Chapter Twelve
Over the past several years, Grant had envisioned this moment a thousand times, of finally displacing Kryder and getting rid of him forever. Yet, he’d never truly imagined what forging the alpha-bond with his wolves would be like, would feel like.
He felt as though he’d become the sun to their orbit with a dynamic gravitational pull that was centered on his heart. He would die for each and every one of the wolves present. They were his pack, his tribe, his people.
In one sense, he’d been their alpha almost from day one of his arrival in Five Bridges, certainly from the time Renee passed. He’d protected a large number of them over the years, especially the young females that Kryder targeted. He’d taken beatings for his disobedience to his alpha.
He savored making the connection with each of the wolves, whether a pat on the shoulder, a touching of foreheads, or a hug. He also made sure that he had physical contact with every wolf and didn’t stop until the bond felt secure and complete.
A soft howling followed with a linking of arms and a gentle swaying of bodies. A lot of wolf-sign followed, with fur appearing on hands, cheeks and throats. Nothing could have been more beautiful in his eyes. This was what he’d sought for six long years, what he’d longed for and now it was here. He was alpha of the Meldorin Pack and would be for as long as he lived.
Several of the wolves demanded a barbecue celebration in honor of the new pack leader. Grant had only one response. “Let’s do it, out in the open with a dozen bonfires and enough howling to bring down the heavens. I want all of Savage, all of Five Bridges to know that the monster is gone.”
A cheer went up and the pack began to exit the gallery. Those in charge of the kitchens all but ran out of the arena.
This night had been on Grant’s mind a long time and he had a dozen plans ready to put in place. One of them, he instituted immediately. With Ryan and the net-team nearby, he turned to them. “I want guards stationed at all the compound entrance points. Now. Kryder will be back probably with a major force he’s built at The Sapphire Club. I want the armory opened and weapons distributed.”
“What about the celebration?” One of the team asked.
“Everyone will be included, but we’ll rotate in and out at twenty-minute intervals. How does that sound?”
His wolves grinned. Ryan responded, “Like exactly what needs to be done on all fronts.”
Grant and Ryan had been drilling and training a security force, without Kryder’s knowledge, for years, with three separate teams to be exact. Both men and women served on the teams, ran drills in the sandpit and made use of a secret firing range.
Over the same period of time, Ryan had amassed an arsenal which was where he went now. The team leaders, each of which had been on the net-team, headed in different directions to begin dispersing orders for the protection of the compound.
Grant was now alone in the arena except for one other person.
Natalie.
She stood patiently in the upper corner of the gallery seats off to his right.
He hadn’t thought of her once during the time he’d bonded with his pack. He hadn’t meant to ignore her and felt distressed since she’d been instrumental in taking Kryder down. He couldn’t have done it without her. Yet right now, she was on the outside of his life. It didn’t seem right, but she didn’t belong to his pack either.
Regardless, he would honor her contribution.
Come to me. If you hadn’t helped, hadn’t been with me, what happened here tonight couldn’t have taken place.
She smiled as she left the top row of seats and began moving toward him. His feet were in motion before he’d formed the thought.
He lifted into levitated flight then swooped toward her. He felt nothing but overwhelming gratitude. He caught her up in his arms and twirled her in a circle above the gallery seats.
Thank you. He repeated the words three times or maybe a dozen.
When he felt able, he lowered her to the cement walkway to stand in front of her. He held her gaze for a long moment and valued the tears that sprang to her hazel eyes.
He kissed her because it seemed right. “Thank you. Words aren’t enough to express all I feel, but I will be forever grateful to you for what you’ve done tonight. You’ve changed everything for me and for the Meldorin Pack wolves. Again, thank you.”
She chuckled and swiped at her eyes. “I’ve never experienced anything so moving as the bonding I just witnessed. You’ve been their true alpha for a long time, haven’t you? You’ve protected them and organized the compound. You saved them.”
“They mean everything to me.” He smiled suddenly. “Your wolf was with me, racing in circles around me while I battled. It gave me confidence that I could see this through.”
She tilted her head slightly. “Did you really need the net? There at the end I wasn’t so sure it was necessary.”
“It was. Even though I’d taken his shoulder apart. Kryder would have found a way, done something. I have no doubt of it.”
Her expression grew troubled, her eyes taking on a pinched look. “Renee was here. She says Kryder will be back.”
Grant nodded slowly. “I’ve already organized security teams for each entrance.”
“You have?” She smiled suddenly. “Well, of course you have. You’ve seen this day coming for six years.”
“That’s pretty much it.”
Ryan appeared at the far-right entrance to the gallery. He flew toward them quickly. “I brought you some clothes.” He thrust a stack of leathers, boots, socks and a tank into his hands. “And I’m here to report.”
Grant quickly donned the clothes while Ryan spoke. “The barbecues are fired up and the bonfires are being lit. Chef is defrosting a mountain of steaks and someone just ordered a vat of potato salad from the supermarket. More importantly, the beer is being hauled out from the compound storage fridge as we speak.” He glanced at Natalie, “You’re staying, right?”
Natalie glanced at Grant. “I’m not sure. I know this is a special time for the pack, so if it would be better for me to leave, trust me I have no problem taking off.” She shifted her gaze to Ryan then back to him.
