Loving Laney

by Lorna Jean Roberts

  Chapter Nine

  “I don’t need a babysitter, Cooper!” Oh, how soon he was testing the limits of her patience with his bossiness. If she’d known giving him her trust was going to turn him into even more of an overprotective, overbearing bully, she might have withheld it.

  Yeah, right, who was she kidding? She couldn’t have held it back, no matter how much of a jerk he became.

  “Tough, you’re getting one.” He didn’t even bother to look at her as he laid down the law, his gaze remaining on his laptop.

  “I’m only going to be on the estate. I’ll be among our pack the whole time. How the hell can I get anything done with two great hulking beefcakes following me around?”

  “Hey!” Devon, the younger of the two werewolves objected, while Josiah just rolled his eyes.

  “It was someone from Shadowpeak who pushed you down those stairs and tried to hurt you, Laney.”

  “You don’t know that for sure.”

  “Not for sure, no, but I’m not taking the risk. You go nowhere alone until we catch them. You don’t like it? Stay at home.”

  She had to fight not to stomp her foot in frustration.

  “You are overreacting.” She spoke as calmly as she could, surprised when his head shot up, sparks of amber shooting from them. Before, she would have cowered in the face of his displeasure, but she’d made huge leaps in confidence in the last few days. Even their mate bond had strengthened. It wasn’t as strong as it could be, but it seemed to strengthen every day.

  “No, overreacting would be locking you in your room. I am very close, Laney, very close. Do not push me.” His voice held pure steel, and their bond snapped and sparkled with his anger. While the other two wolves looked down at their feet, their stances submissive in the face of their Alpha’s fury, Laney leaned in to speak to him quietly.

  “What happened to listening to me, to letting me have a voice?”

  “I’ve let you have a voice, but I don’t understand your objection. Someone hurt you, Laney, and they will try again. Would you rather I spent the whole time worrying about you out there, by yourself, vulnerable? Is having guards really such a hassle for you? Is it such a steep price to pay for my peace of mind?”

  Well, when he put it like that.

  “Okay,” she sighed before leaning down to kiss him. “But don’t think you’re getting your way all the time.”

  “I wouldn’t dare.”

  *

  Days went by without incident, and Laney started to think that they’d all overreacted about what had happened in the basement. She was certainly getting tired of having two bodyguards following her around every time she left the house.

  It was bloody exhausting, organizing the meeting with the other Alphas. It fell on her to arrange the social side of it while Cooper and his enforcers handled the security. While most of the pack had come to acknowledge her as the Alpha’s mate, there were still those who saw her as Zachary’s little punching bag.

  Jayda, in particular, was hard to deal with. Laney could really do without the snide comments about her cowardice. The bitchiness and the arguing had made her long day even longer, and now all she wanted was a blistering hot shower and to crawl into bed with her sexy mate so he could hold her tight.

  But it wasn’t to be. As she entered the house, she could hear the low murmur of voices from the study and knew at least one of Cooper’s enforcers was inside. Moving to the door, she knocked lightly before entering to find them all there.

  “Rye!” she cried out, moving toward him. He stood up and clasped her tight.

  “Did you find Suzanne then?” She knew he’d been searching for that bitch while visiting the other packs.

  “Oh yeah,” he replied, nodding. “I found her all right.”

  “What’s wrong?” she asked, looking over at Cooper in query.

  “Nothing, sweet. You look exhausted, why don’t you go rest?”

  Oh no, he didn’t! No way did he just condescendingly tell her not to worry her pretty little head and go on to bed. She narrowed her eyes, aware of everyone staring at her before she moved to the door. Turning around, she gave everyone a nod.

  “Good night,” she said, proud of her composure.

  Justin let out a low whistle as Cooper watched Laney leave the room, her shoulders so stiff they could have been carved from stone.

  “Boy, do you have balls of steel.” He turned to Cooper, who merely stared back at him, his face stony.

  “This is our job, our worry, not Laney’s. You let me take care of my mate. You take care of this bitch.”

