Page 26 of Heartless Wolf (Wolf Moon Rejected #1)

CHAPTER 26 - LIV

Author’s note: this scene features crossover with Vengeful Mates from the Jackals’ Wrath MC series. For those who have read this, I’ll keep the repetition to a minimum while expressing the characters’ points of view.

“WHAT THE FUCK, DASH?” The seven-foot man with coals for eyes looked one flex away from crushing skulls. Slade. President. Names sewn on his motorcycle club vest. Danger oozed from his pores and my shewolf snarled at the threat. “Explain this bullshit. N.O.W.”

Yeah. Explain this one away, Dash.

Only lies dripped from his sinful tongue. Promises to be good when he left destruction and misery in his wake. He exploited my capacity to trust yet again, and I burned from shame and regret.

Slade’s grinding jaw told me he’d cut right through my mate’s bullshit if he tried it on him.

Dash scraped the back of his neck. “She’s... ugh... my mate.” Regret twinged our connection as his eyes switched to me.

I enjoyed him sweating under his boss’ roasting gaze, which was hot enough to dry the fish in the ocean.

“Rejected mate,” I corrected.

Aaliyah, the female who found me down here, queried, “Dash, you said you were engaged the last time we met.” Smart woman tried to figure out truth from fiction in our stories.

The nerve of this guy to say we were engaged. There was no engagement after today. Period.

I huffed. “More like matched at the moon ceremony and dumped right after it. But this jealous bitch couldn’t handle me being promised to a rival pack to settle a territory dispute, and kidnapped and locked me in here.” Ground I went over with Aaliyah earlier in the hope she would get me released.

Fuck. I cringed how I grilled her at first meeting, fueled with jealousy and convinced she was the mysterious Whitney. Turned out she was the mate of Dash’s boss, and she went upstairs to get him and have me released. She was lucky I was trapped behind those bars, because I was so cold with fury, I was ready to kill to get out of here.

Dash reddened at being insulted in front of his colleagues. The first hint of weakness from him. “That’s enough, Liv.”

Enough? I’d give him enough. I was sick of his lies and schemes and wanted out. I was every bit the Alpha he was and wouldn’t be muzzled by his dominant command. “Let me out, Dash.”

Slade’s slow, frustrated swipe of his beard and jaw said his impatience hit boiling point. “Dash, I don’t think I have to tell you how bad this looks. We just emerged with our tails burned from some heat from the cops. If they find out you’ve kidnapped someone, that could bring a lot of heat to us that we don’t need when we’ve just opened the Lithgow chapter.”

Fuck. What kind of dealings were Dash and his men getting involved in?

“I’ll deal with this matter after the run,” Dash promised. “I’m keeping her here because she’s not safe.”

“You keep using that damn excuse, but won’t explain why.” I forgot about the iron bars, grabbed the metal, instantly regretting it, palms snapping off. “Damn it.”

“Here, honey. I can heal you with my magick.” Aaliyah approached, inserting her arms through the bars, holding out her palms.

This woman was the mate of bikers. Deadly bikers, if reputation served them correctly. Yet her scent, posture, and the softness in her eyes didn’t set off my danger instincts. The gentle urge in her voice spoke of a history in nursing or taking care of people.

Desperate for relief, I let Aaliyah treat the burned skin, marveling at the fast repair of blisters and regrowth of flesh. Thankful for her magick, I gave her a tight smile.

Dark, destructive magick charged the air, and it turned my stomach. Slade’s tolerance ran dry. “Why is your mate unsafe? Does this have anything to do with the cunts Castor had locked up for longer?”

Dash repeated my story about TJ, our father’s plans to Red Wedding our enemy, finishing with, “She’s locked in here because she tried to escape, and I’ve got no spare men to guard her.”

Slade inched closer until they were chest to chest, the deep growl in his throat icing my blood. Ash Lumbry had nothing on this guy.

“That’s not the full fucking story.” He punched each word into Dash’s collarbone with his forefinger. “I sense your chaos, asshole. Gimme the rest of the story before I beat it out of you and call off the deal. The one you didn’t tell the Pack Daddies.”

My shewolf snarled at Slade for threatening her mate, and he glanced at me, silencing me with an ice-cold glare.

Dash let out a long, defeated breath. “Remember the debt I mentioned?”

“Yeah.” Slade lit up a cigarette, the smoke he blew out combining with tension to choke the room.

“It had a magical component.” Walls on Dash’s dam finally broke.

Fury sparked in my breast that he disclosed what he hid from me under threat of losing his beloved club. Why couldn’t he be truthful with me?

He dragged a weary hand down his face. “Going on a year now, enemies poisoned our water supply and food, nearly killing my pack. Days later, they invaded our lands, slaughtering some of our soldiers, almost killing Steele.”

