Wolf Claims His Pack (Salvation Pack: The Next Generation Book 3), page 18
Shifting back was harder than it should have been. Her instinct was to remain in her stronger, faster, more deadly form, but trust was stronger. Her legs shook, but she managed to get into her clothes. Squaring her shoulders, she tilted her chin up and stepped back into the yard.
Everyone was where she’d left them, except for Nicholas and the strange wolf. Both had shifted and wore nothing more than a pair of jeans. Standing side by side, the resemblance was unmistakable.
“Bailey Smith, I want you to meet my father, Jacque LaForge, alpha of the Salvation Pack.” Nicholas had inherited his size, build, and coloring. Jacque’s shaggy brown hair fell to his shoulders, with only the slightest bit of gray at the temples to silver it. He might be older, but this was no old man. This was a male in prime condition. His features were harder than his son’s, his eyes colder.
Stifling the urge to rub her sweaty palms against her shirt, she stepped forward and extended her hand. “Welcome to the Smith Pack.” She kept the greeting formal, alpha to alpha. “I’m Bailey Smith, alpha of this pack.”
Warmth bled into those golden eyes, and the corners of his mouth twitched. He accepted her handshake, keeping the contact brief. “Thank you for the welcome.”
“Thank you for the assist.” She gave her attention to the other unknown male, holding out her hand.
He winked at her, his blue eyes gentle with understanding. “I’m Aaron, the younger and handsomer LaForge son.”
Nicholas growled and stepped up beside her, a frown on his face. “Why so formal? This is my family, which means they’re your family now.”
He might think so, but she wasn’t so sure. These men had been forced to kill to protect her pack. Not exactly a great first impression. Since it didn’t appear as if they presented any immediate danger, she went to Waya and bent down on one knee. “Time to change back, buddy.” She rubbed her hand over his furry head when he whined. “We’ll go for a run tomorrow, you and me. For now, I need your help with the others.”
The blue-eyed black wolf blinked several times, gave a playful growl, and then shifted. Sitting on his butt in the dirt, he pulled his knees to his chest and wrapped his arms around his legs. “Geez, Bailey, give a guy some space.”
Rather than take offense, she laughed and ruffled his hair. “I’m proud of you.”
His shoulders straightened. “I had to protect them.”
His first shift should have been done in safety and celebrated. Like her, he’d been forced into it too young. “It was incredibly brave of you.”
He shrugged, looking ill at ease. She wanted to hug him, but refused to embarrass him further. “Emmett, get him some pants.”
“I’ve got them.” Aaron tossed them to Waya. “Grabbed them on the way.”
Jacque LaForge remained silent throughout the entire exchange, arms folded across his chest, his gaze watchful. Nicholas was standing back, a frown of confusion on his face. What did he expect her to do? Hug the man? His father didn’t come across as the warm and fuzzy type.
“I’m taking the kids inside. You’re welcome to join us.” Invitation issued, she held out her hand to Henry. He grabbed it like a lifeline, gripping it tight and leaning his body into hers for reassurance. Clothes rustled as Waya dressed and followed. Emmett had the door open by the time she got there. She couldn’t tell if Eliza was asleep in his arms or hiding her face against his shoulder. Bailey wanted to know what had happened to them out in the woods, but she was almost afraid to ask.
As soon as the door closed, she spread her arms wide and gathered all of them into her embrace. These kids had enough nightmares already. Tonight had piled on more. “Is anyone hurt?”
“No.” Emmett eased out of the hug. He swallowed heavily. “I took them the route we’d mapped, but three wolves found us.”
Her stomach churned at the thought of what could have happened.
“Nicholas came out of nowhere and killed one of them. He protected us.” There was wonder in Henry’s voice. “Then the other wolves arrived.” His face was pale but composed. “They killed the attackers while Nicholas went after you.”
She owed those men a debt of gratitude she could never repay. “You’re all safe. That’s what matters.”
Emmett handed Eliza off to her. The girl clung, pale and silent, still very much wide awake. “You’re safe now,” she promised, praying it wasn’t a lie.