Grant caught her elbow. “Do you want to leave?”
“No. In fact, I was hoping to share in the moment, but it’s totally up to you. Whatever the pack needs right now is what matters.”
Grant turned to Ryan. “What do you think?”
Ryan laughed as he addressed Natalie. “Get your ass to the bonfires, lady. You’re not going anywhere. We could not have gotten this far without you and if you think we’ll let you leave, well let’s just say over my dead body.”
Fully dressed, Grant breathed a sigh of relief then extended his arm to Natalie. She moved in close and relaxed against him. “In that case, I’d better come.”
Ryan led the way, though he walked at a rather sedate pace. Grant suspected he had a reason, so he didn’t try to suggest they get a move on. Instead, he took Natalie’s hand and gave himself some time to adjust to his new role.
A sense of euphoria surrounded him and of well-being as though the universe was back on its proper axis. He was glad the celebration would be out in the open. He’d be able to see a star or two in the dark night sky above Phoenix.
At least the pack would be outside, and his security force would keep watch in steady rotations. The compound was secure, allowing everyone to participate in the celebration.
The gallery opened onto a long hall that led to the third level lockers and storage areas. A few wolves were moving large, rolling carts filled with chairs and long tables toward the equipment elevators. Each dipped his or her head as he moved by.
Grant smiled in response. He hoped it would be a long time before the joy of the moment wore off.
All he knew was that he meant to make the most of the next few hours, to howl, to dance, to shift, whatever he felt like doing as a way of expressing his thrill that Kryder could no longer afflict the Meldorin Pack.
He squeezed Natalie’s hand and leaned down to her. “Care to dance later?”
“You dance?”
“Hell, yeah. It’s a wolf thing. We like to move.”
She reached up and caressed his face then kept walking. “I’m in.”
He dipped down again and planted a kiss on her lips. For a split second, he wanted to stop, haul her into his arms and kiss her properly, but he didn’t dare risk it. His skyrocket chemistry with the woman would have him all over her in the time it took to strip off his tank.
I want to kiss you.
Better not, she responded. The way I’m feeling, we’d embarrass ourselves. I don’t think you want to start your new term as alpha by getting caught with your leathers down, literally.
No, I wouldn’t, but the picture you’ve painted isn’t helping.
She laughed but said nothing more. For that, he was grateful.
By the time they reached the eastern end of the compound and was walking up the stairs to the large, outdoor patio, he could smell the fires and the meat on the grill.
As his stomach rumbled, he lifted his nose to catch every varied scent of the charring meat and burning wood. He’d always enjoyed the outdoors, though in his previous life he’d had his telescope mounted in a meadow somewhere on the Plains. As an alter wolf, he had dreams of the White Mountains of Arizona, shifting and running free.
He’d build a campfire and race around it as some of the wolves were doing now.
“It’s beautiful,” Natalie murmured.
He glanced at her to catch her sightline. She, too, was watching the wolves around the fire. The next second, he saw her iridescent wolf leave her body or her spirit or however it worked, to join in the fun.
He doubted any of the other wolves could see Natalie’s wolf, but he could, and he loved it.
He squeezed her hand for about the tenth time and she responded with an answering pressure. No one paid their hand-holding any attention. Pack life had few secrets when it came to who was sleeping with whom. By now, his romantic, even his sexual involvement with Natalie would be well known.
Besides, even if he’d felt uncomfortable, he wasn’t sure he could have released her hand if he’d wanted to. Though he’d marked Natalie, there were far too many powerful beta wolves around, with a hungry eye, for him to do anything but keep Natalie pinned to his side.
He had no real claim on her, not yet and maybe not for the long haul. But tonight, she was his.
The second security shift headed out to relieve the first shift. They were cheered by the rest of the pack.
Grant felt a measure of pride in seeing them go then in witnessing the others return to help themselves to steak, potato salad and beer.
Somebody got up a howl and pretty soon the whole pack was crying into the night. He couldn’t help but join them and watched as Natalie’s wolf threw back her head and let loose as well.
He released her hand only to slide his arm around her waist. She leaned her head against his chest. He swore nothing had ever felt better in his life than having her close to him as he howled at the stars.
He made sure Natalie’s steak was cooked a little better than the blood-rare he preferred. A couple of new pack members waited on them. They brought cutlery and bottles of beer. Natalie ate quietly, but her right hand found his thigh often. She kept squeezing the inside of his leg and his leathers kept shrinking. He wanted her touch, her lips, her body.
The need kept mounting like a call within his soul.
After an hour had passed and his stomach was full, after he’d shifted twice and joined Natalie’s wolf by racing around the fire, after he’d howled about dozen more times, he coaxed Natalie away from the crowd.
I have to be alone with you. Now.
Thank God, she responded. I’m in agony.
He led her down two flights to his room but found one of the female wolves blocking his way. She smiled, though. “We’ve moved you to a suite we’ve had prepared for you for the last two years. Kryder never knew about it.”
He was stunned. “I had no idea and I thought I knew everything that went on around here.”
“It was Ryan’s idea. Only a handful of us knew. He said we should keep it quiet, that it might be best. If you’ll follow me.”
Grant had been all over the compound dozens of time. When he arrived at his new domicile, he understood and could only laugh.
