Alpha Pack 02 - Savage Awakening (32 page)

A small growl rumbled in his chest, and she took that as a positive sign. Snuggling closer, she nuzzled his cheek and his hair, doing her best to make sure he couldn’t escape her scent. This had to work. If it didn’t…

She would
not
lose him. Not an option.

Resting her head on his shoulder, she began to talk. And talk, until her voice was hoarse.

He floated, twisting in agony. Nightmares of fire and death consumed him.

He’d surfaced now and then, but the pain was too
much. Not just physical, but the awareness of all he’d lost. He was ready to give up, to embrace the end.

And then a sweet flavor burst on his tongue. Delicious. There was something in his mouth, and it carried whatever tasted so good. Candy? No. It was warm, alive.

Flesh. Someone’s finger. And… blood?

That made no sense. He was a wolf, not a vampire. But wolves liked blood when they ate a rabbit or a deer. This taste wasn’t from an animal, though.

As his thoughts became more lucid, he became aware of warmth at his side. Instead of adding to the discomfort of the internal fire that raged, it was a comfort. So was the heady scent teasing his nose. Ocean spray and flowers wrapped around his senses, giving him peace, soothing the agony.

His wolf recognized the owner of that wonderful scent before he did, and whined, needing to get closer.
Mate. Mine.

Rowan?

Had he said her name aloud? He tried again. “Ro?”

“I’m here, honey.” Arms wrapped around him and his face was pushed against her skin.

Jesus, she smelled so good. Felt right against him. He nuzzled the curve of her neck and his canines lengthened. He longed to claim his mate, thought he shouldn’t, but couldn’t remember why not.

“Bite me, Aric,” she whispered. “Make me yours.”

Parting his lips, he let his teeth graze along the delicate skin. God help him, he couldn’t resist one more second.

He struck, sinking his teeth into her neck. Her ambrosia exploded on his tongue and his body detonated.
Rode wave after wave of ecstasy as his mate screamed her pleasure.

Mine!

His. For always.

“Bite me, Aric,” Rowan whispered. “Make me yours.”

For a second, she didn’t think he would give in. His teeth scraped the curve of her neck and shoulder, and he hesitated. And then he sank his canines deep.

Instant, unbridled, bone-melting joy lit her like a torch, from the inside out. A golden thread wound its way through their souls, binding them together for always. She actually felt it, and saw it in her mind’s eye, and knew it was real.

Vaguely, she was aware of screaming.
That’s me. God, it’s so good!

Footsteps came running, the door opened. Then they must’ve quietly slipped away, because as she drifted back down to earth, she opened her eyes and they were alone together.

Withdrawing his fangs, Aric licked the wounds. “Mine,” he rasped. “My mate.”

“Yes, yours. And you’re mine.” She hugged him close.

Then his body went slack. At first she was alarmed, but then she realized the horrible heat that had radiated from his body was noticeably lessened. His face was relaxed, but he wore a faint smile, as though he’d just seen heaven. He was simply sleeping.

“Thank you,” she said to whatever higher power had saved him. Or maybe he’d saved himself. But she had to thank someone.

And she owed him a butt-chewing when he woke up, for scaring the shit out of them all.

Sunshine. Warm, on his face.

The light didn’t burn, and to Aric’s surprise, he wasn’t hot anymore. In fact, he was damned cozy, with someone snuggled against his side. Prying his eyes open, he let his vision adjust and craned his neck to look down at the woman whose head was resting on his chest, brown hair fanned out. He liked being her pillow, and smiled a little.

But wait—he was supposed to be sick. Dying. How was she here, and he was… normal?

Yeah, he felt fine. Tired, but okay. Thinking hard, he cast about for an explanation—and remembered. “Oh, God.”

He’d bitten Rowan. Claimed her.

Mine,
his wolf rumbled, immensely pleased with himself.

The man, however, was ashamed. How could he have done this? Tied her to the likes of him forever? “Rowan,” he said quietly, jostling her gently. “Baby?”

She stirred some. “Mmm?”

“Ro, wake up.” He kissed the top of her head, his heart beating a strange tattoo in his chest. He wanted to deny what he’d done, but he felt protective of the bond. Like his soul absolutely would not accept his denying it now.

Stretching, she raised up and gave him a sleepy smile. “You’re awake. How do you feel?”

“Pretty good, actually. Better than I should.”

