Scent of His Woman

by Rebecca Royce

  “I never thought—”

  He interrupted. “Oh, I think for a minute you did.”

  Clay took the steps two at a time. He flipped on the lights and then dropped Mags down on the bed. She tried to roll over, but he stopped her. “Stay on your stomach.”

  “Am I supposed to say yes, sir?” She snarled at him but even he, the non-wolf, could hear there was no heart in it.

  He moved until he covered her body from behind. With a deep sniff, he brought her vanilla essence into him. She was so fucking lovely. He was going to spend whatever time he had left on the planet getting to know every facet of her he could uncover.

  “If you don’t like something, all you need to say is Clayton, stop, and I will. Anything other than Clayton, stop, I don’t hear. Are you fine with that?”

  She looked over her shoulder, a grin on her face. “Even fucking wetter.”

  His cock made his pants strain. “That’s a yes?”

  “Yes.” Mags growled the word. “Are you all talk or do you plan to actually do something, mate?”

  He pulled down her pants, letting his gaze caress the curve of her ass. She was so lovely, his Mags. Clayton ran his hand down her cheeks to her thighs.

  “You chased me to the woods, disrupted an operation, and shoved me. You could have gotten yourself hurt. All I was trying to do was get a crazy caught so I could come back to you and bring you home. That’s what I want. To go home with you to my cabin and wake up to you every morning.” He petted her behind gently. “We’ve never slept together. By that I mean wake up in the morning and know the whole world waited for us.”

  “Clayton….” Her answer was a sigh.

  “You shoved me.” He grinned. “So you get spanked. If you like this, honey, feel free to shove me anytime. I’ll know it means you want me to take you somewhere private, wherever we are, and pull down your pants to make your rear red.”

  With that said, he raised his hand and spanked her once on her left butt cheek. She gasped. He hadn’t touched her hard, wouldn’t, not really. Playing was as much involved in what he wanted as anything. Enough to sting so she loved it.

  Where he had spanked her, he rubbed his hand over to soothe the slight discomfort. “You remember what I told you? About how this ends?”

  “Fuck, Clayton. Do that again.”

  Well, he wasn’t hearing Clayton stop. He tugged on her hair, and her whole body trembled. He didn’t know if all wolves liked a little kink to their sex or if it was just Mags. He didn’t intend to ask and would simply consider himself a lucky guy.

  He smacked her harder, and she sucked in her breath. “You like that.”

  “Harder.”

  He didn’t care she’d taken over the whole thing. It was so hot that she liked it, he would do anything to make her happy. He smacked significantly harder.

  She shuddered. “I can’t….”

  “Can’t what?” If she said the words, he’d stop. She hadn’t spoken them so he did it again.

  “I’m so turned on, I can hardly breathe. I might come if you do it again. I can’t believe it. I’ve never….”

  He gave her one more smack to watch her body convulse. Clay flipped her over. “I’m sorry I didn’t listen to you and snuck out. I can’t promise I won’t again. I want you home. In my cabin. I won’t apologize for that. I will for the way I handled it.”

  She kissed him, hard on the mouth. Her eyes were glazed. It wouldn’t take much to get her to completion, and it would be his pleasure to take on the task. “I’m not sorry I shoved you.”

  He quickly undressed both of them. Mags grinned at him but didn’t participate. She was more languid than he’d ever seen her. Ready for him. She backed up, spreading her legs for his entrance.

  Clay gave her what she wanted. He pressed deep inside her, and she cried out. “Yes. Harder. No soft tonight.”

  Clayton did his best to follow her directions. In and out he plunged and thrust until he sweated from the movements. She was wet, soaking, and her muscles milked him, calling him home.

  “I love you.” He reached between them to stroke her clit. Her fingernails dug into his skin.

  She arched her neck beneath him. “It’s too much. I’m going to explode.”

  “I’ll catch you if you fall. You’ll never be hurt with me.”

  Mags shattered and he held onto her, loving every second.

