Page 8

CHAPTER 8

T he first time I disobeyed pack rules and slipped off our lands to be with Brennan, my wolf had taken control. The second time, it was deliberate.

I’d texted Brennan. Can we meet up tonight?

Of course. You know I’ll be there waiting.

The thought kept me cheerful all day as I helped my mother clean the house and she talked about what kind of work I could do for the pack. Curtis noticed, asking me why I was so happy while I was doing dishes, and my smile disappeared instantly.

But finally, that evening, I went out to run. My mother gave me a questioning look, as if she’d noticed I avoided running on my own.

“I’m going to see if Lawson or Nathan want to run,” I said cheerfully. Then I slipped out of the house to shift.

As a wolf, I could barely control my desire to run straight for Brennan. But I made myself run the opposite way, heading further into pack lands and making sure I wasn’t being followed before I looped around and headed for the noise of the highway. The rush of lights and sound made my heart pound as a wolf, but I finally leapt from the bushes and made a mad dash across the highway. A semi seemed to come out of nowhere and I leapt forward, barely making it onto the grass. The rush of wind of the truck passing close behind seemed to drive me forward as I dashed toward my mate.

Brennan waited on the porch, in his human form, clad only in jeans. I transformed on the grass and walked up to him; for the first time, instead of feeling shy, I felt powerful when he looked at me with such open longing. The moonlight shone on us both, shadowing his handsome face.

He pulled me into a tight hug. “I’m glad we found a way to meet.”

“We probably shouldn’t.” But I clung to him, pressing my cheek against the hard planes of his chest, and it was obvious I had no intention of letting go no matter what we should or shouldn’t do.

“I brought us dinner.” He waited until I disentangled myself from him slightly, then took my hand, hefting a picnic basket in one hand. The two of us went into the cabin, and he laid out a sumptuous meal of fresh pasta, salad and crusty, fresh-baked bread with herb butter. “My sister might be terrifying, but she’s an incredible cook. It’s how she shows her love.”

“I’d like to meet her,” I said, and it was true, even if I was scared to go anywhere near his pack. His eyes lit up. God, he loved his family so much; it was obvious from the way he talked about them. It would be hard for him to leave them, and the thought of his loss tore at me as much as the thought of leaving Aiden and Rose.

“Is there any way we could stay?” I asked him.

He was looking down at the champagne bottle he was trying to open. “I’ve never actually done this before,” he admitted, then popped the lid. Champagne bubbles flowed down the bottle, and both us laughed. I’d thought that only happened in movies.

“Well, that’s the thing,” he said, handing me a glass of champagne. When our fingers overlapped, I felt a pulse of energy between us, matched by the light in his eyes as his gaze met mine. “Jacob Longroad agreed to meet our pack for peace negotiations. There’s a lot of bad history between our packs… between my family and the Longroads too, for that matter… but it’s worth trying for peace.”

My lips parted as a sudden swell of surprise and hope rose in my chest.

“We’ll be together,” he promised me. “Whether we start a new life somewhere else or we start a new life here… we’ll be together.”

Tears flooded my eyes. The thought that I could have Brennan without abandoning Aiden or Rose was such a relief. I set the champagne down, untouched; all I needed to celebrate was his kiss.

He wrapped me in his arms and brushed my hair back from my face. “Don’t be sad. You and I could live up here, between the two packs. We’ll find a way.”

“I’m not sad,” I whispered. “The thought of staying in this cabin with you forever is the best. I’m just… scared to hope that much.”

“It’s a brave, strong thing to hope, Blue Eyes. After a lot of dark days… you make me hope.”

The thought that I made him stronger, just as he made me stronger, was a powerful one. I leaned forward and pressed my lips to his.

Brennan’s hungry, answering kiss sent a wave of warmth through my body, igniting a fire within me. His lips were soft but strong, and his tongue explored every inch of my mouth.

The sensation of his touch was electric. My lips tingled, and my body felt as if it were melting against his. I reached to unbuckle his jeans, pushing them down his thighs, and his lips smiled against mine at my eagerness. He stepped out of his jeans, then scooped and lifted me over his shoulder. I let out a surprised gasp as he carried me to the bed in front of the fire, and the two of us sank onto the soft bed. I ran my hands over his powerful shoulders, trying to memorize every line of his face before he leaned forward and began to kiss me once again. His hand stroked over my sides, and my breasts felt full and aching, longing for more of his touch.

When our lips broke apart, I was breathless and intoxicated. The growing ache between my thighs made me wish his hands would delve lower as I found myself in a trace of desire.

