Pack Poisoned, page 16
part #2 of Thrown to the Wolves Series
“Who tipped you off?” Damian demands, leaning against the wall behind us, yet keeping his attention fixated on the back of Sabrina’s head resting on my shoulder and I secretly flip him off behind my back before the others notice.
At Nathan’s silence, Slade growls. “You’re the one that said we needed witnesses, Rivers.”
Sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck, Nate blurts it all out in a rush of word vomit. “I looked into who turned a blind eye so Thatcher's men could waltz in here and take Sabrina out, checked the footage. Archer, the guy that works closest to the door, was called away five minutes before it went down-” he cringes “- into the sergeant’s office. Since it was Thatcher's men, it’s not hard to connect the dots. I'd like to say my boss is above being bribed, but we all know everyone has their price. I've never gotten that vibe from him, though, so more likely Andrei is holding something over his head. The guy’s got a couple of kids and a pregnant wife; wouldn't be hard to threaten.”
Bo growls an agreement. “Definitely sounds like Andrei’s style.”
Sabrina takes the pragmatic approach. “Why not just shoot you guys and snatch me off the street, then? Why the run around?”
Slade sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose. “After that shit with Victor, I got a couple of calls. Ronen and Aldervale formally apologized for not intervening with Stonewood after the Carter incident and acknowledged they'd been too lenient, but it’s clear that they’re scared of pissing off Maddox after he killed off so many members of Pack Alodia without so much as blinking. Obviously, it made the rest of the packs think that so long as they uphold their side of the alliance agreements in place, they can claim that they don’t owe us anything. Keeps them out of the line of fire, toes the line, all while still running rampant. But after the conversation Damian overheard, it’s clear Stonewood wants to push us, and the others won’t intervene unless it’s clear that they’re involved. Hiring humans means they skirt the line of pack involvement, so we’re on our own unless they get more blatant in their attempts and we actually have evidence of their involvement.”
Bo leans against the door, ensuring it won’t open if someone attempts to interrupt us, acting as a living blockade. “Thatcher's got an alliance with Ronen, as do we, so if he moves against us directly, things could get bloody, and not necessarily in their favor. But by setting us up and making our downfall at the hands of the police, they don't need to fear retaliation.”
Her face scrunches up as she contemplates before speaking slowly, attempting to riddle something out. “But it’s Stonewood that’s after some elusive shipment. And one of you mentioned they deal in drugs, so that’d be my best bet as to what it’s all about. What does Andrei have to do with that? Are they in business together?”
Slade nods. “Stonewood has a chokehold on the drug market, but Thatcher’s got their feet in forgeries. Passports, IDs, the whole nine yards. Makes it a logical alliance to keep some of Stonewood’s key players off of the police’s radar, and if Thatcher has a client that needs to disappear, Stonewood can smuggle them out.”
“After what Damian overheard, it’s clear it’s not even about Sabrina,” Kaige interrupts. “This is them trying to get you out of the picture. Showing that they can get to you whenever they want, exploiting your weaknesses, toying with you. The real challenge is getting Sabrina somewhere that she won’t get caught in the crossfire so that they don’t need to deal with the Slaughters’ wrath. Stonewood wants their drugs, and everyone wants to see the Hawthornes six feet under. If we just head home already, there won’t be any more problems.”
Damian interjects, “She’s not going to sacrifice something that’s important to her because of the failings of her mates.” Sabrina twists to stare at him curiously, yet doesn’t interrupt. Holding her gaze, Damian dips his head respectfully. “If anything, this will start things off on the right footing. Your fathers are used to snapping their fingers and having everyone scramble to do their bidding out of fear of pissing them off. You don’t play by the same rules since you’re opting out of the game, and I won’t let you get bullied into submission because it’d be easier for other people and they want to overrule you. We stay.”
A shiver runs down her spine, and I can feel the pleasure his declaration gave her all the way to my bones. She doesn’t thank him, but that’s no surprise; Sabrina expects basic courtesies from those she’s allowed past her defenses. Instead, the tension bleeds from her shoulders as she leans into me, gifting him a genuine smile.
