“I had an apartment in California. It wasn’t in the greatest neighborhood, but after all that time in the hospital, my trust fund was getting really low. Gram’s insurance only paid so much.”
Logan and Ash both growled again. “You should have never been alone to get that sick.” Logan gripped the couch, and Emily tried to soothe him. He’d taken all the blame, when Emily had her own to share as well.
“Enough,” Marcus said, taking control with a single word. “I will never get any answers from Emily if you two keep distracting her.”
“Sorry, Alpha.” Logan took some deep breaths and started rubbing Emily’s back.
“Go on, Emily,” Marcus ordered. He leaned forward and had his full attention on her.
Emily couldn’t resist her Alpha’s command, and she drew in a breath. “So, I had a small apartment in the cheaper part of the city, which meant more crime. Someone tried to break in a few times, so I added locks, and then someone knocked out the lights around where I park and my apartment. It’s not all that unusual.” Emily paused as the fear and anxiety of those days returned. She remembered the strange feeling of danger, but she downplayed it. “I can’t explain how I felt really. I was strange like.” She couldn’t put into words how she felt and the war she had with her emotions.
“But you could feel something was wrong,” Dylan, who had been listening silently, added.
Emily’s gaze lifted, and the fear was back. “I can’t explain it. I felt like a deer being hunted. I was scared all of the time. If I walked out and there weren’t a lot of people around, I was terrified.”
Marcus nodded at her. “It is a natural reaction, Emily. You were being hunted, and a part of you knew that and reacted.”
“Then there was the night dogs tried to attack me. One of my neighbors chased them off, and then I got the text to come home while we were waiting for the manager to say they’d caught the dogs.”
“And that was when you came back?” Logan asked, and Emily could feel the hair growing back. He looked calm, but he wasn’t.
“Yeah, and the same dogs were here at the store. And the same chubby guy with black hair was in both places.”
Logan’s full attention focused on Marcus for a moment before his gaze slammed back to Emily.
“Black hair, pudgy man with pale pockmarked skin?”
Emily nodded. “Yeah. That’s him.”
Logan jumped to his feet and his fangs elongated. Fur sprouted, but Marcus stepped in front of him. “Logan. Control yourself!”
“I’ll kill him. I will fucking kill that rat bastard. He hunted my mate!”
Emily took Ash’s hand as Logan and Marcus faced each other. “Stand down, enforcer.”
“I need to hunt him down.” Logan was more furious than she’d ever seen him. Whatever she’d said had him ready to kill and part of her worried that he was angry with her.
“You need to think instead of letting your wolf react, Logan. Calm yourself.” Marcus turned his focus back on her, and she wanted to back away from that intense gaze. “Is there anything else, anything at all?”
Emily nodded. “The dogs were going to torture and kill Jackson and me here, but these creepy-looking men that had really pale skin, almost paper white, and reddish-colored eyes stopped them. Oh, and they grew fangs.”
Emily felt Ash jump, and Logan had his attention on her again. “Vampires helped you?”
“Those were the vampires? I wasn’t sure. I mean, this is all very strange. You turn into dogs.”
Logan and Ash winced as several enforcers growled. “Lycan, baby. Call us lycan or werewolves. Dogs in an insult.”
“Oh, sorry. I didn’t mean to offend anyone. Dogs are cute and cuddly.”
“Exactly,” one of the burly enforcers said with his nostrils flaring angrily.
Dylan glared at him. “If you are insulted because an innocent female gets confused, then you need to get out of the enforcer ranks. You will come across this a lot more often as you speak with humans.”
The enforcer flushed and glanced at Emily. “Sorry.”
Emily gave him a small smile and then looked back to Ash. “Well, I wasn’t sure, and you never know; they could be some strange mutant guys.”
“No, you just described vampires. Mortef leads the coven here, and he is an egotistical asshole. He thinks he is above the law, and apparently the council is fine with him breaking laws.” Logan paced as he ranted. He stopped and looked at Emily. “Was it Mortef? Did he approach you, or try anything with you?”
