Hidden Destiny (Redwood Pack)

by Ryan, Carrie Ann

  North shrugged it off, knowing he’d tease Lexi’s real answer from her later. As soon as his mother sat, they began serving the roast, chicken, veggies, and sides family style. He loved his mother’s cooking and knew that no matter how hard he tried, he’d never be as good as her.

  “Can you cook?” North asked, his voice low. That seemed like something he should know. Yes, they’d had meals together before, but he’d never really thought about it.

  Lexi raised a brow. “Yes, though not as good as Willow and your mom. If you’re asking if I’m planning on being your cooking slave, that would be no.”

  He could feel every eye on them, and he swore he could also feel a blush running up his neck.

  “That’s not what I meant.”

  Lexi leaned toward him and captured his lips. “Good.”

  “Whipped already. I like it,” Kade said then rubbed his side where Melanie had elbowed him.

  “I’ll show you whipped, Kade Jamenson.”

  “Lexi, as long as you can cook better than Reed and Hannah, you’re fine,” Josh said and then kissed Hannah’s temple.

  “I heard that!” Reed called from the kiddie table.

  Hannah just shrugged. “Reed’s the one who caught that towel on fire. Not me.”

  Josh raised a brow. “No, you only burned a hole in the bottom of my pan while boiling water.”

  Hannah blushed hard, and Josh pulled her close for a kiss.

  North smiled then leaned back so he could hang an arm around Lexi’s chair. He loved eating with his family now more than ever. Sure, he’d enjoyed it in the past with the inside jokes and ribbing, but now that he had his own family with him, he liked it even more.

  He looked across the table at his twin, who had his head lowered while talking to his mate. Maddox had to be feeling all the emotions of the people in the room but looked as though he was finally at peace rather than holding in the strain as he had before.

  North knew his twin had Ellie to thank for that.

  Maddox looked over and smiled at North. He raised a glass, and North did the same.

  Yes, things had certainty changed over the past few years…though not all of it good.

  Once dinner was over, they cleaned up their dishes, served coffee, and sent the kids to his mother’s kiddie room. Armed with baby monitors and an observant Parker, the adults left the kids to their own devices—at least those who were awake. The babies, at least, were sleeping.

  Now was the time to talk about what had been bugging North from the start.

  The rot within the Pack.

  And the oily ruination of the Centrals.

  North sank into the end of one of the couches and pulled Lexi onto his lap.

  “Hey,” she whispered.

  “I’m just saving room,” he said back, and she rolled her eyes.

  “Sure, brother mine,” Cailin said as she sat, squeezing between him and Maddox.

  North looked up at Logan, who just gave Cailin a hard grin then sank to the floor in front of her, essentially trapping his sister’s legs against him.

  Every single male Jamenson gaze landed on Lexi’s brother, but he did nothing but look at them all and raise a brow.

  Oh, they’d be having a talk about his intentions.

  Soon.

  Lexi elbowed him in the gut, and he looked down at her. “What?”

  She kissed his jaw then shook her head. “Stop it. We’re here for more important things. Worry about castrating Logan later.”

  Hmm, castrating didn’t sound like a bad idea.

  “Hell.” Cailin wiggled out from Logan’s weight and rolled over the back of the couch. “I’m going to go watch the babies. Parker shouldn’t have to do it on his own. Let me know what you talk about and what I need to do to help.”

  She walked away, her chin held high.

  “Great job, boys,” his mother muttered, a frown on her face.

  “What?” all six brothers and his father said in unison.

  “What’s on the table for discussion tonight?” Mel asked, apparently ignoring the odd tension in the room.

  His father sat forward, placing his forearms on his thighs. “Our scouts have come back from the Centrals’ borders.”

  North sat up. “We had scouts?” Why the hell hadn’t they said anything?

  Edward raised one finger, his power arching out as he did so. North sat back and pulled Lexi closer, needing her warmth.

