Chapter Nineteen
The elevator doors opened, and Hollis stalked down the hall.
“Leave in thirty to eat?” Mal called after him.
Hollis slammed into his hotel room without answering. He didn’t want to go out with Mal and Olivia. He didn’t want to be social. He wanted to see his mate. Touch her. Hold her until his wolf wasn’t pleading to run. Over and over, the damn animal growled and snapped—refusing to be quiet.
“Hollis?” Ellen’s voice. His wolf instantly quieted to hear her. Wrapped in a fuzzy robe, fresh from the bath, she’d never looked more tempting.
“You look ready to shift, Hollis.” She frowned, cradling his face in her hands and searching his gaze. “Calm down. Please.”
His wolf loved the sound of her voice. The damn thing practically rolled over, whimpering and groaning at the feel of her hands on his skin. His eyes closed. “Shift? Me? Fucking hilarious.”
“You’re drunk.” She pressed a hand to his cheek.
He smiled down at her. “Maybe a little.” The scar by her eye enraged him all over again. “Maybe not enough.”
“Enough for what?” Her gaze searched his, her hands tilting his face toward hers.
“To make me forget.” He hated the sadness in her beautiful eyes.
Just as quickly her sadness was replaced with outrage. “What do you need to forget?” She pressed off his chest. “You have a good pack. Your friends are loyal. And you have me—”
His kiss was brutal, his hands gripping her shoulders as he backed her against the wall. He needed this, needed her. Alcohol wouldn’t ease the crush of fury surging in his veins, but maybe she could. He loved her fierceness. She would never cower. She wouldn’t let anything hold her back—especially fear.
She frowned at him, dismissing his display of temper as if he were a child. With a sigh, she gripped his hand, closed her eyes, and went completely still.
His skin tingled, growing tender where she held him. “Are you trying to get in my head?”
She ignored him, tightening her grip when he would have shaken her free. The torment on her face startled him. Her mismatched eyes flew open as she stared up at him. Lips pinched, hands trembling, and still she held on to him.
This was wrong.
She knew what it was to suffer—to really suffer. His inability to shift into some primal animal and vent his fury on instinct couldn’t compare. Acting like an asshole wouldn’t change a thing. Except make him more of an asshole. To Ellen, that’s the last thing he wanted to be.
He kissed her, tugging her lower lip until her mouth parted for him. The shudder of her breath rolled over him, drawing every hair on his body into the upright attention. She spun them slowly, pressing him against the wall and leaning against him. He groaned, nuzzling her jaw, behind her earlobe, and along the curve of her neck.
“I’m sorry.” He growled. “I’m angry. But I shouldn’t be taking it out on you.”
Her hold eased on his. “You have every right to be angry.” She drew in a wavering breath. “Your wolf is just as trapped as you are. He wants to prove himself to you more than anything.”
“I don’t know how to do this.” Hollis groaned, resting his forehead against hers. “Help me free him,” he whispered.
Her lips latched onto his neck while her fingers eased the zipper of his slacks down. Her fingers slid inside, pulling his aching hard-on into her grasp. His hips jerked, instantly needing her.
He slid the robe from her shoulder and bit the soft skin beneath, tugging the fabric apart and baring her to him. Her breath hitched as his hands cupped her breasts, his fingertips rolling the tips until they were hard and tight. Her moan was heaven. Loving her was one of the few times he felt raw and powerful. Right now, that’s exactly what he needed.
She slid to her knees before he could stop her, her hands gliding his pants to the ground. Her tongue swirled around the tip of his dick. Her nails clawed his thighs. And when she sucked him deep into her mouth, his hands fisted in the short silk of her hair.
Teeth and lips and tongue, she feasted on every inch of him. Taking him deep into her throat, so deep that breathing grew more and more challenging. But she didn’t stop. And every time he slid into the wet heat of her mouth, Hollis was one step closer to losing his fucking mind.
