by T. Cobbin
“Morning, princess.” His voice was hoarse, unused, gravelly. He nudged his shaft against her butt again. “It smells like someone wants dick inside her.”
“A drink?” Raven asked, twisting in Duke’s arms, laughing. A pack member had brought some Dicken’s cider over after their mating, as a joke.
Duke’s reply was to slid his hand down her back, over her rump, while laying kisses along her collarbone. Her pussy slickened, and her nipples turned to small pebbles, rubbing along Duke’s chest. Duke’s strong hands parted her thighs from behind, and two of his fingers entered her so quickly she gasped. She tossed her leg over his waist to give him more room as he began to pump in and out of her slick core. Duke shifted slightly, raising his lower body, to make sure he didn’t lay over the top of her pup bump.
Raven cupped one of her breasts and molded it gently, skimming her fingers around her taut nipple, while her other hand drifted down Duke’s body, over his tight abs. Her fingers slid through his thick curls until she found the base of his rock-hard shaft. She kept going until she found his large ball sack. Cupping them in her hand, she stroked and lightly squeezed. Duke let out a low, moaning growl and jerked his hips forward. Sliding her hand back up a little, she grasped the base of his sex, instantly feeling the difference between the velvety skin and the thick, hard muscle underneath, and stroked his hardness up and down.
“Fuck, woman!” Duke nudged her hand away from her breast and replaced it with his. His nimble fingers brushed over her areola. His urgency to come or be inside of her showed in the way he rolled her nipple between his finger and thumb almost painfully and his hips jerking his shaft into her hand.
Raven arched her back, pushing her chest against his hand, trying to get…more. His name danced on her lips. “Duke.”
Electric jolts from her nipples moved along her nerves straight to her clit. Exactly the point Duke placed his thumb and began flicking and encircling around the tiny bundle of nerves that elicited so much pleasure.
“Come, princess.” His soft-spoken words close to her ear was the last thing she heard before a wave of heated bliss streamed through her body.
She clamped her eyes shut tightly enough to see stars behind her eyelids. Her back arched, and her hips jerked against Duke’s fingers. But not once did she release his cock. Duke strummed on that small bundle of nerves, prolonging her orgasm. She didn’t get to relish the pool-of-jelly stage before Duke pulled his sex from between her fingers and rolled off the bed. He grabbed her legs and slid her down to the edge of the mattress and straight onto his cock, plunging deep inside her. Their combined juices make his entrance easy.
“Goddess.” He sighed before beginning the pace of love. In and out. Out then in.
She’d noticed lately he always pulled her to the edge of the bed, or fucked her carefully enough not to lay over her bump. He often took her from behind, a move she loved, a position that had her feeling a whole lot more of him.
“So hot, so wet. Oh, I fucking love being inside of you.”
“I love that too,” she replied.
Duke suddenly stopped, balls deep inside her, and reached to the side on the floor.
“What did you stop for?” she asked, wriggling her legs and clamping down on his cock with her pelvic muscles.
Receiving no answer, but sensing him leaning to the side, she lifted herself up onto her elbows and was surprised to see what looked to be a box he’d hidden underneath the bed. He stood back up with a grin on his face, and a silver bullet vibrator that looked tiny in his large hands.
“And where did you get that?” she asked, amazed. He’d never brought a toy to their bed before.
“Well, I overheard a conversation between the Murphys.” Duke paused, a tinge of pink touching his cheeks.
She could feel his embarrassment through his emotions. At what though? The bullet in his hand or the conversation he’d overheard? She’d ask him later, because right now all she was interested in was the fact that he was balls deep inside her and no matter how much she clenched and unclenched her vagina walls around his thick shaft, he wasn’t moving. That was, he wasn’t moving his cock; however, he was lowering that small silver vibrator toward her pussy. A slight buzzing came from the device before he touched the tip of the bullet to her clit.
She nearly shot off the bed as it buzzed away on her very sensitive nub.
