Wolf in Her Bed: Salvation Pack, Book 2

by N. J. Walters

At least he hoped she would.

  Gator stopped the truck and hopped out. He came around, opened the passenger side door and waited as Armand climbed from the vehicle with Anny. Gator went on ahead to open the front door to the cabin.

  “Thanks. I’ll be taking care of Anny if I’m needed.” Armand knew he’d have to fill his alpha in on what had happened. He also knew Gator would give Jacque a quick rundown until Armand could speak with him. Right now, Anny was his priority.

  Travis Dubois watched from his hiding place as that big bastard Cole Blanchard carried Remy LaForge’s dead body deeper into the woods. He wasn’t looking forward to returning to Louisiana and telling his alpha they’d failed.

  The more he thought about it though, the more he decided he could use this to his advantage. Pierre LaForge didn’t need to know Travis had hidden and watched while Armand killed Remy. He would have joined the fight if Gator and Cole hadn’t shown up. Travis didn’t participate in fights he knew he couldn’t win.

  Stealthily, he followed Cole, being sure to keep a healthy distance. He constantly checked the wind, making certain his scent wouldn’t drift toward the other werewolf.

  No, better he tell his alpha he’d come back from town and found Remy dead. This was an opportunity for him. With both Andre and now Remy dead, the alpha would need another second and an assassin. Travis planned to up his status in the pack.

  His gaze narrowed as Cole dumped Remy’s body on a mound of rocks, reached into his jeans pocket and drew out a pack of matches. One small flame was all it took. Remy’s body caught and was quickly engulfed. Cole stood by and watched while Remy burned.

  When the fire burned itself out and the body was nothing but ash, Cole turned away and headed back the way he’d come.

  Travis waited a long time before he ventured forward. Werewolf bodies burned fast and turned to ash. They always burned their dead as a precaution against being discovered by humans. Werewolves might be physically superior to humans, but there were too many humans for them to fight. Travis was under no illusions. If humans knew about them, werewolves would be hunted to extinction.

  Hospital records could be trouble. He’d have to check into that before he returned to Louisiana. No telling what kind of tests they’d run on the bitch while she’d been there. Then he could tell Pierre he’d handled the problem. Yes, that would definitely up his status with his alpha.

  Maybe Armand had already taken care of the hospital records, but he didn’t think so. None of them had ventured too far from home since the woman had arrived.

  The ash had almost all blown away by the time he moved and made his way over to the rocks, but there was still some left. Travis reached into his pocket and drew out his pack of cigarettes. He opened the box and stuffed the remaining cigarettes into his shirt pocket. Then he scooped some of Remy’s ashes into the box. He’d take them back to Pierre. It was the least he could do.

  Time to head home. He glanced up at the gray sky. He hated North Carolina. He much preferred the heat of Louisiana.

  He began the long walk back to his car, knowing he hadn’t seen the last of this place.

  Chapter Twenty

  Anny shivered, chilled to the bone even though she was inside a warm house and wrapped in a blanket. Armand carried her into his bedroom but didn’t put her on the bed. Instead, he carried her right into the bathroom. He set her on the edge of the vanity and made sure she was steady before he started the water running into the bathtub.

  She should probably say something. Probably thank him for saving her life. She shuddered at how close she’d come to dying…again.

  Armand faced her, his face barren of expression. She wished he’d say something.

  His hands went to the fly of his jeans. He opened them and shoved them down and off, leaving him totally naked.

  Her heart began to thump heavily against the wall of her chest. What was it about this man that broke through all her barriers and left her emotionally defenseless?

  Sure, he was gorgeous, even with the scars marring his face. His silky black hair hit his broad shoulders. Muscles roped his arms and legs. His abs were better than anything she’d ever seen in any ad for male underwear.

  She licked her lips as her eyes skated over his impressive erection.

  “Anny.” She flicked him a guilty gaze, wondering if he’d caught her staring at his cock.

