by Amy Sumida
To the left of the kitchen, a flight of stairs led to a loft. There was a sitting area in that open space that had an even more amazing view through the main windows. Hallways branched off from the loft with bedrooms and bathrooms to either side, and a display cabinet of priceless knickknacks sat against the wall between them.
I knew all of this without looking because I'd been here before. This was Fenrir's cabin; a place where the Froekn went to have some R&R. I'd made one exactly like it for Trevor. But Trevor couldn't have traced us to his cabin; it was in my territory, and we'd have to go in through Pride Palace and then take a Jeep to get there. He wouldn't have been able to trace into this cabin either if Fenrir hadn't created a new tracing point just to help his son kidnap me. That damn wolf! He'd used reverse psychology to get me to go after Trevor; deliberately making me think he wouldn't want me. I never suspected that the Big Bad Wolf was lying in wait to snatch me up like Little Red Riding Hood.
“I share you,” the Wolf growled. “None of us truly has you.”
“Is this really how Trevor feels?” I asked softly.
“Beneath the bonds of brotherhood that your lion magic forced on us; yes.” He watched me carefully. “Does that bother you?”
“Yes; it bothers me!” I snapped. “It hurts me. I thought you were happy.”
“He has suppressed me for you from the beginning,” the Wolf growled. “I try to rise, and he pushes me back. No longer, Mate. His kindness has gotten us hurt—it's gotten you hurt—and that is not acceptable. Things are going to change.”
“I can't change, Trevor,” I whispered. “I'm bound to them as I am to you. I have children with Arach and Kirill. It's too late for you to protest.”
“I know what it's too late for and what it's not,” he said calmly. “I have been thinking about this for a long time, Mate. Your magic restricts you, and I have accepted that, but you also promised me that I would be your alpha. You have broken that vow.”
“When did I break my promise?” I snapped.
“When you gave another man children before me!” The Wolf shouted.
I froze. The Wolf stalked forward; his eyes wild and his muscles rippling with fury. He was moving in ways no human man could. It was as unsettling as it was beautiful.
“When you passed me over twice!” He went on. “When you pushed to bring Re into our family; forced me to accept more than I agreed to.” He came closer with every angry step. “When you built me a bedroom separate from yours and told me I could only have you on certain nights. Shall I go on, Mate?”
“No,” I whispered in horror. “No; I understand.”
“You don't understand,” his whisper was deadly.
The Wolf's hand shot forward and closed around my throat, but he wasn't choking me or threatening me. His hand was a cage of bone and blood and muscles; there to make me feel the pain and violence inside him. To make me feel as trapped as he did. I did, and it pierced my heart like a sliver of glass; making me ache and bleed while eluding removal.
“You think that you understand me. You even think that you make sacrifices for me,” the Wolf's voice dropped to a mocking murmur as he laid his cheek against mine. His lips moved against my ear as he spoke, and his thumb caressed the line of my jaw. “You don't know the first thing about sacrifice, Mate. I have given everything I am for you.”
My breath was coming in trembling gasps and stutters as his venom filled me and stung the places Katila had torn open. Was it true? Had Trevor given up everything so my needs could be seen to? Had I not given him what I promised? Had I failed Trevor? Betrayed him?
“Trevor,” I moaned brokenly, “I'm so sorry, Honey-Eyes. Please—”
“Please what?” He whispered and licked the curve of my ear. “What else can I give you, Mate. You want my soul too? Wait; you have it. How about my blood? No; you've taken that too. What more can I give you?” He said the last with a growl and the hand on my throat twitched over my racing pulse. “Bones? Breath? Cum? You have all of me!”
But still, even in his rage, the Wolf couldn't hurt me. Somehow, that drove the pain of my failure deeper. Tears began streaming down my face as I turned myself toward him; reaching for him with my body since I was failing so horribly with my words.
“Oh, is this what you want?” Trevor shifted his erection into me. “You want me to bring you pleasure after baring my pain?”
“No”—I wrapped my arms around him and pulled him closer, despite the way his grip on my throat made it awkward—“I want to give you pleasure. I want you to be happy, Trevor. Tell me what to do. You say that you've thought this through. So, give me your solution.”