She moaned, sending a bone-melting vibration along his shaft and into his balls. Once, twice—and he went over the edge. His hands cradled her head, his lungs emptied, and his heart damn near exploded in his chest. He came long and loud, leaning against the wall for support.
“Better?” she asked, her hands still gripping his thighs.
He nodded. “Fuck,” he rasped.
“That was the idea,” she teased, smiling up at him.
“Fuck,” he ground out, overwhelmed with need for her. He lifted her, bore her back onto the bed, and tugged the robe off. He loved her this way, naked and gasping beneath him—hunger blazing in her eyes. “Your turn.” He dropped to his knees, parted her thighs, and buried his mouth against her. He tasted the sweetness of her arousal on his tongue.
Her fingers gripped his hair. “No, Hollis. I want you inside me.” She tugged. “Our wolves want it.”
He didn’t give a shit about their wolves at the moment. “Ask nicely.” His tongue stroked over her.
She gasped, her hands tightening and her hips shaking. “Hollis.”
His tongue stroked again. Her groan was hot as hell. He stared up at her, watching her nipples tighten and her face flush. Her head fell back as her breath powered out of her. He licked her again, sliding two fingers inside of her. She clamped down on him, groaning again.
This time, he groaned, too. She felt so tight, so good. He couldn’t wait to feel her climax. With tongue and fingers, he set a fast rhythm. She was writhing, arching into him, gasping his name over and over. And he loved it.
When he nipped the tight bundle of nerves between his lips, she lost it. Her body bowed tight, the heat gloving his fingers constricting with each spasm.
Before she’d had a chance to recover, he’d slipped on a condom and driven deep.
“This is what you want?” He growled.
“Always,” she managed. “Let go, Hollis.” Her nails clawed his back, then they bit into his ass. “Don’t hold back.” Her wolf stared back at him.
And just like that, he wasn’t in control. The wolf had never been free to do as it wanted. And now, it claimed the right to their mate. Whatever Ellen wanted, they would give to her. Over and over, the need to be one drove them on. He pulled out long enough to roll her onto her knees. He mapped every inch of her with his fingers and mouth. The indent of her spine, the curve of her hip, and the give of her skin beneath his hands. She arched back, hungry for him. And he didn’t hold back.
“Oh God,” she cried out. “Yes. Please.”
Hollis ran his hands up her sides, arching over her back so he could cup her breasts in his hands. He bit her shoulder, his forefinger and thumb stroking and pinching her nipples as she tilted back for more of him.
It went on until they were slick with sweat. All that mattered was her body. The need to claim her. To satisfy her. To show her that only he and his wolf could do this to her. His hands gripped her hips. He closed his eyes and let instinct take over. The slide of flesh on flesh, the taste of her sweat on his lips. The quiver of her breasts against his palms. Finally, the rhythmic clamping of her body around his dick. She came with a broken moan that released him. And he did, holding her tight against him until he was too exhausted to move.
He collapsed on the bed, dragging her back into his chest. For the first time, his wolf was happy. Not that Hollis could blame him. If the animal couldn’t run and hunt and fight, he could make damn sure Ellen was taken care of—often and with great enthusiasm.
The wolf was there, waiting for him. He was thankful for giving him what he wanted. Ellen made him free. Hollis concentrated, doing his best to have a sort of conversation. It wasn’t easy, but he tried.
The wolf wanted to hunt. He wanted Hollis to let him take over so he could run.
Hollis had no answer for the beast. Could a wolf understand he was too broken to shift? That he wanted to, so fucking bad, but he couldn’t. His frustration returned, instantly agitating himself and his wolf.
“Your heart picked up,” Ellen said, rolling to rest her chin on his chest. “Tell me what you’re thinking.”
He stared at her. “Or you could read me.”
“I shouldn’t have done that.” She bit her lower lip, her finger stroking along his chest. “I’m no better at this than you are. Talking and sharing and…and feeling.”
There was no denying his smile. “You do fine.”
Her gaze sharpened, her heart picking up as she whispered, “I need to do better.”