  “Kade and I sent out scouts. And, no, we didn’t tell any of you because it’s something the Alpha and Heir needed to do. I used my own enforcers and kept them in secret. We didn’t want word to get out to anyone within the Pack in case we have another mole. We kept it from the family because, as we will talk about soon, others in the Pack think the Jamensons wield too much power. I’m doing what I need to in order to protect my family and my Pack. We don’t tell you all we do, but we do tell you most.”

  “Is that where you went that night?” Hannah asked Josh. Josh might have been one of her mates, but he was also one of Edward’s enforcers.

  Josh gave a slight nod but didn’t say anything, merely tucking Reed and Hannah closer to both his sides.

  Adam growled, and Bay put her hand on his chest. “What did you find out?” As the Enforcer, it was his job to protect the Pack from outside forces, so not knowing there had been a mission must be pissing his brother off even more than it pissed North off.

  “The Centrals are up to something. Something different,” Kade answered. “I’m not sure what, but they’re tightening up their forces, and we believe they have an ace up their sleeve. I’m not sure what it is yet.”

  He felt Lexi stiffen. “What is it, baby?”

  “Word must be out that I’m here, right?” she said, her voice shaky.

  North pulled her close and put his nose to her neck, inhaling her scent, needing her there.

  Edward gave a slight nod. “They know. They also know Parker is here, Lexi.”

  North tugged her closer, the fear radiating off of her tangible. “We knew that would happen, baby. When you came to the Redwoods to save my life and for protection of your own, we knew the Centrals would find out.”

  “You’re Pack, Lexi. We won’t let the Centrals have you or the boy. No matter what claim Corbin might have.”

  “But—”

  Logan cut Lexi off. “No. We’re here, and we’ll fight with the Redwoods. Fuck Corbin.”

  Pat snorted. “Well, that about says it all, doesn’t it?”

  Logan ducked his head, a blush creeping up his neck.

  “We don’t know what the Centrals are up to, but we’re all on edge. We all are,” Edward said. “That doesn’t mean we’re sitting back and doing nothing. We’re all building up and keeping the Pack secure. Our enforcers are out and learning what they can about the Centrals. We can’t attack head-on, not when we don’t have or want to use the magic they use, but we’re not standing still either. That’s not our only problem though.”

  The others in the room mumbled, and North growled.

  Edward took a breath then began again. “We’ve been fighting the Centrals for so long without real progress. At least that’s how it seems to others. I believe the fact we’ve slowly won each battle with them means something. Others don’t believe that. There are rumblings.”

  Jasper cursed. “It’s Patrick and his crew.”

  “That fucker?” Maddox asked. “He’s the one who wanted to kill Ellie without cause.”

  “Maddox, he thought I killed Larissa and Neil, so I wouldn’t say that was without cause,” Ellie said, and raised her hand to stop Maddox from growling. “I’m not saying he was right then with his thoughts, but they didn’t come out of nowhere. However, it didn’t stop there. He didn’t listen to those more dominant than him then, and he hasn’t changed, has he?”

  Jasper shook his head. “No, he’s getting worse.”

  Edward growled, his eyes glowing gold. “And now he’s bringing others with him. He was the one who encouraged
Colleen, Marissa, and Sandra to attack you. Marissa finally spilled that tale.”

  North cursed.

  “Why haven’t we put an end to him yet?” Reed asked, anger in his tone.

  “Because we’re waiting him out, making sure he hasn’t done anything else,” Edward explained. “There’s no tangible proof he has done anything that would warrant a Pack circle or death. I don’t plan on letting him get that far. We’re having a circle for the women who attacked you, but as there is no proof that he egged them on or did something close to that, we’re stuck. He and his friends seemed to have forgotten the Pack hierarchy and how strong we Jamensons are.”

  “Things are going to hell,” North mumbled, and Lexi leaned back, resting her head against his.

  “We’re not like other Packs, beating and killing those who think or talk out of order,” Edward said. “Even if that kept some dissension out of the ranks, it would only put larger targets on our backs. We’re keeping up the fight against the Centrals and keeping an eye on Patrick. The Pack circle where I deal out the women’s punishment will be a deciding factor I believe.”