It was the door he’d wondered about earlier which had a sign on it that said ‘Supplies’.
The wolf opened the door then stood aside. “We didn’t think you would want Kryder’s former quarters.”
“No. I wouldn’t.” He felt his jaw stiffen. Kryder had tortured and raped women, as well as a few men, in his lavish suite of rooms. Grant wasn’t sure what he would do with the rooms though his first inclination was to brick up the entrance and never let anyone use it again. He wasn’t even certain that a witch’s spell could cleanse away the evil that had been done in there.
He was grateful Ryan had had the foresight to set aside a completely different room for him.
Natalie walked in and said, “It’s exactly what I thought your quarters would be.”
As soon as he saw what the wolves had accomplished, in secret, he was completely bowled over. The original block walls had disappeared, and the space had been expanded to an enormous suite. The walls were now made of a variety of stones, from smooth river rock, to slabs of polished granite, to one section of massive boulders that formed a pillar around which a stone path had been laid. There was the usual furniture, couches, chairs, tables and lamps. Mostly, it was a wolf’s place.
The female wolf entered behind him and directed him to an opening on the right. “We had an office set up in here along with a long conference table and a bathroom.” She smiled. “Ryan said the wolves would often get irritable because of the close quarters in your room.”
He smiled. “We managed.” But he recalled the numerous arguments and unresolved conflicts because of the lack of space.
She gestured the opposite direction. “Your bedroom is at the far end, with an en suite bathroom. We also set up a library for your astronomy books and telescope. Please let us know if you need any modifications. Also, if you would prefer to appropriate any of the rooms in the compound for your use, you know the wolves will happily give them up for you. We…” She swallowed hard. “Alpha, we would die for you. We…that is…I can’t thank you enough. It was your intervention that saved me.”
He glanced at her, surprised. “When was this?” He had no recollection of it.
Her laugh was watery as she sniffed. “You’ve helped so many of us so many times I’m not surprised you don’t remember. But it was almost six years ago, not long after your wife passed. I was new to the pack and Kryder was after me. I’d heard the rumors. You arrived just as he was shoving me into his rooms. You pulled me out and told me to find Ryan. Alpha Grant, you almost died that night because of the beating he gave you.”
He remembered now. He went to her and took her hand in his. “I would do it again.”
Her smiled broadened though her eyes filled with new tears. “I know you would. These rooms were the least I, that is we, could do. There were a dozen of us that worked on the rooms over the years. We prayed as well that you would survive and that somehow, you’d be able to defeat Kryder. Tonight, you did. Again, this is the least we could do for you.”
“Please tell your team thank you for this. I won’t forget it.”
She nodded briskly then slapped her thighs. “There’s champagne in the fridge. Help yourself.” She went to the door and extended her hand to an intercom on the wall. “This leads directly to the kitchens. If you need anything, you have only to press the button.”
She didn’t wait for him to respond. She disappeared through the door then closed it firmly behind her. Instinctively, he crossed to the same door and slid the deadbolt in place. Though Kryder was gone, it would be a long time before the pack would truly be safe.
When he turned around, he saw that Natalie had crossed to the towering pile of boulders. She touched the nearest one and ran her hand over the rough surface. “Why do I love this as much as I do?”
He joined her. “It’s fierce. Raw. What your wolf craves. Definitely, what mine does. This feels like a forest, something I long for and not just the pines in the center of Savage.”
“This space is amazing. But what I’d really like to see is the bedroom.”
He slid his arm around her waist. “I’ve been thinking of little else for the past hour.”
“Me, too. I just want to be with you.” She turned to face him and reached up to kiss him.
He snaked his arms around her so fast, she gasped. Then he gave her the kiss he’d been thinking about ever since he saw her alone in the gallery at the sandpit.
She parted her lips and he plunged his tongue inside. After the battle with Kryder, she was what he wanted, what he needed.
He picked her up and slung an arm below her knees. Cradling her, he carried to the bedroom. But he paused on the threshold, shocked all over again. He couldn’t believe what he was seeing.
“It’s beautiful, Grant, and rugged.”
“It’s my burrow bedroom. Ryan had it duplicated. He must have had the security team fetch all the furs as well.”
“I want to feel it.” He took her to the edge of the bed then let her drop to her knees on the thick pile of furs.
Even the rock face beyond the bed looked similar. He would have to thank Ryan for this. Ryan would have known he couldn’t return to his burrow once he became alpha. Not only would his burrow be one of Kryder’s targets, but he would need to be with his pack as well.
He looked beyond the bed and smiled. Ryan had thought of everything. “They built me a running track.”
Natalie, who had been reclining and sweeping her fingers through the soft furs, rolled over to look at the opposite side of the bed. “Is that what those openings are for? On either side? I wondered.”
He felt a powerful need to shift again, even though he’d taken a few turns around the bonfire in full-fur.
He caught Natalie’s gaze, “Would you mind if I went for a run first?”
She grinned. “Only if my wolf can join you.”
He leaned down and grabbed her ankles. He then pulled her close to kiss her. “Do you want ride my back?”
“Not this time. But I might watch.”
Grant stared at the far opening and leaped into the air. He transformed into his wolf state as he shot above the bed and landed in front of the path.
