by Lacey Thorn
My eyes were on the prize now. Hannibal sat in a chair on the far side of the room. He wore nothing but a pair of snug briefs someone must have given him. He was tied securely to the chair, but I’d watched as he broke the cuff from my ankle. I knew the only thing holding him to the furniture was me. My mate had merely been waiting for me.
When I was close enough, I launched myself at him. I knew the truth when he easily freed his arms to catch me and help me settle astride his lap.
“That’s quite an entrance, mate,” he whispered, drinking me in with his eyes.
“You…you came for me.”
He nodded. “I’ll always come for you. You’re my mate.”
His hands cupped my buttocks, urging me closer to him, shielding my ass from the rest of the room while pressing my breasts against his chest.
“Why is she here?” someone whispered, making no attempt to hide the animosity they felt for me. I knew it for what it really was, though. Fear.
Hannibal’s chest vibrated against me as a deep growl left his throat. All conversation stopped. My brother, Cyan, and Taylor stepped forward.
“Lay a hand on her, and I won’t hold back,” Hannibal warned.
“No one’s going to touch my sister,” Bastion snapped. “Including you.”
Hannibal’s gaze moved to my brother. “You’d try to keep us apart? Knowing what we are to one another?”
“Until I know why you’re in my territory, unannounced, and how you happened upon my sister and her captors, yes, I am.”
I saw red. No one was taking him from me. I slid one hand up the side of Hannibal’s face, caressing his skin until I reached the thick black locks of his hair. He was beautiful. I met his gaze for only a second before I struck, sinking my teeth into the base of his neck and letting his blood fill my mouth.
Hannibal wrapped around me, groaning as I claimed him. Then he tilted his head to the side, leaned in, and returned the favor.
Chapter Six
~Hannibal~
She was mine. That was my first thought as Belinda and I exchanged mating bites. There would be no denying me. No taking her from me. Not that I would have let that happen even if the minx hadn’t jumped on my lap and bit me.
God, she was beautiful. My first glimpse of her had been one of her hurt, bruised and covered in blood. She’d healed. Long, dark hair reached nearly to her waist. Thick and full. I wanted to wrap it around me, to bury my hands in it and hold tight while I rode her hard. She smelled like cinnamon and spice, a taste I’d never craved but would now for the rest of my life. But it was her eyes that held me captive. So light a blue they appeared to glow. They mesmerized me. She mesmerized me.
“I brought you some clothes, Bee.”
Bastion James immediately turned from glaring at me to glaring at the woman.
“Raina,” he snapped.
“Don’t Raina me, mate,” she snapped back at him. “Taylor, Cyan, Gabe, and Michael stay. The rest of you clear out. Now.”
The alpha’s gaze narrowed, but he nodded. She paid no attention, instead focusing on Belinda and me.
“Bee, clothes.” She shook them beside my mate’s head. “The sooner you dress, the sooner Bas gets answers, and the two of you can disappear to your room.”
Belinda licked the wound she’d left on me then hopped off my lap, grabbing the clothes from Raina and jerking them on. Then she marched up to her brother and shoved her hands against his chest. Unsurprisingly, he didn’t move.
“You honestly thought it was okay to keep us separated?” Her furious tone made me grin.
“I wouldn’t keep you from him indefinitely, Belinda. But I need answers. I need to know why he was there with Benji and his buddies, why they took you, and what the end game was.”
“Then ask me,” she demanded. “I was there, and Hannibal wasn’t with them when they took me. Cammy was.”
“I checked with the clinic on Cammy while I was dressing and grabbing clothes for Bee. Cammy was hurt pretty badly,” Raina told us. I’d known that when I’d glanced at her on my way to Belinda. “We’re not sure her wolf will be able to heal her.”
“She knew one of Benji’s friends. She called him Hutch.”
“I know his buddies,” Raina interjected. “Hutch, Mullins, and Jacob. Jacob’s last name is Mullins too, which is why they called him by his first name, I guess. All assholes. They made Rebbie’s life hell when my brother wasn’t around. When he died, I’m sure they continued.”
