Forbidden Hunger (Lee County Wolves Book 1)
Page 9
With all her resistance earlier, Garrett was relieved at her responsiveness. Her hips bucked in rhythm as his fingers readied her for his size. Her moans made his cock harder as it pressed painfully against his jeans. She growled in frustration when he removed his fingers from inside her. With quick motions, he removed his shirt and then his jeans. His eyes immediately went to her and his cock jerked when he saw she was staring openly at his large size, while she ran her tongue across her moist lips. Reaching out, she caressed his silky hardness, making him hiss in pleasure as she ran her hand up and down his length. Reluctantly, he gripped her wrist as she moved toward him with her mouth open.
“As much as I want to feel that sweet little mouth of yours riding my cock…” He growled and almost changed his mind when he saw the true disappointment on her face, but if she touched him with those lips, he was going to embarrass himself. He wanted her too damn badly to have any control with that. He was going to have enough problems waiting for her to explode before he could find his own release. Controlling himself was going to be hard since he was ready to cum in her hand. “It’s going to have to wait.” God, those were the hardest damn words he’d ever spoken.
“But…” Her heavy lidded eyes slowly rose to his, but he stopped her words. If she begged him, he would cave and place his cock anywhere she wanted.
“Open for me.” He ran his hands down her thighs so she knew what part of her he wanted opened. He needed to take control of the situation. He was the alpha, but in truth, she could easily turn him into the biggest pussy anyone had ever seen and that just wouldn’t do.
He moved so he knelt between her knees, his gaze caressing her perfection. His hands ran down her thighs, his thumbs touching each fold of her sweetness. Gently, he spread her wide. “Beautiful.” Leaning down, he placed a kiss at her prized center before allowing his tongue to slowly lick its way up. Her low scream of ecstasy urged him on. He readied her to the brink and then stopped, but had to pry her fingers from his hair.
“Please don’t stop.” Janna’s voice was weak, but her desire strong with each word. “I’ve never felt anything like that.”
“No man has ever tasted you?” Garrett felt his cock harden more, if possible, at the thought. His heart pounded hard in his chest.
“No.” Janna rolled her head back and forth on the pillow.
“Fools.” But in truth, Garrett’s chest puffed out at the thought of being the first. “There is nothing sweeter than the taste of your woman on your lips.”
His words opened Janna’s legs further, urging him to take his place. He moved to poise over the top of her. Using both hands to brace himself above her, he stared down at her with such intensity it almost frightened him. He wanted her like no other.
“You are beautiful.” His voice was a deep rumble. “I vow that now and forever I will keep you safe, give you everything you need, and treat you with respect due to the mate of my heart.”
A small tear slipped from the corner of her eye, her lips curved into a trembling grin. “I don’t know if there are words that I should speak,” she replied shyly.
“Only from the heart. It is all that is needed to make you my own,” he reassured as he watched another tear follow the same path as the one before.
She cleared her throat, a habit he noticed when she was nervous. “I vow now and forever to do my best to not hide from what I am, to take full responsibility for what I am, and to make you proud to call me your mate.” Her voice was low, but full of meaning as was her gaze when she watched him closely. He thought she was finished, but she spoke again. “I also vow now and forever to love you because I do. I may not understand, but I know what my heart feels and I’m done lying about it to you or anyone else, especially myself.”
Garrett couldn’t utter a word; his throat was swollen with emotion. Disappointment filled her eyes at his silence. Instead, he swiftly entered her, filling her with purpose of saying what words couldn’t at the moment. Her back arched with passion as she took him fully, a silent scream making her mouth open wide. She met every thrust with a fervor of her own. He couldn’t take his eyes off her. She was a beautiful woman and his chest swelled with emotion that she was his.
He knew he wasn’t going to last long this first time, so his main concern was making sure she reached a release that would blow her mind. Moving his hand between her legs, he did just that with a few pinches to her swollen nub.
