“They might know to look there. Hang on a second.” Tracy pulled out her cell phone and called Lex.
“Lex, I need some help.”
Without any other questions he agreed immediately. “What do you need, sweetie?”
Tracy smiled. “I need one of the cabins on the Peninsula and a few of your guards.” She briefed him quickly on the situation. He agreed to send three of his guards out to the cabin to wait for the arrival of Nick’s parents, Sarah and the kids and however many guards Nick wanted to have accompany them. He told her to call if she needed anything else and reminded her to stay safe.
“I suppose Josh is Enforcer now. Send two men you trust absolutely out with my parents and Sarah and the kids. Don’t let Sarah near a phone. Do not let her go anywhere alone. Cooperate with the Cascadia guards. Our lives are on the line here. Shoot her in the head if she tries to contact anyone but me or Ben.” Nick looked at his friend, who took up the responsibility immediately and went into action.
Nick’s father embraced him. “You’re going to do a fine job, son. Let us know if you need anything. We’ll get out of here as soon as we can.”
Ben went to Sarah and hugged her but she yelled at him to stop Nick. He shook his head. “No. I’m going to do what’s right by this Pack and by our children. Please don’t make trouble. We can rebuild our lives somewhere else when this is over. You know it’s what we have to do.”
“You have to do right by me, Ben! We can go and be part of the Pellini Group! He’ll take us in.”
“You’re delusional. He’ll kill you and the kids. He’s a murderer and a thug. Please go. I’m begging you to cooperate and behave.”
Once the others had left holding a defeated-looking Sarah, Nick turned back to Ben. “Here’s what we’re going to do. Nothing. Not for a bit anyway. How often does he contact Sarah?”
“Once every two weeks or so. He did his last exchange a week ago so you have a bit of time. What do you have in mind? I offered to buy him out but he just laughed. Said he was making way more through the Pack than I could pay him.”
Nick’s jaw tightened. “Why didn’t you come to me? Damn it, I’m your brother, I would have helped.”
“I was scared and ashamed. I wanted to fix it before anyone found out. I was wrong, I know that.”
“We’ll go to Boston. Introduce Tracy to National. I’ll have to get a special dispensation to keep my position there and here too.” Gabe tapped his bearded chin as he spoke. “The Enforcer will be there. I need to feel him out on this. I wanted to wait but it’s too late, it needs to happen now. If wolves can’t count on the protection of the National Pack, what good are we? He’s really not a bad man, just arrogant.”
Tracy snorted. How uncommon for a high-ranking male wolf. Not. “Seems to me this is a three-tiered issue. First, how do we get them out of Pack business? We can’t just say no at this stage or he’ll use the information and destroy us. Secondly, we need to figure out a way to make the kids safe. And they won’t be as long as Pellini sees Sarah as his way in and thinks we can be persuaded by harming the kids. Lastly, the problem of the Pellini Group as a whole and their connection to the National Enforcer.”
Suddenly she asked, “Gabe, is he unmated?”
Gabe narrowed his eyes at her. “Yes, but you’re not single.”
She rolled her eyes and waved him off. “Duh.”
“What are you up to?”
“Answer the question.”
“Yes. He’s straight and unmated but you’re not going to tear off on some half-formed plan to seduce him over to our side.”
Narrowing her eyes at him, she growled. “Don’t you talk to me like I’m some stupid piece of fluff, Gabe Murphy. I am an intelligent woman who is the Alpha of this Pack. I demand respect, especially from my mate.”
He stood and went to her, getting in her face. “I will protect you at any cost. Even if your feelings get in a snit.”
“You are an asshole, Gabe.” Spinning, she addressed Nick, who hid his dismay. “If he’s unmated it’ll be three against one. He doesn’t stand a chance against all of us. And each of us has our own area of power. You’re a former Enforcer and now an Alpha, I know inner circle well, my family is a ruling family too. And Gabe, while utterly a prick right now, is the Mediator. He won’t know what hit him.”
Nick’s eyebrows went up and he grinned, nodding. “Excellent idea, baby.”