Steele nodded, corroborating the account.

Dash told me some of this story, but not the full extent. Cold shock seeped under my skin and spread throughout my body at the Malice’s level of cunning. What we might expect as repercussions for Dash interfering in TJ’s business, accidentally exposing his Lunar tattoo, and kidnapping TJ’s property.

Anger lashed along our bond. “We paid a witch twenty grand to set up wards around our lands to keep our enemy out. She asked for some of my hair and blood, claiming she needed it to connect the spell to my bloodline, and I was dumb and desperate enough to provide it.” He hung his head and scraped his boot along the ground.

Pieces of a jumbled puzzle slid to fit together. The protection spell he and Steele injected into my food. Dash’s caginess to admit his mistake.

“Bitch tied me to the spell, and every full moon, the spell weakens, and the moon drains my strength. If it wasn’t for Gable, I’d be dead.” He fished out an amulet from beneath his shirt. “I wear this to ward off the spell’s effect on me every full moon.”

More pieces slid into place. Why he acted sluggish during the first fight with the Malices. Why he clutched the amulet beneath his chest. Why his drained energy transferred to me along our Lunar bond.

Dash spiked his fingers through his hair. “The fucking kicker is my blood ties not just me to the spell, but anything I own. My pack. The club.” His repentant gaze lifted to mine. Protectiveness flared in his eyes. “And my damn Lunar mate.” He growled the last one so hard it hit me in the chest. Sorrow and regret darkened our link, telling me he wasn’t proud of his lies or his actions.

Finally I got the answer why he told me not to taunt him for what he wanted but couldn’t have.

Four sets of eyes sailed to me, and my chest pulled at the truth lodging in my heart. Aaliyah let out a little pleased sigh, and I felt the echoing tingle of her healing magick. Tattered edges of broken trust between Dash and me wove together, and Aaliyah smiled at me, as though pleased her gift worked on me in more than one way.

“Angel, you little lovebird.” Alaric pulled her into his arms and decorated her hair with loving kisses that brightened the smile playing at her mouth.

I rocked at the final piece clicking into place. All this time he never lied. He honored every damn promise to protect me. What a wolf did for his mate. Flutters took flight in my chest at the extent he was willing to go for me. Risking his standing in his pack with his father, having his pack wiped out by defending me from TJ, and jeopardizing the start-up of his new motorcycle club. This was why the Lunar goddess chose him for me. Why he always owned my heart. Dash Lumbry moved heaven and earth for me.

Respect kindled in my chest for mate, a fire that needed complete trust to burn brighter. Grief unwound from my chest and let me really breathe for the first time in years. Fluffy satisfaction flowed through my veins knowing how much I meant to him. The chance of our future together stretched like a flower reaching for morning sunlight.

My wolf growled at me for my abominable behavior toward Dash, twisting my joy into a hot, sour mess. Brat. Bitch. Insert more B words for the way I acted. Tremors shook my hands for hitting him over the head. Vile words spat at him clenched my throat tight. Mistrust for his ulterior motives burned to ash. Words weren’t enough for an apology, and even if I could get them out, they’d be nothing more than a pitiful whimper. Ashamed of my behavior, I lost my footing and slumped back on the bed.

Taking everything into consideration, Dash wasn’t a total hero in my eyes, his conduct questionable and immoral. Threats to his mate provoked his wolf’s intervention in a dangerous situation with TJ and his men. Actions somewhat out of his control, given his animalistic nature. It was his decisions after that which were up for debate. Taking me to his clubhouse where he considered me safe should have been a mutual decision. Confinement in his iron cell was a brutal move, and one I wouldn’t forgive so easily. It should never have gone this far. Never gotten so complicated.

But having said that, I had to give Dash credit for trying to right his mistakes and protect everybody when fate dropped more and more obstacles in his path.

Slade took a long pull of his cigarette, his temper bleeding from him like the smoke pouring out his nose. “The spell is the reason you had Steele sign our contract? To protect your asset?”

“Yes.” Truth rang like a vibrating sword along our link.

“You should have told us.” Slade tossed the cigarette on the ground and stamped out the coals. “Castor and Aaliyah might have been able to do something for you.”

Dash reddened again, this time from anger. “I’m reminded daily of my fuck-ups by my father. Didn’t need it from my hero .”

At the way he said hero my heart went a little mushier. When Dash and I chatted last night, his admiration and respect for the Jackals shone through. Whatever they were doing today, it meant everything to him, and he didn’t let anything get in the way of that. Shitty and unavoidable circumstances dragged him into this mess. The catastrophic Lunar ceremony, the Umbras’ plans, my wedding cake testing, each one digging a deeper hole for him.

Slade puffed up at the compliment. A quick check of his watch forced his brows down hard over his dark blue eyes. “Fuck. We don’t have time to deal with this bullshit. We’ve got business to attend to.”

