Dad looked at Bash and said, “I know ya’ll have plans. Why don’t you go for a thirty minute ride, and then come back and get her.”
“Make it an hour,” I told him. I intended to change and heal some bruises before I got on the bike behind him.
We both waited until we heard Bash’s bike fire up and drive off before saying anything, and Dad spoke first. “Proud of you for standing up to me, even if it pissed me off.”
I smiled, and the tension left my body. “You taught me to stand up for myself, Daddy. I’m sorry you had to make a trip up here, though.”
“Didn’t think twice about coming. And, if you ever need me, you have to know I’ll be here as fast as I can.” He opened his mouth to say something else, looked away as he changed his mind, and then looked back to me. “I know the ol’ladies had a talk with you about birth control before you went away to college. You’ve made it this long without getting knocked up, so I assume you know the drill.”
I looked down, laughing to cover my discomfort, and said, “Yeah, I’ve got it covered.” Please, god, don’t make my dad feel the need to give me the sex talk now.
“If he gets too rough and won’t stop, try to kill him without spilling blood. Makes cleanup a helluva lot easier.”
I rolled my eyes at him. “Honestly, Daddy, he was super careful about negotiating what was gonna happen, before it did. I don’t think that’ll be a problem.” Growing up, my parents had talked about sex as if they were discussing seeing a movie, or going out to eat. It’d taken Dad more than a year after Mom died to come alive again, but when he had, he’d fucked anything willing and legal with a pussy, and he hadn’t tried to hide it. We’d never talked about me having sex before, and I wasn’t prepared to go into details, but I could give him that much without being too terribly embarrassed. My dad was always interested in my safety.
“Yeah well, he’s a human, I know you can take him if you have to.”
Not the way he’d tied me up last night, but I figured Daddy really didn’t need to know that part. I didn’t know if he’d gotten close enough to get a good smell of Thomas, though, so I told him, “He has a hint of Fae, too. Not enough he likely knows it’s there, but possibly enough he has a better sixth sense than most humans.”
Dad lifted an eyebrow. “Good to know.”
I hadn’t wanted to tell Duke or Bash about the non-disclosure agreement, but I’d always depended on my dad for advice.
“He had me sign an NDA, so I can’t talk to anyone about our sexual activities, or anything I learn about his private life that’s unknown to the general public.” I told him about adding the wording so it was binding to Thomas, as well, and his grin told me he was impressed.
“What are the penalties for talking?”
“Twice my yearly salary, plus all costs associated with collecting.” I shrugged. “I know Rolling Thunder will pay it, should it behoove the MC for me to talk.”
“That’s the conversation you didn’t want to talk to Duke about?”
“Yeah. I said I should make him sign an agreement saying he couldn’t use anything he learned from me against the RTMC, and he said even signing such an agreement would show a conflict of interest and could make him lose his position.”
“And you still want to jump into bed with him?”
I didn’t say anything, and he said, “You haven’t mentioned being pissed at Bash for rattin’ you out.”
“I can’t be pissed at him. I know the MC comes first for ya’ll. Honestly, the biggest surprise is that I didn’t hear from you until today.”
“Well, there’s a story, and maybe I shouldn’t tell you, but…” He wiped his hand over his eyes and then over his forehead and through his hair. “Bash went off on someone last night. Pounded ‘em for not enough reason, and it took five club members to pull him off. Duke sat him down and talked to him, and that’s when Bash told Duke what’s up. Apparently, the idea of you out on a date with the DA pushed Bash over the edge.”
I let the implications soak in. First, that Bash hadn’t immediately gone to Duke to let him know, and second, that he’d gotten emotional over my going out on a date with someone else.
I shook my head and closed my eyes. “No. Bash doesn’t think of me like that. If he was upset, it’s just because he’s having to come to terms with the fact I’m grown and now sexually active.”
“Maybe, but keep it in mind as you spend time with him, Angel. Bash can turn his sociopathy on and off. He wouldn’t hurt someone he cares about, but people he doesn’t know? He doesn’t think twice about hurting or killing them. No guilt, no remorse, nothing. Cutting a person in two is the same as cutting a two-by-four into sections. I’m not even sure he hears their screams, Angel.”
I looked at him a few seconds before saying, “You know you just admitted you’ve been present when he’s either killed or tortured people, right?”
He grinned. “There’s a little room for deniability in there, and you’re right I’m probably telling you more than I should, but you need to know who he is.”
I nodded. “Okay, I get it, and I probably already knew it on some level.” After all, I’d once been present when he killed someone.
God, I needed to change and run. My skin didn’t fit right over my skeleton. “Something tells me you can’t pay Randall off, to let me run with the pack here without joining them.” I still didn’t know how much he’d paid the Boston pack leader, or what else he’d offered him, but I’d been allowed to run with them on the full moon without being pressured to join the Pack.
“Randall might let you run with them a time or two, but he’ll only do it if you’re considering joining. You know you’re always welcome to come to Atlanta and run on the third night with the other women, or you can talk to Duke about running with the women up here.”
“I’ll come to Atlanta this month, but I’m going to talk to Randall. After spending time with the Pack up there, I’m not ruling out joining, Daddy.”