A slow exhalation shook through the Wolf as he released my neck. His body relaxed around mine, and he laid his face along the curve of my shoulder. His hands moved across my back; just skimming the surface before settling into a strong grip.
“That is the first step, Mate,” his voice was exhausted but there was a hint of hope in it.
I clutched him tighter; running my fingers through his hair. “And what's the next?”
“You will make me the alpha as you promised.” He lifted his head and pinned me with his wolf stare. “You will give me final say over matters concerning our family. If I say no, you will support my decision.”
I considered it, knew that it would cause problems with the rest of them, and didn't care one bit. If this was what it took to bring Trevor back, they'd have to deal with it.
“So be it,” I agreed.
The Wolf smiled and relaxed further. “Your bed is my bed; I sleep with you unless I decide to be generous and allow another to take my place.”
“Okay.”
“You will submit to me as your alpha mate; whenever and however I wish it. If I want to bend you over the balcony railing and make you scream out across the Pride Lands, you will not refuse me.”
I nodded; my mouth gone too dry to speak while other places got very wet.
“And you will give me my son. No more waiting for the right time. This is the right time.”
“I'll need some Frankincense oil to remove the birth-control spell,” I said calmly.
The Wolf's eyes widened in surprise and his grin went feral as he released me. He strode to the coffee table—a cross-section of a massive tree trunk—and picked up a bottle. It had been set on a silver tray beneath the watchful eyes of a crystal wolf; such a tiny thing that I hadn't noticed it. He brought the bottle over to me; it was Frankincense.
A small huff of sound came out of me. “You thought of everything.”
“I have been preparing,” he said.
The look he gave me reminded me of what Fenrir had said; that the Wolf was cunning. Devious, even. Maybe Fenrir hadn't lied to rile me up and lower my defenses but had told me the truth in the way of wolves; without nuance or refinement. I had to know just how far Fenrir had gone to help his son. Was it just a push in the right direction and a new entrance to the Aether in his territory or was it more?
“Fenrir set this up, didn't he?” I asked as I took the bottle. “Did he have someone waiting at Moonshine to help you grab me if the others happened to come along? Was he there to pick up the rings you tossed aside? Did he give you this?” I lifted the oil.
“This is my plan,” the Wolf said proudly. “My father merely agreed to it. But don't worry; Ty has your precious rings. When the others show up—as I'm sure they will—he will tell them that you're safe and that if they want us both to return, they will leave us be.”
I stared at him a moment; letting it all sink in. How unhappy had he been that he was willing to go to such elaborate lengths to change his circumstances? When had we lost the ability to just speak our minds and our hearts to each other? Trevor and I had nearly broken up once because of something that happened with Anubis. He had immediately told me exactly what he felt and exactly where I could shove it. It had been a horrible time, but because of it, I'd always trusted Trevor to speak his mind. When had he stopped? When had I stopped noticing?
I lifted the hem of my dress. The Wolf's stare shot to the skin I exposed as if it had been spotlighted. He took in every inch of flesh as it was revealed. The leather was snug but not enough to impede me. I bunched it beneath my breasts; revealing my black lace panties and my bare belly. The Wolf's breathing quickened. His head lowered and his eyes narrowed. I opened the bottle of Frankincense oil and its rich scent drifted between us as I poured some into my hand. His nose twitched as he caught the fragrance. I rubbed the oil into my belly with the intent to return my fertility.
“Release the bonds on my body; the wards on my womb,” I chanted.
So simple, and yet so powerful. A slight tingle told me that the spell was lifted. I recapped the bottle and shimmied my dress back into place.
The Wolf breathed deeply and smiled with satisfaction. I knew what he sensed; the wolf in me was responding to it as well. It happens on human birth-control; after being restrained for so long, a woman's body will become more fertile. They always warn women that they're the most fertile right after they get off the pill. In fact, if you're having trouble conceiving, some doctors will recommend going on it for a month. The Wolf didn't know all of that, but he could sense that what had once been fallow was now fertile.