Tightening my arms around her, I nuzzle her temple. “So we can assume between last night and this morning, they’re trying to run us ragged until we’re too fucking exhausted to think straight. The more rundown and paranoid we get, the more likely we’ll slip up, so all the easier to take out. We can take shifts watching the perimeter so that we can all get some rest while Reid and Sabrina focus on finishing up their work.”
Nate clucks his tongue. “Won’t matter if they keep setting you up. You guys rushed out to chase after Sabrina and left your weapons here that were confiscated when you were originally brought in. When I checked this morning, they were wiped from the inventory log and missing, which is why I called. Best guess, they’re framing you for murder right now, leaving the smoking guns behind. It won’t matter if you take shifts; if you’re arrested, she’s alone. We’re running on the theory that they simply want to ship her off to her fathers, but that’s a hell of a gamble to risk leaving her at their mercy when we all damn well know they don’t have any after what Carter attempted to do to your sister. Temptation makes men make stupid fucking choices, even when they know it could get them killed.”
Hunter takes a step closer, eyes narrowed in suspicion. “Why were you checking the log for their weapons?”
All eyes are on Nate, but his heart rate doesn’t spike, nor does he squirm uncomfortably. He meets Hunter’s accusing glare and simply raises an eyebrow, completely cool and collected. “Because I’m good at my fucking job. I’d just come from checking the footage that showed my sergeant was involved, and the setup that brought them in originally was the weakest attempt I’d ever heard of, so I assumed there was a method to the madness. Even if they only wanted them brought in for questioning so they had a shot at grabbing Sabrina, there were plenty of ways that could have fallen apart if a single person wasn’t where they anticipated at a certain time. Makes sense there’d be multiple plans in place in case one failed. Like now, they have minimally four guns, all covered in your fingerprints. That gives them at least four shots to pin you for murder, and let’s be real, come the fifth time you’re dragged in for questioning, people are going to quit giving you the benefit of the doubt and letting you simply walk free, innocent or not.”
Sabrina groans in frustration. “Can we kill them and be done with this already? I’m with Kaige and Hunter on this one; these people are mentally exhausting to deal with. You literally murder people for a living, yet keep warning me about how dangerous your life is. Pretty sure it’d be less dangerous if you quit trying to play by the rules that only a few people are respecting, anyway. Just go shoot some people in the face and I’ll meet you at home for dinner; problem solved.”
“Death is quick, but suffering is more satisfying to watch,” I grumble, but I have to agree with her on this one.
Slade’s lip twitches before pressing them into a thin line, attempting to cover up the slip before Nathan notices the small crack in his political armor. “Then we’d bring down the wrath of the rest of their packs and everyone they have alliances with. We can’t take them all on if we’re already struggling with a handful; we don’t have the manpower, love.”
Nate strums his fingers on the table as he muses aloud. “It’s actually poetic if you think about it. They resent you for finding a mate right under their noses and freeing your wolves; what better justice than to lock you in a cage where you're unable to shift?”
Stiffening, I turn towards Slade. “Or to make us so tired and pissed off, our control slips. Wouldn’t take much to goad us into attacking someone if we’re stressed out and holding on by a thread.”
His eyes widen a fraction in horror as it clicks. “Like the humans trying to get our mate away from us somewhere public. Motherfucker.”
Ensuring Sabrina isn’t left out of the loop, I quickly explain about our fathers and what led to the packs uniting to put them down since they could claim an exposure risk and that overrides any treaty in place. All of the families could move against us and get their vengeance without any risk of retaliation. They might still ship Sabrina off to the Slaughters to keep the peace, or they might let a team up go to their heads and think they could take them on. Either way, it’s a cruel, genius plan.
The silence stretches on until it’s painfully awkward, everyone lost in their own thoughts. Eventually, Sabrina breaks it by clapping her hands together abruptly, making several of us startle. As she rubs her palms together, a wicked grin lights up her face, highlighting the hard glint in her eyes as her wolf comes out to play. “So we beat them at their own game.”