He nodded. “If you’re going to join one, I’d prefer you have Randall as an Alpha. Won’t tell you what to do, but I hope you’ll talk to me before making any decisions.”
“Of course.”
He spread his arms in invitation, and I immediately went to him and sat in his lap. A girl is never too old for her daddy to hold her, and his big strong arms had been comforting me all my life. I relaxed against him, and we were both quiet several long, comfortable moments.
“One more thing to tell you, and you can’t repeat this,” he said. “Duke and Brain had a falling out for a while. Brain came back to Atlanta, and he and Duke went at it with fists and claws and teeth more than once. They’ve reconciled, but the Chattanooga chapter struggled without him. Duke’s still President only because Brain doesn’t want it. Duke makes day to day decisions, but if he decides something Brain disagrees with, within twenty-four hours he’s more often than not doing it Brain’s way.”
I could read between the lines, knew what he was telling me. Treat them both with respect. Play the politics.
“Love you, Angel. It’ll all work out. Just be up front with Duke, keep Bash informed, and be careful around the DA.”
When my dad left, I pulled some steaks from the fridge, put them on the floor, stripped, and went to my knees in the living room to change.
Being in wolf form and having to stay inside is a bitch, especially when you don’t have long enough to lay around and just enjoy being the wolf. I ate the cold steaks, licked everything off the floor, and then rolled around on the living room throw rug for a bit.
My skin and hair was clean when I changed back, so no need for a shower. I ran the scissors down the hair on either side of my face to layer it a little, because I always came back with long hair, but it was no longer styled, so I’d had to learn how to do it myself. It was still a little wild, so I gave it a quick French braiding and applied minimal makeup. I put my riding leathers on and laced my boots, and moved the things I might need from my purse to a backpack.
> When I heard pipes outside, I grabbed my helmet on the way out the door, and then smiled as I rounded a corner and saw Bash on a Harley sport bike instead of his cruiser.
Chapter Eleven
Bash
My heart stopped beating a few seconds when she came bouncing down the steps in her leathers, hair French braided and her helmet in her hands.
I had no idea what I was thinking, offering to spend time with her. We’d all pushed for her to get an education and not screw around in high school — to use her brain and eventually become her own person. She’d done it, and no way could she be happy dating someone who hadn’t even graduated high school. I’d gotten a GED, because one of the internal engine courses I’d wanted to take required it, but still, she was so far out of my league now, and yet... Fuck. She’d agreed to spend the day with me, no sense overthinking it now.
Her eyes were happy, laughing, as she strapped her helmet on and swung her leg over the bike behind me. No hesitation at all and her body folded into mine, her arms went around me, and she patted my stomach to let me know she was ready. How many times had I picked her up from school, or a friend’s house, or taken her home from the shop? I’d known she fit on my bike, but back then she’d been a kid, now she was all woman, and I’d smelled sex on her this morning.
My wolf didn’t like the smell of other men on our Princess.
I gunned the engine and we were off. I got out of town as fast as possible, and hit the W Road going up Signal Mountain, so named for the tight, hairpin turns. I didn’t go down the main road on the backside of the mountain, but used another side road with hundreds more twists and turns. Angelica’s arms weren’t squeezing me, just holding on tight enough for safety, and she leaned with me as I leaned the bike from side to side. I’d never had anyone else on the back of my bike who could handle this kind of ride, and who trusted me enough, and was comfortable enough, to go with the flow.
We powered through the valley and up another mountain, and I finally pulled into a barbecue place near Fall Creek Falls.
The second our helmets were off, Angelica threw her arms around my neck, and I wrapped my arms around her, unsure of where she was headed, but no way was I pushing her away.
“God, Bash, I needed that. No one else will ride me quite like you. Fuck, but you can handle your bike.”
Now that we weren’t on the bike, I could smell her, and I no longer smelled the asshole DA on her.
“Did you change?”
Her face clouded over, as if she were deciding whether to answer me, and then she looked determined and said, “You really didn’t think I’d want to ride all bruised to hell and back, did you? Besides, I know you don’t want to smell him.” She shrugged. “I ate while I was changed, but I’m still starving. C’mon.”
I let her drag me inside, and I grinned when she ordered three entrees for herself.
“If you want to run,” I told her, “we aren’t far from Savage Gulf Wilderness and I know the sections without human trails. We can spend the night in the woods in our other forms, ride home tomorrow.” The restaurant was crowded, so this was as close as I’d come to asking her if she wanted to spend the night with me in wolf form.
Chapter Twelve
Angelica
Werewolves don’t get hung up on nudity. We all see each other when we undress before a run, and when we come back to human afterwards. So, I didn’t think anything of stripping out of my clothes once we’d hiked about a mile into the wilderness.
I put my clothes into a backpack, and turned to hand it to Bash, and saw him staring at me just as I smelled his arousal.
I had no idea what to say, so I only lifted an eyebrow in question.