“We’ll call and get the travel arrangements made when we get back home.”
“You can call from here. It’s your house now that you’re the Alpha,” Ben said quietly. “Tracy, I’m very sorry. I panicked and blamed it all on you. I know it’s not your fault. I am happy Nick found you.”
“I don’t want to live here. No offense. But Cade doesn’t live in the Pack house either and runs Cascadia just fine. The Pack ate my father alive and nearly destroyed my parents’ marriage because they had no distance. I don’t want that. Nick doesn’t want to live here and I’m with him on that.” She paused and put her hands in her pockets. “As for your apology, as I told Sarah, actions speak louder than words, Ben. I hope you’re telling the truth. Mostly for Nick’s sake because he loves you. Keep in mind that I don’t and I’ll do whatever it takes to protect him and this Pack.”
“I respect that. The news is going to spread that you’re all Alpha now. How do you deal with that when Pellini hears? Sarah called him, freaked out about Tracy. He knows there’re problems.”
“Damn woman! Well, let’s not hide that. Ben will still be seen around. Make it seem that the Ascension was amicable. For now let’s leave Sarah’s name on the accounts. She can’t do anything from the cabin anyway. Ben, keep her phone so when Warren calls, you can cover for Sarah’s absence. Assure him that everything is fine and that you’re still doing the accounts.”
“You sure that’s wise? Letting Ben talk to Pellini?” Josh asked.
“I’m going to trust my brother, Josh. He knows that not only is his life at stake but also the lives of his kids, who’ll never be safe until we get Pellini out of this Pack.”
Josh took a deep breath and nodded.
“Let’s get an announcement made and set up a Howl. We’ll get out to Boston tomorrow and deal then. We’ll do the Howl when we get back.” Nick pulled on the mantle of leadership easily and Tracy knew he was born to it. “We’re going home. I’ll keep in touch, Josh. Do what you need to to keep the Pack safe in my absence.”
“I’ll send two guards with you when you travel to Boston. An Alpha has the right to travel with guards, especially into another territory. And I insist on you having two guards live at your new place. You’re the Alpha triad now, you need the protection.”
Gabe nodded. “That’s acceptable. I’ll contact the Enforcer’s office and make the arrangements.”
Nick knew he’d have insisted on the same thing and nodded. “Fine. Send Derek and Trey over.”
They went back out to the car and Tracy got behind the wheel to drive back to the house. Gabe tried to catch Tracy’s eye but she wasn’t having it. He knew there’d be hell to pay for his comments earlier. And he had to admit, he deserved it. He jumped to conclusions, she waved them off and he’d charged at her again, assuming the worst.
Back at home, they got out and showed Derek and Trey where the room downstairs that was to have been Nick’s office was. “You can bunk in here for now. We’ll clear out the study tomorrow so each of you can have your own room.”
They nodded at Tracy and she smiled and went upstairs. Gabe was waiting in the office just off the master suite. Ignoring him, she moved around his body and grabbed the phone to call Nina, explaining the basics and asking her to keep an eye out for anything hinky with the National Enforcer’s accounts.
Without looking at Gabe, she spoke coolly, “You need to get the permission to travel taken care of so I can get the plane situation taken care of.”
He grabbed her but she remained stiff in his arms. “Tracy, I’m sorry.”
She r
emained silent.
Sighing, he tried another tack. “I should have trusted you. I underestimated you and I’m sorry.”
“You thought I’d whore myself?”
Jerking in surprise, he held her body out so he could look into her face. “What? I never said any such thing!”
“Oh really? And what was your assumption? Hmmm? You assumed that I was going to seduce the Enforcer over to our side, did you not? Like a whore. Well, fuck you, Gabe. I don’t need to sell my pussy to figure this.”
He paled. “I… Jesus, Tracy, I didn’t mean it that way. I’m sorry. It sounds that way, yes. But I’d never think that of you.” Leaning in, he brushed his lips over hers and she relaxed in his arms. “I’m sorry, honey. I hate that I hurt your feelings.”
She looked up into his eyes and smiled softly. “I hate it too. And I accept your apology.”