  Armand reached for the blanket, but she stubbornly clung to the edges. It wasn’t much, but it was all she had between her and the rest of the world. Right now, that seemed important.

  His brown eyes grew even darker until they were almost black. “It’s okay, ma petit. You’re safe now.” He tugged again. “Let go of the blanket, Anny.”

  This time when he pulled, she released her death grip. After all, he’d already seen everything…many times. There was no need to hide from him.

  Still, she felt extremely vulnerable and crossed her arms over her chest. Armand ignored her self-protective gesture and lifted her off the vanity. She expected him to set her down in the tub. Instead, he stepped over the rim and sat with her still in his arms.

  Steamy water lapped at her and she sighed as the heat seeped into her chilled skin.

  “I’ve got you,” he murmured.

  Speech was beyond Anny, so she just leaned against his chest and sighed with exhaustion. When the water was near the edge of the tub, he leaned forward and turned it off. The silence wasn’t as uncomfortable as she’d thought it would be.

  Armand settled her between his long legs so her head rested against his shoulder. He grabbed the cloth and soap and began to wash her. She relaxed and enjoyed the slide of the soapy cloth over her arms and legs, across her chest and down her belly. Her nipples puckered, peeking out from between the suds.

  Anny lolled in the water and simply rested against Armand as he made sure all the soap residue was rinsed from her skin. She was so tired. Then he washed himself, cleaning all the blood and sweat from the battle away.

  “Why did you leave?”

  His question broke the silent truce between them. Anny sighed, wishing it had lasted a little longer. “I just wanted to get some of my things. I was coming back.”

  “You shouldn’t have just left without telling me.”

  “I have a life and I need to get back to it.” That was the crux of the problem. She couldn’t simply stay here forever.

  Armand stepped from the tub, taking her with him. He wrapped a towel around her and grabbed another to roughly dry himself. Then he took over the task of drying her. When he was done, he tossed the damp towel aside and whisked her into the bedroom.

  She didn’t think the bed was the best place for them to be right now. There wasn’t a moment she wasn’t sexually aware of Armand. That was part of the problem. Sex with him deflected her from her concerns about their relationship. It was hard enough for her to keep her emotions steady without adding sex to the mix.

  But Armand had an agenda of his own. He yanked back the covers and placed her on the mattress, following her down. Armand propped himself on one elbow, rested his head on his hand and stared at her so long she began to get uncomfortable.

  “You embraced your wolf.”

  It wasn’t a question, but she nodded anyway. “Yes. It was the only way.”

  His mouth tightened into a straight line and his eyes narrowed. “I suppose it was.” He brushed his free hand over her jaw, his fingers feathering over her skin. “I wanted to be there when you made your first change.”

  A knot grew in the pit of Anny’s stomach. She felt guilty, as though she’d denied him of something precious. “I’m sorry.”

  He sighed and rubbed his hand over his face. She missed his touch, wishing his fingers were back against her cheek.

  He shook his head. “My fault. I should have explained things better to you.”

  “I’m sorry you had to kill your father.” She was appalled by the way she blurted out the words, but they had to be said. Armand had killed his father to protect
her.

  “It wasn’t your fault, chère. He had it coming. It would have happened eventually with or without you.”

  Still, she’d been the catalyst.

  “He was an evil man,” Armand continued. She kept silent, sensing he needed to talk whether he realized it or not. “He was abusive to my mother, to all of us when I was growing up. My mother died in childbirth, the child with her. Later, he gave my sister as a mate to a man he knew would abuse her, would probably kill her. And he wasn’t even her true mate, just a strong wolf with position in the pack who wanted her.” Armand’s eyes were so sad Anny felt her own fill with tears. “He killed my sister. Sylvie disappeared and her body was never found. Everyone knew Andre Dubois, her mate, had killed her, but no one could prove it. It wasn’t the first time such a thing happened.”

  Anny was horrified by his story. “I’m so sorry.” The words were totally inadequate, but they were all she had. She reached up and cupped the scarred side of his face, gently tracing the three long claw marks with her fingers. “I know he did this to you.”

