Chapter Nine

H E PULLED IN FRONT of a small house that looked more like a mountain cabin, all wood and exposed rocks. We’d run across the fields to another narrow dead-end road. There, hidden under some branches, was a car. We found clothes and water in the trunk, then drove away. Shiki and Cristian had prepared for ambushes around the mansion. It was the one place where I was expected to be, so they’d had a lot of fallback plans.

Cristian had driven south towards London and kept on going. I’d guess we were somewhere in Essex. It wasn’t a proper town or village, just a house off a side road. It was so close to the highway that I could hear the constant whoosh of cars passing by. Despite that, it was hidden by the winding road, a flock of trees too small to be a proper forest, and the small descending slope at the bottom of which it was built. Smart choice of a werewolf safe house.

“Come on, let’s get inside,” Cristian said, stepping out of the car.

I followed him to the front door and watched as he unlocked it, then hurried to a keypad to punch in the alarm code.

“Any news?” I stood in the small hallway leading from the door to what looked like a living room and waited as Cristian thumbed his phone.

“Nothing much. They’re still working on them and don’t want to give any kind of prognosis yet.”

I turned on my heel and slammed both fists against the door, feeling the vibration as it rattled under the blow. “Fuck this!”

It felt unfair, that they’d be hurt while protecting me. And for what? A disagreement over how the tribe would proceed in the future. There hadn’t been a decision. I couldn’t change how things were, not yet. And even as alpha, I’d still need the decisive majority of our packs to support my decision. We weren’t a fucking totalitarian system, now, were we?

Cristian grabbed my hips and pushed into me, flattening me to the door. I shuddered under his body, welcoming his weight, the hardness of his muscles, and his tantalizing scent enveloping me and making me forget everything else.

“Don’t fucking break our door,” he growled in my ear, then bit my earlobe. He sucked it into his mouth, hard enough that it was painful and I writhed, pushing my ass into his groin.

Cristian cupped my hardening cock and squeezed, rolling his hips and pressing into me. “You’re eager for this.”

“Fuck, yeah. I’ve craved you since the first time I saw you.”

He huffed and kissed the side of my neck, then bit, sucking the flesh afterward. “Are you sure?”

“Fine, not the first time, I was too exhausted when I got into that car.”

He rubbed his hard cock over my ass and lower back and I moaned, my body so full of need I couldn’t stop shaking. Cristian moved his hand up, over my chest, and closed it around my neck. He used his index finger to twist my head to the right and claimed my mouth.

His lips were firm and hot. A little chapped, which contrasted with how velvety his tongue felt as it explored my mouth. The sound of his five o’clock scratching my own scruff sent zings of pleasure down my spine and my cock throbbed. We were fully clothed, he hadn’t even touched me properly, and I was so ready to beg for him to fuck me.

I couldn’t though. I’d have to stop this maddening kiss to speak. I closed my eyes and followed his lead, hoping he’d know exactly what I needed.

Cristian slid his jacket off and removed mine. He ran his hands over my shoulders and back and squeezed my butt cheeks. “You are so fucking hot,” he whispered, almost reverent in his appreciation.

I tried to turn and touch him, but he pushed me back, keeping a hand pressed between my shoulders. “Don’t you dare move!”

What would he do if I moved? Stop, probably. I didn’t want that. Worse, I thought I’d crumble to pieces if he did. I closed my eyes, took a deep breath and willed myself to relax. All I had to do was listen to Cristian. Follow his lead and get to feel his chiseled body pressed against mine.

Boots landed somewhere to my left. I picked up the sound of fabric hitting the floor. His shirt, I supposed. Then the louder thud of denim dropped.

“Strip,” he said. His voice had the strangest tone. It wasn’t harsh, or demanding. It sounded more like directions. Like he knew there was no need to put any persuasion in the command. And he didn’t.

I half-turned, then remembered his earlier request. I faced the door and took my clothes off. There was no finesse or attempt at enticing in my moves. I just got it done, as fast as I could. Something told me I didn’t want to keep him waiting.

“Lovely,” he whispered, his fingertips featherlight on the sides of my torso. It was ticklish and arousing at the same time. My head fell back and I moaned. Cristian stepped closer, wrapping me in his arms and squeezing.

