“Yeah?” I mumbled.
“As far as kidnappings go, this one doesn’t seem that bad. Not now that I’m here with you.”
I grinned in the dark. “Back at you.”
He scooted up to me, keeping the blanket between us, and wrapped an arm around me. I snuggled into him, enjoying the way that his body fit around mine. My exhaustion finally caught up with me and I drifted off to sleep, content to have Cody’s scent and warmth enveloping me.
Chapter 15
James
I stretched out my legs and surveyed my team. Austin had sent me along with Trevor, Rich, Mike, Sam, and Davis to Canada. Our mission was two-fold. First: find any information that could lead us to Anna. Second: help Ragnar regain control over the Montreal Pack. The Montreal Pack must be flush with cash, because Ragnar had sent a private jet to Virginia to pick us up and bring us north.
Normally, we would stay far away from any inner pack squabbles, but Ragnar and Ingrid were willing to work with us to find Anna. And I doubt Anna would appreciate hearing that Ingrid, her mother’s twin sister, was murdered while we stood by and did nothing. My fists clenched at the thought of the battle ahead.
I looked over my team. Trevor was reclined in his seat with his eyes closed, but I could tell he was awake and aware of everything around him. Part of the reason for that was sitting in the seat across from him. Sam was a marine here with us while she was on convalescent leave. She was about average height with dark hair and golden skin who had intrigued the majority of Trevor’s team. It wasn’t every day that you find a panther with military training.
Austin had decided to send her up north with us in lieu of Quinn because his loyalties were still in question. I had disagreed with Austin’s decision to send her with us. Sam was a wildcard as far as I was concerned, she was new and her loyalties were definitely unproven. She had appeared in Seaside through a stroke of luck, and appealed to Anna’s sense of kindness to bring her into the pack. Austin had a soft spot for service members down on their luck with depressing back stories and Sam checked both of those boxes.
I didn’t trust her.
The overly smiley flight attendant came over to ask us to buckle up. We were going to be landing in a few minutes. Trevor gave Mike a kick to wake him, and Mike gave Sam a gentle shake to get her up. I narrowed my eyes at that. Sam couldn’t be a fully functional member of the team if they were going to baby her. She had better not be one of those females who were incapable of pulling their own weight.
Rich and Davis murmured quietly in the seats behind me, talking about the plans after we landed. As far as I knew, we were going to have representatives from the Montreal Pack meet with us here before they took us deeper into pack lands. The last time I was here, I had met with their pack-master and heir apparent in their headquarters. Ingrid and Ragnar had surprised me with a late-night visit to share some information about Anna’s mother that the pack-master had wanted kept quiet.
I idly wondered what this visit would entail as the plane slowed in anticipation of landing. We circled the airport and started our descent as I looked out the window.
“So, boss,” Sam piped up. “What’s the plan?”
I glared at her for being irritatingly cheery and growled my answer. “The plan is we do whatever it takes to get Anna back.”
Sam nodded and swallowed nervously, avoiding my eyes.
Asshole, much? Trevor sent me via the pack bond.
Would you have cared if it were Rich? I shot back at him.
He gave a slight shrug and settled back in his chair as the plane landed. I scowled, he knew I was right.
I grabbed my bag after we had gotten the all clear and made my way to the exit as the others gathered up all their shit. Leif and Erik were waiting for us on the tarmac with the same SUV they had used the last time I was here.
I grimaced. “They told you there were six of us this time?”
Leif gave me a feral grin. “The trunk is quite roomy.”
The rest of the team trailed off the plane and I gave Trevor a look as I communicated the situation.
“Right. Rich, you’re in the back,” he barked out.
The drive was completely silent with all of us jammed into the vehicle along with our luggage. This time when we got close to the village, Sam let out a gasp as the mysterious fog enveloped us. “How did you all manage that?” she asked our tour guides.