His hands traveled over my curves, leaving trails of heat on my skin. When I closed my eyes, it felt as if I could see myself through his eyes, the way he loved each curve of my body, the way he wanted to hold me forever. It felt as if there was some invisible bond between us that could never be broken.

His kisses moved down my neck, each one more lingering than the last. He trailed feather-like kisses from my mouth down to my neck, teasing the sensitive skin with fleeting touches that made me quiver with anticipation. I gasped softly each time his lips moved lower. He looked up at me as he kissed my stomach, near my thigh, and his eyes shone with love and contentment. The connection between us went beyond physical pleasure, and I ran my hand through his dark hair to tousle it, feeling a powerful sense of affection for his tanned, hard-planed face and those gorgeous eyes.

His hands pressed my thighs apart, and he dipped his head. “God, you are so fucking gorgeous,” he said, before pressing a kiss to my inner thigh, so close to my aching core that my back arched. He looked up at me, his gaze mischievous. “Everywhere, in every way.”

When he pressed a kiss to my center, it felt like molten heat traveling through my body. I jerked away, but his arms wrapped around my thighs, holding me still, and he set to licking and thrusting his tongue inside me with passionate energy. I’d never felt anything so incredible in my life as his mouth against my clit, and my hips tried to jerk and roll, but he held me still. His muscular biceps pressed against my calves as he held my thighs against his shoulders, pleasuring me until my toes curled and I let out a gasp, my hips rocking frantically against his face.

He pulled away. His eyes blazed with intensity as he joined me on the bed. I was frantic for him, wanting more of him, and our lips met in hungry, wild kisses. He wrapped his hands around my waist and pulled me toward him, and I straddled him. My thighs pressed his hard, lean abs as I reached for him and pressed him against the slick between my thighs.

“You feel so fucking good already,” he murmured. “So wet for me.”

I circled his cock urgently against my need. Then I lowered myself abruptly, and he gasped at the pleasure as his cock drove inside me. He felt so big, stretching me, and I was still barely used to it. His fingers found the back of my neck and he tugged me down, covering my mouth with his.

Between kisses, the two of us began to find a rhythm. I rode him, feeling the base of his cock press against my clit each time I came down, savoring the way each time I drove down fully, his tip pressed my g-spot and sent a wave of hot pleasure coursing through my body. He gazed up at me with warm eyes, and his hands wrapped my hips, and I felt each of his fingers hot and distinct against the curve of my ass.

Just as we crested our pleasure together, an almost overwhelming desire to bite him came over me. As I shuddered around his cock, my bones turning to molten pleasure, I kissed his shoulder wildly, then ran my teeth against his skin.

He let out a low moan of pleasure that seemed to be as much from my teeth as from the orgasm. “Do it,” he murmured into my ear. “If you’re ready to mark me, Amelia… I’m ready.”

It was all I needed. Without another second’s though, I drove my teeth into his shoulder. He let out a groan of pain and desire and rapture that I felt through my whole body. It seemed as if the two of us tumbled over the edge of another orgasm immediately, my core clenching wildly around him as waves of pleasure coursed through me.

The next second, he had flipped us both over. I raised my head from the bloody mark I’d left on his shoulder as he kissed the skin on my decolletage, right above my breast. He looked up at me with eyes full of question as he kissed me, and I nodded, before gripping the back of his head and pressing him hungrily against my skin.

His bite seared into my skin, and I let out a cry of pain as my hips jerked against his that then subsided into intense pleasure. As Brennan pulled away, my blood glimmered on his full lower lip; the next second, he’d licked it away before he kissed my lips. His lips were tender again, but the sense of his body against mine was reckless and wild and powerful, as if the two of us were being driven by fate.

“I love you,” he murmured. “So much. I’d tear the world apart for you or I’d try to bring peace for you.”

I blinked, and tears spilled onto my cheeks, but they were tears of joy. I opened my lips to tell him, but as he wiped my tears away with his thumb, I had the feeling he already knew. It might take me time to say those unfamiliar words, but I would.

As the euphoria subsided, Brennan cradled me in his arms and placed a gentle kiss on my forehead. I snuggled against him. When I rested my head on his chest, I could feel his heart beat against my ear. I felt so safe in his embrace, completely safe and loved.

Then a rough voice called from outside. "Brennan. What the fuck are you doing?"

I scrambled to my feet, fear spiking through my chest. He grabbed his hoodie and threw it to me, along with his boxers, before yanking his jeans up. I scrambled into the clothes.

"Stay hidden here in the house," Brennan told me.

"Are you in danger?" I asked, moving to his side instead. I was ready for a fight if anyone threatened Brennan.

