Curragh shook his head in earnest. “No. Uh uh. You’ll take one now. And in a little while, we’ll take care of the body. You? You’ll stay here.”
She had a stubborn look he was beginning to know well. “What? Why?”
“Because we need someone to stay with our friend.” Curragh motioned to where Draik slept.
Kara relaxed and let herself be led to the bathroom. “Okay. I’ll stay. But only because I’m too tired to fight you.”
“We brought your suitcase.”
She saw it where it had been dropped on the floor. “So I have my own clothes to wear?”
“Yep. My little murderer is all set.”
She froze and looked up at him. “That’s not funny.”
“You know I’m kidding.” His smirk stayed put, but she wasn’t charmed.
“It’s really not funny.”
He offered her a curt nod. From the look in her eyes, it hadn’t been easy. It never was easy to take a life, no matter how much the person didn’t deserve to have one.
Curragh started the water for her as she waited, leaning against the wall. She was staring off and he worried that it would be awhile before she recovered from all of this. Well, I’m not going anywhere, he thought to himself. She has all the time she needs.
Chapter Fifty-Six
Three Weeks Later
Draik was sitting on his favorite couch, the one they’d always had. As she stood by the doorway with her hand on her erected suitcase handle, he smiled at Kara. “I bet you’ll be happy to have him alone now.”
She couldn’t help but grin. “Can’t argue with that.”
Curragh walked out of the bathroom, and gave her ass a swat on his way to tuck his toothbrush into his suitcase’s side pocket. “I’ll come back for more clothes at some point. But I won’t be wearing any for awhile, so…”
Kara laughed. “Okay, now we really have to get going. I can’t wait for this.”
He smirked at her over his shoulder and went to grab Xavier by the forearm, bringing him in for a manly hug. “You’re going to get bored without me.”
Xavier chuckled and smacked his friend’s back a couple times. “If Draik keeps being boring, then yeah, I will be.”
“I’ve been fucking sick!” Draik shouted.
“You weren’t sick. You were shot and electrocuted, and—”
“Shut up Howard!” Curragh grumbled. “Jesus!” But Kara knew he was just poking fun at the guy. He did it every chance he could get, true. But his eyes always held the respect Howard had earned. Still, the newest packmate usually hesitated before smiling. P.T.S.D. for how Curragh used to dislike him, Kara guessed. He always had to make sure Curragh was just kidding. Then he’d chuckle uncomfortably.
Xavier walked with his friend to where Kara waited so he could ask her, “Your captain still looking for Kruglov?”
Kara nodded. “In time, he’ll stop.” She didn’t bother explaining that Mazzagatti was no longer her captain. In the eyes of these guys, she remained ‘the cop.’ Even though she’d decided not to continue on with the department, in her heart she would always be a detective, so she didn’t mind them thinking her that. But staying on the force wasn’t an option, really. Not anymore. It just didn’t suit her to lie, and with the wolves, she never had to. Plus she really liked not having to obey anyone’s rules. “The captain’s hopeful. Thinks he’ll find her. I wish we could tell him she’s at the bottom of Lake Michigan, and that he doesn’t have to worry about her anymore.”
Xavier nodded. Everyone wished that. It would be nice to tell the whole city that the terror years were over. But one thing was still left unsolved. “Well, you did warn him about Satan’s spawn.”
Howard called over as he sat down next to Draik and reached for the bottle of whiskey the fair-haired wolf was drinking, “I’ve got my ear out for them finding any signs of Alexander.”
Draik knocked his hand away and picked up the bottle for himself. “Hey hey hey. Get your own.” Then he said to the others, “We have to get that contraption up and running again.”
Howard looked dejected on both counts. Kara couldn’t help but defend him, although she did it without letting on what she was doing. “Howard is on the inside already,” she shrugged as though it were obvious. Because it kind of was. But they were slow in accepting Howard as a worthy contribution to their long-established team. She reminded them casually as she buttoned her jacket, looking down, “He’s made friends with the department, since they were so impressed with him, remember? A lot more friends than I ever had. I’d just use that so you don’t have to get that techie guy involved. I mean, do you really trust him? Someone who’s not in the pack?” She looked up and scanned their faces.
