AnnaI may have said it in passing before, but it was the first time I’d ever introduced Jax as my mate.To his credit, he didn’t blink an eye. Not at the fake name or the confession of our relationship. Not even to the revelation that Marsh was a friend of my father’s.A good friend.“A mate! Look at you! Dirk’s sweet little girl all grown up,” Marsh said with a mischievous glint in his eye. “A mate of Anna’s is definitely a friend of mine. I’m sure you have her well in hand. My little Anna used to be such a hellion.”My stomach turned, but I just laughed with him. To show even a little hint of distress would only give him more ammunition, and it was too late to signal to Jax to kill him so we could be on our way. There was something about Marsh I didn’t like. Why was he so at ease chatting out in the open?“She’s under control,” Jax said mildly.“I have no doubt. Why don’t you join me at my place, and we’ll catch up?”I tried to look regretful as I shook my head. “I’m afraid we’re j
“Just once. He died soon after,” Jax said shortly.“That explains where she went off to. When I heard about Dirk, I was worried about my sweet little girl. I went looking for her.”“Saul kept me safe,” I said as I forced myself to look up at Jax and smiled. I had to play the role, or I’d just end up vomiting all over Marsh’s shoes. It had been awhile, but submissive, quiet, dumb little Anna?Coming right up.“Have you been up here all this time?”“Hmmm. I rather like it here. It’s quiet. I’ve made a few friends.” He winked at me. “I’ll wager you’ll like it here, too. It should remind you of home.”“She has a home now.” The tension in Jax was evident, and I worried that if he didn’t keep it together, he’d stop masking his alpha status.If Marsh noticed, he didn’t say anything, Instead, he kicked off his boots and sat on the couch. When he patted the spot next to him, Jax sat in the chair and plopped me down on his lap.Marsh was right. It did feel just like Dirk’s home. I swallowed dow
JaxThe lies had slipped so easily out of her mouth, but while Marsh invited Finn to stay for dinner, Anna started to shake. I knew what she was thinking. My wolves hadn’t made it back.Interesting that she would worry for them so.I knew that my wolves were fine. I would feel if they were dead. Finn had lied. I couldn’t tell Anna that. I also didn’t know why.We spent the next two hours as guests while Marsh happily relayed stories of little Anna that set my teeth on edge and tested me in every way possible.Anna, meanwhile, never blinked an eye.Afterward, I quickly shut down Marsh’s suggestion that we sleep in the cabin. When he mentioned we could all shift and sleep together, I felt the first sign of Anna’s fear and panic.“Anna’s wolf does not come out unless we’re home,” I said, playing the role of the controlling mate.Marsh was clearly frustrated, but I didn’t budge. It was obvious he wanted Anna. Did he really think I would share her?Had someone else shared her?It was impos
She opened to me, and I swept my tongue in and kissed her gently. It was meant to be a quick kiss, but the moment my lips touched hers, the energy in the tent shifted. The air grew warm and thick, and my entire body started to tingle. I didn’t want to scare her, but when my arms slipped around her body and under her shirt so I could spread my palms against her naked skin, she whimpered.It wasn’t from fear.Groaning, I pulled her more snuggly against my lap and hard cock and deepened the kiss.She placed her hands on my chest, but soon, her fingers were tangled in my hair, and her whole body was plastered against me.“All clear.”At the sound of Finn’s voice, I snarled. Anna tried to pull away, but I kept my arms around her. “I know he lied. The others are okay. I would know if they were dead,” I whispered.“I need to talk to him.”“Okay.”“Stay here, and keep that flare gun handy in case anyone but me tries to come in. I’ll keep the tent in sight.”Immediately, she shoved off my lap.