  “I just can’t believe that Suzanne would shack up with Leonard,” Dusty said, frowning.

  “Why? Suzanne was tight with Zachary, they were two peas in a pod—it makes sense that she’s jumped into the bed of his only ally among the other packs,” Cain spoke quietly.

  “We need to watch him closely. He’s slime,” said Dusty, her voice bitter. “He and Zachary were of the same school, the only way to rule was through violence.”

  “Do you think he wants this pack?” Cooper directed his question at Rye.

  Rye nodded. “Yeah, I do. He tries to hide his true nature, but his eyes show his ruthlessness. He wants power, and if he’s anything like Zachary, he won’t challenge you straight up. He’ll search for a weakness and pounce on it.”

  The sound of Marcus’ radio prevented Cooper from questioning him further.

  “Yeah?”

  “Uhh, boss, is someone supposed to be with Laney right now?” Devon’s voice crackled over the radio.

  “What do you mean? She’s in the house with us.”

  “You sure about that? Because I’m pretty sure I just saw a small, fair wolf creep out of the house and take off into the forest.”

  “Shit,” Marcus swore while Cooper jumped to his feet and raced through the house calling Laney’s name.

  “Devon, follow her. Don’t lose sight of her, you hear me?” Marcus yelled as he ran through the house after Cooper. He watched as Cooper tore off his clothes.

  “Jay, Jesse, go with Cooper.” The two of them changed quickly and followed an already fully changed Cooper.

  Cooper raced through the forest, ferocious anger smashing against terror-filled concern. Low, deathly growls filled the woods as he ran. That their mate had run off, taken off without them, without any sort of protection, enraged both the man and the wolf. The thought of their enemy finding her, taking her from them…

  A howl of fury erupted from him, Jay and Jesse howling back in reply. He quickly picked up her scent, his longer legs gaining on her easily. Coming to a slamming stop in a clearing, he was surprised to find she had Devon cornered against a tree, her teeth pulled back in a snarl.

  The force of her power was pushing the much larger wolf back, causing him to bow down to her. She was dominant to him, the mate of his Alpha, and although he was nearly twice her size she was easily overpowering him.

  Cooper let out a snarl, drawing her attention to him as he moved his head sharply, indicating to Devon to leave. He didn’t bother to check that he did so. His attention remained on Laney, on the hair of her neck that was raised in ire, her amber wolf eyes that were sending sparks of pure rage in his direction.

  He let out a low growl, leaping toward her. Too late, she seemed to realize his intentions, but by the time she tried to move he was there, his teeth buried in the ruff of her neck, giving her a sharp, if painless, shake of disapproval. He let go, growling softly when she snarled at him, prodding her firmly with his nose to turn her toward the house. A short, sharp bite to her flank got her moving when she would have stubbornly stayed put.

  This process continued throughout their trip home—she would try to run off or stop and he would corral her back into line. By the time they made it home both of them were exhausted, irritated and ready for a fight. They padded into the kitchen and changed.

  “Go to the bedroom, I’ll be there soon,” Cooper growled at her. She folded her arms in front of her, glar
ing at him, her eyes an inferno of fury. If he hadn’t been so furious at her, he would have appreciated how beautiful she looked in that moment. Naked, steaming and gorgeous.

  “Get into our room or else your brothers will walk in here at any moment to find me spanking their little sister’s bare ass, and you know what? I’m pretty sure they’ll cheer me on!”

  “Asshole,” she hissed at him, before turning to walk into their bedroom.

  Laney quickly locked the door before pushing the large dresser in front of it.

  Let’s just see him get through that, she thought, grinning darkly. She didn’t care how childish it was. It made her feel better. That would teach him to treat her like a child. Humming to herself, she moved into the en suite bathroom to have a long, hot shower. She deserved it.

  Laney was still humming to herself as she walked out of the bathroom. She was still mad as hell but at least she was clean. She came to a stop, shocked as she noticed Cooper lying on the bed, naked and relaxed. He sat up slowly, grinning, although she saw the grin didn’t quite reach his eyes. They were a cold, hard hazel.