Doubt fogged their expressions.
“Okay. Howard…keep doing what you’re doing,” Draik shrugged and took a swig. Howard was staring at him, so he handed over the bottle over with a funny face. “Don’t drink it all, like last time.”
“I was thirsty.”
“It was like you’d never had booze before!” Draik nearly shouted.
Howard brought the bottle to his lips and muttered, “Well, I hadn’t.”
Everyone stared at him, shocked. Curragh turned to Kara. “Let’s get out of this fucking place right now.” She laughed and grabbed her suitcase. “Stop stop stop. Give me that.” He took it from her, and didn’t bother with the rollers. He preferred carrying them by their handles, old school. She loved to watch his muscles as he did it, a fact he was very much aware of. He gave her a wink.
“Bye everyone,” Kara waved. She held open the front door for him, but stopped to say to the room, “Oh, about that. He lost his mother’s army, so I think, Xavier, what you said the other night? I think you’re right. He’ll take time to regroup. But we’ve gotta watch our backs.”
Xavier grimly nodded from where he stood. Draik and Howard just stared, somber, from the couch, not looking forward to the day.
“Make sure Tahl is under lock and key when the time comes,” Curragh said to Howard.
“His pack sent him away,” Howard called back. “We don’t know where he is.”
Kara exchanged a look with Curragh over the disturbing news as they walked out, leaving Xavier to lock up behind them.
Chapter Fifty-Seven
Taking the stairs to the second floor of the same building, they headed for loft 219. Kara pulled out the key to their new home. “I hope they stay where they are.”
Curragh pressed his body against her backside as he waited for her to unlock the door. “They better not come down here tonight.”
Kara laughed, “They won’t bother us for the first night at least. I’m sure they’re not that selfish.” She opened the door, but paused before going inside. His body was so warm and so…welcome. The times they’d been together in the last three weeks had been rushed and fleeting, whenever they could find a moment alone, which wasn’t often with his packmates always around. He needed to stay near them such as packs remain, but Kara had finally put her foot down that they needed their own place. The surprise was that an apartment opened up in this very building. It was perfect. A little too perfect, and she wondered if their luck was finally changing.
Curragh’s breath was hot on her neck as she moved her hair out of the way, so he could kiss it. Brushing his lips against her skin, he murmured, “I told them if they did, we’d move even farther away.”
“Than one floor? Perish the thought,” Kara joked. “Mmm…that feels so good.”
“Get inside. I’ve got more.” He bumped her backside with his crotch and she stumbled forward, laughing. He tossed the suitcases in next to the door and closed it, locking the deadbolt with mock-seriousness. “Drum roll.”
“Oh my God,” Kara laughed, walking backwards into their new home. So far they had only his mattress down here, complete with blankets. Oh, and some towels for bathing. Toiletries were in the suitcases with their clothes. He promised to take her furniture and kitchen shopping, as soon as she wante
d, but they hadn’t made a definite plan yet.
He came at her in an animalistic way, playfully executed, even though he could have shifted into his wolf and made it very, very dangerous. The thought was exhilarating.
“You better run.”
Around the mattress he chased her, stopping occasionally to toy with her, make her try the other direction. During one frozen moment, she smiled seductively with beckoning arms. “I know you can move faster than that.”
“I like the chase.” They were in a standoff on either side. Every little inch of a step she made to her right, he matched. The chemistry between them tightened. She took a larger step. So did he. She took another. He followed, the distance always the same. Her smile grew as she watched his eyes begin to glow.
“You’re getting excited, Curragh.”
“No shit, Kara.”