AnnaI kept my back to Jax when he returned and pretended to be asleep. We both knew it wasn’t true, but he quietly stretched out behind me and laid a hand on my hip. I almost gave him a warning growl, but his touch did help settle my wolf. Her anxiety at being alone on Marsh’s land was suffocating.I hated how he made me feel. Calm. Centered.Desperate. Needy.Furious.The man gave me whiplash, and now, I had his kiss to haunt me. His real kiss. Not just the ones I sometimes had in my dreams.Somehow, with him behind me, I managed to slip off into sleep. I had no idea how much had passed before my wolf’s panic had been bolting upright.Next to me, Jax had already started to pull me against him when a blade shredded the tent, and Marsh’s face loomed near. He was streaked with blood and had a crazed look in his eye.“Something wrong?” Jax said tensely.“Stupid bitches think they have a say in what I can and can’t do,” he snarled. “This one is mine. Dirk gave her to me, and I’m taking h
“That would be a pretty targeted question for me to ask, wouldn’t it?” Jax responded.Shivering, I turned my back and slipped off my wet shirt. We were in a cave that, according to Finn, was part of a system of rock dwellings. He believed the caves would lead straight to the witch’s den, but he hadn’t explored them. He said he’d only tried to go further once when he became ensnared in a spell trap. It was two agonizing days before a witch released him and warned him away.Jax had commented that it was awfully nice of them for a group of blood-thirsty witches.In any case, Finn had supplies stashed here, including some dry clothes.I opened a bag and yanked on a musty-smelling T-shirt. It fell to my knees. That didn’t bode well for the pants.“Well, you didn’t really present me with the kind of environment that fostered care and sympathy for difficult conversations and trauma sharing, did you?”“I gave you Parker.” Jax sounded hurt.With a short laugh, I turned around with the pants in
JaxThe minute her hands touched my chest, I saw the flash of heat in her eyes. The warmth penetrated the fabric of my shirt, and her mouth opened just a little.That was all I needed. Capturing her lips in mine, I kissed her urgently as I backed her into the rock. Just before her head hit the stone, I cradled her head, and it was my knuckles that smacked against the rough surface. I didn’t care.My tongue swept in, taking what was mine, and as soon as I tasted the sweetness of her mouth again, my fury grew. How could she be so fucking delicate? So goddamn innocent?How could I crave her this much knowing what she was?Growling, I tore my mouth away and stared down at her. Wet large and hesitant eyes stared up at me, and I was lost in her. “Turn around,” I ordered. “I want you pressed up against me.”Quietly, she obeyed. As soon as my fingers moved down her soft belly, she shivered and squirmed against me. I could smell her arousal, and my own body tightened in kind.Mine.She was min
AnnaFreedom was one step away. All I had to do was turn and leave. I knew the way to the witches. They could come back and get Jax and be prepared for whatever he had in store for them.It probably wouldn’t lead to his death.“You’re not breathing,” I snapped as I knelt down by him to check out the trap. I couldn’t leave him here. Not even if it was in my favor.“Maybe because I was thinking you’d leave me,” he said weakly. I glanced at the blood trickling down his leg. It was serious, but he wasn’t going to die just yet.“I should have,” I muttered as I focused on the magic. It wrapped around me, brushed along my skin, tried desperately to claw at me and trap me the way it had trapped Jax.I’d lied to him before. I didn’t have a way to dispel the trap. I didn’t need it. After a moment of touching me, it turned dark and died. Just died and dissipated into nothing.I couldn’t tell him that. I knew what it made me. My father knew what it made me, and he’d locked me in the house for six
HaydenThe scent of tilled earth met Hayden’s nostrils as he drove through the town. The team was spread through a handful of vehicles, each one keeping watch. They had just escorted the cargo van to and from the city for the latest shopping trip. Last time, Spencer had attempted to stop them from leaving.This time, they had barely seen a sign of any other wolf in the town. It seemed as though Monroe was keeping them busy elsewhere. This was why, along with food, Hayden bought a handful of camera drones from the city. Patience was a virtue, but sitting idly by without finding any additional information was a flaw that could easily prove fatal.He pulled to a stop in front of Monroe’s house and got out of the car, leaving the engine idling. The team all hopped out of their vehicles and gathered in formation around him.“Monroe,” Hayden bellowed. “Quit hiding and face me!”The door slammed open, but it wasn’t the possessed Alpha who came out. Instead, it was Spencer. He walked with a s
Mica didn’t want this to end. She never wanted it to end. And if that meant holding her questions inside and refusing to let any of them out? That’s just what it would have to be.She wasn’t going to give Hayden up. Now that she had him, she wanted to keep him. So she held him tighter, fighting against the pressure building through her. Instead, she kissed him, the way he wanted. And their eyes remained locked open on each other as they continued the dance as old as time.***Chirping birds just outside of the window woke Mica in the early morning. She sleepily buried her face into Hayden’s chest, unwilling to get up just yet. Their naked bodies pressed together, soft and warm in the cool morning. Being in Hayden’s arms always made her feel safe and secure. His strength seemed to seep into her, giving her everything she needed to face their situation.The previous night’s activities had kept them up quite late. Mica hoped she wouldn’t be too tired to perform her duties today. Not that
MicaThe pack took the news of Monroe's possession by a demon reasonably well. At least, none of them went running around flailing their hands in the air, proclaiming they were all doomed. What they whispered to each other was another thing altogether, but Mica didn’t spare the worry about that possibility. For the time being, she focused on taking care of injuries.Once she was done, Mica sought Hayden out. He was with his team, plotting out their next course of action. Mica found a spot at the side of the room to sit and wait until they were done.Maverick shot her an uneasy glance but focused back on Hayden. It seemed to Mica he didn’t want her there, but until his Alpha was going to say something, he’d accept it. Hayden hadn’t paid much attention to her entrance into the room except to briefly glance at her. “That’s enough for tonight,” he said finally. “Tomorrow, we’ll start training the pack on how to fight the beast-demons. Until they’re ready to fight, we’ll have to keep the