“Fuck, that is one fine sight. Your honey is leaking around my cock,” he moaned. “You’re squeezing my dick like a bitch in heat.” Duke’s hoarse voice was filled with excitement. Raven was going to kill him later for calling her a bitch in heat. “Who fucking knew? Damn, we are so getting more toys.”
Raven closed her eyes and laid back on the bed, her hands gripping the bedding beneath her. “Duke!” she shouted, trying to clamp her thighs together for some relief of the intense sensations the toy was producing. She could feel another orgasm building deep in her belly, and somehow, she knew this one would be earthshaking.
Duke moved. Slowly at first, in and out. Then gradually his thrusts became harsher, quicker. Opening her eyes, she looked down her body to where they were joined. Her body rocked, her breasts bobbed, and when his sex withdrew from hers, their combined juices glistened on his shaft.
Raven tightened her legs around his waist and clung to the bedsheets for something to hold. Still, he held the vibrator near or atop of that bundle of nerves. His other hand gripped her hip, aiding his movement. Raven came apart, her orgasm rushing through her like a tsunami. Duke growled low and then groaned when her pussy clamped around his moving shaft. His sexy grunts continued as he jerkily surged in and out of her one, two, three more times. With one last deep thrust, Duke embedded himself and roared. Raven could feel the heat of his cum jutting inside her.
The two lay together, fully sated, as the morning sun moved shadows around their room. Raven lifted her head from Duke’s chest and looked up his body to his face.
She playfully slapped his chest. “That is for calling me a bitch in heat,” She snorted. It wasn’t until she’d come out of her orgasm stupor that she remembered what Duke had said.
He raised his head an inch and looked down at her with amused eyes. “Well. You were.” A sexy grin appeared on his face before he lay his head back down on the pillow. “One I love.”
“Soo. What conversation did you hear to buy a toy and where?”
He raised his head and looked down at her again, his cheeks tinged pink and his emotions emanating slight embarrassment. She tried hard not to smile, but it didn’t work.
“You remember the day I had to go over and check some work done on the Murphy cabin?”
Raven nodded. A few weeks ago, not long after Bess’s heat had ended, Buddy had taken his crew and helped them out by mending a few items in their bedroom. From what Raven had heard, their lovemaking had been rather vivacious, to cause so much damage.
“Well, I umm…” Duke blew out a breath. “I heard heated whispering coming from the hallway while I was looking over the work. I heard Bess telling Jake she’d left their box of toys open on the bedside table. At first I didn’t understand, but then I saw the open box and I saw what she meant. It was filled with sex toys.”
Raven couldn’t help chuckling. The image of Duke staring down at a box of someone else’s sexy items was too much of an amusement.
When she finished giggling, she admitted, “I had a bunny while I was away.”
“You did?”
“Yes, and I often thought of you when I used it. It was always you, Duke.” She kissed his chest and hugged him closer to her. To have him so near to her now was still a dream come true. They’d had a few fights over silly things while getting to know each other, but altogether they were happy. Raven knew that no other female on this earth would lead Duke astray. He was hers, and she was his.
“And you are the only female for me. I love you, my princess.”
Raven waited for Duke to say more, perhaps to admit taking things in hand too, but he rem
ained silent. Since they’d been together, he had often told her that it was always her, but for some perverse reason she wanted to know if he had jerked off thinking about her as often as she’d played with that bunny.
“Did you?” she asked.
“Did I what?”
“Jerk off thinking about me?”
Green sparkling eyes met hers. “All the time. You were the only reason I got it up. You were my addiction, no other female did it for me.”
“What would you have done if I had chosen someone else?”
Duke’s head laid back down on his pillow. “What would you have done if I had?” he asked simply.
She knew her heart would have broken. She’d dreamed about Duke so often. She had to admit, he’d been her addiction too. With a sigh, she lay back down on his chest.
