Beta (Vanguards Book 3)

by Annie Nicholas

  In a frantic move, she tugged her t-shirt over her head.

  “Slow down, let me do this.” He took her eager hands from her pants and placed them over her head. Peeling her jeans from her legs an inch at a time, he followed their path with a trail of kisses. Each caress dragged her closer to the edge.

  “Rob?” Her voice shook.

  Jeans joined her jacket and t-shirt on the floor. “Hmm?” He ran his canines along her hip as he removed her thong.

  “Oh, shit.” Her breaths became desperate.

  “You like that?”

  “Yes.” Were his teeth bigger, sharper?

  He placed a light kiss on her bikini line, which sent a tremor down her legs. If he went any slower her bottom half would go numb from need. Rising onto his elbow, he lay on his side and unclasped the front of her bra, setting her breasts free. His gaze was so intense it almost seemed like he stroked her skin.

  More, she needed a lot more. She arched her back, inviting his touch.

  With an unsure slide, his hand traveled from her lower abdomen to her chest, then finally to her breast. The brush of his fingertips over her nipples set them on fire.

  Never one to take the backseat when it came to sex, she wrapped her arms around his neck and yanked him close, pressing a frantic hard kiss to his lush mouth. He tasted of scandalous mischief and forbidden cravings.

  If a rescue had busted down the door and interrupted them to set her free, she’d have found her thirty-eight special and shot them between the eyes. Nothing was taking her out of Rob’s arms.

  He leaned to the side and pulled something out of his back pocket. Maybe a condom? With a strong grip, he gathered her hands and placed them above her head. The delicious weight of his clothed body pressed her into the mattress.

  Something cold and metallic snapped around her wrists. She yanked reflexively at the cuffs, which he’d secured to one of the headboard’s wooden slats. “What the fuck? Where did these come from?”

  “Eric, my alpha, left them in our office. I can’t take any chances with you. Then again, with your history, you could probably strangle me with your thighs.” He set the key on his bedside table. “I’m naive, not stupid. Fool me once...” He let the old saying fade, the meaning very clear to her.

  Too bad he didn’t understand she never wanted to fool him again. When she watched him fall off the roof her heart had chosen to run to him instead of away. She’d made her choice, and she’d stick to it until the end. “Fine, I didn’t have plans on going anywhere.” Relaxing into the bed, she stretched her body along its length. “I’m game, then.” She writhed her body under his, grinding her hip against the hard bulge of his jeans.

  The feral glow returned to Rob’s stare, and the carnal hunger that came with it reminded her of what exactly she taunted. It only made her want him more.

  His tongue flashed as he licked his lips. “I wish I could trust you.” The regret in his voice broke her heart, but then he gave her a mischievous grin. “Can you strangle me with your thighs?”

  “Only way to find out is if we try.” The answer was no. Maybe if he was human.

  He scooted down between her legs, lifting one over his shoulder.

  “Oh.” She gnawed at her lower lip and shifted her shoulders so she could lift her head. “If you insist.”

  Meeting her stare, a fine blush rose on his cheeks again. He cleared his throat. “If I’m doing something wrong, tell me.” He gave her a devilish smile. “And if I’m doing it right, tell me as well.”

  “You want constructive feedback?” Breathless voice. His shoulders seemed much wider now that he was between her legs. Chatting. “If I lose the ability to speak, you’re doing it right.”

  He placed a kiss on her inner thigh, then a playful bite.

  She gasped. “Your teeth are bigger.”

  “Must be doing it wrong. You’re still talking.”

  He worked his way north, his rough tongue against the tender skin of her inner thigh, thumbs behind her knees spreading her wider, sharp canines scraping over delicate flesh.

  She moaned, arching her back. Nosferatu be damned. No one would chase her off of claiming Rob as hers. She expected his first lick to be hesitant, but once again he surprised her.

  With sure, steady strokes, he rested his lean body like a man settling in for a good long time. God help her, she lost the ability to string words together. Her breaths became ragged as she fought against her release. Too soon. She wasn’t giving in to him that fast.