The biggest of them, Taylor, I think she called him, growled at the mention of Rebbie. I guessed she was his mate, and Makers had harassed her.
“I should have killed the son-of-a-bitch when I had the chance,” Taylor snapped.
“You should have,” I agreed.
“Why do you say that?” James demanded.
“You obviously had him in your hands and banged him up pretty good. I’m guessing his buddies got him out. Then they found a place for him to stay while he healed. With an elder female shifter from a different pack. I don’t know what story they fed her, but she took care of him. Once he was healed, they returned her kindness by slitting her throat and raping her granddaughter when she came to check on her.” The thought of what they’d done to those women still made me sick to my stomach.
“Jesus fuck,” Taylor growled.
“Your family?” the one Raina had identified as Cyan asked.
“No.” But the question reminded me of my family. “Have you heard from your man who took my sister to the hospital?”
“Simon,” Raina offered. “He’s staying with her. He’ll bring her back here as soon as it’s safe. I’m a nurse. I can keep an eye on her, if needed. How is it that you have a human sister?”
I grinned. “My mom mated with Cici’s dad. He’s also human.”
“Then she’s not really your sister,” James stated.
“My mom, her dad. Hello, sibling.” I repeated Cici’s logic as to how she was my sister. The only thing keeping me from finding her right now was the fact Belinda was here and I’d yet to fully bond her. It relieved me to know Cici had one of Bastion’s top wolves with her, keeping an eye on her. Simon would have his hands full with my sister.
“Why was she there?” Raina asked.
“Why were either of you there?” James questioned.
“The granddaughter came to me. She wanted me to hunt down Makers and bring him back for her pack to deal with.”
“That’s not happening,” Taylor growled. “He’ll die here.”
“He will,” I agreed. “But not by your hand. By mine.”
“No,” Belinda disagreed. “He goes back to her pack.” Her gaze moved between her brother, me, and Taylor. “She deserves to spill his blood more than any of us. We won’t take that justice from her.”
Raina nodded. “She’s right. We have to take him to her.”
“That’s what he’s here for.” James tipped his chin toward me then turned back to his sister. “Now, I know why he was there. How’d they get you?”
“Cammy wanted to go out to a bar where the James Pack doesn’t hang out. I agreed.” She shrugged.
“Why would you do that? Why would you put yourself at risk? You’re my sister!” James roared, and I came to my feet, splintering the chair around me as I moved to stand protectively at my mate’s back.
“Because sometimes, it’s nice to go where nobody knows me or judges me.” She reached back and patted my chest as if that would calm me.
“You’re a part of this pack, Belinda. Period,” he snapped.
“You can’t make people like me,” she whispered softly. “You can’t make them not be afraid of me.”
“Can and will,” he countered.
“No, you can’t,” Raina agreed with Belinda as she moved to his side and leaned into him. He automatically wrapped his arm around her, dropping his nose to sniff her hair. “But we can try to show them there’s no reason for their fear. This is your fault, you know.”
The alpha’s hea
d jerked up. “How is any of this my fault?”
“You’ve protected her too well. Your pack knows you keep her close, and you’ve shared nothing about her special talents with them. All they know is from the rare times someone has witnessed one of her visions or the embellished stories that circulate,” Raina admonished.
“It’s my job to protect her. It’s always been my job.”
Not anymore. Now, it would be my job. One I looked forward to.
“You’ve shielded her too much, Bas. You’ve kept her from them because you feared how your pack would react. And your inner circle takes their cues from you.” Raina’s gaze moved to light on every wolf in the room save me. “You all shield and protect her, which sets her up to be shunned. The only person who doesn’t treat her as either a freak or a fragile flower is Simon, and I’m sure that’s because he’s fancied himself in love with her.”
I growled at that. “She’s mine.”
“You both made that clear earlier,” James growled irritably, obviously still not happy about our mating. Then his gaze moved to Belinda, and he became blind to everyone else in the room. I saw pain, raw, emotional. “God, Belinda. I never meant to… I only wanted to protect you. Always.”