Leif ignored her completely, but Erik turned to smirk at her. “We have quite a few powerful pack members here. It would be best if you remember that.”
Sam gave a sharp nod and looked out the windows, fascinated by the fog. I watched her for a moment. Austin had confessed his suspicions to me that Sam was more than just a panther. He had called her in while Anna was in her magical coma, despite my objections. After being left alone with Anna for several hours, Anna woke up, completely unharmed. Sam denied that she did anything but hold Anna’s hand at her bedside, but we all had our doubts. It was obvious that Sam knew more than she let on.
The fog cleared as we entered the village and Leif parked the vehicle in front of the same house I had been in before. I was hoping that Ragnar would prove to be a better ally than his father had, but only time would tell. As a last resort, I planned to use Anna’s connection to Ingrid to force their hand.
Leif and Erik led us into the house and Ragnar greeted us with a solemn frown. I made the introductions and Ragnar greeted my pack mates politely. “Perhaps I might have a few words with you in private?” Ragnar asked me. “Before your plane is ready.”
My eyebrows rose. I had not been aware we would be getting back on another plane after arriving here, I had assumed this was our destination. I held my words, and instead followed Ragnar into an office. His gestured for me to sit, but my patience was already wearing thin.
“I can assume that you know the truth about Anna by now?” he asked, sitting behind a large mahogany desk.
I nodded. “I’ve pieced together as much. Unless you have been hiding more?”
He gave a slight smile. “Ingrid and her sister were tasked with protecting us from the fae. Astrid failed and sided with the enemy, becoming pregnant and making plans to abandon the pack. I can only assume that my father gave the order for Astrid’s death, but he always denied it.”
Ragnar leaned forward and steepled his fingers. “I am not my father, hiding behind plots and innuendo. If I have something to say, I say it.”
“I’m the same,” I said bluntly.
Ragnar smiled. “And that is why you are here now. I will be blunt with you. My wife is the only white wolf we have left in the pack and none of our pups have inherited her power. The world is defenseless against the fae without a team of white wolves here to run interference.”
I frowned. “Taking Anna from us isn’t an option.”
Ragnar tilted his head. “I’ve heard that she isn’t the only white wolf in the states, that there may be more.”
I nodded. “I’ve heard the same. There were a few names that came up during my investigation into her past.”
“In exchange for our help in locating your mate I require your assistance in subjugating some rebel wolves in the north, along with a list of names that you have procured of potential white wolves.”
I narrowed my eyes at him. I certainly had not claimed Anna as my mate, but that wasn’t the issue. “You won’t maintain the respect of your pack if you use outsiders to eliminate your challengers for you.”
Ragnar shrugged. “They aren’t challengers, they are wolves controlled by the fae, sent here to create dissent and destabilize our pack. I suspect that they were responsible for the murder of my father and his mate.”
I held in the growl that wanted to emerge. The fae were a bunch of fuckers. The more I learned about them, the more I hated them. I held Ragnar’s eyes. “What will you be providing us in return for our help?”
“I’m having a plane prepared now to bring you to our northern outpost. We have a very small settlement close
to the gateway that allows fae to enter our world. Normally, it would be monitored by several of our white wolves and their support team, but almost all of them have met with their end due to mysterious circumstances over the last few years. The outpost is now abandoned by us and I suspect it is being used as a base by the enemy.”
I nodded. Destroy an enemy base and take it for myself so that I could use it to find Anna? I could do that.
“My team will need supplies,” I agreed.
Ragnar gave a broad grin at my statement. “I will provide you with everything you need and more.”
“And I will provide you with the list of names when we retrieve Anna and bring her home.”
Ragnar’s grin dimmed. He didn’t think I would give them up that easily, did he? I wanted to keep him motivated to keep us alive and well.
I sat forward in my chair. “And now that Anna’s secret is in the open between us – I want a promise that you and the rest of your pack will not try to harm her again. Your father tried to have her killed as a babe, don’t think I’ve forgotten that.”