“No, the other guys that also changed called him Devon.”
Marcus’s eyes raised, and he looked at Derek. “Devon? That’s interesting.”
“Are you sure?” Ash asked as he rubbed her back.
“Yeah, they called him Devon. He gave me a phone and said he was sorry for lying to me about Gram. I think I still have the phone in my coat pocket.”
Dylan opened the closet door and pulled her coat out. He rummaged through her pockets until he pulled a phone out and handed it to Emily. Emily nodded at Dylan. “Yes, that’s it.
Marcus took the phone and examined it before handing it back to Logan. “Your phone.”
Logan took it and shook his head. “Why is Devon helping her? His uncle is the one helping the coyotes.”
Marcus shook his head. “I am not sure. Devon has never fully supported his uncle, but he has never defied him before.” Marcus paced as Logan came back and wrapped his arms around Emily.
Emily tracked Marcus as he paced. “He said he didn’t want a war with the lycans.”
“I don’t like this,” Marcus mused. “I don’t like it at all. We’ve all suspected the bloodsuckers were trying to start a war. Now we know. Is Devon trying to get us to let our guard down with him? Is the phone bugged now?”
“I don’t know,” Logan said as set his phone down. “This is suddenly far more dangerous than some rogue coyotes that need a smack down.”
Marcus paced for a moment more, making Emily twist the blanket in her hands. It was the most unnerving sensation to have that man’s attention on her.
A young enforcer looked from Emily to Marcus. “I don’t get it. If coyotes were hunting her, why didn’t they just kill her?”
Logan growled and his eyes glowed, but Marcus put his hand up. “Easy, Logan. She is safe.”
Logan pulled Emily closer to him. “Because coyotes enjoy causing fear.”
“Thank the stars for that. Coyotes thrive on causing fear in their prey. It’s like a drug to them, which is why Emily is still alive. They’re not the smartest supernatural race, and they didn’t anticipate Devon getting Emily out of there. I don’t know what he is up to, but he did get Emily home safely.” Marcus curled his forefinger around his chin as he thought. “Finish the mating bond, tonight.” Marcus’s eyes were dark, and she could feel a power emanating from him that made her shiver. “I want you three to have a connecting bond.”
Marcus’s dark gaze froze Emily in her place. “They love you, Emily. Remember that as you adjust to your new life. None of the strict rules they place on you are to harm you, but keep you safe.” Marcus’s gaze was so intense Emily thought that perhaps he could see into her soul. He raised his eyebrow at her. “Remember that.” Then he turned to Logan. “I’ve spoken to Yerel, and he says Emily is strong enough now. You will complete the mating tonight. It is for her own safety so you have a connection to her.”
Emily swallowed, and her nipples grew into tight buds as she thought about what those words meant. Through the haze of her shock and fear, she felt her body responding to the images of Logan and Ash completing the mating.
* * * *
Logan sat on one of the couches with his soon-to-be mate sandwiched between him and Ash. Emily was still pale, and he could tell she was having trouble processing everything she’d been through. He’d wanted to tell Emily gently and have her firmly bonded to both Ash and himself by the time he told her.
Coyotes and vampires were actively hunting her
, and he needed the connection of a bond to help keep her safe. Logan and Ash had already wrapped her in dominance and submission. They would take her to the club and cement their bonds as Masters and submissive.
“Yerel is here to check on Emily,” Derek said as he walked in.
The gray-haired healer followed Derek in and smiled down at Jackson as Erma held him, and then he turned to Emily.
“How are you feeling?”
“Better. I’m not as tired now.”
“Good, good!” Yerel beamed at her and pulled up her shirt before placing his hands on her bare back.
Logan watched Emily’s eyes widen, and he knew Yerel’s hands were getting very warm. It could be scary for those not used to him. “You know it won’t hurt, so just concentrate on breathing.”
After a moment, Yerel let out a breath and pulled her shirt down. “Better, much better. I am happy with the results so far. We should be able to have you back up and running within a few weeks.”
“Weeks?” Emily’s eyes widened.
