Carnal Obedience

by Kate Hill

  Her orgasm struck Jolie with such force that she shrieked. She clung to Temple, her body pulsing and straining, and felt him come, his every muscle tight and body trembling. He collapsed atop her panting, quivers still coursing through him.

  Thoroughly satisfied, Jolie gave in to comforting darkness.

  A short time later she awoke nestled between the warm, hard bodies of her wolves. Smiling, she realized she’d never been happier. The only thing tainting that happiness was concern over what could happen if the leader of the Wingedpaws accepted Temple’s challenge. Not that she didn’t believe Temple could handle it, but the Wingedpaw leader was a large wolf who had also been trained as a hunter and warrior. Defeating him wouldn’t be simple, not even for a wolf of Temple’s strength and courage.

  “Jolie,” Temple said, stroking her arm.

  “Umm,” she purred, almost asleep.

  “There’s something I need to ask you. Something Ransom and I have discussed.”

  Sensing tension in him she opened her eyes, saw the serious looks on their faces and felt a stirring of dread. “What is it?”

  “When I become pack leader,” he said and she noticed he’d said “when” not “if.” Thankfully he was confident in his abilities. Attitude could mean the difference between winning and death. “Ransom is going to be my primary advisor. Obviously. He’s my partner and there’s no one whose judgment I trust more.”

  “I agree he’s the best choice,” she said.

  “Every pack leader needs a mate. An official mate to be the mother of his pups.”

  Jolie’s heart leapt. Gods, was he going to ask her to…

  “We’ve talked about it and if you would consent to become my mate, our third partner --”

  “Yes,” Jolie said without hesitation. She had never imagined a moment like this or meeting wolves to whom she’d want to bind herself for life, but with Ransom and Temple it just seemed right. “Yes, I’ll become your mate. And your third partner.”

  Ransom rolled onto his side so that he could gaze at Jolie. He caressed her mouth with his fingertip. His eyes shone with affection as he kissed her lips while Temple slid down lower on the bed, leaving a trail of kisses along her back. It seemed her wolves meant to celebrate their engagement in a way they’d never forget.

  Chapter Five

  The following morning, the leader of the Wingedpaw Pack sent a formal acceptance of Temple’s challenge. He also exercised his right to an immediate battle. At dusk he and Temple would fight on Wingedpaw territory, in the Valley of the Gray Wolves.

  Lady Altah agreed to escort Temple and his mates along with Crispin and Chantel to the challenge. They took her private jet, followed by an entourage of guards. As Lady Altah had already learned in her short reign, one could never be too careful.

  Temple remained quiet throughout the journey, focusing completely on the battle to come. Years ago, when he’d been a hunter and warrior, he’d never imagined fighting for leadership of his pack. After the treaty with the Vampire Nation, he’d spent every day planning for a way to destroy their corrupt leader. Latham had come into power when their old leader had stepped down due to his age. After so many centuries, it had been time for a new leader. A younger leader. Unfortunately, he had turned out to be a bad leader. Latham thought only of his own power and wealth. He cared nothing for the good of the pack. What he failed to realize was without the support and respect of the pack, no leader could last long. There would inevitably be uprisings.

  That was why Jolie’s words had sobered him. When she had accused him of wanting power for himself, he’d stopped and taken serious thought to the reasons behind his actions. For so long he and Ransom had fought against the law. He had almost forgotten how to comply with it. He hadn’t lied when he said he’d give his life for the pack and he was now about to prove it. There was a chance he might lose and if he did, Latham would not be merciful.

  Not only did he want to win for the sake of the pack, but for himself, for the love he felt for Ransom and Jolie. He knew in his heart -- a heart he once thought lost to anger and sorrow -- that they belonged together. As a trio, they could do great things for the pack.

  “Temple,” Ransom asked softly from where he sat beside him on Altah’s private jet. Jolie sat on his other side, holding his hand, their fingers entwined. “Are you all right?”

  “I’m fine. How are you?”

  “I’ll be better when this is over.”

  Temple’s lips twisted in a wry smile. “That makes two of us.”

  “Three of us,” Jolie added.

  Temple glanced at his lovers, fiercely glad they were with him. Though he’d never admit it aloud, he needed their support. He needed to know they were there with him, waiting for him to return to them once he’d won the challenge. He needed to know that if he lost, they would give him a decent burial and honor his memory. That meant much to an old-school wolf warrior.

  All too soon, the jet landed and they traveled to Valley of the Gray Wolves. Many people, Vampires and wolves alike, had assembled to watch the challenge. The battle ground had been used by their pack for centuries. The fight would take place in a circular pit surrounded by a stone wall. Wolf guards stood at each corner of the pit. Armed with silver swords and rifles loaded with silver bullets, their orders were to kill any challenger who tried to leave the pit before the fight was officially over, either by death or surrender.

  Latham had already arrived and was standing in the ring in his wolf form, warming up for the fight. Very tall and thickly muscled, he was covered in a brown pelt. As Temple, also in wolf form, approached, he glared at him with amber eyes, flashed his fangs and issued a warning howl.

  His pulse racing with the excitement, Temple returned the howl. From the corner of his eyes, he saw his mates and Altah take their places in front of the crowd, close to the pit.

