Understanding her need to retaliate but not liking her hurting so bad, he dashed after her and wrapped both arms around her front, bringing her to a halt. Nuzzling her neck, he rocked her from side to side. “Let me deal with this, baby. I promise you, as soon as I find out who’s responsible, they’re all yours.”
Her voice came out flat. “Let go of me, Trey.”
“Come on, you’re upset and in shock. Let me deal with this for you.”
She could sense that he was just as infuriated as she was yet he was containing it all in the hope of easing her anger and hurt. It was sweet, but there was just no way anything could soothe her right now. “Let go.”
Dabbing a soft kiss to her neck, he slowly released her. Before he could say anything she was marching through the tunnels. He stayed at her heels as, to his surprise, she headed outside and down the flights of stairs.
“Stay back,” she told him as they reached the bottom.
Seeing that she was close to snapping, he stopped still and held up his hands in a white flag gesture. He had thought she intended to head to the river as she had the last time she was upset. Instead she paced a short distance away from him and looked up at the crowd that had gathered at the mouth of the caves.
“So which one of you was it, huh?” she shouted, enraged beyond belief. “Which one of you was it?!” No answer. They each looked from one to the other but didn’t move from where they were. “You have a problem with me then come down here! Come on! You and me, let’s go!” Still, nobody moved. Pacing back and forth, she continued to shout. “I’m latent, remember! I can’t possibly win! You think killing a bird, a small creature that couldn’t even fight back is brave? It’s sick and it’s cowardly! If it’s me you want then get the fuck down here! I dare you! No, I challenge you!” Still, not one person moved from where they were. “COME ON!”
“It’s okay, baby,” said Trey softly when no one spoke or reacted in any way. “You know they won’t come. Whoever it is knows they can’t take you. Come here. It’s okay.”
“No, it’s not!”
Slowly he closed the distance between them and pulled her into the cradle of his shoulder. “Shh, let’s go inside. The coward’s not going to own up to it.”
“When I find out who it is, there’s a good chance I’ll kill him.”
“I know, baby. And I’ll be cheering you on,” he said, using the supportive words she had once given him.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Taryn’s uncle and his mate were a lot warmer toward her than Trey had been expecting. They seemed pleased to see her and they were happy and relieved to know that she was away from Lance. If her uncle had anything to do with it, she would definitely be welcome here if she asked to join the pack.
In fact, the damn Alpha would probably be just as welcoming. He had been staring at Taryn for most of the evening and it was beginning to seriously piss Trey off. Had she not made Trey promise to ‘behave’ seen as he was apparently intimidating enough, he would have threatened to gut the ogling bastard. Even his promise to her wouldn’t have stopped him if the Alpha hadn’t been so careful not to cross any lines.
It was only then, as he sat lounging on one of the reclined deckchairs, sipping beer and watching her play with some of the pups that Trey realized he had secretly hoped that they were all assholes who didn’t care to know her. Without anyone to turn to, she could have been persuaded to stay with him a little longer even after the battle with his uncle. Although he still had just over a month left with her, it didn’t seem enough.
For the past few weeks he had tried convincing himself that it wasn’t the man in him that wanted to prolong her stay, it was just his wolf or his mating instincts or maybe a mixture of both. Only a moron would continue to deny the truth, and Trey was a lot of things, but he’d like to think a moron wasn’t one of them. The truth was that this wasn’t about their wolves, this was about Trey and Taryn. And Trey wanted Taryn to stay a little longer.
Of course he hadn’t told her that. He wouldn’t tell her because naturally the question she would ask would be ‘For how long?’ Unless his answer was going to be ‘permanently’, there was no reason for her to stay longer because it would only make their separation worse. Where was the sense in that? There was none. Yet even as he acknowledged that, he couldn’t change that he wanted more time with her.
How could he not? Who wouldn’t want more time with a woman who was so sensual and gorgeous? The quirkiness she had brought to his pack and his life was something he wouldn’t have originally thought he’d want, but he knew that when it was gone he would miss it. Just as he would miss their bedroom battles. She was so responsive, so challenging, and so damn receptive to everything they did. Each morning he would wake Taryn by gorging himself on her taste, and each night he would bury his cock deep inside her and fuck them both to sleep. Then he’d wake up some time through the night and fuck her again. What guy in his right mind wouldn’t want more of that?
He grinned as his little vixen suddenly looked up and met his gaze. He didn’t get his usual ‘come get me’ smile, it was more of a ‘please rescue me’ expression – which was a lot to do with the crowd of kids still hovering around her. With all her energy and sparkle she was like some sort of kid magnet.
He might have gone to her – that was all it would have took to make the pups scarper – if the Alpha, Nick, hadn’t chosen that moment to sit on the deckchair beside him.
“I think you might end up with a houseful of pups.”
