt on his skin through the silk that he wanted to rip from her body. He watched the emotions play on her face and kissed the pink of her cheeks. She was still s
o young and inexperienced. Most she-wolves would’ve already mounted him.
“Kerry.”
She opened her eyes and gazed up at him now.
“What else do you like?”
“When you kiss me…there, I was going to say.” He tried to hide his disappointment. “No, I liked that you kissed me. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean that I didn’t like it. I liked that, too.”
“Are you sure? I wasn’t too aggressive? I know you’re inexperienced, and all of this is probably strange for you. I should’ve been more careful in the beginning. I should’ve taken it slower, I¾” She put a finger on his lips, silencing him.
“I knew what to expect. Mom told me. Actually, what she described was a lot worse. You were right. We had a rough beginning. That’s all. We just have to get used to each other. I don’t want you to keep your promise. I want to have that with you. I thought about it a lot, about things I said and didn’t mean. I just didn’t know how to say what I meant.”
“But you’ll tell me now? Then tell me.” He lifted her hands to his mouth and kissed her knuckles. “Tell me, sweetheart.”
“I need to hunt. I miss it, my wolf misses it, and I can’t stay caged up in here all of the time.” She looked like she felt guilty, and she shouldn’t. Wolves hunt. Hungry wolves hunt more. He knew that, but where did that come from?
“Okay. I thought we were talking about sex but…”
“It’s just one of the things that I needed to say. I need to go outside, and I need to be able to do it when I want to. I shouldn’t have to ask permission, and if I want a glass of milk…”
He was nodding. “I get it. I am sorry about all of that. It was the enforcer in me watching over my quarry. If you want milk, go get some. I will wait until you come back. I am going to give you a cellphone. If I know that you have it with you and I can reach you, I won’t worry as much, okay?”
“Really?”
Ethan grinned at how excited she looked. “Yeah. Sure,” he said.
“I can have a phone?”
He chuckled. She was so excited about what most took for granted. “Sweetheart, I will give you anything you want. Just say it and it’s yours,” he promised.
“When we find my mom, can she live here?”
“Right here?” A mother-in-law in the house was not on his list of to dos.
“Maybe not down the hall, but is there room? Do you have an extra house here?”
“We have three. When we find her, and if she wants to come, she’s welcome.” He smiled and kissed her hair again. She pointed to her lips, and Ethan dropped a long, lingering kiss there. She yawned a second later, and her eyes slid closed. “Goodnight, sweetheart.”
She mumbled something incoherent, and he let her sleep. Ethan held her close for a long time, thinking and trying to get comfortable with the massive hard-on that plagued him.
***
Kerry watched him sleep. The big wolf beside her growled softly every few minutes, and she smiled. The sound comforted her for some reason. His big chest moved slowly, and she studied the small male nipples on his chest. They were smaller than hers, and brown. She could see his ribs under the wall of muscle, but they weren’t defined enough for her to count. His shoulders were big, round with power. His abdomen was cut with ropes of sinew, but his waist was small. She wanted to dip her finger in his navel, but he was still sleeping.
Following her path downward, she noticed the huge erection tenting his gray boxer briefs. That looked uncomfortable, and it was big. How did that fit inside of her? she wondered and grimaced. His legs were long and on top of the covers. He had heavy, powerful thighs and big feet. She grinned, looking down at her own feet that her mother always said were huge but next to his looked dainty. Black hairs curled all over his legs, and she wanted to test one with her fingertip but didn’t want to wake him. She looked back up at his still sleeping face and wondered if he would notice. Her hand curled into a fist to stop herself.
Kerry eased from the bed and pulled on a pair of shorts and a T-shirt. Ethan and Ava would be hungry when they woke because of all the exertion yesterday. Ava was still healing that nasty bite that Luke gave her, and Kerry felt as though she owed her.
She padded to the kitchen to find Ava sitting on a stool drinking coffee. “Good morning,” Kerry said brightly. “Have you eaten?”
Ava shook her head and held up the coffee. Kerry twisted around to see the bandage on her shoulder. “How is that?” Kerry pointed.
“I’ll survive,” Ava mumbled into her mug.
“What would you like for breakfast? Name it and it’s yours.” Kerry tried to perk her guest and rescuer up. They never had overnight guests at her house, so Ava was her first. Since Ava took the bite, helped in the rescue, and was Ethan’s friend, Kerry thought that it was only right to treat her well.
“Anything is fine.”