“Oh, no. We’re having no self-pity in this mating,”
she said firmly. “Grow a pair of balls, wolf, and use them.”

His eyes widened. “Are you calling me a pussy?”

“If the vagina fits.”

He choked, not sure whether to laugh or be pissed. He went with amusement, as he just didn’t have the heart to be mad at his mate. She’d obviously rushed to his side, and saved his sorry ass. “Is that so? I don’t care how tough you are, officer. My balls will always be bigger than yours.”

“Thank God for that.” Her chocolate eyes were soft with emotion. “I’m so happy the bite worked. I hope you’re happy, too.”

He cupped her face. “I don’t deserve to be, but yes, I am.”

“See, we’ve got to work on that ‘I don’t deserve you’ thing. It’s self-destructive, and you’re wrong. Beryl and Malik are the ones who’ve orchestrated every step of their plan, no one else. Isn’t it time you stopped taking the blame for that bitch’s manipulations?”

For the first time, he really thought about that. The truth seeped in, and looking into Rowan’s beautiful face, he was freed. From the horror and the guilt. All of it. “Yes, it is. I’m not saying it will be easy, but I’m willing to put it behind me for you.”

“For
us
.”

“Right. For us.”

“Will you talk to Mac? Let her counsel you so you can heal? I want you healthy, honey, inside and out. It’s the only way we’ll make it.”

He could refuse her nothing. “Sure.” Something else occurred to him, a big stumbling block. “What about your job? I know how much you love being a cop.”

“I do, but…” She thought for a moment. “When I left here, I felt like my heart was being ripped out. Yes, a lot of it was the mating pull, but that’s not all. This place, with you in it, feels like home. Micah is here, and I know if I stay, eventually I’ll be as close to the guys as I am to my own brother.”

Anxiety made his pulse pound. “What are you saying?”

“That I want to stay.” Tracing his lips, she whispered, “I love you.”

This is happiness. I’ve waited so long.

“All my life I’ve wanted to hear those words from someone who meant them,” he said in a tight voice. “Baby, I love you, too.”

Their lips came together and his body ignited—in the best way possible. His cock hardened between them, demanding to get in on the lovin’. “I need to be inside you,” he gasped. “I can’t wait.”

“I don’t think you’re in any shape to do the actual deed just yet.” She smiled when he made a noise of protest. “But I can help with your problem.”

Scooting lower on the bed, she pushed the blanket aside to reveal his naked body. A couple of towel-wrapped bags fell on the floor on the other side of the bed, and he vaguely remembered being iced down. Now he relished the good kind of heat and she leaned down and licked the leaking crown of his cock.

“Do you feel naughty?” she murmured. “Getting head from your mate when anyone could walk in?”

“Shit,” he moaned. “Please…”

“Well, since you beg so nicely.”

Her tongue traced circles around the tip, captured the tiny beads that continued to seep out. He was hard
as a freaking rock, the shaft red and throbbing. When she slid him into her mouth, down her throat, he thought maybe he’d died after all. She sucked him, putting just the right amount of pressure, laving the ridged underside. His hips canted upward and he buried a hand in her silky hair, urging her on.

“I’m not gonna last, sweetheart,” he panted. “Oh, so good.”

The tingle started at the base of his spine and his balls tightened. True to his word, he couldn’t have stopped if he’d wanted to. There would be more time, all of their lives, to make love any way they wanted.

That thought alone made him lose control. With a shout, he shot hard, pumping his seed endlessly down her throat. She drank him greedily, not spilling a drop, then released him to sit up and wipe her lips, grinning.

“Next time, I want this bad boy inside me,” she said in a naughty voice. “As soon as you’re on your feet.”

“Nothing will keep me away from you. That’s a promise.”

“One I look forward to you keeping.”

They snuggled together again, and Aric focused on healing. For himself, and his mate.

“A
ric? Honey?” Rowan called across the rec room to her man, who was busy in a life-or-death battle with Jax on the Wii.

“Yeah?” Her mate continued leaping around like a frog as they played whatever stupid game they’d started almost an hour ago.

“Is the honeymoon over already?” she muttered, scratching her arms.

“What?” He jumped again, and hooted as he scored a point against Jax.

“I’m itching.” The more she scratched, the worse it got.

“Stop scratching!”

“I can’t!” Damn it, it was everywhere. Her arms, neck, stomach, hands, and feet. “I’m about to lose my mind.”