Holding back, he watched the sweet passion in her face as she soared. As her eyes slowly opened in awe, he let his own passion explode as he pounded inside her heat. Depleted, he kept his weight off her using his arms. Leaning down, he kissed her lips softly.
“I love you also.” He answered her words of love with his own.
Chapter 12
After a quick breakfast, Janna ran up to the room where she spent the night making love and talking to Garrett. It was the most erotic and meaningful experience she had ever had in her life which totally blew her away because she had just met him. He was such an honest and patient man. She finally opened up with every question she had ever had about what she was and he answered without hesitation. She now understood her feelings for him were how they should be. The term ‘love at first sight’ was actually a true statement for their kind. The only thing they disagreed on during everything last night was her shifting. He wanted to talk her through, but she wasn’t ready. She didn’t know if she would ever be ready, but he wanted her to shift for the first time with him. She agreed to only that, but not when it would happen, if ever.
Grabbing her mother’s journal from her bag, she turned to leave, but glanced once more at the rumpled bed. With a happy smile, she walked out into the hallway. She had one more thing she needed to take care of with her father, Jonah. Then maybe they could start building a relationship, but not until he read what her mother had written all the years they were apart.
“Where are you going?” Garrett’s voice stopped her before she could run out the front door.
Spinning around, she smiled at him, still feeling a little shy at the way she had acted during their numerous love-making sessions. “I’m taking this to Jonah.” She held up the journal. “It was my mother’s and I think it’s only fair to let him read it since it’s mostly about him.”
Garrett nodded, but his eyes left hers to stare out the door. “I don’t want you alone.” His voice had changed since last night. It was harder, but she knew the reason why. Tonight was a blood moon and she was being hunted. He had told her that the town was surrounded by the males of his pack, but his mood clearly showed he didn’t want to take any chances.
Glancing out the door, she spotted Jonah sitting on his porch alone. “He’s right there.” Janna nodded Jonah’s way. “And I can scream pretty loud, not to mention I can be pretty scrappy when I need to be.”
His all business façade faded as he looked down at her with a grin. “Yeah, I found out last night how scrappy you can get.” He laughed when her face turned bright red.
“You ain’t seen nothing yet.” She tossed him a sexy grin, kissed his chin then attempted to leave, but he pulled her back to him.
“You talk like that and expect me to let you walk out the door.” He crushed her to him, leaning down and taking her lips in a hard kiss. “You’ll learn.” He grinned after breaking the kiss.
Her heart felt like it was going to explode. So this was how true happiness felt after letting go of all her fears and heartache. And how lucky was she to have a man like Garrett who would absorb all her fears and unhappiness? “You wish,” she teased, then scooted quickly out the door before he could grab her again. Glancing over her shoulder, her stomach flipped as her heart skipped seeing him looking at her ass with such lust, it almost made her turn right back around and into his arms.
His eyes rose, but the lust quickly changed to seriousness. “I have to take care of something.” He followed her out the door. “Do not leave Jonah’s sight.” He gave a loud whistle, gaining Jonah’s attention.
“Hello, Janna,” Jonah greeted as she approached.
“Hey.” She smiled, still feeling a little uncomfortable with the man who was her father. She had already figured out that her father was a man of little words. The silence was an uncomfortable barrier between them. The journal was heavy in her hand. Lifting it, she handed it to him. “This was my mother’s.”
He stared at the book with such longing, but didn’t raise his hand to take it.
“She’d want you to read it. It’s her journal.” She pushed it forward, urging him to take it. “I want you to read it.”
Jonah took the journal and stared, transfixed. His large rough hand ran lovingly across the front cover. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” Janna smiled, feeling her own tears threatening. It was hard to let the last thing of her mother’s that she owned go, but she knew without a doubt, it was in good hands.
“One day I’m going to prove to you that I am worthy of your mother’s love and…” He looked up from the book, his gaze intense. “…yours.”
Janna bit her lip to keep her chin from trembling, but before she could answer, Sam ran up to her. “Ja…Ja…Janna, have you se…se…seen Le…le…le…da?”
