Wolf Tales II

by Kate Douglas

  Suddenly Tia’s body arched higher and went stiff beneath him. Her legs tightened around his waist and she threw her head back with a long, low, keening wail as orgasm claimed her.

  Tight spasms rippled through her creamy cunt, her muscles clamped down on his cock, and, with a long, deep-throated groan, Luc followed her over the edge.

  Gasping for air, heart thudding in his chest, Luc slowly lowered himself to lie partially atop Tia in the damp grass. Her legs flopped loosely to the ground on either side of him; her breath sounded as loud as his in the quiet forest, but when he looked at her, she was smiling.

  “No secrets, Luc?”

  He shook his head. “None. Not anymore. You’ve been inside my head, seen everything I’ve done. If you can still love me after all that…”

  “Forever, Lucien Stone. For the rest of our lives.” Tia reached up and cupped the side of his face in her hand. He turned slightly, planted a kiss on her smooth palm. She drew him down, found his mouth with hers, and kissed him. Slowly, deeply, with so much love Luc ached with the power of it.

  They lay there in the cool grass with the autumn sun beating down on their naked bodies. Hearts thudding in a synchronized rhythm, thoughts and memories building an even stronger link between the two of them, as breathing slowly found its cadence, as their hearts returned to normal. Luc wondered if anything, anywhere, could get any better than this amazing moment, this time of total sharing with the woman who had agreed to be his mate for a lifetime.

  Tia sighed, ran her fingers across his chest, and circled one flat nipple. The tiny nub rose to immediate attention. Luc felt his cock twitch, wondered if Tia might be willing to take him inside once more.

  As if in answer, Tia’s fingers found the nipple over his heart, raised it to a taut peak to match its mate. Luc’s cock swelled, loath to be left out of the fun. Luc rolled close to taste Tia’s exquisite lips once more.

  Anton’s mental voice blew into their minds like an unwelcome storm. Wherever you guys are, come back now. AJ called. They’ve heard from the kidnappers. They don’t want money. They want to trade. They’ll give us Mason—for Tia.

  Chapter 16

  “No way in hell are they getting Tia.” The words burst out of his mouth the moment after Luc shifted. Anton, who waited alone for them on the deck, merely nodded and smiled at Tia and then spoke calmly to Luc.

  “There is a plan. It’s a good one. I want you both to freshen up and meet us in the dining room. Relax. We’ve got everything under control.”

  He turned and walked back inside. Luc stared at Tia, and she burst into laughter. “The man walks like he has an entourage.”

  Luc shook his head, grinning. “Yeah, but don’t worry about a thing. He has a plan.”

  Tia grabbed Luc’s hand and dragged him inside. “Yep. Relax. He says it’s a good one. Everything’s under control.”

  “Bullshit.” Still shaking his head, Luc followed Tia into the house. “I sure hope he knows what he’s talking about.”

  Freshly showered, Tia and Luc met the others at the dining table in the main room of the home. Tinker raised his eyes and smiled; Keisha and Xandi both waved. Anton glanced up as Tia poured two cups of coffee from the sideboard. “I’ve taken the liberty of asking AJ and Mik to meet us here. They’re already in the air. Mik said to tell you Jake was at Mason’s home and would remain behind. He didn’t say why.”

  Luc nodded. “At least I know he got back safely. Thanks.”

  Jake. Tia had put him out of her mind completely. Part of her felt relieved not to have to face him right at this time. The other part of her wanted to talk with him and get past his behavior. Since bonding with Luc, she had a better feeling for what had motivated Jake, a better understanding of the male Chanku mind. Driven by instinct and powerful sexuality, Jake had been a slave to his feral instincts, not acting at all with his human thought processes.

  Still wondering about Jake, Tia followed Luc to the long buffet loaded with a selection to rival most hotel brunches. They’d not eaten for hours, and she filled her plate. Luc did the same and then followed her to the table.

  They took seats together, across from Xandi and Keisha. Once again Anton took the lead. “Congratulations are in order, I see.”

  Luc’s head came up. “Congratulations? Yeah. I guess so. Thank you.” He glanced at Tia and grinned. She felt her skin go hot and then cold and then hot again. She couldn’t control the blush that swept over her body.

