“Why does the spanking feel so good?” Her voice was husky.
“Because I’m doing it to you. You know I’d never hurt you.” Not even if she wanted him to. The thought jarred him for a second. He’d always been willing to do whatever a female wanted. If she needed pain, she got it. Only…not for Sydney. She’d have to really insist. He did not want to cause her pain for anything in the world.
Only pleasure. Forever.
“Savage?”
He sucked in his breath. “I’m good. I’m here. I love you. Spanking you, I’ll never go too far.”
“Do it again.” She rubbed her back against him. “Please.”
He raised his hand and gently whacked her skin. Her knees almost buckled and he held her up. “Like that?”
“So much. Can we…can we…please?”
Savage knew what she needed. He’d give it to her. Over and over again.
Chapter Fourteen
Her mate stroked her clit, and she groaned. Having done this with him before, the anticipation was worse than ever. She knew he was going to make her come.
His fingers moved gently. She wanted more pressure and she knew he understood. So, his light touches were to torment her, in the best possibly way. “You’re being cruel.”
Savage rubbed his nose over her scar. “Patience makes you come harder.” He did press his finger deeper before he squeezed her bundle of nerves. “Give me a minute. I want to play.”
After a minute, he found a spot where, before, she’d only experienced pleasure from his using his cock. She gasped, a jolt of electricity passing through her as he gently rubbed at the spongey surface. Her body vibrated, and he chuckled in her ear, his voice low. “From here, I can get to it easily. I love your g-spot. It’s my new favorite toy.”
Whatever he wanted. As long as he didn’t stop.
“Come for me. On my fingers first. Then my cock.” He jerked his hips against her ass and stroked her at the same time. The movement put her over the edge. She exploded. Thank the Moon he’d held her up, or she might have splattered on the floor.
“Savage.” She could barely breathe his name.
His reply sounded more like a growl. “Spread open for me.”
Trapped in his arms, she couldn’t see but could feel when he unzipped his pants. Sydney could imagine his long, hard cock. He’d be wet for her already. Her mouth watered remembering the time she’d had him entirely under control and gotten to suck him dry. They’d do that again and soon.
Savage took her hands and put them back on the counter. “Hold on. If you can’t, you tell me.”
She nodded, anticipation making her wetter. When he was done with her, she might not know her name. And she was fine with that.
Her mate pushed himself inside of her; one strong jerk and she cried out. His invasion was a mix, pleasure and pain. She wanted both.
“Good.” His breath is his ear. “Too much?”
“Never.” She meant it. Whatever Savage wanted, whenever he did, however he desired her, she couldn’t imagine saying no. They shared that in common—a constant driving need that had nothing to do with heat and everything to do with his being hers.
His thrusts were rough, rubbing her clit with each push and pull of his body. Sydney held onto the counter, her lifeline from losing control too soon. It would be so easy to come, to let go and allow the pleasure building inside of her like an explosion ready to go off. Then it would be over. He was close. Had been since he pushed inside of her. She didn’t have to look at him to know. His breathing, the slight gasps of air as he pleasured both of them were the only indications she needed.
Savage was always in control…until he wasn’t. But she knew the difference because only she saw him when he let all his guards down. Her climax would trigger his. Better for both of them if she waited; if she held on, she’d give them both what they needed.
“Sydney. You’re so hot. You’re home to me.” His words were almost nonsensical, but she understood him perfectly. “Mine. Damn it. Mine.”
“Always, my love. In this world and any other. I was born for you.”
She couldn’t keep it down, couldn’t stop her body from doing what it wanted to do. When he thrust inside of her again, she came, spent, exploded. Holding onto the counter kept her grounded to the world, otherwise she might have floated from her body in an elation she could only think of as perfection.
He cried out her name. Over and over, his jerks unsteady, his momentum propelling him forward until she could hear he was as lost as she was.
Lost together, so perfectly found.
He sank his teeth into her neck.
Yes. Hers. Mate.
Forever.
****
Savage walked with Sydney into his club. . When he’d suggested bringing her with him, he’d not anticipated it would cause her such anxiety. Squeezing her hand in his, he tried to reassure her. Whatever misconceptions she’d picked up from her brief foray in and out of the building during her quick escapade into his city had left an impression he needed to undo.
“It’s basically an office when we’re not entertaining.”
She nodded as a pack member approached. Terry Lawrence, she worked in bookings. Small for their kind with dyed pink hair, she had a smile for everyone and a hug for Sydney. His mate had learned the day before that, since they were home, old, young, dominant, submissive, every pack member she met wanted to hug.
Terry embraced her tightly before turning away. “You are so beautiful. Look at your hair and your skin. Are you inked somewhere I can’t see?”
“She is not.”
Savage answered for her. Sydney might not even know what inked meant. Even the mated couples who no longer partook of the heat nights tended to be covered in artwork. He had only the one tattoo of the wolf on his chest. Everyone was always trying to convince him he needed another. Savage had never been interested. The Wolf had been enough. Although he might like to have Sydney’s eyes on him. Somewhere permanent….
“We have to get you something. What kind of tattoo do you want?”
