Page 22 of Heartless Wolf (Wolf Moon Rejected #1)
CHAPTER 22 - DASH
A soft weight nestled on my hips. Hands stroked along my chest. Purring roused my wolf from the edge of slumber. I lifted my eyelids and found Liv straddling me, massaging my stomach, grinding into my rock-hard dick, her eyes a dark, possessive blue.
Fuck. The way she dragged her nails along my chest said her Lunar heat possessed her, and she needed what only I could give her.
I liberated my hands from my rucksack to claim her hips and encourage her rocking against my cock. “Mooncrack, are you sure you want this?”
Her hips sped up their rhythm, silencing my questions, my mind jolting and unable to think of anything but the pleasure radiating from my cock to my toes. Blonde and teal locks sailed from her shoulders over her chest, hiding her perfect breasts from my view. Creases lined her plump stomach as she undulated like an enchanting belly dancer.
Letting her dominate me was hot. Her head fell back, and she released a carnal moan, the head of my dick hitting the right spot.
“Fuck, Liv. Don’t tease.” My growl sparked the silver flash in her eyes. “I want to be inside you.”
Her lips ticked into a seductive smile, and she lifted herself higher, lining up her pussy to my cock, preparing to lower herself onto me.
I reached up to cup the side of her face. “I’ve waited for this for so long.”
Clomping noises behind her called my attention away. Someone came down the stairs. Not fucking now. Not when I got to take what was mine. My body vibrated from my warning growl.
A hand nudged my shoulder. What the fuck? And why was Liv paused over the top of me and not riding me cowgirl?
“Wake up, asshole,” Steele rumbled at me, low and deep.
I growled at him to fuck off, not wanting him to see my mate like this. A harder nudge snapped me from my dream, and my eyes split open. Steele hovered over me, carrying two brown paper bags, a tray of coffees, and a disapproving morning scowl. Impatient brown eyes roved down to the middle of my rucksack and back up, then back again.
Okay. I got the hint. Slept in too late. Get the fuck up.
Liv and I chatted into the night about the club and caught up on each other’s lives. Funny stories. Hard times. Like old times. The woman wormed deeper into my heart, and I knew it was going to be virtually impossible to leave her again if I couldn’t find a way to eliminate all our enemies.
Steele repeated the eye sweep motion/glare combo instead of giving me my morning fuel. What the fuck was with him?
Realization dawned on me. My cock was hard, aching, and straining for release, waving good morning. I just had a wet dream over Liv. Moaned her goddamn name. If she heard that, I was in a world of pain to explain it away when I fed her lies with the Whitney story.
On the bed, she sat up, yawned and wiped sleep from her eyes. I did the same to disguise the fucking eggplant bulge under my rucksack.
“Brought you breakfast.” Steele rustled the paper bags full of what smelled like bacon and egg rolls. “We’ve got a big day, and you need your energy.”
Steele’s words sank in. My cue to get up, shower, get Liv freshened up and fed before the Jackals arrived to accompany us on our first shipment of Pharaoh . An ice pick pierced my stomach. Aside from bathing, Liv had to stay in the cell. I needed all men onboard and couldn’t spare a guard for her or risk her running back to her pack.
As president, I was expected to partake in the operation and be across every detail of the drug run. I couldn’t afford to be distracted by her or a getaway attempt during such an important milestone. Our career as Jackals hinged on a successful delivery without hiccups. My engorged dick went down faster than a wolf caught in wire.
Steele dumped a bag in my lap and a coffee by my rucksack, and I grunted my appreciation.
Daddy Steele to the rescue!
My VP set the coffee tray down and bag at the end of Liv’s bed. “Thought you’d like something more substantial than canned soup.”
A peace offering. His bond wanted to make it clear this situation wasn’t his decision. Asshole played good cop to win brownie points, probably to get Liv to put in a good word with her sister! Better get prepared for an EPIC grovel… like me, if I ever resolved the threats to my pack bullshit.
That, and he objected to the club stocking microwaveable frozen meals in the freezer and soda in the cupboards, and where possible, brought us kebab wraps, burgers, and other meat-filled treats to keep us healthy. Canned meals were for when we came back from a long ride and were too lazy to go back out to get takeout or wanted something fast.
Liv didn’t get up for the food, prompting Steele to grunt, “Eat up. Next meal is dinner.” He took a bite of his to demonstrate.
Liv glared at Steele, smashing any hopes of redeeming himself. “Is it poisoned?”
My wolf snarled at her bruised face and split lip. I held back from leaning up to stroke her jaw, wiping away any residual pain from where that motherfucker, TJ, hit her.
I hated how pale she looked, the dull steel of her eyes, and the shadows hugging her cheekbones and under her eyes. The iron. Holding her in here too long initiated weight loss and deterioration of her muscles and bodily functions. Leaving her in there for any longer than a month was a death sentence. Once today was concluded, she could come out with me, where I’d guard her or have one of my men do it if I had business to attend to.