He ran a hand over her head. “Not for me.”
She opened her mouth, then closed it, her gaze searching his. “Not for you. But for our baby.”
He stared at her, too stunned to think or speak or move or breathe. How could she be pregnant? They’d agreed to wait. They’d agreed Cyrus needed to be out of the picture before they had a family. They’d been careless, but he’d made sure there wouldn’t be consequences.
Why the fuck was his wolf so happy? So damn happy. He wanted to be, but he…he wasn’t sure what he was. A groan slipped through his lips, harsh and broken. Words stuck in his throat.
“You’re angry?” she whispered.
Was he? “No,” he managed, flexing his hands. “No,” he repeated, more firmly this time. Surprised, yes. In shock, hell yes.
“I couldn’t take it. The pill.” She lifted her chin, defiant and beautiful. “I didn’t believe I, we, would ever… And if there was a chance we’d make a child—” Her cheeks were blazing red. “I couldn’t take it.”
According to his wolf, her rationale made perfect sense. If the roaring in his ears would stop, maybe he could be logical. It didn’t stop. Neither did the uneven thump of his heart. Or the shallow, rapid pattern of his breathing. She was pregnant. And all of his concerns about his inability to protect her, to fight the Others, to be a worthy fucking wolf reared up with a vengeance. “You can’t fight.” He growled.
She bristled. “I can.”
“I know you can. Dammit, you know what I mean.” He never raised his voice, but, right now, he was tempted. He growled again, swallowing back most of it. “You couldn’t take the pill because there was a chance we’d made a child. Now you tell me there is. You won’t put him—her—in jeopardy. I won’t let you. I’ll make fucking certain Finn won’t let you.” He paused, watching her closely. “I can’t handle that. My wolf can’t handle that.”
After a moment’s hesitation, she leaned into him. “Because you love us.”
Heat rolled over him, from head to toe, before lodging in his chest. It was there, as sure and real as the bond they now shared. Love. Another word that didn’t come close to the way he felt about this incredible—incredibly frustrating—woman. His nod was stiff. “This isn’t about the survival of the species, Ellen. This is about our…baby.” Her and his. His wolf longed to howl, announcing their news to the world. He cleared his throat. “Promise me you won’t fight.”
She ran her fingers through his hair, her mismatched gaze searching his. “I promise you.”
The fight drained out of him. “I’ll hold you to that.” His hands cradled her cheeks. She carried his child. “A baby.”
“Your baby,” she said, placing his hand against her stomach. “What a child we will have.” Her smile took his breath away.
He crushed her against him then, overwhelmed by pride and excitement. He was going to be a father. He was happy. And terrified. This child would be a wolf, something he knew far too little about. But he had time to change that. He might never shift, but he was a wolf and it was time to accept that. His wolf was more than ready.
“Are you happy?” Ellen whispered against his chest. “I am, Hollis. I don’t remember ever being so happy.”
That made him very happy. “Yes,” he murmured against the top of her head.
But now it wasn’t just him. It was Ellen. Their child. And this child would be something Cyrus wanted, and Hollis was powerless to protect. His wolf was up, pacing and alert, assuring him that he’d survive a shift to protect his mate.
…
Hollis didn’t let her out of bed. Not when Mal came to ask about dinner, not when Mal and Olivia left to return to the refuge, not when room service brought them dinner on the following day. He—his wolf—wanted to show her how pleased this pregnancy made them.
Apparently, they thought keeping her lost in a sensual haze of pure pleasure was the best way to do that. She agreed. Hollis had spent hours raining the sweetest torture down on her, making every inch of her overstimulated and aching. Even when he wasn’t buried inside her, he kept her tight against him. She was boneless, sore, and throbbing…and delighted by the way he claimed her.
His wolf was more present than ever, speaking to her wolf—confiding in his mate. He longed to run with her, worried about his inability to shift, and was tormented by his inability to protect her and their baby. His wolf fought to get out, tearing him apart in his need to protect her.
