by Jayda Marx
Phoenix threw all of his weight at Raven and knocked him to the ground. He was quick to wrap his jaws around his brother’s neck and bite down. I heard bones crunch beneath his teeth and a gurgling sound coming from Raven’s throat. Raven tried to kick Phoenix with his back legs, but he was too far away. Phoenix wasn’t messing around any longer; he’d gone in for the kill. It looked like the fight would be over soon. But then all hell broke loose.
Four of Raven’s men shifted into their wolf forms and leapt into the ring. The other five sprinted toward Stone, Rowan and me. It was too smooth and rehearsed to have been a spur of the moment move. I wondered if Raven had given them instructions to attack if the match took a negative turn.
Stone released me from his hold and met the attackers head on. A man with greasy brown hair took a swing at him, but Stone dodged it and slammed his fist into the man’s face. His jaw unhinged and hung toward his chest. Before he even recovered from the shock, Stone wrapped his hands around the man’s head and snapped his neck, dropping the limp body to the ground.
A blond man charged at Rowan, who easily flipped him over his shoulder. The man landed with a thud and before he could even stand up, Stone whistled to get Rowan’s attention. He pulled a knife from a holster on his ankle and tossed it to Rowan, who flipped out the blade and plunged it into the man’s chest. Yes, he was unarmed, but all rules were broken the moment Raven’s men entered the circle.
I watched with wide eyes as Rowan and Stone each fought another man. Their moves were meticulous and their large bodies moved with more grace than I could fathom. I was so entranced by their fluid movements, I missed the last man approaching me from behind.
Thick, hairy arms wrapped around my chest and pinned my own arms to my sides. A whine left my lungs as the arms squeezed the air out of me. A crack sounded as a rib on my right side splintered. I’m going to die. After all of the crazy shit of the night, I’m gonna die from some hairy asshole squeezing me to death. I closed my eyes and centered myself. No you’re not. Stay strong for Phoenix and remember Stone’s training.
I opened my eyes and picked my left foot up from the ground. I dug the heel of my hiking boot into the man’s shin and scraped down before stomping on his bare foot. The man grunted and loosened his hold. I took the opportunity to throw an elbow into his ribs and spin around to face him. I threw a hook at his jaw, but when my fist collided with his face, the only one who got hurt was me. A pain shot up from my knuckles into my wrist. I yelped and pulled my hand back as the man just smirked at me. Then all humor left his face as he popped his neck from side to side. Oh shit.
“Rory, duck!” sounded from behind me. I dropped to my knees before I could even place the voice. Something flew over my head and I looked up to see the handle of a knife protruding from the man’s throat. He staggered and fell backward, slamming into the ground as his eyes glassed over. I whipped around to see Stone smiling at me. “I saw your moves; nice work,” he winked.
“Yeah, but the guy had a freaking concrete jaw,” I whined, rubbing my knuckles. Stone chuckled as he helped me from the ground. “How many knives do you have, anyway?”
“On me? Only three more.” Only?
“Are you okay?” Rowan asked as he jogged over to meet us, leaving a man on the ground whose head was facing the wrong way.
“Fine,” I answered honestly. The pain in my hand and ribs were already ebbing away. Thank god for the healing power I got from Phoenix. “Shit, Phoenix!” I cried, pushing Rowan away. In all the commotion, I’d nearly forgotten about his own fight. I rushed to the ring, and Stone and Rowan were at my side immediately. I gasped and stopped in my tracks as I took in the scene.
Two wolf bodies were sprawled out on the ground with their throats ripped out. Apparently, at some point all of the other men had shifted into human forms, because a man with dark hair was nearly split down the middle with his entrails lying on the ground before him, and another red-haired man’s neck was bent at an unnatural angle.
And then there was Raven. Or what was left of him. It looked like Phoenix finally released all of the anger and hatred he’d been holding onto all of these years, taking it all out on his brother, who truly deserved it. Raven’s limbs were detached and his head was resting at least a foot away from his body. A look of pure terror was still etched onto his face. My man had single-handedly killed the five men who attacked him, all in a spectacular fashion. No wonder he’s the fucking alpha.