Ryder nodded, then shifted to his own human form. As he was arranging the wolves into teams, Hayden strode for the house. Mica greeted him at the door, armed with a kitchen knife. She glanced over at him, relief in her eyes, then headed outside to help Ryder. Hayden resisted the urge to grab her and kiss her.He let out a shaky breath, grounding himself, as he headed up the stairs. He stopped in his room for some clothes before heading to Echo’s room. The aura-demon possessing Echo was active in her circle of salt, trying to cross the barrier. When she saw him, a cruel smile twisted over her face.“How’s Mica? I do hope that she didn’t find herself caught up in a wolf fight. Such a weak little human wouldn’t stand much of a chance, after all.”Hayden ignored the obvious taunt. “What’s the name of your leader?”“Monroe.”“And your name?”“Echo.” That cruel smile was still in place.It was expected. No demon that Hayden ever met would admit to their own name. It made him wonder if they
HaydenAt the first howl, Hayden rushed to meet the attackers. He leaped from an upper window, exploding into his wolf form as he did so. Spencer howled again and charged over the fence at him. Hayden let out a howl of his own, rushing to meet him. They clashed head-on, fur and snarls flying through the air.Spencer lunged, his teeth white against his black fur. He feinted to the left, but Hayden anticipated his motion. He lightly leaped to the side and ducked, coming up at Spencer’s throat. Spencer clawed at his flank while the wolves of the pack clashed on every side.Pain burst through Hayden’s side as his teeth snapped just shy of Spencer’s jugular. Blood soaked through his fur. Spencer grabbed at his ruff, but Hayden twisted himself, rolling. He kicked all four feet into Spencer’s stomach, his claws ripping through fur. He flung Spencer through the air.Hayden jumped to his feet and took half a second to take stock of the others around him. His team was at the forefront of the fi
Mica smiled up at him, squeezing his arm. “And if they refuse to swear allegiance, they can’t stay. For now, though, I’m accepting them under my protection. Unless you wish for me to send them away, Alpha?”Hayden gave her a dirty look but jerked his chin toward the hastily built lean-to on the south side of the house. There were three such structures now. The south was for the unmated women, the north was for unmated men, and the west was for family groups. The special ops team all shared rooms inside the house now, too, with the other rooms holding any injured wolves.“You can keep them, for now,” Hayden said. “But see that you put them to work. I don’t want them causing us any trouble.”“Of course.” Mica bowed her head toward him, fighting back a smile.Unlike Monroe and his people, Hayden cared about the pack. He might say that he only returned because Ryder and the others from Bluebell Valley wanted to save the pack, but he did genuinely care. It reminded Mica so much of the Hayd
MicaMonroe sent someone to the house every day for the next few days, demanding Elin back. He even went so far as to send Elin’s father. Hayden refused every time, but only allowed one of them onto the property. Or, as Mica learned later, only one of them could come onto the property.Spencer, it seemed, had no demon influence on him, but many of Monroe’s people were possessed.Mica tried not to think about that. She tried not to think about her own mother under a demon's influence. The few times when she and Ryder ended up working together, Echo was a topic neither of them brought up. Mica couldn’t bring herself to ask. If Ryder said there was no way to save her, then the last bit of hope she clung to would shrivel up and disappear.“Mica, we’ve received three more women,” Tess told her one morning. “Clarissa, Monique, and Rachel.”“Really?” Mica reluctantly closed the laptop she’d been working at. “Spencer’s daughters?”Hayden had been up at the crack of dawn, and Mica had gotten u
Hayden chuckled, enjoying her demanding side. He pushed in until he was fully seated, groaning as her greedy heat sucked him in. Mica whimpered and Hayden rested his forehead against hers. He waited there, letting her adjust. Her fingers dug into his shoulders. She was the one that started moving first, rocking her hips back and forth to move him inside of her. Her eyes were at half-mast, her mouth slightly open. He swelled, his skin feeling too tight to contain him.She kissed him, panting into his mouth. Hayden started to move, slowly at first but with increasing momentum. Mica matched his rhythm, her hips thrusting upward. Soon, she was crying out every time they came together. Hayden gritted his teeth, fighting back on the pressure building inside of him. Hewould see her finish first. He was getting dangerously close, so he reached between them and stroked her clit again.“Hayden,” she cried out. A flush rose up her neck and face. Her back arched, and her mouth fell open.“That’s
Mica shivered. “But I’m fat.”“You are beautiful, Mica.” He ran his hand down her hip. “Your skin is soft and smooth. Your breasts are perfect. I want to get to know the rest of you.”He slid his hand between her legs and cupped her. She felt even better without the clothes between them. The heat of her sex radiated into his hand, already growing damp. He massaged her slightly, watching her reaction. The tension melted from her shoulders. Her head fell slightly back and she let out a soft moan.“You’re beautiful,” he repeated. “And I want you.”Mica turned back to him, letting her legs open for him. Her sea-green eyes didn’t leave his face.“I think that’s the first time someone didn’t say ‘You’re not fat, you’re beautiful’ even though I am… without a doubt—” She cut off, biting her lip.“Do you want to continue?” he asked.Mica nodded. “Yes.”Hayden waited a moment before adjusting his hold on her. He slid two fingers deeper, exploring her. They brushed over her entrance, already wet