“Yes, it took your body months to get into this state. We won’t fix it overnight. For now, you can resume normal activities, and we’ll save your medicine for when you go to bed. Enforcers, I will leave you two to bond with your new mate.” Yerel grinned and then headed for the door.
Erma sighed and handed Jackson back to Emily. “He’s been up and playing for a few hours, so he should go to sleep for you when you nurse.” She kissed him several times. “Good-bye, my precious boy. Grandma loves you.”
Emily had no doubt that Erma loved him, and a wave of guilt hit her. She never should have run. She should have stayed and confronted Logan. Knowing now that it was a mix of his duties to his pack and he was just scared had her shaking her head at her own foolishness.
“Thank you for watching him, Grandma.”
“You’re welcome,” Erma called seconds before the door closed. It sure sounded like she was giggling. Was Logan’s grandma thinking of him having sex as painful as him thinking of her doing the same? He’d walked in with her when she had a lover over and he’d closed his eyes, but the noise they made… Logan shuddered. That was one memory he wanted rid of.
* * * *
Emily swallowed a lump in her throat as she took Jackson and lifted her shirt to nurse him. Logan and Ash sat close and watched him as his tiny hands made fists and he drank down his supper.
“He’s a good eater.” Ash had a proud smile on his face.
“Of course he is. He is eating up mommy’s milk so he can grow into a big, strong lycan.”
Logan turned Emily as he used his finger to lift her face. “Now you know everything. I do love you, Emily. I love you more than my next breath. I’ve always loved you, even when I was terrified of losing you. When you thought I was ignoring you, I thought I was protecting you. I’d already decided I couldn’t live without you when I got home, but it was too late. You were already gone. I won’t ever lose you again. Where you go, I go. If you kick me out of our bedroom, I’ll guard the door at night and keep you safe.”
Logan stared at Emily, hoping she could sense the sincerity behind his words. Her forehead rested against his chest. “Oh, Logan. I can’t begin to tell you how much I had missed you.”
“I don’t know how I will ever right the wrongs I have done to you, Em.”
Emily placed her fingertips on Logan’s lips. “It’s not all your fault. I could have stayed and fought for us. It was wrong of me to simply leave and deny Jackson his family because I got my shorts in a wad.”
His lips twitched in a smile, but his eyes were serious as he said, “I had a huge part to play in your broken heart. When you walked out on me, it tore my whole world apart. I guess I thought you’d always be around and wait for me to get my shit together. My grandma Erma, Marcus, and Ash all tried to push me to either let you go or reveal my lycan side to you, but I was being a cowardly fool.”
Ash smacked Logan upside the head. “There, now that I’ve smacked you, can you get over your pity party now? You could have done this; she could have done that. Fuck, I could have stepped in, but we didn’t. The shit hit the fan and we all came out okay in spite of it. Let’s move forward from here with the understanding that we will talk instead of running.”
“Sounds good to me,” Emily said as she wiped the tears from her face. “I will remember this when I feel guilt over leaving.”
“I will, too, pet. I can’t change what we did in the past, but I can show you how much I love you now.” Logan gripped Emily’s chin as he moved closer to take her lips.
First Ash took Jackson from her lap, and then Logan picked her up and carried her to the bedroom while Emily clung to Logan as his tongue swept into her mouth.”
Logan growled, and the vibration seemed to permeate through her. Lust gripped her and she weaved her fingers through his hair.
Logan broke the kiss and gazed into her eyes. His eyes were almost completely black and his face looked slightly wolfish.
“I’m going to make you mine tonight. Every part of you will be mine, and I will be yours. Our souls will be bonded together in a way that no one or nothing will be able to separate.”
Emily gasped at the desire that thrummed through her core. “I want you, Logan. Make me yours.” The heat from his body soaked into hers and added to the lust already burning within her body.
“Don’t be scared of what you feel. Just let it happen.” Logan nipped her lower lip, and Emily gasped at how her pussy clenched in an almost painful erotic pulse.
“Oh god, Logan.”