Chapter 10
Sabrina
The flames are extinguished in an avalanche of blood, but it’s too late; damnation arriving before salvation. Screams surround me as my mates were spared, though with the state they’re left in, one might argue death would have been the real mercy. A life like this? It’d be a state of utter hell that no one should be forced to endure. Flesh seared from their bones, mangled, living skeletons dripping in blood; my hands repeatedly slip as I attempt to hold them together. The more I fight, the more smoke rises from their bodies until they explode in a shower of ash and sand, slipping through my fingers.
The nightmare fades, throwing new images my way.
No matter how I struggle, Slade keeps my arms pinned above my head, nipping at my throat. Too many hands to keep track of; skimming down my sides, pushing my legs apart. My fevered skin is blistering, the heat only combated by the cool flick of a tongue running up my thigh-
“- will be here soon,” Damian murmurs against my skin, sending a shiver straight though my core and up my spine. “So I came to wake you up for dinner.”
Prying one eyelid open, I lift the blanket to peer down at his head between my thighs. His pupils are dilated, engulfing the silver of his irises up to the red rings circling them, hypnotically entrancing. I swear, the man’s secretly an incubus from a novel come to life, one that I’d happily sell my soul to if he keeps looking at me the way he is now.
Incubus, hellhound that fucks like a demon; not that far from the mark, actually.
“Your dinner, or mine?”
I can feel his smirk against my skin as he continues kissing and nipping his way higher, pushing the blanket away as he goes. “Both?”
Slade stirs beside me, tilting his head to place a lingering kiss on the side of my throat. “What time is it?” His voice is groggy, still half-asleep.
Damian hooks a finger in my underwear and shoves them aside. “Six. Hunter and Kaige kept an eye on things so we could all catch up on some sleep.”
Slade begins replying, but as Damian’s tongue finds my clit, I hiss in a sharp breath that has his words tapering off in a tortured groan. “Five more minutes won’t kill them, then.”
Slipping his hand beneath the hem of my shirt, Slade’s palm glides over my stomach with agonizing slowness. Damian pushes my thighs farther apart, and almost as if they’d planned it, the moment Slade finally reaches my breast, Damian slides two fingers into me.
Head falling back on my pillow, I rasp, “They could probably even survive ten.”
Damian’s low chuckle vibrates directly into my clit, sending a rush of heat between my legs as I arch into both of their touches with a groan. My shirt is shoved up to my collar a moment later, Slade’s mouth descending on my breasts. Pinching, rolling, and licking, he works seamlessly in tandem with Damian who’s feasting on me with as much enthusiasm, pinning me to the bed with a heavy hand on my stomach, fingers splayed.
Breathing growing ragged, I thread my fingers through Damian’s dark hair, holding him in the perfect spot as I rock against his face. Flicking his tongue over my nipple, Slade’s breath against my damp skin sends a shiver dancing down my spine as he kisses a path up my jaw and captures my lips in a bruising kiss. Far too quickly, they bring me to the point of combusting.
Only for them both to pull away the moment I start to come.
I rise up on my elbows to glare down at a smirking Damian. “Dick move. Pretty sure it’s in the rules somewhere that if a girl has multiple men sharing her bed and doesn’t come often enough, she has to leave them and become a lesbian. So I hope you’re happy, because you did this to yourself.”
Grinning, he crawls up to hover over me, slipping a hand beneath my back. “If you’re going to try to make me jealous, hate to break it to you, but that’s not the way to do it.” In a blink, he rolls us so that he’s on his back with me straddling his hips. “And I’m doing this for you.” Kissing me languidly, he smirks against my lips. “Delayed gratification makes it all the sweeter. You’ll thank me when you come so hard you can barely walk.”
Rising to the challenge, I sit back on my heels. “Oh, I agree completely.”
As I tug at his boxers, he lifts his hips to make it easier. Adjusting my position so that he can kick them off the rest of the way, I use the opportunity to share a sly look with Slade. He keeps his reaction on lockdown, the only tell that he knows exactly where my mind’s at is in the way his eyes light up with amusement.
