Pack Poisoned, page 9
part #2 of Thrown to the Wolves Series
The peaceful satisfaction only lasts a few seconds before there’s a brutal crack of flesh and bone, my eyes flying open in time to see Slade pulling his fist away from Damian’s bright red jaw. To his credit, even though his head whips to the side, he doesn’t drop me. I manage to get my feet under me just in time for him to go stumbling back with the next hit, and it quickly becomes clear that he isn’t defending himself, taking each strike like it’s his due.
“Slade!” I bark, stepping between them.
Instinct dictates my actions despite my wolf being barely conscious at this point. I don’t shove him, making it look like I’m choosing one over the other. I don’t put my hand on his chest; not to keep them apart, nor to manipulate his wolf into calming the fuck down. I simply make myself an obstacle, one that takes the focus off of the man he wants to beat the shit out of.
“What the hell?”
His eyes darken as he takes a step closer, his body vibrating with the barely contained energy. “He doesn’t deserve to touch you. He hurt you.”
While I eased Damian through the transition, Slade fought his way back to my side, a fact that becomes abundantly clear when he reaches me, nostrils flared and the promise of violence pulsating off of him. I’m honestly impressed that he was able to force himself to shift back in a show of restraint instead of tearing Damian’s throat out like he clearly wants to, though a smoky haze still clings heavily to his skin, as if he’s on the cusp of losing his tenuous control at any second. Forcing me to spin around, he jerks my shirt up. My hiss as the cool air brushes over the bloody scrapes on my back only spurs Slade’s ominous rumble to grow louder.
Taking a deep breath, I pivot to face him head on. “You get off on biting, yet are going to pretend that sex-induced wounds aren’t fun? Pretty hypocritical.”
Fisting the front of my shirt, he pulls me closer and slides a hand over the unscathed skin just above my ass, his touch delicate yet possessive. “The last time he touched you, you screamed, and turned to me to save you from the pain he inflicted.” Tilting my chin up to face him, he searches my eyes, and I see more of the Slade I know looking back at me now. “He hurt you, and keeps hurting you. I never should have left you alone with him when you never meant to claim him, to claim either of us.”
“Oh for the love of-” Tangling my fingers in his hair, I tug him down into a searing kiss. Pulling back, I glare up at him for making me say it out loud. “He didn’t take advantage of me, okay? And maybe I didn’t consciously choose any of my mates, but my subconscious clearly has good taste. Hell, the entire time you’ve known me, how often have I done anything I was adamantly against? And after this morning, I think I proved that if necessary, I could kick all of your asses if needed. So breathe, Slade. You have enough to worry about without adding my hypothetical ‘honor’ into the mix, too. If I need you to beat someone up for me, I’ll let you know. Deal?”
The tiny twitch of an approving smirk at the corner of his lips is all I see before I’m face down on the ground, Slade’s hand beneath my cheek to cushion the impact, and his knees pinning my legs together. Grass tickles my nose as I turn my head, nails digging into the dirt, but as he covers my body with his, I don’t budge more than a few inches.
Leaning in close, he whispers in my ear, “Maybe after your other half has some time to find her land legs, I’ll feel confident that you can hold your own. She’s as reckless as a newborn pup and tires herself out pretty quickly though, doesn’t she?”
To emphasize his point, he gently bites the side of my neck, but rather than be intimidated, a soft moan slips out before I can stop myself. I can feel his grin against my flesh, and he nips once more before rubbing in the fact that I’m completely at his mercy.
“The rest of us have spent our entire lives learning to control not only our abilities, but how to fight.” His hand skims up the side of my body slowly, as if he has all of the time in the world, regaining more of himself as the minutes pass by. “So you’ll forgive me if I’m worried that someone would take advantage of my sweet little mate that insists on running headfirst into dangerous situations.”
Grinding my ass back against him, I counter, “I can think of at least two that I ran away from, thank you very much.”
