Amber Flame

  She shouldn’t even be with a wolf, not after how Alicia had died. In fact, she should hate everything about what he was. Yet she couldn’t, because this was Fergus. He was a good man. And dammit if his wolf didn’t turn her on.

  She kissed his cheek and his lips, then moved lower to lick along his throat. His black fur had already formed a thin ring around his neck and his scent was thickest there, like warm summer grasses, sun-drenched rocks, and wolf combined. She nuzzled him, then licked his fur. You smell like heaven, Fergus, and you taste so good.

  A low growl returned. She lifted her hand to touch his mouth then rubbed her finger over his wolf fangs again. She couldn’t help the moan that rushed from her throat.

  She lifted up so she could look at him again. She savored the strong shape of his brows, the amber in his dark eyes, the way he pulled his lips back to let her know he was very male.

  She reached down low and caught the head of his cock in her hand. She held his gaze as she slowly positioned him at her sex.

  As she eased onto him, he huffed out a series of wolf grunts. “Damn that feels good, Mary.”

  She released a long stream of pleasure-filled air.

  “And your cock feels amazing. I’ve wanted you like this as well, Fergus. In real-time.” When another wave of his scent reached her, she shuddered. Her nostrils quivered, more wolf than fae. She drank in his musk, and it sent a ripple through her sex so that she clenched around him. He groaned heavily.

  She leaned down and nipped at his throat along the line of his fur. His scent grew stronger, which sent another ripple and this time when she clenched it was like a melody she played with her internal muscles.

  “How are you doing that? My God, Mary.” He surrounded her with his arms, caressing her back.

  “It’s you, Fergus. It’s how you smell. Your scent is making me do things I didn’t know I could do. Give me more.” She licked his throat. The fur tingled on her tongue and another wave of his musk hit her.

  Only this time, the clenching caused a different kind of reaction in Fergus.

  It all happened so fast that she was airborne before she knew what hit her. Fergus had pulled out of her and flipped her up, then over. She landed on the bed on her back.

  He was poised above her on his knees. His cock stood upright and he held it in one hand as he stared down at her, his eyes at half-mast. A heavy V of black fur appeared on his chest angling well below his navel, pointing the way.

  She arched on the bed, aching for him, needing him to get back inside her. She reached for his arms, but he leaned away from her. He seemed to have something else in mind as his gaze fell to the narrow landing patch of blond hair on her sex. Another growl left his throat.

  Gliding backward, he moved farther down on the bed, then lowered his mouth to her sex and began to lap. But he wasn’t gentle about it. Instead, it was as though he was feasting on her and the grunting, hungry sounds he made teased her into a frenzy.

  She howled softly, a strange sound for a fae woman to make. Like Fergus, she kept the volume down as well.

  He lifted up and howled with her.

  In a quick, rolling motion, she turned on her stomach then lifted her hips into the air. It was blatant, animal-like and she loved doing it, knowing it would drive the wolf in him crazy.

  She felt him grip her hips with his hands. At the same time, she rose up on all fours.

  His howls transformed into a low guttural grunting sound. He pierced her sex with his cock and began to drive into her with deep thrusts.

  Her breaths came in short gasps. She pulled her long hair away from her neck. She knew what was coming and the strange rippling inside her sex began to flow once more, repeating over and over.

  Mary that feels amazing. He licked the back of her neck and the ripples increased in speed. And you’re showing a thin ridge of blond fur here. He licked her neck.

  He began to pump into her which strengthened the ripples. Her moans turned to a huffing kind of grunt. Pleasure built a fire inside her. His tongue on her neck kept the ripples moving even faster and her sex clenched around his stiff cock.

  When she felt him bend over her with his chest pushing into her back, she knew what was coming. She felt saliva from his mouth first. He was grunting hard and pumping with equal force as his extended wolf teeth bit down on the back of her neck, clamping her into a submissive hold.

  She released a high-pitched howl as pleasure flowed all down her body.

  He held onto her chest, an arm across her breasts, and pumped faster.