After a long pause, something else he’d said came to the surface. “Hey,” she said, leaning up further and looking Duke in his eyes, “you always call me princess, shouldn’t I be promoted now to your queen?”
Duke’s chuckle started with a rumble before growing into a full belly roar. He placed his hands under her arms and pulled her up his body. “I love you, my mate, my queen, my love. My one and only.”
And then he kissed her long and hard. Raven melted against his body and kissed him back.
“Alphas?” A knock and Jasmine’s voice at the bedroom door had then pulling apart and adjusting the blankets to cover them both fully.
Raven bid her to enter. “What’s up, Jasmine?”
Chapter 13
Jasmine looked worried. “We’ve just had word from the postmaster. Rosie and Jeff haven’t returned from their overnight pick-up.”
Raven looked at the clock on the wall and was surprised to see it was just past eleven. Had they really spent the morning in bed?
“Cripes, Duke, look at the time.” Quickly, Raven got out of bed and walked into the bathroom, asking Jasmine for more information. “What time were they due back? Maybe they’re just very late?”
“At first that’s what Joe thought, but he has rung both of their phones several times now and received no answer.”
Joe was the postmaster for the pack. He had four people working under him who went out and picked up post and parcels from various PO boxes, before coming back and delivering them to the pack. That meant no non-shifters had to enter pack land and see things that might lead to trouble.
“He says Rosie and Jeff normally go off about nine PM and get back around three AM. But it’s now eleven, and he’s worried.”
Raven used the toilet before getting dressed, all the time thinking about what to do. Walking back into their bedroom, she watched Duke pull his jeans on and felt a little disappointed that he was dressed. Shaking her head, she damned her horny hormones.
Taking her gaze off her gorgeous mate and wishing they were back in bed, she looked toward Jasmine and told her of her plan. “You and Duke go see Joe and get the addresses of the pick-ups, then follow the route and see if you can find anything. I’ll stay here, gather the families, and wait together for news.” She looked toward Duke to see if he agreed. She knew damn well that if she’d said anything about her going off pack land to follow their route, he’d be pissed. The danger of Timmy was still out there.
“Good plan,” he said, taking a few steps toward her and kissing her forehead. “Eat first, okay?”
Rolling her eyes at his protective manner, Raven agreed. “Yes, Dad,” she replied sarcastically.
He pulled her against his body and whispered into her ear. “If I were you, I’d be careful. While I’m off pack land I could always find a shop that sells something I could paddle that lovely arse of yours.” He snickered.
It was Raven’s turn to have pink cheeks.
* * * *
Duke and Jasmine followed the route Joe had written down for them, and as they were coming to the second to the last stop they saw the pack’s van in a car park behind the small building where some of the pack’s PO boxes were rented. Duke parked next to the van. Before they even exited the vehicle he could smell the unmistakable aroma of death and decay with his enhanced senses.
“Keep an eye out,” Duke ordered Jasmine before looking around himself briefly. With the scent that was coming from the van, Duke was more than grateful to see no one around. He opened the van doors.
Duke sighed as he gazed at the two bodies of their post officers crammed into the back of their van. Blood mingled with the pack’s parcels they’d already picked up. Four long claw marks could be seen under the congealed blood around both the female and male’s neck.
“Looks like a shifter’s work,” Jasmine muttered, peeking over his shoulder.
“Yeah, I guessed that too, but we’ll discuss this back on pack land, it’s not safe here.”
Looking around again, Duke quickly shut the van’s back doors. He knew instantly who’d done this. It looked like an animal killed them, but no creature could have packed them in the van afterward. That only left one possibility. Someone who held a grudge against the pack—Timmy Johnson.
“I’ll take the van, you take the car,” he ordered. “And I’ll phone Raven on the way.”
They had to move fast before anyone found their pack members. If the authorities got involved, questions would be asked. Duke was surprised Timmy had placed the bodies back in the van instead of leaving them on the ground for all to see.