Sitting on the desk, he pulled her to stand between his thighs. “You know, it’s been forever since I’ve been inside you.”
She laughed. “It’s been six hours.”
“Okay, so it’s been longer than I want. Go to Nick and I’ll get permission and make the plane reservations and call my assistant to have my house readied for us all. I’ll be in in a bit.”
Moving in tight against his body, she captured his bottom lip between her teeth. “Okay. See you in a few minutes.”
On her way out, he swatted her ass and she flipped him off over her shoulder. His laugh delighted her and the tension and anger were gone.
But her concern wasn’t. She’d given Nick a bit of time but it was enough and she wanted to go to him. She felt his pain as she walked into the bedroom. He sat on the chaise near the French doors leading to the veranda, absently stroking a hand over Milton’s head. Milton was really good at cheering people up, goodness knows she’d snuggled up to him plenty enough over the last four years.
“Hey,” she said quietly as she moved toward him.
“Everything okay between you and Gabe?”
“Yes. But don’t worry about that. How are you? I’m so sorry you had to go through that tonight.” She stood behind him, putting her arms around his shoulders to hug him.
“Never in a million years did I ever imagine having to shun my brother and Sarah from the Pack.” His voice was thick with emotion.
“You did the right thing. And you know, Ben is going to help, which makes a huge difference. He obviously can’t stay, the Pack won’t trust him. But he can start over somewhere else, either in another Pack or on their own without the shame. He can raise his children with pride. Everyone makes mistakes, Nick. And where character lies is how we deal with them. We can run like Sarah, or face it head-on like Ben. You faced it, Nick. You did the hard thing. It’s what Alphas do.”
He turned, standing and pulling her to him. “You understand me. I’ve never thought it was important, really, to be understood. But always in the back of my mind it hurt that no one did.”
“I love you, Nick. I know you and I love you.” She went up on her toes and kissed his chin. “I believe in you.” A kiss to the hollow of his throat as her hands pulled his shirt from his pants. Leaning back, she yanked it over his head and tossed it behind her.
The warmth of his skin nearly burned her palms as she slid them up the wall of his chest. His scent hit her in the face and wrapped itself around her, pulling her to him physically and emotionally.
She laid a series of openmouthed kisses over his collarbone, tongue flicking out to taste the salt of his skin. His breathing sped, pulse hammering under her lips.
Moving back to the bed, he spun to push her onto the mattress and loomed above her. She shook her head and rolled, coming to straddle his waist. Putting a finger over his lips, she said, “Shhh. Let me love you, Nick.”
His eyes lit with emotion then and he kissed the finger that had quieted him. And she went back to work. Back to the slow, sensual exploration of every inch of his face and neck with her lips. She poured every bit of her love for him into those kisses.
Scooting down his body, she looked up into his eyes as she kissed a path over to each nipple, grazing her teeth over each one and delighting in his shiver of pleasure and low gasp. Down she went, her hands working to undo his jeans, and once her mouth reached the sensitive spot just below his belly button she sat up long enough to pull the rest of his clothes off.
Kneeling between his thighs, she gazed up his body. “You’re so beautiful. God, no wonder every woman in Pacific hated me on sight. This is mine, all mine and I’m so not going to share.” She chuckled and he smiled up at her with cocky arrogance and assuredness of his own allure.
She slid her hands up his thighs, over those tight muscles, and felt them loosen under her touch. Each moment she loved him with her hands and mouth, she felt the tension and the hurt fall away a bit more.
Finally, she leaned down and grazed his cock with her cheek, stopping for a moment to breathe him in. The scent of fully aroused werewolf male rode her, tightened her gut and made her pussy slick. Her clit throbbed and her nipples hardened to the point of near pain. Mate called to mate then and each gave a small sigh of desire and satisfaction.
Her ass swaying, she bent down and took him into her mouth, slowly drawing her tongue ‘round and ‘round the head of his cock as she did. In slow but sure rhythm, she went down on him, drawing his cock into her mouth as far as she could and then pulling back up, making sure to flick her tongue over him as she pulled all the way off. She knew he was watching and gave him a show.