It’s enough of a distraction that I manage to slip forward a few inches, but he simply tugs me back and uses his hips to pin me harder against the ground. A snapping twig precedes Bo as he comes into view, stilling as he sees the position he’s found us in. Barely blinking, he stalks closer, each step measured, before he leans against a nearby tree and cocks his head, assessing. He knows me well enough to understand that I’m not actually trying that hard to escape my predicament, but is prepared to intervene the second I say the word.
Holding his gaze, it only bolsters my confidence, scraping the bottom of the barrel to save face rather than admit that Slade has a point. “If you ask Bo, you should consider it a compliment. I trust you to have my back enough that danger doesn’t feel as much of a threat as it did before, so I have no reason to be scared.”
His answering growl has me grinning. Now that the hellhound he’s always called a wolf is finally free, he can kiss the stoic mask he’s used to hiding behind goodbye.
“The highest form of flattery,” Bo agrees easily, languidly stroking himself now. His gaze roams over me slowly, blatant hunger etched into each and every feature. Locking eyes with me, I get to witness the sweet satisfaction on his face as he goads his brother. “No wonder she asked me to be the one to officially marry her; I don’t leave her wanting.”
It’s impossible not to smile, but it’s swiftly replaced by a shiver of anticipation as Slade shifts his hips, barely pressing into me. “That true, mon soleil?” Tugging my earlobe between his teeth, he forces himself in another inch, and with my legs pinned together in this position, I’m grateful for Damian’s cum making it easier. “Or did the sneaky bastard simply beat the rest of us to the punch?”
Another inch and I squirm, clenching my teeth. “He doesn’t tease me half as much, that’s for damn sure.”
Chuckling, he grips my hip and finishes burying himself inside of me. Only taking a second to let me adjust, he pulls back without ever fully withdrawing before snapping his hips. Every brutal thrust is rougher than the last and has me gasping as he drives me into the dirt, fucking me hard, but at his own leisurely pace.
His words are a whisper of praise in my ear, as constant and steady as the man giving them. “My sweet, amazing girl. Now that I’ve had a taste of what it’s like to be between your legs, how am I supposed to get anything else done?” Wrapping a hand around my throat, he pulls me up so that he’s leaning back on his heels, my back pressed into his chest as he continues with shallow thrusts.
“Do you see what you’re doing to him, love? He might have the honor of being your husband on paper, but he’d give anything to be in my position right now, buried inside of you. Feeling you tighten around his cock like-” he hisses in a sharp breath “- yes, just like that. Fuck, you’re perfect, Sabrina.” His other hand drops between my legs to start teasing me in quick circles. “Are you going to be good for me and scream my name while he watches you come?”
Though it makes me physically want to weep, afraid he’ll stop, I gasp out, “No.”
I shouldn’t have worried. If anything, he actually picks up his pace with a growl of annoyance, as if thinking he can change my mind by fucking the defiance out of me. “Tell me what you want.” His voice is gravelly as his fingers flex against my throat. “Now.”
“I want to be so busy swallowing his cock that nobody can hear me scream.”
One second I have heated cheeks and eyes clamped shut as Slade fucks the admission out of me, and the next I’m on my hands and knees, the head of Boden’s cock against my lips. Taking him in my mouth, they give me a few minutes to get comfortable before Slade picks up his pace. Every thrust sends Bo further down my throat until we’re all lost to the sensations. Hands are everywhere; caressing, nails gently raking over my skin, smoothing the hair from my face and gathering it in a fist to guide my motions.
A sharp smack on my ass has me clenching around Slade and sets off my orgasm, sending him over the edge with me. His grip on my hip is bruising as he slams into me once more, flooding me with heat as his cum mixes with Damian’s. His cock is still twitching inside of me when Bo tightens his grip on my hair, fucking my face with shallow thrusts until he groans, coming down my throat.
The three of us finally untangle ourselves from each other, thoroughly sated and exhausted, and I roll onto my back, flopping onto the grass and slinging an arm over my eyes. Hands slip beneath my knees and shoulders as Damian chuckles. “While half-naked and cum dripping down your thighs is a fantastic look on you, I’d rather it not be a sight that other people get to see. Let’s go get you cleaned up and in bed.”