Phoenix rose from the ground, where he was resting on his knees catching his breath. He was still naked from his shift and covered sporadically from head to toe in dried blood. He looked intense, commanding, powerful...like a leader I’d follow anywhere.
When he approached us, Rowan and Stone stepped forward and tipped their heads to the side, baring their throats to Phoenix. They were submitting themselves to his leadership again. Phoenix raised his left hand, holding up his index and middle fingers. He tapped his fingers to the side of Stone’s throat, acknowledging his submission and promising his protection.
“Thank you, Alpha,” Stone said with a slight bow and stepped backward.
Phoenix then tapped his fingers against Rowan’s throat. Rowan thanked him in the same manner and stepped back to my side. I wasn’t sure if it was something I needed to do since I wasn’t technically a shifter, but I was in this pack, and my husband was unequivocally our leader, so I too stepped forward and bared my throat to Phoenix.
His hand rose, but instead of tapping his fingers to my neck, he wrapped them around the back of my head and pulled me into a tight embrace. He buried his nose in my hair and inhaled a deep breath of my scent, which he’d told me smelled like a hundred wildflowers. Just as I was relaxing against his warm, strong body, Phoenix surprised me by hoisting me into his arms and throwing me over his shoulder.
“I need to reconnect with my mate,” he told Rowan and Stone. I wished I could see their reactions, but I was also pleased with my face full of sexy Phoenix ass.
“What should we do with the bodies, Alpha?” Rowan asked.
“They broke all rules and protocols with their attack and don’t deserve a proper burial,” Phoenix replied. “Stone, collect the bodies and burn them. Rowan, perform a cleansing ritual on the earth.”
“Yes, Alpha,” they both answered.
Not gonna lie, hearing Phoenix take charge and give orders after seeing the proof of his raw power made me both proud and horny as hell. As Phoenix carried me toward our cabin, Stone and Rowan came into my line of vision. Rowan gave me a warm smile and Stone flashed two thumbs up before turning to take care of their tasks.
Chapter Twelve
Phoenix
My heart dropped at the sight of the shattered window as I carried Rory onto the porch of our cabin. My mate could have easily been killed tonight if he hadn’t gotten away and called on his pack. I shook the thoughts from my head. Now wasn’t the time to grieve over what could have happened. I’d replace the window later and clean up the glass shards so that Rory wouldn’t get hurt. For now, I needed to spend time with my mate and hold him in my arms. I needed to feel him against me to prove he was safe.
I wanted nothing more than to take him into our bedroom and make love to him all night. I craved being as close as possible with him and strengthening our bond. But first, I needed to cleanse my skin of the blood and the scent of the shifters that attacked us. I carried Rory into the bathroom and placed him gently on his feet in front of me. I cupped his cheeks in my hands and gazed into his beautiful eyes.
“Thank you, sweetheart,” I whispered before planting a sweet kiss on his lips.
Rory blinked in confusion. “For what?”
“For believing in me and reminding me what was important. Your strength and encouragement pushed me forward. I never could have won without you.”
Rory shook his head. “Phoenix, you were incredible out there. You took on half the pack by yourself and you destroyed them!”
“Only because I was trying to get to yo
u,” I admitted. “Even though I knew Stone and Rowan would protect you, I lost control when I saw those men coming after you. Something snapped inside me and turned all of my fear and anger into aggression. I couldn’t kill them fast enough. They were just obstacles in my way to get to you. But by the time I’d struck them down, the three of you had already taken care of the rest. When I saw you were okay, I could finally breathe again.”
Rory reached up and ran his fingers through my scruffy beard. “And that makes you the best wolf husband in the world.” I huffed a laugh and turned my head to place a kiss on the palm of his hand. “You always worry about me and take such good care of me. Tonight, I want you to let me take care of you.”
Before I could ask what he meant, Rory stepped away towards the shower. He turned the dials and held his hand under the water to test the temperature. When he was satisfied, he folded his glasses on the sink and quickly removed his clothing. My mouth watered at the sight of his smooth, creamy skin. I wanted to sink my teeth into his neck and claim him as mine all over again.