His balls were in her palms and she felt them pull up toward his body as he neared climax. Her entire focus was on bringing him pleasure and she drowned in his response. All she could feel, see, hear and taste was Nick.
Her skull was cradled between his hands, his grip guiding her movements as his hips began to roll to meet her mouth.
When he came, her name was a benediction from his lips. He poured his love for her into that sound as she took his pleasure into her body.
She found herself being picked up and pulled against Gabe, her back to Gabe’s front, her head turned to receive his kiss while Nick practically ripped her shirt off.
Big hands pulled her pants and panties off and Gabe still held her, her head tipped back on his shoulder as Nick pressed his face into her pussy.
“You have no idea how sexy you looked from my vantage point,” Gabe murmured in her ear. She gasped as Nick’s tongue flicked over her clit. “You have the loveliest ass, babe. I watched you there, swaying as you took Nick into your mouth over and over. My cock is so hard I could drive spikes with it. But you know what I’d rather do?”
There were no words, just a whimper.
Both men chuckled and Nick pulled away and lay back on the bed. She cried out at the loss of his mouth.
“All in due time, honey. Tonight is the night. Nick and I both. Get started while I get out of my clothes.” Gently, he put her on Nick, who brought her face to his.
Sensing her apprehension, Nick kissed over her eyelids, his hands slowly caressing her back. “There aren’t words to tell you how much you mean to me,” he said, lips just barely touching hers. “I believe in you too. This is going to be good, baby. Trust me. Trust Gabe.”
“Ride him, honey.” Gabe got on the bed and crawled to them.
Taking a deep, fortifying breath, she looked down. Seeing the light in Nick’s eyes brought a smile to her lips. Following the line of his body, her smile widened further. No recovery time. Nick was hard and ready to go again. “Such a stud,” she said with a laugh.
“For you.”
Raising a brow, she sat up and moved back. Reaching behind herself, she grabbed his cock, guided him to her gate and slid back, sinking slowing onto him. The shock of his entry sent shocks of pleasure skittering up her spine as her pussy pulled him in deep.
Nick looked up at her and wondered at her beauty. The rawness of her sexuality was a siren song and he happily cast himself on the rocks. He wanted her, every inch of her. Forever. A
nd in every way he could have her as many times as he could get her.
He watched her alert eyes blur a bit as he filled her. Her lips were swollen from going down on him and wet from his kisses. She was utterly gorgeous.
Gabe knelt behind her, his cock hard and scorching at her back. He kissed down her neck and his hands slid around to her breasts, fingers rolling and pinching her nipples.
Nick watched and wet his fingers, moving them to her clit. He caught sight of Gabe putting a condom on and then lube over the latex-covered head of his cock. Nick’s own jumped in response as he pumped into his fist a few times. When Gabe’s eyes moved to Nick’s an arc of electric attraction shot between them.
But Gabe’s attention went back to Tracy as he traced down her back and over the crease in her ass. She tensed and Gabe leaned in. “Shhh. Relax. You have to relax.” Slippery fingers stroked over the star of her rear passage and she knew from the bit of play they’d engaged in before that it wasn’t an altogether unpleasant experience. “That’s it, sweetness.”
His fingers slowly worked their way inside her, scissoring to stretch her. She squirmed back against him with small noises of pleasure.
Nick’s fingertips stroked over her clit just enough to keep her dancing on the edge of orgasm, and he was close himself from the way her pussy clutched him. She was so wet and hot that there were times he found himself needing to grind his teeth and recite the table of elements to keep from coming.
“Lean back against me now, honey.” Gabe moved closer and she leaned her upper body against his chest as he put the head of his cock where his fingers had been a few moments before.
A sound from deep inside her and low in her gut trickled from between her lips as he slowly pressed inside. The feeling was totally overwhelming. Full. Extraordinarily good and on the verge of bad too. Impaled, yeah, that was the word.
“Oh fuck,” Gabe mumbled as he finally seated himself fully.
“Yeah. Move it along, Gabe, because I’m half a second from blowing here.”