He headed at full speed down the track.
~ ~ ~
Natalie’s wolf appeared almost instantly and went in pursuit. She decided to remain on the bed. The furs had called to her and something more. The bed smelled of Grant, of his heavy fresh cut lumber scent and man.
Her hips rocked with need.
She turned on her stomach and breathed in again. She began to ache deep inside her sex.
She could hear Grant running, his paws scraping along the sandy path. Every now and then he would howl. Her own wolf paced beside him and she felt her euphoria which only enhanced the need she felt. She was desperate for Grant.
She pulled off her blouse then her bra. Without leaving the bed, she kicked off her shoes then stripped out of her leggings and thong. Her clothes built a pile on the floor.
She turned back onto her stomach and stretched her arms straight out above her head. She breathed in the smell of Grant again and again until her hips were a steady thump against the bed.
Grant. Please. I need you.
I’m coming.
She heard him draw near then his voice as he said, “Holy shit.”
She peered at him over her shoulder. “You’ve shifted back.”
“You look great, but I should shower.”
“No,” she said quickly. “I want your sweat. I want to taste you. All of you.”
She rolled onto her back and he gathered up handfuls of the fur and dragged her toward him. He kept doing this until he lifted her off the bed and pushed the furs onto the floor.
Settling her against the sheets, he stretched out beside her, never losing eye-contact. “You’re beautiful.”
She leaned close and sniffed his face then licked his cheek in a line toward his ear.
“How do you want me?” He asked as he nuzzled her neck.
“On your back. I’m going to use my tongue…everywhere.”
He moaned loudly as he stretched out and rolled into position. She shifted so that her knees were adjacent to his side. He was fully aroused, a beautiful missile. She touched the head lightly with her fingers and began a gentle massage. While she was doing this, she leaned down to the space below his sternum and sniffed once more where his sweat had pooled. His lumber-wood smell rose in powerful streams to invade her nostrils then her brain.
She drifted her tongue over the dip above his abs. Sweat, salt, man and wood. She opened her mouth wide to let the flavors and the scents play over her tongue and through her nose once more.
She dipped again and ran her tongue all over his six-pack. The whole time she kept fondling his stiff cock, letting her fingers play along the rim. His hips had already begun rocking.
She traced his muscles back up to his abs then focused on his pecs and his nipples. She took her time, suckling each hard peak.
“You’re killing me.”
She met his gaze and smiled. “I don’t care. This is my time. I love your body and I’m going to savor every square inch. She traveled up first and licked his neck, the wells above his clavicles, the landscape of his shoulders then down each arm. She suckled his fingers. As she moved, she gauged his level of arousal and would remove her fingers from his cock when she could tell he was getting frustrated.
Each time he calmed down, she let her fingers explore his balls and his thick stalk.
On she went all the way to his ankles as she kissed and licked. His scent had thickened and grew stronger as she reached his thighs. She nudged his knees apart then turned to climb between his legs.
When her lips reached his ribbed testicles, the groan that left his mouth lasted about a century. She took as much in her mouth as she could but didn’t touch his cock. His hips undulated.
When she licked the base of his cock, another moan, accompanied by a few choice words, flew from his throat. She licked his cock along the side then sucked on him in the same spot.
His hands found her head and he pushed on her as he thrust his hips. She sucked harder. He groaned again.
She knew what he wanted, and she wanted it, too. It seemed right and good as she lifted up and surrounded the head of his cock with her lips. She began to suck, very gently and his body arched.
Tasting his wood scent filled her mouth with saliva and created a perfect lubrication. She used her hand and kept the sucking motion gentle but began to squeeze and pump him at the same time. Give it to me, Grant. I want all you’ve got to give in my mouth and down my throat.
“Fuck.”
Come for me.
The wolf inside her became agitated with need. Her hand pumped faster, and she sucked just a little harder.
I’m coming.
His come filled her mouth in hot spurts. He tasted like his sweat, like fresh-cut lumber, salt and man. She swallowed what he gave her as his shouts filled the air. A howl followed which had her sex clenching hard.
His body grew still, but he was breathing hard.
She rose up on her knees and looked down at him, at the flush on his face and his swollen lips. He reached up and grabbed the back of her neck pulling him down on top of her.
He kissed her, his tongue searching the depths of her mouth, tasting what he’d given her. It was the most erotic moment.
When she drew back, he asked, “What can I do for you? I’ll do anything you want. Just look.” He inclined his head in a downward motion.
She lifted up and saw he was still fully erect.
She smiled when she looked back at him. “Were you always this prolific?”
He shook his head slowly. “Not until you. This is about you, Natalie. I’m hard for you. And I’ll be hard again and again.”
His words squeezed her heart and made her wish for things she doubted could ever happen. He was now alpha of the Meldorin Pack and she was fae with strong ties to her territory. Despite her misgivings, she kissed him then said, “I need you inside me, front to front, and riding me as deep, hard and as fast as you can. I’m dripping, I’m so wet and ready for you.”
His turn to smile. “Are you? Then I’d better get going.”
She flipped onto her back and spread her knees. He quickly placed himself between her thighs and settled his hands next to her shoulders. He held her gaze as he took his cock in hand and positioned himself at her entrance.