  Nor could she control the dopey grin on her face. “Thank you. I think.” Flustered, she took a moment to unfold her napkin and put it in her lap. “Please. I need to know what you’ve learned about my father.”

  “Stefan took the call.” Anton wiped his face with a snowy-white linen napkin, and then set it aside as he deferred to his packmate.

  Stefan set down his fork and placed his hands on the table. “First of all, Tinker has set everything up so that calls made to Mason’s line are directed here for now. AJ said the caller disguised his voice by mechanical means, but he’s bringing the recorded copy with him in case we need it. Instructions were very simple. Tia is to fly to Dulles alone. She will be met by a man carrying a sign with her name on it. She’s to go with him. Her father will be waiting in a car in the parking lot. She’ll get in. Mason will get out.”

  “Absolutely not.” Luc threw his napkin on the table and stood up. “No way in hell is Tia trading her life for her father’s. What do they want with her anyway?”

  Anton raised his hand. “That’s what we’re going to find out. Finish your meal and then I intend to ask Mason what’s going on.”

  Ask Mason? Impossible. He’s half a world away! Luc’s thoughts blasted directly into Tia’s mind.

  She directed her answer to Luc alone. Keisha and Xandi think Anton can reach Dad. I don’t know. It sounds….

  But Anton was the one who answered. Trust me. With our combined strength, we’ll be able to reach your father. Our chances are even better, now that you and Luc have bonded.

  Incredulous, Tia stared at Anton. “How the hell did you do that?”

  He dipped his head in a modest nod. “Remember, I was a wizard long before I was Chanku.”

  Keisha laughed. “No one keeps secrets from Anton. He heard Xandi when she needed help. Anton and Stefan were in Boston, and Xandi and I were in San Francisco when she got snatched. Trust me, sweetie. He’ll be able to talk to your father.”

  Xandi held up her hand for attention. “If you’ll recall, he and Stefan both heard me, and they got their boost from a shared orgasm. It’s not like he can do it every day of the week.” She waggled her eyebrows at Anton. “Do we need group sex to make this work?”

  He smiled very gently at Tia, but his words were for all of them. “No, we don’t need group sex, especially with this particular group. I intend to work off your desire for sex, which is always high and carries a lot of power.” He gestured toward Tia. “Now that you and your mate have discovered the powerful bond that comes from a Chanku mating, I am going to ask you to try to establish that same bond with the rest of us. It must come from you, Tia, to utilize the familial connection between you and your father. Do you think you can do it? It requires total subjugation of self, complete trust. Can you trust us to help you?”

  Tia nodded. “I believe I can, but it depends on Luc as well. His memories are a part of mine now. If I choose to share with all of you, I’m sharing Luc’s private thoughts and memories as well as my own.”

  Luc’s hand found Tia’s. He squeezed her fingers. “I have no secrets. Not anymore. Whatever it takes to keep you safe and get Ulrich back…I’m willing.”

  Anton glanced at Tinker, who looked decidedly uncomfortable, and grinned. “Don’t worry. Your secrets are safe. It’s Tia who becomes an open book when I focus our energy through her.”

  Tinker laughed, his relief obvious. “That’s good to know. I would hate to have the rest of you guys come after me, what with all I’ve been thinking about the gorgeous women in this r
oom.”

  As they headed for the more comfortable chairs near the big picture window, Tia overheard Anton. He leaned close to Tinker and whispered, “I do know what you’ve been thinking. Act on any of those thoughts and you’re carrion.”

  Tinker’s eyes went wide and he took a step back. Anton smiled and continued across the room. Grinning, Tia caught Tinker’s eye and shook her head. The big guy just sighed and followed after the rest of the group.

  Anton had all of them pull their chairs into a tight semicircle, leaving an opening wide enough for one more. Tia sat next to the open space. Luc was next to Tia, on her left, and then Xandi, Stefan, Keisha, and Tinker across the gap from Tia.

  Anton closed the window blinds and heavy curtains, walking around the large room until he’d achieved almost total darkness. He returned to the combined pack, lit a single candle that he placed on a table behind himself, and closed the gap between the chairs with his body.

