by Lia Davis
“You can’t use me as collateral for the challenge.”
Dana slammed the door behind them and rolled her eyes. “I don’t plan on losing. Edwin needs to be taken out, and I need my own Pack.”
“That solves everything. Yet explains nothing.” Cooper threw his hands up and closed the distance between them. He skimmed his knuckles down her cheek, sending hot need straight to her pussy. His nostrils flared as if he knew just how deeply he affected her. “You make it hard to stand by you when you push me away.”
She shook her head while watching his mouth. “I need to take over his Pack.”
Cooper leaned in and nipped her ear lobe. She whimpered as he whispered, “So you said. Why?”
Closing her eyes, she flattened her palms on his chest but couldn’t push him back. Her body begged to let this male touch her. “The wolves in Bloodrose Creek deserve a happy, healthy life. To be free of a rogue Alpha.”
“Why do I sense that there is another reason?” When she remained silent, he lifted her chin to meet his stare.
She closed her eyes and sighed. “The power you sense in me is growing. If I don’t do something to balance it, I fear it will consume me and turn me rogue.”
There, she’d said it. Something she couldn’t tell her brother, even though she bet he already knew her fears. Saying them out loud made them all too real. She sagged into Cooper. Instantly, he wrapped her up in his large arms and held her.
“You can trust me.”
Could she? The last male she’d trusted had almost destroyed her Pack. She pulled out of Cooper’s arms and stared into his green eyes. He was her true mate. There was no doubt when she looked at him, smelled him, touched him… “Let me be clear about one thing. If you ever betray me, my family, or my Pack, I will kill you. It will be slow, and very painful.”
His lips lifted in a sexy smile. “I would cut out my own heart and hand it to you.” She folded her arms and glared at him. Before she could sass off to him, he pressed a finger to her lips. “You are my mate. I could never hurt you or anyone you love.”
“Pretty words turn ugly, and promises break.” Her heartbeat increased as he slid a hand around the nape of her neck.
“My words aren’t pretty, nor are they promises. They’re facts. Facts I plan to prove to you as much as I have to. For as long as I have to.” He stared at her, his green eyes darkening with passion. “How do you and your brother know sign language?”
A smile lifted her lips while an ache formed in her chest. “Our mother was deaf. We grew up with it as a second language.”
“Was?”
She shook her head and tried to tug out of his arms, but he held her in place. “I can’t.”
Cupping her chin, he lifted her gaze to his. “You’ll have to let me in sooner or later.”
“Then it’ll have to be later.”
Without another word, he dipped his head so his mouth covered hers in a raw, hungry kiss. Every nerve ending in her body flared to life as if they’d been shocked by electricity. Desire burned in her belly and traveled lower.
She fisted her hands into his short hair and tugged him closer. Yet he wasn’t close enough. “Too many clothes.”
Cooper didn’t comment as he jerked her shirt off and quickly removed her bra. His eyes darkened with the promise of passion as he held her gaze and cupped a breast. She closed her eyes and moaned as he rolled her tight nipple between his fingers. Pinpricks of sensation covered her skin, and her pussy throbbed, begging for his touch, his caress.
A moment later, Cooper grabbed her ass and lifted so her feet were off the floor. She wrapped her legs around his waist as he walked toward the hall. Each movement sent a jolt of electrified desire straight to her core. Her wolf growled and whimpered at the same time. It’d been too long since they’d had the release they needed.
She gasped as the cool, satin sheets touched her bare back but she didn’t take her eyes off the gorgeous male hovering above her. There was no denying that he was hers.
No, this is just sex. A means to expend some of her pent-up energy.
His warm fingers caressed her belly as he undid her jeans and slid them, along with her panties, over her hips and down her legs. The soft thump of the fabric hitting the hardwood floor was followed by a soft growl. When she focused on Cooper, he stared down at her, hunger in his green depths.
“You are so beautiful.” His voice came out husky.
He dipped his head and pressed a kiss to one nipple and then the other before he nipped his way down her stomach to the inside of her right thigh. A half-growl, half-moan escaped her when he gently bit down.