“I know sweetheart. I feel it, too. This isn’t normal sex; it’s mating, and it will be intense.” Logan’s lips claimed her again, and fire surrounded her as his lips melded with hers. His hand gripped her hair and held her still for his searing kiss as his other hand worked its way down her body.
Logan’s lips released hers, and he kissed a trail of blazing heat down her neck. His hands moved to her body where he caressed her skin and made her shiver at the electric feeling. Emily arched her back as his lips reached the neckline of her sleeping shirt. A tearing noise made Emily open her eyes, and she saw that one of Logan’s hands had grown razor-sharp claws and shredded her cotton night shirt. Watching him with his eyes looking so dark and menacing, and the claws that could easily shred her, made the heat in her body ignite into a molten fire of need.
“I need you, Logan,” Emily whimpered. She felt as if she would die if she didn’t have him buried within her right now. Her body throbbed with an ache that only Logan could soothe.
Logan’s hands shook as he shredded his own shirt off his torso. He grinned at her and managed to get his jeans off without shredding them.
“You’re so beautiful, especially when your body is on fire for me.” Logan claimed her lips again, and Emily fell into the firestorm of Logan’s passion.
All that existed was the two of them and the need for Logan. She wrapped her legs around his waist and felt his erection pressing against her entrance. She rocked her hips imploringly as her nails dug into his back.
“Patience, my pet. I don’t want this to hurt.” Logan kissed her neck as his arm wrapped around her waist and his other hand found its way to her clit.
Pleasure engulfed her at the first light strokes, making Emily cry out and buck her hips. His cock was right there, and if she could only move just the right way, he would enter her.
“Looks like you need some help taming this sweet girl.” Ash sat on the bed, grabbed her hands from Logan’s back, and pinned them over her head.
Logan chuckled as Emily whimpered. “Now we can play a bit more.” He reached over and grabbed a black bag and opened it. He dumped his assortment of sex toys on the bed and chose a small butt plug. He unwrapped the sterilized stainless-steel bulb and opened a tube of lubricant.
“It’s a good time to start stretching her open for the both of us. Don’t you think so, Ash?”
The conversation was lost in the buzzing of her ears. Ash’s finger was erot
ic enough she couldn’t imagine how a butt plug would feel. Emily didn’t have long to wait since within seconds, she felt Logan’s finger push into her back entrance, and then the plug.
“Oh god.” Emily panted. She felt like she was going to come with just the plug. It wouldn’t put out the flames of her desire though. The tender part of her neck by her shoulder tingled, and she wanted to feel Logan’s mouth on her.
“She’s ready for mating,” Ash said as one of his hands caressed her breasts while the other held her pinned.
“She is. I wanted her need to be this great, so it would mask any pain.”
Pain? The only pain Emily felt was the ache for Logan to fill her and claim her as his own. She could not hold still anymore because it felt like fire ants were crawling all over her skin.
“Please.” Emily didn’t even know what she was begging for, but hopefully Logan knew what she needed.
Logan gripped her hips and lined the head of his cock to her entrance. He pushed into her, jostling the plug. Logan’s cock and the plug made her feel overfull and the stretching of her channel burned slightly, but it helped to ease the ache.
Moving her hips, Emily encouraged Logan to take her. One of his hands reached between their joined bodies, and he stroked her clit as he pulled out, then thrust back in.
Emily cried out at the warring sensations. It pulled and burned, but in a delightful way that had her wrapping her legs tightly around Logan for more.
Her body coiled as her orgasm built and she gasped for air. She opened her eyes to see Logan had grown a set of fangs. The look in his eyes was nearly feral, and then he opened his mouth and moved in a flash to her neck. The same area that had been tingling felt a sharp sting that connected to her pussy, and his teeth sunk into her flesh.
As if a nuclear bomb detonated within her, Emily shuddered at the blast of pleasure that engulfed her. Her pussy clenched and she felt as well as heard Logan growl as his teeth remained embedded in her flesh. His hips pounded frantically against her as Emily screamed out her orgasm.
Enforcers Embrace [Southern Supernatural Alphas] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) Page 15