  “You didn’t really think a little lock and a dresser would keep me out, sweet, now did you?” His voice was dangerous, cold, and she nearly shivered in reaction. But what did they say? The best defense was a good offense?

  “You treated me like a child, you shut me out!”

  “So that gave you the right to put yourself in danger?” he roared, jumping to his feet as she took a step backward in reaction. “That gave you the right to run off without protection? You might as well have sent out a memo to Leonard—here I am, come and get me!”

  Laney frowned, stepping back as he stalked toward her, banging into the dresser behind her. “What are you talking about? Why would Leonard come after me?”

  “Because Rye discovered that Suzanne has hooked up with him, and my enforcers believe that he wants the Shadowpeak pack, that he’ll do anything to get it, including striking at my weaknesses.”

  Laney felt the stab of hurt deep within her, a cut so deep and harsh she gasped in pain and shock. A growl escaped Cooper before he reached out and grabbed her, shaking her lightly. “I didn’t mean it like that, Laney.”

  “Then how did you mean it? You obviously think I’m too weak to deal with any sort of serious issue. No, all I’m good for is organizing food and decorations. How the hell do you expect me to take the proper precautions if you don’t tell me what’s going on?” She turned her hurt into anger and it felt good, it felt productive, strong.

  “You are my weakness. But not because you’re weak, because you are the most important person in my world, and if anything ever happened to you, then I don’t think I could go on living.”

  She looked up into his eyes, tears blurring her vision. “You mean that?”

  “Do I ever say anything I don’t mean?”

  She shook her head. “You have to talk to me, Cooper. You can’t keep me in the dark in an attempt to keep me safe. It doesn’t work that way.” She looked up at him, gearing up for a fight, but he doused the flames of her fire by nodding.

  “You’re right, sweet. I should have told you about the threat.” He moved back to sit on the bed. She followed him, sitting beside him.

  “Why didn’t you?”

  “Because I want to protect you, I want you to have a life without worry, without stress. I just want you to be happy and safe and mine.”

  “Cooper, you great fool, I am all of those things. It doesn’t matter how many people threaten us or try to hurt us. As long as I’m with you I am safe and happy and yours.”

  Cooper lifted her, arranging her so that her legs straddled his lap. His hard cock rubbed against her folds, stirring her arousal.

  “So, what are we going to do about your punishment then?” he asked, reaching up to lightly pinch her nipples. Laney jolted, his touch like an electric shock that fired all her nerve endings until they sizzled.

  She opened her eyes in surprise. “Punishment? What for?”

  His eyebrow rose. “For breaking your promise and running off without protection. You disobeyed me. That comes with a very hefty price.”

  “Why you arrogant—ahhh.” Her tirade ended on a long groan as he swallowed it with his mouth. He ate at her lips and tongue until she was senseless, a lump of clay he could mold whichever way he wanted.

  Abruptly she found herself on her feet, swaying with the speed at which he’d moved.

  “Get onto your hands and knees on the bed,” he ordered. Laney obeyed him slowly, her breath coming in short pants.

  “Spread your legs, sweet,” he crooned from behind her as she felt his hands rub her ass cheeks. She moved her legs apart, clenching her butt cheeks for the spank she thought was coming. But he didn’t spank her. Instead one hand split her cheeks apart and she tensed as she felt a nozzle being inserted into her ass.

  “Relax, sweet,” he murmured, rubbing her bottom soothingly. “It’s just a little lubricant, you know how this feels.” Cool liquid dripped into her ass before the nozzle was removed and one of his fingers entered her back passage slowly.

  “Push back, good girl, do you like that?” She nodded, moaning. Like? Like didn’t come close to describing how she felt about it. It was dark, hot and arousing.

  It made her burn.

  “More,” she cried. “Please, I need more, Cooper.”

  “Certainly, my sweet.” He pushed two fingers into her ass, stretching her, making her whimper.

  “That feels so good.”

  “Just think how it will feel when my cock gets in there, sweet. So tight, so warm, so mine.” She moaned at his words.