  Seconds later, he followed her, oblivion quickly overtaking him afterward. He twisted while he could still think, dragging her onto his chest so he didn’t crush her.

  The sounds of her snores lulled him to sleep.

  ***

  He crept into the room. Both Clayton and Mags were asleep, and neither of them moved. The forest would have been a close call. If Thane and Dani hadn’t shown up, he might have exposed himself to Ryker and that he couldn’t have done.

  It would be so easy to kill them. They both slept soundly. He’d taken a chance coming in. Mags was a wolf. She should have the sense to know someone watched, yet the woman was out cold. He’d smelled her utter exhaustion all the way down the stairs. It would be hours ’til she roused unless he forced her awake.

  As much as Clayton had been a problem, he’d not caught Him. Naked and wrapped in each other, they weren’t a challenge anymore. He had decided he wanted the prize. One more kill before he got the hell out of dodge.

  They’d never know who caused them the pain unless Drew woke, and he doubted that would ever happen. The alpha would be dead in the next few days. Then everything would fall apart. He could live knowing he’d caused it.

  The man who brought down the Black Hills Wolves.

  He’d leave them a message so Clayton and Mags knew, so they understood how close he had been to them, how vulnerable they’d let themselves become.

  He still had blood from his last kill. Gee would never be able to get it out of his wood floors and furniture.

  As silently as he could manage, he spread it everywhere.

  No one had a clue.

  Now he had somewhere to go. Saja Grey would be dead within days. First Drew then Saja. He hadn’t intended to bring down a pack. What an added bonus.

  His dead mate would be so proud.

  ***

  Drew heard the noises in the distance, and he wanted so much to reach them. His mate was always crying. He could smell it. Why was she so upset? He didn’t understand. Family was all around. He liked their scent. He’d worked so hard to get rid of sadness in his pack. Why was it back? What had happened?

  Drew moaned. An ache in his gut made him want to scream. Instead, he didn’t move. Not yet. Soon. The pressure was moving.

  He’d be able to wake up and see what was happening.

  Darkness took him back under.

  ***

  The smell of blood woke Mags. She bolted upright to find Clay already stood, his boxers back on as he silently examined the room.

  “Don’t move.” He squatted down closer to the substance she could see was all over the floor. “It’s blood.”

  “I know.” She gagged at the scent. “Old, I think. Days. It’s going foul.”

  “Whose?” He hadn’t moved or looked at her. Clay’s stillness concerned her as much as anything else. What was he thinking?

  She crept out of bed, careful not to put her feet anywhere near where she could step on what once had been someone’s essence. She grabbed her shirt from the side and slipped it on. “I don’t know. I haven’t been around for a long time. It smells human.”

  Clayton nodded. “That’s what I thought.”

  The door swung open and Gee’s eyes were huge. “Oh thank the spirits. When I smelled human blood, I thought it was you, Clay.”

  “Not me.” He stood from his squat and extended his hand. “Come here, Mags.”

  She walked to him and let him pull her against him. In his warm embrace, she could breathe. “Gee, is there anyone in the pack who could analyze this? Some kind of f
orensic analysis?”

  “I’m afraid not.” He shook his head. “We don’t want that kind of tech here. Draws too much attention.”

  “Then get me some cleaning product. I’ll help get rid of this mess.”

  Gee shook his head. “You don’t have to do that, son.”

  If it had been different circumstances, she would have grinned. Gee called all the wolves he liked son. To hear him use it for her mate was a sign of acceptance. Clay wouldn’t get it nor would he likely care. He didn’t seem to want to be accepted. If people liked him, great. If not, fuck them. One of the things she loved about him.

  “I want to. Someone needs to give me a task and they need to right away. This asshat got in here and was in the room while we slept. Near Mags. I need to tear something up. It might as well be the blood on the floor.”

  She rubbed at her eyes. Someday she’d get to wake up in his embrace, make love, and not have to worry about death and destruction.

  “I’m okay.”

  “The fucker is dead. Big-time dead.”