“I know that.” She moved into her brother, hugging him close. “I know. You and me against the world.” The last was murmured softly, and I watched his arms tighten around her as he dropped his head over hers, turning so his cheek cuddled against the top of her head. “I love you, Bas. I’ll always love you.”
Their closeness reminded me of my relationship with my mother. She’d always been there for me, always protecting me. That’s what Belinda had with her brother. He’d always been there for her. And I think part of him was afraid of losing her. Even to her mate. I wasn’t sure I could stay here, with the James Pack, or even if they’d want me to. But I’d try, if that was what she needed to make her happy. I’d do anything for her.
“You have Makers and the other one here somewhere?” I asked, breaking the spell the room had been under.
“They’re offsite,” Cyan answered. “We keep the wolves who’ve broken pack law someplace else. The ones we keep alive.”
“Simon took out Mullins’ throat,” Taylor offered, apparently not sure if I’d witnessed that or not. I seriously doubted anyone in the room, or the James Pack in general, cared one way or the other if any of the four attackers survived.
“I took out James’,” I informed them in case they thought someone else had. That left only Makers himself and his good buddy Hutch alive for transportation to the woman and her pack.
“I’m going with you.” Taylor crossed his arms over his chest as if daring me to argue. “I want to watch Makers die.”
I understood. Makers had been after Taylor’s mate, had planned to take her, and I doubt he’d meant a happily ever after for her. I merely nodded, letting him know there’d be no argument from me.
“Sounds good. You and Gabe and Michael can go. Help get them to the woman’s pack with no incident. Belinda can stay here. Raina, you’ll help her plan a ceremony. Sound good?” Bas gave me a glare at the rumble I couldn’t hold in.
“I’m not staying here,” Belinda argued before I could even say anything. “And I don’t need a ceremony. I just need my mate.” The look she gave me was carnal and had me fighting the erection I barely held in as it was.
“I’ll need to wait until Cici is all clear before I leave,” I told them.
Bastion and Raina shared a look.
“Is everything okay?” I demanded. “Is there something you’re not telling me?”
“No, your sister is still at the hospital. We’ll let you know as soon as we hear anything new from Simon.”
James nodded at Raina’s words. “He’ll bring her back here as soon as he can. She’ll be safe with us. We’ll treat her like one of the pack.”
They shared another look, but Belinda moved into me, wrapping around me and pulling my train of thought firmly back to her. Mostly to getting her under me or over me or on her hands and knees before me. I was open to all of them. Then I took in our size difference. She was over a foot and a half shorter than I was, and I had at least a hundred and seventy, possibly one eighty pounds on her. Hell, I was nervous about making love to her.
“We should go,” she whispered. “I could use a shower. You?”
“Point the way,” I whispered back, sweeping her up into my arms. I’d waited long enough for her. Cici was okay. Two of the four I’d been hunting were captured and would be headed to justice soon enough. The other two had already been served justice as far as I was concerned. For the rest of the night, I planned to have my mind preoccupied with one thing only. My mate.
Chapter Seven
~Belinda~
He carried me all the way upstairs toward my bedroom, and all I could think was that he’d be buried inside me soon. Deep inside me. Every long, thick inch of the erection I’d felt. All mine. Would it seem too greedy if I yanked the briefs someone had given him down his thighs and yelled gimme at the top of my lungs?
It would be juvenile. Unbecoming of the alpha’s sister. Definitely not what a virgin should do. But god, my want for him was like a physical ache deep inside. I’d wanted him since the first time I’d sensed him, somewhere out in the world searching for me. That want had turned into a visceral need over time. I needed him like I needed air to breathe.
“That room.” I pointed to my bedroom door then grabbed the handle and pushed it open, so he wouldn’t need to put me down.
