Page 26

twenty-six

ASPEN

Enzo’s wolf didn’t stop at our room for a shower, despite the filth that we were currently covered in. He ran past the Lodge and around a corner, skidding to a stop when he found a shirtless Jake sitting among a group of other men who were gathered around a firepit.

Jake’s grin vanished when he saw the snarling monster facing him, and it didn’t return when Enzo shifted.

The voices of everyone around the fire quieted.

Jake stood and lifted his hands in the air. “I didn’t know you were out there.”

My wolf didn’t give me control, and I didn’t dare try to take it back. Ending up naked and on my ass in front of all those men definitely wouldn’t help the situation.

Enzo’s chest rumbled with a furious growl.

“Ask him if he felt the rut,” I urged.

He clenched his jaw for a moment but finally gritted out, “Did you feel the effects of her heat pulling you in?”

Jake’s forehead creased. “What effects?”

“Did you feel any lust?” The words sounded physically painful for him to get out.

The crease in Jake’s forehead deepened. “No, man. I didn’t feel anything. When my wolf heard you guys out there, he turned around.”

Holy shit.

Relief hit me so hard, my wolf plopped down on the ground.

“I don’t want to hear any fucking gossip about this,” Enzo managed. “If I hear gossip, you die.”

“Got it, man. Loud and clear.” Jake saluted him, clearly realizing that the imminent danger was past. “Congrats on sealing your bond. That’s a damn good mark you have.” He gestured to Enzo’s shoulder. Enzo contorted his head in an attempt to look. He couldn’t have possibly seen it, but his body position changed. Grew prouder, somehow.

He grunted, the closest he’d give Jake to a thank you .

With that, he grabbed my wolf around the middle and carried her away. She yelped at him, and he said into our mind, “I’m going to have to kill him if I don’t have you in my arms.”

She relaxed.

And licked his face.

It was dirty. Disgustingly dirty. We both were.

If I was the one licking him, I would’ve gagged.

But she seemed fine with it, so I tried not to get too grossed out.

As soon as we were back in our room, she gave him a few more licks to the face, then shifted back. And suddenly, we were alone again.

In our human forms, absolutely filthy, and mated on top of that.

“What do we do now?” I asked, uncertainty creeping in. He was still holding me, but I wasn’t embarrassed. We’d been together too many times for that.

“Shower and sleep. Tomorrow, you should probably turn someone else.”

I could hear how much he hated the idea, but we both knew there was no way around it. If we wanted to keep the peace in Crimson River, I was going to have to turn more people. A lot more.

Enzo carried me into the shower, and I leaned my head against his shoulder. “Thanks for not killing him.”

“I still might.”

“No, you won’t.” I kissed the place I’d bitten him. Where his skin was scarred in two crescents, a perfect replica of the sharp tips of my teeth.

He rumbled in satisfaction.

“Not worrying about heat anymore would be amazing,” I admitted. “We’ll need to test it again next month. Maybe one of your brothers will offer or something.”

“I’ll think about it.”

I wasn’t going to push him.

Even if it took months or a year for him to feel comfortable with it, he would eventually agree.

And if being mated really prevented heat from affecting anyone other than me and Enzo, then I would be free.

Not entirely free. Not while the city wanted me to transform five-hundred-years-worth of women.

But still. Freer than I ever would’ve hoped for.

We stepped under the water, and Enzo held me close while it fell over us. He set me down on my feet, and I leaned against him as he pulled me in.

“My head doesn’t hurt anymore,” he said.

I frowned.

“It always hurt. I let too many people into the pack. With so many wolves going rogue, I couldn’t leave them to lose their minds. I knew I had too many, but my father had more, so I thought I’d be fine. I didn’t put it together until tonight that he could hold them all without pain because of his bond with my mom.”

“You can communicate mentally with everyone without pain now?”

He tried it. “Yeah. Can you feel the pack?”

“I don’t know. What does it feel like?”

“Something wrapped around your skin. Warm. Buzzing. Alive.”