She noticed right away Sam was upset; his stuttering was worse than she had ever seen. “No.” She knelt down. “What’s wrong?”
“I…I…I…” Sam’s eyes started to fill with tears of frustration. “I…”
“Sam, you have to calm down. I’m sure she’s around here somewhere,” Janna reassured him, trying to slow him down so she could understand him.
“No, sh…she’s not.” Sam swallowed hard as he shook his head. His eyes were filled with panic and tears. “I…I…used our secret word and sh…sh…sh…she hasn’t answered me.”
“Oh, honey I’m sure she…” Janna glanced up at Jonah who was looking over her head. Turning, she looked to see Garrett jogging toward them.
“No!” Sam yelled, grabbing her hand and pulling her. “She wo…wo…would have an…answered no ma….ma….matter what.”
“Where did you see Leda last, Sam?” Garrett knelt down to his level.
“Ta…ta…talking t…t…to Hunter.” Sam’s eyes shifted from Garrett to Janna. “You ha…ha…have to fi…fi…find her Jan…Janna.”
Hunter came running up. “What’s going on?”
“Wh…wh…what did yo…you do to m….m…my sister?” Sam punched Hunter in the hip. “Sh…sh…she won’t an…an….answer me.”
Hunter looked confused, then frowned. “Sam, I didn’t do anything to Leda,” he assured Sam who was panicked. “What in the hell is going on?” His voice took on a whole different tone.
“Sam said he can’t find her.” Janna filled him in starting to feel Sam’s panic as her own.
“Roxy is missing also.” Molly hurried toward them. “They are nowhere to be seen, and Roxy would never disobey your orders to not leave the area.”
Everyone knew the truth of Molly’s words. Roxy, being the only human, would never disobey.
Sickness hit Janna hard. “It’s them.” She looked up at Garrett. “They’ve come after me.”
“Leda!” Sam shouted as he tore off up the road.
Janna turned to see a small wolf stumble, go down, and then fight to rise back up. Hunter took off passing Sam. Sliding to his knees in front of the collapsed wolf, he picked it up and Janna knew without a doubt it was in fact Leda. Janna took off also, her heart pounding out a prayer that Leda was okay. If they hurt Leda because of her, she would never forgive herself for putting these people in danger.
Once Janna reached Hunter and the wolf, it struggled to get to her. Hunter laid Leda down at Janna’s feet. Janna knelt, putting her hand on the wolf’s head. “Leda?” Janna said above Sam’s crying. The wolf’s head turned toward Sam, a soft whimpering calming him instantly. Right before her eyes, the wolf started shivering and shifting. A mix of human and wolf scream split the air in a painful wail. Janna watched in fascination as the wolf shifted into Leda’s naked human form. Blood matted her hair as did bruising and welts all over her body.
“My God,” Janna cried out, getting a look at Leda’s battered, shivering body. Hunter took off his shirt, carefully wrapping her up best he could.
“They got Roxy.” Leda’s voice was weak and shaky as shivers of pain racked her body.
Marcus growled as he knelt down. “Where is she, Leda?”
“They’ll kill her if…” Leda swallowed hard as her eyes closed against the pain. “…if anyone but Janna goes. They want her.”
Cursing filled the air as well as growls and grunts of the men who gathered. “We won’t let that happen,” Garrett assured her. “Now, tell us where she is.”
Leda slowly opened her eyes and looked directly at Janna, sending her a look that at first Janna didn’t understand, but hearing Leda’s weak voice in her head, she realized that Leda was not talking aloud, but sending her a message through her mind. “If you don’t go alone they’ll kill her during the Reaping.” Leda’s voice sounded like a ghostly whisper in her mind. “She’s human and thinks you are too. You have to shift, Janna, once you get to her. Save her. I couldn’t.”
Janna sat back, stunned as Leda’s directions of how to get to Roxy faded away. She watched as Leda’s eyes closed again, this time from passing out.