Damian hauls me up and cradles me against his chest as he begins the long trek back to the house, and this time? Slade doesn’t utter a single protest, simply presses a kiss to the top of my head and leads the way.
Chapter 6
Damian
Slight movement pulls me awake, and I groggily peel one eye open in confusion that swiftly morphs into surprise. Sabrina is stretched out on top of me, completely naked, and fidgeting in her sleep. Two seconds later, reality comes crashing back into me, the events of yesterday replaying in my mind in rapid succession.
She claimed me. I shifted, but there was something... wrong about it. Toxic. Monstrous. A twisted version of the wolf I should have been.
Sabrina was supposed to be the key to fixing everything, but instead, she’s putting out fires with gasoline.
“Five more minutes,” she mumbles, squirming to get comfortable.
When her face is tucked beneath my chin, she sighs in contentment, immediately lost to the world again and snoring softly within minutes. A shiver snakes down my spine at the feeling of her breath against my throat, but where anyone else would have had theirs torn out for the suicidal move, with Sabrina? Fuck, it feels like she’s exactly where she’s supposed to be.
Still more wolf than human then. Mentally scoffing with wry amusement, I run my hand soothingly over her spine and relish the feeling of my- My mate. Fuck, maybe I am still dreaming.
For the first time in my life, I don’t feel like a stranger in my own body. The constant gnawing sensation I’m accustomed to living with, like an angry void where my heart should be, is quiet for once. Peaceful. Content. Like Sabrina’s mere presence is enough to keep my demons at bay, at least for a while.
The first time I saw Sabrina, I knew she would be something I'd kill to possess. The second, that there was no longer any reality in which she wouldn’t be mine. Now that I finally have her in my arms, though, it’s abundantly clear that I’m a complete idiot.
She’s not mine, I’m hers, and always have been; long before I ever met her.
I already failed her once by not realizing how utterly unworthy I was to be by her side. Never again.
Sliding my hand up, I cup the back of her neck and thread my fingers into her dark mass of hair, tangled to hell after our night in the woods. “Don’t you have work today?”
Pulling away from my throat, she pins those hypnotic, now fully coral eyes on my face, currently wide with alarm. Even though I’ve seen firsthand that she isn’t helpless, right now she looks so godsdamned fragile that my wolf rises swiftly in response, demanding blood from threats that aren’t even here.
It's okay. The Slaughters will be thrilled that she took me as a mate, and I can start the proceedings for a modified treaty between our packs. It'll appease them, give us more people that will protect her, and everything will work out.
"Shit.” Closing her eyes, she sighs. “I could go for a hell of a lot more sleep, but yeah.”
“Not like Reid won’t understand if you call off,” Boden mumbles on my right, one arm thrown over his eyes, and the other hand settling on the back of Sabrina’s thigh, thumb languidly stoking her bare skin.
“I’m not worried about getting fired, I’m worried about not finishing on time,” she groans. Crossing her arms, she rests her chin on top of them. “Just need a few minutes to psyche myself up into getting out of bed and some coffee, then I’ll be fine.”
A grumble from my left proceeds Slade sitting up. If looks could kill, I’d be a dead man, but the moment his gaze falls on Sabrina, it immediately softens. I may think that he’s ill-equipped to protect her with a nearly extinct pack and surrounded by people after their heads; hell, I know he is simply by the state she was in when I arrived. Still, I can’t hate the man. Not when he looks at our mate like she’s the only thing in this world or the next worth seeing.
“How much more do you have to go?”
She takes a second to do a mental countdown before replying, but it means nothing to me. I know the deadline date, but I’m not sure how what she has left to accomplish compares to it.
“Sounds like you’re on top of it and nothing to worry about, then,” I praise, to which she rolls her eyes, seeing right through me.
Yawning, she counters, “You’re just excited to whisk me across the country and try to convince me that you’ve got a cooler house.”
Two rumbles of displeasure surround me, and honestly, I get it. If someone were to walk in here and tell me that they wanted to take my mate away from my home, right onto the doorstep of men that have a reputation of ‘murder first, ask questions never’, I’d be pretty pissed off too.