“Shit, you are wet.”
When he pushed, he glided inside. Her body undulated with the feel of him. He was a big man and filled her wall-to-wall.
He began to thrust, taking the length of him all the way in then pulling almost all the way out. She moaned and rocked her hips. Within a few seconds, he was driving into her and making her cry out. This wouldn’t take long. Her need was too great.
“Is that what you want?” He asked.
She met his gaze again. “Yes. More. Faster. Oh, God. You feel so damn good.”
She watched as lines of fur thickened on his cheeks and his nostrils flared. He was breathing hard again, but this was different. “I need to bite your neck, but in the front this time. Will you let me? Do you trust me?”
“Oh, hell, yeah.” She rolled her head, exposing her throat.
He growled softly. She watched his mouth open, his nostrils flare and his chin quiver. Her sex tightened.
She gasped as his teeth made contact. She could feel that his incisors were longer, more pronounced. He bit down just enough for her to grow still. Shivers chased the length of her body, on and on they rippled. His thrusts sped up, yet somehow, he kept his upper torso still so that his teeth could remain in contact. Only a wolf could do this.
Pleasure began to rise in a sharp climb to the pinnacle. His scent ripened, and her brain became flooded with so much euphoria she could hardly think. Her wolf began moving within her body, flowing over her skin.
Your wolf is alive right now.
My wolf is loving on your wolf. I’m so ready to come.
Me, too.
With that, he bit down a little more and pleasure exploded in her sex then expanded in a tidal wave through her abdomen, rushing up through her chest, to drive into her brain.
The ceiling of the burrow-like room disappeared. She saw the heavens, a flashing of starlight, of nebulae, of galaxies spinning and rushing through the universe.
From a distance, she heard herself screaming in pleasure in tandem with Grant’s cries and shouts. She was both outside her body, yet within.
She watched his hips slow, yet not stop.
Her head arched, his teeth bit down and the process repeated so that once more her sex was clenching hard around his driving cock. Again, she shouted at the ceiling that was no longer there. The beauties of the world flashed through her mind as ecstasy carried her beyond the limits of the world.
She panted and asked for more. More.
Yes.
She watched his hips work her body. She whimpered as his thrusts grew piston-like once more. This time, she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and held him close. He released his hold on her neck and looked into her eyes. She returned to her body enough to meet his gaze. This would be different, more emotional, more present.
Tears streamed from her eyes. You’re magnificent.
You’re beautiful. He smiled and deepened his thrusts.
The climb was swift as she stared into his eyes. They were gold now and exquisite. She was one with him, aware of his driving cock, the strength of his arms, the wonder of his hips.
She let her hands begin a descent. She wanted to feel all that power. Her fingers gripped his bottom. She dug in her nails just enough.
He arched his neck and as pleasure once more tore through her, she watched his orgasm and it fired her even more. The rushing sensation began all over again as it drove through her abdomen and found its way to expand her heart. She felt herself open to him as she never had before. She wanted to take him inside her life and her world in the same way his cock moved within her.
She wanted so much to give herself to him as she’d once given herself to her husband.
Emotions flowed through her and the tears fell harder.
She hugged his shoulders as ecstasy peaked and a howl, so wolf-like in nature, left her throat and matched his own voice.
She continued to howl as together they drifted down from the heavens and her body grew lax.
Finally, he was arched above her, his hips now quiet, his arms stretched out, his neck back. His howls had stopped. So had hers. She had a view of his throat, his neck, the cord-like veins. All man. All wolf. So much strength.
Her body began to mold to the sheets. She smiled and sniffed. She’d wept, the sex had been so extraordinary.
Whatever happened in the future, she would always have this moment, a beautiful release after Grant had defeated Kryder and become alpha of the Meldorin Pack.
~ ~ ~
Grant’s arms began to shake. He’d held himself in a curved arch above Natalie and needed to let go of this tense position. He’d never come so much in his life, repeatedly, as though he’d been saving himself up for her.
It was a ridiculous thought, yet somehow, he believed it.
As he began to unwind, he knew he didn’t want to leave her body right away. He eased down on top of her, though supporting himself on his forearms to keep the full weight of his two-hundred-and-fifty pounds off her.
He wiped the tears from the sides of her face. He knew she’d wept, but he also knew it was from pleasure. He’d felt her sex rippling over his cock when she’d come. It was one of the best sensations of his life, to feel her coming with him, repeatedly. He’d give the alter world this much: Sex could be phenomenal.
“That was amazing,” he said.
She offered a soft smile. “Uh-huh. It was.” She chuckled. “I saw the heavens this time, like you did last time.”
“I saw your wolf flowing over your skin, over your entire body. My wolf loved it.”
“Your teeth. Oh, my God, Grant, the feel of your incisors was astounding. I don’t think I’ll ever understand it.”
“All that matters is how you felt.”
She caressed his face. “We’re good together, aren’t we?”
“The best,” he responded, without giving it a second thought. It was his honest reaction.
He released a long sigh, as though it came from the deepest part of his soul. “Thank you for this, Natalie, for everything, for rescuing me in the Graveyard and for opening yourself to the future when I know you didn’t want to, when I knew it caused you pain and fear. Thank you for helping me to take Kryder down, but mostly, thank you for sharing my bed. It means more than I can say.”