Turning back to focus on Damian, I return the favor, gripping the base of his cock. With the tip of my tongue, I languidly work my way up the underside. Swirling my tongue around the tip, the muscles in his thigh jump beneath the hand I’m bracing myself with. Torturously slow, I take him into my mouth as deeply as I’m able to, fighting a smirk as he curses under his breath and grips the blanket as his side.
Faster, I bob my head, working the rest of his length with my hand before sucking hard. As his muscles begin to go rigid, I pull away, and by his soft chuckle, he expected as much. But I only get to my feet long enough to take off my underwear before I’m crawling back onto the bed, straddling his hips. Reaching beneath me, I grip his cock, sliding it teasingly across my slit and torturing us both.
“Fuuuck,” he rasps, eyelids hooded as he watches me impale myself on his length.
“I can stop if you want to,” I offer magnanimously, rising again. “You know, if it feels too good. Hate to see you suffer by enjoying yourself too much.”
One hand snaps out to grab my hip, forcing me back down. “Point made,” he growls.
Rewarding him for caving so easily, I languidly roll my hips while taking off my shirt, tossing it to the side. Riding him in earnest, I bring myself back to the edge, my orgasm quickly building. Damian’s fingers tighten on my side, eyes falling shut, and I turn to look over my shoulder at Slade expectantly.
The next instant, his arm bands around my rib cage, lifting me off of Damian and forcing him to pull out. As Damian’s eyes fly open, Slade eases me back into position straddling my other mate, but puts a hand between my shoulder blades. Forcing me down on top of Damian, leaving his cock trapped between our stomachs, Slade slides into me from behind.
“You son of-” Damian starts, but is cut off as I kiss him, forcing him to swallow down the soft sounds of my pleasure in a fucked-up sort of power play.
Fingers bruisingly tight on my hip, Slade takes me hard and fast on top of Damian, and all I can do is go along for the ride. Slipping a hand between my legs, I deftly work my clit, and when I start to come, I tense automatically, preparing someone to rob me of it.
But Slade delivers, and then some.
As I gasp into Damian’s mouth, Slade tangles a hand in my hair. “That’s my girl,” he praises, holding me steady as he fucks me through each wave of my orgasm, wringing out every last bit of pleasure that he can draw from me. “You love it when we use you, don’t you? When we remind you that you’re ours?”
Only when I begin to crash down from my high does he pull out, but his hold on my hair keeps me forced down. “You love that you make us lose control, that you drive us insane.” The sound of his fist working his cock is followed by a groan. “And I love that you’re mine.” Rope after rope of hot cum paints my back with his release, his breathing as ragged as mine.
With inhuman speed, Damian rolls us over and growls, “Point fucking made.”
Crushing his lips against mine, he captures one of my legs and slings it over his shoulder before slamming into me with a solid, punishing stroke. Each thrust is hard, brutal, and deep, followed by the smack of the headboard against the wall.
Breaking the kiss, he whispers in my ear, “Is that right, angel? The only teasing games you want to play are the ones you start? You’d rather be thoroughly used, make your other mates watch you come so they’ll want to fuck you even harder?”
Shifting my hips, I clench around him. “Today at least. Who knows what I’ll be in the mood for tomorrow?”
He places a grinning kiss against my temple, and another at my jaw. “I can work with that.”
Sucking his fingers into his mouth, he reaches them between us, finding my clit. Circling it quickly, I jerk my hips instinctively to escape, still sensitive, but he’s relentless. Biting back a small whimper, I squirm, and embarrassingly quickly, another orgasm builds. My nails rake across his back as I arch off of the mattress, muscles tensing as the slamming of the bed against the wall drowns out my soft moan.
Collapsing beneath him, Damian slows with a few languid thrusts before pulling out completely. Scooping me off of the bed and dragging me with him, he gently eases me onto my knees on the carpeted floor. Gathering my hair into a ponytail in his fist with one hand, he guides my lips to his cock.