  “Lie forward, sweet, just lean your chest on the bed. There you go, now relax.” Two fingers from his other hand entered her moist pussy, pumping in and out in unison with the fingers in her ass. It felt incredible, the dual sensation of thick fingers pushing through the tight muscle of her ass in time with the fingers driving into the warm, wet passage of her pussy. But it wasn’t enough to make her come, she wanted more.

  “More,” she sobbed. “More, please, Cooper, I need you.”

  “Shh, sweet, just wait. I’ll take care of you. Once I’ve driven you insane, as insane as you drove me when you broke your promise.” He pulled his fingers away from her pussy, and she heard something buzzing before a cool object was pushed slowly inside her sheath.

  “Just a vibrator, sweet. When I enter your ass I want you full, bursting.” She remained still, waiting until the vibrator was fully launched inside her, jumping as something buzzed against her clit. She let out a long, low moan as he chuckled.

  “Like that, do you, sweet? It has a clit tickler attached. But you can’t come yet. Wait until I give you permission.” Laney bit her lip—how the hell was she supposed to stop herself from coming? She was already so close and that clit tickler was going to send her over.

  Just as she thought it, she found herself reaching that peak and flowing over it in a huge rush, her muscles pulsing around the vibrator, her limbs shaking in relief.

  “Bad girl, very bad girl.” A sharp spank landed first on her right cheek then her left. But then she felt his hands parting her ass cheeks before he pushed the head of his cock slowly into her tight asshole.

  “Oh hell, you feel so good. I’m so hungry for you, too hungry to punish you right now. Later, remind me to later. Now relax and push out, that’s my girl. You feel so good, Laney, so hot and tight that I’ve got to stop myself from coming straight away.”

  He moved slowly out again and her orgasm started to rise once more. It was amazing, slightly painful, but it was like the spankings, what began as pain soon turned into pleasure, a pleasure so intense she wasn’t sure she could survive it.

  “Cooper,” she called out, lost, drowning in her arousal, in the feelings coursing through her body. She needed an anchor so she called out to the one person she knew would always answer her.

  “I’m here, sweet, and I have never felt anything more incredible. Just re
lax and let it build, sweet. I’ll catch you, I will always catch you.”

  Laney let herself go, let herself get lost in the feelings—Cooper pumping in and out of her ass, the vibrator filling her pussy, tickling her clit. She lost herself in the sensations, gave herself over to orgasm, let it spiral out of control. She felt Cooper lose himself as well, felt him come in her ass, his essence flood her as her muscles pumped down on his cock.

  It was in that moment of incredible bliss that the mate bond came to complete strength and sent their pleasure so high that they both screamed, their bodies lost in a rainbow of sizzling sensation and joy.

  *

  The next morning, Laney awoke to an empty bed. Opening her eyes, she noticed Cooper sitting beside the bed fully dressed.

  “Hey.” She smiled at him, stretching, feeling the pull of muscles in her ass. She ached, but it was a pleasant ache.

  “How are you feeling?” he asked and she looked over at him, surprised by the concern in his voice.

  “I feel great.” A look of relief crossed his face and she realized he’d been worried that he’d hurt her.

  “Cooper, what we did, it was incredible, and I so can’t wait until we do it again.”

  He gave her an arrogant grin, and that quickly her self-confident mate was back.

  “Good.” He leaned over and kissed her. “I can’t wait to do it again either. But I think we’ll wait a while, give you a chance to recuperate.”

  “Really?” she pouted.

  “Yes.” He tapped her nose softly. “But since we’ve established that you’re feeling well?” He peered down at her in query. She nodded. “Well, then, we have your punishment to address.”

  She frowned at him. “What for? Wasn’t that what this morning was?” He’d woken her in the early hours of the morning with his tongue lapping at her folds. Over and over he’d driven her to the peak of orgasm before drawing back just as she was about to come. She’d been a mindless, oversensitized wreck before he’d finally taken mercy on her and let her find her release.

  “That was for disobeying me. You’re still owed a punishment for coming last night without permission.”