Ragnar nodded solemnly. “My father always denied it, but he was a vindictive man. If Astrid hadn’t planned to abandon our pack and join the fae, perhaps things would have turned out differently. But after she blatantly told him that she was in love with one of them?” He shook his head sadly. “I don’t think there was anything any of us could have done to prevent that tragedy.”
“My previous visit here must have made him realize Anna could be Astrid’s daughter.” I said quietly. “Is there any possibility-”
Ragnar cut me off. “My father is dead.”
“And his death?” I asked quietly. “I received a visit from the fae that claimed to be Anna’s father. He seemed to still have some affection for her mother.”
Ragnar clenched his hands. “He is probably behind all of this,” he snarled.
I watched him quietly. This is why blood feuds never ended until everyone involved was dead. Each side would continuously pick off members of the other, making the feud worse with every death, until no one even remembered the original reason for the feud at all.
But if someone harmed Anna, I wouldn’t wait twenty-six years to take my revenge. It would be instant and bloody. Everyone involved would die, myself last of all. We were missing something about this whole situation. What had Froston been doing for the last twenty-six years? Why wait until now to murder Astrid’s former pack-master and take Anna? If he was even the one who murdered them. Were there other players in this game?
“Did your father have any strong connections to any of the other packs?” I asked Ragnar, watching closely for his reaction.
Ragnar’s eyes darted to the side briefly before coming back to meet mine. “He did,” Ragnar admitted. “He had recently been in regular contact with Zilker’s pack.”
“Austin’s father?” I asked in surprise.
Ragnar nodded. “My father had reached out to him for assistance in getting Anna for our pack. We are desperate for white wolves, and my father believed that the council would give her back to us.”
I frowned. Not only had Austin’s father never said a word of this to Austin, he had given no indication that he knew anything about Anna’s past. “Austin’s father is missing,” I told Ragnar. “He is being accused of betraying us and using his position as a council member to bring harm to other packs.”
Ragnar nodded grimly. “I’m not completely isolated here. I’ve heard that his name was dishonored. But I do not believe that the father’s sins transfer to the son, so I am willing to work with Austin and your pack.”
Ragnar and I hammered out the specifics of our agreement. He was providing us with weapons and equipment but expected our team to do the heavy lifting to clean out the cancer in his pack. I had no problem taking out anyone who was an obstacle to getting Anna back, or who might be a threat to her future safety.
After we shook hands on our agreement, I went to find Trevor and the rest of the team. The plane that Ragnar had chartered to take us to our next destination would be here soon, and I needed to get the team briefed and prepared before takeoff.
Chapter 16
Anna
I woke up in the morning with Cody’s warmth at my back and the weight of his arm over my waist. We were both tangled in the blankets, but even through the layers I could tell that he was happy to be pressed against me.
After last night, I felt closer than ever to Cody. Now that I wasn’t too exhausted to move I turned to face him and snuggled close. His face looked so peaceful, with his thick dark lashes and his full lips.
He must have felt my stare because his breathing changed, and I could tell that he was awake. A smile slid across his face before he opened his eyes to look at me. “Sleep well?”
I nodded. The truth was that I had slept better last night than I had slept the entire time that I was here. Having Cody nearby helped me to relax completely and I was happy that I had a dreamless sleep last night.
I scooted a little closer to Cody and we looked into each other’s eyes.
“You’re beautiful,” he murmured, gently brushing my hair off my face.
I made a face. I’m sure I was lovely with my blond hair sticking up all over the place and my eyes filled with sleepiness.
Cody grinned and leaned in for a kiss. His lips met mine with just a gentle brush before he pulled away with an unsure look on his face. It made me smile. Because of Cody’s confessions last night, I doubted that he ever felt unsure when kissing a female. I kind of liked that I threw him off his usual game.