He was completely naked, I noticed. I’d been too busy removing my own clothes to hear him removing his underwear. Cristian was rock hard, his cock lodged in my crease and poking at my lower back, the precome smeared there, cooling my skin. He caressed the front of my body, avoiding my erection. I bit my lip, my hips snapping back to feel him better.

“Please fuck me,” I whispered, my head rolling to his shoulder. He grabbed my chin and lifted it, his lips locking on mine. God damn it, he was a great kisser. He made me weak in the knees, every fucking time. I lifted my arms and splayed my hands on the polished wood of the door, sighing as he pressed harder into me.

“All in due time. Don’t fucking move.” And he was gone. I shivered at the sudden cold and whimpered at the loss of his touch. I didn’t move though. I waited for him to return.

He was back in seconds, grabbing me and pushing my hips back. He kicked my legs apart and growled. I was presenting my hole to him, and it felt so hot, I couldn’t breathe properly.

“I’ll take it slow. All I could find was some oil.”

I nodded and pushed my ass higher, my forehead propped on the door. I expected his fingers, I knew they were coming, but I shuddered at that first slick touch. He massaged in circular movements, slow and persistent, but not breaching me. I tried to grip the door, but there was nothing to hold on to.

Cristian pushed a finger inside and I moaned, the sound so loud it didn’t sound like me at all. He bit my shoulder and my knees went out for under me. He caught me, his teeth sinking deeper as his finger moved in and out of me. I was so ready for more, but he kept it up for a while longer. I wondered whether he was being careful or wanted to torture me. Maybe both.

He added another finger and pushed deeper, grazing my prostate. I groaned and pushed back, trying to chase his fingers and get more sensation. He didn’t disappoint, pushing them back. That was the only mercy I was allowed, as he kept teasing me like that. No matter how loud I moaned or how I begged, he ignored me and didn’t fuck me just yet.

After what felt like forever, Cristian removed his fingers. His body draped over mine, his breath hot on my ear, making my dick twitch. “I’m going to fuck you so hard, you won’t be able to stand when I’m done with you.”

“Please,” I whimpered, hoping he’d keep his promise.

Cristian moved back just enough to breach me. He was slow and steady and didn’t stop until I felt his balls on my skin. He gripped my hip with a hand and wrapped the other one around my throat. It felt dangerous in a way, but arousal won over my apprehension. He didn’t squeeze, but his fingers pressed to my skin, the idea of how strong he was, had a hint of threat lurking in the back of my mind.

He rubbed my lips over mine, and I sighed, relaxing into his hold. There was such a stark contrast into how tight his hold on me was and how gentle the kiss, that it made my mind spin uncontrollably. His tongue pushed past my lips and he started moving. Long, deep, powerful thrusts that made me want to cry at how perfect it felt.

Cristian seemed like a machine build for fucking. He never slowed, never wavered, he thrust in and out of me at the same maddening rhythm, his grip firm, his tongue sweet. I couldn’t get enough air, I couldn’t think, and felt like I was floating. I tried my best to fall into his dizzying dance, move with him and make it good. I wanted it to be as good for him as it was for me. Hard to accomplish, as I was positive this was the best fuck of my life.

He released my neck and moved both hands to my hips. “Don’t stop,” I cried out, but it was too late. The moving had stopped, his lips were gone and I a feeling of deep loss overwhelmed me.

“Not done with you yet,” he said, his lips peppering kisses on the back of my neck.

His touch changed, the steady caress on my hips turning into a rough grip. Cristian licked the back of my neck as he started moving, harder and faster than before.

I tried to tell him how good it felt, but all that came out was a strangled moan. His teeth grazed the back of my neck and I knew, I just knew he’d bite again. He did, and I shuddered, my rhythm faltering. He fucked me on and on, and I never wanted it to stop. It was impossible, I was too far gone to focus on keeping my orgasm at bay.

Cristian moaned and slowed down, enough to switch his hold again without me falling. He held me across my chest, one hand closing around my cock. And those divine lips of his found mine. I tried to keep my eyes open, see as much as I could, but it was impossible. My orgasm took over, lights bursting against my tightly shut lips and I cried out, the sound swallowed in the kiss. As the final notes and vibrations of my release were dying in my chest, Cristian groaned and came, the sensation of him pulsing inside me sending a final twitch through my cock.