Kerry nodded and set to work. She made blueberry pancakes, sausage, bacon, and eggs. By the time the bacon finished cooking, Ethan was strolling into the kitchen, pulling his shirt on.
“I smell pancakes.” He grinned at Kerry as she flipped one over.
“Your girl here is a wiz in the kitchen, E. Definitely a keeper.” Ethan went and grabbed Kerry in a hug, then kissed her temple.
“I think Ava’s right. I think I’ll keep you.” Kerry smiled up at him, and he reached over her shoulder to grab a sausage link from the plate. He bit it and chewed. “Yup, you can stay.” He grabbed the plate and carried it to the table. Kerry followed with the pancakes and eggs. She’d set the table already and everyone had a cup of fresh coffee.
“Get your next assignment yet?” Ethan asked Ava. She shook her head. “Want to do some private work?”
“What have you got?” Ava stuffed pancake into her mouth.
“Kerry’s mom is missing. She took the dowry and hauled. Her father died in the fight yesterday, but Mom was missing for a few days before.”
Ava’s brows furrowed. “I thought nobody was supposed to die. What happened to him?” she said around a mouthful of food.
“I killed him. He was chasing Kerry, and he meant to do her harm. I protected my mate.” He finished the slice of bacon he’d been holding.
“Good.” Ava said. “One less threat in the world.” She wiped her mouth. “Got a picture, or should I wing it?” Ethan looked over at Kerry, who shook her head.
“I don’t have any photographs. Wait, I’ll get you something.” Kerry got up and jogged down the hall. Grabbing her sketchbook and her nubby pencil, she came back and sat in her chair. She flipped open her pad and began. Ava watched over her shoulder. Kerry quickly sketched her mother. It was a good likeness of her, she decided. She showed it to Ethan. A look of pride filled his face.
“That’s her, the woman from the garden center.”
“Yes.” Kerry said and ripped out the page. “That’s my mother.” She handed it to Ava.
“You’re, like, really good at that.” Ava looked from the sketch in her hand to Kerry. “She looks a little like you.”
“I look more like my dad, but thanks.”
Ava looked back at the picture. “Any clues?”
Ethan shook his head. “They just said that she left.”
“Any idea where she might go?” she asked Kerry.
Kerry thought about it for a long time and finally said, “She always wanted to see the ocean, but he would never let us. Not even for an afternoon.” Kerry knew she looked sad, but she couldn’t help it when she thought about her childhood and how mean her father was to them.
“I’ll see what I can dig up.” Ava reached up and lifted the corner of the bandage, ripping it off. “Good, all better,” she grinned.
Ava gathered their dishes and carried them to the sink with Kerry right behind her. “No, no, you go enjoy your coffee with your mate. A good houseguest helps out. I can’t cook, but I can do dishes.” She winked, and Kerry smiled, nodded, and went back to the table. Ethan sipped his coffee and watched her.
“There
are some packages by the front door for you,” he murmured. Her brow furrowed. “Your art supplies. I thought you could set up your easel out on the porch.” He pointed at the little screened-in room that she’d already fallen in love with.
“You mean it?” He nodded and got up to follow her when she darted for the living room. There were so many bags that he figured she would be busy with them for a few days. Kerry knelt by the pile and started digging through the packages.
“It’s too much,” he heard her say.
“It’s not too much. It’s just enough to get you started. You are very talented, Kerry, and I want to see what else you can do.” He squatted down beside her. “Besides, I want to make you comfortable here, happy.” Kerry launched herself at him and knocked him off balance. She covered his face with kisses and smiled down at him.
“Thank you.”
Ethan cupped her head with his hand and flipped her over onto her back, covering her with his body. “You’re welcome.” He kissed her gently, stopping himself before he took things too far. They heard a knock on the front door, and Ethan got up to answer it.
Chapter 13
“Where’s my helper?” Thelma demanded.
“I’m here.” Kerry hurried to the door. She grinned up at Ethan. “Can I go?”
“Anywhere you like, sweetheart. I’ll be here if you need me.” Kerry grinned up at him and hooked arms with Thelma to walk to the garden.
“She’s young,” Ava said from the doorway. “And you haven’t told her about us, have you?” Ethan shook his head. “Maybe you shouldn’t.” She was instigating. It was play for her.
“I don’t want secrets between us. She’s skittish enough. I’ll tell her everything, in time. How soon can you find Mom?”
“I’m going to shower, and then I’ll go. I don’t think she’s gone to the ocean though. I think she’s right under our noses. A wolf that’s never been anywhere wouldn’t go far. Just far enough to be out of his sight, I’m guessing.”