  A jolt of pleasure lightninged straight to her brain. “Rob!”

  “Nope, still doing it wrong.” The only way she could describe what he did next was that he grew more focused.

  She clung to the edge, not wanting to go over just yet, needing this moment to last as long as it could. It might be the last time he ever touched her.

  Chapter Nine

  The late afternoon sunlight drilled its way into Robert’s eyelids and woke him. Its warmth spread over his body, but as he stretched, he realized the heat didn’t come from the sun but from the body pressed alongside him. He cracked open an eye.

  Esther lay plastered across his chest, one leg thrown over his and her only free arm around his neck. Her face was turned up toward his with her lips parted. A sweet temptation. Her taste still lingered in his mouth. She’d cried out his name as she orgasmed last night over and over.

  He’d released one wrist from the metal cuffs afterward so she could sleep more comfortably and was relieved she didn’t pressure him for more than he was willing to offer her. When it came to Esther, he walked a tightrope. Part of him wanted to believe her sincerity, the other part thought he should have handed her over to Daedalus.

  Any threat to the pack should be dealt with swiftly and without mercy. A good beta would have done that. He ran a fingertip over her lush bottom lip. But was she a threat? She could be, but she could also be an asset. These last few days without Eric at his side showed him the pack lacked enough warriors.

  His beast stirred. All she needed was one little bite or a nice deep scratch from him in his beast form and she could be his forever. The pack instinct would keep her from being a threat.

  She moaned and pulled him closer, rubbing her face into his t-shirt.

  It was a nice fantasy, but he’d never do it on purpose. Guilt would eat him alive. If she stayed at his side, he wanted it to be her choice.

  The sharp ring of the pack cellphone startled both of them upright in bed.

  Esther yanked at her restraint. “What the hell?” Brushing the hair from her face, she blinked and watched him crawl off the bed and answer the call.

  He glanced at the caller ID and stifled a growl. “What do you want, Talon?” Robert sat on the edge of the bed with a very naked and soft Esther laying down in a daze next to him.

  “We need to talk. Can you meet with me?” Talon replied.

  “Yeah, I can be at the pack’s gathering hall in an hour.” The hall was more of an abandoned warehouse.

  “Fine.” Talon disconnected the call.

  The delicate touch of Esther’s fingers over his back.

  “Why such a serious face?” She inched closer, hooking her arms around his waist. She looked perfect in his bed. Sleep tossed hair formed a dark halo around her face and the thin sheet gathered around her waist, her exposed breasts drawing his gaze. Her heated blue stare was full of come-hither-and-ravish-me. Nothing would have pleased him more than to spend the day buried inside her.

  But—there was always a but with Esther—he couldn’t trust her. Not with something as fragile as his heart. A woman like her probably ate men like him for breakfast. He rubbed at the dull ache in his chest.

  The action caused her gaze to drop, and she released her grip on his clothes.

  She touched the scar there. “Does it hurt?”

  “No.”

  “Is there anything I can do to make things right between us?”

  “Probably not. I’ll always wonder if you’re just playin
g a part to get what you want. I don’t know how to fix that and I don’t have time to figure it out now.”

  She pulled at her cuffed arm, and the metal rattled against the wooden headboard. “I want you. Fuck, I screwed things up so bad. I wish—I wish…” She turned her face away.

  Those heartfelt words almost tore apart his resolve. But—he sighed and pulled on a fresh set of clothes. There wasn’t time to shower.

  “Where are you going?”

  “I never finished last night’s mission. My troublemaking pack mate needs to be taught a lesson.”

  “You’re not going alone.”

  He chuckled at the command in her tone. Naked and cuffed to a bed yet still thought she was in control. He could really fall in love with a woman like Esther. “I don’t have much of a choice. It’s too early for Daedalus to rise, and most of my roommates are at work.”

  “Most. Who’s home? Take them.” She pleaded with her eyes. “Hell, take me. Cuff me to your wrist if you have to. I can still use a gun with one hand.”