“The bad men are gone.” It was a childlike assessment but an accurate one.
“Yes, honey.” She rubbed the girl’s back. “The bad men are gone. They won’t be back.” But would there be others from their pack seeking retribution? “We’ll talk in the morning. Make plans.” She hated the idea of leaving what they’d painstakingly built with sweat and blood and tears, but nothing was worth the lives of her kids.
“I’m going to help with the cleanup.” Emmett headed toward the door with Waya at his heels.
“That’s my job.” She was alpha.
Her brother shook his head. “You’ve done enough. Family shares the load.”
It was what she constantly preached. They needed to help, to be a part of protecting themselves and the pack. It almost killed her to give a nod of agreement and let them go.
Before they made their exit, Nicholas opened the door, filling the entrance with his presence. “My brother and father are taking care of things outside. As you said, family shares the load.” His words proved he’d heard their conversation.
It was hard to argue, and she was too damn tired to care as long as it was handled. “Anyone hungry?” She needed to do something to keep her hands busy to try to silence the nightmare scenarios running through her mind. What would have happened if she’d never met Nicholas? Maybe Rasmus would never have found them. Or maybe all of them would be dead.
“I’ll start coffee.” Emmett headed to the kitchen.
Henry looked from Nicholas to her, then turned on his heel and followed.
Waya, looking older than he had a few hours ago, held out his arms. “I’ll take Eliza.” It was cowardly, but she wanted to cling to the girl, use her as a shield. She wasn’t ready to face Nicholas. Digging deep for courage, she handed off the child.
The two of them were left alone in the living room. Not that there was any privacy. The others were only steps away and all had enhanced hearing. It was the illusion of it that mattered.
He pressed his hand against her face. The blood had been wiped from his face, but some stained his chest. “Oh, my God, your injuries.” How could she have forgotten?
“I’m fine. LaForge men heal fast. Makes us damn hard to kill.”
A cold shiver raced down her spine. All of them had come far too close for her liking tonight. “I’m sorry,” she blurted. The air was thick and heavy, the walls pushing in on her. Shoving him aside, she stumbled outside.
He caught her on the porch, stopping her headlong flight to… She had no idea where she was going. Her family needed her, but she couldn’t breathe.
Her vision began to dim, narrowing to a pinprick. I’m going to pass out. The shocking reality sent a jolt of adrenaline pouring through her. She couldn’t leave her kids vulnerable.
“Look at me.”
She concentrated on his face, trying to understand what he was saying. It was almost impossible with the whooshing sound in her ears.
He shook her lightly. “Breathe, Bailey.”
She sucked air into her starving lungs. Right, breathing is good.
“That’s it. Again.” He did it with her, taking one slow breath and then another. A whisper of sound caught her attention, and she tensed at the latest threat. “No, you don’t worry about that. Everyone is safe. You’re safe. Keep looking at me.”
Grabbing onto his voice like a lifeline, she hung on. It seemed to take forever but was probably only minutes until the sights and sounds of the night began to penetrate the thick void that threatened to swallow her. The stars twinkled in the sky overhead. The insects chirped and buzzed in the cool night air.
What the hell had just happened? Embarrassed by her outburst, she smoothed wrinkles out of her shirt and cleared her throat. “Sorry about that.” Maybe if she wished hard enough, the ground would open and swallow her whole.
He swore under his breath and dragged a hand through his hair, leaving parts of it standing on end. “You have nothing to be sorry for. You had a slight panic attack, likely due to the adrenaline dump in your system. You faced down your monsters, your nightmares. It’s not surprising your system is overloaded.”
He was right, but she hated that it left her feeling weak. Had the kids heard? That was the last thing they needed. She had to be strong for them. “I’m alpha,” she whispered.
“You are, but you’ve carried that burden far too long on your own.” On a sigh, he curled his arm around her waist. “Let me share some of the load. You’re it for me. You’re the woman I love. My mate.”