  “That comes after the full-moon hunt,” North said, and Lexi burrowed closer.

  “We’re ready for them,” Edward growled, and the others in the room growled with him.

  They were family. They were Jamensons.

  They would not fail.

  He squeezed Lexi tight.

  No, they wouldn’t fail. Not when they had so much to fight for.

  Chapter Eleven

  “Are you sure you’re going to be okay tonight alone?” North asked, and Lexi just gave a small smile.

  Seriously, the man needed to stop worrying about her feelings about not being able to shift. It wasn’t as if she wasn’t used to the fact others would be out on the hunt tonight and she’d be left alone.

  Again.

  Okay, so maybe he had a reason to worry and be cute about it, but still.

  “I’ll be fine. I have Brie, Micah, Kaylee, and Conner to keep my company.” She would be babysitting some of the Jamenson kids while their parents were on the hunt. Usually Josh and Hannah, who didn’t shift, would do it, but they wanted to be together as a couple. Since having the babies, the triad seemed to be finding interesting ways to be together as groups of three or two.

  Parker was already out with his Uncle Logan. She had a feeling the little guy was doing his best to hang out with Cailin and Logan, not only to play matchmaker with her and North but with the other two as well.

  North brought her close and trailed a finger along her neck and shoulder. She tilted her head, giving him more access.

  “What time do they get here?” he asked, his voice low.

  “We’re alone for another two hours, I think,” she answered huskily.

  North grinned.

  Oh yes.

  She loved this man.

  Not that she’d told him yet.

  He picked her up, and she found herself on her back, the soft bed cushioning her fall. He pulled off her clothes and his in a mad rush. They were acting like freaking teenagers who never got laid, but she didn’t care.

  He pulled away, his cock against his belly and a wicked grin on his face. “Okay, we’ve done against the wall, over the couch, on the couch, in the bed, on the floor, in the shower, on the table…what are we missing?”

  “We’re not going backdoor, North Jamenson,” she teased.

  His eyes darkened, and his hands went to her ass, brushing her hole, and she froze.

  “North…”

  “Not yet, we will though, soon.”

  That tantalizing excitement she hadn’t known she’d feel with that idea filled her. Sure, she’d tried that before, but not with North. It also hadn’t been that great, but considering most sex before North paled in comparison, she was willing to bet anything with her mate would rock.

  “Soon,” she agreed, and he licked his lips. “Um, what haven’t we tried? We don’t have much time to get too adventurous.”

  His eyebrows rose. “I have an idea.” He lay beside her on the bed, and she frowned.

  “We’re taking a nap? That doesn’t sound like the best use of our time since I thought we’d be getting sweaty, but if that’s what you want to do…”

  “Minx. Now straddle me but face my feet.”

  “Seriously? That’s what you want to do?”

  He went to his side and bit her lip. “I want you to ride my face while I fuck yours. Have a problem with that?”

  “Well, in that case.” She laughed then did as he asked. “Now—” She swallowed her words as he went to town like a hungry man at a feast.

  Dear gods, the things that man could do with his tongue could drive any woman to insanity.

  Since his cock was right there… Okay, who was she kidding? She loved his cock. She licked along his length, the salty taste settling on her tongue. Then she kissed down around the base, sucking his balls into her mouth one at a time then letting them go with a pop. He groaned into her pussy, and she shuddered.

  “I love when you do that.”

  He nibbled her clit in response, and she swallowed hard, her inner walls fluttering. She went back to his cock, swallowing him a little at a time, knowing he liked it when she went slow at first. She breathed through her nose then let her jaw relax so she could take him to the back of her throat.

  Finally her nose reached the coarse hair at the base of his cock, and before she could gag, she pulled away, hollowing her cheeks as she did so. Using her hands while she sucked the crown, she set a hard rhythm that matched his mouth. She could feel his balls tighten and the first hot shot of his seed coating her tongue. She swallowed quickly as he came in her mouth, not letting a single drop go.