Finally he stopped playing and walked over to her, frowning in concern. “Did you use some of that cream Melina gave you?”

“Yes, and it hasn’t helped.” She sighed. “I’m going back to our quarters to take another shower.”

“I’ll go with you.” Taking her hand, he called “Later” to Jax and walked back with her. Once there, he punched in the code and let them in. “You want something cold to drink? It might not help, but it would taste good, right?”

Bless him, he really was worried now and was trying to be of help. She gave him a smile and kissed him soundly. “Sure. Some kind of soda would be great.”

“Okay. Be right there.”

She continued on to the bedroom, started stripping off her clothes. Every fiber of her shirt and jeans seemed to aggravate the problem, and it was annoying as hell. Once naked, she inspected herself in the dresser mirror, and saw nothing out of the ordinary. The only marks visible were the ones from her own fingernails as she’d scratched like a dog with fleas.

Or wolf. Could it be… ?

Just then, a sharp pain gripped her stomach. Clutching her middle, she gasped, managing to stifle a cry. Maybe it would pass, and she didn’t want to scare Aric. But a second pain followed on the heels of the first, this one radiating to every limb. Her legs folded and she hit the floor with a thud, but that didn’t hurt an ounce compared to the knives stabbing her arms and legs.

“Aric!” she cried, tears welling. Curling into the fetal position, she grabbed her stomach.

“Rowan, what— Oh, shit!” The can of soda went rolling as he dropped to his knees and scooped her into his arms. Quickly, he laid her on the bed and started checking her for injuries. “What happened, baby? Where does it hurt?”

“All over,” she whimpered. “I—I’m being stabbed.”

“Where?”

“Arms and legs. It hurts!”

“I’ll call Melina.” He started to get up, but she grabbed at him.

“Don’t leave me! Just hold me, please,” she begged. Never had she been so needy. All she wanted was Aric. “I’ve never felt anything like this.”

“Is the pain better?” he asked anxiously. Sitting on the bed, he moved her into his lap, holding her protectively in the circle of his arms.

“Some. But I’m tingling and I don’t feel good. Sort of sick, like I ate something bad.”

He fell silent, rubbing her back. When he spoke again, he was much more calm. “Sweetheart, this is exactly the way I felt right before my first shift. And it was about two weeks after I’d been bitten.”

“Same as me.” As she looked into his face, sweat popped out on her forehead and her fear increased. “I don’t know if I can do it,” she whispered. “Not if it will always hurt like this.”

“It doesn’t, baby, I swear. Just the first time.” He kissed her, slow and soothing.

“I don’t know what to do.” She hated the whiny tone in her voice. Hated feeling weak.

“Okay, let’s see.” He thought for a second. “Try opening your mind to your wolf. Let her in. Do you feel her?”

Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath and concentrated on relaxing. Wasn’t easy with the pain still twisting her limbs, but she reached down with her mind. “I sense something. A presence?”

“I’d bet that’s her,” he said, starting to sound excited. “Do it again, and try not to think so hard.”

“Easy for you to say.” But she tried, delved deeper. This time, an image of a wolf came to mind. Sable, like Micah, but smaller. She gasped, and the image vanished. “Was that me? I saw a brown wolf!”

He grinned. “You’re getting there. You have to call her, and make her obey. Want me to shift? It might help.”

“Okay, let’s try it.”

She watched as Aric rose from the bed and began taking off his clothes. Lord, he was gorgeous and she was the luckiest woman alive. Naked, he knelt on the bed, his green gaze holding hers, auburn hair flowing over his shoulders. His full mouth quirked and his eyes smoldered. The man knew full well she loved what she saw, how he affected her.

He shifted slowly, and she figured that was for her benefit, so she could study the process in a way she never had before. His face reshaped, his nose becoming a muzzle, red hair becoming fur, ears tufting. His arms and legs became canine, his chest rounded. His tail was plush and wagging playfully as the change was completed, tongue lolling.

“You’re beautiful,” she said, rubbing his head. She laughed as he butted under her hand, obviously wanting a scratch. “I don’t know if I can do it…”

She’d barely finished that thought when her stomach turned over. The tingling under her skin became a swarm of bees. Inside, her wolf growled, making its presence known at last. She stared at Aric and saw concern. Encouragement, too, as he licked her face.