She smiled at Terry. “Maybe you and I could go look at some books together so I could start to get an idea of what would work. Will you be my guide?”
Terry shrieked and hugged her again.
“Okay. I’m showing her around. Gotta keep moving. You two can arrange your visit later.”
If he wasn’t careful, he was never going to see his mate. She’d have plans with every single pack member by the end of the week. As they walked through, he showed her everything. The offices, the client rooms, where the women who wanted to be watched were put, and the absolute privacy areas.
She nodded at all of it until she stopped him. “Since we’re together, what will your role be in here? I mean, are you still planning to participate?”
“Sydney, I didn’t participate for years. I walked through. Maybe I touched here or there. No one moved me until I saw you. No, I may back off even more unless you want to come with me when you’re next in heat. My pack can manage this with little interference. I’ll sit in my office and sign papers. I’ll be there in case of an emergency.”
“If I don’t have something I’m doing, I’ll come sit with you.”
“Sounds like a plan.”
He needed to teach her to drive, get her a license, and then a car. In that order. George and the others could shuttle her around until they worked it out. Visions of Sydney dropping in and out all day made him grin. Spontaneous lunches—he’d never thought of food so much in his life. She seemed to like to feed him.
Savage continued their tour. When they got to the elevators, he stopped. “Building is five stories. Top floor my office, beneath that the floor is mostly file cabinets. All of it is on the computer but we keep a paper copy too. I have two hundred fifty businesses I help manage. All the pack members register them here. Some of them need tending, most of them don’t after a while.” Her eyes widened and he laughed. “I’m not doing it alone. Within my own compa
ny, we have three CPAs, two lawyers, and a PR goddess. We’re never bored. Third floor is cafeteria and day care. I tend not to go there.” All those children running around all the time. He shuddered. Happy pack members had families, and their children belonged to him too. But he didn’t need to see them.
A thought dawned on him. If the Moon hadn’t taken his son, and he’d lived through the Garto, would the baby have sometimes stayed here? In the building? Close to him? He’d have liked that.…
Savage forced his mind to the present. Too many timelines, too much to consider, none of it good. “Then here.”
“That’s four floors.” She raised an eyebrow. “I can count. Even with my limited schooling.”
He rolled his eyes. Sydney could be tough when she wanted to be.
“I wasn’t doubting your number wielding abilities, love.”
“Is there a basement? Lots of storage?”
He pointed to the last elevator. “Only that one goes down. It’s not storage in the basement. It’s where I keep prisoners. Until recently it had been hardly used. Then we had a True Believer issue. He was our guest for a while. He no longer is.”
She raised her chin. “Did you kill him?”
“As soon as I got here from Idaho.”
He waited for her to be upset. He’d left her in the house and come straight to his club to eliminate an enemy. She wasn’t used to their way of doing things. Instead, she nodded, her hands going to her hips. “Well done.”
His mate was all wolf, and he couldn’t help his grin. The woman made him happy. Ridiculously so.
“Only upper echelon pack members have access to the basement, and I think the others prefer it that way. On the off chance that things go badly in the basement, the red button on the wall in the corner, gets pressed. Disables the elevator. Whoever or whatever is down there—stays down.”
She rubbed her arms, and he saw goosebumps had appeared while he’d been talking. “Who decides to push the button?”
“Me. If I’m incapacitated, Archie. After him there is a chain of command. You could also push it, love. I hope you would, if need be.”
She shook her head and then visibly swallowed. “Can we move on to another topic? I like the idea of you eliminating threats. I don’t want to think about trapping anyone in the basement or you being incapacitated. Where do we run? On full moons.”
“Ah.” Yes, a safer, easier topic. “In tunnels underground. Under here. Some other spots in the city. Really amazing stuff, actually.”
“Savage Chaucer.” His name rang out in the room, and all conversation buzzing around them stopped. He let go of Sydney’s hand, putting her behind him. There was a stranger on his turf. The tall werewolf in front of him had asked no permission to cross on pack lands. He was male, so he wasn’t here for heat release. Occasionally, a female got the dates wrong. No, Savage suspected this brown-haired, brown-eyed, two hundred-fifty pounds of pissed was here to Alpha Challenge him.
“George.” Savage nodded to the enforcer who rushed forward and took Sydney by the arm. In two seconds, she was behind him as well.
“I said Savage Chaucer.”
He nodded to the werewolf who dared scream at him in the middle of his own club.
“I heard you. There’s nothing wrong with my ears. There does seem to be something lacking in your manners. If I feel a threat, I protect my mate before anything else. You can damned well keep your mouth shut and wait while I do.”
He stepped closer to get a better dose of his challenger’s scent. Testosterone. Adrenaline. No fear, which was stupid. The idiot in front of him marked the sixth fool to try to take San Francisco from him.
“I challenge you for the right to rule San Francisco.”
His pack members growled in unison. They didn’t like it when this happened. It was everything he could do the last time to keep Archie from taking off number five’s head before Savage ever got the chance.
“Alpha challenge.” George whispered to Sydney answering her unasked question. He trusted the man to keep her safe. She’d already insisted the night before she could protect Savage. The woman had taken on the Garto. She might very well try to insert herself into the mess.