When he slid a finger inside her, she nearly came. “Fuck, that feels good.”
He chuckled and held her gaze as he lowered his head and licked her from her entrance to her clit in a slow, lazy stroke. Pleasure overtook her as Cooper closed his mouth over her, sucking her lips as he slid another finger inside and pumped them in and out until she was drunk with pleasure.
She fisted her hands in his hair and moved against him, riding the wave of passion. Each lick of his tongue sparked the flame within, making it grow brighter and hotter. Her own magic flowed through her, wild. Pleasure built, and she picked up the pace, her body jerking as she climaxed.
Cooper withdrew his fingers and crawled up her body, stopping to suck on her nipple as he did. Goosebumps covered her body, and her pussy ached, wanting more of him. She grabbed his arms and tugged. “I need you inside me, now.”
The power was growing. She felt as if she’d explode at any moment.
Wrapping a leg around him, she flipped them over and sank down on his impossibly hard cock. Fuck, it felt good to have him inside her. She moved her hips and began to ride him. Cooper gripped her hips, squeezing.
As her pleasure built, so did her magic. When she slowed the tempo, worried she’d lose control, Cooper flipped them once more so he was on top. He cupped her face, forcing her to meet his concerned stare. “Don’t fight it.”
She didn’t have time to respond before he thrust inside her and bit her neck. She cried out, scoring his back with her nails and tightening her legs around him. Pain from the bite turned to dizzying pleasure that flowed through her like liquid heat.
Cooper’s body jerked, and his muscles tightened under her hands, then he roared in release. A moment later, Dana screamed as the orgasm slammed into her. Her control over her magic slipped. A flash of power blasted through the room.
She squeezed her eyes shut and waited. The thump, thump of his heartbeat made her relax. “Cooper?”
“I’m fine. In fact, that was amazing.”
Yeah, it was. Up until she’d almost killed him. She pushed against his chest. When he rolled off her, she got out of bed. She reached the bedroom door and said, “That will not happen again.” Then she rushed to the bathroom and shut herself in.
Chapter 5
Dana exited the cabin and inhaled the cool morning air. Her body hummed from the power mounting inside her. Sex with Cooper had only amplified things. Surges of electrical currents made her skin tighten, and her nerves twitch. She felt as if she’d explode at any moment.
Fuck.
What did it all mean? Was she going insane? Or worse. Rogue?
She’d left Cooper asleep in her bed and fought the urge to turn around and use the male to expend some more energy. However, after the amount of power she’d released in the room last night, she feared that next time, she would hurt him—or both of them. So she needed to get away. Hence the walk with no destination in mind.
A few yards into the thick trees of the forest, she caught a scent that was familiar and frightening. The slight notes of sage mixed with a spicy earth fragrance stopped her in her tracks. She scanned the area but didn’t pick up on anyone there. But someone had been there.
Ross. The name was a whisper in her mind. No. He was dead. She’d watched Darin kill him in the Pack circle.
Inhaling again, she tried to find the scent but it was gone.
Pinpricks of magic nipped at her skin. A spell? But how? Edwin. He had to be behind it. A spell for her to scent Ross, to throw her off and confuse her.
A wave of dizziness suddenly washed over her. She reached out to touch the closest tree to steady herself. A vision of Edwin with bloody hands flashed in her mind, and a sense of deep loss settled in her heart. Tears spilled from her eyes as she crumpled to the ground.
There were only two people Edwin could use to hurt her that deeply. Darin, and now Cooper. She’d never had a vision before and wasn’t sure how to bring it back. If she could bring it back. Focusing on Edwin, she tried to see what he was doing in hopes that she’d get another vision. No luck.
Wrapping her arms around her legs, she hugged her thighs to her chest and pressed her forehead to the tops of her knees. As much as mating scared the shit out her, she couldn’t lose Cooper now that she’d found him, tasted him. Edwin had to be stopped. Whatever plan he had needed to be eliminated.
She began to shake as the rage she felt for the bastard Alpha fueled the already too strong power within her. A dull ache formed in her skull. She gripped her head and tried to calm herself. She hadn’t had an attack like this since before Ross was killed.