  The small candle glittering behind him lit Anton’s face in silhouette, softening the harsh lines of his cheeks, the sharp blade of his nose. When he spoke, Tia perceived the latent power behind his voice, power well beyond his actual words.

  “First of all, Tia, I want you to know we are all aware of Luc’s role in your mother’s death. We agree with Tinker that it was a horrible accident and we’re all terribly sorry for your loss, as well as Keisha’s. She loved her aunt very much. What happened in that park twenty years ago will not affect our ability to work together, nor our friendship with any of you. I know this has been a concern of your mate’s. Don’t let it be. Events occur for a reason, and our destiny is not easily changed.”

  Blinking back tears, Tia nodded her thanks. Luc squeezed her hand. Anton lowered his head and closed his eyes for a moment and then looked up and opened them. Tia could have sworn there was a glow in his eyes that came from within. It wasn’t a reflection from the candle.

  Anton gave her a quick smile, as though he’d heard her thoughts, and then he continued. “What I intend to do is mix our Chanku mental powers with very old magic. The Chanku are an ancient race. Who’s to say our ability to shift wasn’t born in magic? I for one can’t explain what occurs at the point of change, when human becomes wolf, when wolf reverts to human. I know that when we die, if we are wolf, we become human at the moment of death. The opposite doesn’t happen.” He nodded in Tia’s direction. “Your mother died as a wolf. She became human. Keisha’s mother was killed as a human. She did not shift to wolf. That tells me our primary source of being is human, though the wolf within us is very powerful, very old, and filled with ancient magic. That is the creature whose strength we will draw on today.”

  Anton grabbed a chair and slid it into the circle, closing the gap, and then reached out and took Tinker’s big hand in his right, Tia’s in his left. He nodded in approval when everyone in the circle linked hands, and then he smiled. “You’ll enjoy this part. I want each of you to imagine sex with the person on your right.” He grinned at Tinker. “That’s correct. I am giving you permission to let your fantasies go wild over my mate. Just as Keisha will imagine sex with Stefan, which isn’t all that difficult since they fuck like bunnies almost nightly.”

  They all laughed, but there was already a speculative gleam in Tinker’s eyes. Anton turned to Xandi. “While Stefan is leering at you, I expect you to be paying close attention to Luc. Let your fantasies run wild.”

  Anton raised an eyebrow at Stefan’s scowl. “Stefan, there’s no need for jealousy, as nothing will come of this. It’s an exercise in mental frustration. I want you all so sexually aroused, you’re ready to blow. Luc, you will be thinking of your lovely mate, but be aware she will be thinking of me. Consider it an exercise in storing sexual energy. Do not release your grip on your partners’ hands.”

  Tinker cast a sideways glance at Anton. “I suppose you’re going to have your way with me, right?”

  Anton grinned. “Absolutely.

  Tinker grunted, glanced morosely at their clasped hands, and then turned his attention to Keisha. Still smiling, Anton sat back in his chair and closed his eyes. Tia studied his strong profile, the length of his nose, the aristocratic line of his jaw. Dressed casually—for Anton, at least—he wore dark slacks and a soft, black sweater with a V-neck. Dark chest hair peeked out at the base of his throat, and though the room was dark, Tia could see his pulse beating.

  She let herself go with the rhythm of his pulse, felt the tempo like drums beating in her head. Imagined licking the steady pulse, swirling her tongue over the artery, tasting a man other than Luc or the members of her own pack.

  A slight smile curved Anton’s mouth. She wondered what he imagined doing with Tinker. Would Anton suck her packmate’s cock or would Tinker be kneeling in front of Anton, his head tilted back, Anton’s beautiful cock sliding down his throat?

  Maybe he thought of anal sex. Tia pictured Tinker’s dark body kneeling behind Anton, saw that huge cock the color of dark chocolate slipping deep inside the wizard. Pictured herself lying down beneath Anton, taking his cock in her mouth, sucking hard and deep, with her cheeks hollowing out, as she drew him down, swallowing him until his full length slipped down her throat.