“We will stay here until you are with child,” the Wolf said as he stalked forward. “When you carry my babe, I will be satisfied.”
“Agreed,” I whispered.
The Wolf closed his eyes and shuddered. For a brief moment, I saw the man behind the beast. He was joyous and that cut me even deeper. All of those arguments about who's child would be next. I had waved them off as silly, but Trevor had needed me to take his side. To say that he'd been wronged and it was time that I give him the respect he deserved. The child he deserved.
“I was blind and foolish,” I said in a stronger voice. “I never wanted to hurt you or make you feel less important than you are. I can't live without you, Honey-Eyes. Will you forgive me?”
The Wolf clenched his fists as well as his jaw as a powerful emotion ran through him. His throat worked as he swallowed roughly. Abruptly, he closed the distance between us; clasping me to his chest so tightly that I could feel our hearts beating in my breasts.
“I forgive you,” he whispered into my hair. “Of course, I forgive you. My heart was given too long ago. No matter how I rage, I cannot take it back. You are my world, Mate. Without you, everything turns to dust.”
“I'm sorry that I let your needs go unnoticed.” I slid my hand up his chest and to his throat; laying it against his pulse. “I won't let that happen again.”
Another sudden movement and his lips covered mine. It was a tender kiss but with a wild undertone. I could feel his muscles twitching, his hands tightening, and his sex pushing against mine. Still, his lips were soft and his tongue languorous. He was trying to please me; a concession for his cruelty. I melted against him and took the gift wholeheartedly.
“There is one more thing,” the Wolf murmured when he withdrew. “An important one.”
“Yes?” I asked anxiously.
“You thought to be strong for me.” The Wolf's hand slip into the hair at my temple and held me as if to keep me from looking away. “You were broken—I saw it in your eyes—but you wanted to heal me. You were going to do whatever your wolf told you to do, weren't you, Mate?”
“Yes,” I whispered. “But then you...”
“I know.” His grip eased and his hand cupped my face. “I felt you. I howled through the night and hunted to ease the pain, but I couldn't. We shared it. We were hurt together, and we need to heal together. But you will not be alpha, Mate. You will not heal us; I will.”
I just nodded; overwhelmed. How had I been so blind? I told myself I understood the nature of the beast; that there were things that must be done to assuage it. But I had neglected some of the most important issues. The most important one; control. The alpha wolf needed it like he needed the Moon above him and the Pack around him. I had taken his control, and now he was going to take it back with interest.
The Wolf swept me up into his arms and carried me up the stairs; this time like a groom instead of a barbarian. He didn't stare longingly at me as he climbed or kiss me to distraction; he faced forward with determination and anticipation. I could feel the tension returning to his shoulders, and I wondered what this healing would entail that my brave wolf was daunted by it.
We came to the first bedroom on the left, and he took me straight to the bed. The Wolf set me on my feet in front of the bed and started to remove his clothing.
“Take off your dress,” the Wolf said as he shrugged out of his shirt.
I flinched; it was exactly what Katila had said to me. But I fought the urge to protest and reached for the zipper. I kept my gaze fixed on my wolf as I pushed the dress down. His eyes feasted on the skin I revealed, and then his gaze lowered to my panties.
“We are going through it all again, Mate,” the Wolf warned me. “But we'll do it my way this time. That bastard has no idea how to make you shiver and scream. Now, remove your panties.”
I pushed the panties down to puddle at my feet.
“Get onto the bed, on your hands and knees, and spread those lovely cheeks for me,” he growled.
My whole body was trembling in humiliation and fear—images of the “incident” returning—but I did it. I trusted him and got on the bed; moved into that position. I heard Katila again, in my head; saying things to me that Trevor would never say. How did I not know? I should have known that it wasn't Trevor the moment he snickered at Azrael. Looking back now, there were so many signs, and I had ignored every one. I pressed my face into the comforter so the Wolf wouldn't see my tears.
“Look at me!” the Wolf said sharply.
I flinched and glanced over my shoulder at him. He was standing at the foot of the bed, and he knelt before it as I watched; bringing his face to the level of my sex.