She chuckled, froze, then sprinted for the bathroom. She could hear him behind her, quickly closing in on her. She tried her best to evade him, but knew in the end it was useless. His hands latched onto her hips and suddenly she was lifted into the air, thrown up in a spin, so that when he caught her she was facing him. Breathless, they stared at each other before coming together for a much-needed kiss. Sliding down the front of him, their bodies began to move together on their own. Gasping, he groped her everywhere. Hot kisses traveled down her neck. He bit her shoulder lightly. She grabbed his hair and pressed those kisses harder into her soft flesh. Stripping off their clothes was the only thing that kept his lips away from her. She watched him devour every inch of her flesh as it became exposed and available to him. When they were finally naked, with his cock hard as silky steel, he traced little licks up her legs and lifted her up to eat her out, holding her in front of his mouth, right where he stood.
Every time they’d fucked since the horror in Kruglov’s den, he’d been gentle with her. He was careful. Even though she’d told him he didn’t need to be, she was grateful when he didn’t listen to that. Often in life she tried to be stronger than she really was. To find a man who knew that, was a gift. He was tender when she couldn’t find the words to tell him that’s what she needed him to be.
But now in every cell, she knew this man was touching her because he loved her. Not like the bastard from her childhood, or Yorgo, Kruglov’s brute. And now she and Curragh were finally able to be alone. Her need for tenderness was gone. She wanted him in ways she’d fantasized about.
She moaned, “Fuck me so hard I can’t stop shaking,” as his tongue penetrated her private lips. He groaned against her, the feeling amazing. “Fuck me as hard as you’ve wanted to. I mean it. Don’t be gentle anymore. I need you.” He moaned and his fingers tightened into her hips. He lowered her to standing and then flipped her around, pushing her toward the wall. She caught herself by throwing up her forearms and palms on it, waiting with her legs spread and ass up like a cat’s. She wiggled it. He was on her in a heartbeat. He yanked her hips up higher so he could kneel behind her and shove his tongue in her cunt. There he licked and lapped until the sweet burn of ecstasy began tingling her walls. Curragh rose up and roughly pressed his body into hers with her flat against the wall. His skin was so hot to the touch, and he panted into her hair as his erection ached against her ass cheeks.
“Are you sure,” he rasped.
“Yes.”
With preternatural speed, he grabbed her ass and lifted it, positioning his cock outside her pussy and entering her roughly. She cried out from how good it felt. To be filled by him, it was what she needed. He pounded into her until she was gasping for him to never stop. He groaned and slowed down to make her beg him.
“Say it again,” he moaned, and his breath against her earlobe made her shiver with pleasure.
“Don’t ever stop,” she breathed.
“I won’t. We can do this forever. I’m yours, baby.”
Her heart ached with a sensation she’d never experienced. It spread out and traveled over her body.
“I’m yours, too,” she whispered.
“Say what you just said back then,” he groaned as his length slid in and out of her so slowly it was fucking torture.
“Fuck me harder!”
“You asked for it.” He hammered her pussy with skilled swiftness, as deeply as she could take it. She began to whimper as the sweet burn threatened to become an orgasm. It built and built like it would never break. With her on the brink, he pulled out suddenly, flipped her to face him, picked her up and impaled her on his throbbing length. Latching their mouths in deep, hot kisses, they came together, moaning hard when it became too much. He shot into her and she cried out, her fingers pressed into his back, his hands on her ass, her legs hooked around his.
All night they went at each other, sleeping intermittently before going again. When dawn came, she lay on him, tracing the little hairs on his chest, connecting the beads of sweat with a smile on her face. “We need to get some furniture.”
Chapter Fifty-Eight
“Tomorrow.” He had his arms behind his head so he could look at her. “We need a pillow, too.”
“Two pillows,” she laughed.
“You can get anything you want.”
She made a face and looked over to the window, at the sunlight warming a sliver between the heavy curtains. “Well, let’s start small and add, as time goes on. Furniture’s expensive.” He laughed in a way that made her glance back to him with curiosity. “What?”
“You don’t have to worry about that kind of stuff.”