I glanced around, trying to see what he saw. The bed wasn’t big enough. We’d need something bigger eventually. Mine would have to do for now. My dresser was cluttered, just as the counter in my bathroom was. I had clothes tossed on the chair in the corner. Shoes scattered across the floor. I was messy but not horribly so. Then I glanced back at Hannibal to see what he was thinking, but his gaze was solidly on me. I don’t think he even saw anything in the room.
He stopped at my bed and lowered me until my knees kissed the mattress. Even then I barely came to chest level. My mate was big. Immense. And my eyes hadn’t moved above his waist yet. Until his hands dropped to grasp the hem of my shirt. My gaze followed, and as he lifted, I raised my arms. He tossed it aside and immediately cupped my breasts. His thumbs stroked over my nipples, drawing them to tight points that begged for his lips.
“Please,” I cried, reaching for his shoulders.
Hannibal groaned as he lowered his head to my chest. His lips skimmed across the tops of my breasts while his thumbs still circled the tips.
“Hannibal.” My voice had a whimpery pleading tone I wasn’t used to.
“Shh,” he crooned reverently. “I’ve waited so long. Let me love you.”
He took his time with my breasts, and I let him. Each touch of his lips, the flick of his tongue, set fires within me that only he could put out. His touch was slow and methodical, driving me wild. I didn’t think my nipples could get much harder. His touch was so soft, reverent. I was close to begging again when his lips brushed lower, tracing the upper edge of my nipple. I moaned and arched my back, pressing closer to his lips.
He took the invitation, using his fingers to guide me to his mouth. He wrapped his lips around a good portion of my breast and sucked, using his tongue to lash my nipple against the roof of his mouth. I came with a guttural growl, soaking the pants I’d so recently pulled on.
I threaded my fingers through his dark hair and held him to me. Each hard pull rocked my core and sent more liquid to lubricate my sex and coat my thighs. Preparing me for the slide of him deep within me. Releasing his hair, I reached down and made quick work of undoing my jeans and pushing them down my thighs. Hannibal refused to release my breast, and I was unable to work them lower.
“Hannibal.”
He growled around my nipple, and I felt that vibration everywhere. His eyes glowed as he met my gaze, and I knew his wolf was close.
“I need you…inside me.”
&nbs
p; He released me with a loud pop, and the next thing I knew, I was tumbled back onto the mattress. He grabbed my jeans, and I heard the denim rip as he stripped it from me. I was ready for him to do the same and join me. Instead, he leaned over me, pinning me to the bed with one of his massive arms draped over my stomach. He used his broad shoulders to spread my thighs wide, and I was momentarily embarrassed by how slick they were. Then he inhaled, drinking the scent of my need into his lungs. His eyelids fell to half-mast while his cheeks went ruddy. His expression was…carnal. Hungry. A feeling I equally reciprocated.
I was ready for him to pounce. To stake a claim. And he did. With his mouth. No slow and easy this time. He dove for my sex, running his tongue around my clit then gliding it down through my folds to flick at my opening. Then he thrust as far as his tongue could go, and if not for his arm anchoring me, I would have shot up off the bed. He fucked me with his tongue, widening it then curling it in and using it like a digit or a faux penis. He placed his thumb on my clitoris and rubbed tight circles over it. I came again quickly, and Hannibal licked every drop and kept going.
I thrashed and moaned, begged and pleaded, and he continued to gorge himself as if I were his last meal before dying. My fingers dug into his hair again and alternated between pressing him closer and trying to push him away. I came a third time, screaming his name so loud every wolf around had to have heard me. And I hadn’t even felt his cock inside me yet.
“Fuck me,” I pleaded.
He gripped my legs and jerked, bringing my ass to the edge of the mattress before shoving down his briefs and palming his cock. My mouth watered. I wanted to taste him the way he had me, but I got the idea he wouldn’t be on board with that right now.
He stared between my thighs, running his hand up and down his length. I wasn’t sure what he intended. It looked like he wasn’t, either. He might jackoff on me, marking me with his scent, and the thought turned me on. I wanted to watch him come, to see it spurt from the tip of his cock and coat me. I wanted to rub it into my skin so there would be no doubt I belonged. To him. With him.