  She’d never experienced anything like it.

  Deep within her abdomen, she felt a strong downward push, which she sensed was wolf in nature.

  More, she sent telepathically.

  He increased the speed of his thrusts until she was rocking hard on the bed. Ecstasy roared toward her. The inner push suddenly thinned out and an orgasm burst over her sex. The pleasure she felt exploded into a surge of heat so that she cried out in long, strained gasps.

  At the same moment, Fergus released the hold on her neck, rose up, then slammed her from behind. He howled through clenched teeth. The sound of his wolf-cries brought another wave of orgasms flowing through her.

  Ecstasy carried her into secret, hidden realms.

  Her chest felt full and warm.

  She joined his howls with a song of her own.

  Knowing he was spending his seed inside her put a flush on her skin. She tingled all over and shivered as he began to slow down. She could also smell an unusual, heavy musk scent that rose off her skin. It smelled like animal but with a hint of mountain grasses.

  Instinctively, she knew it was Fergus’s mark, something every other wolf would be able to detect. The experience also wasn’t the same as a true bonding, but for now it would help warn other wolves away from her.

  She was breathing hard as she lowered herself onto the bed. He followed with her, remaining connected. She could feel that he was still hard inside her.

  “You’re still erect?”

  “I’ll be like this for a few minutes. It’s the way of the wolf.”

  She moved her hips so that she could feel his girth deep inside. “I love it Fergus. All of it. Some of the blocks have weakened as well and I’m catching glimpses of how we were together, how many times we made love, the way we talked. It was beautiful.

  “But there’s something more. I can feel the wolf developing in me. The howls, the intensity of every scent. In the middle of everything, I even wrinkled my nose like I’ve seen you do and bared my teeth. She touched her throat. And I’m sprouting fur, how is that possible?”

  “I don’t know except like those before us, we seem to be sharing powers.”

  He lifted up enough to kiss her cheek and to keep the full weight of his body from compressing her chest.

  It took a long time before her breathing evened out.

  She turned her head toward the window and saw that the late afternoon was finally making its shift to night.

  “We’ll be heading out soon.”

  “Yes. We will.”

  ~ ~ ~

  Fergus felt like a man reborn. As much as he’d valued the dreamglide sex with Mary, real-time was so much better.

  He drew out of her slowly and reached for the box of tissues on the nightstand. He pulled out several and tucked them between her legs.

  “Thank you.”

  He leaned down and kissed her back over and over. He eased off the bed, careful not to catch one of her limbs or her hand with his movements.

  He was satisfied in the best way, because he’d succeeded in marking her. His seed combined with her orgasm had released his wolf-musk through her skin, something other wolves would be able to detect.

  For a moment, he’d almost felt as though he could bond with her, but it hadn’t happened.

  Nor should it have. Mary wasn’t a wolf, yet somewhere deep within his soul he’d been hoping to cross that magical line and make her his alpha-mate.

  He??
?d felt something low in his abdomen as well, a force that had reached for Mary. Maybe she’d experienced something similar. But as her climax soared, the sensation dissipated. The part of him exhibiting fae traits had actually sensed that the bond had tried to form, but couldn’t.

  The good news was that he’d felt anything at all. In the past, ever since Sharon died, his experiences with potential alpha-mates hadn’t yielded the smallest bonding sensation.

  He took a quick shower to clean up and when he returned to the bedroom, Mary was sitting on the side of the bed her gaze fixed to the floor. She looked shocked out.

  Oh, God, had he been too rough with her?

  “Mary, are you okay? Did I hurt you?”

  She looked up at him and shook her head. “I’m fine. It was wonderful. It’s just that I’m feeling as though something terrible has happened in Savage. Fergus, we need to get over there right away. Your pack is being hurt.”

  He drew close to her and instinctively put a hand on her shoulder. But as he made the connection, his back arched painfully. The same sensations pummeling Mary now afflicted him.

  He felt pain.

  Fear.

  His people racing around wildly.