  He growled her name then bit down on her clit as he pumped two fingers into her. She pulled away from him, his cock still hard, and came, little flashes of light dancing behind her eyelids as she did so.

  Out of breath, she kept her eyes closed and didn’t complain as North moved her to her back. She gasped as he entered her, his cock rock hard.

  “I don’t know how you can do this again so quickly,” she whispered, her once satiated body rising again to meet him thrust for thrust.

  He kissed her hard, their combined essence mingling on her tongue. “I’m a wolf,” he answered simply.

  He pulled her legs to rest on his shoulders and pumped into her, playing with her clit at the same time. She tried to hold back so she could crash at the same time he did, but it was a lost cause. She needed it too much. She moaned, her pussy clenching around him as she fell, and North finally followed, his rasp a sweet temptation for the already tempted.

  North leaned his head against hers, panting. She swallowed hard and squeezed her inner muscles around his softening cock.

  “Jesus, woman. Stop that, or we’ll have to start all over again.” He kissed her softly. “We need to get ready because the others will be here soon.”

  She grinned, and he slipped out of her, leaving them both moaning.

  “I still don’t know a better feeling than my cock inside you, my Lexi.” He pulled her to her feet, slapped her ass, and then pushed her to the shower. “Go get cleaned up. I’d join you, but we’d never get out on time if I did.”

  She rolled her eyes but did as he said. Once she was out, he ducked under the spray behind her, and she laughed, loving the way they were acting—not like a new couple, but like a couple set into their positions and feelings.

  She just hoped that they’d have a bond to cement it all.

  Dressed and ready to watch the Jamenson babies, Lexi let out a breath.. Brie and Micah, both around two, would be sleeping hopefully. Brie would be shifting within the year as well, which was exciting. Both Kaylee and Conner were eight months old, and Hannah had said they were sleeping through the night now, but that could change at any moment.

  So Lexi would be within the confines of North’s home with babies in portable cribs. Logan already had Parker with him at their hous
e, so they were getting ready for the hunt. Since she’d been with North, they’d been alternating which house they slept at. North had to be close to his clinic, but Lexi didn’t feel comfortable leaving Parker alone with Logan overnight every night.

  Soon she’d have to figure out if they were ready for her to actually move in full time—Parker included. She knew Logan could use the space to himself, but as she was a mom and not alone, she had to think about her son first, not her own desires and feelings.

  Parker might seem okay with her seeing North now, but living with him was an entirely different matter.

  “What’s put that frown on your face?” North asked as he wrapped his arms around her waist.

  He was always doing that, touching her and pulling her close. While she liked it, she still had that annoying fear that she’d depend on it too much. What if he finally gave up on them because they didn’t share the bond?

  Sure, he hadn’t done a single thing to warrant that fear, but it didn’t stop her from thinking about it. The man deserved to have a full mating bond and have that connection. Considering the one she was currently mated to—even though it wasn’t a full bond so she couldn’t actually feel him—was his greatest enemy, it only made sense that she should worry.

  North turned her in his arms. “Hey, stop with the doubt.”

  She swallowed hard. “I know I need to. I’m sorry.”

  He framed her face. “You doubt us, you doubt me. You got that? You have no cause for that. We’re going to make this work, damn it.”

  He kissed her hard, and she closed her eyes, keeping the tears at bay. She was stronger than this, damn it. The stupid ache in her belly had nothing to do with North but her own insecurities and the fact that Corbin was still out there, alive…waiting.

  Once he was dead, she could live again.

  Or at least find some peace.

  North pulled away, a frown on his face, but didn’t say anything.

  Soon the house was filled with babies, and then she was alone again while the adults and children who could shift were on the full-moon hunt. Lexi closed her eyes as she sat in front of one of the windows. The moon danced along her skin and called to her.

  As with every full moon she’d experienced, this one hurt.