“Fuck, that was incredible,” he whispered, kissing my temple.

I nodded, fighting to catch my breath. He pulled out and his seed spilled out, running down my inner thigh. I smiled at the sensation and turned, my back against the door. I pulled him into a kiss, closing my arms around his waist. “Mind blowing.”

Cristian pecked my lips one last time and dragged me inside the house. “Let’s shower and get to bed.”

“Will you fuck me again?” I grinned at him, the warmth in his eyes centering me. My emotions after the attack and everything that had just happened between us were all over the place, but my hand in his and him looking at me like that, it made me feel like I’d managed to jump off the rollercoaster.

“Give me a little time to recover and I’ll fuck you as many times as you want.”

I tilted my head and winked at him. “That means you should cancel your plans for the foreseeable future.”

***

I woke up to the smell of fried bacon and strong coffee. I moaned and stretched, grinning ear to ear to the soreness I felt. It reminded me of the night I’d had and how much I’d enjoyed it. I pulled myself out of the warm bedsheets that smelled of Cristian and stumbled into the shower. I got ready for a new day as fast as I could. The shower washed out the blissful forgetfulness and I remembered all my worries. I needed to hurry and find out what was happening with my men. There had been no news, which was encouraging. If either of them took a turn for the worse, Shiki would call.

I rushed down the stairs, trying to sort out my hair as I went. It was wet and harder to tame now that it was longer. I hadn’t had time for in-depth personal care since before the attempt on my life and it showed.

“Morning, gorgeous,” Cristian said, not lifting his eyes from the pan he was holding. Scrambled eggs, not a complicated recipe, but they smelled divine. My stomach grumbled, right on cue.

“Morning. Any news?”

Cristian nodded and kept stirring the eggs. “Shiki called while you were in the shower. They’re done working on your men.”

“And?”

He looked up for a second, his eyes filled with warmth and understanding. “They’re as good as it can be expected.”

“The vets took care of them?”

Cristian shook his head as he plated the eggs. “They got some MDs to come in and help. Sons of Ulric. They worked on Mönkhbat, while the vets worked on Ganbold. Mönkhbat is was still asleep after surgery, but Ganbold was awake and alert.”

I sighed and rubbed my face, as if to wash it from the worries. “Thank fuck. They are so young, Cristian! This was their first time out of Killers territory.”

He placed a plate in front of me, another one next to it. “Sit down and eat. We’ll go see them once you’re ready.”

Cristian came around the table and sat next to me. I kissed his cheek and nuzzled it. “Thank you.”

“What for?”

“Last night, this morning. Helping me out every time.”

“You’re welcome.” He ran his fingers through my damp hair, moving a lock away from my eye. “I should thank you for last night. It was amazing.”

My mind went blank and my eyes closed in on his lips, watching as they moved. I forgot about the food that had smelled so enticing and leaned forward for a far better treat. Cristian indulged my kiss for a moment, then pulled back. “Eat it before it gets cold.”

I nodded and stared at the food, hoping it would hide my disappointment. He’d been wonderful to me, I had no right to demand anything more.

Cristian’s lips brushed the side of my neck. He kissed it and inhaled deeply. “Once we’re done with the sickbed visit and the other hoops we need to jump through for the council, I’m dragging you to bed and never letting you out of it again.”

I leaned into him and moaned. “That sounds perfect.” I moved my chair away from him and held him back when he tried to drag me closer. “Hurry up and eat. I want to get the bed part of our day sooner rather than later.”

Cristian chuckled and turned to his food. “Fine, have it your way. Let’s get this show on the road and hope nothing else pops up.”

***

I slammed the door behind me and stomped out of the mansion. I took a few deep breaths as I looked around, trying to think. I needed someplace quiet to calm down. Otherwise I might go back inside and hit the smug grin out of those French bastards’ faces. Then move on to the Germans.

“Hey, Ganz, where are you going? Weren’t we meeting for lunch in…” Shiki checked his phone, “half an hour?”

“Shiki, I need to get out of here.”

He grabbed my shoulder and turned me to face him. “You can’t, not on your own.”

“I need to be somewhere I can breathe. Away from those bastards in there, unless you want to tell your brother and the other alphas that there’s blood to clean in that meeting room.”