I shook my head. “I just feel like me.”

“Maybe it’ll come later.”

Or maybe it wouldn’t.

I didn’t particularly care either way.

We scrubbed ourselves clean, and I spent extra time on my hair. It was insanely tangled. Enzo had to pick a few leaves out of it, but he thought it was funny.

I did too.

When we finally left the shower, we stumbled into bed and collapsed into each other’s arms.

It was blissful.

I woke with a moan as Enzo dragged his tongue over my clit. My fingers buried in his hair as my hips arched, pulling him closer. He licked me slowly. Lazily. Without a care in the damn world.

I shattered quickly, and he kissed me through the orgasm, still slow and sweet.

Panting, I released his hair as he pulled me down the mattress, resting over the top of me.

“Good morning, Princess.”

“What a way to wake up,” I mumbled.

His chest rumbled, and he kissed my cheek. Then my nose. Then my mouth.

I parted my lips, tasting myself on his tongue, and wrapped my arms around the back of his neck. When I hooked my legs around his ass to line us up he stopped me with a hand over my center.

“What are you doing?” I asked against his lips.

“Stopping you from distracting me.”

My forehead creased.

“Clay has had the next couple waiting for us in the conference room since this morning. He won’t get out of my head.”

Oh.

“What time is it?”

“Noon.”

Wow.

My sense of time was totally screwed up after the days I’d spent recovering from turning Sydney and my mom.

“Okay, we can get dressed. You’re really hard, though.”

“That’s not exactly a rarity these days.”

I rolled my eyes at him.

His lips curved upward, just slightly.

“Changing the next woman will knock me out for the next forty-eight hours,” I said. “If they’ve already been waiting half the day, another few minutes won’t hurt. And if you fuck me hard, you can get off fast.”

His eyes gleamed wickedly. “I’ve been trying to be more careful with you.”

“Stop trying. I don’t want careful.” I pulled his hand away from my core, and hooked my heels in his muscular ass. When I pulled him closer, he filled me and fucked me hard.

Just like I wanted.

We got dressed quickly when we were done. Since they’d been waiting so long, a shower seemed like too much to ask for. We just cleaned up, threw some clothes on, and headed out.

Enzo’s fingers were intertwined with mine when we made it out of the room, and our arms brushed. Our connection felt so much more real than it ever had before. So much more… settled.

There was no going back.

And even if there had been, I didn’t want to.

I had no idea how we were going to handle the situation with turning more women, but we would figure it out together.

There was food waiting on the table when we got to the conference room. I noticed Clay nod at Enzo before my Alpha touched any of it.

I wouldn’t have thought anything of the quick interaction before Enzo told me about their past. Now, I knew Clay was confirming that it was safe.

“My mate needs to eat before she turns anyone,” Enzo said, barely bothering a glance at the hopeful-looking couple seated at the table.

I sat down next to the woman, and gave her a small smile. “Sorry about the wait. We sealed our bond late last night, and just got up a few minutes ago.”

“It was no trouble,” the woman said quickly. She was older than my mother—probably in her sixties or seventies. I was curious whether the magic would age her backward a little, like it did for my mom. “Thank you for doing this for me.”

“Of course.”

Enzo set a plate down in front of me and took the chair beside mine. We ate quickly while Clay explained the situation to the couple.

“This is basically an experiment,” he said.

Alarm flashed in the couple’s eyes.

“Not for you,” he clarified. “For Aspen. We’re not sure whether the mate bond between her and our beloved king here has changed how transforming you will affect her.” He gestured to Enzo, who scowled. “The last two times, she passed out during the process and was unconscious for a long while.”

They both looked stunned.

“I’m only telling you this so you’re not surprised if she faints. She’ll probably sit on her mate’s lap when she changes you, just in case,” Clay said.

Enzo made a sound of agreement.

The woman jerked away from him, terror flashing in her eyes.

I supposed that from an outside perspective, he was terrifying. More than six and a half feet tall, made solidly of thick, hard muscle, and with an expression that usually looked angry…

Yeah.