“I’m just grateful I could help. So much of our world seems beyond fixing, beyond our ability to make a difference. But tonight, I know we did. Kryder won’t be able to hurt your wolves anymore.”
“No, he won’t.”
She smiled and ran her fingers through his hair. She pulled his braid over his shoulder and stroked it. Her own hair was a beautiful mass around her face and shoulders.
He didn’t want to leave, but his internal clock had already reset. He was the Meldorin Pack alpha and he needed to get on with things.
She tugged on his braid. “It’s okay. Go. You have a lot of business to attend to and we still have hours before dawn.”
“Yes, we do.” He smiled as he leaned down to kiss her. “Thanks for understanding.”
He reached for one of the pillows at the head of the bed and stripped off the case. He chuckled. “I should have been better prepared. You know what will happen when I pull out of you.”
She caught his neck and leaned up to kiss him hard on the lips. God, he loved it. “Yes. A small flood. You’re very prolific.”
“With you, I am. With you, I’m something else, or perhaps something more.” He frowned slightly at his choice of words.
“What is it?”
He gathered the pillowcase into one hand. “Doesn’t it seem odd all the ways we’ve changed over the past few nights?”
“Very. I sometimes fear that if I actually stop to think about it, I’ll go crazy.”
He released a sigh. She always seemed to say the right thing, yet he knew it wasn’t fake. She was reacting to the situation in the same way he was, very spontaneously.
He slid the pillowcase between her legs as he slowly withdrew from her. The muscles of her sex were tight, and he uttered a low moan. For half-a-second he thought about sticking around, but the pack called to him as it had for six years. Only, now he could do some good.
As he pressed the case between her legs, her hips rocked, one more invitation. He knee-walked over her thigh, sat up then levitated in the direction of the shower.
The hot water felt good on his shoulders and back. He allowed himself a few minutes to soak in the heat and the strong pressure the showerhead provided. He unbraided his hair at the same time. He had so much to think about and as was his habit began creating a priority list in his head.
Over the years, he’d worked with Ryan and a small administrative team so that when the moment came a whole host of measures would be instituted. By now, all the compound passwords would have changed, and the banking numbers re-routed to an account that only he and the pack’s accountant had access to. A back-up list of everything they’d just done, was in the safe. Both Ryan and two female wolves of his choosing, had the safe’s access code.
In other words, he’d done everything in his power to ensure that once Kryder was out, he couldn’t get back in. Not without one helluva fight.
He left the shower, blow-dried his hair, set a new braid then put on fresh leathers. He smiled at his closet. All his clothes had been moved from his burrow.
Suddenly, a distant explosion rocked the compound.
He heard Natalie’s feet before she appeared in the doorway, naked, her hair a lion’s mane around her face and body. “What was that?”
“Let me find out.” He contacted Ryan telepathically. What have we got?
Give me a second.
“Ryan’s hunting for info.” He saw the terror in Natalie’s eyes and held out his arm to her. She came to him instantly. When she pressed herself against his side, he held her tight.
The explosion, however, was the least of what he expected. He could tell by the sound it wasn’t in the compound, maybe not even near it.
Ryan returned. Just as I thought. Kryder blew up your burrow.
Grant was more relieved than anything else. Then I’m beyond grateful you had this plan for moving my stuff. Though how you achieved it, without my knowing, I’ll never understand.
He heard Ryan’s telepathic chuckle. I had a lot of help.
It’s extremely well done. Thank you.
You’re welcome. Ryan paused then asked, Battle stations for the rest of the night?
Yup. I’ll be surfacing in a few minutes.
Good. How’s Natalie?
Shaken up but holding steady.
Also, as expected. See you in a few.
Grant broke the connection about the same time Natalie pulled away from him.
“My turn to shower.” Before stepping in, she asked, “What did Ryan say?”
He explained about his burrow and she shuddered visibly. “I feel bad. I’d wanted to see it.”
He tried not to think about the place that had given him peace for the past six years, especially each time he had to recover from one of Kryder’s beatings.
“We have a lot of plans in place. I never expected to return to my burrow once I became alpha.”
She nodded several times in a row. “This is all new to me.” She turned on the showerheads.
“I understand. I’ll apologize now, because I have to go. I want to make sure the compound is secure.”
“Go. Please, go. I’ll be fine.”
He nodded then left the bathroom. He felt oddly disjointed, like he should have said something more to her, but his mind was already racing toward pack business. Now that he was alpha, he needed to be doing.
He hoped to hell they’d planned for every contingency, or the compound would fall.
~ ~ ~
As Natalie showered, she spent a lot of time shampooing her hair, maybe longer than necessary. Grant had already left his rooms, but he’d locked her in.
For that, she was grateful. The explosion had rattled her as nothing else had. It was probably a good thing since it shocked her back to the reality that despite the pack’s celebration with a barbecue and after the great sex with Grant, the Meldorin Compound would no doubt be under siege for some time to come.
She questioned Grant’s wisdom in allowing Kryder to live. After all, he’d killed off a number of his challengers and would have obliterated Grant given the chance. Grant had the right to do the same.
But she knew Grant and understood clearly that he didn’t want to begin his tour of duty as alpha by killing his predecessor. It was a bad precedent to set no matter who did it.