Aaliyah went to him and massaged his shoulder. “It’s okay. I’ll stay and watch over Liv.”

“I can’t stay here!” I petitioned my case, and I resented having to do so when I had every right to leave. “My father will be distraught. I have to call him and let him know where I am.”

Aaliyah looked to her mate for guidance. This was now officially Jackals’ business.

Slade nodded at Dash. “Let her out.” He caught Aaliyah by the elbows. “Look after her, will you? No one’s to touch her or hurt her. Anyone that tries, you fucking cancer them to death or some shit.”

“Yes, Mr. Vincent.” Aaliyah smiled saucily at him. “I’ll hold down the fort while you get on the road.”

“Good.” Slade wasn’t shy about squeezing her ass in front of everyone. Steele was the only one that looked away. “Dash, let your mate out and let’s get back to business.”

My mate approached the cell, slipped the key into the lock and swung open the door. Fuck… I’d not called Dash that before and it felt exhilarating and terrifying at the same time.

Angel choruses sang in my chest as I sluggishly maneuvered my way out.

He blocked the entry with his massive frame and cupped my face when I tried to budge him from it. “Please stay, Liv. I promise we’ll talk when I get back. For now, I’m fucking sorry for everything.”

As far as groveling, it wasn’t bad. Six out of ten. He must really want me to stay. I maintained my stony face, making him work for it.

My lack of forgiveness forced more from his lips. “There’s no one more important than you. There never has been.”

Every word hit their mark, and damn, my shewolf dropped her belly to the floor and rolled over for him. Me, the Alpha within, insisted on making him sweat a little. Grovel was his middle name.

“Smooth,” Slade cheered from behind us, sandwiching Aaliyah between his chest and Alaric’s.

She nudged him in the rib with her elbow. “You using your Love god powers?”

Love god? Hell, no. That man was a beast. The devil himself.

Slade snorted and lifted her up for a kiss.

Dash hooked my chin with his fingers and dragged my gaze back to his, his dominance demanding I look at no one else.

“No Whitney?” The question singed my chest.

“Whitney is Steele’s sister, and if I looked at her like that, Beau would kill me.” His revelation had the butterflies in my chest going on a rampage. “You’re the only one I’ve ever wanted.”

My wolf mate didn’t let me get a cross word in and crashed his mouth to mine, his kiss wrapping around my body like velvet. Amber curled through my nose, and I breathed him in. Sturdy hands came to my back and neck, holding me in place. Lines of fire ignited across my skin, all converging on the one spot—my heart—where they exploded like dynamite.

Slade cleared his throat. “Dash, get your ass on the road.”

Footsteps marked their retreat, Steele the last to clear out, giving them respect.

“Will you stay, Mooncrack?” Dash stared at me, stormy eyes desperate for an answer.

I wanted to hear what else he intended to say. Roast his damn ass for making me jealous over Whitney. Determine his plans to find this damn witch and destroy the spell on him so that nothing prevented us from joining as Lunar mates. “I’ll stay tonight and go home tomorrow.”

His resigned breath and nod said he wouldn’t stop me if that was what I decided tomorrow. “See you when I get back.”

“Bye.”

He kissed me even harder this time, his fingers curling over one hip and behind my neck in a pure display of possessiveness that weakened my knees and left me breathless.

He dragged me upstairs, slapped my ass, trusting me to the capable hands of my new jailer, Aaliyah. We watched them warm up their bikes and depart, basking in the roar of their engines.

Worry etched into Aaliyah’s brow as she turned to me. “If it’s any consolation, my mates locked me up too.”

I huff-laughed, rubbing the receding ache from the iron cell. “Habit of the Jackals?”

Her warm laugh chased away the chill of Dash’s departure. “They’re bad men with good intentions, who don’t always get things right. That’s where we keep them honest.”

I laughed at the irony of being attracted to and falling for a bad boy, yet hating what came with it. “You keep bad men honest?” Sounded like an insurmountable task when men like Dash magnetized trouble.

Aaliyah’s laugh cast off the last of my chill. “I try to.” She wrapped an arm around my shoulder. “C’mon, honey. Let’s get you inside. Want a tea? Coffee? I’ll give you some tips on how to make Dash grovel so hard he’ll come away with gravel rash.”

I liked her instantly. Her natural charm and understanding slid past my guard. And I had a feeling she’d become a good friend, someone who’d been around bikers longer than me, to teach me how to navigate the world of the Jackals’ Wrath MC. Hell, to school me on how to love a bad man with good intentions, like Dash.

“Sure.” I smiled back.

I was going to need all the help I could get to deal with the last two days because I fell for Dash once and got burned. I was scared to let him into my heart again, and I had to overcome that if we were ever going to bond as Lunar mates.