“Not yet,” Rory said with a smirk. I didn’t have to ask his meaning, because his gaze was set on my dick, which was rapidly filling and rising. “First we need to get all of the dirt and blood off of you. It’s making it hard for me to enjoy your scent.”
I blinked in surprise as Rory led me into the shower. “You can scent me?”
He nodded. “At first, I thought it was your soap, but it doesn’t smell anything like you. Then I thought it was your cologne, but you don’t wear any. When you told me I had a natural scent, I figured out that you did too, and that I love it.”
“What do I smell like?” I asked curiously. I couldn’t pick up my own pheromones.
“Earth and evergreen,” Rory smiled. “And it’s incredible.” He picked up a washcloth from a small shelf and wet it in the stream behind me before covering it with shower gel. He worked the soap up into a lather and touched the cloth to my chest. He cleansed my skin in small, gentle circles. “Does that feel okay?”
“It feels perfect.” Everything about this moment was perfect; my mate’s tender touch, the love in his eyes, and the way he was visually devouring my body.
“I’ll never get over how sexy you are,” Rory whispered. He scrubbed the cloth over my skin, trailing his fingers over the hills and valleys of my abdomen. “Or that you’re all mine.” He knelt before me and rubbed the washcloth down my leg. “I’m not pulling your hair, am I?”
“No, sweetheart.” I smiled at the care he showed me; he’d just witnessed the destruction I was capable of, but still treated me with a tender touch. He saw past my alpha title and strong body and loved me for what was inside. Though he made it clear he appreciated the outside as well.
Rory gently scrubbed the mud and dried blood from my legs and feet. When I was fully clean, he dropped the washcloth on the floor of the shower and touched his hands to my shins. He swirled his fingers through the hair on my legs as they crept up over my knees and onto my thighs.
My eyes slid closed and I moaned as Rory cupped my heavy balls in his palm. He massaged my sensitive flesh and gently pulled my sack, sending a warm tingle prickling over my skin. “I love it when you touch me,” I groaned as he wrapped his other hand around the base of my cock and slowly pulled from root to tip.
“I love touching you,” he replied with another stroke, “But I want to try making you feel good another way.” I peered down to find Rory staring at my firm cock, running his tongue along his bottom lip in the way that drove me wild.
Rory had never tasted me; we’d made love dozens of times over the past couple of weeks, but I was always ravenous for his body. I’d prep him and get inside him as quickly as possible, unable to stave off my desires.
Rory tore his eyes away from my dick and looked up at me with a question in his gaze. “Sweetheart, you never have to do anything for me,” I told him, running my fingers through his damp hair, “But if it’s something you want to do, I wish to experience everything with you.”
“Me too.” His gaze travelled back down my body, and I couldn’t tear mine away from the sight of his tongue peeking out from between his lips. He touched it to the tip of my cock and licked away the drop of pre-cum brought there by his loving touch. Rory shuddered as the flavor hit his taste buds.
He swirled his tongue over my crown and lapped up every drop that leaked from me. My breath caught as he quickly flicked his tongue over my slit and Rory’s eyes snapped up to my face.
“So good,” I crooned, letting him know i loved his touch and that he was making me feel amazing. My lover was sometimes nervous when we tried new things, but everything he did to me felt wonderful. My words urged him on and Rory parted his lips to take my thick crown into his mouth.
He sucked against my tip and my knees threatened to buckle beneath me. I steadied myself with a hand to the shower wall as Rory slowly took in over half of my length. “That feels incredible,” I breathed. My mate pushed forward, but gagged before all of my dick was down his throat. I pulled back a couple of inches and looked down in concern. “Are you okay?” Rory nodded as his cheeks reddened. “It’s okay, sweetheart. Don’t be embarrassed; you’re doing so good. You don’t have to try to take it all. Can I show you?” He nodded again.
I pulled my hips back until just my tip was between his lips and then pushed a few inches forward, gliding my length along his tongue. “Just like that,” I moaned breathlessly as I pumped my hips back and forth, reveling in the feeling of his soft, warm throat around me. “Oh god, Rory, you feel so good.”
