by Kim Faulks
The vision skipped, rushing to a smoke-filled haze. He coughed, gasped, and struggled to breathe. X, he cried. X, can you hear me? He pushed on, moving through the room. I’m here to help you…you can trust me.
A shadow crouched in the corner and in that moment I felt those walls once more. On his bed, I rose and reached for the clasp of my jeans, releasing the button and moving to the zipper.
I rose from his hips and stepped over his body. His gaze followed every movement but I could see he was captured by this unseen connection, just as I was. Inside my head, he covered his mouth with his hand, but he never rushed, he never bullied…
Hey there, I’m Alpha. Joslyn sent me to find you…
Long, dark hair spilled over her arm as that dark shadow lifted her head.
He held out his hands. I’ve got you now…you’re safe with me.
I slipped my fingers under the waistband of my jeans and pushed down. My panties came with them, leaving me bare. He held out a hand and I let go long enough to grasp his palm…
I got you, X…you’re safe. I stepped free of my clothes as those words echoed.
With Alpha, actions always spoke louder than words, and they did for me as well.
I stepped across his body and straddled his thighs. He gave me everything, and I would take…I would take and give him everything in return.
I splayed my hands on either side of his chest and leaned over. He closed his eyes at the last second. The kiss was soft. Electricity hummed between us running through me and into him, only to return in one perfect circle.
His hard chest rose to meet my hand. Warmth bled into my palm. I ran my fingers lower, skirting his chest, then his belly, to linger at his thighs. I wanted to take it slower, but right now, I needed this more.
I closed my hand around the length of his cock. His moan vibrated my lips. He trembled, holding still as I eased his body against mine. Slick skin rubbed against my opening, pushing just enough to slide in and then retreat.
I broke our kiss, moving back to watch his expression. This connection was deeper than love—this was imprinting—this was forever.
My mate. I lowered, slipping him inside. He pushed against my edges, stretching me until my breath caught and I could take no more.
“Easy,” he whispered. “Jesus…easy, X. I don’t want to finish…not yet.”
The slow rock of my hips eased him deeper. Alpha fisted the sheets above his head as a focused urgency took over, building momentum with each slow grind.
Desire carved a river through my soul. My breath caught as the most delicious warmth flooded me. I stared into his eyes as I rocked, speeding up the friction until a low moan punctured the air.
“Slow down,” he whispered and his cock twisted inside. “I’m not going to…”
But there was no slowing, no easing…only a raw, unbridled passion that hummed in my veins urging me closer…closer. He drew his legs up, cupping my body as molten waves of pleasure lapped my sides.
“Hold on,” he growled and grabbed me with one swift move.
He spun us on the bed until my spine hit the mattress, but there was no letting up, only now he set the pace. Long languid strokes replaced the fervid urgency. I felt every delicious inch as he pulled out only to slam back home.
I slammed my palms against the sheet beside me and clenched my ass.
“Fuck you’re so beautiful,” he whispered moving in close, curling my legs around his hips as he thrust.
His lips glistened in the night. Mine…the word raced through my head.
“Mine,” he answered, mirroring the claim.
Energy coursed, dragging a cry from my lips. Lightning filled me, sparks flared lifting me higher than I’d ever been before.
Alpha grunted burrowing deep, and I found him there amongst the heavens where the perfection of my spirit waited.
“Ayita,” I whispered as a tear slipped from the corner of my eye. “My name is Ayita.”
Dance my little wolf, my little Ayita, my grandfather whispered as Alpha cried out and collapsed on my chest.
He wound his arms around me, holding me tight. “Ayita,” he murmured between breaths. “I love it, but what does it mean?”
My lips curved as happy tears fell. “First to dance.”
He gave one slow thrust of his softening cock and growled. “Well, there’s no going back now, just so you're aware, Ayita, first to dance. You belong with me.”
I gaze a slow nod as the warmth of spirit consumed me. He didn’t understand…there was never any going back for me—not from the moment he found me in that smoke-filled room.
“So here's the deal. There’s no leaving in the middle of the night, not for any reason. You have a problem, you come to me. You need something…you come to me. I can’t feel the way I did tonight…I can’t think I lost you. We have a deal?”
I nodded, but the magic was fading along with the heat of desire. Leave…that was exactly what needed to happen—only now he was coming with me. “We have to leave. We’re not safe here.”
He pulled away. “What do you mean?”
I hated to tell him. I hated breaking this moment, but his life wasn’t just his anymore…it was ours, and I’d suffer Hell all over again before I allowed him to be harmed.
“I killed someone, and now they’re coming for us.” Empty words slipped from my lips, devoid of emotion.
He stilled. “You killed someone, you mean other than the Marine?”
“Yes.”
I had to tell him. Had to say the words. A wound ripped open and all the poison leaked out. “They didn't just keep me captive in Hell. They did other things as well… When I got on that truck and came to this world I thought…”
“They followed you from Hell, didn’t they? These…fucking scum.”
I flinched at his words and nodded.
“And the big bastard we saw at Manduck’s apartment, he was…”
I nodded again and a harsh hiss slipped from his lips. “Did he… did he hurt you?”