Her lungs threatened to seize up again. She struggled for calm. One of them had to be sensible. “I’ll always be a half-breed. There may be repercussions from tonight, more men coming for us.” He hadn’t asked for any of this. “You killed to protect me.”
Golden eyes glittered and hardened, and a muscle worked in his jaw. In that moment, she saw his father reflected in him. The apple hadn’t fallen far from the tree there. Nicholas was a protector, a fighter, a true alpha.
“You’re damn right I did. You and the kids are mine. My pack is different. I told you that before, but you weren’t ready to believe. This time, I want you to really listen and hear what I’m saying. We have half-breeds in the Salvation Pack. They’re family, valued members of our community. They’d fight to defend it, as your boys did tonight.”
He traced his thumbs over her cheekbones and ran one across her lower lip. “I love you, Bailey. Take a chance on me, on us.”
A crossroads lay before her. Her future was her choice. Did she let fear dictate or did she choose love?
****
This was it. Nicholas had no cards left to play, no other words he could use to convince her that they were meant to be together. His wolf was strangely silent.
He’d fought tonight, spilled blood—for his mate and his pack. A protector at heart, he’d finally found his place. If she took it from him, he had no idea what he’d do next.
A wolf wasn’t meant to be alone. A wolf needed his pack. First, she needed to claim him.
“I thought you were bossy and overbearing from the very beginning.” His stomach dropped until he saw the slight smile on her face. “I still think that. You’re an alpha through and through. We’re alike in many ways.” She rested her hand on his chest right over his heart. It beat strong and fast, for her.
“We are,” he agreed.
“We’ll fight.” Strangely enough, she sounded more amused than bothered.
He slid his hands up and down the curve of her spine before cupping her firm, full ass. “We will, but think of how good it will be to make up after.”
Her sensual laugh lashed his bare skin, leaving it sensitized. His dick was hard and eager. “There is that.” She flicked the tip of her thumb over a flat nipple, drawing a deep groan and making it difficult for him to focus. “I’ve watched you.”
“Have you?” His voice was more a guttural growl. His wolf was close.
“Oh, yes. You’re bossy and controlling, but you always put the well-being of the others first, taking into consideration their needs and wishes.”
What was she getting at? “That’s what an alpha does.” The scent of her arousal made him want to fall to his knees, rip off her clothes, and feast on her hot, molten core.
“You’re sexy as hell, too.” She ran her hands over his chest, one down to his abs, the other up to his shoulder. Sweat beaded on his brow. “You’ve never hesitated to protect me or the kids. Every action you’ve taken has put us first. I’d be crazy not to want you.”
He was hanging by a thread. “Say it.” He needed her to say it straight out.
“I’ll mate with you.”
His wolf howled in triumph, but Nicholas needed more. “Why?”
Tilting her head to one side, she frowned and her brows lowered. “I just told you why.”
Mate her and figure it out later. That was the smart thing to do. But he couldn’t make that final move. “Is it gratitude?”
Her mouth dropped and then closed.
His heart was trying to beat out of his chest. His cock was about to punch a hole in his pants. And his wolf was howling in frustration, but he wouldn’t give, couldn’t give. Not on this. “I love you.”
The frustration in her eyes softened. “Oh, Nicholas. It’s gratitude, but it’s so much more. If I didn’t love you, I’d have booted your ass to the door days ago.”
A hoot of laughter was quickly silenced. His brother was enjoying this way too much. He made a mental note to mercilessly tease Aaron when he finally found a mate.
Grabbing Bailey’s hand, he towed her toward the woods. “Too many ears here,” he muttered. She loved him. It echoed in his brain, pounded in his heart. What the hell was he doing? Whirling around, he scooped her into his arms and ran.
Arms wrapped around his neck, she relaxed against him. When he’d gone far enough to ensure privacy, he stopped in a small clearing and lowered her feet to the ground. “Tell me.” Holding her precious face in his hands, he drank in the sight of the woman who held his heart and his future in her capable hands.
Pressing her palms against his face to mirror his actions, she went up on her toes so they were eye-to-eye. “I never thought I’d ever find anyone like you. You burst into my life like a summer storm—fast and hard.”