  Letting her imagination run free, Tia saw herself still lying beneath a kneeling Anton, though in the opposite direction. His cock was in her mouth, his mouth between her legs. Tinker knelt behind Anton, his cock sliding slowly in and out of Anton’s ass. Even with her mouth stuffed full of cock, Tia pictured herself reaching up and cupping both men’s testicles in her palms. Practically felt the solid balls nestled within their sacs and rolled them gently between her fingers.

  Tia grinned when she realized she was squirming in her seat, that the back of her long skirt was probably damp from her fluids. Ignoring her rising sense of arousal, she brought the mental image of Tinker and Anton back to the forefront of her mind.

  She really loved the image she’d conjured. Loved having Anton’s cock in her mouth, his balls and Tinker’s cupped in her hands. Even more, she really loved the feel of Anton’s long and talented tongue licking away her fluids, cleaning up the cream that spilled from her pussy. He suckled her thick labial lips, dipped his tongue into her cunt and lapped up the moisture.

  She heard his soft moan and sucked Anton’s cock deeper, Heard another moan and then a strangled whimper. Blinking herself away from the image, Tia looked around the circle and realized they were all breathing hard, each one of them totally immersed in their personal fantasies.

  She looked to her right and caught Anton grinning at her with almost evil delight.

  I think I enjoyed your fantasy even more than my own. Thank you.

  Blushing, Tia bit back a snort of laughter. Her pussy clenched in reaction to Anton’s blatant perusal of her mind. She licked her lips and stuck out her tongue.

  Anton’s snort of laughter was for her ears only.

  Then, to everyone, I think we’re ready.

  Everyone looked toward Anton. Luc squeezed Tia’s hand and shifted uncomfortably in his seat. More than ready, if sexual frustration is what you’re looking for.

  It’s exactly what I’m looking for. You’ve done well. Here’s how we’re going to use all this energy. Close your eyes. Concentrate. We’ve all communicated, at one time or another, with Mason. Concentrate on him. I want you to imagine his mental signal, how you would find him in the city when there are others around. When it’s time, follow my lead. Focus your thoughts on Ulrich Mason. Think of your searching thoughts as threads of energy. I will gather them up, like threads to a spinning wheel. Do you see it? Do you see me gathering each thread? Every one is as strong as woven steel. I’m binding them together into a cable that will stretch around the earth, into infinity, if so needed.

  Anton’s hypnotic voice carried Tia along with his words. She saw the cable, a shining bundle of brilliant fibers of thought, wound together from their collective search for her father.

  The cable twisted and writhed like a live thing, slowly morphing
into a pathway, a ribbon of light stretching into infinity, just as Anton had promised. Luc stood beside her, Anton just ahead. There was darkness all about them, illuminated only by the shining pathway. Anton held out his hand, and Tia took it, holding tightly to Luc at the same time. When Tia looked back, she saw the others, all hand in hand along the shining path.

  The shimmering visual made Tia think of paper dolls, connected cutouts, joined forever hand to hand.

  Follow the path. It should lead us to your father. Don’t let go. Keep your mind on your father.

  Tia surged ahead, pulling Anton, Luc, and all the rest along behind her. She recognized a vague sense of her father in the distance. Tia felt as if she walked for miles, traveled for hours, but time had no meaning here. She was weightless, free, her body mere thistledown attached to her packmates by love and a sense of unity such as she’d never experienced.

  The light grew brighter, the sense of her father stronger. She felt him, sensed him, his familiar scents, the sound of his breathing.

  Daddy? Can you hear me?

  Startled, Ulrich sat up in the bed in which he’d been sleeping. The chains holding him to the wall rattled and banged. He must be dreaming. No way in hell could that be Tia—she was still in San Francisco, wasn’t she? Why did she feel so close?

  Definitely Tia. Damn. Ulrich hoped she wasn’t nearby. How could he protect her?

  For one thing, he’d better not act like he was communicating with anyone. Ulrich was certain the room was monitored. He stretched his arms, as if he’d just awakened from a bad dream.

  Tia? Is that you? Where are you? Be very careful. You’re at great risk.

  Her mental voice came through, loud and clear. I’m with Anton Cheval. Luc and Tinker and the Montana pack are all with me. Where are you? We have no idea where they’ve hidden you.

  How the hell can you be mindtalking if you don’t know where I am?

  I’ll explain later. Let me into your mind. I need to see what you see.