Trey winced inwardly at the feel of one of them damn chest pangs. Ignoring it, he forced out a response. “You might be right.”
“You know, you’re very intense with Taryn. I don’t think you’ve moved your eyes from her for more than a few seconds since you got here.”
“Neither have you.”
Nick smiled unrepentantly. “Don’t worry, she spent the entire time we spoke talking about you and your pack. Apparently she has even developed a fondness for your grandmother, though she says she would still like to gag the senile old crone.”
Trey was pretty sure that both women actually liked each other. Neither would ever admit it because they enjoyed the battle of wills they engaged in too much.
“I’ve always been very selective in who I form alliances with.”
Trey grunted. “I don’t believe I asked you for one.” All he really wanted was to punch the arrogant asshole for ogling Taryn. His wolf liked that idea.
Nick only smiled. “The rumors about you are...worrying.”
“Then why invite us here?”
“Her uncle wasn’t convinced that you’re true mates. He believes her true mate died when they were pups. Don was worried that she had gotten herself into something dangerous and was looking for a way out.”
“Is that a fact?” Trey bit out. “Well hear me when I say this. Taryn’s my mate, she’s mine, and I’ll kill her interfering bastard of an uncle if he tries to take her from me. So either get out of our business or ask us to leave. Either one will please me just fine.”
The weird prick smiled again. “I didn’t say I agreed with him. If I hadn’t seen you interact with Taryn the way you have tonight, I’m not sure I’d have been interested in forming an alliance between our packs.” Most likely in response to Trey’s questioning look, he added, “Maybe you don’t realize just how different you are with Taryn than anyone else. And she you. You’re both much calmer when you’re together. It’s the way of it with mates. That’s why I’ve no intention of interfering in spite of her uncle’s concerns, and it’s also why I believe you’re not quite the rabid shifter everyone makes you out to be.”
“Hey Nick,” purred a husky voice that promised sex. Both males looked up to see a curvy dark skinned female standing before them wearing…practically nothing. Once upon a time she might have interested Trey. Right now she did nothing at all for him. He never would have thought he would have described breasts as too big, but they were. Not like Taryn’s that fit just right in his han
ds like they were made just for him.
“Is it time for the ceremony to start?” asked Nick.
“Almost.” Her eyes focused on Trey and she grinned wickedly. “I’m Glory. And you are?”
“Mated,” snapped another female voice. “So move your ass very far away.”
A smile curved Trey’s mouth at the sight of Taryn approaching, sneering and emitting a sexy low growl. He loved seeing her in possessive mode. He didn’t blame Glory for her fast departure. Even he wouldn’t be interested in fucking with Taryn right now. He’d happily fuck her though, especially while she was wearing that little black dress that clung to her like a second skin.
“I’d say I’m sorry for upsetting one of your wolves, but lying’s a sin,” Taryn told Nick who just smiled. Damn if the guy wasn’t hot with his short silky butterscotch hair, sensual mouth and that set of piercing dusky green eyes. Still, she preferred the dark, broody psycho beside him. “Hey Flinstone.”
Trey gave her a lopsided smirk as he appraised her for like the hundredth time. “Come here.”
She cocked her head. “If I don’t?”
“I’ll chase you, catch you and spank you in front of everybody.”
“Was that supposed to be a deterrent?”
Nick now forgotten, Trey reached out and snatched her arm, pulling her on top of him. He licked her lips and she immediately opened up for him, flicking his tongue lightly with her own and conjuring images in his mind of her flicking her tongue along the head of his cock. Her sly grin told him she’d known exactly what she was doing. “Careful,” he warned.
“Where would be the fun in that?”
Quietly, he replied, “You’re right. Fun would be if I forced you to get down on your knees and then shoved my cock in your mouth.”
“You could try, but I’d just bite it off. Maybe I’d heal it, I don’t know.”
He chuckled, running his hands along her back. “Such a snippy little bitch, aren’t you?”
“I am, yes.”
“Wrong. You’re my snippy little bitch.” Brushing her hair from her face he frowned. “You look tired.”
“I’m not surprised. I didn’t get much sleep.”
He heard the implication in her voice. “I’d say I’m sorry, but I’m not.”
“You never are,” she grumbled, still smiling. “So what have you been doing all the way over here while I was practically attacked by a swarm of pups?”
“I’ve been busy enjoying myself watching some gorgeous female.”
“Oh is that so? You’ll have to describe this female to me so I can go kick her ass.”
Collaring her throat with his hand, he guided her head backwards and slid his hand away so he could kiss and nibble at her neck. “You can’t miss her. She has all different shades of blonde in her hair.”
“Poor girl.”
“And the cutest ass” – he tapped it lightly – “and a hot little body” – he smoothed the palm of his hand up and down her spine – “and a very sharp tongue. Oh and she has a wicked mouth that was made to take my cock.”