  “My friend, Sam, is still here. He’s our guard. He’ll watch over you.” He pinned her with a glare. “I’ll be very upset if anything happens to him while I’m gone.”

  The handcuff clanked as she tried to cross her arms over her chest. “Damn it.” She flung her hands to her sides. “I’m not going to hurt anyone.”

  He raised his eyebrow and wished he could believe her.

  “You should take me along. Don’t go by yourself.” She slid to the edge of the bed. “Please.”

  Lifting the key from the bedside table, he approached her.

  She grinned and offered her restraint.

  After unlocking the cuff, he grabbed hold of her waist and carried her to the bathroom.

  “Wait! What are you doing?” Strong and agile, she squirmed in his grasp.

  Dumping her on the cold tile floor, he pointed at her. “You want to earn my trust. You. Stay. Here.” He ran his fingers through his hair. His thoughts flickered to the antacids in the kitchen cupboard. “I have enough problems, Esther. Do me a favor and don’t add to them.”

  He gathered her clothes and tossed them in with her. Closing the door, he heard her grumbling under her breath, using his name in vain. With a shake of his head, he jammed the chair under the doorknob using his supernatural strength to ensure it stayed there. Bathrooms were meant to lock people out, not in.

  Cutting across the hallway, he checked on the computer tracker’s progress. It had finished tracing the email from Esther’s account to a third party’s account, but the kicker in his programming tracked it to the original sender.

  The results made him slump onto his chair. What the fuck? It had to be wrong. He re-typed in the codes again then re-ran the program. It should be finished by the time he got home. The results didn’t make sense.

  Taking the stairs two at a time he descended to the basement, hoping Sam didn’t have someone sharing his bed. It would be difficult discussing a prisoner in front of a stranger. He knocked on the bedroom door and it swung open.

  Sam stood in only a pair of workout shorts. A set of free weights lay scattered around the room, and the buff werewolf pulled out his earbuds as he turned off the MP3 player at his hip. “Hey there, Sleeping Beauty. Get some action last night?” His voice dripped in sarcasm.

  Robert barked out a laugh. “Why would you think that?”

  “Tyler told me everything about the slayer you’re hiding. I peeked in on both of you when no one showed up for breakfast. I needed to make sure she didn’t try to off you again.” He winked. “You both looked nice and cozy in that narrow bed of yours. Too bad she’s a killer.” He reached over and smacked Robert across the head. “What are you doing? She should be locked in the bathroom.”

  “Hey.” Robert ducked the next swat and grabbed Sam’s wrist. “I need you to keep an eye on her, dickhead. She’s locked in the bathroom now.” Releasing his well-meaning friend, he sighed. “And for the record, she shot me by accident and I haven’t fucked her. Okay?” No, they’d done everything else though. He glanced down the hallway at the vampire’s man-cave where Daedalus slept during the day. “Make sure that’s locked. I can’t promise she won’t try to kill Daedalus again.”

  “Sure.” Sam’s brow furrowed. “Where are you going?”

  “I need to get—something from the corporate office. I’m falling behind on work.”

  “All right, I’ll keep things tight here.” Sam offered up his knuckles that Robert bumped with his own.

  “I’ll call and check in.” Robert sprinted up the stairs, grabbed his keys and ran out the front door. On the stoop outside, he hesitated. The door had been unlocked. They always kept it secured. He glanced around, locked it, and then shook his head.

  Esther yanked on her jeans and shoved her feet into her boots. What did Rob have against accepting help? She bet he didn’t tell anyone from his pack what he was doing, let alone take one of them along. What could he have to prove? He was fucking perfect and it pissed her off.

  Stomping to the window, she popped out the screen with an expert’s ease and set it on the floor. She didn’t have much time before he got to his car and drove off. The drainpipe held her weight as she shimmied down to a well-manicured garden.

  How could he think she’d sit quietly in that bathroom all day while his life was in danger? Dread squeezed her heart with its sharp claws. He probably thought she didn’t care.