“Why are you growling?” she asks, tilting her head curiously to assess my face.
I didn’t even realize I was until she said it. The sound cuts off instantly, but my arm around her lower back tightens as I clear my throat, not directly answering her question, but attempting to reassure all of us.
“They think that Sabrina’s their daughter and wanted her mated off to either Kaige, Hunter, or me for the sake of renegotiating the terms of our alliance to open up more avenues since they’re landlocked. Now they have what they want, so there’s no reason to stress. Sabrina clearly has a wolf, so that’s no longer a concern either. Her healing abilities should be on par with ours now, plus she freed our wolves-”
“We’re skimming over that one I assume?” Slade asks smoothly, but there’s no heat in his voice. He simply pinches a lock of Sabrina’s hair and tugs her closer so that he can kiss her lazily, like he has all of the time in the world.
“Obviously. Nobody wants to dwell on such a boring topic,” Sabrina murmurs, and my lip twitches.
“So, everything’s going to be okay,” I sum up with conviction. “Once you wrap up your work here, we'll rip the bandage off and get this awkward meeting over with. Then we’ll decide where to go from there.”
Bracing herself on my chest as she pulls away from Slade to sit up, she opens her mouth to speak before promptly snapping it shut again. I can’t help the broad grin that takes over my face alongside the blush rapidly spreading across hers as she realizes that we’re all completely naked, memories from last night catching up with her now that she’s more awake. She doesn’t cover herself though, and that fine line that she’s straddling between shy innocence and sexual confidence is a hell of a turn on.
“Sooooo, we should probably address the elephant in the room, huh?” Worrying her bottom lip, she flicks her gaze between Slade and Boden, as if she’s waiting for them to start yelling at her for literally sleeping with the enemy.
My knuckles already ache in a delicious way just thinking about one of them being stupid enough to raise their voice to her or make her upset. I’d love to have a reason to work out some of this aggression that’s beginning to surface like a slow boil in my veins as my other half senses her discomfort and is itching to prove to her that we have everything handled.
The door creaks open and one of the twins strides in like he owns the place. I suppose he does to a degree, but this definitely isn’t his room, at the very least. “It's just a cock, Sabrina, geeze. But I can see why you'd want to discuss it,” he teases before obviously adjusting himself. The tension bleeds from her body instantly, his presence alone putting her at ease.
Bo grunts as the interloper kneels on his stomach to reach Sabrina, plucking her right off of me. “If you don't mind me stealing you from your puppy pile, I'd like to get some time in with my mate before she leaves for work."
Once he’s back on his feet, he adjusts his hold so that she’s forced to wrap her legs around his waist and arms around his neck, one of his hands beneath her ass to support her. As she’s chuckling at his antics, he uses his free hand to flip off his brothers, ignoring me completely. “First no husband privileges, and now excluded from your gangbangs? I'm going to start getting offended here soon, sweet girl.”
She nods sagely. “My apologies. I’ll make sure to create a seating chart and integrate it into my calendar when I get some free time.”
My face scrunches up in confusion? “Seating chart?”
Boden rolls out of bed and gets to his feet with a snort. “For who’s face she sits on and when.”
They carry on towards the door. “I’ll have to figure out a way to get back into your good graces. What do you say, gorgeous? Up for some company in the shower so we can brainstorm? You know, for the sake of the environment and all that jazz, definitely not as a ploy to get you wet while we discuss when you’re going to sit on my face.”
This time she outright laughs, rolling with the eclectic twin and making this all seem... too perfect to be real. A sense of impending doom settles over me, reminding me that this can't last. The peaceful bubble will pop, leaving us all worse off than ever before. While I have the ability to shift now, it means nothing if I don't have her as a reason to become human again.
Once they’re gone, the rest of us waste no time raiding the dresser and closet for clothes. I don't have a clue whose room I’m in, but I couldn't care less whose shorts I’m stealing if it means not having a conversation with these bastards with our junk hanging out.