Shiki growled and motioned for me to follow him. He went around the mansion and down through the back garden. “My brother has a Zen garden back here. Maybe it will help you.”

“Does it have tall walls to keep the big, bad wolf inside?”

He snorted. “No, you’ll have to contain your beast yourself. Who was your meeting with?”

“French and Germans.”

Shiki’s shoulders squared, his entire body tensing up. “For two tribes that have been at each other’s throats since forever, they sure can band together to piss everyone else off. What did they do this time?”

We reached the garden and I sat on the first bench I saw. I looked through the beautiful design, unable to appreciate it. “They’re using the unrest within the tribe to renegotiate all business deals. They say we won’t be able to deliver, that the risks of relying on us are too high.”

“Smug fuckers! There’s unrest within their own back yards all the fucking time. That’s one thing, business is another. They wouldn’t dare use that with me, and I have to force the Chinese packs to toe the line every other day.”

I sighed and propped my elbows on my knees, cradling my head in my hands, “Yeah, they wouldn’t dare. The Dragons of the Fang have backing from all the other tribes. Even mine. The Siberian Killers? We’re sleeping in the bed we’ve lain.”

Shiki pulled me into a side hug. “Don’t be an idiot. The tribe might seem to lack support. That’s only an illusion.”

I lifted my head and looked at him. The fierce determination in his eyes took me aback. The steel blue piercing through me stood testament for how strong his emotions were. I wouldn’t want to deal with Shiki when he was so worked up, his wolf was close to the surface. He was too powerful and dangerous without that added spark.

“What are you going to do? Please don’t do anything stupid, your family will kick my ass for it.”

“Don’t you worry your pretty little had,” he said, an evil-looking grimace twisting his lips. It was almost a smirk, but deadlier. “Stay here and meditate or some shit. I’ll send Cristian to protect you.”

“Shiki, don’t fucking kill anyone!”

He shrugged as he walked back towards the mansion. “I promise they’ll still be breathing when I’m done with them.”

That didn’t sound reassuring in the least. His phone rang and he pulled it out of his pocket to check the number. He stopped in his tracks and placed it to his year. “Hey babe. How familiar are you with Ganz’s deals with the French and German tribes? Oh, cool!”

I stopped listening and returned my attention to the garden. If Shiki was talking to Blake, chances were he wouldn’t act out and do something stupid. Which meant I could take my time and think for a minute, try to find a solution to this mess.

I caught Cristian’s scent before I heard him. Shiki hadn’t been joking about sending him to guard me. I was happy to have him close despite the annoyance of needing a babysitter. He leaned over me and wrapped me in his arms, kissing the side of my neck. “What’s wrong? Shiki seemed unhinged when he told me to get my ass here and keep you safe.” He released me and came to sit next to me on the bench.

I slapped my forehead and sighed. “Idiot! Nothing major. My meeting went bad.”

Cristian kept quiet for too long and I looked at him. His face was blank and he stared straight ahead. “What? What aren’t you telling me?”

He shrugged, still avoiding eye contact. “Nothing.”

“Cristian, I might not have known you for too long, but I am not stupid.”

Cristian’s eyes snapped to mine. “Who said you are stupid?”

“You did, when you tried to convince me I am shit at reading people.”

Cristian sighed and gave me a weak smile. “Fine. I knew it would go wrong. It’s their MO. They like to press better deal out of tribes that aren’t faring too well.”

“Is it? I had no idea.” I groaned and ran my hand through my hair. “How could I know? We only talk to other tribes twice a year at the councils. We are fucking clueless.”

“Hey!” Cristian said, taking my hand in his. “It’s not your fault, you didn’t choose the rules of the tribe you were born into.”

“I haven’t done enough to change them either,” I muttered.

“Stop that.” He pulled me closer, squeezing him hand. “You are doing everything you can. Your tribe repaid you with two attempts on your life. No one would dare say you aren’t trying hard enough.”

I leaned into him and breathed in his scent. “It’s frustrating. I feel I’m making no progress. And I start to wonder… Maybe I am not the right person to bring about this change.”

“You’re the only one they’ve got.”

I laughed and relaxed, finally releasing all the anger from the meeting. “I guess I’ll have to make do.”

“Stay strong, don’t give in. That’s the only way. They usually back down.”

“So you’ve dealt with them before?”