Giving his nipple a playful twist, she teased, “Oh? Is the werewolf business that profitable?” From the looks of their old loft, they didn’t have much. “I really don’t mind that we have to be frugal.” That laugh came again. She stared at him. “What? Why is there a secret in your smile?”
He picked up a lock of her long hair and spun it around his finger, coming up on one elbow to tell her, “Xavier and I ransacked Viktor’s safe before we left. Cash and jewels.” His smirk grew as her eyes went rounder. “Yep, actual jewels. She was fucking loaded. Was.” He started laughing and flipped over, her underneath him.
Staring up at the love of her life, Kara shook her head a little in disbelief. His green eyes glittered more. “You’re really proud of yourself, aren’t you?”
He shrugged, “Well, it was Xavier’s idea. But…yeah.”
Kara wrapped her arms around him and pulled him down. “I want to feel the weight of you on me,” she breathed into his ear. “And I want to stop thinking of that horrible woman.”
“Sorry, baby.”
She kissed his ear. “It’s okay. I’m glad you took that money.”
“What was the Chicago P.D. going to do with it?”
Kara had no idea, so she didn’t answer. She had a feeling it wouldn’t have gone to charity or anything like that. The gems may have gone to a museum, or a collector, with the funds siphoned back into the department for their needs. Who knows? But since it was them who suffered to bring down the boss of the Russian mafia, why shouldn’t Kara, Curragh and their pack, benefit? It wasn’t hurting anyone. They were going to keep making sure the city was safe, too.
A knock came at the door that surprised them both. Curragh rose up and looked toward it, then down at Kara. “Wait here.” He jumped up.
She pulled the blanket over her nakedness. “You’re not wearing anything!” He waved her off and went to open the door, but fear shot down her body. “Curragh! Don’t!” With his hand on the doorknob, he looked over his shoulder at her. She pictured Alexander there with a gun, taking away the only thing that mattered to her. “You don’t know who it is!”
Then a voice came through the door. “It’s just me!”
At the sound of Xavier’s voice, Kara sighed relief. Curragh let him in. He was holding a plastic bag. “I got that Thai food you wanted.”
Curragh grabbed the bag then pushed his friend back out of the room. “Alright. You can go.”
“Hey! You’re fucking rude,” Xavier objected. The door shut r
ight in his face. Through it, he shouted, “You’re welcome!”
Kara grinned a little sheepishly. “I guess it’ll take me time to relax.”
“It’s okay, baby.” Curragh locked the door and headed back to bed, his length swinging. He caught her looking at it. “You ready for more?”
Her grin turned mischievous, but she shook her head. “Food first.”
He dropped to his knees on the mattress beside her, and opened up the bag. “Help me out.” He handed her a box with a star on it and continue laying out the rest—napkins and hot sauce last. Her stomach got very excited as she pulled open the box, but inside there wasn’t any food. She stared at the contents. On a bed of black silk lay a diamond ring. She looked up at him. He was watching her from under his brow.
“Marry me.”
Her mouth dropped open. “Oh my God.”
Curragh took the box from her, lifted the ring and slid it onto her wedding finger. It was a little big, but she fucking loved it. “I’ll get it resized,” he told her, staring at it. “I had it made for you and I had to guess what size you were. Draik said you were smaller, should’ve listened to him.”
Kara was speechless. “You had this made?” He nodded, waiting for her answer.
Here she’d moved to Chicago to get away from her cheating and very boring ex-husband, to find herself falling happily in love in a way she never dreamed of. That’s what happens when you walk away from misery. Doors open that you never knew were there.
“You know what, Curragh? I’m already married to you in my heart, but if you want to make it official…okay.”
He started laughing and pulled her onto his lap. “You’re a different breed, woman.”
“Said the werewolf,” she smiled, kissing him gently before whispering against his lips, “And it’s Kara.”
He laughed and shook his head. “Whatever you say…woman.”
Werewolves of Chicago: Curragh (Werewolves of... Book 6) Page 21