“Not tonight…and not ever again.”
“Good,” he growled and pushed against the mattress. His eyes sparkled with cruel malice. “If anyone touches you…if anyone hurts you…” His fingers trembled, bouncing across my skin as he skimmed my arm. “I’ll kill anyone…I’ll kill anything. You hear me? Where did you kill this wolf?”
“Not far from here.”
He flinched. “Can you show me where?”
I stared at the ceiling, remembering the blood on my hands, and inside I was pleading no, don’t do this—we can run and we can keep on running.
His voice softened. “It’s okay. You don’t have to go. Tell me how to get there and I’ll go on my own.”
I shook my head. “I lost my knife, left it behind when I…when I…”
“Then I’ll get you another one. Hell, I’ll get you a fucking arsenal. Come with me.” He grabbed my hand and dragged me from the mattress. He hurried, dragging on his shorts.
I grasped my clothes, leaving the blood-soaked shirt on the floor, and followed him dressed in jeans and my tattered bra to the front of the house. Instead of heading to my room, he turned right, and headed toward Ace’s room.
I never stepped foot in this end of the house—never wanted to. The air over here wasn’t as warm, or as comforting as the air in Alpha’s room. He led me past Ace’s room to where another door waited.
The silver keypad shone even in the shadows. Alpha punched the buttons and the lock released with a clunk. He shoved the door wide and hit the lights. The fluorescent bulb sparked and flickered before the room was bathed in a white glow.
His hand tightened around mine. One soft tug and I was inside, staring at the guns that lined the walls.
“You can use anything you like, although the three-oh-three’s and fifty cal’s might be a bit of a handful.”
Blades covered the wall on the right hand side of the room. Edges glinted, ready to part flesh and cleave bone. I dropped his hand and stepped closer,
drawn by a sense of the familiar.
“See anything you like?” he asked and grabbed a khaki bag from the corner. “We can start off small if you want. I can set you up with something like this.”
I turned to glance at the snub-nosed gun in his hand.
He turned over the steel and it looked just so natural to him. “You just point and squeeze the trigger.”
I shook my head. There was something else I wanted. Something that called from my past, something that had been ingrained in my world.
Dance little wolf…dance.
I skimmed the closed clasp of a butterfly knife and then the thick edge of an axe, lingering on something smaller, something that whispered of home. My lips curled. The spark of something deeper took flight as I gripped black steel and dragged the weapon free.
“Ah, okay,” Alpha muttered, staring at the blade in my hand. “You sure you want that? That's close quarters fighting, maybe something like a gun that gives a little dista—”
“No.” I shook my head, testing the weight of the tomahawk in my hand. It wasn’t the same as the one I once owned, but it was close. “This is the one.”
His gaze narrowed, doubt crowded in. He didn't like the thought of me using a blade up-close. I traced my fingers along the wide blade and then along the curved pick like back of the weapon. “Well if you're using something like that, then we're going to need to set up some practice sessions, if you can find time between dancing with your stick.”
I nodded and relaxed my grip, swinging the weapon around in my hand. It was as though I hadn’t been away for a second. “Agreed.”
His gaze narrowed in on the way the blade moved. “Right. You ready then?”
I nodded, staring at the blood that came away from my palm. It was ingrained in the wood now, seeped into its makeup. He moved, pulling guns from the wall to stuff into the bag, followed with boxes of ammunition and grenades. I took one last look at the armory before walking out of the room holding the hatchet close. The click of the light sounded behind me and was followed by the slam of a door.
“I’ll change and then we're cleaning house, okay?”
I gripped the handle and nodded. My wolf rose on unsteady legs. Beside him, we could do anything—we could be anyone.
He slipped into his bedroom; the sound of drawers filled the space.
The heavy thump of boots slipped out from the open door, and then he was beside me handing me one of his shirts. “This one should fit.”
I slipped the shirt over my head and tugged the hem down. The cut was too big, but it was clean and dry and I wanted nothing more than to be out of there.
“I won't let anything happen to you, X. You believe me, right?”
I nodded. He was the one thing I did believe in.
“Good.” He leaned in to brush his lips across mine. “We stick together, that’s what a pack does—even if there’s only two of us. We stand and fight together.”
My pulse picked up speed with those words. He turned sideways, sliding past me in the hallway and for a second I couldn’t speak, I could only stare.
One thigh was cinched tight with a holster, a gun nestled between two magazines and a flashlight. The strapping hugged the hard curve of his ass, drawing my focus to his crotch as he turned. Heat rushed to my face as I slowly dragged my gaze higher.
His thick vest sat snug over a T-shirt. The hem strained as he lifted his hand to my face and flexed his arms. “You okay?”
I slowly nodded. But inside I was anything but okay. Inside I was high on desire. Inside I wanted to move against him, and let him hold me in his arms and never let me go.
I’d seen him carrying weapons before, but here was the big picture.
He was a soldier—fighting an enemy far greater than he could ever hope to conquer.
“You look like you could really hurt someone.”
He turned his head and gave me a sly smile. “It’s never about how many I can hurt, only how many I can protect, and right now I’m only thinking about one person in particular.”