“Stop kissing my very sensitive neck so I can think straight and respond with a sarcastic comment.” She wouldn’t let him know that, in truth, she had thought about it several times. Had wondered what it would feel like to take him in her mouth, how he would taste. But – and maybe she was alone in this – that one sexual act felt like an extremely submissive one. She was working on letting him lead in bed, but she wasn’t sure she was ready to get on her knees before him and do what seemed like the ultimate surrender.
It wasn’t that she had never done it before. It was just that whenever she had done it in the past it had been while she was the dominant figure in the relationship. Giving a guy a blowjob when she was supposed to be mostly submissive seemed like something else altogether, in which case it surprised her that she was even considering it. Just as it surprised her that as much as the wolves in Nick’s pack were great and as much as she could see herself being happy here if they accepted her, that didn’t make her feel as relieved and excited as it should. No, because she would miss Trey and his pack.
She really had thought she was being careful not to get comfortable in the pack, knowing that her stay would be a short one. But with them being so warm and fun – with the exception of a few – and seeing her as more than a healer who was rather inconveniently latent, it was damn hard to keep an emotional distance from these people and the situation itself.
If she was honest with herself – which she really didn’t want to be – she had also stupidly gotten a little too comfortable in her temporary mating with Trey. His heavy masculinity bounced off the impression of a hard individual, but she had come to see that there was more to him than that. Sure he could be aggressive, sullen and psychotic, but he had demonstrated that he could also be attentive, reassuring, gentle, and even indulgent – or at least he could be with her. Not to mention how his sexual appetites matched her own. Without realising it, she had somehow fallen a little into the fantasy of their mating even though she had resisted the urge to mark him. How shitty was that.
“It’s almost midnight,” announced Nick as he stood. “Ceremony’s about to start.”
Taryn frowned when she noticed how Trey was scowling at the Alpha. Sure Trey was pretty antisocial with ninety nine percent of the population – she was working on that with him – but when he scowled at someone like that it usually meant they had pissed him off.
Having made a mental note to ask Trey about it later, she rose to her feet and pulled him with her to join the loose circle that the pack had made around the mated pair in the clearing. She snuggled back into Trey as he pressed against her back and locked his arms around her. As always, she never felt squashed or suffocated by his huge body. He made her feel safe and protected.
At exactly midnight Nick began to speak the ritual words that called to the full moon to bless the mating. She had been a witness at several of these ceremonies in the past and the intensity of the sacred event never failed to amaze her. Although the ritual words didn’t hold any particular power and the ceremony was a case of the mates demonstrating to each other just how committed they were and wanting to celebrate that, the whole thing still gave her goose bumps and stirred her wolf.
What affected Taryn most, however, was witnessing the succession of intense emotions that flittered across the mated pair’s faces. To be loved, adored and worshipped like that by the person you loved in turn had to be the most amazing thing in the world. And it was something she would never have. She only ever experienced the tiniest twinge of jealousy. It was impossible not to be happy for those people who had found it. For a moment she wondered what it would be like to have that with Trey but quickly dismissed the dumb thought.
“What do you think they’ll do?” he whispered into her ear.
She knew what he was asking. It was traditional that mates celebrated the ceremony by having sex, and whereas most preferred to do so in the privacy of their home after the party, there were some who gave in to their exhibitionistic urges and had sex beneath the full moon regardless of who may be there to watch.
She whispered her response. “Well, I only spoke to Lena a couple of times but she seems pretty shy so I can’t see her wanting to get down and dirty with her mate in front of everyone. Then again, it’s the quiet ones you have to look out for.” Knowing how dominant and possessive his wolf was, she said, “I don’t have to ask what you’d prefer.”
“Oh?”
“You’d love the idea of everyone watching. You’re quite the exhibitionist, even for a shifter.”
Trey merely shrugged. “We all have our kinks. Want to know what I think? I think you’d like having people watch while I pin you down and fuck you.”
Ignoring the flutter in her stomach, she replied, “Wishful thinking on your part, Trey.”
“You’d like people seeing what a good girl you are for me, how well you take my cock.” And he’d love for others to see it. Not in this place
around all these strange wolves he didn’t know or trust, but he couldn’t resist teasing her with the idea.
“Careful, you’re at risk of disappearing into La La Land.”
“So if I slipped my finger inside you right now, you wouldn’t be wet?”
“Nope,” she lied easily.
He inhaled deeply. “I can smell your arousal, Taryn. I can sense it. Just to be sure…”
Feeling his hand discretely snaked behind her she hissed, “Trey, don’t you dare.”
“Shh, be still. Unless you want everyone to turn and watch. I don’t mind.” He delved beneath her dress, slid her thong aside and slipped his finger inside her. He groaned as her muscles tightened around his finger. “Nice and wet, just like I knew you’d be.”