He could definitely pass as terrifying. I could still remember being afraid of him, too.

I guess I trusted him too much to fear him any longer.

That was insane, wasn’t it? I didn’t trust him to stay with me, or to make choices that I would necessarily agree with. But I trusted him to protect me. To be there for me if I needed him.

And that was a big deal.

The door opened as Fletcher stepped inside. There was blood on his hands and face.

The woman started to tremble.

I patted her hand awkwardly. “I’m sure there’s a logical explanation for why he looks that way.”

The daggers I shot in his direction told him there had better be a reason.

He looked at Enzo.

A moment passed before Enzo’s voice brushed my mind. “Another rogue went rabid last night. While you and I were in the forest. Clay’s wolf can’t be trusted to hunt them, and Hunter couldn’t leave Nova. My brothers put him in charge of the hunt, alongside another enforcer to show him the ropes. It went well. They dealt with the threat, and just made it back.”

“What’s wrong with Clay’s wolf?”

“He’s insane.”

Lovely.

I was going to have to ask more questions about that. Many more.

But for the moment, we had something else to worry about.

The couple in front of us.

So, I cleared my throat. “Should we get on with it?”

Fletcher dropped into a seat near to the food, and started wordlessly loading up his plate. Clay tossed him a packet of wipes that must’ve been in his pocket. He was probably used to carrying them around for Enzo’s sake.

“No time like the present,” Clay said, his voice upbeat.

I was starting to think his social skills might be the only reason the city hadn’t already descended into a cesspit of anarchy and murder.

If it did, Enzo would end up as a mafia kingpin or something. I could totally see it.

He lifted me off my chair. My plate wasn’t empty, but I’d put a big enough dent in the food.

When he sat me on his lap, I looked at Fletcher, and found him watching me. His forehead was creased with concern, like usual. I mouthed, I’m fine , and he jerked his head in a nod.

“I’ll need to bite you,” I explained to the woman, and she held out her arm.

Without further ado, I nudged my wolf to the surface. My teeth lengthened as she surged forward, and I felt a connection flare to life between us as my fangs sank into the woman’s skin.

The immediate, sharp pull on my energy was familiar.

The growl from the male behind me, and the surge of his energy flowing into mine, was not.

Our bond was letting him help me. Giving me something to lean on and anchor myself to.

When Enzo’s energy started to wane, I felt an electric wave of something else.

Something new.

Something bigger than either of us or our bond.

I inhaled sharply as the weight of his pack’s connection flooded my veins, held together by the wild electricity of Enzo’s magic.

The woman I’d bitten transformed instantly from a beautiful woman with graying hair to a stunning, unconscious silver wolf.

My chest rose and fell quickly, Enzo’s arms like iron around my waist. I didn’t need him to hold me up, though.

I was fine.

Perfectly fine.

The man was already picking up his mate as he choked back emotion. The look in his eyes made me burn with pride.

I’d done that for them.

Me… and Enzo. And the pack.

Clay led the man out of the room politely, letting them know they were required to stay at the Lodge until after they sealed their bond and promising them a safe place to stay for as long as they wanted it. When they were gone, he closed the door behind them and turned to face us.

“What just happened?” Fletcher asked, his mouth full.

“I felt a tug right here.” Clay tapped the center of his chest.

“Did it hurt?” I asked, still catching my breath.

“No.”

“Barely more than a flick,” Fletcher said.

“I think I tapped into Enzo’s energy when I started to change her,” I said, looking back at him. He jerked his head. “And he tapped into the pack’s.”

“Good thing we have a fucking huge pack,” Clay said, though his eyebrows were raised. “You think you can do that again? Today?”

I nodded. “I think I could do it a few dozen times, if the pack could handle the loss of energy.”

“They’ll be fine,” Enzo said. “It was barely a flick. And the sooner we get a mass number of women turned, the sooner the city becomes safer for you again.”

I nodded.

It would never be fully safe, but we could get close. Close enough, at least.