Protect. Fierce desire blazed. I could protect Joslyn. I could save the babies. I lifted my gaze—I knew the monsters we faced better than anyone…I could protect Alpha, and that gave me strength. “Let’s go.”
14
Alpha
I lingered at the car, waiting for X to catch up, and for a second I wanted to say no, stop. I wanted to push her back inside and lock the door. I wanted to keep her safe. She’d been through enough, and here I was, dragging her back out to battle her demons once more.
And they were demons—I had no doubt about that.
Demons that needed to be put down.
My thoughts lingered on the big bastard from Manduck’s apartment, and ice ran through my veins. If I’d known then what he did to her, he’d never have survived. If I’d known what my father had known all these years…
What kind of person shoots a Presidential Advisor and gets away with it?
His voice echoed strong and clear…
One so corrupt and so powerful that not even our mighty stand a chance against them.
My hand twitched for the Desert Eagle strapped to my thigh, and the thought of murder filled my head. Immortal or no immortal, he wasn’t getting away—not this time.
“You okay?”
Her gentle words found me in the dark. I pressed the button for the car. The blinkers flashed as the doors unlocked. “Yeah, as long as you are.”
“We’re a pack, remember?”
A pack. Jesus, if that’s wasn’t how this felt—yet somehow I no longer felt like the Alpha. She yanked open the door and climbed in as I shoved the bag into the rear seat. My body still hummed. The pull toward her was like gravity.
If had a choice I’d run with her, and leave all of this behind—but the desire for retribution was stronger. I wouldn’t have her looking over her shoulder for the rest of her life and God if I didn’t want to feel a little blood on my hands.
This woman—this wolf was my axis, and all I had to do was dance around her.
Ayita. My pulse sped with the thought of her name, and my heart—my damn heart. I pressed a fist against my chest as I slammed the rear door closed.
I couldn’t…I wouldn’t let anything happen to her—not again. I grabbed the handle to the driver’s door and yanked. The engine started with a growl I felt to my core. Never again, those words resounded as I backed the car down the drive and growled. “Tell me where they are, X.”
She lifted a hand and pointed left. I shoved the car into gear and shot forward, and with every second, the coldness inside me grew. Soteria was my responsibility—it was my battlefield, and I’d failed.
I was the one responsible to keep this place safe. I was the one that should’ve known what was under his own damn roof. I strangled the wheel and ground my teeth. Her finger never wavered as we headed past Helen’s house.
“Turn left down here,” she whispered.
She dropped her hand as I spun the wheel, and for some reason my subconscious knew where we were going. I scanned the quiet houses, lingering on Raven’s shack. My gut had warned me. I flinched at the sting. My gut had warned me and still I ignored it.
I pulled the Jeep to the curve three houses from the cabin and switched off the engine. I yanked the handle and reached for my gun.
I’d make this right for dad, Stitch, Gunny, and the Dragons—the passenger door opened and X stepped out—but most of all, her.
I’d make this right for X.
She deserved a little happiness. And she deserved a little goddamn peace. I could give her that. I could be the man that protected her—that saved her.
The need rose, burning through everything like a phoenix transformed, until there was nothing left but her. “Stay here, X.”
“But…”
I wrenched my gaze to her, and the cold, calculated Marine surfaced. “That’s an order, X. If I don’t come out, I want you to run, get back to the house as fast as you can. Gunny’s number is on
the fridge, call it, tell her what’s happened—she’ll do the rest.”
She said nothing, just stood there staring at me with those goddamn eyes that shook me to my core.
“I can fight, Alpha,” she answered. “I can protect you.”
Those words were a kick to the balls. I rounded the rear of the car, keeping my focus on the cabin. I didn't want to hurt her…but Jesus… “This is what I do, X. This is what I’m trained for. Let me do this.” I softened my voice. “Let me do this for you.”
And if those haunting eyes didn’t cleave through flesh and blood to find the man underneath, every hurt, every ache—she found it all.
“Be careful in there, Alpha,” she murmured. “Come back to me.”
Determination leaked out in a growl. “Always.”
I turned from her before I lost my damn nerve and dropped my hand to my Desert Eagle. The weapon was in my hand, the sight trained on the darkened shadows as I skirted the boundary, and moved in.
Silence strained against the thunder of my heart. My hand trembled…my hand never trembles. I wanted to turn back to her. I wanted to touch her—just one more time.
I forced my feet to move, skirting the corners, and crouched at the rear door. The screen door flapped open in the wind and slammed against the frame. I peeked around the corner and stared down the sight.
My training took over as I reached for the mag light, clicked the button and lunged.
My world narrowed down to four walls. I surged inside, scanning the kitchen and pushed through the living room with my finger against the trigger.
One movement, one sound and it would all be over. My boot hit something soft…and big. I dropped my focus for a second and stared at the headless body. Red screamed like a siren, filling the room with splashes of sound. I shot my gaze up and the muzzle of the gun followed. Doors sat closed along the hallway.
My breath stilled as I stepped clear of the torso and moved in. I dropped my shoulder and barged though the first, the light and my sight trained on the darkened room before I took a step inside.