Deep down, Ellen feared the same thing. But whether or not he could shift wasn’t relevant. She would never put herself in danger that way.
“As much as I’m enjoying myself,” she whispered, running her fingers through his hair, “you have some work to do before we can leave for the refuge.”
His arm tightened around her waist. “Work can wait.”
She pushed out of his hold and frowned down at him. “Perhaps there are some things I’d like to take care of before we leave?”
He grinned up at her. “Fine.” He glanced at the clock. “It’s ten thirty…p.m.”
“Then no one will be there,” she said, sliding to the edge of the bed. “The vaccine trial, with my blood, should be back. You can’t tell me you’re not curious.”
“Not at the moment,” he teased. “Who knew getting you pregnant was the greatest aphrodisiac of all time?”
She laughed. “I’ll be pregnant for some time.”
He kicked back the sheets and stood, stretching—giving her an incredible view of the body she’d enjoyed so thoroughly the last two days. The muscles of his back shifted as he stretched his arms high over his head. This beautiful man was hers.
They showered, dressed, and headed to the lab.
The evening security guard glanced up as they entered.
“Busy night,” he said, nodding at them.
“Busy?” Hollis asked, pausing.
“Miss Su is already here.” He grinned. “Guess some of the research you do is time sensitive.”
Hollis looked her way, the suspicion on his face reflecting her own. Every instinct had told her something was wrong. Ellen was already running to the lab, her wolf urging her on. Kim Su wasn’t an Other—she and Hollis would know. But that didn’t mean she wasn’t working with them.
Hollis was behind her, swiping his security badge and pushing the lab door open.
Ellen followed, scanning the room—her wolf on high alert. No Others. No unfamiliar scents. Just Kim.
“Dr. Robbins ?” Kim jumped, her voice echoing across the lab. “I didn’t know you were still here.” She fumbled with the files in her hold, knocking some onto the floor. “I…I was cleaning up.”
“It’s late,” he said. “Was there something pending I didn’t know about?”
Kim looked back and forth between them. “No…No.”
She was shaking.
Hollis waited, but Kim didn’t add anything. “Why are you here, Kim?” Hollis asked, closing the door behind them.
Ellen focused on the woman, searching for clues. Her scent was bitter, tinged with fear. Pounding heart. Rapid, short breaths. The woman was absolutely terrified. She squeezed Hollis’s hand in warning.
Kim’s dark gaze darted between them. “I had to.” Her voice was unsteady. Nervous. Anxious. The look in the woman’s eyes…she was keeping secrets.
“Why?” she asked, keeping her voice soft. Was she stealing and selling Hollis’s research? It would explain her agitation.
Kim swallowed, the files in her arms shaking. “Dr. Robbins.” She stopped talking then, her gaze falling. “My mother.”
Hollis frowned. “I know she’s been ill—”
“Not ill.” Kim shook her head. “Someone took her.”
Ellen’s heart sank. She didn’t need to hear anything more. Cyrus had a hand in this. Ellen’s wolf whimpered, pacing frantically.
“Took her?” Hollis asked, shooting her a look. “Have you called the police, Kim?”
“No. He said not to.” She sniffed, tears streaking her cheeks.
“He?” Ellen asked, keeping her tone as neutral as possible.
“Mr. White.” Kim barely glanced at her. “If that’s his real name. Or his real accent.”
She saw the slight droop to Hollis’s shoulders. They both knew the truth. Cyrus had Kim’s mother and, whether she did what he asked or not, the woman was probably already dead. Cyrus had no tolerance for the elderly—saying they’d outlived their usefulness, were too weak to do anything but slow things down, and they offered up their opinions without his asking. Cyrus hated that.
“Why don’t we all sit down,” Hollis suggested, crossing and taking the files from Kim. “What can we do?”
Kim slumped into the chair Hollis pulled out. “I have to do what he says.”
“What has he asked you to do?” she asked, sitting opposite the woman.