“I could probably do it without you touching me,” I told Enzo. “You could go back to hunting rogue wolves. The energy came from our bond, not from the place we touched, so?—”

“No.” Enzo and Fletcher spoke together.

Neither of them batted an eye at each other. Or even seemed almost surprised that they’d just said the same word, in the same tone, at the exact same time.

“If you’re changing anyone, I’m going to be here,” Enzo said. There was no room for argument in his voice. No space for disagreement. “Someone else will handle the rogues and rabids. Your life is at risk every time you meet with someone who isn’t a part of the pack. Every time you put your own energy on the line to transform someone, too. I’m staying.”

“I’ll do it,” Fletcher said.

I looked at him.

Clay did too.

Enzo was still staring at me, his gaze intense.

“I’m good at it,” Fletcher admitted grudgingly. “The guys all answered to me even though they didn’t know me well. And until the city is at peace enough for Silas to go back to his own pack, I can’t stay here much anyway. Not without risking a fight.”

Clay nodded. “That should work. I already heard from a few of the enforcers that they like you. Hunter might be able to take over when you need a break. I’ll talk to him about it, after Nova recovers.”

“How is she?” I asked.

“She woke up for a few minutes last night. The meds the doctor gave her to keep her temperature down seem to have successfully stopped her heat. And the doctor still wants your blood, by the way.” He looked at me.

I looked at Enzo.

“It’s your choice, Princess.”

I grimaced. “He can come by and take a sample whenever.”

Clay agreed. “Do you want me to find more women today, or do you want to wait until tomorrow?”

“Let’s get on with it,” I said. “If we spend the next few days figuring out how many I can handle turning in a day, we can make a schedule. I think booking them appointments with me will make people feel more secure while they wait.”

“It would. I’ll set up a few more. Give me an hour.” Clay strode toward the door, pointing at Fletcher on his way. “You, come with me.”

Fletcher heaved a sigh. “I need a fucking nap.”

“You’ll get one. Soon.”

They both disappeared, and I climbed off Enzo’s lap.

“Where are we going?” he asked.

“Nova,” I said simply, and he took my hand as we slipped out of the room.

Ten minutes later, we were standing in the doorway.

My forehead was scrunched. “Where did they go?”

Enzo didn’t answer me.

I assumed he was talking to his brother mentally.

The doctor stepped out of a connected room, not seeming surprised at all to see us. “She woke up healthy this morning. After I unplugged her from everything, he carried her out. He didn’t tell me where he was headed.”

I looked at Enzo.

“Hunter says he’s going to guard her through heat, and they’ll be back when it’s over.”

“What the hell?” I pulled my phone from my pocket and called Nova. The phone rang a few times before she finally picked up.

“Hey, Wolf Queen.”

“Where are you? What happened?”

“I don’t know where we are. Your brother-in-law is driving like a fucking maniac, and my head hurts too much to read the road signs. He’s convinced that the doctor didn’t actually stop my heat, just delayed it.”

“Is he right?”

“Probably. I already feel warm.” Her answer was grudging. “I’m not going to screw him. He thinks he can control himself enough not to give in to the rut, and says he’ll bring me back after heat is over. So I guess I’ll see you in a few days.”

“Do you want me to come find you?” I asked. “You know I will.”

“I know, but it would be pointless. He’s not going to let me go any more than your Alpha did. I think things will be easier after this, so his wolf can realize that we’re not as compatible as he thinks. My stalker is being quiet for the moment, so that’s good.”

“Alright. Be careful, okay?”

“Mmhm. Be safe. Don’t hurt yourself changing people.”

“I won’t. See you soon.”

She agreed, and we ended the call.

“He won’t let anything happen to her,” Enzo said, dragging a thumb over my knuckles.

“Is he still set on not wanting a mate?”

“Yeah. I don’t think he’s going to change his mind about it.”

Damn.

That was a mess, and something told me it was only going to get messier.

The doctor took samples of my blood, urine, and saliva before we went back down to the conference room to meet the group of mated couples waiting for us.