  Gee exhaled. “I’ll get Ryker.”

  “Why didn’t he kill us?” She rubbed Clayton’s arm and felt his muscles strain from the tension in his body.

  “Because this is worse in a lot of ways. If we’re dead, your people are sad. I don’t mean to discount their pain. We’re not here to see it, whatever you believe happens next if anything at all. We’ve moved on or we’re gone. Doing this? Letting us know he was in the room while we were vulnerable? This is a different, special kind of hell.”

  Yes it was. Goose bumps broke out on her body. “I’ll get the mop.”

  “Sometimes I go dark.” Clay cleared his throat. “I’ve just been shoved over.”

  “I’ll always be here to bring you back.”

  He shook his head. “Not too soon. I’ve got my own abilities. I’m not a wolf, but it doesn’t preclude me from being deadly. Asshole isn’t getting near you again.”

  She really wished they’d already left for his cabin.

  Chapter Six

  Mags left Clayton outside of Betty’s house talking to her father. The men had greeted each other with a nod, and, although she didn’t think they’d ever been formally introduced, she wasn’t in any condition to manage them at the moment. She’d woken up in a room covered in blood and Clay’s scent had darkened to the point she worried he might be getting ready to make a rash decision. Her behind stung beautifully from the last time he’d done so. Yet, she somehow suspected his current mood wouldn’t end in playful slapping but instead with scorching and burning.

  She walked into the house and made her way down the hallway to Betty and Drew’s room. Her sister’s sadness didn’t burst into her nose, which was a change. Peeking around the corner, she quickly found out why Betty wasn’t broadcasting her usual distress. She had finally fallen asleep.

  Sitting in a chair next to Drew with her neck in a position which couldn’t be comfortable, Betty was out cold. Mags let out a breath she held. That was good. Betty needed to take care of herself and the baby she grew inside her. Drew would be pissed when he woke up if she wasn’t in good shape.

  Mags sat down in a chair opposite her and let herself look at Drew on the bed. His wounds were covered and presumably the bullet was doing whatever it needed to do. Mags chewed on her lip. She wondered what Bastian had told Betty the night before.

  A strange emotion wafted up to her, and she sniffed the air to see where it came from. Not Betty, as far as Mags could tell; her sister wasn’t giving off anything at all. No, the sadness and concern was from…Drew.

  She sat up straighter. Her brother-in-law hadn’t been broadcasting anything, but now he certainly was. It made her nose itch and brought her wolf to the surface. Soothe. Soothe. Soothe. How was she going to help him if he wasn’t awake?

  Mags moved closer and took Drew’s hand in hers. Had she ever really touched her brother-in-law before? An occasional brief hug as greeting. Maybe once since he’d been back from exile. She hadn’t rushed home to see him, mostly so she could avoid Ryker.

  Dissatisfaction with her choice steeled her determination. She’d spent nearly a week with Ryker. He hadn’t harmed her. So her cowardice left her less than proud.

  “Drew,” she whispered, not wanting to wake Betty. “I think you’ve been hearing things. I can smell it. I don’t know if the others can or can’t. Sometimes my omega wolf, it’s a big giant mess. I feel others’ emotions when even the wolves around me can’t. So I have to say this to you, assuming you can hear me and that I’m not crazy. I don’t want you to worry. Everything is fine.”

  Hopefully Drew couldn’t smell her lie. “You’ve done such a good job with things here. Betty’s going to have a baby. The pack has done what the pack does when the alpha is hurt—it continues on the way the good alpha would want. We’re all worried about you, but I know you’re doing what you need to be doing. Getting better as fast as you can.”

  Was she wrong or did his scent change? Relax a bit, stop being quite as distressed. “I got mated. To a human. I know that can only be as easy as it is because of you. So, thank you, Drew. Keep up the good work at getting better.”

  Betty exhaled loudly and sat up. Mags watched as Betty’s eyes cleared. Maybe she should have let go of Drew’s hand only she didn’t. She was an omega. This was part of what she did when she wasn’t in denial about her needs. She could live among the humans and yet she’d never be one. The good news was Clayton didn’t seem to mind the wolf in her.