He gave me a sheepish grin, shrugged his shoulders, and said, “Sorry, Princess. You’re all grown up now, caught me off guard. Doesn’t have to mean anything, just take it as a compliment.” He put his clothes into the backpack, jumped to grab a tree limb, pulled himself up, and settled the backpack into a nook between some limbs, wrapping the strap so wild animals would have a hard time taking off with it.
I admired the way his muscles moved and rippled as he lifted himself, and then as he landed lightly on his feet. Bash was a fine specimen of a man and he moved like liquid sex. I’d seen him fucking people, I knew how he moved when he was taking someone, and I’d imagined it as me more times than I wanted to count. But that’d been when I was a teen. Back when my mother had been alive and I’d been heading towards being a wild child.
Though, if I were honest, I’d have to admit I’d lusted after Bash even after I’d decided to walk the straight and narrow. I hadn’t tried to do anything about it, though. Bad things happened to wild girls, and I’d calmed my ass down and buckled down even harder on my studies.
Now, with school over, part of me wanted to go wild again. I’d had more than a few crazy weekends while up north, but they were always carefully crafted and timed, so they happened when I had no school or work obligations.
I shook my head, determined to enjoy my time with Bash, and dropped to all fours and let the wolf closer to my skin, then let her out. Let her take over.
My physical body changed form. Four legs, no hands, and the world came even more alive with the scents of the forest as I became the wolf. I looked around, saw Bash’s wolf looking at me, and I took off.
We raced through the forest side by side, and then I took a different path as the smell of a rabbit caught my attention. I caught sight of its movement and zeroed in on the creature’s path, my mouth slamming over him as he leapt into the air. He screamed and I bit harder. The screaming stopped, but I kept my mouth around him until his heart stopped beating, and then put him on the ground, held him down with my foot, and ripped into the warm, beautiful, delicious meat.
Bash didn’t show up until I was nearly finished with the rabbit, and he dropped a huge jackrabbit in front of me. I finished my catch, and cautiously neared him, unsure if he was offering to share.
He didn’t growl, so I pulled some away and backed off and ate it. I only had a few bites of his and decided I didn’t need any more, so I sat and guarded his back while he ate.
When he finished, we ran down the mountain and into the holler at the bottom, and carefully approached the water. Dad had hounded it into me since I’d first changed — don’t leave wolf prints where humans might see them. The ground around the creek was soft, so I was careful to walk on the rocks and boulders to get to the water. Once in the water, I could relax and stop watching where I put my feet. In most places it came just past my paws. It was deeper in sections, but as long as I paid attention I could keep my feet on the bottom without the need to swim.
As a wolf, I’m almost all instinct — smells, movements, sounds. It isn’t thinking so much as reacting to stimuli. There’s thought in the reaction, but it’s the wolf’s, not the human. The human steps in for some things, like the footprints, but otherwise, the thinking part of me is in the background.
We drank, cleaned our snouts, and played in the water, kicking our feet up, kicking water everywhere. I caught him off guard, slammed into his side, knocked him down, and he chased me upstream until he knocked me into the water.
I heard something, and turned to go up another mountain, but he blocked my way, tried to herd me towards the mountain we’d come from. I tried to go around him, but he knocked me down and tried to push me the other way. We scuffled around, mostly playing and wrestling, but my wolf wasn’t interested in submitting to him and I wanted to investigate the other mountain.
I snapped at him, and he snapped back, jumping on my back instead of turning me on my belly. Something different snapped inside me, and I pushed my bottom up, silently letting him know how I felt, what I wanted.
I’d never had sex in wolf form before, and I’m not sure I fully understood what was happening until he was inside me, his front paws wrapped around my abdomen, his hips slamming his cock into me, and all I could do was stand in place, my front paws splayed on the ground, my mind shor
t circuiting as I experienced something I’d never in my wildest dreams imagined.
The change was about letting my inner beast have some free time. It was about running, experiencing, chasing, hunting, eating. It was raw, wild, undomesticated, feral.
And now, it was about Bash dominating me, fucking me, and lighting me up as I’d never before imagined. I wanted to buck him off me, and yet I didn’t… my bucking moved me backwards and closer to him, towards him as he slammed into me, and even my wolf brain misfired along the way as the sensations drowned me in pleasure and bliss.
I was so fully a wolf at the time, thinking about it later, as a human, is hard. In a way, it’s like it didn’t happen to me, even though I know it did. God, do I know it did.
When he finished, he got stuck in me, couldn’t get out. I wanted to freak, but he pushed me down, licked my snout, licked inside my ears, and I relaxed. When he finally came out of me, he nudged me towards the mountain we came from, and I followed this time.
He led me to a small cave, high up on the mountain. We had an awesome view but we were protected from the elements. It was perfect, and I nuzzled his snout in thanks.
At dusk, a raccoon ran past the cave and Bash ran after it. I was too relaxed and happy to move, but that was okay because Bash brought his prize back and shared it with me.
Chapter Thirteen
Angelica
I woke and stretched, still in wolf form. The sun was peaking over the treetops and I smelled the beginnings of a beautiful day. The creek below us tinkled and sang, the birds around us chirped, fussed, and saluted the morning, and I was happy I had fur and four legs.
Bash, Volume I (Rolling Thunder Motorcycle Club Book 3) Page 9