Warmth enveloped her, easing her headache a little. Cooper’s cool, minty scent soothed her. She snuggled against him, allowing him to pull her into his lap. They sat on the ground of the forest for several long minutes as Cooper ran his fingers through her hair in gentle, massaging motions.
Finally, she whispered, “I thought the power was partly because of my connection with Darin. That’s why I left the Pack. I feared I’d challenge him and end up killing him.”
Cooper squeezed her gently. “You are a born Alpha, like Darin. A Pack doesn’t need two Alphas.”
She nodded. It was something she’d told Darin over and over when they argued about her leaving. “I’m losing control of the magic.”
“Have you sought help from the Coven?”
“They can’t help me.” It wasn’t exactly a lie. They wanted her to embrace the power, let it run free in her veins. Dana didn’t want to give it free rein to do anything. Then there was the fact that it was getting worse.
“I know a witch that could help. She owes me a favor.”
Lifting her head, she stared into his green depths. “Why would you use the favor on me? There is no guarantee that she can do anything to help.”
A muscle twitched in his temple. “It doesn’t hurt to ask. Besides, you’re my mate. Mine to take care of.”
She frowned. Ross had always thought about himself first. Never once had he offered her anything without needing something in return. Ross wasn’t our true mate. Yeah, the wolf was right. Cooper was theirs as they were his. With a crooked smile, she said, “I don’t need taking care of, but I’ll accept your help.”
His lips lifted in a sexy grin. “I would have dragged you there if you refused.”
A laugh burst from her. Spoken like a stubborn alpha mate. Not that she was reconsidering her no mating vow. “When do we go?”
“I’ll have to call her.” He frowned as if remembering something. “The scrying mirror is at my house.”
“Then we’ll go get it.”
He raised a brow as she stood and brushed off her jeans. “Just walk into Bloodrose Creek and get it?”
“Yeah.” She shrugged. “Then we can stop by Whiskey Hollow and check on Celeste and Hope. Plus, I need a report from Darin.”
By the narrowed-eye glare he gave her, she figured he wanted more information about her plan. She didn’t have more. Not really. “Do you have a better way to contact the witch?”
He pushed to his feet to tower over her. She rolled her eyes, then squeaked when he wrapped his arm around her waist and flattened their bodies together. “We will go to my house, but we go in through the back. I’m a fugitive, remember?”
She bit his bottom lip and then said, “Edwin has broken more rules than I care to count. And that was before he became Alpha.”
“That doesn’t surprise me.” His wolf flashed in his eyes, stirring up her desire for the male to lethal levels.
Gathering up her strength, she wiggled out of his embrace. There was too much she didn’t know about her power. Every time she was near Cooper, the electric current grew stronger. Yet he seemed to calm her at the same time. Yep, she was going insane. “We should get going.”
A low growl was her answer, but she ignored it. Her wolf didn’t like her walking away from him either. She couldn’t risk hurting her mate before she’d even had a chance to accept him.
Wait. Does that mean I’m going to?
Cooper entered his living room and cringed at the broken glass and the blood trail on the floor that led out the opened front door. It looked like either Edwin or his enforcers had drug the bodies out of the house. Cooper wasn’t sure how much of the broken lamps, chairs, and other items were from the fight or from the enforcers rummaging through the house.
He fisted his hands at his sides as he advanced down the hallway to his bedroom. The soft sound of Dana’s bare feet followed him. She hadn’t spoken a word on the way there, just ran beside him in wolf form. Although he didn’t mind the quiet run with her, he couldn’t shake the feeling that she was hiding something from him. Maybe she was shielding herself from the world.
Relief shuddered through him as he entered the bedroom and saw that it was untouched. He rushed to the dresser and pulled open the second drawer. He jerked a pair of sweats and a T-shirt out, then tossed them to Dana. Quickly tearing his gaze from her naked form, he grabbed a pair for himself, and then opened the top drawer for the scrying mirror.