“Le…Le…Leda!” Sam cried out, trying to get to his sister.
“She’s okay, Sam.” Hunter wrapped Leda up in his arms, lifting her. “She just passed out. I need to get her to shift so she can heal more quickly.”
“Take her to my place,” Garrett ordered, but Hunter was already heading that way.
“I know where they are.” Jonah watched as Hunter took Leda away.
“Where?” Marcus growled, his snarl making Janna back up a step.
“The Gorge. It’s the perfect place for a Reaping,” Jonah replied, his face a mask of anguish as if reliving a nightmare. “I’ll go. Jasper wants me.”
“No!” Janna shook her head. “They’ll kill her and it’s me they want. I’m going.”
“The hell you are.” Garrett grabbed her arm as she turned to leave. “No one is going anywhere, at least not until we figure this out.”
“Then it will be too late.” Janna snapped her arm away. “Don’t make this decision for me, Garrett. If something happens to Roxy because of me, I won’t be able to live with myself. It’s me they want.”
“Stop!” Garrett shouted, his eyes narrowed as everyone started to argue. He threw his head back releasing a howl that echoed through the streets. Wolves and men ran in from all directions. Garrett stepped away as they surrounded him.
Jonah stood back, his eyes kept leaving Garrett to look down the street. Janna edged her way up to him. “Take me,” she whispered to him. “You and I both know that if I don’t show up, they will kill her and this will be your only chance to avenge my mother’s death. You’ve done this before, Jonah. Take me, because if you don’t, I will find a way to go alone.”
Chapter 13
Walking through the rocky woods, Janna’s foot slid on a slippery rock. Her hand slammed down on a pointed boulder making her wonder if that was how this place got its name, because the damn rock gorged the hell out of her hand. She couldn’t believe Jonah had gotten them away from Garrett, but he had. By now, he knew she was gone. If she survived this, there would be hell to pay because Garrett was going to be pissed, but better him pissed than Roxy dead. Roxy was there because of her and that was something Janna couldn’t live with, whether Garrett understood that or not.
She continued down the path Jonah directed her to go. She knew he was near because he said he would be, but he was trying to keep downwind so the bastards who held Roxy couldn’t smell him. Leda had also given her directions, which she told Jonah, and he helped her until
they needed to separate.
Hearing voices, she stopped, pressing tightly against a tree. Her eyes searched to see if she could spot Jonah, but there was nothing but trees and rocks. Closing her eyes, she gave herself a pep talk. She could do this. She had to do this, and if she had to shift, she could do that too, even though she had no idea how. Dammit, why didn’t she do it last night when Garrett wanted her to?
“I thought I smelled something.” A voice snapped her eyes wide open. “We’ve been waiting for you.”
She tried not to cringe away when he grabbed her arm, dragging her through the tall weeds and rocks. Walking under a large boulder, they ended up in a clearing. Her eyes immediately found Roxy who was standing with a few other people who looked scared to death.
“No!” Roxy shook her head. “Run, Janna.”
“Oh, she will be running very soon.” Jasper stepped out, his smile growing larger at the sight of her. “Look, Evan, your pledge is here.”
Memories of her mother being murdered flashed through her brain, making her shake in rage. Talking herself down, she had to remain calm. Soon this bastard would get his due. Very soon.
“Let her go.” Janna nodded toward Roxy. “Leda said if I came, you would let her go.”
“Who? That little pain in the ass wolf we sent crawling back?” Jasper laughed loudly. “Well, we changed our mind. One of my boy’s took a liking to the little human and decided to mark her for his pledge. She will be joining the Reaping tonight.”
“You’re a bastard,” Janna spat. She failed to react in time as his backhand hit her so hard her lip split instantly. She felt her beast clawing just below the surface, her body began to shake to the point it scared her. She forced it away. She wasn’t ready. What if she lost control? Plus it wasn’t the time to shift; if she could get alone, maybe, but not now.