  Armand nodded. “I dared to question my father’s decision. He did not like being questioned.”

  She ran her fingers along his hard jawline, feeling the light bristle of stubble. Armand shaved in the morning but by midday he was sporting a scruff. It was sexy as all get out.

  “Anny,” he began and broke off.

  “What is it?” She wanted to do whatever it took to take the sadness from his eyes. She had it bad, recognized that fact and accepted it. She loved Armand. For whatever time they had together, she wanted to make the most of it.

  “Wolves mate for life. I’ve seen few true matings in my lifetime. Most wolves take what they want without waiting for that special mate, their true mate. Maybe that’s why they’ve grown so violent, why they’ve lost their way.”

  The knot in the pit of her stomach grew. Was he saying she wasn’t his true mate but he wanted her anyway? On one hand, she was excited he wanted her. On the other, she respected herself too much to settle. If he couldn’t love her as much as she loved him, their relationship wouldn’t last.

  “You don’t owe me anything. Not an explanation or anything.” That sounded lame, but Anny wasn’t sure how to respond to what he was telling her. She didn’t want him to ask her to stay here because he felt responsible for her. “I can handle things on my own now that the threat is over.” She was proud of how sensible she sounded even when her heart was breaking.

  “I can’t.”

  Anny cocked her head to one side on the pillow so she could see Armand better. “I’m not sure what you mean.”

  “I can’t handle you being on your own.” He lifted one of her hands and placed it over his heart. “This belongs to you. Wherever you go you take my heart with you.” He left her hand on his chest and ran his fingers along the edges of her scalp, pushing back several strands of hair.

  “You are my true mate, Anny. The reason I exist. My wolf knows yours and wants her as mate.”

  Her emotional roller coaster went from the highest height and bottomed out, dropping heavily. “So this is nothing more than biology. Your wolf wants mine.” That didn’t exactly sound like a declaration of true love.

  Armand shook his head. “No, it’s so much more than that.” He smiled, a small upward tilt of his lips that made her heart beat faster. It made him look even more devastatingly handsome, if such a thing was even possible.

  “You bring me peace, the likes of which I’ve never known. You fill the empty spaces in my life, make me look forward to tomorrow.” He cupped her chin in his strong hand and leaned down so their noses were almost touching.

  The tension in the room grew exponentially until it was almost a physical pain within her chest. Heat rolled off Armand’s large body. His musky, male scent surrounded her. She wanted to roll in it until it completely coated her skin.

  That was her wolf. She knew that and accepted it.

  “No, Anny. It’s not just my wolf that wants you. I want you. And not just for now. For forever.”

  Anny swallowed heavily. Was he saying what she thought he was? Did he want to marry her?

  He kissed the tip of her nose. “I told you this before, but I’m not sure you believed me then. Stay with me, Anny. Be my mate, my partner in this life and the next.”

  No one had ever made her feel this wanted in her entire life. No one had ever put her first the way Armand did. She stared deep into his eyes and saw the absolute sincerity there. All the old walls around her heart cracked and crumbled to dust. She ignored the old voices of fear in the back of her head with their message of doom, warning her that if he left her she’d be hurt. Yes, she could be hurt, but the prize was worth it. Armand was worth it.

  Anny took a deep breath and jumped in with both feet. “I love you.”

  His brown eyes narrowed and every muscle in his big body tensed. Then he smiled a sexy, slightly wolfish grin, leaned down and kissed her.

  It wasn’t a soft, gentle kiss, but one of claiming. He devoured her, nibbling her lips, plunging his tongue in and out of her welcoming mouth. She loved the taste of him—warm and sexy and all male.

  He rolled suddenly, scooping her up and taking her with him. He swallowed her shriek of surprise. When he stopped, she was sprawled on top of him, his erection pressing quite urgently against her mound.

  “Take me, Anny. Take me inside you and never let me go.” His impassioned words spurred her to action. She pushed up onto her knees and straddled his hips. Reaching down, she gripped his cock. It was velvet-covered steel. So hard, yet so soft. He pulsed in her hand, a reminder of how ready he was to claim her.