Dana was behind him instantly, and she let out a soft laugh. “You keep it under your socks?”
His lips lifted in a smile as he gazed into her blue eyes. Suddenly, the playfulness vanished, instantly replaced by a feral scowl. She whirled around and left the room. Then the faint scent of the enforcers reached his senses. Fuck. He grabbed the mirror and set it on top of the dresser. Placing his right hand in the middle of the glass, he called out to the witch. “Star, I’m cashing in my favor.”
Light rippled across the surface a moment before a slip of paper materialized next to the mirror. He grabbed the note and shoved it into his pocket before rushing out of the bedroom.
In the living room, Dana stood with her arms crossed in front of an enforcer. Solon. He was one of the few males working under Edwin that Cooper trusted. The main reason being: Solon hated the Alpha. But he was bound to Edwin and couldn’t directly attack him. A rule Edwin had put into place when he’d become Alpha to ensure that his enforcers wouldn’t challenge him.
Solon was tall with black, shoulder-length hair. When he flicked his brown gaze to Cooper, he nodded. “You need to leave. Edwin put a price on both of your heads. Claims that you are a rogue, charmed wolf.”
Dana growled. “He spreads lies now to get what he wants? Why does he want me out of the picture so badly?”
“He also claims the two of you are plotting his assassination.” Solon glanced at Cooper before focusing back on Dana. “He wants revenge for Ross’s death.”
“Revenge? Ross was challenged by my brother and lost. It was a fair fight. But if it’s revenge he wants, I’m here.” Dana marched to the door. Cooper could feel her power stirring around her and her wolf rising to the surface. Solon stepped in her way, and she growled, low and fierce. “Move, Solon.”
Glancing from Solon to Dana, Cooper wondered how they knew each other. Was it because her brother was an Alpha? His questions were cut short by Solon’s words.
“He’s not here. He’s hiding out.”
Fucking coward. Cooper moved to stand behind Dana. “She challenged him in front of his enforcers. By the way, how do you know each other?”
“Mutual enemies,” Solon snarled, then shook his head to reply to Cooper’s first statement. “The challenge doesn’t matter to him. He’s too far gone mentally, and it won’t stop him from turning the P
ack against you before you can address them. Or from going to the council with his accusations.”
“I want you to call me as soon as his ass gets back.” Dana walked past him and then stopped. “Do you have the keys to your bike?”
Solon crossed his arms. “Edwin will make me an example to the whole Pack for helping you.”
“You scared?”
Cooper pressed his lips together to keep from laughing. Dana lifted both her brows and one corner of her mouth, but her words held the tone of a challenge.
With a scowl, Solon dug into his pocket and handed her some keys. Dana patted him on the cheek and then ran a hand down his shirt. Cooper growled, unable to contain it. The man and the wolf hated seeing her touch another male. Even though he knew why she’d done it. She was putting her scent on Solon for Edwin’s benefit.
“Tell your Alpha that I kicked your ass and stole the keys.” Dana glared at Cooper. Her blue eyes bored into him for several moments before she marched out of Cooper’s house, heading towards Solon’s house a block down the road.
Dana pulled into Darin’s driveway and shut off the bike. A sense of unease fell over her as Cooper dismounted. Her brother was pissed about something. Just then, Darin stormed out of his house and came at them, a scowl on his face. Dana asked, “What?”
Dread sliced her gut as he spoke. “Edwin has gone to the council, saying that you threatened his life and his Pack. He also said you’d gone rogue and outed you as a charmed wolf with no control over your power.”
Fury made the growing power within extend to her skin, making it glow slightly. Edwin had dragged her brother into the mess. Most likely trying to get him to go to war. “I know. Solon just told us. Edwin is fucking crazy. I challenged him in front of his enforcers. So he ran off to hide while making me out to be the crazy bitch.”
“You and I both know the male is insane, but the council is looking into it. They told me I had to turn you over, and most likely have gone to other Packs in the region. I suggest the two of you lay low until I can drum up proof that the Alpha is poisoning his own Pack.” Darin ran a hand through his hair, tugging at the ends in frustration.