He snorted. “There’s a reason I never join Vicks at meetings with them. I can’t stomach them and she can’t stomach seeing her fellow tribe leaders murdered.”

“I’d help you if you decided to end them.”

He nuzzled me and smiled. “Wish I could. They are like hyenas. They always catch you at your worst and try to squeeze more out of you. The French used to bleed us dry back in Communist days. They only got worse in the first decade of democracy. Our old alpha, Vicks’ grandmother, she was amazing. She fought them as much as she could, but they still squeezed as much favor and money as they could. Later, they teamed up with the Germans and tried to pull the same tricks on other tribes.”

“Is that why they almost started an all-out war over Vicks mating Stuart?”

Cristian nodded. “A Sons of Ulric and Dacian Wolves alliance would have been strong enough to keep them in check.”

“Then Shishou got in the picture.”

“Yeah, they hate it. Thee joining tribes, plus Blake’s influence over the Gray Sprits… a common front like that is unheard of.”

“My head hurts. Can I call an end to my day?”

Cristian placed two fingers under my chin and lifted it. “Is that your way of telling me you want me to drag you to bed?”

“Is it working? Otherwise I’ll spell it out for you.”

In the blink of an eye, he had me thrown over his shoulder and he ran across the garden. I laughed and pleaded for him to put me down, but I didn’t mean it. It was fun, being swept off my feet like this. Literally. And some honest fun was a nice change from a day of being pushed against the wall in business meetings.

***

“It’s done,” Shiki said at dinner. We’d decided to eat alone and catch up. I hadn’t been so keen on leaving Cristian, but he’d insisted. He’d also promised to wait for me to get back and into his room, which had made me more willing to spend time with someone other than Cristian.

“What’s done?” The view was mesmerizing. Shiki had made sandwiches and suggested we ate them on the roof. The sky was clear and we were far away from any larger town to see the stars shine bright.

“Hey!” Shiki snapped his fingers in front of my eyes. “Where did you go?”

“Sorry. The view here is great. You were saying?”

“And by view do you mean Cristian naked?”

I shoved him, annoyed by his obnoxious giggle. “Fuck off. Although, that’s a gorgeous view as well.”

Shiki took a bite from his sandwich and moaned at the taste. “Jeez, I was so hungry. Skipped lunch but it was worth it.”

“What did you do?” Dread filled me. He’d left me in the garden around 2 p.m. and he’d attended meetings before that. His missing lunch had to be connected to my situation.

He put up a hand and smiled, batting his eyelashes. “Relax, nothing murderous. Blake talked me out of that. I did chat with Stuart and Vicks right after talking to him.”

“And? Come on, man, stop eating. You’re killing me here!”

He chewed slowly and swallowed, eyes closed, stupid grin on his face. Sometimes it felt like Shiki was a big kid. And I acted like one around him.

“Our tribes had a chat with the French and German representatives. We offered to take over all their contracts with you. And decided that if we do, we might need to renegotiate with them. Cut costs and other such nonsense.”

I shook my head, trying to suppress my laughter. “You are incredible, you know that?”

“Thanks, but all I did was threaten to kill them. The others came with a solution to prevent me from doing that.”

I caught a strand of his hair between my fingers and pulled hard. “Stop making it less than it is. Thank you, truly. I don’t know what I could have done without you stepping in.”

Shiki tilted his head and watched me in silence. He ate more of his sandwich and just when I’d decided the conversation was over, he spoke again. “Someone else would have stepped in. Everyone in my family loves you. And remember that part about saving my life?”

“Thank you anyway. You didn’t owe me anything, you’ve already repaid me a million times with your friendship.”

“Ganz, you’re my closest friend besides Blake. I’ll always have your back. No need to thank me. I know you’d do the same, that’s all I need.”

I hugged him sideways, making him choke on a bite of his sandwich. I didn’t say anything else. I picked up my own food and enjoyed it in silence. I felt so content, I was afraid I’d burst. The burgeoning support back home, Shiki’s solid, constant presence, the hot and steamy moments shared with Cristian, they were so precious to me and so impactful, they were overshadowing the bad of past months. I’d be okay somehow. I’d found people I could connect with. If I was open enough, I could recognize similar relationships within my tribe, scarce as they might be. I belonged in the world and I had to find a way to make it matter.