Kim sniffed, taking the tissue. “Initially, he was looking for people in the beginning.” She sniffed again. “He texted me pictures and asked me to let him know if I saw any of them.” Her dark eyes settled on Ellen. “You were one of them.”
Ellen stood, pacing the length of the lab. Of course, he was looking for her. He needed her blood. He’d been without it for some time. That she was alive, helping Finn, made her a traitor in his eyes. He had to keep her alive—but that wouldn’t stop him from punishing her. Her hands fell to her stomach. Her wolf growled, the hair on the back of its neck standing straight up. No matter what she’d told Hollis, she’d fight if she had to. It was hard to breathe.
Hollis growled. “You told him she was here?”
“What choice do I have, Dr. Robbins ?” She sniffed, her voice wavering as she went on. “He made it clear my mother’s life was in jeopardy. She has serious health issues. Her English isn’t good. And she’s stubborn.” Her fingers crumpled the tissue. “Do you know this man, Dr. Robbins?”
Hollis nodded.
“Is he dangerous?” she asked. “What does he want?”
“Our research,” he murmured. “You’re smart, Kim. You know we’ve been working on things outside the…norm.”
Her gaze met his. “And I know it’s important. You wouldn’t take it so seriously, be so intent, if it wasn’t.” She glanced at Ellen. “But I never thought what we were doing was dangerous, Dr. Robbins. I would never have participated if I’d known that. Risks are inherent when doing research, but not like this. They…they have my mother.”
“We’ll help you,” Ellen said, noting the tightening of Hollis’s posture, his pointed look her way. He wasn’t pleased with her announcement. Her wolf informed her that his wolf wanted to hide her away, lock her up if necessary, until the pack had dealt with Cyrus. Her initial reaction was to remind him just how capable she was of defending herself. But she couldn’t. She understood. Part of her, the damnably emotional and vulnerable part she tried so hard to ignore, wanted to be shielded from what was to come.
But that was impossible. It wasn’t in her to walk away from someone in need or shy away from conflict. Hollis knew that even if it frustrated the hell out of him. Like now.
She rested her hands on Hollis’s shoulders, needing his touch and the calm it provided her. His hand covered hers instantly, tugging her against his back and threading his fingers with hers. Kim had no idea what was happening. Or what was at stake. But they did.
“You said initially. There was more?” Hollis’s voice was gruff.
Kim cleared her throat “He wanted to know why she was here. I s-saw you taking her blood, Dr. Robbins. When I told him, he wanted the vials.”
“You came here for them tonight?” Ellen asked, her stomach dropping. “Where are you supposed to deliver them? And when?”
“Tonight, at one.” She swallowed. “At the Hemisphere Plaza. It will still be crowded, with Fiesta going on, and public.”
Which was good. Maybe Cyrus wouldn’t kill Kim. Maybe.
“He wanted to come here, but I told him about the security system and decided Hemisphere was better.”
Tonight. At one. Cyrus would be here. Her muscles twitched, her wolf pressing to be free before remembering the baby. If she had to face Cyrus, she’d get no help from her wolf. She sucked in a slow, deep breath and focused on remaining calm.
“Shit,” Hollis ground out. “We need to get you someplace safe.”
“Not yet, Hollis.” She took his hand. “He doesn’t know we know anything.” They had time to come up with something—even if the pack couldn’t help them.
“My mother?” Kim asked. “Will this man honor his word? Is my mother safe?”
Ellen shot him a warning look. They knew what Cyrus was, but she didn’t. There was the slightest chance he’d spare her mother. Why risk drawing attention to himself by killing an old woman—and probably Kim—before this was all over? Especially someplace public?
But her wolf was quick to point out why. Because this was Cyrus. And Cyrus didn’t give a shit about drawing attention to himself or leaving destruction or pain in his wake. He wanted what he wanted and would stop at nothing to get it.
Still, she wished Hollis would buffer his answer. And, to a certain degree, he did.
“I don’t know,” he murmured.