Speaking of that, I better get out of here to let my shifter healing regenerate my strength and banish my stiffness. Showing up for the ride looking half a zombie, suggested I drank all night and got shit-faced. Not a good look to my boss.
Steele ran a hand over his weary face. Impatience on our bond said he didn’t want to have to babysit my mate on top of trying to concentrate on our big day. “No. I swear on my baby girl’s life, it’s not poisoned.”
False. Tampered with two drops of harmless protection spell. Precautions for leaving her here alone while we delivered the drugs. Even if someone found her, they couldn’t get inside without the magical password Castor assigned us.
Liv’s unnerved dark eyes melted. “You have a girl?”
“Abby. She’s almost four.” Steele lit up when he spoke of her, eyes liquid honey. The light of his world chased away his shadows.
“Happy birthday in advance.” Liv relented and accepted the food, and my wolf yipped, pleased. Her gaze flicked to me, then back to Steele, the proud papa bear rattling on about his daughter. She picked at her food, nibbling it, hissing and pressing her split lip. Heat ripped through my body, and I growled at the cocksucker who did that to her.
Grabbing onto a break in the conversation, I cleared my throat, giving Steele the hint to fuck off. We had shit to do. The Jackals arrived in an hour. I needed my men ready, and Liv fed, freshened up, and somewhat comfortable.
He caught on to my meaning, and grunted, “See you tonight, Liv. Maybe I’ll bring Abby round tomorrow for a visit?”
“I’d like that.” Liv’s brittle smile dropped away for a content one, and she picked at her food as he thumped back up the stairs.
My wolf murmured his delight that she was open to staying.
Loneliness pricked our bond. She needed comfort and reassurance, the kind I wanted to give but couldn’t. Last night, I was vulnerable and cracked open my heart to her in an effort to win trust. I didn’t know if it worked or not. Trust and protection were the only things I could safely provide for her. Talk about giving her mixed fucking signals. That had to stop. Friendliness only from now on. Nothing personal. Anything more risked losing sight of my goals and crossing a line from which I was unable to return. Tonight, I’d let her call her sister and seek comfort there.
“See you, love birds.” Steele, the fucker, had to call that out before he closed the wall panel. A fuck you for bringing Liv here and forcing him into silence with Father.
Liv flushed red. Bikers teased each other over crude shit and I was used to it. This time, irritation spiked my gut that his comment flared hope in her that shouldn’t be fostered.
I eased her awkwardness with a question. “When you finish breakfast, do you want to take a shower?” Then I swallowed hard, thinking about the implications of her hot, wet, and slick. Damn fucking Castor for planting those seeds!
“I’m allowed out of here?” I hated the lack of stamina on our bond from trapping her in there. At least she would be docile and unable to mount a struggle when I took her upstairs.
I threw back some coffee to dislodge the concrete setting in my dry as fuck throat. Steele got it just how I liked it: cream and sugar.
“To shower.” I wanted her to finish her meal, give her body what it needed to heal her wounds, and maintain some strength despite the iron weakening her. Then I’d deliver the kicker about today’s accommodation arrangements.
She ground her food and glared at me like she imagined my flesh between her teeth. My wolf purred with pleasure that she ate, even if she hated me for a little while longer.
“I can taste herbs.” Fuck she had good perception.
Feisty thing spat the food on the floor like a man. An Alpha.
I rubbed my forehead. Honesty was the only way to get food into her, so I gave it to her. “It’s a protection spell, Liv.”
Suspicions piled behind her gaze that I wanted to knock down. “From what?”
“It’s better if you don’t know.” I swiped at my coffee to wash away the mud gathering there.
She stiffened and set aside her food. “We’re back to mysterious and secretive.” What little trust I established dried up.
I was a bad guy through and through. No apologies. Best to stick to my goal and not let Liv distract me from them. I finished off my meal in silence. I’d leave Liv’s in her cell to eat later.
Time to deliver the kicker that would put me in shitheadville. “You can take a shower, then you have to stay in here. I’ll be gone all day and back late. We have an important ride.” The aching in my head throbbed harder with each word. “Things will get rowdy upstairs. Music. Partying.”
Her end of the bond didn’t like that, and went rabid like a crazed, possessive wolf. Yesterday she spat venom about me fucking the club whores, which pissed me off and I left.
“When it’s done, I’ll come for you, and you can sleep upstairs… with me.” The last part came out a question, evaluating her response.
Caution scratched at my gut. The longer she stayed here, the more I put her in danger. But hell, the selfish bastard in me couldn’t let her go. It was only a matter of time before forces more powerful than the Malices discovered Liv belonged to me… and then she wouldn’t.
“Don’t bother. I’d rather sleep here.” She flopped back onto the bed.
Heat flamed the back of my neck. I thought I offered her consolation, but she switched on bitch mode as a protective mechanism. She could hate me all she liked as long as it kept her safe and alive.
As for the cell, it was non-negotiable. I wouldn’t make her suffer longer than necessary, which was why I’d make her stay here as comfortable as possible. Then I’d go after every last one of those Malice fuckers and destroy them.