He placed his hands flat against my hips to stop their movement and took over, bobbing his head back and forth. Every time he backed away, he swirled his tongue over my sensitive, leaking head. “Yes, sweetheart.” My hand searched for purchase on the slippery wall as Rory sucked harder against me and nodded his head faster.
My pulse raced as I looked down at my mate. His full, pretty lips were stretched around my girth. His eyes were closed and his brow was furrowed in concentration as he sucked and milked my dick. “So beautiful,” I moaned. Rory opened his eyes and looked up at me and I was caught off guard by the heat and determination in his gaze.
I knew I wasn’t going to last when Rory trailed his hand down my thigh and gripped my balls again. He pulled and massaged my fuzzy orbs as he sucked me at a feverish pace. My sack jerked in his palm as my balls pulled up toward my body. “You’re gonna make me come,” I warned so that Rory would be prepared and not choke. My mate hummed and jerked his head back and forth even quicker. My balls rolled and I cried out as my dick swelled inside my lover’s mouth.
I exploded, pumping stream after stream of my seed into Rory’s eager throat. He swallowed quickly, drinking down every drop I gave him before milking my length with his fist and lapping up anything he may have missed.
Rory placed a sweet kiss on the tip of my softening dick and looked up at me again with wide eyes. My chest heaved as I tried to catch my breath after the brain scrambling orgasm he just pulled out of me. “You’re incredible,” I managed to get out. My mate’s blinding grin threatened to take my breath away again.
I helped him onto his feet and ran my hands through his hair, slicking it back away from his face. “Now I want to make you feel incredible.”
His gaze darkened and he nodded eagerly. “Please.” It only took that one word to kick me into gear. I grabbed a bottle of lube from the shelf (we’d had sex in every room of our home and liked to be prepared) and poured a generous amount into my palm. I replaced the bottle and rubbed the slippery liquid between my hands.
I wrapped my fist around the base of his cock and my skin glided effortlessly over his as I pumped him in a steady rhythm. I squeezed firmly and jacked him in a corkscrew motion; exactly how I’d learned he liked it. Rory tipped his head back on his shoulders and moaned loudly as I stroked him.
“Baby, that feels so good.”
I could make him feel even better. “Spread your legs for me, Rory.”
He did as I asked, pushing his feet to each side of the tub. I reached my free hand behind him and tickled down the crack of his ass. My lover moaned again as I brushed a slick fingertip across his hole. “You want it inside you?”
“Yes!” Rory steadied himself with a hand to the wall like I had as I pushed the tip of my finger through his ring of muscle.
“Mm, always so tight for me,” I murmured, rocking my hand back and forth. I swirled my finger around, loosening his opening as I continued to jack his pretty dick. “Ready for another?” Rory bit down on his bottom lip and nodded. When I slid a second digit into his ass, he threw his head back and cried out at the ceiling. “You like that don’t you?” His bottom lip found its way between his teeth again as he nodded quickly.
I loved the feeling of his tight, hot channel wrapped around my fingers, but I wanted to feel it wrapped around my cock. And thanks to shifter recovery time, I was hard and leaking again. “You want more? You want me to put my fat dick inside you?”
“Yes! Please, Phoenix, fuck me!”
I growled as I pulled my fingers free from his ass and dropped his dick from my hold. I gripped the backs of his thighs and hoisted him up into my arms. Rory wrapped his legs around my waist and I gripped the base of my dick. I lined my tip up with his hole and pushed inside.
Rory screamed as I popped through his tight ring and buried myself inside him. I stood still and steady, letting him adjust to my size. “Don’t stop,” he begged. “It’s so good.” I gripped his hips in my big hands and guided his body up and down, bouncing him on my cock.
Rory moaned each time my dick pierced deep between his cheeks. His passage squeezed around me, enveloping me in tight heat and incredible friction. My lover couldn’t get enough. He reached behind him to flatten his palms against the wall and pushed against me as I thrust into him, burying me further inside him.