  And had shown her something about herself the night before she’d never known she wanted.

  “Thank you.” Betty nodded toward her hand. “You’re very gifted, always were. Maybe some of your omega will reach him.”

  Mags debated letting Betty know it already had. Gee and Ryker were keeping things from her, and although she’d resented the idea the night before, she didn’t anymore. Sitting in the room, loving Drew and waiting for his return while she grew his baby was more than enough for her sister to handle. Everyone had their gifts.

  “Maybe.”

  ***

  Clayton walked with Mags’s father, Thomas, through the pack land. Los Lobos would be beautiful in the summer. He never minded the sleet and snow in his cabin because he simply didn’t venture outside all that much.

  “We’re really going to do this?” Thomas shook his head. “You know I haven’t missed any of this crap? There was always drama when Magnum was here. I kept thinking we should leave. Betty and Drew were clearly headed for a mating. Her mother wouldn’t hear of denying Betty her chance at happiness so despite the fact that Luanne—you know that’s Mags’s real first name right? She hates it and even nicknamed her middle—”

  Clay had not, in fact known that, and stored the information away until he could use it again to tease her before he brought her pleasure again. He tried to listen to what Hector was saying.

  “She picked up too much attention from Magnum. I thought I might have to challenge the man. Then Drew disappeared, and the next thing I know, Ryker is ordering us from pack land with instructions not to return unless the alpha changed. Betty wouldn’t leave in case Drew came back, and the only reason we didn’t fall apart was our teenage daughter who shouldn’t have had to carry such a load.”

  Clay listened to the rest in silence. He wished he could go back in time and kill Magnum, although it seemed Drew had done a fine job of that himself. The alpha needed to wake up and take back his life.

  “She’ll never have to shoulder a burden again, not if I can see to it,” Clay spoke finally.

  Hector nodded. “I believe you. My mate likes you. Told me so over the phone right after you arrived. You’ll note she didn’t let us know you were coming lest I try to stop you from setting foot into this mess.”

  “She’s tough. I could read that about her right away. I imagine she’s a force, as her daughters are.” Betty might be outwardly more vocal, but Mags had silent will, which Clay consi
dered more potent.

  “Thanks for knowing it’s both of them.” Hector sighed loudly. “So we’re really going to do this?”

  Gee stood outside the cabin waiting for them. Ryker must have sent him. Clay suspected he wouldn’t be seeing much of the enforcer until the murderer was caught. The itch in Clay’s brain, which always told him when things were about to go awry, increased. They had to catch the killer before he vanished.

  “Cabin by cabin until we find the gun. No one has the right to privacy.” This went against everything Clayton believed in. He would flip a shit if someone tried to come into his cabin without a warrant. The asshat had deposited a dead woman’s blood all over his room while he slept. If the best way they could help Ryker was to find the gun, then find it they would.

  Gee nodded to them. “This feels so much like Magnum. I see the need. I just…hate it.”

  “Me, too.” A muscle ticked in his jaw. “Let’s get this day over with.”

  “Hold,” a voice called out from the woods, and Ryker appeared. “I’m hearing Drew has woken. Let’s see what he says.”

  Clayton let relief move through him. Maybe he didn’t have to go back to the space in his head he had fled from years earlier. Back to his computer, his cabin, his life with Mags….

  Was it possible?

  ***

  Mags couldn’t believe her eyes. Drew was awake. Well, sort of. Bastian stood over him, listening to the alpha’s heartbeat with a stethoscope. He nodded and muttered something to himself while Drew muttered incoherently. One second he seemed awake, the next completely not.

  “He is coming back, and the echoes I can hear in his chest tell me the bullet has moved. Not necessarily where I wanted it to.”

  Betty rocked back on her feet, gripping Mags’s hand so tightly she wasn’t sure her sister wasn’t going to break it. “What does that mean?”