“Bailey.” His patience was running thin.
“This is a big moment for me. I never thought I’d say these words to anyone.” She took a deep breath and smiled. “Nicholas LaForge, I love you and want to mate you.”
Throwing back his head, Nicholas howled. Then he pounced.
Chapter Nineteen
Bailey’s hands shook and her legs trembled, but her heart was filled to bursting with happiness. His howl still echoed in the night air when Nicholas took her down to the ground, as though she was prey he would not be denied. Only there was no fear, no doubt or second thoughts, only love.
Flat on her back, his big body blocking out the night sky above, she stared into his beloved face. When had he begun to fill the cracks in her heart, bringing light to her wounded soul?
She’d been furious with him at their first meeting for interfering in her life, but even then, she’d been attracted. Bit by bit, he’d worn down her resistance, crumbling all her walls. It should have left her vulnerable. Instead, she was stronger. He’d replaced those walls with something harder and more resilient—love.
His forearms flat on the ground, his biceps flexed as he held the bulk of his weight off her. His hard jaw and carved cheekbones could have been hewn from stone, but the molten gold of his eyes and the press of his arousal against her mound heated her from within.
“Say it again,” he demanded.
Rising up, she closed the gap between them and pressed her mouth against his, keeping the pressure whisper-light. “I love you.” Three of the simplest but most powerful words in the world.
She was forced to swallow his groan when he took her lips in a searing kiss. He rocked his pelvis against hers, the hard press of his cock and the friction of her clothes torture against her swollen clit. Wrapping her legs around his thighs, she pushed up, wanting, needing more.
They’d had sex before. It had been hot and explosive and everything she could have wished for. This was more. This was making love.
She stroked his tongue with hers, savoring each ragged moan and breath. He reared back and grabbed the hem of her shirt. Rip! Her bra was stuffed in her back pocket, along with the underwear she hadn’t bothered with earlier.
“Perfect.” He cupped her bare breasts and trailed his thumbs around the tips, which hardened to the point of pain. “So responsive.” Hot breath feathered over them. As if there was an invisible cord leading to her core, a tingle radiated downward to her sex.
She bit her bottom lip but couldn’t contain the moan. “More.” He’d gone from being in a hurry to taking too darn long. If her skin got any hotter, she’d combust.
“Like this.” He gently pinched her nipples. Her sex clenched, the muscles gripping nothing but air.
“Bastard.”
He gave her a sexy grin filled with sexual promise. “I’m just getting started.”
The hell with that. Reaching down, she found the zipper of his jeans. He hadn’t bothered buttoning them earlier, making it easier for her to get to him. His cock fell into her hand, hard and pulsing with life. She squeezed and gave it a pump.
His eyes practically rolled back into his head. His Adam’s apple rippled. “You don’t play fair. I like that.” Faster than she would have thought possible, he had his jeans off and her shorts peeled down her legs. She fought with the scraps of cloth that had been her shirt and tossed them away.
Naked, they stared at each other, their chests rapidly rising and falling. His heart beat a fast rhythm. Hers synced to it. The air was thick with the smell of their arousal.
Mating here in her woods, under the light of the almost full moon and the stars, was natural and right. Her wolf chuffed inside her, as if urging her to get on with it.
Coming up on her knees, she wrapped her hand around his shaft and leaned forward. He hissed out a breath as she flicked her tongue over the slit in the broad head before circling the rim. Strong fingers tangled in her hair, not to push her down or pull her away but to have another connection.
His salty and musky taste had her squirming. The more she teased him, the more turned on she became. Her sex was damp from her juices. With a growl, she took him deeper, sucking on his dick.
“Fuck!” He pulled away, leaving them both panting.
“I’m not done.”
“I am.” His fangs dropped, sharp as daggers and as deadly. His cock gleamed from where she’d sucked him, the head darker, the shaft roped with veins. A light sheen of sweat covered his body. There wasn’t any softness to the man. He was all muscle and bone and sinew.