With her hair well-rinsed, she finally left the shower and dried off. Wrapping herself in one of the larger towels, she set about blow-drying her hair. She was unable to dismiss that her eyes had a deer-in-the-headlights kind of stare. The breaths she took tended to be ragged and uneven. With all the adrenaline of battle gone, she was left alone, feeling very cold toward her presence in the Meldorin Pack and wondering what she’d been thinking in the first place.
She’d wanted to help Grant because she’d wanted to take Kryder down as well. But Kryder had also just blown up Grant’s burrow home in immediate retaliation.
Losing heart, are we?
Natalie jumped at the sight of Renee, now sitting in her mist-like form on the marble counter near the sink, her long blond hair in a wave over her shoulder. Natalie shut off the blow dryer and wrapped the cord loosely around the small machine. She tucked it in a basket beneath the counter.
She had no reason to lie to Renee. “Suddenly, I’m scared shitless. What the hell am I doing here?”
Besides getting laid you mean? Which in my opinion is reason enough, but…whatever.
Natalie chuckled. Renee had a funny way of expressing herself. “Grant’s great. No question. In fact, he’s amazing.”
Renee appeared to sigh heavily and some of the mist around her chest moved up and down in waves. Yeah. I was so pissed off when I died because I’d only gotten a few weeks of all that ample goodness and speed. Oh, God, the speed.
For a moment, Natalie was drawn back to being with Grant. “Don’t I know it.”
So, what’s going on with you? I mean as you must know by now my job is to keep you on track. I was never good at the psychology crap, but it seems to me you’re in the shits right now.
“I’m scared.”
Who the hell isn’t?
“I didn’t expect to feel this way.”
Which way?
“Scared. Alone.”
When did it start? Right after you made love?
Natalie shook her head. “No, not right away. I think it was when Grant left the bed to take his shower. I’d had all this feel-good pumping through my veins. I mean, I wasn’t sure whether I’d ever come back to earth.”
Renee leaned forward. The sudden motion sent the mist flowing backward then returning to give the spirit more shape. Did you see stars? I saw stars once. Maybe even the whole universe.
“Yes, it was exactly like that.”
Another sigh and an odd fluctuating of mist. Yup, I’m still pissed about being dead.
Natalie chuckled. “I like you. I want you to know that.”
But do you like Grant? I mean, really like him?
“I do. I admire the hell out of him. Did you know your burrow home just got obliterated?”
Yes, though I have to say his devoted wolves made a solid replica in here with many improvements of which I strongly approve. Okay, so back to the moment when he left the bed and took his shower. What were you thinking about? Or maybe that’s not the right question. What happened, because I think I know.
“Give me your best guess.” Natalie stared at Renee, waiting for her response.
Renee narrowed her eyes but didn’t say anything for a long time. Finally, she said, I’m not sure if it’s Grant’s flaw or if it’s his strong suit or if it’s just a very male thing, but I’ll bet that when he left the bedroom, you felt a wall come down.
Natalie thought for a moment. “That’s it exactly. But I don’t want to sound like a whiner. He’s got a big job to do.”
He can shift gears on a dime. I remember feeling hurt a few times until I got used to it. In the middle of things, when we’d make love, I knew he was with me, completely. But I felt like I was a compartment in his head that the moment he was done with me, he closed the door and shut me out.
“Well, it did feel like that. But I’m not so much hurt as scared. We’ve been in the middle of this nightmare before, yet as long as we moved together, side by side, we were able to stay alive. Now that he’s not here, I’m petrified.”
Okay. I get it. You were shot recently, weren’t you?
“Up through my calf and into my thigh. It hurt.”
Right. The threat isn’t gone, either, is it?
“No, and my guess is this whole thing is going to get a lot worse.”
Probably. She crossed her arms over her chest. The mist flew around until it reformed. I’m pissed he didn’t finish that bastard off.
“He wanted to. I know he did. But I’m sure he thought it a bad precedent.”
Damn him for being honorable.
Natalie laughed out loud. “I thought the same thing. I wish I’d had my Glock with me. I wouldn’t have been so gracious.” She then held Renee’s gaze. “So, what is it you need to tell me this time because I sense you have some kind of message for me.”
Right. Well, I’ve been told to be extremely careful with what I tell you. I mean this is, after all, your life and your path, what you have to go through. But the Higher-ups want you to take a look at your deepest fears and they have little to do with dying or the pain of battle or that Kryder blew up Grant’s burrow.
“What fears?” Natalie really was confused. What could possibly be worse than Kryder deciding, for instance, that his next move would be to blow up the Meldorin Compound?
Renee shrugged, and the mist did a quick up-and-down flow. This time, however, it didn’t reform. Instead, Renee said one last thing before she vanished, Good luck, Sister.
Natalie felt completely deflated. This was the second time in a matter of a few minutes that she’d been left completely alone. She sure wished she’d been given a little more information.
She’d never dreaded the solitary state before. Yet she did now, as though it didn’t feel right anymore.
She heard her wolf whimper inside her.
Her wolf.
The sudden reality that she was no longer just fae struck her hard. “So, what do you think, wolf? What’s going on here?”