“What’s your name, kid?” Savage judged his soon-to-be opponent to be no more than twenty years old. Ballsy for one so young.
“I’m Stanley Osborne. I’ve come from Los Angeles to make this challenge today. I am sick of watching you turn this pack from its rightful place. My grandfather was a member here. San Francisco is a den of sin. It needs to turn to the Moon.”
Stanley’s words proved he’d be dead by morning even if he did manage to beat Savage. There was nothing his pack hated more than to be told they weren’t Moon followers. The thirty or so in the building were going to be pissed.
“Does Milo know you’re here?”
“No.” He shook his head. “My own Alpha has turned from the Moon recently helping you. You’re an infection which needs to be cut out before you destroy all of us.”
“Well then, let’s have at it. Shall we?” He motioned toward the elevator. It looked like Sydney would be getting to see the basement a lot sooner than he liked. “We can’t do this in the middle of the floor here. Humans have a tendency to show up. The basement will work.”
Stanley nodded and walked toward the elevators.
“Archie.” He addressed his second in command. “Nothing happens to him. He doesn’t die in the elevator.”
His pack member growled but nodded. Savage had been right to issue the warning. He couldn’t hold his pack if anyone thought he wasn’t the type of Alpha to fight for himself. He appreciated his pack wanted to kill for him. Once the challenge was made, the battle was waged. End of story.
Sydney grabbed his arm. “Savage.”
He interrupted her. “This happens sometimes. More than I would like. Someone gets a bee in their bonnet that we’re all sexual deviants and they come for my head. Sixth time since I took over.”
“I want you to kill him. I want you to make it hurt him.”
Her words stilled him. His mate was bloodthirsty, and it made him grin, broadly. “What will my reward be when I get done?”
She leaned forward. “I’ll make you tuna fish for lunch.”
His laughter must have startled everyone around him. Confusion scented the air and he rubbed his nose. The Alpha laughing with his mate before he headed to the basement to kill an opponent was a new occurrence. They’d all have to get used to it. Sydney made him really happy.
“Can I have cheese? And pretzels?”
She nodded. “I bought some yesterday. I might even take some of the onions I sliced up and mix them in there.”
Her words brought back the night before and he forced himself to step away. Even idiots could be lethal, and he wasn’t losing his pack or dying on his mate. Sex had no place in his head, not yet anyway.
“Keep her back, George. During the fight.”
“Yes,” his pack mate nodded. “My Alpha.”
He appreciated the emphasis and nodded to George. With his hand entwined with Sydney’s, he made his way down to the elevator after he sent a quick text to Milo.
Your pack member, Stanley Osborne, is here to challenge me for my pack. Guess I’m too deviant for his liking.
In the elevator, his phone beeped. I apologize for the way my pack member is shaping your day.
Savage responded. Any future problems come my way from Los Angeles and I’m going to take it personally.
He shut off his phone. Milo could be dealt with later. Maybe Archie wanted Los Angeles. Or maybe the Alpha really hadn’t known he had an ass in the mix when it came to Stanley Osborne. Savage would wait. One problem at a time. Stanley first. Any future challengers would bring whatever knowledge he needed.
Always tallying. Always ready.
The elevator dinged open, and he stepped downstairs. Thirty-six eyes including Stanley’s were on him, and he crossed to the center. He’d faced five challenges before. Never wit
h his mate watching. Savage had a specific way of handling death threats. Brutality was as much in his nature as the desire to sexually satisfy his woman.
He hadn’t held San Francisco by being charming.
Or at least not by being charming alone.
Violence had its place, and the basement was the perfect setting for dishing some out.
“You have to give me the ability to shift.” Stanley had gusto. “It is the right of the challenge. You can shift in non Full Moons, I can’t. You have to gift it to me and then we fight.”
Savage cocked his head to the side. “I see you know your rules. Feel free to assume I also understand them. The five before you died following them, too. Here’s a gift from me to you. After you shift and your wolf is in place, you’re going to smell some truths you didn’t garner on two legs. Maybe you would have had the presence of mind to realize these things if you were a little older and a little less hot-headed. Who am I to judge? I was once hot-headed, young, and sure too. I took San Francisco like that.”
In the corner, Archie shook his head. Whatever part of his speech his second objected to, they could discuss it later. The male never had trouble telling Savage what he thought, which was why he was his second.
“What things am I going to understand?” Stanley’s question was asked on a sneer.
“That you made a terrible error in judgment today.”
His pack howled their agreement, and Savage held out his hand to stop them. He was talking to Stanley, not them.
“I’m going to do you a favor. If you change your mind….”
Stanley interrupted. “I won’t.”
“Let’s say hypothetically, you do. Run for the door. If you make it to the elevator, I’ll let you live.”
With a surge of his power, he sent a shift onto Stanley. It would be the last time the male ever shifted, so he hoped it was a good one. Savage called his own change and was on four feet immediately. His world narrowed. As a wolf, he could see Stanley quite clearly. Brown, with white spots, the other male snarled at him, darting forward.