  His mind became fixed on the outdoor communal area of the Gordion Compound. He felt the presence of several bodies and a lot of blood. He recognized one of his betas, now dead.

  Jesus. What had Sydon done?

  He stood up. “I have to call Warren and find out what happened. I’ll let you know as soon as I reach him. Go ahead and shower, get dressed. Okay?”

  She nodded, but tears were in her eyes.

  He felt it as well, that some tragedy had happened. His throat was tight as he hurried to the guest bedroom.

  Once there, he retrieved the phone Warren had given him to use, then called his fellow alpha. “What’s going on with my pack?”

  “How did you know?”

  “It’s hard to explain. Mary, as a fae, felt something and I did as well. Please, tell me what’s happened.”

  “I just talked to Ryan. You have a young female wolf named Elena, new to your pack since she’s only been an alter wolf for a few months, right?”

  “Yes. Elena.” She had dark brown hair, which she wore straight and cropped at her chin. The process of coming to Savage had been especially traumatic for her, since she’d lost the rest of her family through some tainted alter serum. She was a sweet girl still in high school. The women of his pack had worked hard to help her feel like they were her new family.

  Fergus could feel what had happened to Elena at the same moment Warren spoke the words. “Sydon’s rogue wolves raped her, then were forcing her into a van with a lot of other women destined for the Naked Wolf on Savage Strip where they’d be put to work for the night.

  “Elena started battling the nearest rogue wolf. Apparently, she got hold of a knife from his belt sheath. But instead of attacking him, she cut her own throat. She bled out before anyone could save her.

  “Some of your male wolves went insane and started attacking the rogue wolves. But Sydon had already stripped them of their weapons. Only his rogues were armed. Fergus, you’ve got ten dead, eleven including Elena.”

  Fergus dropped into the nearby chair and shaded his eyes with his free hand. Life in Savage was difficult at best. Wolf tempers ran on the fiery side and too many wolves lost their lives through hotheadedness.

  Knowing Sydon’s new policies had driven his wolves to madness strengthened his need to get back to Savage.

  Warren continued, “Fergus, there’s something else you should know. Though Sydon stopped the revolt almost as soon as it started, he’s used it as an excuse to imprison your most powerful wolves, Harley and Ryan included.”

  “Fuck.” They were both alphas-in-training who Fergus relied on.

  “You’ve got to get over here. You can stay in my compound as long as you need to and I’ll support your effort to get rid of this interloper. We’ll do whatever it takes. Shit, if Sydon gets the cartels entrenched behind him, we’ll have the devil of a time in the territory. I fear we’ll end up with a war among all fifteen packs.”

  He knew what Warren meant, how a small portion of strife in one part of Savage could build easily into a full-scale nightmare. Mary was right to be concerned about an association with Savage. His land was a perpetual hot, dry wind headed for an already burning forest fire.

  “Warren, listen to me. I’ve got a situation here, and I need you to go with the flow if you can. Mary is coming with me. I don’t know why, but the pack won’t survive without her. It’s just something I’m sensing right now. Can you live with that?”

  Warren said nothing for a long moment, then finally responded. “These are extraordinary times, Fergus. I was with Mary when she brought you back from the dead. And I can feel it, too. There’s something about her that we need here in Savage. As much as either of us can comprehend what’s going on, I get it. You’re both welcome in my compound. Talk to you in a few.”

  Fergus hung up, relieved that Warren understood. He heard the shower running. A moment later, when the water shut off, Mary called out, “I won’t be long.”

  Fergus stood up and put on the leathers and black tank Warren had sent over for him. Socks and the heavy leather boots came next. He and Warren were almost the same size though Warren was taller if only by an inch.

  He added the belt and holster, then checked the Glock Warren had provided. Satisfied, he slid it into the holster.

  Every death of a pack member hit him hard. He conducted funerals as a necessary way to console his pack. But he was furious that Sydon had succeeded in getting so many members of his pack killed within less than twenty-four hours of becoming the Gordion Pack alpha.