“I am your mate; you will show me everything. Give me everything. Your laughter and your tears. Your blood and your woman's nectar. Your power and your weakness. They are all mine; never withhold them from me,” he said—his gaze hot on mine—and then leaned forward to lick me thoroughly.
Pleasure rushed through me; covering the shame and terror with desire. It's funny how ecstasy can conquer anything; dulling pain, hatred, and even fear. Suddenly, the body is yanked back to its primal instinct; to procreate . With the right partner, the rest of the body's needs—eating, sleeping, and even breathing—become secondary directives. And I was definitely with the right partner now.
I kept my eyes on the Wolf even though his face was buried in my sex. I watched his muscular arms wrap around my thighs—flexing aggressively—and his wide shoulders roll as he moved sensually against me. He didn't tease as Katila had done; he feasted with sounds of pure, masculine delight coming from him. He took what he wanted while giving me everything he knew I'd want. The Wolf's tongue was inside me. Lapping against me. Rubbing firmly. Flicking at the crest of my sex. His mouth covered me to suck greedily.
Wave after wave of rapture hit me; taking me further out to sea. His sea; his essence. Every motion began with him. Every drop belonged to him. I was drowning in the Wolf, and this time, there was no panic. Only peace. Only pleasure. Only him.
And then the Wolf pulled away. The entire lower half of his face was wet. He licked his lips as I watched. The Wolf gave me a lopsided grin as he pulled up the hem of the comforter and wiped his chin with it.
“That's a good start,” he announced. “Lay back on those pillows, Mate. Spread your legs and bring yourself more pleasure. I will watch.”
I moved my trembling body as fast as I could; lying back on the mound of pillows and spreading my legs. I still had my boots on, and I hadn't even realized it. I set their spiked heels into the comforter as I moved my hand between my legs.
The Wolf was nude and glorious; muscles bunching as he leaned forward on the mattress. I pushed away thoughts of the last time I'd seen him this way a
nd concentrated on the present. But it was rough going; even after that epic licking session and even though I rubbed furiously at myself. It looked as if ecstasy could only distract me if given to me by someone else. Once the warm hands and wet tongue drew away, the pain returned.
The Wolf narrowed his stare at me and crawled up on the bed.
“I told you that I would be the alpha,” he said softly. “That means that you don't have to be strong, Mate. Give the trauma to me; cry, scream, come. Do whatever your body needs to do to purge the evil he left inside you. I am here to hold you together. I promise I will not let you fall.”
That broke me. I grabbed him by the shoulders and pulled him against me. The Wolf settled his body between my legs and slid his arms behind and around me. His wolf musk filled my head and calmed my mind. His strong heartbeat reminded me that we had survived. We had been struck down again, but here we were; living and loving together. I pulled back and kissed his beautiful face; the strong jawline, the regal nose, the wise brow. Every inch of him was brutally handsome and so damn precious to me.
“I love you more than air,” I whispered words that I'd gone too long without saying. “I would do anything for you. Do you know that?”
“I know it,” he said gently. “And now, you're going to heal for me. You're going to give me back my mate.”
“No; you're going to heal me,” I said confidently.
“You're damn straight, I am,” he growled. The Wolf's smile was ferociously triumphant as he eased back onto his haunches and looked pointedly at my sex. “Rub yourself; show me what my presence does to you, and I will show you how you affect me.”
His hand went to his thick manhood, and the Wolf began to stroke himself firmly. My stare fastened on his beautiful cock; the velvet skin, the glistening tip, and the thatch of dark curls at its base. I'd had that piece of him inside me many times, but I'd never wanted it so badly as I did at that moment. As I stared at it, my hand moved on its own and began a slow, sensual slide between my legs. I leaned against the pillows and arched my back; desire pinging its way through me like the patter of raindrops. Muscles in the Wolf's abdomen clenched and his biceps flexed. His chest rose and fell with heavy breaths. His pumping hand moved faster. Here was a powerful, intelligent man with a savage soul, a wild heart, and a raging desire for me. I loved him utterly.