  She licked her lips and scooted back. Then she leaned down and swiped her tongue over the broad, flared head.

  “Anny,” he gritted out her name from beneath clenched teeth. She ignored the warning in his tone and went back to her exploration.

  She traced her tongue around the tip, lapping at the bead of liquid that seeped from it. He groaned and his cock jerked in her hand. She pumped up and down several times before taking him deeper into her mouth.

  Pleasuring him made her hot and horny. Her breasts ached. She leaned forward and brushed on turgid nipple against his hard shaft. They both groaned this time.

  She took him into her mouth again, accepting as much of him as she could. She hollowed her cheeks, sucking hard, using her tongue to stroke him.

  Anny reached down with her free hand and cupped his sac that hung between his thighs. His testicles were swollen and heavy. Her pussy clenched. She was empty. Incomplete.

  Armand wasn’t going to be denied any longer. He hooked his arms under hers and dragged her up his body until their mouths met in a torrid kiss. His fingers speared through her hair, anchoring her to him.

  Anny could barely breathe and she didn’t care.

  Armand rolled, this time taking her under him. She spread her legs wide, letting him know without words that she wanted him. He angled his hips, making room for himself. The tip of his cock nudged at her opening.

  She moaned in anticipation of him filling her. It would be so good, so right.

  But he stopped. Poised at her entry, he pulled away and looked down at her. “Tell me again,” he demanded.

  She didn’t even pretend to misunderstand what he wanted. He needed to hear it as much as she needed to say it. “I love you.”

  Armand threw back his head and howled. The deep sound reverberated through her skin and bones. It bounced off the walls and filled all the space around them. He pushed forward and his cock filled her. Her pussy melted around him as he made a place for himself inside her body and her heart.

  Nothing had ever felt this good, this right, in his entire life. She loved him. She was his mate. Anny was his. Primal need flooded his veins, demanding he take her, claim her, mark her. No one, man or wolf, would ever take her from him.

  He growled and began to thrust. Anny was tight at first, but gradually her pussy relaxed and began to accept more o
f him until he was giving her everything he had. He howled again as he fucked her, wanting the world to know she belonged to him, with him.

  He kissed a path from her sweet mouth, down the curve of her jaw. He lapped at the scars on her neck. They would always be there, but there was nothing to be done about it.

  He sat back on his heels, lifting her with him. She wrapped her arms around his neck and peppered his face with kisses, paying particular attention to his scars just as he had to hers.

  Her nipples were taut little buds that begged to be kissed, to be tasted. He eased her away from him until her back arched slightly, allowing him easy access. He lapped one hard nub and then the other. Her pussy tightened around his cock, letting him know she liked what he was doing.

  He growled and rubbed his stubbled jaw over each small, plump mound. He loved the feel of her soft skin against his face, the smell of her sweet skin. Better still, there was a deep sense of satisfaction in coating her skin in his scent. Any other wolf that approached would know she was taken.

  “I want to claim you.” He lifted his head and wrapped his arms around her, holding her close to his heart. His cock pulsed deep inside her, keeping time with the pounding of his heart.

  “What does that mean?”

  The last thing he wanted to do was frighten her, but he wanted their mating to be permanent. “It’s the equivalent of wolf marriage. I take you from behind.” Her pussy tightened around his cock. Oh yeah, she liked that idea.

  But that wasn’t what was holding him back. “Anny.” He wrapped one hand around the back of her neck and stared into her expressive blue eyes. “I have to bite you then. Not hard and not deep. Just enough so you’ll wear my mark. It will heal quickly,” he added when she caught her breath and paled slightly.

  “It’s not the same as this.” He lightly touched the scars on her neck. “This will bring only pleasure.”

  Anny studied him for the longest time. His cock jerked and he bit back a groan. Probably not the smartest time to be bringing this up, but he wanted this, he wanted Anny bound to him for all time.