She released her wolf who then leaped up onto the sink where Renee had been sitting. She was so beautiful, an opaque rhythm of ever-moving violet, green and blue patterns. She was joyous, wary and perfect.
Natalie spoke the first thought that came to mind. “I need to go home.”
Her wolf yipped and appeared to smile.
“If you approve, then that’s what I’ll do.”
Natalie took her time dressing. She then made the bed and savored the furs that she’d piled on top. She tried to imagine Grant as he’d been before Five Bridges, as a high school science teacher with a love of the stars. Somehow, she couldn’t. She only knew him as a powerful alter wolf, with furs on his bed and in charge of over two hundred wolves.
She withdrew her phone from the pocket of her tunic and called Agnes. She knew she needed a greater degree of security than her house could provide, especially since she planned to leave the safety of Grant’s compound. Though she snickered at the word ‘safety’. Where would she be safe now?
But she talked the situation over with Agnes and was grateful when the strong fae woman offered her a cottage in her compound. No one else in Revel had the kind of security set-up that Agnes did. Even Kryder, in an invisible state, couldn’t slip through undetected. In the past few months, she’d added several more cottages as well, so there was room for her.
With her plans made, she tapped on Grant’s telepathy.
His greeting didn’t surprise her. Sorry to be ignoring you, Natalie, but I’ve got about a thousand things on my agenda right now.
No worries. I’m heading back to Revel.
What? Wait a minute. Are you sure? You can’t stay in your house.
I know. Agnes offered me a cottage and I’m taking it. When he didn’t say anything more, didn’t protest, didn’t beg her to stay, she added, Please, don’t take offense but I don’t feel like I belong in the compound right now. Even my wolf approves my leaving. She hoped her tone sounded as light as she was trying to achieve, but there was a long pause.
Finally, he said, Maybe it’s for the best.
Something in the finality of this statement made her heart sink. She hadn’t intended to break with him, but this sure felt like an ending. Grant? Am I coming back?
We’re at war, Natalie. My compound is the last place you should be right now. When I’ve ended this conflict with Kryder, in whatever form that takes, we can talk. Right now, I’ll send a squad to escort you home, at least a half-dozen trained warriors.
So many?
She wasn’t sure how she could tell, but she knew he’d released a sigh. Yes, that many. I would send more, but most of my soldiers are on the perimeter watching and waiting.
You think an attack is imminent.
I do. Knowing how Kryder thinks, I wouldn’t be surprised if he brought a battalion to burn this place down. It will be easier for me knowing you’re safe.
Natalie didn’t know how to end the conversation. Was it really only a half-hour ago that they were wrapped up in each other’s arms and flying through the stars?
Finally, she said, Call me when things settle down.
I will.
Oh, God. She felt certain he never would. She hadn’t dated in so long, she’d forgotten that men could switch gears this fast.
Her heart began to ache as she walked slowly across the living room.
She waited for the team to arrive and only opened the door after they had knocked and identified themselves to her. She recognized two of them from the sandpit squad.
What surprised her was that Ryan was with them. “May I speak with you for a moment, before you leave?”
“Of course.” She gestured for him to come in.
Ryan told the men to wait outside, saying that he’d only be a few minutes.
When the door was shut, he moved several feet into the room and spoke quietly. “I know the communication between you and Grant went on for a bit and I don’t profess to know what you said to each other. But for what it’s worth, afterward Grant stood for a moment with his back to me and I knew he was struggling.
“You have to know you’ve been the best thing to happen to that man since Renee died and if I can help it, I’ll try to encourage him to make an effort. It won’t be easy for him and not just because of Kryder. I’ve never seen a man so destroyed by his wife’s death as Grant was. I don’t think even he knows what he was like afterward.
“It took him weeks to do more than head out to serve his Border Patrol shift. When he returned, he spent hours going over every aspect of the compound. As for women, just a long series of one-night-stands and it wasn’t pretty.
“You’re the first real thing to come into his life, that wasn’t about pack business, in all these years. I don’t want him to go backward.”
Natalie felt overwhelmed by what Ryan had just said. “Thank you for that. I’ve heard you and I will keep what you’ve said in mind. But right now, I belong in Revel. I’m fae, despite my odd, iridescent wolf. I had a life before Grant and I need to get back to it, back to the clients I have scheduled for the next two months.”
He shook his head. “Is that really what you want?”
“Maybe I would feel differently if Grant had asked me to join him a little, in, say, a meeting or two. But I wasn’t even an afterthought. I also know how important the Meldorin Pack is to him and that more than anything he wants to create a secure environment for his people. If he had to worry about me as well, he’d only start resenting me.”
Ryan nodded, his brow pinched. He kept on nodding as well, his gaze falling to the floor. She could tell he was trying hard to think of something else to say.
Finally, he lifted his gaze to meet hers and said, “Let’s get you home. But please don’t forget Grant or me or the rest of us. If you’d let yourself, I think you’d find a home here you could love. Just sayin’.” He then smiled, if sadly, turned and gestured toward the door.
A few minutes later, as Natalie rose into the air, she forced herself not to look back, not to think about Grant and what she was leaving behind.
Even so, her eyes grew blurred with tears. She was grateful for the vanguard in front of her, so she wouldn’t have to worry that she couldn’t see her path home.