He received a curt nod from Jasmine. With a heavy heart, Duke climbed into the van and prepared himself for telling his mate, and the pack, more bad news. Opening the van window to allow some of the stench to waft away, Duke started the vehicle and placed his mobile in the phone holder, something that all the pack vehicles had. Summoning up the courage to phone his mate, he pressed her name and waited for her to pick up. He was pulling out of the car park just as she did.
“Duke?” He could hear worry in her voice.
“I’m okay, princess. Am I on speaker?” He pictured her and the families gathered around her phone waiting for news.
“No. I’m at home in the office.”
Thank the goddess for that at least. “So, you are alone?”
“Yes. The two families are in the living room with Marcus.”
“We found them, love, and it’s not good news. But we managed to get to them before any humans were involved. We’re on the way back now.”
“Do…”
Duke heard her sigh. Even so far away from her and pack land, Duke could feel her mixed emotions—fear, sorrow, and anger.
After a brief pause, she finally asked, “Do you know how they died?”
“I didn’t tell you—”
“It’s kinda logical, Duke. I haven’t felt their emotions, you didn’t tell me they were unharmed, or to be ready with a medical team because they were injured or unconscious. Plus, I can feel both your and Jasmine’s despair.”
Duke sighed. “I won’t go into detail just yet, but from what I saw, I’d say they were killed by a shifter.” Duke didn’t want to say Timmy’s name. He wanted to be sure before even implying the ex-pack member might be taking his pack out, one by one.
“We have no disagreements with other packs. Who would want to…” Her voice drifted off. He knew without her saying anything that she was thinking the same thing he did. “This is all my fault, isn’t it?” Raven blurted. “You think it’s Timmy, don’t you? He’s coming after our pack members to get to me? Because of me?”
Duke couldn’t answer. What could he say? Yes, I think it’s Timmy.
“Duke,” Raven shouted when he didn’t reply. “You think it was Timmy, don’t you?” she asked again.
“Raven, calm down, sweetheart. Think of our pup. It’s not your fault. But yes, I think it was Timmy.” He blew out a breath, pissed he had to be on the phone with Raven instead of wrapping her up in his arms.
“Crap,” Raven cursed. “Crap. Fucking crap.” He heard the leather creak through the phone from the office chair and pictured her standing up and pacing the
floor.
“Raven,” he called out. He could hear her breathing, her footsteps, but she didn’t answer. “Raven?” he repeated.
“I have to go tell the families. They need to know.” Her voice sounded hoarse, like she was crying. Why had he told her now? Why hadn’t he waited until he was with her?
“Why don’t you wait ’til I get home? Get Marcus to meet us outside the community hall. We will have a look at the bodies and get them cleaned up before the families see them.”
“How long before you get home?” she asked.
He made a quick, rough estimation. “About thirty minutes.”
“Marcus can wait here with the families. I’ll meet you there myself.” In her words alone, he could hear her back straightening to become the alpha female she was.
“Okay, sweetheart. I’ll be home soon.”
* * * *
For the third time in two months Raven watched two pyres burning away. She was in wolf form sitting on her haunches after singing the two pack members on their way to the goddess. She couldn’t cry as a wolf, but it didn’t stop her heart from hurting and breaking in pain. Two more pack members had died because of Timmy Johnson.
She had blamed herself, believing it was her fault, but when Duke had returned, and met her outside the community hall, he had put her to rights.
“If only…” she said as she watched the two bodies being taken inside the hall.
“Don’t even go there,” he warned in a deep, growly voice. “None of this is your fault.”
“But—”
“You’re going to give the man who tried to rape you a way out by blaming yourself?” Duke’s voice raised in anger. He grabbed hold of the tops of her arms and shook her slightly. “You wanted him to rape you?” he asked angrily.
“Goddess no,” she declared. Why was he asking her such idiotic questions? Why was he so angry with her?
“You wanted him and Frank to kill three people for you?”