I leaned towards him this time, and my kiss was nowhere near as gentle as his had been. I put all of my emotions into my kiss. I wanted him to feel how much I had missed him, how glad I was that he was here, and how close I felt to him. I felt my magic tangling with his as we reached for each other with more than just our bodies. Being enveloped in Cody’s warmth and love gave me a sense of belonging that I had never felt before.
Our kisses grew more urgent and I pushed away the blanket that was forming a barrier between us. Cody groaned and pulled away, squeezing my hip and looking into my eyes. “Are you sure?”
I smiled at him and cupped his face as I slid one of my legs up against his. “I’m more than sure.”
He licked his lips and I pulled his head down for another kiss. “The question is, are you ready for me?” I teased him, biting his bottom lip.
I felt more confident in myself than I ever had before. I was comfortable in my own skin. I trusted Cody with my heart and my body, and I was more than ready to see him in his own skin. There was no room here for the old Anna’s doubts and insecurities. My body was being flooded by desire for Cody and every inch of my skin tingled in anticipation of his touch.
I pushed him to the side and straddled him with a grin as my exposed skin pressed up against the bare skin of his abs. His eyes widened in surprise before trailing down my body to take in my curves. The thin silk nightie that had been left for me in my wardrobe didn’t cover much, and with the way I was sitting the tail end of the silk must have been tickling his more sensitive areas. My nipples tightened under his gaze, aching to be touched and adding to the need that was throbbing through me.
He ran his hands up my thighs and under my nightgown, resting them on my hips. I leaned forward for another kiss, running my hands up his abdomen and to his powerful shoulders. Cody’s eyes were full of heat and his lips devoured mine with a passion that I was more than happy to match.
My breath hitched as he moved his hands from my hips to cup my bottom, making my insides quiver. I searched Cody’s eyes, and seeing nothing there but heated desire made me even bolder. Before I could let even a smidgen of my usual self-consciousness ruin the moment, I pulled my nightie off in one smooth movement.
Cody looked at me almost reverently, trailing his hands up to cup my breasts. “Anna, you are more beautiful than I could have ever imagined.” The way he looked at me made me feel powerful and desirable.
> I surrendered completely to the sensations of Cody’s attentions and couldn’t stop myself from rubbing my lower body up against him. My movement caused me to move lower and his erection brushed up against me.
Cody gave an animalistic growl and flipped our positions so quickly that I wasn’t even sure what happened until my head bounced on the pillow. He was now kneeling in between my legs and the cool air that brushed up against my exposed sensitive bits was driving me insane.
He had a dark, almost predatory look in his eyes as he kissed one breast before giving my nipple a gentle bite. I gasped in pleasure and my reaction definitely pleased him because he gave me a wicked grin. “I have been thinking about this moment for so long, I’m going to enjoy every second of this.”
I wrapped my legs around his waist and squeezed to bring him closer to me. He let me do it and didn’t object when I grabbed a handful of his hair and pulled him roughly to my mouth. I ground my body up against his and the feel of his erection pressed in between my legs was almost too much to bear. I needed him. Now.
We kissed and teased each other, exploring each other’s bodies and wrestling the way that we did while we were playing in our wolf forms. But this time, I let him take the dominant position over me once I had enough teasing.
Cody knelt in between my legs and grasped my hips, pulling my lower half off the bed. This gave me a really good view of all of his muscles on display and his rather large erection teasing me at my entrance.
I moaned. “Please Cody, I need you now.” I reached for his cock and teased it up against my clit, causing him to groan. He held me in place with one arm as he lined up his cock at the correct angle to push inside me. My legs were over his shoulders as he slowly inched inside of me and my eyes rolled back in my head at the intense pleasure of my body accommodating him.
He started with small, gentle thrusts until my body relaxed enough to fit all of him and he could drive his entire length inside of me. He filled me so completely that I felt stretched to the limits in a delightful way. I had to ball my fists into the sheets as the pleasure grew to almost unbearable heights and I was crying out with every thrust, begging for release.
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