  No matter what happened she needed to make sure Rob was all right.

  The brownstones all shared their side walls. There wasn’t any way to the front except through the house or around the back alley.

  She snuck to the sliding glass door on the stone porch. Pressing her body to the wall, she glanced into a large kitchen. The coast looked clear. She scanned the yard and ran to the toolshed. After finding two flat head screwdrivers, she returned to the glass door panel and popped it off the track enough to stress the latch lock mechanism. She shoved it open and squeezed inside, then shut it.

  Taking one silent step at a time, she crept to the front. When Daedalus brought her into the brownstone last night, he’d tossed his keys on the front entrance table. She spotted and grabbed them. Two male voices carried from the basement. Her heart skipped a beat and froze for a second before she unlocked the front door. Hurrying to Daedalus’s sports car, she opened the door and got inside before Rob saw her.

  She got behind the steering wheel and watched Rob hesitate at the front door before locking it. He jogged to a sedan, pulling out a few minutes later.

  Following at a discreet distance, Esther kept the car within sight. They traveled to the interstate, then to an industrial park. The area appeared deserted, making it difficult to follow him. She needed to pull off the road before he recognized the vampire’s car.

  The move made her lose him. She drove around the park trying to figure out where the fuck he disappeared to. Hitting the steering wheel, she began to circle the warehouses hoping he parked in back of one.

  At the third building, she found the car next to a blue Jeep but both were empty. She parked and jumped out, automatically reaching for her gun, but the Nosferatu had disarmed her last night. Popping the trunk open, she prayed to find a tool chest filled with weapons but only found a tire iron.

  Rob was around here somewhere, however, so was Talon.

  Chapter Ten

  The warehouse door swung closed behind Robert. It echoed inside the empty building and shut out the fading sunlight, leaving him entombed in darkness. He flipped the switch, and the neon lighting came on.

  The Vasi used to gather as a pack here, but Eric was trying to sell the place. Too much blood soaked this floor. Now, they met at a bar owned by a member in the downtown district. When the Ayumu held Chicago, the place was utilized for challenges and punishment. Frequently.

  Those things didn’t happen often anymore. Robert paced around the empty floor where Eric, his best friend, had taken a huge risk by facing the old alpha in combat. Eri
c had killed him. Continuing his tour down Nightmare Avenue, Robert passed the empty bleachers. He’d accompanied Eric that night into the arena as his beta, but he didn’t know what that responsibility had entailed at the time.

  Tonight, he finally understood. He needed to do things to protect the pack no matter how it affected his conscience.

  Talon wasn’t going to ever leave Chicago or him alone, and Robert needed to take care of this problem before Eric returned home, for the pack, for himself, and for his best friend.

  Glancing at his phone, he considered checking on Sam and reminding him to offer Esther a meal. When he returned home later this evening, he’d probably need to don some armor before confronting her. She’d been pretty pissed when he dumped her in the bathroom, and she didn’t like him meeting Talon alone or at least, she acted like it. Who knew with Esther? She may have been looking for a reason to escape when she offered to accompany him.

  The sound of a click made Robert spin around. Talon stepped into the warehouse holding his hands out to his side. “Hey, Bob.”

  Robert sighed at the name. So, Talon would choose the hard way of dealing with him. No truce would be found tonight. “What problem do you have with me, Talon?”

  “Not you specifically, runt, but the whole damn pack is turning into a bunch of weaklings because of you and the Omegas. How long before some other pack comes in and takes over this city?”

  “Only if you consider law abiding as weak.”

  “We’re not human, Bob.” Talon crossed the room and confronted him. “Why should we follow their rules?”

  Robert hated the skip of his heartbeat as he met Talon’s glare. Fear had a distinct smell, and if his pack mate caught a whiff of it, he’d think he won.

  According to Daedalus, a healthy dose of fear kept most warriors honorable, especially if doing wrong made them afraid. The fearless needed to be watched since they corrupted easily.

  Talon never carried the scent of fear.

  “I never said human laws. We follow the Accords like our ancestors did.”