Brennan grinned, a quick one sided smile, then pressed a kiss to my cheek. "God, I love you. Look at you, ready to leap to my defense. But I promise, I'm only in danger of being scolded by my annoying younger brother. Go, and I'll be back inside soon."

He barely pulled the door open to go out onto the porch, but he didn’t close it either. I took that as an invitation. I slipped just to one side of the open door so I could listen.

“What are you doing here?” Brennan demanded.

“I came to talk some fucking sense into you.”

"Stone, I don’t need your advice," Brennan told his new guest. "You're not in charge of me."

"No, obviously not." Stone had a deep voice, a rich whiskey rumble. "What the hell are you doing?"

“It’s none of your business.”

“I think it is. You’ve been leaving the pack when they need you.”

“Oh, come off it. I take a few hours to myself after everything is taken care of. Leave me alone, Stone.”

“Who else is out here?” Stone demanded. “Whatever secret you’re keeping impacts the whole pack.”

I closed my eyes, a sick feeling curdling in my stomach. I always got too nervous when anyone fought, even if they weren’t mad at me. The two of them kept arguing back and forth.

“Listen, I’m capable of making my own decisions without your interference!” Brennan finally snapped at his brother. "I'm the alpha here!"

Shock rattled through me.

Brennan wasn't just from a rival pack. He was its leader. His words echoed inside my body. I’m the alpha here.

A sudden pit had opened where my heart used to be. We'd been so close and now it felt like a chasm had opened between us wide enough for me to fall through. This was why he was powerful enough to create peace talks between my pack and his.

“What are you doing out here with some human? The pack’s been through enough. Hell, our family’s been through enough. Casey needs you, you’re the only one who can calm him down, but you’re off running around with some pretend relationship that can never become anything—"

“Enough.” Brennan’s voice held an alpha growl I’d never heard before. "It's not like that."

"Then what is it like?" Stone challenged.

I watched nervously from my spot near the door, hoping they wouldn't notice me.

"It's complicated," Brennan said, his voice low and deep.

Stone snorted in disbelief. "Complicated? I highly doubt it." He hesitated for a moment before continuing, his voice softer now. "Look, Brennan, I know you better than anyone else. And I know how much you care about the pack despite whatever...you’ve gotten involved in right now."

He looked towards the house where I was hiding, and I ducked back with my stomach twisting. He knew full well I was inside listening to their conversation.

"We all make mistakes," he continued. "But what matters is how we move forward."

I didn’t want to hear how Brennan answered. Brennan, the alpha of his pack. I felt sick. Had he been using me to learn about my pack? Had everything between us been fake?

No, the mate bond felt real. I hadn’t even believed in a mating bond until I met Brennan, but now I had no doubt.

But sometimes, bonds weren’t enough.

I went to the back door, planning to run back to my own pack lands. But I couldn't stand to do it. I couldn't leave Brennan forever without even saying goodbye.

As I reached the front door, Stone looked up and locked eyes with me. He looked so much like Brennan, a tall, strapping man with dark hair, but his blue eyes were cold and icy. He carried Brennan's sense of power, but also a sense of domination and aggression. I stopped dead.

"So, not a human then," he said, his voice dripping with derision. "Even worse. This is why you wanted peace with those animals. You are so fucking selfish, Brennan."

With that, he turned and left without another word, leaving me alone with Brennan once more.

Brennan let out a deep breath as his brother walked away. Then he turned to me with an apologetic expression on his face.

"I'm sorry." He moved closer to me so that we were standing toe-to-toe in the doorway of the house. He took both of my hands in his own as he spoke again softly but firmly. "No matter what happens, we will find our way together. Either here, or we’ll forge a new path forward."

"How is that possible," I asked tightly, "when you've been lying to me all this time?"

He shook his head. "I wouldn't lie to you."

"You're the alpha of our worst enemies," I said. "Are you using me to get information about my pack?"

"Amelia, no." He shook his head. "It's not like that. I love you."

The words felt like I was ripping them from my soul. "I never want to see you again."

Brennan closed his eyes, looking as if he’d been struck by a terrible blow. But when he opened his eyes again, his voice was as calm and quiet as ever. "I'll keep coming here. And when you're ready—"

"Don't.” The thought that Brennan would be here, waiting, would drive me crazy. I didn’t know if I could keep my wolf from fleeing to him again.

And eventually… he would stop coming. He’d move on.

Even if we were both wearing each other’s marks.

"I'll be here," he finished, in that calm, patient voice, as if he were every bit the alpha.

I turned and fled.