  Then Temple blocked everything from his mind but the battle. With a savage growl he leapt into the pit. A bullet fired by one of the guards signaled the start of the challenge.

  * * *

  Jolie watched the battle, her body tense. She hadn’t felt this much fear since childhood, when her entire pack had been slaughtered before her eyes. Funny how she’d come to care so deeply about two wolves she’d met just a short time ago.

  In the pit, Temple and Latham charged each other, their claws slashing and teeth ravaging one another’s flesh. Blood stained their pelts and darkened the dirt ground.

  Jolie had hoped the fight would end quickly, but as the night grew darker and torches were brought to light the valley, she knew the combatants were in for a long, difficult battle.

  Latham definitely had a size advantage over Temple, but Temple was incredibly strong and also fast. Only when their bodies locked and they rolled on the ground, limbs entwined and teeth sinking into flesh as they grappled for superiority did she have any doubt about Temple winning. Latham’s hulking form covered Temple, pinning him to the ground so that Jolie wondered how he could even draw a breath. Latham’s fangs drove down toward Temple’s throat, but somehow Temple twisted so that his enemy bit his shoulder. Latham’s jaw seemed to lock on Temple, his fangs ripping into flesh and muscle. Jolie winced at what must have been pure agony for Temple. The scent of fresh blood was so heavy on the air that it overpowered even her wolfish senses.

  The sound of the fighting wolves’ panting breaths filled the otherwise silent valley. With each painful gasp or growl from Temple, Jolie’s hand tightened on Ransom’s. He also clung to her hand fiercely, though his expression was unreadable as he stared into the pit. She knew how much he loved Temple and how difficult it must be for him to watch this challenge.

  With a fantastic effort, Temple somehow reversed his position, landed atop Latham and sank his fangs deep into his throat. There was a sharp death cry, then the only sound was Temple’s ragged breathing. After a moment, he moved from Latham’s still body and sat back on his heels, panting hard. He rose to his feet and howled long and loud. The cry of leadership
.

  Other wolves answered, their piercing voices echoing through the valley.

  Ransom and Jolie glanced at each other in relief before they, too, howled and went to join Temple in the pit. He turned to them, his eyes tinged red from the fight, his pelt drenched in blood and sweat. Jolie noted he looked tired but at the same time triumphant.

  She embraced him tightly and buried her face against his neck. His pulse throbbed wildly against her cheek and she felt each harsh breath as if it were her own.

  “I love you,” she whispered in his ear.

  “I love you, too,” he whispered back.

  Ransom was busy examining his many injuries, some of which had already begun to heal.

  “A few of these are pretty deep. They’ll need attention,” Ransom said.

  “And you’ll give it to me?” Temple grinned in his direction.

  “Don’t I always?” Ransom flung his arms around Temple’s neck and stroked his furred back. “Of course, now neither of us have any choice but to obey you. You are the pack leader.”

  “Obedience has never been one of my virtues,” Jolie said. Both Temple and Ransom cast her chastising looks and she added, “But I’ll work on it. Not making any promises though.”

  * * *

  Later that night, after his wounds had been tended, Temple was pronounced the pack leader during a public ritual outside the manor house that had, for thousands of years, been traditionally inhabited by the pack leader, his family and advisors. Ransom was named his primary advisor. Directly after the ritual, Temple and Jolie were joined in a small mating ceremony, officiated by Ransom and witnessed by Lady Altah, her guardians, Crispin, Chantel, and Andre.

  After the ceremony and meal that followed, they retired to the master suite that had already been emptied of Latham’s belongings.

  The three slipped naked into bed, Jolie cuddled to one side of Temple, Ransom to the other.

  “We have so much to do in the morning,” Temple said. “Altah is staying to arrange a new treaty. Then we need to make sure the rebel wolves are moved back into pack territory.”

  “That’s tomorrow.” Jolie touched a finger to his lips and kissed his cheek. “Not tonight.”

  “You must be tired,” Ransom said to Temple, caressing his hair-dusted chest.

  “I think I’m still having an adrenaline rush from today,” he said.

  Jolie sighed. “Right now I feel like I’ll never sleep again. This has been an unbelievable couple of weeks, from chasing down the Renegade Wolves to being kidnapped by them, then to falling in love with them --”

  “And they with you,” Ransom added, his hand moving from Temple’s chest to her shoulder. “The minute I saw you I knew there was something special about you, Jolie.”

  “You too. I trusted you.”

  “But Temple is the one who really turned you on.”

  “He turns you on too,” Jolie said.

  “I wonder which of us turns him on more?”

  Jolie’s brow furrowed. “That’s a dangerous question. Not sure I really want to go there.”

  “Do we want to go there, Temple?” Ransom asked, a teasing note in his voice. “Temple?”

  He and Jolie glanced at the new pack leader, but he was sound asleep.

  The End

  Kate Hill

  Kate Hill is a thirty-something vegetarian New Englander who likes heroes with a touch of something wicked and wild. Her short fiction and poetry have appeared in dozens of publications both on and off the Internet. When she’s not spending time with her family or working on her books, Kate enjoys reading, working out, and researching vampires and Viking history. Feel free to drop her a note at katehill@sprintmail.com or visit her website to learn more about her current releases and upcoming projects. You can find Kate online at http://www.kate-hill.com