  Sydon, however, wouldn’t stay in that position for long, not if Fergus could help it.

  As he thought the situation through, however, he knew he needed to talk to one other person. Sitting down on the side of the bed, he called the head of the Savage Pack Council, Andrew Dean, though he spoke with Dean’s assistant first. The assistant sounded flustered as soon as Fergus mentioned his name.

  He waited, wondering what Dean would make of hearing from a man he thought dead.

  “Is this some kind of joke?” Dean’s brusque voice hit Fergus’s ear. “Because I don’t think it’s funny. Eric Fergus died last night, you sonofabitch.”

  “No, Dean, I didn’t.”

  There was silence, then, “Fergus?”

  “So, you recognize my voice?”

  “Of course I do, but I was told by more than one reliable source that you’d been killed in a dominance battle with Sydon.”

  “You were only half informed. The fae, Mary Somers, found me in the Graveyard not far from Revel Territory and with Warren’s help, she saved my ass.”

  The silence that returned disturbed Fergus more than anything else could have. “Sir?”

  “You know of recent events at your compound?” Dean’s voice was low and distressed.

  “Yes, Warren just told me. But I can get proof in the form of an ultrasound picture that Mary took showing Sydon’s use of an illegal skewer during the dominance challenge. He punctured my heart and that’s how he almost killed me. Dean, I want my pack returned to me. Now. Call the council for an emergency meeting and get this done.”

  Dean let loose with a long string of invectives, ending with, “That fucking bastard. But listen Fergus, you can’t tell anyone about the skewer.”

  Fergus didn’t get it. “Why the hell not? I’ll be able to reverse his takeover.”

  “I’m sorry, but it won’t be that simple. Not anymore.”

  Fergus had expected some resistance, but not a flat refusal. He knew Dean. He was a good man. He was also frequently blocked by forces outside his control, some emanating from the cartels and others from the Five Bridges Tribunal itself.

  Finally, Fergus asked, “What’s happened since last night, that proof of an illegal weapon won’t reverse Sydon’s status with the Gordi
on Pack?” Something else had to be going on.

  Dean huffed a heavy wolf sigh that carried a grunt at the end. “The cartels have gotten involved. They’re backing Sydon. You know that there’s a heavy demand for female wolves in the sex clubs, especially when they’ve been dosed with amber flame. Sydon has given the cartels the right to take any woman they want from the Gordion Pack, mated to another wolf or not. My sources tell me at least five are headed to Savage Strip as we speak.”

  “Warren told me Sydon was sending them to the Naked Wolf, but he didn’t know about the cartels. So, what are you saying? Can I expect any help from the council?”

  “No. I’m sorry Fergus. It wouldn’t matter if you produced a thousand ultrasound photos. Though the council has to stand down, I won’t block you if you want to retake your pack. But only a dominance battle will serve. In fact, this phone call never happened. Do you understand?”

  “I do.”

  “Fergus, give him hell and I’m sorry.”

  When Fergus hung up, he turned his phone over and over in his hands. He felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up at Mary. She wore jeans again, a pair of running shoes, and a couple of tank tops, one over the other like he’d seen some of his wolves do. One of the tanks was white, the other lavender. She looked beautiful with her long blond hair loose around her shoulders and a concerned glint in her light brown eyes.

  He covered her fingers with his palm.

  “Tell me everything,” she said. “Again, I’m supposed to help you, so use me.”

  As he spelled out the atrocities underway at his compound, he watched her jaw grow tighter and tighter. He’d half expected her to break down and weep, maybe even change her mind about joining him in Savage.

  Instead, she dipped her chin. “I’m ready, Fergus. Let’s go kick Sydon’s ass to hell and beyond.”

  CHAPTER FOUR

  MARY’S HEART POUNDED as Fergus held his arm wide for her. She stood with him on her back deck, the night sky showing a few stars despite Phoenix’s light pollution.

  She stepped onto his right boot, unable to believe she was actually going to fly with Fergus all the way to Savage.